"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.

Holiday Hours

Here are the Library's upcoming holiday hours of operation:

Saturday, December 16: 10am - 5pm

Sunday, December 17: CLOSED

Monday, December 18 - Thursday, December 21: 8am - 5pm

Friday, December 22 - Monday, January 1: CLOSED

Tuesday, January 2 - Friday, January 5: 8am - 5pm

Saturday, January 6: CLOSED

The December Monthly Book Spotlight

We've been busy all semester helping you access information, but another part of our job is to let you know about books you might enjoy. Four Five librarians recommend titles to you in the December installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight. Hope you'll check it out!

Borrowing Books and DVDs Over the Break

Did you know? You may borrow books and DVDs over the December/January break. The due date is January 18.

Students: Earn $10 and Get a Free Lunch!

The Library is looking for students to participate in a focus group on either of these two dates:


Tuesday, December 12 from Noon to 1:15 pm

or

Wednesday, December 13 from Noon to 1:15 pm


The meeting will take place in the Library Rare Book Room, located on the second floor of the Library, to the left.

You will be paid $10 and receive a free lunch!

Attendance is limited to 10 students per day and pre-registration is required. Contact David Schoen at schoen@niagara.edu to sign up. (Work-Study students currently employed in the Library are not eligible to participate.)

Recent Faculty Publication

Here is a recent publication by Niagara University Associate Professor Daniel Pinti:

Pinti, Daniel. "Julian's Audacious Reticence: Perichoresis and the Showings." 88.4 (2006): 499-517. Anglican Theological Review.

The full-text of this article is available through EBSCOhost's Academic Search Premier database.

Temporary Study Room

From Monday, December 4 to Friday, December 15, the Rare Book Room on the second floor will be available for student use at these times:

Monday-Thursday: 6pm-1am
Friday: 6pm-8pm
Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: Noon-Midnight

Please sign up for 2-hour blocks at the Circulation Desk.

Reminder: Never leave your personal belongings unattended. If you need to step out, lock the door and we will reopen it for you.

New Information Literacy Librarian

The Library would like to welcome its new Information Literacy Librarian, Kelly Waller. She most recently worked as a Reference Librarian at Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY.

Kelly earned a Master of Library Science from the University at Buffalo in 2005 and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Buffalo State College in 1996.

You may contact Kelly at kwaller@niagara.edu or 716-286-8028.

Extended Hours!

The Library is extending some of its hours the weeks of December 4 and December 11 so you can work late on papers & final projects and study for exams:

Monday, December 4 - Thursday, December 7:
8:00am to 1:00am

Monday, December 11 - Thursday, December 14:
8:00am to 1:00am

Update on the Recreational DVD Collection

A Library user recently posted the following comment using the Suggestions/Comments/Concerns form on the Library's home page:

"I haven't seen any recent dvds on the shelves lately."

Response from Library Director David Schoen: Yes, sorry, we are still ordering, but we ran into a problem with the security cases damaging the DVDs. We want to fix this before putting more DVDs out."

The November Monthly Book Spotlight

Need help managing your money? Good news! I just added the November installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight to the Library's web site. It's called "Credit Cards and Living Expenses and Tuition ... Oh My! A Selection of Personal Finance Books For College Students (or anyone who needs money management help)." I hope you'll check it out! If you do, please come back and leave a comment about it.

Christmas Fine Amnesty

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

From now until Friday, December 15 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.

Just Published!

The article, "Launching the Library Mystery Tour: A Library Component for the 'First-Year Experience" by former NU Information Literacy Librarian Kristine Kasbohm, NU Library Director David Schoen and former NU Reference Librarian Michelle Dubaj appears in Volume 13, Number 2 of the journal College & Undergraduate Libraries.

We Want Your Opinion!

Niagara University Library is interested in learning about the services that are important to you, and we hope you will take a few minutes to complete a survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=169032662963

After completing the survey, you will be given an opportunity to enter a drawing to win a $50 cash prize. Your participation is valued. Thank you!

Did You Know? DVD Copyright Law

As you know, the Library is developing an extensive collection of DVDs.

One thing you may not know about is the copyright law governing the public showing of DVDs. The Library's DVDs generally don't come with public performance rights. They can be used personally or shown in a classroom setting but usually cannot be shown in other public community settings.

