Books are just cool, in more ways than one! Campus Technology magazine named Drexel University and the Drexel University Libraries to its list of Seven Sustainability Stars in Higher Education. Visit Campus Technology's website to read the article.

Villano, Matt. 'Lean Green Machines: 7 Sustainability Stars in Higher Ed.' Campus Technology. Chatsworth, CA. 1 April 2011. Web. 26 April 2011.

 

Over 50 people attended the Tree Dedication Ceremony held at W. W. Hagerty Library on April 22nd, 2011 in memory of Dorothy Colflesh. Guests of honor included members of Dorothy's family, Provost Greenberg, Dean of Libraries Danuta A. Nitecki, members of the Drexel Sustainability Council and faculty and staff from Drexel University. The Ceremony included remarks from Gabriel Cohen, founding member of the Drexel Sustainability Council, Provost Mark Greenberg, Dorothy's daughter Rachel Ouderkirk and Dean of Libraries, Danuta A. Nitecki. Click here to view a photo slideshow from the event.

Thank you to everyone who visited our Libraries exhibit at the Spotlight on Drexel: Teaching, Learning & Research Event on Thursday, April 14th. During the event, we asked you to give us the first word you think of when you think of the Libraries...these are your responses.

The post popular choices were: Books, Learning, Research, Information & Helpful.

What word do YOU think of when you think of the Libraries?

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Must we scan our IDs to enter Bookmark from within the library? It seems to serve no purpose, as we have already scanned IDs at the library entrance. Also, the alarm that goes off fairly frequently is incredibly annoying and disturbing. Thanks for asking. It's all about the 33rd Street door and Taco Bell. When Taco Bell is open, the 33rd Street door of the cafe is unlocked and accessible to the public, which means that we must keep the door into the main part of W. W. Hagerty secure in order to protect the library and students. Keeping the door secure means that students must swipe in for access--those without Drexel IDs cannot get in. This door does not have a turnstile, which means that an ID must be swiped anytime the door is open, whether the student is going into or out of the Bookmark Cafe. You may have noticed that you don't have to swipe your ID to enter the cafe when Taco Bell is closed. That's because when Taco Bell is closed, the 34th Street door in the Bookmark Cafe is locked and inaccessible to anyone. When this is the case, anyone who has already swiped their ID at the main Hagerty door has free access to the Bookmark Cafe. Regarding the alarm, we know it's annoying. Believe us--we know. Unfortunately this door must be alarmed so that those who don't swipe their IDs and those who monitor the door are alerted to the problem. Students can help dampen the alarm by swiping their IDs every time they open the door between the library and the Bookmark Cafe, and by stopping to listen to the staff member monitoring the door when he or she asks them to.

Construction is underway for the new Library Learning Terrace, scheduled to open in May 2011. The Terrace is located at the intersection of 33rd and Race Streets in the Race Street Residence Hall. Below are some architect's renderings of what the new space will look like: [gallery columns='2'] We can't wait to debut this new space! We hope you're excited too.

The Dragon Card machine needs to be fixed so I can print for 10 cents and not 25. Also, the copiers should be fixed. Thanks! Thanks for letting us know. When copiers, cards readers, etc. are broken, we jump into action to get them fixed as soon as someone alerts us to the problem. On the day you wrote, our Dragon Card machine was out of service for about 15 minutes while we worked to pry out a card that was stuck inside.* When printing is effected by a technical difficulty, the circulation desk will only charge you 10 cents per page, instead of their usual 25 cents. With respect to the copiers, I'm sorry they were out of service. If you see something that's not working properly, and there's no sign attached saying that we're working on the problem, please alert a staff member so we can get started fixing what's broken. We can fix most printer, copier, and scanner problems in just a few minutes. * The Dragon Card was stuck in the machine because it was falling apart. If you have a Dragon Card that isn't working properly, it might be time for you to get a new one. I know it's not cheap, but it'll save you (and others) big headaches.

A Librarian for Everyone

Drexel now has personal librarians for this year's 2,750-plus freshmen to help connect them to the increasingly complicated information landscape. More than 20 personal librarians are charged with helping students learn about the resources and contacts they need to succeed. They are trained to understand the curriculum and information resources throughout Drexel's many disciplines and will maintain a relationship with the students until they move deeper into research when the primary contact becomes a subject specialist. 'The program is a natural extension of what libraries have done for a long time, but now we are adding a more personal element,' said Dean of Libraries Dr. Danuta A. Nitecki, adding that every student will begin to master the identification and evaluation of resources in order to 'explore diverse ideas and gain new knowledge.' Nitecki envisions the library as a learning enterprise, where librarians are integrated as educators in the academic life of the campus.

