Introducing Katie

Our newest librarian is here: Katie Dover-Taylor.

Bird’s Eye View – Musselman Library

I’m taking a few minutes to play with software.  It’s pretty easy to use Windows Live Writer to insert maps into blog posts.  Here’s Musselman Library from above.  This shot must have been taken in a dryer time – our grass today is much greener than what you see here.

Discover Other Worlds in Musselman Library

Alumni Weekend is just a week away! If you’re planning on visiting campus that weekend, make sure you stop by the library and check out the many exhibits that are on display. The current exhibit series is titled Discover Other Worlds and includes photographs, maps, wood carvings, and more.


On the Main Floor you will find:

• Life in Miniature: Wood Carvings from Brienz – Wood carvings depicting daily life in nineteenth century Switzerland from the collection of Reverend Frederick S. Weiser, Class of 1957.
  


• Literature of the Telescope – Browse 400 years of books about the telescope, and check out a replica of Galileo’s first modern telescope, all from the collection of Professor Larry Marschall.
  


• 11 Days in Asia – Photographs of Gettysburg College Students from China, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, India, and the Philippines.
  


• Images of Italy – A photography exhibit by Professor Dan DeNicola, party of the Library’s “Hidden Talents” series highlighting the artistic talents of the Gettysburg College community. Located in the Browsing Room.
  


• Buddhism in the Modern World: Quest for Social and Religious Identity in Southwest China – Photographs by Professor Deborah Sommer. Located in the Apse.

In the Main Stairwell you will find:

• Rediscovering My Country – Images of Kathmandu by Anukul Gurung, Class of 2009, documenting the dramatic rise in poverty and homelessness in his native Nepal.
  

In Special Collections you will find:

• Mapping Other Worlds – Selections from the Stuckenberg Map Collection.

For those who are not able to visit campus, please check out the web versions of these exhibits available on the Library’s website. Enjoy!

Summertime Reference

The semester is officially over and the Musselman Library Reference Desk is closed ... but that doesn't mean reference librarians aren't still here, ready and available to assist with your research!

If you would like to consult with a librarian, feel free to contact us using the Ask a Reference Librarian web form - one of us will respond to you during business hours. If you need help after hours, try using the Ask Here PA 24/7 reference service - friendly librarians from other colleges and universities are standing by ready to help.

If you're in town, Musselman Library is generally open 8:00-4:30 on weekdays during the summer. Ask for a reference librarian at the main desk, or visit us in suite 102 on the main floor - someone is bound to be around on most days. The Library is open additional hours for special occasions (like Alumni Weekend) - check the official calendar to find out if we're open on weekends.

Have a great summer. We'll see you again when classes resume on August 31, 2009!

You’ve gotta read this summer!

Finals aren’t over yet, but the library staff know that you’re dreaming about the summer. Many of you will be busy during the break with jobs, internships, travel, and catching up with friends and family. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up books! You wouldn’t want your mind to turn to mush, right?

To help you all relax and keep your brains in working order, we encourage you to take full advantage of Musselman Library’s summer reading list. The list is easy to find on the library homepage, or you can link to it directly at http://www.gettysburg.edu/dotAsset/2535704.pdf.
Books and films have been selected by faculty, staff, and your fellow students, so you know they’ve got to be good.

Have a spectacular summer! For those of you who are graduating, we’ve loved working with you for the past four years – may you be successful in your future endeavors. As for the rest of you, we’ll see you in the fall!

Finals Hours and Study Break

Finals are almost here! The library is getting busier and students are hard at work throughout the library. Musselman Library will be trying to help ease finals anxiety by extending hours and holding a finals study break.

Can't wait till May 5th to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Come to the library on the 4th for a Cinco de Mayo study break!
When: May 4th 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Where: Library, back patio
*Rain location: Library Media Theater (Room 18)
Take a break from studying and de-stress for a while while enjoying some free ice cream and snacks, playing some games and listening to music! Bring your friends!

Library Finals Week Hours
Friday, May 1st, Close at 11pm
Saturday, May 2nd, Open at 10am and begin 24 hour access
The library won't close again until Saturday, May 9th at 5pm
Sunday, May 10th, Closed
Monday, May 11th, Open 8am - 4:30pm

Research Help - 911!!

The semester may be coming to a close, but we know students are just gearing up for end-of-year papers and exams. Here are some quick survival tips!

Need help with your research during the wee hours of the night? Musselman Library now has access to "Ask Here PA," a state-wide reference service that provides users with access to a librarian 24/7. What does this mean for you? It's simple! If you have a burning research question when the reference desk is not staffed (10:00pm-9:00am), simply connect to Ask Here PA from the "Ask a Librarian" link off the library website and a helpful librarian from somewhere in the region or across the country who is staffing the 24 hour service will be able to help.

Citations, citations, citations! If you need help formatting citations for a paper, check out the Musselman Library "Citation Guide." This guide provides helpful links to several online citation manuals for commonly used styles (MLA, Turabian, APA, etc.). Students also love using SourceAid which builds citations for you. Give it a try!

It’s National Library Week!

That’s right, April 12 – 19 is a week designated specifically to celebrate libraries and all they have to offer! Stop by Musselman Library to check out the display behind the reference desk featuring books, CDs and DVDs that relate to this year’s National Library Week theme: Worlds Connect at Your Library. Captain Picard will also be on hand with a few new facts about the library every day.

We will continue our observance of National Library Week with a Cake Break on Thursday, April 16 at 3:00pm. Everyone is invited to take a break, relax and enjoy some cake in the library.

Celebrate National Library Week with your library!