The Library web site provides some guidance: http://www.niagara.edu/library/copyright.html. (Disclaimer: The web site is for informational purposes only and does not represent legal advice).

Ever Wonder Why the Library Charges Fines?

The Library doesn't charge fines for the money -- it charges fines to increase the availability of materials!

On November 1, 2005, we analyzed overdue rates for our heavily used Recreational DVD Collection. 153 of the 302 titles in the collection were checked out on that day. Of the 153 DVDs checked out, 47 were overdue -- a 31% overdue rate.

At that time, we thought that increasing the fine from 25 cents per day to $1 per day might lessen overdue rates.

We were right.

On November 7, 2006, we did the same analysis. 272 of the 789 titles in the Recreational DVD Collection were checked out. Of the 272 DVDs checked out, 32 were overdue -- a 12% overdue rate.

Increasing the fine from 25 cents per day to $1 per day decreased the overdue rate and made more materials available to you!

Tip: Did you know that you can renew your DVDs online? Visit the Library Catalog and click on the "My Account" tab. If you renew the DVD before it is overdue, you can extend the due date by one week.

Library Bake Sale - November 7 & 8

Bring your sweet tooth to the Library on Tuesday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 8 for yummy brownies, cakes, cookies, muffins and more!

The Library Bake Sale will take place from 8:30AM until 4:30PM on Tuesday and from 8:30AM until midnight on Wednesday. Look for it on your left when you enter the Library (near the newspapers). 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 you would like to make your own donation to help a great cause you can reach Yvonne at 716-284-6973.

We Want Your Comments!

Hi! I'm NU Library's "Blogmaster" and I just enabled the commenting feature. I did this because one of the many things I recently learned at a conference is that blogs should be interactive. We've always been interested in what you think about our blog posts and about the Library in general, and commenting in our blog is an excellent way for you to communicate with us.

The commenting process is easy, but let me know if you have any problems!

Looking forward to hearing from from you!

Grove Art Online Update!

This month, Grove Art Online was updated to enlarge the broad coverage of women by adding nearly 120 new articles and essays on women artists and designers and over 120 new images of works by women, to include over 850 women artists. New entries include Kara Walker, Shahzia Sikander, Hildegard of Bingen, Valie Export, Guerrilla Girls, Destiny Deacon, Sheila de Bretteville, Paula Scher and more.

Donate Your Books to the Library and Get a Tax Deduction

Have you considered donating books you are no longer using to NU's Library?

Not only can you help the Library, but you can also deduct the books as a charitable donation.

How does this work?

Bring your books to the Library and leave them with a reference librarian. Make sure you include a note with your name and address. Or if you prefer, we can come and get the books. Contact Dave Schoen at mailto:schoen@niagara.eduto arrange a pickup.

We will send you a letter acknowledging the gift. For a small number of books, the letter will list the actual titles. For larger donations, we can only indicate the total number of books that were donated. (So for tax purposes, you might want to create list of titles for yourself. Then give us that list with the donation. We will stamp it as received and mail it back to you.)

We can't provide a value for your donation, but you can take a look at http://www.alibris.com to see what used copies of books are selling for, or, talk to your tax accountant about valuing donated books. The IRS also provides guidance on determining fair market value of property donations:

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p561/index.html
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p561/index.html

What does the Library do With Your Donation?

We add relevant materials to the the collection, of course. Materials we already own are sold in our used book sale, so students have access to inexpensive books. For books that don't sell well locally, we try to sell them to various dealers we are in contact with. The money goes into a fund that is typically used for improving the Library: for example, new furniture and computer upgrades for patron computers.

Thanks for your consideration.

The October Monthly Book Spotlight

The October 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.

Staff News

The Library welcomed two new employees this fall: Evening Circulation Supervisor Rebecca Straub and Part-Time Reference Librarian Andrew Bailey.

Evening Circulation Supervisor Renee Johnson recently left the University. We thank her for her service and wish her well.

Fall 2006 Newsletter Published

The Fall 2006 issue of Library News has been added to the Library web site. In case you haven't been keeping up with this blog, the newsletter is a way for you to catch up and find out what's been happening in the Library!

This issue features articles on:

*Our new Laptop Lending Program
*Educational DVDs
*Scanning, Color Printing and Laminating in the Library
*And more!

Laptop Lending Program

We’ve noticed that there aren’t always enough computers available for you to use for research and projects, so we are piloting a Laptop Lending Program.