Where You Live and Work

That traditional university library at the heart of campus? Its days may be numbered, with Drexel University Libraries leading the way. Beginning with a 'Library Learning Terrace' in the heart of the University's residential community, Drexel is exploring multiple learning spaces across campus designed to essentially bring the library to the students. The strategy proposed by Dean of Libraries Dr. Danuta A. Nitecki is to establish spaces and programs that promote intentional learning among students as well as interactive collaborations joining students with faculty and staff with expertise in technology, pedagogy, and information. The first Library Learning Terrace will open this spring in 3,000 square feet of space on the ground floor of the Race Street Residence Hall at 33rd and Race Streets. This 'bookless library' will have wireless capability and stations for students to work and collaborate. Students will be able to make appointments with librarian specialists, tutors, or teaching assistants to meet them at the Terrace for training or assistance in their studies. This experiment may lead to a network of library hubs throughout campus. View the Drexel University Magazine as a PDF.   'Tomorrow's Library Today.' Drexel University Magazine. Philadelphia, PA. Spring 2011.

News Release

PHILADELPHIA (February 11, 2011) -- Drexel University Libraries will unveil a new facility on the University's campus in the spring. This new facility, the Library Learning Terrace, has already caused a buzz among undergraduate students, faculty and staff. Over 200 students attended information sessions about the Terrace and provided feedback on its purpose and design. These student ideas, and additional comments, sent through a blog were considered in planning the new library concept. With construction underway, people on campus are eager to see how this new space will affect learning. Designed by Philadelphia-based Erdy McHenry Architects, the 3,000-square-foot Library Learning Terrace will be located on the ground floor of the Race Street Residence Hall at 33rd and Race Streets, with completion set for April. 'This is the first step toward embedding the Libraries across campus,' Dean of Libraries, Danuta A. Nitecki said. 'The Library Learning Terrace will give us the ability to study what contributes to an individual's learning and to define a new library environment.' Located in the heart of the University's residence halls, the Learning Terrace will feature flexible indoor space with endless possibilities. Currently, the Libraries are collaborating with Drexel's Writing Center, tutors, technological experts and teachers to see how the Learning Terrace can provide new opportunities to students, as they become intentional learners. 'The Library Learning Terrace offers us another place to define the library as a learning enterprise,' Nitecki said. 'A place where we can actively engage students in using information and mastering learning skills.' Physically the Terrace will house a variety of seating, allowing students to arrange places best suited for their learning style or tasks. Students have flexibility to work at individual tables or work collaboratively in groups by assembling tables and partitions. Librarians and other experts will be present at various times at a consultation hub. Drexel's Libraries have already seen success with using technology to engage students in collaborative learning through a media:scape located in the University's main library facility W.W. Hagerty Library. The media:scape enables individual users to connect multiple laptops to a single screen and work together on group projects and learning. 'The media:scape has become a popular resource in the library,' Nitecki said. 'Our students have expressed a fondness for the Libraries for providing multiple spaces and venues for learning. As we move forward, we are excited to see how students utilize the Learning Terrace to integrate new technologies and flexible furnishings as venues for learning and collaboration.' Expanding the Learning Terrace concept further, the Libraries is currently exploring the possibility of developing numerous library hubs throughout the Drexel campus. These smaller stations will serve as additional learning spaces where small groups of students can collaborate and receive assistance from University staff members. The Libraries can also use these hubs to further expand upon the thriving My Personal Librarian program, in which incoming students are each assigned a personal liaison in the Libraries. 'This plan combines the productivity of a study space with the resources of the library,' said Lucas Hippel, President of the Undergraduate Student Government Association. Academic libraries not only provide access to information, but can also help individuals as they use information in furthering their own learning. Drexel University Libraries was a leader in striving to surpass the traditional definition of a library and in exploring new ways to support learning through environment and technology. ### News media contacts Jenny James, Drexel Libraries Marketing and Events Associate, 215-571-4095 or jennyjames@drexel.edu Niki Gianakaris, director, Drexel News Bureau, Office of University Communications, 215-895-6741, 215-778-7752 (cell) or ngianakaris@drexel.edu

Download a PDF Version of this article.

