I thought I would write a post about library etiquette because this semester it seems many friends and fellow students complain to me while at work about the noise level. The first thing to remembered is that Feinberg is a university library. There are people reading, writing, and doing math (and whatever lies in between) in order to obtain a degree.
There are a few things you should do when you enter Feinberg. One is turn off your cell phone and if you need to use your cell phone go into the lobby and keep your voice down. Your neighbor is not interested about you love life, the latest girl gossip, drunk fights and any other personal things. Many people do not realize that in the library many people can hear every word you are saying.
Other things to keep in mind is how loud your study group is. A couple of days ago several students complained about people listening to music without headphones on their laptop. (I cannot believe I have to say do not do this.) Lucky for their neighbors one person finally asked them to turn it off. When listening to music please use headphones.
The library is a great place to study. I know finding a completely quiet place to study is at most times impossible, even though there are quiet areas. But we can all do are part just to make sure we do not disrupt our neighbors by keeping the level down a bit. Talking isn’t forbidden but loudly discussing your Saturday night drunk episode, like falling down a flight of stairs (though may be entertaining and the people around you may laugh at you) it can disrupt someone trying to study for an important test. You may not have a test or paper due tomorrow but a week later you might hope for the same courtesy. Remember you can always nicely ask someone to keep it down or ask someone in the library staff to do it.
Just remember to be courteous! Hope the semester is going well for all of you. Read anything good lately?
Today was the second day of finals, and the third day of finals week. The library has been CRAZY! I always like to see the new faces. Some people walk in to Feinberg for the first time and have no idea how to use it. Which is fine, that is why we are here. We get a lot of questions ranging from how to find a book to people who have been searching for an article for hours. My favorite questions are the citing questions. Especially from the history majors. (Yeah I know I am a little biased.) But they usually have the hardest sources to cite and history majors have to use the ever exciting Chicago style. (I actually like it.) You know you are in trouble when you have to reach for the orange Chicago Bible.
I hope everyone’s finals week is going well. I am curious about what everyone has been doing in the library thus far. Any interesting events? Troublesome times? Funny moments? Share with me your finals week stories.
I’ll start… I have been writing several papers and one is for my History of East Asian Women course. I am doing a paper on women writers in late imperial China and I have one book that is 1000 pages. I always like to photocopy books so I do not have to carry around the book. But alas! I need way to many pages to copy. It is a great book btw. It is called The Red Brush: Writing Women of Imperial China. I have basically been at the library, or blueroom since Thursday! Great times!
Good luck all!
Jennie
One more day of classes and then it is time for a little break. Most of us will be feasting. After break we have one more week and then finals!
When we return from break the library will be in extended hours. Most nights the library is open until 1:30 am. The extended hours and further information on library hours is provided on the link below.
I hope you all have a good break and stay warm!
http://www.plattsburgh.edu/library/libraryhours.php
This morning I realized there are three weeks of classes left. The semester when by so fast! With so little time left people start coming to the library. With more people studying and writing papers the library very busy and gets a lot of questions. At the reference desk we get a lot of “I am just starting my twenty page term paper and it is due tomorrow, help!”
The library staff will gladly help anyone with research questions. The reference desk is a perfect place to go to help get you started. There are librarians at the reference desk most the hours the library is open. However you should be warn they won’t do the work for you. They are not here to do the research themselves. But they are here to assist when stuck. If you need more lengthy help or just direct attention you can sign up to meet with a librarian one on one.
Start now! We get a lot of people who cannot get the articles or books they need because they need to be sent from another school. Do not get stuck with information that is not as useful for you because you didn’t start soon enough. Just doing the research a couple of weeks before it is due will the very helpful!
The library has moved into stable summer hours.
Monday through Thursday 8:30am- 7pm
Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm
Saturday 1- 5 pm
Sunday Closed
During the summer you can still find all the resources and tools that are available during the regular school year. The databases, reference books, government documents and so forth. Also the circulation, reference and periodical desks are all available for your help. If you need help with researching the reference desk librarian will be happy to assist you. At the periodical desk someone will be there to answer any questions and help anyone with questions about micro-film and other research tools offered. The hours in which the reference desk has a librarian to help are as follows:
Monday-Thursday 10am-7pm
Friday 10am-4:30
Saturday 1-5
Also one great way to use the library is just for leisure. Now that it is summer theoretically you have more time to catch up on your reading. Maybe there is a book you saw that you wanted to read by that fifteen page paper got in the way. This would be a great time to sign it out. Perhaps you want to know more about Fyodor Dostoevsky, Modern Japanese Art, Middle East History or Environmental Disasters but as an Economics major cannot find the time to fit in a course about either of these subjects. Summer time would be a great time to roam the shelf’s to help satisfy your curiosity. Also in the periodical section you can read about local, national and world events, catch up on election information (so that you may make an informed decision this November), latest news in science, religion, history and any subject that maybe of interest. You can go to the Government Documents sections and read up on immigration policy to get a better understanding of its issues that plague the United States now. The library can also be used to get a head start on research for this up and coming year or to study a language or prepare for the GRE’s for graduate school. Whatever your need or want of the library might be the services are still here. Maybe you will find something new to love Feinberg!
Have a great summer,
Jennie
During this busy time of the semester there are people everywhere in the library. Some come in for the first time even though they had been going to school here for four years. Some are regulars and some look like they live here. During this time people come into the library with stacks of books, or in some people’s cases a crate of books, pillows, and in robes.
Also people come in with the latest technology gadgets which when they lose its my job to figure out who they are. The most exciting are the Japanese to English translators because there are about five students trying to figure out how to turn it on and find a name which usually involves asking a Japanese student we don’t know to help us. They didn’t tell us we needed foreign language to work here, lol.
During this busy time people also bring food. This is bound to happen with people planning on living in the library for the next week. This is allowed but it might be good to brush up on the library’s policy. Basically the policy is “leave no trace”. There are garbage and recycling containers all around the library that you can deposit your stuff. All drinks need to be covered, spill-proof containers or capped bottles. Food is not permitted at any of the computer workstations throughout the library, except for the 1st floor extended lab area and the 2nd floor study carrels. If there is a spill report immediately and someone can come clean it up. Whatever you bring in please bring out. Just remember there are other people in this library who want to come study and not have to pick up someone else’s mess. For more information on the library’s policy please go to this link.
Thank you.
In library news today one of our librarians turned 50! Happy Birthday!
Hope classes end well!
Jennie
Today Feinberg Library is entering the blogging world via a library student worker, me! This blog will serve several purposes. One it will let Plattsburgh State University students know what is happening in the library and any new developments and policy changes. This blog will also serve as a medium in which library goers can ask us questions and give us comments on how the library is doing. A final function of the blog will be to let you all know what is offered here at the library. This includes our displays, the technology that the library offers to what kind of books can be found on the stacks. So please stay tuned and let me know how our library is doing. Also let me know what you would like to know more about Feinberg. Happy last week of classes and studying!
Jennie
