Did You Know?

You can check out NU books and DVDs during the holiday break and intersession! These items will be due back on January 17, 2008.

December Monthly Book Spotlight

The December installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. In it, I highlight a few of the Library's Christmas books.

Extended and Holiday Hours

For your convenience, we will be open 8am-1am from Monday, December 10 through Thursday, December 13.

Please see our calendar for our holiday schedule.

Fall 2007 Newsletter Published

The Fall 2007 issue of Library News has been added to the Library's web site. Check it out and find out about how we're making interlibrary loan easier for you, NU faculty publications, our laptop lending program and more!

ILLiad: Making Interlibrary Loan Easier For You!

The interlibrary loan process is now easier for you thanks to ILLiad, our new interlibrary loan management software program! Here are some of the benefits of using ILLiad:

• You will have access to your ILLiad account 24/7 from any web browser.
• You will only need to enter your personal information ONCE when you create your ILLiad account, not every time you submit a request. After you create your account, you will access it using the username and password you selected.
• You will receive automatic emails letting you know when your items have arrived.
• Articles and book chapters will be waiting for you in your ILLiad account in PDF format (unless you requested a print copy).
• You will be able to view a list of the items you have borrowed, see when they are due and request renewals.
• You will be able to see the status of your outstanding requests.
• You will be able to connect to ILLiad directly from an EBSCOhost or WorldCat record.

ILLiad will also make our behind-the-scenes work easier and less dependent on paper, which will result in a more efficient and earth-friendly interlibrary loan process.

To get started with ILLiad, please visit http://www.niagara.edu/library/docdel.html.

Rare Book Room Open For Studying Until the End of the Semester!

You can study in the Rare Book Room during the final three weeks of the semester. There may, however, be a few occasions when it is not available due to previously scheduled meetings. If the room is locked, please ask a staff member at the Circulation Desk to open the door for you.

November Monthly Book Spotlight

The November installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference Librarian Samantha Gust highlights the faculty members currently featured in the Library's Faculty Publications Display near the front entrance.

Christmas Fine Amnesty 2007

Do you owe fines to the Library? Would you like to contribute canned or boxed food items to the needy of our area?

From Monday, November 19 until Friday, December 21 the Library will waive $2.00 of your fines for every canned or boxed item you contribute (sorry, no Ramen noodles).

*Please note that the Fine Amnesty does not apply to lost book charges.*

The Library will accept donations even if you do not owe Library fines. Your contributions will go to local soup kitchens.

DVD Update

A library patron recently wrote the following in our comment book:
You should have a new release section.

NU Library Director David Schoen responds:
We thought the same thing - it is in the works. We are building a new shelf to hold the educational DVDs, which will allow us to space things out for a new release section.

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Library Staff Member Named NU's Employee of the Month

Congratulations to Cataloging Technician Kris Schrader for being named Niagara University's Employee of the Month for November!



NU President Father Levesque presented the award to Kris yesterday.

Recent Faculty Publication

Here is a recent publication by a Niagara University faculty member:

Ronny Priefer (Chemistry Department), Eric Martineau and David N. Harpp

Derivatization of dicubyl disulfide. Journal of Sulfur Chemistry, Vol. 28 Issue 6 (December 2007), p529-535.

Halloween 2007

Happy Halloween from Prince Valiant (Cataloging Technician Eleanor Jacoby) and Flo/Lisa the Waitress (Library Secretary Lisa Jackson)!

Library Bake Sale: November 5 & 6

Bring your sweet tooth to the Library on Monday, November 5 and Tuesday, November 6 for yummy brownies, cakes, cookies, muffins and more!

The Library Bake Sale will take place from 8:30AM until 4:30PM both days. Look for our table of goodies when you enter the Library. Proceeds will benefit the "Lord's Day Dinner" in Niagara Falls on Thanksgiving Day.

