PowerBlog

It doesn't compare to the disruptions of a few summers ago, when the Atrium was being built, but it has not been quiet around here lately (and thanks to those who had to put up with the noise). But we're confident it will all be worthwhile. There are a couple reasons for all the racket: The most evident change is on the main floor, where the Reference collection has been reorganized.  Many of the books previously in the collection will be moved upstairs so that they are available to borrow.  What remains is the best and brightest encyclopedias, handbooks and other kinds of reference material.  And its visibility has been increased by having it reoriented and shifted closer to the library's entrance so that it will be among the students as they work - hopefully encouraging them to investigate the high quality information in these "non-Wikipedia" sources. A by-product of that change is the creation of open space where we will be able to add more of those ever-...

There are not many days in the year when the Library is closed.  But this Monday, Canada Day, is one of them.  Which means that when we close at 5:00 this afternoon, we won't be re-opening until Tuesday morning. Like I said, we don't close often but Canada Day is about as good a reason as you can get. Enjoy the prolonged weekend!

For those of you who may be unaware, this Monday is a national holiday in Canada.  Every year,Victoria Day is celebrated the third Monday in May - making a long weekend - and a lot of places will be closed as a result.  Government offices for example.  And much of Saint Mary's will be shut down as well. But not the Library.  We'll be open 12 hours that day - helping students with their research, checking out books.  Or providing computers or a nice place to study. Here are our hours for the whole weekend: Saturday - CLOSED (as usual, until September) Sunday - 1:00pm-9:00pm Monday - 9:00am-9:00pm Whether you're going to be working, or relaxing, or a bit of both, enjoy the weekend.

I knew the Library had been busy lately.  Very crowded, lots of traffic, few empty chairs.  But I didn't know it had been that busy. In March we hit the 100,000 mark. For the first time since this Library opened (back in the summer of '75), we had more than 100,000 visits - 102,124 to be exact.  How do I know?  Because there's an electronic counter at the entrance which keeps track of these things, every hour of every day. That's a lot of people, more than 3,000 a day, dropping in to borrow a book, use a computer, get help with an assignment or just sit back and read. People vote with their feet.  So I guess you like the way the Library has changed over the past few years - all the renovations, the Atrium, the reading area, the new furniture, the different environments we provide. Another school year is winding down.  But the spring and summer terms aren't that far off and September will be back before you know it. So we'll be spending our time looki...

This coming Wednesday, April 3 we're going to try something a little different - we're going to stay open around the clock.  The very first "Up All Night" is going to bring together the services of the Writing Centre, the Library, the CAT Lab and other groups on campus.  We'll be providing help with writing and research, studying and exam writing, even stress management.  And we'll be doing it all night long.  Starting at 10pm and continuing until 8 o'clock Thursday morning.  There will also be activities (yoga anyone?) and food to help keep you going. More information is available at the Writing Centre's site . Or you can call 491-6202 or 420-5544. If you're going to be up anyway, why not do it at the Library? With other Saint Mary's students. With people who can help.  See you Wednesday night.

An undergrad in the Sobey School of Business was the big winner in the Library's recent LibQUAL survey.  Yue Xu is shown here receiving an iPad2 from University Librarian Marie DeYoung and Ron Houlihan, Promotional Services Librarian. Fifteen other students won gift cards. All of the prize winners had their names randomly drawn from the 900 respondents who completed the survey. The data and comments from the survey will be analyzed over the coming weeks and will help inform decisions made on the future direction of library resources and services.  Thank you to everyone who participated.

A student's life is not an easy one.  Especially that 4 or 5 week period from mid-March to mid-April - when all their assignments are due, followed quickly by final exams. Lots of work to be done. So, yeah, it's tough. Of course, finding a good place to get that work done can be a challenge. So many distractions, so little time.  Which is why so many students seek out the library.  And which is why the Library is now open until 1:00 in the morning .  And will be until the last exam is written. These extended hours mean that we will also open earlier on weekend mornings.  Go to our Hours Page for the exact times. And speaking of assignments, if you need any last minute help finishing off a pesky paper, drop by the Information & Research desk on the main floor.  The people there would be happy to give you a hand finding that perfect book or article or strategy for that final push.  Don't be shy!