By presenting your NU Student ID card and a second form of identification (such as a driver’s license) at the Circulation Desk, you can check out a laptop for use within the building. Headphones and USB storage devices are also available for loan. The loan length for laptops and accessories is two hours.

For more information on this exciting new service, please visit our Laptop Lending Program page.

Banned Books Week

What do The Catcher in the Rye, For Whom the Bell Tolls, Gone With the Wind, The Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird and 1984 have in common? They are all books that have been challenged or banned over the years.

You might think that challenging books is a thing of the past, but hundreds of books in schools and libraries are challenged every year (including the Harry Potter series).

This week is the 25th observance of Banned Books Week. For more information, check out these two sites:

The American Library Association: Banned Books Week

Google Book Search: Celebrate Your Freedom to Read

Niagara University Library has many books that have been challenged or banned. You can locate them using the Library Catalog.

The September Monthly Book Spotlight

The September installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference Librarian Samantha Gust highlights the Library's Vincentian Collection.

Printing Tip

When printing a PDF, remember to click the Adobe Acrobat printer icon. If you use the File --> Print method, you will get a blank page!

Library Closing Time

Two students indicated that they felt Library staff was pressuring them to leave the Library a little before actual closing time during a recent evening. We apologize if that is the case. Our services should be available right until closing time.

New Chick Lit Books

Here are some of the chick lit books recently added to the Recreational Reading Collection:

*The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

*Girls' Night In edited by Lauren Henderson and
Girls' Night Out edited by Carole Matthews

*Jemima J. and Mr. Maybe by Jane Green

*The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes

*The "Shopaholic" series (4 books) by Sophie Kinsella

The Recreational Reading Collection is located on the first floor between the Circulation Desk and the Reference Collection. Books are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name.

Recent Faculty Publication

Here is a recent publication by Niagara University Associate Professor Susan Sze:

The Special Needs Toolbox: 200 Inclusive Strategies

This book is located on the first floor of the Library at call number LC1200 S94 2006.

Library Hours During Intersession

The Library will have reduced hours until the fall semester begins.

*Monday, August 14 - Friday, August 18: 8am - 5pm

*Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20: CLOSED

*Monday, August 21 - Friday, August 25: 8am - 5pm

*Saturday, August 26 and Sunday, August 27: CLOSED

Regular semester hours will resume on Monday, August 28. Please visit the Library Hours page for more information.

Library and Castellani Art Museum Receive Grant

Niagara University Library and the Castellani Art Museum (CAM) are recipients of one of seven Art: 21 Museum + Library Partnerships incentive mini-grants.

The goal of the grantors is to foster museum/library partnerships that include a community partner. The Library, the CAM and the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center (NACC) will:

*Host a screening of an episode of Art: 21 (at the CAM).

*Host an artist’s talk by a local artist from the NACC (at the Library).

*Instruction Librarians will begin to teach art and art history students about art resources including databases and web tools.

*Reproductions of artwork from the CAM will be hung in the Library.

*The Library will display pamphlets and show announcements from the CAM and from NACC artists.

*The CAM will cross-promote Library resources through classes and through allowing us to leave pamphlets and fliers in their café.

Library Reports

The Library's 2005-06 Annual Report and Statistical Overview are now available on the Annual and Other Administrative Reports page.

The August Monthly Book Spotlight

The August installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference Librarian Michael Lavin writes about Our Fathers' War: Growing Up in the Shadow of the Greatest Generation by Tom Mathews.

Recreational Reading Collection

Looking for a book to read for fun? The Library has more than 1500 fiction and non-fiction books in its Recreational Reading Collection. These books are shelved alphabetically by the author's last name and are located on the first floor between the Circulation Desk and the Reference Collection.

Citation Style Helpers

A Library user recently made the following comment using the Suggestions/Comments/Concerns form on the Library's home page:

"Can you put something like Endnote on your computers? I am an education student and have trouble with APA style."

Response from Library Director David Schoen: To be honest, we've never had anyone ask, so we have not thought about it. We would not be able to afford to put it on all the computers, but I can look into putting it on one of the computers.

Also, in case you don't know, EBSCOhost will format citations into APA format. You can add a citation to a folder, view the folder, and format the citations in a variety of style formats. It's not foolproof, but it helps.

Thanks for the suggestion.

