All Posts By

Mason M.

Archbishop Ireland Library, Circulation, New Materials

Waiting in Line for a Best-Seller

You’re waiting with bated breath. The library just got a copy. It’s that series your friend hooked you on, a new mystery, biography, or adventure, and its hot… too hot to touch! Welcome to the back of the line for this week’s bestseller, but before you do:

HOLD your horses! Before you place a request through CLICnet, pay attention to your competition or else you’ll sell yourself short. When you view your objet desire, ask yourself how many copies are available, what their due dates are, and how many holds are already in the queue.

Let’s say you want to read Anthony Doerr’s latest novel. Observe: of three copies, none is guaranteed to be back in circulation until late April. It gets worse: while no one will be able to renew their loan before you can take a peek, everyone gets a full loan period of at least two months, and eight people are ahead of you in line! Thankfully, there are some fast readers in this world, and spot #9 will become #1 soon enough.

What’s a bibliophile to do?

If you’re desperate, you can put in an Inter-Library Loan (ILL) request. But think, the public library queues are probably longer and they’re likely to pass on filling another library’s request. While it never hurts to check your local library, be realistic about your prospects.

If you can wait, just place a request with us, but do it intelligently. After logging in, you’ll be asked to set a date for your request to expire. It is AUTOMATICALLY SET AT 30 DAYS FROM TODAY. Obviously, you may need more time than that for your ticket to be called.

When you come to the screen pictured above, enter the latest date you’d be interested in receiving the book. You’ll get the book based on the date you place your request, NOT the date your hold request expires.

Or if you want to get mathematical about it, multiple 8 weeks (shortest student loan period plus some time on the holdshelf) by 8 requests (or however many requests are ahead of you), then divide by 3 (the number of copies). Here the total is 21+ weeks, so extend that request expiration date out 5 months or so.

Keep waiting, but breathe easy. Play it smart: those eight people waiting in line, they might not be so clever; in two months, maybe less, their holds may expire while yours is there to stay.

~Mason M., Ireland Library Staff, Graduate Student

March 5, 2015 by Mason M.

Archbishop Ireland Library, Circulation

‘Tis the season to return books!

Greetings, Ireland Library users! Congratulations on finishing another term strong!

After the semester ends you’ll be catching up on lots of mundane but important tasks, like sleep, laundry, paying bills, and returning library books!

Ireland Library will be closed for the majority of Christmas Break, so please plan to return library items to the book returns outside of O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library. There are two of them. The easiest one to get to is located on the south side of the building in the loading dock area off of Cleveland Ave. The other book drop is located off the quad on the northwest corner of the building.

Of course, you can return library items and chat with staff when Ireland is open as well.

Fri, Dec 19: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Mon, Dec 22: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tue, Dec 23: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
J-term hours begin at 8 a.m. Mon, Jan 5, 2015. For more details see http://tinyurl.com/IrelandLibHours.

You can also return items by mail. Please see details on the library’s Returning Books page.

Blessings on your holiday preparations and celebrations with family and friends.

Your friends at Ireland Library, Curt, Betsy & Conie

December 18, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, News & Events, Theological Libraries Month, Theology

October is Theological Libraries Month!

October is a special month. Yes, the leaves are falling, the wind is blowing, and the children look forward to a late-night sugar high come the 31st, but there’s something more…

October is Theological Libraries Month!

Please, come celebrate with us, and bring your friends! Here’s two ways we can suggest:

Need a study break? Why don’t you take some time to play in our stacks making book spine poetry? Spend a few minutes looking for some of our more curious titles and stack them together. Whether silly, serious, romantic, or moody, take a picture of your pile and share on our Facebook page or Twitter with the tag #bookspinepoetry.
Studying outside in the last warm days of 2014, or are you already curled up by the fireside? A theological library is nothing without its patrons, and we’d love to see you and your current read! Take a selfie with your book wherever you like to curl up and share it with #ireadeverywhere.

And, of course, whether you’re reading or writing, a theologian or an entrepreneur, come on in and visit us this October!

Happy Theological Libraries’ Month everyone!

October 3, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, Kudos, News & Events

Remembering Tom Kosowski

As we go about our business in today’s world, it’s easy to forget that the convenience and efficiency we enjoy doesn’t come from nowhere. Of course, as you come to check out a book at Ireland Library’s front desk, you’ll be greeted by our staff or helped by a student worker, but we aren’t the whole show. In fact, in a very fundamental way we’re only icing on a very large cake.

Tom Kosowski

Every day without fanfare, Ireland’s dedicated custodians come to make sure the building is clean, up to spec, and a pleasant place to work. These folks allow Ireland Library to be what it is, and without them we’d be in a world of hurt.

Fortunately, God has blessed us with a number of great guys over the past few years, and Tom Kosowski was one of the best. Always a happy guy up for a conversation, Tom brought a passion to his job I haven’t seen in a long time. This library mattered to him, and every week I saw him do something above the call of duty. He cleaned every nook and cranny of this building, fixed anything broken that came his way, and always kept us posted. Among many, many other things, Tom took it upon himself to singlehandedly wax our floors one year, and they were the most beautiful they’d been in years.

All things have their season, however, and in their times all things pass under heaven. Tom’s season came to a close this Sunday after a long fight with cancer.

Our prayers go out to all those who knew and loved this wonderful man. May we grow to care for others as he did and not forget those to whom we owe so much.

~ Mason M., Ireland graduate student staff

October 2, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, News & Events, Services

Our “New” Print Management System

Returning to UST this fall, you probably noticed that our printing system has changed a bit from last year. The halcyon days of simply hitting the print button seem to be gone with new pop-ups, web pages, and printers showing up all over campus. It all seems so new, doesn’t it?