This Friday is the last day of the Library's survey.  Last day to tell us what you think of our services, our resources, anything you like.  Last day (if you're a Saint Mary's student) to win an iPad2 or other nice prizes. So go to the Survey Page ,  It takes maybe 10 minutes, you can do it anytime, anywhere.  But this will be your last reminder...

Every few years the Library conducts a comprehensive survey of our users to find out what they like (or don't like) about our services, collections, just about anything.  We're always looking at ways to make improvements around here and this kind of feedback really helps give us direction. Well it's that time again.  From February 25 to March 15 we're inviting everyone to fill out an online, easy to understand, no more than 10 minutes, survey.  Not only can you check off your answers to a series of questions, you can also submit comments in your own words so that we know exactly what you think. As you all know, there have been an awful lot of significant changes here at the Library since our last survey in '09 - the Atrium, new entrance, new service desks, renos to the main and upper floors.  All the more reason for you to participate. Another reason? Great prizes! As an incentive (and thank you) we'll be giving away an iPad2 to one lucky student as well...

In an annual tradition, university and college libraries across Nova Scotia are raising money for local food banks.  Food for Fines , as its name implies, allows borrowers who have overdue books, etc. to bring in non-perishable food items instead of money - each item reduces the fine by $2 (maximum of $20).  All donations (cash is also accepted) can be dropped off at the Circulation Desk. Here at Saint Mary's, donations will be given to Feed Nova Scotia and the campus food bank.  This is your classic win/win situation. Students can save $$$ and the food banks (and those who use them) get some much-appreciated help. This year's campaign starts today and runs until February 17. Congratulations to everyone involved.

Not many people do.  Not only is it an incredibly complex subject, but the rules and regulations surrounding it are constantly being studied, debated and revised. But, of course, that doesn't diminish its importance, especially in an academic environment where print and electronic material is being duplicated, re-packaged and re-distributed on a massive scale, on a daily basis. Which is why Saint Mary's, with the Library's help, has created a new online Copyright Guide to help answer questions which faculty, students and staff may have about copyright and the fair use of intellectual property.  It's in an easy-to-use format and full of information and should go a long way to clearing up some of the confusion surrounding copyright (not an easy task).  Out of necessity, it will be updated on a regular basis as new legislation is introduced, new agreements are signed, etc. It also has contact information if you have any questions or suggestions.  So spend some ...

In a few hours, the Library, and most of the University, will close up shop.  Someone will shoo out the last hangers-on, staff will wish each other well, a security guard will lock the gate, the lights will be turned off. So it's the perfect time to wish all of our users, the students, faculty and staff of Saint Mary's, a relaxing and satisfying holiday. It's been a tough term (and not the last one) for many students. But you got through it.  Another notch on your belt.  Another step closer to graduation.  So enjoy your few weeks of freedom.  Take it easy.  Rest your body and mind.  And we'll see you in 2013.

And every night until the last exam has been written.  Courtesy of Dr. David Gauthier, Vice President, Academic & Research. Studying for exams can be stressful at the best of times. But a nice cup of coffee (or some hot chocolate) can go a long way to making the experience a little more bearable.  So beginning this evening at 8 o'clock, and right through the weekend, we'll be setting up a table near the Library entrance so that students can help themselves to a hot drink of their choice. And thanks to Dr. Gauthier for remembering what it's like to be a student.  Think of it as an early present.

You know what Pinterest is, right?  It's one of the most popular social media sites around.  It's basically just a place where people can share photos and information on their favourite "things" on the web: fashion, food, design, hobbies, music and....books.  Which is where we come in. The Library has created it's very own Pinterest page to highlight the wonderful, often overlooked, books in our collection (you'll be surprised what we own).  Titles are grouped in categories like Graphic Novels & Manga Atlantic Canada novels Banned or Challenged books SMU Faculty Authors From Book to Film LGBT fiction Popular Science Biography & Memoir But the best way to find out what's in there is to pay it a visit. And keep going back because we'll be adding new titles all the time (look for the Pinterest icon on the Library's homepage). If you see something you would like to read, just click the "smu.world.org" link below the book...

