Libraries are usually considered quiet places, but no place is quieter on campus during the summer months than us. We missed you!! Welcome back and we assure you that your special study spot in the library is waiting for you to get down to business.

And now, to all of you new to St. Thomas, a special welcome! We want you to know that the libraries are here to help you succeed. Also, we know that sometimes libraries can be overwhelming places, but that doesn’t mean you need to feel overwhelmed. Once those assignments start rolling in and papers are needing to be written, don’t hesitate to make your first stop your closest UST librarian–whether you’re in Minneapolis or St. Paul. We WANT to help you! Even if you are not at the library and can’t make it in person to one of our libraries’ reference desks, we can be reached by phone, email, or text or can be reached via chat 24 hours a day!

Some other great (or important) things to note about our biggest library, the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library–or as we usually call it–OSF:

1. Coffee Bené is back on the first floor for another season of delicious coffees, espresso drinks, teas, smoothies, and “to die for” baked treats. With plenty of tables and chairs to relax or get down to business in, it is a great place to meet with friends for a break or a study group for some business. Also, conveniently, they accept eXpress cards, debit or credit cards, and, of course, cash.
2. Under the “important” category, especially after a visit to our beloved Coffee Bené, there are no bathrooms on the first floor. There is a ton of stuff there–computers, a leisure reading collection, reference, copiers, an awesome DVD collection–but no bathrooms.
3. The higher you go up in the building, the quieter the study space should be. This means, of course, that scheduling group work to take place on the 3rd or 4th floors of the library might get you a floor full of dirty glares and a request to relocate–unless, of course, you are in one of our handy dandy study rooms that you book online.
4. This one actually relates to everyone, no matter what library, dorm, apartment, or coffee shop you are in. Starting your research is easier than ever with Summon–our Google-like search of library resources. This means of search is our default search on our homepage (under Articles & more), and will get you started finding online articles, print books, streaming videos, e-books, music scores, and more for your next research assignment. Use it as you would Google but then easily limit to full text, scholarly, and peer-reviewed library content using the facets found on your results page.

There is a ton of other cool stuff to discover, so we can’t wait to see you, either in person or online!

Finding academic, full text content online is easier than ever with Summon, our Google-like search of library resources, and our Research Guides by subject, which will get you started with the right databases. But what about the original full text? You know, actual print journals!? Turns out, they are easy to find, too, whether you are searching in Summon; CLICnet, our online catalog; or just browsing the stacks at O’Shaughnessy-Frey, Keffer, or Archbishop Ireland Memorial!

We also have many popular titles in print for you to enjoy while you’re ducking the heat and those languishing summer projects. Next time you are at the Minneapolis campus, why not stop into Keffer and catch up on the latest issues of Newsweek, The Economist, and Minnesota Monthly? Hiding out on the Saint Paul south campus, why not make a visit to Ireland to browse America, Harper’s, and see if there is anything good in The Atlantic Monthly? While missing our beloved Coffee Bené at OSF, why not stop in anyway to see what Consumer Reports is recommending this month and who is on the covers of Time and The Rolling Stone? From Runner’s World to Motor Trend to Wired, I bet we can find something to interest you!

Here is what you and others found most interesting during the last school year (Fiscal Year 2012).

Top 5 Most Used Print Journals at OSF

1. Library Journal
2. The New York Times Book Review
3. Publisher’s Weekly
4. The New Yorker
5. Time

Top 5 Most Used Print Journals at Keffer

1. The Economist
2. Business Week
3. Infants and Young Children
4. Harvard Business Review
5. Educational Leadership

And there are always newspapers, too! Come in and check it out!