May – 2010 – St. Thomas Libraries Blog
Monthly Archives

May 2010

News & Events

Librarians in black leather? (Chronicle of Higher Education)

You will want to read this article about today’s librarianship from the Chronicle of Higher Education, Thursday, May 20, 2010.

Couple excerpts:

 “It’s not that many of today’s librarians routinely dress in sunglasses and black leather (though some do). It’s that, more than any other class of professionals in higher education, librarians possess a comprehensive understanding of the scholarly ecosystem. They know what’s going on across the disciplines, among professors and administrators as well as students. No less important, they are often the most informed people when it comes to technological change—its limits as well as its advantages.”

“…[Librarians]  understand the chain of events between the butterfly and the hurricane, so to speak, because they have experience with the cultivation of knowledge and with the practical consequences of institutional overreaching. They see the potential of new tools, but they are also the guardians of tradition. From that permanent dialectical struggle, they appear to acquire a mixture of whimsy and wisdom—in addition to a notable taste for eccentric eyewear.

In my experience, librarians almost always pass the beer test: They are among the most likeable people you’ll find at any college. They have the intellectual curiosity of academics without the aloofness and attitude often displayed by professors. If you are a stranger on a strange campus, the one person who will always save you is a librarian. They may still shush you in some places, but librarians will also go to the most extraordinary lengths to help you achieve your scholarly goals without asking for any of the credit.”

News & Events, Uncategorized

Finals pressure starting to build?

We here at the library have many ways to relieve stress during finals.  We have tools that will help speed your research,  services to help you relax, and people just waiting to help you when you get stuck.

summon smallWhen you don’t know where to start your research, I highly recommend our new beta search service SummonSummon allows you to search millions of articles (newspaper, journal, or magazine) and CLICnet all at once – over 200,000,000 resources in a single search box.  I dare you not to find something on your topic.  More about Summon.

refworksRefWorks builds bibliographies for you.  So if you were told to create a bibliography for your final paper in the APA format and have no clue what that means, no worries.  Dump the citations into RefWorks, choose APA and dunzo (ok, check it first to make sure the system did what it was supposed to do).  My point is, RefWorks helps build bibliographies with ease.

coffee bene Give yourself a break and relax with some calming tea from Cafe Bene.  Or wire yourself up for a marathon session with espresso.  Either way, Bene’s got you covered.  Hours | Menu

Chair massages – The Wellness Center is sponsoring chair massages on Thursdays for students this spring semester.  On the first Thursday each month, that’s May 6th for those of you playing at home , the masseuse will be on the first floor of O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center – next to  Coffee Bene. On the other Thursdays of the month, the masseuse will be located in Koch Commons. The cost is $6 for 5 minutes or $12 for 10 minutes, and flex dollars can be used.

If you spend more than 5 minutes looking for info on your topic, stop what you’re doing and IM or SMS a librarian – Text send USTLibraries <your message here> to 246246.  We cn save u tym.

News & Events

Films on Demand makes 5,000 videos available via internet

Films on Demand, a database of electronic videos, is the latest subscription to the UST Media Resources Collection. Through Films on Demand, more than 5,000 full-length videos are available for classroom or individual viewing via a Web browser. They are accessible on or off campus using a broadband high speed Internet connection, i.e., cable modem or DSL. (Off-campus users will need to log in with their UST username and password.)

All subject areas are covered in this database, including: psychology, history, literature, languages, engineering, business, art, sociology, and sciences. For video titles, check the UST Media Resources Collection website, CLICnet library catalog, the UST Libraries Databases and Indexes Web page or directly here.

For more information about Films on Demand or how to use it for your classes, contact Cindy Badilla-Melendez, media resources librarian, (651) 962-5464.

News & Events

Reading Friday, May 7: Summit Avenue Review

 

You are all cordially invited!  The publication reading celebrating the 2010 issue of Summit Avenue Review, the student-edited literary and visual arts magazine of the University of St. Thomas, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, in the O’Shaughnessy Room of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center.   Free copies of the new issue will be available;  light refreshments too.   We hope to see you.

News & Events

Poetry on the Patio #12 in streaming video

Poetry on the Patio #12       If you missed this year’s Poetry on the Patio that was held last Thursday, April 29 – or even if you were able to be there in person – I’m happy to let you know that you can link to this event and enjoy hearing your favorite colleagues reading their favorite poems.   We look forward to seeing you at next year’s Poetry on the Patio.