It's week 3. Brush up on your library knowledge now before you're in panic mode for that first big project. Here's a quiz to test your knowledge: Q: Where can you find earplugs, headphones, laptops, projectors, and Ethernet cables? A: The circulation desk. Q: Where can you get help getting research for your paper or project? A: The reference desk, or anywhere there's a reference librarian. Q: How do you reserve a study room where you and your group can hunker down? A: On the online reservation system. Q: What's the best resource for doing research in your subject? A: Find recommendations in our research guides. Q: How do you find an article? A: Use Article Finder--or watch the tutorial on our video tutorials page. Q: Who has the textbooks? A: Course reserves are at the circulation desk.

Not clean enough. How so? We have cleaning staff at Hagerty whenever the library is open, so if you encounter a specific problem with cleanliness, please let someone at the reference or circulation desk know, and we'll find someone to fix it right away. We'd also like to hear about it if you've noticed a specific problem over time. If we know about it, we can fix it. Please do be sure to give us details, though; if we don't know what the specific problem is, we won't be able to fix it. Thanks for your comment.

On April 5, 2011 Library Journal featured an article on Adam Mizelle, Library Courtesy Clerk, and his poster presentation at ACRL titled 'Can a LIbrary Courtesy Clerk Tame your Patrons?'

View the article online at Library Journal's website.

Kelley, Michael. 'ACRL 2011: Can a Library Courtesy Clerk Tame Your Patrons?' Library Journal. 5 April 2011. Web. 6 April 2011.

We have restored our access to all journals from the ACS. If you've been looking for an article from an ACS journal over the past few days, please try again now--it will work! If you're not sure whether the journal you're looking for is an ACS publication, please take a look at the full list of ACS journals. Thank you for your patience while we fixed the problem. Please let us know if you continue to have problems accessing journal articles, from ACS or otherwise.

You're invited to join the Drexel University Sustainability Council this Friday, April 22nd at 10 AM in front of W. W. Hagerty Library for a tree dedication in memory of Dorothy Colflesh (Schwartz). Dorothy passed on Tuesday, June 29, 2010. She was the director of administrative services at the W.W. Hagerty Library and an original member of the council. The dedication will begin shortly after 10:00 AM, followed by a reception. Drexel Libraries has established the Dorothy Colflesh [Schwartz] Memorial Collection of resources on 'green' practices, reflecting such activities as recycling and waste education, which were among Ms. Colflesh's interests. Those wishing to contribute can do so online. In the 'Special Instructions' box on the online form please note in honor of Dorothy Colflesh (Schwartz). Please bring your own coffee mug to this event to help support the Green cause.

Need a book that's not at Drexel Libraries? EZ Borrow is usually the answer. But EZ Borrow is experiencing some growing pains, and while it settles, we're asking those looking to borrow books from other libraries to use ILLiad instead. Not sure how to use ILLiad? Just click on the link from 'My Library Accounts,' sign in with your Drexel ID and password, and you'll be prompted to set up an account. And if you're still unsure, just contact the reference desk. We're happy to help.

[caption id='attachment_28' align='alignright' width='179' caption='(c) American Libraries Association'][/caption] Drexel University's W. W. Hagerty Library is featured on the cover of the American Library Association's Choice Magazine for April 2011. More than 35,000 academic librarians, faculty, and key decision makers rely on the reviews in Choice magazine and Choice Reviews Online for collection development and scholarly research. Choice reaches almost every undergraduate college and university library in the United States. Visit Choice Magazine online. 'On the Cover.' Choice Magazine. Annapolis Junction, MD. April 2011. Web. 13 April 2011.

...Kyla LaFond! She won an IPad, courtesy of Thomson Reuters, who was one of our exhibitors at Tuesday's E-Resources fair at Hagerty Library. Noelle Egan (right), Drexel's Electronic Resources Librarian, presented Kyla with the IPad shortly after the fair ended. We had a fantastic time at the fair, and we were so excited to offer such a great prize. Thank you, Thomson Reuters, and congratulations, Kyla!

Would you be able to install ProE and AutoCAD on the library computers? It would be beneficial to students who do not have easy access to them since they are only available at the MEM lab. Thanks for the question. Here at the libraries we can only place site licensed software on our systems, and your recommendations don't fall into this category. But we do have QCad available to us, which we could install if there was interest. Although it's not as full-featured as AutoCAD, it does offer some useful drafting tools. You can exchange files with AutoCAD by exporting and importing as DXF. For more information about this software, check out the author's website. If you think this would be useful to have on library computers, let us know by commenting here, and we'll look into it.