Anyone who does academic research. Are the sources for your next paper scattered all over your gmail account, Blackboard, a flash drive and some scraps of paper in the bottom of your backpack?  Have some disappeared, never to be found? Does it drive you crazy trying to remember whether a citation's title is underlined in APA?  RefWorks can help with that (and a whole lot more).  It's an online citation manager, available via the Library's web site, which helps collect, organize and format (APA, MLA, etc.) bibliographic references: books, articles, just about any source you might use. Because we think RefWorks is so helpful, and because we think you're going to love it, we're offering introductory workshops all next week - for everyone and anyone.  Here's the schedule: Monday Nov 26: 2:30pm-3:30pm Tuesday Nov 27: 11:30am-12:30pm Tuesday Nov 27: 5:30pm-6:30pm Wednesday Nov 28: 1pm-2pm These are one-hour drop-in sessions - just pick the time...

It's that time of year! Sorry, but exams will be starting soon. Which means that the Library will be extending its hours to accomodate the studying hordes. As of this weekend, and right through to the last exams on December 16, the Library won't close until one o'clock in the morning.  And we'll be open earlier on Sundays too (10:00am) for those early risers. Here are our hours, not just for the exam period, but all the way to 2013 (that's right, 2013): November 19 - 25 Monday-Friday 8:00am-11:00pm Saturday 10:00am-1:00am Sunday 10:00am-1:00am (Circulation Services close at 11:00pm) November 26 - December 16 Monday - Saturday 8:00am 1:00am Sunday 10:00am-1:00am (Circulation Servcies close at 11:00pm) December 17 - 21 Monday 8:00am-1:00am (Circulation Services close at 11:00pm) Tuesday 8:00am-7:00pm Wednesday-Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm Friday 9:00am-12 noon December 22 - January 2 CLOSED

As most of you know, this Sunday is Remembrance Day.  Ceremonies will be held across the country to honour those who served Canada in wars or peacekeeping over the years.  And as you probably also know, because it is a mandatory holiday in Nova Scotia, the University will be closed and there will be no classes on Monday.  But the Library will be open.  Our hours will be noon-11:00pm.  Something else you should know.

Join us this Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00pm as Truro author Leo McKay Jr. reads from and discusses his novel Twenty-Six.  The event will be held in Room LI135 (main floor of the Library). Twenty-Six , based on the Westray mining disaster, has been read by thousands of Nova Scotians over the past few weeks as part of One Book Nova Scotia .  This is an initiative of Libraries Nova Scotia , a consortium of university, college and public libraries, the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage and the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia. Wednesday evening will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the book, the events which inspired it and the process of writing it.  Everyone is welcome.  Hope to see you there.

We've changed the way our (extremely popular) group study rooms are managed.  The process has just been automated so that students can reserve a room in advance via the Library's web site.  You can find the link in the "How do I?" list on our homepage or just go HERE .  The procedure is fairly straightforward.  But there's one thing you should know - the Barcode is that long number on your student ID card (2198xxxxx) and the Password is the last 4 digits of your phone number.  If you do need help, you can always phone 420-5547 or drop by the Circulation Desk.  The previous terms of use are still in place. Because these rooms offer a quiet, separate space for groups to work on projects together, students really like them (I just walked through the building and all 9 of them were in use).  So take advantage of the new booking system if you want to make sure your group has a room when they need it.

The Patrick Power Library is excited about being part of a new province-wide initiative titled One Book Nova Scotia .  It is being organized by Libraries Nova Scotia , a consortium of university, college and public libraries, the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture & Heritage and the Writers Federation of Nova Scotia.  More information is available from the official web site .   The idea is to get as many Nova Scotians as possible to share the experience of reading the same book.  This year’s selection is Twenty-Six by Leo McKay Jr., a novel based on the Westray mining disaster.  As one of the partner organizations, the Library is encouraging participation among as many Saint Mary's students, faculty and staff as possible.  In addition to our catalogued copy, we have 5 additional copies available to be borrowed.  Just ask at the Circulation Desk.  The book is also available at local independent and chain bookstores (and, o...