FYI: the Lord's Day Dinner was started 17 years ago by Yvonne Davis. It is held at the VFW on Seneca Avenue in Niagara Falls from 9:00AM to 6:00PM Thanksgiving Day. Yvonne and her many volunteers serve hundreds of dinners to the needy and also deliver meals to elderly shut-ins in the area. If you are interested in spending some of your holiday time working at the site, or if you would like to make your own donation to help a great cause, you can reach Yvonne at 716-284-6973.

New Group Study Room!

One of the things students have told us in surveys is that they would like more group study space in the Library.

In response to this, we just created a new group study room on the northeast side of the first floor (the side close to the Gallagher Center). It has a TV and a DVD player (but no television channels), and a VCR will be added soon.

The Final Harry Potter Book

In the October Monthly Book Spotlight, Reference Librarian Diane Maroon writes about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

New Reference Librarian

We're pleased to announce that Michelle Skiba has been hired as a part-time reference librarian.

Blast From the Past

Here's a photo Acquisitions Librarian Charles Dabkowski took of the Library's reference area, circa 1995-96.



Before web-based online databases, we had CD-ROMs! We also had a lot of computer equipment at each workstation!

Looking For Something Different to Watch on DVD?

Take a look at some of the films distributed by Docurama! The library owns 46 Docurama titles, including:

Air Guitar Nation
An inspiring, exhilarating, and hilarious journey to find "the greatest air guitarist in the world." Shelved in the Recreational DVD Collection under "Air."

Heavy Petting
An entertaining and and funny exploration of the sexual mores of the 1950s. Shelved in the Recreational DVD Collection under "Heavy."

Following Sean
What happens to a 4-year-old kid who grew up smoking pot and running barefoot on the wild streets of 1960s San Francisco? Filmmaker Ralph Arlyck tracks down Sean--the boy who had been the subject of his controversy-sparking 1969 documentary--to find out what he's like 30 years later. Shelved in the Educational DVD Collection at call number BF710 .F65 2007.

Education of Shelby Knox
An interesting tale of one girl's mission to bring sex education to schools in her ultra-conservative hometown of Lubbock, Texas. Shelved in the Educational DVD Collection at call number HQ57.5.A3 E38 2006.

The Staircase
The riveting story of North Carolina author Michael Peterson, who stood trial in 2003 for the murder of his wife. Shelved in the Educational DVD Collection at call number KF224.P4 S73 2005.

To find other titles, just do a general keyword search of "Docurama" in the Library Catalog.

Celebrate Your Freedom to Read!

September 29 - October 6 is Banned Books Week 2007!

You can find background information on this important week as well as lists of books that have been challenged over the years here.

You can also watch a brief video on the 10 most challenged books of 2006.

Niagara Reads: 2002-2007

The September Monthly Book Spotlight is dedicated to the books used in Niagara Reads, the University's freshman summer reading program.

Meet Your Librarians!

There is a reference librarian on duty whenever the Library is open, and we're here to help you! If you'd like to learn more about us, check out our individual web pages:

• Andy Bailey, Part-time Reference Librarian
  
• Jonathan Coe, Coordinator of Public Services
  
• Charles Dabkowski, Head of Acquisitions and Serials
  
• Samantha Gust, Reference/Interlibrary Loan Librarian & Webmaster
  
• Michael Lavin, Part-time Reference Librarian
  
• David Schoen, Library Director
  
• Joe Umhauer, Assistant Library Director for Technical Services
  

Library Reports

The Library's 2006-07 Annual Report and Statistical Overview are now available on the Annual and Other Administrative Reports page.

Welcome!

The Library would like to welcome all new and returning students, faculty and staff! We hope to see you soon!

Recent Faculty Publication

Here is another recent Niagara University faculty publication:

William D. Frye (Hospitality and Tourism Management) and Daniel J. Mount

An Examination of Job Satisfaction of General Managers Based on Hotel Size and Service Type. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 2007, Vol. 6 Issue 2, 109-134.

Check Your Library Account Online

A Library user recently sent us an email and wrote:

"Unless I am just unable to find it, it would be extremely useful to have something online which students can use to view their library account information to renew materials or see which materials they have checked out. All other institutions I've attended and even public libraries offer this."