Read/Meet Bill McKibben

The final two events of the Read Green environmental series involve Bill McKibben and his work. Join us for a discussion of Deep Economy, facilitated by Environmental Studies professor Randy Wilson, tonight at 7:00 pm (Penn Hall Lyceum). Then, plan to attend a public talk by Bill McKibben himself next week on Thursday, April 16, 7:30 pm (College Union Building Ballroom). McKibben wrote his book in 1997, and a lot has happened with the U.S. and global economies since then. How does it affect you, and what can you do to help? This is a talk you won't want to miss!

Do-it-yourself book check out!

For those of you who dream of working in a library, now you can pretend you do! The library has recently installed a self-checkout machine that will allow you to check out books on your own without having to wait in line. Grab a library book, your ID card, and you’re ready to begin checking out books as fast and furiously as you can. It’s easy and convenient, and if you have problems, you can still get help from the friendly folks over at the Circulation Desk. Note that it can only be used for book check out; DVDs, videos, and CDs still need to be checked to you by a human at the Circ Desk.

The machine is located in the lobby of the library, right near the Circulation and Reference Desks. It looks like something out of Star Trek—very space age. Check it out! (Excuse the pun.)

Images of Italy

Come take in the breathtaking views of Italy in Musselman Library's Browsing Room! This semester's featured "Hidden Talents" exhibit includes striking photographs of a sojourn in Italy by Dan DeNicola, professor of philosophy.

When DeNicola first traveled to Italy in 2006, he found "a photographer's dream." In both his first trip to Tuscany and Umbria and his second to Venice, the Dolomites, the "Northern Arc," and Lake Como, he "loved the diverse landscapes with marvelous colors and wondrous light."

Colorful and vibrant, the exhibit includes images of water taxis and gondolas, richly painted homes and climbing wisteria, and gorgeous vistas. When asked why he selected these particular photographs, DeNicola explains that these pictures "invite the viewer to enter into the landscape, to become the subject, to stay awhile, to take an Italian sabbatical."

How can one refuse? Come take your sabbatical in the library's main floor browsing room. The exhibit will be on display through the summer.

Make a date with a librarian!

This time of year, research really begins to heat up. For anyone who is feeling discouraged or has been searching everywhere and can’t find the information needed for a project, a Research Appointment with a librarian can be very helpful.

Scheduling an appointment is easy – all you have to do is fill out a form on our website and submit your request (go to http://www.gettysburg.edu/library/services/forms/rpc_request.dot). On the form, tell us about your project and what you have accomplished so far. We will contact you to schedule a meeting at a time that is convenient for you. Usually, we need at least 48 hours advanced noticed. Not that we like keeping you waiting, but we need time to prepare so we can provide you with the best possible service! Depending on the complexity of your research question and your experience, the meeting might last from 15-60 minutes.

Of course, if you’re also welcome to drop by the reference desk, e-mail us, or chat with a librarian using your instant messenger account. We even offer 24/7 help through AskHerePA, a service that allows you to get help from librarians in other parts of the country when we’re not available (yes, even at 2:00 a.m.!)

To learn more about Research Appointments and other ways that you can get help research help, click on the orange Ask a Librarian button on the library homepage.

Read Green - we're just getting started!

Read Green: A Gettysburg Environmental Series is in full swing! This semester, the Library is sponsoring a series of three book discussions (facilitated by local subject specialists), two film screenings (introduced by an environmental film expert), and one lecture by environmental activist author Bill McKibben.

Our February 3 discussion of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was attended by 75 enthusiastic readers. People yearn to talk about food - the industrial food system, local alternatives, how to grow food, where to acquire it... Audrey Hess, coordinator of the Adams County Local Foods Network, and Elaine Lemmon, founder of Everblossom Farm, facilitated this discussion.

A few weeks later, an even larger crowd gathered to hear Salma Monani (Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies) introduce King Corn and watch the film. A lively discussion followed the show.

Tonight, we'll gather to discuss Elizabeth Kolbert's Field Notes from a Catastrophe, a book about climate change. Environmental Studies professors Rutherford (Rud) Platt and Sarah Principato will guide us through this material.

Other upcoming events include:

• Film screening: The End of Suburbia. Wednesday, March 25, 7:00 pm, Joseph Theater
• Book discussion: Deep Economy by Bill McKibben. Monday, April 6, 7:00 pm, Lyceum (Penn Hall 3rd floor)
• Author visit: Bill McKibben. Thursday, April 16, 7:30 pm, CUB Ballroom.

This series has a lot of momentum, and it's not too late to join the fun. Grab a book and join us to talk about the environment, sustainability, and how it affects us here in Adams County, PA. See you there!

Calling All Future Librarians!

Musselman Library is searching for a motivated and responsible individual to serve as its Barbara Holley Library Intern. This one year, paid position with benefits allows the Intern to work closely with several Library Departments and gain valuable experience in many aspects of library operations, procedures, and management.

The internship is intended for a recent college graduate (or one who will graduate this spring) interested in pursuing a career in information science, librarianship, or archives and records management. Previous interns have gone on to complete graduate degrees in library and information studies and are now working as information professionals.

The full job description and instructions for applying are available on the Musselman Library Web site at http://www.gettysburg.edu/library/information/general/internships/holley.dot.

Deadline for application is Monday, March 2.

Book cart drill team documentary

Practicing the Hand Jive
Originally uploaded by muss_lib

Please join us for the premiere public screening of the feel-good documentary of the year! The fun will begin at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, January 28, in Library 018.

Film Studies students Anskar Fosse, ’11, and Patricia Veasey, ’11, created a documentary about Musselman Library’s book cart drill team for their final project in FILM 220. Running time is 15 minutes. Q&A with the directors will follow.

As this is a serious film event, there will be popcorn.

We would love to see you there!

Icy day

Today, the Gettysburg College campus is a winter wonderland!