The July Monthly Book Spotlight

The July installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference Librarian Mike Krajewski writes about The World of Tolkien: Mythological Sources of the Lord of the Rings.

Recent Faculty Publications

Here are two recent Niagara University faculty publications of note:

Marlo Brown (Mathematics Department) and Shelemayahu Zacks

A Note on Optimal Stopping for Possible Change in the Intensity of an Ordinary Poisson Process. Statistics & Probability Letters, July 2006, Vol. 76 Issue 13, p1417-1425.

Philip D. Collington (English Department)

"Stuffed with All Honourable Virtues": Much Ado About Nothing and The Book of the Courtier. Studies in Philology, Summer 2006, Vol. 103 Issue 3, p281-312.

CST Exam Books

A Library user recently made the following comment using the Suggestions/Comments/Concerns form on the Library's home page:

"Wish you had more practice books for the CST."

Response: Thanks for letting us know! There are two new books coming out in the fall that we will order on this exam (assuming you mean the NYSTCE Multi-Subject CST).

Explore Shakespeare With Google

You can now read and search Shakespeare's plays online through Google. Check it out!

New Book/DVD List - May 2006

The list of new books and DVDs added to the Library collection in May has been released.

Please note: The May 2006 list is the final web-based version of this list.

The reason for this is that you can always see our new titles organized by subject and month in our Library Catalog. Just click the link in the green bar near the top that says New Titles.

Also, if we have your NU ID barcode on file in our system, you can place holds on items through the Library Catalog. When viewing an item, just look for the Request Item button and follow the instructions. If you need assistance, please call our Circulation Desk at 286-8020.

Spring 2006 Excellence in Customer Service Award

Congratulations to Circulation Department Coordinator Debbie Farrell for being named the Spring 2006 recipient of the Niagara University Library Excellence in Customer Service Award. Debbie was recognized for her "positive can-do approach to her work."

NU Yearbooks

A Library user recently asked the following question using the Suggestions/Comments/Concerns form on the Library's home page:

"What happened to the yearbooks? It was nice to be able to browse through them."

Response: They are still here! We are rearranging things, but they will end up back near the Reference Area. Ask a Reference Librarian to show you where you can view them.

Information Literacy Librarian Departs

Kristine Kasbohm, Information Literacy Librarian, is leaving Niagara University Library on Friday, June 9. She has accepted the Information Literacy Coordinator position at the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library at Canisius College.

Kristine came to NU in August 2001 and was the Reference/Electronic Reserve Librarian before becoming the Information Literacy Librarian in 2002.

We are happy for Kristine and appreciate all her hard work and dedication. She will be missed.

The June Monthly Book Spotlight

The June installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference Librarian Diane Maroon writes about The Da Vinci Code and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Mary Magdalene.

DVD Collections

Our Educational and Recreational DVD Collections continue to grow! Learn all about them at:
http://www.niagara.edu/library/dvdcoll.html

DVD Search Tips

The Library Catalog provides rich descriptions of DVDs, so if you want to watch a movie starring Johnny Depp, you can simply type his name in the General Keyword(s) search box. Or, if you are looking for films about the holocaust you can type DVD holocaust. In fact, you can search for DVDs by all sorts of criteria -- screenwriter, studio, directors, producers, etc. Give it a try!

Noise Complaints

The Library has received some complaints about staff noise coming from the public service desks and also from offices when the doors are open. We apologize and will make a concerted effort to be quieter.

New Book/DVD List - April 2006

The list of new books and DVDs added to the Library collection in April has been released.

Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year - The May Monthly Book Spotlight

The May installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference Librarian Samantha Gust looks at Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 2006 Edition edited by Charles Brooks.

Suggestions? Comments? Concerns?

There is now a form on the Library's home page where you can submit your suggestions, comments and concerns.

Here is a recent comment:

"I love the NU library. All the staff are helpful and so nice! They make it a great experience to come and stay in the library!"

Thank you!

Extended Hours

Based on your comments, the Library is extending some of its hours the weeks of May 1 and May 8 so you can work late on papers & final projects and study for exams:

Monday, May 1 - Thursday, May 4: 8:00am to 1:00am

Monday, May 8 - Thursday, May 11: 8:00am to 1:00am

Study Carrels

The Library has three study carrels located on the south end of the Library on the first floor (near the books beginning with call number L). If a study carrel is locked, please go to the Circulation Desk and ask to have it opened.