What secrets lurk in the heart of Hagerty's lower level? Only the Drexel Archives know! And maybe they'll tell you if you come to their open house, this afternoon from 5-7pm. Archives staff will be displaying some of their favorite materials from the collections, including rare books, early photos of Drexel and the library school, and 19th-century correspondence. Come meet the Archives staff and learn about their services and upcoming events.

Please wipe down the keyboards; they are getting greasy and nasty. Thanks for letting us know. We clean the computers and keyboards regularly, but they do get gunky between their baths. We will check on them soon. Meanwhile, if you need a cleaner keyboard, please visit the reference desk for a cleansing cloth.

We're so glad to see you. Want to be friends? Like us on Facebook and find out what's happening. Here are a couple of teasers. We're welcoming you back with two events:

• The E-Resources Fair is this Tuesday 10am-2pm. Stop by the atrium and find out what's new in online research resources.
• Library Quizzo is Thursday, March 31st 4:30-6pm. Gather a team of your smartest, most competitive friends and head on over to Bookmark Cafe to answer questions about Philadelphia, Drexel, and the libraries. There will be prizes and refreshments, of course.

Need more information? Read all about it on Facebook.

A new library facility at Drexel University in Philadelphia is 'the first step toward embedding the libraries across campus,' according to Dean of Libraries Danuta Nitecki. Visit American Libraries.com, The Magazine of the American Library Association, to read more.

At 10am on Tuesday, March 22nd, Jennifer Renak from Reaxys will offer an hour-long training session on the ins and outs or Reaxys. Please join us! It's open to all faculty, graduate students, and library staff. Reaxys is a workflow solution for research chemists. It can speed up your research workflow by combining reaction and substance data in organic, organometallic, inorganic and physical chemistry with synthesis planning. What use to be Beilstein and Gmelin are now combined into one database! Details on the Reaxys training:

• Tuesday, March 22nd
• Room L14 on Hagerty Library's lower level
• 10am-11am (gathering will begin at 9:30)
• RSVP: Beth Ten Have, et73@drexel.edu.

Drexel Libraries has just acquired subscriptions to nearly 400 new journals in the arts and sciences. These come to us courtesy of JSTOR's Arts & Sciences 5 and Arts & Sciences 6 collections, which we've just signed onto. Take a look at the titles for Arts & Sciences 5 and Arts & Sciences 6. There's something there for almost everyone, including those with interst in the arts, history, business, law, education, and library and information science.

Starting next term, those with more than in library fines will not be able to check out reserve books. Have you ever needed to read a chapter for class but not been able to get the book you need from the Library's reserve collection because a classmate has kept it out past their time? It happens too often at Hagerty Library so starting in the Spring quarter, once you reach in fines, you won't be able to check out reserve books. As always, once you hit in fines, you lose the ability to check out 28 day loan books, laptops, DVDs or access our electronic databases. How This May Affect You This means that some of you will have to pay off your fines before you'll be able to use the library in the Spring. We know this is a new procedure, so when you come to the circulation desk, ask to speak with a supervisor and we'll be happy to discuss your account with you to make sure that our new policy is clear. Not sure if you have fines? Check your library account. How Can I Pay My Fines? You may pay either half of your balance or the full balance. Partial payments will not be accepted.

• In person: Come to the circulation desk and pay with a credit card (VISA or Mastercard), check (made out to Drexel Libraries) or cash. We also accept Ultima Funds!
• Not in town? You can pay over the phone with a credit card ( minimum) by calling 215-895- 2755 and ask to speak with a supervisor. Or, mail us a check, but be sure to note your student ID in the memo so that we can clear your account!
• Remember: The point of this is not to make money or to keep books from students, but to work together to make sure that the greatest number of students can benefit from what the library has to offer.

What We're Doing to Make Things Better We're working to provide more copies of the books you need. If we don't have a book you're looking for, there are a few things you can do:

1. Ask your professor to provide the library with a copy of the book.
2. Send us an email! reserve@drexel.edu
3. Fill out our suggestion sheet at the Hagerty Library circulation desk.

Hagerty Library is now open 24 hours/day, everyday, until the end of finals. Need a place to study at 3am? We're it. To accommodate Drexel's studying masses, Hagerty is also closed to Alumni, guests from affiliated universities, and members of the public until Monday, March 21st.

1. What three events will Drexel Libraries be hosting during week one of spring term?
2. What Drexel Archives exhibit did the Triangle cover on February 25th?
3. How many people like Drexel Libraries on Facebook?

Your answers: Find them on Facebook. We like you so much! Please like us back. Help us get to 100 likes by the end of finals.