Don’t worry… it isn’t!

While there are new copiers on campus (or call them MFD’s, or MFP’s, or MFC’s with your preferred use of this multi-functional device on the end) and we now use a different print interface, UST has always had a tracking system in place. Last year, students had a print account of $40.00 each semester, i.e. 400 black and white pages, $.10 each.

Nothing has changed, friend! Though you started the new semester with a balance of $32.00, you’ve been given you a 20% discount. Those 400 black and white pages are now $.08 each. Same difference!

If you’re worried about running out of cash or wish to track your print history, checking your balance is easier than ever before. Just log on to http://print.stthomas.edu to see your balance over the semester, a listing of previous jobs, and even your total environmental impact!

What if you have a bit too much fun with color copying and dry up your account? Go ahead and keep on copying, but expect the balance to be charged to your student account at the end of the semester.

Got questions or concerns? Contact the IRT TechDesk online at irthelp@stthomas.edu, give them a call at (651) 962-6230, or visit them in the basement of OEC, just north of O’Shaughnessy Frey Library. For other locations, see: http://www.stthomas.edu/irt/

October 1, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, Circulation

“Not needed after” or “Cancel if not fill by” date or “Why you need to allow time for shipping and handling”

Have you ever bought a gift for someone online, only to have it arrive after the important event? Doesn’t that just ruin your day?

Wouldn’t it really ruin your day if, oh, you had a grade hanging on that package which never came?

When you want an item from another library, make sure you don’t shoot yourself in the foot! As you fill out the request, you will be asked to provide a “CANCEL IF NOT FILLED BY” date.

Be sure you give us enough time! For items currently on the shelf, we need at least a few days to get it to your library of choice. For items currently checked out by another patron, place a date further out, as they have a right to the book until their due date comes.

If your cancel date is too soon, your order will be canceled! Give us time to fill the order, and we’ll get it to you on the double.

~ Mason M., Ireland Library Graduate Student Staff

September 28, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, Circulation

Far from campus?

Summer is wrapping up. Did you spend time on-campus working towards a graduate education degree and are lamenting that you’ll be far away from campus and easy access to resources for your studies?

If you’re outside of the seven-county metro area, you’re in luck! UST Libraries offers distant students the following services:

Electronically scanning and delivering book chapters and articles from periodicals. Make a request through ILLiad.
Discussing research topics, little and large, via online chat or over the phone, 651-962-5001.
Mailing books from our circulating collections free of charge. Check out the “Interlibrary Loan for Distance Students and Faculty” section here.
Plus mailing books other libraries lend to us for us. This includes CLIC collections in addition to our local region and beyond!
And, of course, accessing our ever growing collection of e-books, full-text articles, and online reference works is as easy as logging into your email through the proxy server.

If you are finished with all of your course work and working on your final project or thesis, be sure you are considered active and “on the books” so your access to these resources isn’t cut off! Each academic department handles this a little differently, so contact your registrar for details.

Best wishes on teaching this fall and on your own studies!

~ Mason M., fellow graduate student and Ireland Library student staff

August 12, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, News & Events

Where are you going with books?

You can tell a true book lover by their vacation habits. No longer burdened with assignments, we turn to our reading lists. When given a day off, we naturally consider which novel we’ll finish. Most uniquely, we take advantage of the beautiful weather like everyone else…

…only with books!

This summer, Ireland Library would like to encourage you to enjoy books AND the great outdoors, and we’re strong believers in leading by example. From time to time this summer, we’ll send a few pics of our outdoor adventures.

Care to join us?

Share vacation photos of you and your summer reading outdoors with us on Facebook or Twitter (@USTIRLLIB) and tag them with #outdoorbookpic to spread the love of reading!

From the beach to the trail to a backyard Adirondack, there isn’t a place a good book can’t go!

~ Mason M., Ireland Library graduate student worker

June 27, 2014 by clborchardt

News & Events

Downshifting into summer mode

James, our ever-smiling & capable CLIC courier!

It’s that time of year again. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the Twin Cities’ many colleges are strangely quiet.

With fewer students on campus, the libraries downshift for the summer months as well. One way you may feel this change is when you request a book from another CLIC library. The courier that shuttles library material will only be making one stop at each library per weekday (larger libraries have two during the school year), which slows things down a bit.

If you request a book from another CLIC library, expect an additional workday for it to arrive at your library of choice.

~ Mason M., Ireland Library graduate student worker

June 13, 2014 by clborchardt

Archbishop Ireland Library, Circulation, Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

New Borrowing Policy for Alumni, Neighbors, and Friends

The UST Libraries will be changing to a new computer system over the next few years. In advance of this development, we’re changing the lending policy for our books (and other physical materials) or alumni, neighbors, and friends borrowing card holders. Your new borrowing period will be 28 days in length, with one additional 28-day renewal available one week before the due date if there are no other hold requests waiting. A six (6) item material limit remains. Review other restrictions by patron category on the libraries’ “Borrowing” page. These privileges are effective Monday, March 31, 2014.

If you have recently moved or changed your email address or phone number, please take a moment to contact the circulation desk of the UST library you frequent and update your contact information with us.

Thank you for being part of the UST Libraries’ community of users. As always, everyone is welcome to use our building and resources when we are open. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other library policy.

O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, St. Paul (North Campus): 651-962-5494
Ireland Library, St. Paul (South Campus): 651-962-5450
Keffer Library, Minneapolis: 651-962-4642

March 28, 2014 by clborchardt

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