Our response:

Look for the "My Account" tab in the Library Catalog and enter the 14 digit number located on the back of your NU ID card. You can review your checkouts and renew items online.

The 14 digit number also will let you place holds on items. Just look for the "Request Item" button when viewing a list of materials. *Please remember to make sure that we have your current email address on file at the Circulation Desk so that you receive messages from us in a timely manner.*

NU Employee of the Month For August

Congratulations to Charles Dabkowski, head of Acquisitions/Periodicals, for being named the Niagara University Employee of the Month for August! NU President Father Levesque presented the award today.

Slave: My True Story

The August Monthly Book Spotlight focuses on Slave: My True Story by Mende Nazer with Damien Lewis and was submitted by Sharon Green, Reading Coordinator in the Office of Academic Support.

The Rise of American Democracy

July's Monthly book spotlight focuses on Sean Wilentz's The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln.

The Road

Reference Librarian Diane Maroon writes about the post-apocalyptic survival novel The Road by Cormac McCarthy in the June Monthly Book Spotlight.

Fall 2006 & Spring 2007 Excellence in Customer Service Awards

Congratulations to Reference Librarian (formerly our Library Instruction Assistant) Jennifer Potter and Technical Assistant Eleanor Jacoby for being named the Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 recipients of the Niagara University Library Excellence in Customer Service Award.

Jennifer for recognized for her outreach in building a relationship with the Castellani Art Museum, and Eleanor was recognized for demonstrating initiative and creativity in her work on Library displays.

Librarian Completes Leadership Program

Reference/Interlibrary Loan Librarian Samantha Gust recently graduated from the Western New York Library Resources Council's inaugural Library Leadership Institute.

Between September 2006 and April 2007 she attended six all-day training sessions and worked with three area librarians on the group project, "Creating a Marketing Plan for Private Academic Libraries," which she plans on implementing in NU's library. You can learn more about her group's project here.

Reference Librarian Departs

Part-Time Reference Librarian Michael Krajewski recently left the University and will soon begin working towards his Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (Pharm.D.) at the University at Buffalo. Mike began working in the Library in August 2005. We thank him for his dedicated service and wish him well in his future endeavors!



Pictured: Samantha Gust, Mike Krajewski (and his new Taylor Hicks photo) and Jonathan Coe.

Photo taken by Kelly Waller at the Steelhead Irish Pub in Lewiston.

Excellence in Library Service Awards

The Library would like to congratulate the 2007 recipients of the Excellence in Library Service Award. This award is presented to senior work-study students who have demonstrated quality service to patrons and dedication to their job continuously during their entire academic experience here at Niagara University. The students honored at the May 7 ceremony were Katie Boyle, Stacey Howard and Ryan Morris.



Pictured: Stacey Howard, Library Director David Schoen and Katie Boyle.

"Cake Day" at the Library

Cataloging Technician Eleanor Jacoby and Brendan Powers, Niagara University Theatre’s Artistic Director, were all smiles on "Cake Day" during National Library Week last month.

Elizabeth I

In the May Monthly Book Spotlight, Reference Librarian Diane Maroon writes about the biography Elizabeth I by Alison Plowden.

New JSTOR Collections Added

The Library is pleased to announce that three additional JSTOR collections have been acquired:

Arts and Sciences I
Arts and Sciences II
Arts and Sciences Complement

These collections are in addition to the Language & Literature collection, which was purchased last year.

JSTOR offers you the ability to retrieve high-resolution, scanned images of journal issues and pages as they were originally designed, printed, and illustrated. The database includes the complete scholarly runs of core scholarly journals, many as far back as the 1800s. Please note that JSTOR is not a current issues database. There is a gap, typically from 1 to 5 years, between the most recently published journal issue and the back issues available in JSTOR.

We can't provide access to the entire JSTOR collection for financial reasons, but we are are providing access to much of the core content of JSTOR.

Visit our JSTOR page for more information.

