What Happened to the Library?!

A few friends and I walked into the library on the first week of school. At first we were talking amongst ourselves, but as soon as we looked up we were all surprised. The library looked completely different. We looked around and saw a larger collection of computers for us students. There were more tables, which was a pleasant surprise. Many know that finding an open table around finals could be considered an Olympic sport, but now there’s many for us to utilize. Along with the tables, there has been an addition of a new forum area with seating that can be moved. The new forum area is also equipped with a digital projector which will come in handy for upcoming presentations. My favorite part of the new renovation has to be the extremely comfortable and stylish seating that the library has provided for us. The bean bag chairs were so comfortable students would fall asleep in them. Well, I've already seen a few people dozing off on our new furniture. In my opinion, comfort is an important part of effective studying. The new design of the library is perfect for study groups and/or individual studying. More computers, more tables, a forum area, study rooms with white boards and comfortable, functional furniture makes the library more appealing for school related tasks and projects.

Tiana Chatmon, Guest Blogger

Photos by Michelle Viers

Want to Get Away From it All?

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Liberal, or Conservative, surely you are like me in that you want to get away from it all -- for a little while anyway. With seventy days before the election, there’s plenty of time to decide how you will cast your votes. In the meanwhile, take time to kick back with a good book. Might I recommend “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk” by David Sedaris?

David Sedaris has been likened to a modern-day Aesop. His “darkly comic and deeply cynical (if somewhat rambling) morality stories are enacted by animals.” As an animal lover (currently, I have a spider living inside the side mirror of my car), I enjoy the commentary offered by a variety of animals. The commentary includes “casual racism, self-congratulatory sanctimony, poor excuses for adultery, and fad spiritualism, among other common societal ills.”*

“Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk” is one of the books offered in CSU Libraries’ McNaughton Collection. This collection, over 200 titles strong, contains the hottest releases by popular authors.

For those of you who cannot stay away from politics for too long, don’t stress! We have titles by President Jimmy Carter, Edward (Ted) Kennedy, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice – just to name a few.

I’ll look to see you at the McNaughton Collection (near the 1st floor elevator). No fighting over the books, please.

*Source: Publishers Weekly

Simone, Guest Blogger

ARTstor Mobile is Now Available on Android

You may now access the more than 1.4 million images from the ARTstor Digital Library on your Android-powered devices.

Simply visit www.ARTstor.org from your device, click the "Enter here" button, and install the free app.

ARTstor Mobile for Android provides read-only features such as searching, browsing, zooming, and viewing saved image groups. The Flashcard View allows you to test your knowledge by viewing the image without textual information, and then flipping the image to reveal the image record.

ARTstor Mobile is also available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch through the Safari browser. There's no need to download special software, just visit www.ARTstor.org from your mobile device.

If you have questions or need assistance using ARTstor, please visit the ARTstor Help Wiki:
http://help.artstor.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

Happy Mobile Discovery!

Trying to Give Up Spam?

Are you trying to give up Spam? Perhaps, I should clarify. I'm not talking about Spam the luncheon meat that's been around for 75 years (though it's been said that Spam should only be eaten in moderation).

Do you want to give up spam (unsolicited messages or junk mail) AND please your professors at the same time? Blekko (trademarked as blekko - lowercase) may be the answer for you!

A spam-free search service, blekko uses slashtags to search by date, type of site, etc. Blekko's alignment with libraries is seen through its focus on high quality content.*

Please give blekko a chance and let us know what you AND your professors think!

Happy Discovery!

Guest blogger, Simone

CSU Libraries Hours

*Source: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/search/node/blekko

WELCOME BACK, COUGARS!

Welcome back!

The CSU Libraries have been busy this summer getting ready for your return. We're excited to announce that on Wednesday, August 15th the new and improved Information Commons will open. There will be 24 computers in the Commons for student use in addition to the 24 laptops and 34 ChromeBooks available for borrowing at the Circulation Desk.

In the coming days, look for beautiful new furnishings in addition to improved collaborative areas.

We're SO glad you're back!

Have a SUPER semester!

Library Hours: http://library.columbusstate.edu/about_us/hours.php