While this is an exciting time of year, it can also be a stressful time for students with the end of the semester and upcoming finals. As the St. Thomas community prepares for finals, the library is here both physically and virtually to help students ace their finals.

Leading up to finals, the O’Shaughnessy-Frey library will remain open until 10 PM on Friday, December 15th and Saturday, December 16th with normal library hours for the rest of the week.

Along with some longer hours, the Libraries sponsor special events during those weeks to help students relax while they work.

One of our most popular events is when we invite trained therapy pets into the library for students to cuddle and play with. While the last therapy pet night is on December 14th, the library sponsors this event a few times throughout each semester, and always during finals week. Something students can look forward to in the spring.

Focus on Finals is an annual event where the library, along with the Center for Student Achievement, provides a cozy environment for students to study and enjoy seasonal treats. This year Focus on the Finals will be on Sunday, December 17th in the library from 7:00-9:00.

And as always, the librarians are on hand until the very end of the semester for any last-minute research needs 24/7 via Ask a Librarian Chat, and scheduled consultations in person, email, or Zoom.

The entire campus is closed from December 23, 2023 until January 2, 2024. The University Libraries re-open on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, with regular hours beginning at 7:30 AM. See you in 2024!

It’s a well-known fact that students have access to online library resources which contain the full text of scholarly and popular resources, articles, books, and book chapters.  What’s noteworthy is that the libraries have recently acquired subscriptions to the digital, web-based versions of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. In the past, students could access these newspapers, but they were presented in a static format without images that did not allow students to browse headlines.

The new arrangement allows students to easily browse headlines and read complete articles on their phones or laptops. Furthermore, they can explore additional content from these newspapers’ websites, including videos, podcasts, puzzles, and games.

For those who seek more analysis of current news stories, the libraries now subscribe to the web version of The Atlantic Monthly, a highly respected journal with a rich history of covering politics, foreign affairs, the economy, culture, the arts, technology, and science. Additionally, for an international perspective on news, business, and politics, the libraries maintain a subscription to the web version of The Economist.

Accessing these news sources is free, but some may require you to create separate accounts, which are also free. You can find detailed instructions for setting up these accounts on our website. Additionally, our friendly librarians are here to help via Chat, Zoom, or in-person to answer any questions you may have.

We’re excited to provide students with access to these valuable resources and are eager to assist with all their research needs throughout the year.

The O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library caters to a variety of needs and interests for students on campus. It provides traditional library spaces where students can find a quiet environment to read, relax, and explore the extensive book collection across four floors. These conventional library activities remain relevant even in today’s technology-driven era.
Additionally, the library offers spaces for social interaction. The first floor encourages conversation and group work, with multiple computers available, and there’s even a coffee shop serving a wide range of hot and cold gourmet coffee drinks and light treats. Moreover, students can utilize the podcast studio in the library that is equipped with necessary tools and software, allowing them to access multimedia resources for class-related projects or personal endeavors.
And when students do need to focus on writing papers or using library resources, the library staff will be readily available to assist them. More on that next month.
As an academic library, OSF aims to promote curiosity and motivate users to explore diverse subjects, expanding their knowledge beyond the classroom. By integrating both traditional and modern elements, the library creates an inclusive and dynamic environment, enhancing the overall learning experience for students.

The theme of this year’s National Library Week campaign is ‘Connect with your Library,’ whether it be to things like broadband, classes, communities, books, videos, or to each other.  And it doesn’t matter if it’s an academic library, public library, or school library, this is what happens on a daily basis. Usually this week is a pure celebration, but it feels different this year since it takes place during a time of increasing challenges to books in libraries and bookstores across the country.

Books have been challenged in schools and libraries for a very long time, but along with the mounting number of challenges, a bill proposed in Oklahoma would allow parents to collect $10,000 for each day a challenged book remains on library shelves.  A proposed bill in Iowa would make it illegal school and public librarians to spread “material the person knows or reasonably should know, is obscene or harmful to minors.”

This year has proven that it is wrong to consider book bans as a relic of the past. It is easy to believe that getting a book is as simple as a one-click at an online retailer, but book bans harm vulnerable communities who don’t have access to finances, time, or transportation to acquire a book no longer available to them in the places where they are: classrooms or libraries.

Libraries are powerful and they unequivocally protect the First Amendment and intellectual freedom outlined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Judith Krug, librarian and freedom of speech advocate said it best, ‘librarians are trained as librarians; we have absolutely no training or expertise in being censors. Our job – and yours – is not to limit the horizons of a child, be he six or twelve, ten or twenty.”

The good news is that there are plenty of organizations and resources that fight for libraries and the freedom to read.  And even better news is that there is an eye-catching display of challenged books in the rotunda of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, along with a white board where you can chime in with your favorite banned book.  There is also a UST Library Week website with fun pictures, online library-centric jigsaw puzzles, a link to fantastic media and music sources within the library, and most importantly, a daily trivia contest with real prizes every day.

‘Back in the day’ when I first started as a UST business librarian, Plunkett’s industry profiles in print was a staple of our business reference collection.  It provided a clear and concise snap shot of an industry and was a great resource for students first learning about a specific industry.  Now, just as about everything else that used to be a staple in our print collection, this resource is online.  Just as the print version, the online version of Plunkett provides vital data for Market Research, Business Development and Strategic Planning.

Searching Plunkett’s is very easy from their main page

Users can search industry data either by choosing from a list of industries,  industry codes, or with keywords.  Users can also search by general topics such as “internet of things” or “sharing economy”  Users can also use a company name for information, or create a list of companies by searching with location, industry, or company size.

To try Plunkett’s on your own you may follow this link.

Please get any and all feedback to me, Andrea Koeppe, by the end of this month.

Happy Searching!