Foreign Films

A selection of foreign films on DVD like Amelie (France), Run Lola Run (Germany) and Zhou Yu's Train (China) are currently on display in the Recreational DVD area. You can see what other foreign films we have here.

Come on, give subtitles a try! :-)

Play Ball!

In the April Monthly Book Spotlight, baseball fan/Coordinator of Public Services Jonathan Coe writes about the biography Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero by David Maraniss.

Trial of Blackwell Synergy Full-Text Journal Collection

The Library is conducting a trial of Blackwell Synergy, the home of over 1 million full-text articles from over 850 journals, from now through April 30. Let us know what you think using the comment form on our page.

Please note: this database is only available from on campus.

Recent Faculty Publication

Here is another recent Niagara University faculty publication:

Stephen Petersen (Philosophy Department)
The Ethics of Robot Servitude. Journal of Experimental & Theoretical Artificial Intelligence, January 2007, Vol. 19 Issue 1, p43-54.

Library Receives Professional Development Grant

Thanks to a professional development grant from the Western New York Library Resources Council, the Library will be running a workshop in May called "Assessment Instrument Design and Implementation."

The workshop will be open to all librarians in the region, and the presenter will be Jennifer Herman, Niagara University's Director of Instructional Support.

Contest Winner!

Congratulations to LeRoy S., the winner of our first blog contest!

The March Monthly Book Spotlight

In the March Monthly Book Spotlight, Reference Librarian Michael Lavin writes about The Last Fine Time by Verlyn Klinkenborg, a book about a Polish-American family and the bar they opened on Buffalo's East Side in 1922.

Go Purple Eagles!

Congratulations to our men’s basketball team for winning the MAAC title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament!

If you're interested in past seasons of any NU sports team, we have a collection of NU yearbooks here in the Library. If you're interested in looking at them, just ask the reference librarian on duty.

Contest - Win a Jazzman's Gift Certificate!

I promised you contests this year, so here you go!

Contest #1

Visit the Library between now and Sunday, March 4 and check out the brand new Recreational Reading and DVD displays.

Send me an email telling me what genres they feature, and you'll be entered to win a $5 Jazzman's gift certificate! Easy!

Send your email with "Contest" in the subject line to: gust@niagara.edu before Monday, March 5. The winner will be announced next week.

All NU faculty, staff and students are eligible EXCEPT Library staff.

Recent Faculty Publications

Here are several recent Niagara University faculty publications:

William Cliff (Biology Department)
Case study analysis and the remediation of misconceptions about respiratory physiology. Advances in Physiology Education, December 2006, Vol. 30 Issue 1, p215-223.

Joseph Little (English Department)
Achieving Objectivity Through Genred Activity: A Case Study. Journal of Technical Writing & Communication, March 2007, Vol. 37 Issue 1, p75-94.

Richard Spano, Craig Rivera (Criminal Justice Department) and John Bolland
The Impact of Timing of Exposure to Violence on Violent Behavior in a High Poverty Sample of Inner City African American Youth. Journal of Youth & Adolescence; Oct2006, Vol. 35 Issue 5, p681-692.

Yury Arlinskiĭ and Eduard Tsekanovskiĭ (Mathematics Department)
Non-self-adjoint Jacobi matrices with a rank-one imaginary part. Journal of Functional Analysis, December 2006, Vol. 241 Issue 2, p383-438.

Sylvia Valentin (Education Department)
Addressing diversity in teacher education programs. Education, Winter 2006, Vol. 127 Issue 2, p196-202.

Spring 2007 Newsletter Published

The Spring 2007 issue of Library News has been added to the Library's web site. Check it out and find out about a business database we're trying out called Mergent Online, NU faculty publications, what we're doing as a result of your survey feedback and more!

Countdown to the Academy Awards

Valentine's Day has come and gone, and the romantic movies on display in the Recreational DVD area have been replaced with films that either won the "Best Picture" award or feature an Academy Award-winning performance.

The Academy Awards are scheduled for Sunday, February 25 at 8pm on ABC.