Spring term starts in three weeks! Want your students to get a leg up on spring term reading? Help them out by getting your course reserves set up ASAP. It's never too early. Please don't forget: we've got a lot of course reserves to manage here at the library. The more time you can give us to get it all into the system, the better prepared we'll be to get your students exactly what they need. Putting readings on reserve is pretty easy. Just fill out the form. Questions? Please contact Gina Cacace, the library's reserves coordinator, at 215-895-6786 or gdc27@drexel.edu.

Gather a group of friends and join the Libraries for Welcome Back Week Quizzo. Enjoy complimentary popcorn, drinks and soft pretzels while your team answers questions about Philadelphia, Drexel University, the Libraries and current events. The top three scoring teams will receive prizes.

Thursday, March 31st W. W. Hagerty's Bookmark Cafe 4:30 - 6:00 PM

Hosts include: Rob Sieczkiewicz (University Archivist), Jay Bhatt (Engineering Reference Librarian), Ellie Goldberg (Library Assistant, Information Services) and more!

   

Did you know that there are a bunch of magazines in the Bookmark Cafe that you can take home and keep? Well there are. Please take them! If you're looking for some diverting reading during the long lead up to finals, why not grab a magazine from the Cafe? It's free and you don't have to bring it back. When you're done, just pass it on to a friend.

Correspondence between presidents, faculty and students change through years By: Samuel Davidson Posted: 2/25/11 A reception was held in Hagerty Library Feb. 22 for a new exhibit that will display archived letters to Drexel's presidents, in order to showcase the shared concerns and thoughts of over 100 years of presidents, students, parents and alumni. The letters cover a wide variety of topics - some modern, and many now quaintly archaic. Viewing the display, one finds a wide spectrum of letters, from modern crisp printouts and blurred faxes to the ornate script of handwritten letters and the uniform type of typewriters. The entertainment of the exhibit is most often found in the latter most of these documents. President James MacAlister (1840-1913) complained in a note to one of his professors: 'The students of your department seem to be falling into the habit of finding relief for their hard work by whistling. I have no doubt that they get lots of pleasure out of it, but it will not do. I presume it is done after you leave; but I think you had better say to them they must refrain from whistling until they are out of the building.' For all the nuisances of texting during classes, professors of this era are surely grateful that their classes are unlikely to be disturbed by uproarious whistling. There are also letters of scandal. A young lady was reprimanded not just for missing her classes, but even more for that fact that she was seen 'in the habit of engaging in conversation with young men.' The faculty at the time found this unacceptable. Three young women obtained the use of a lodge on the Drexel Estate for a weekend party, and successfully schemed to have gentleman callers with no chaperone present. They were promptly suspended for an egregious breach of discipline.Not every letter relates such sordid matters, though. Many letters reveal the common sentiments collegiate students and their supervisors have felt at Drexel for over a century. These provide an example of some of the immutable features of college. On display is a letter from a prospective student in 1940 who shares any modern student's desire to impress. He related, 'I have a special aptitude in science and am good in higher mathematics ... I am a boy of good habit and fond of outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing. I am on the track team at school. I am a Christian boy and active in Y.M.C.A. I will be eighteen years of age on June twenty-eighth, if God spares my life.' He closes the letter by signing himself as 'a boy who wishes to succeed.' In another letter, dated 1925, a father icily leveled an accusation of anti-southern bigotry regarding his daughter's probation for poor academic performance. President Kenneth G. Matheson (who served from 1921-1931) gracefully replied that the probation was in and of itself giving the student an additional opportunity, and that he was born and attended college in the south himself. Holly Mengel, a visiting archivist, found particular humor in one letter regarding the quality of the 1992 graduation. She noted the contents with a laugh: 'Despite being bad, it was significantly better than the previous three!' According to Robert Sieczkiewicz, Drexel archivist and proprietor of the exhibition, the exhibit does have a scholarly intent: 'The continuity of student concerns ... [The fact] that students are still concerned with the issues back then as the parents were, that the administration was the same: designing a good educational program, getting students to conform to standards of behavior - even though today we don't care about folks whistling in the Main Building.' Sieczkiewicz believes students should be aware of the ways in which using the archives can enrich their projects and research. Nothing could evidence this more than his display itself - the past is that much more vivid for being told in the voices of those who lived it. Visit The Triangle online. Davidson, Samuel. 'Past Letters to Presidents Displayed in Library.' The Triangle. Philadelphia, PA. 2/25/11. Web. 2/25/11.