Wild Blessings: The Poetry of Lucille Clifton

The April installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. University at Buffalo practicum student Jennifer Potter writes about Wild Blessings: The Poetry of Lucille Clifton by Hilary Holladay.

New Book/DVD List - March 2006

The list of new books and DVDs added to the Library collection in March has been released.

Tax Forms and Instructions

If you need tax forms and instructions, they 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
  

Do You Owe Library Fines?

National Library Week is April 2-8. To celebrate, the Library is having a FINE AMNESTY DAY!

Return your overdue books and DVDs on Monday, April 3 and have your fines waived!

**Please note: the fine amnesty does not apply to lost book charges.**

Student Book Club/Discussion Group Meeting

The second meeting of the Library-facilitated Student Book Club/Discussion Group will take place Wednesday, April 19 at 7pm in the Library.

The book we are reading is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - a novel about friendship, betrayal and loyalty.

If you would like to participate, please read the book and come join the discussion. Refreshments will be served!

We Can Help You Get What You Need for Your Research!

If the Library does not own an item you need for your research, we can almost always obtain it for you from another library via a service called Interlibrary Loan. Currently enrolled NU students and current NU faculty and staff may take advantage of this useful service. Reminder: start your research early!

Spring Break Hours

The Library's hours for the remainder of Spring Break are:

*Wednesday, March 15: 8:00am - 5:00pm

*Thursday, March 16: 8:00am - 5:00pm

*Friday, March 17: CLOSED

*Saturday, March 18: CLOSED

*Sunday, March 19: Noon - Midnight

Musical Scores: The March Monthly Book Spotlight

The March installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Reference/Interlibrary Loan Librarian Samantha Gust highlights some of the Library's musical scores.

New Book/DVD List - February 2006

The list of new books and DVDs added to the Library collection in February has been released.

Used Book Sale!

Did you know there is an ongoing Used Book Sale in the Library? You will find a wide variety of books at affordable prices displayed on tables near the front entrance and also on a rack on the basement level across from the networked printer. Please be sure to check the sale regularly!

Need Research Assistance?

Reference Librarians are on duty all hours the Library is open, so you can stop by the Reference Desk at any time. You may also ask research questions by sending an email to reflib@niagara.edu or by calling 716-286-8022.

You can also make an appointment with the Reference Librarian who specializes in your subject area.

PEN/Faulkner Award Winner

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation recently announced that The March by E.L. Doctorow is the winner of the 2006 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

NU Library has a copy of this book in the Recreational Reading Collection.

Please note: if the book is checked out, you can place a hold on it by clicking the Request Item button in the Library Catalog and entering the 14-digit number on the back of your NU ID card. You will be notified when the book is available.

It's Tax Time Again!

If you need tax forms and instructions, they 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
  

New Book/DVD List - January 2006

The list of new books and DVDs added to the Library collection in January has been released.

Attention Undergraduates!

We need your help! Please come to the Library on Wednesday, February 22 from 12:30-1:15pm and tell us how we can serve you better. During the discussion, participants will be offered lunch for free! Please contact Kristine Kasbohm at kek@niagara.edu or 286-8028 by Tuesday, February 21 if you would like to attend. Thank you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Please stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor to say hello and have some candy!

ScienceDirect Upgrade

The Library recently took a big leap forward in its ability to support journal research in the sciences by increasing access to the number of journals available via ScienceDirect from 250 to more to more than 1,500 in three collections:

• Social and Behavioral Sciences: 360 peer reviewed journals
  
• Health & Life Sciences: 890 peer reviewed journals
  
• Physical Sciences: 650 peer reviewed journals
  

Full-text articles are available back to 2001. A useful feature is your ability to set up a profile where you can be notified when a new issue of a journal you are tracking is published or when articles on a topic you specify are added to the database.

ScienceDirect is produced by Elsevier, a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information. Check it out at www.niagara.edu/library/scidir.html.

Spring 2006 Newsletter Published

The Spring 2006 issue of Library News has been added to the Library web site. Check it out and find out about the Library's most popular DVDs, NU faculty publications, database and book news and more!

Escape From Slavery - The February Monthly Book Spotlight

The February installment of the Monthly Book Spotlight has been added to the Library's web site. Sharon Green, Reading Coordinator in the Office of Academic Support, writes about Escape From Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America.