Library Closing 2/14

Due to deteriorating weather conditions, the University and Library will close at 10:10am on Wednesday, February 14.

The History of Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Learn more about this romantic observance in this entry from The Columbia Encylopedia.

Weather Web Sites

Meteorologists are predicting a big, non-lake effect snowstorm for tonight. To keep an eye on the forecast, here are a few weather web sites:

• National Weather Service
  
• Weather Channel
  
• Weather Underground
  

Most Popular Recreational Books and DVDs

Reading books for fun and watching DVDs are two pastimes we support through our Recreational Reading and DVD Collections. Both collections are conveniently located on the first floor near the Circulation Desk. These books are shelved alphabetically by the author's last name, and DVDs are shelved alphabetically by title.

Here are our ten most popular recreational book titles:

1. Our Lady of the Forest - David Guterson
   
2. The DaVinci Code - Dan Brown
   
3. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
   
4. Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
   
5. Girl Talk - Julianna Baggett
   
6. The Amityville Horror - Jay Anson
   
7. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
   
8. The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
   
9. The Wedding - Julie Garwood
   
10. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
    

These are our ten most popular recreational DVDs:

1. Garden State
   
2. Closer
   
3. Napoleon Dynamite
   
4. Traffic
   
5. Hotel Rwanda
   
6. The Incredibles
   
7. Mean Girls
   
8. Hitch
   
9. Crash
   
10. Finding Neverland
    

Romantic Books and Movies for Valentine's Day

Celebrate Valentine's Day with some romantic books and movies!

Check out our displays in our Recreational Reading and DVD area on the first floor!

The February Monthly Book Spotlight

In the February Monthly Book Spotlight, Reference Librarian Mike Krajewski writes about I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by comedienne Amy Sedaris.

It's Tax Time Again!

Tax forms and instructions are available online and may be printed.

For United States (federal) forms, visit: http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/formspubs/index.html

For New York State forms, visit http://www.tax.state.ny.us/forms/default.htm

Library Staff Member Named NU's Employee of the Month!

Congratulations to Circulation Coordinator Debbie Farrell for being named the Niagara University Employee of the Month for February 2007! Father Levesque presented the award today in the Library's Rare Book Room.

Technology Tip: Save Your Work Frequently!

As the semester gets under way, it's good to remember that computers sometimes freeze up, crash, lose power or experience other problems that may cause you to lose your unsaved work.

You can save to your student network space, a memory stick, a CD-R or a floppy disk. Another tip is to email your work to yourself as an attachment. Note: You can buy a CD-R (with jewel case) for $1.00 or a floppy disk for 25 cents at the Library's Circulation Desk.

Don't lose all your hard work -- remember to SAVE frequently! Make it a habit!

Exploring World Religions

During the next few months, the Library will be doing displays on different world religions. We think these displays will be more interesting with the inclusion of your thoughts and opinions, so please consider answering this question for us:

What do you think is the essence of your religion, or what does your religion mean to you?

Your thoughts and opinions will be placed in the display case signed or unsigned - whichever you prefer. Please write them in the comment book near the display case in the front entrance or email them to Eleanor Jacoby at jacoby@niagara.edu. If you have any questions or comments, please call Eleanor at 716-286-8013.

A Belated Welcome Back!

Welcome back, everyone!

Please visit this blog regularly for the latest Library news, announcements, helpful research tips, useful web sites and more!

This semester, keep an eye out for contests/prize drawings, and feel free to comment on any post!

Archivist/Reference Librarian Departs

Part-time Archivist and Reference Librarian Kathleen DeLaney has left the University. She has accepted a similar position at Canisius College. We thank her for her dedicated service and wish her well.

The January Monthly Book Spotlight

The January installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Jonathan Coe, Coordinator of Public Services, shares his thoughts on Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas E. Ricks.

Reduced Hours During Intersession

The Library will have reduced hours of operation during the intersession. Regular hours will resume on Wednesday, January 17. Please view the Library Hours page for more information.