Category Archives: Library Tidbits

Display, Events, Library Tidbits, Notices

Lives Change @ your library – Annandale celebrates National Library Week

National Library Week logoCrocuses, baseball, hay fever – all sure signs that spring is hard upon us!  Perhaps the most telling signpost of spring in the NOVA Libraries is the arrival of National Library Week (NLW).  First celebrated in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.  It highlights the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide. The theme for this year’s events scheduled for the week of April 13-19 is “Lives Change @ your library”, and the National Honorary Chair this year is author Judy Blume.  Check out this video of Ms. Blume talking about the importance of libraries in her life.

ESL professor Shirley Nuhn and her students help the NOVA Annandale Library celebrate National Library Week and School Library Month (April ) every year by recording podcasts giving their perspectives on the value of libraries.  Take a few moments and listen to these students and Professor Nuhn talk about why the library is important in their lives:

And please stop by the Annandale Library and help us celebrate National Library Week!

Library Tidbits, Notices

A new library space!

Returning students may have noticed something a little different in the library on Wednesday. Over the summer, we renovated a portion of the library to install new tables–not just any tables! These tables are equipped with electrical outlets and Ethernet hookups, allowing students to comfortably work on their assignments.

Our new wired tables!
Our new wired tables!
Students quietly working and doing...other activities.
Students quietly working and doing…other activities.

For our other summer project, Paula DeRoy, our highly-creative Reference Librarian, installed several new art panels featuring skateboard designs. The skateboards depicted were owned by students who visited the library (see, visiting the library can be rewarding!) Both the tables and the artwork can be found on the side of the library near the computer stations.

 

Three skateboards

IMG_0093

The library has much to offer new and returning students!

  • Research assistance
  • Computer stations, laptops, tablets, and other gadgets
  • A media center with specialized software such as Photoshop and Final Cut Pro
  • Quiet study and group study spaces

And last, but not least, a place to sleep after hours spent studying in the library.

Just kidding on that sleep part.

We invite you to stop by and talk to your friendly neighborhood library staff to learn more about how the library can help you succeed at NOVA.

Library Tidbits

LIbrary Celebrates Pi Day???

Raspberry pi computer portrayed on the monitor.True, it was not officially pi day (March 14), and no equations were used, but nonetheless the library baked up a pi day celebration on June 4, 2013. Not only did we bring out the fruit pies and the pizza pies, but we added on the latest pi addition – Raspberry Pi. The Raspberry Pi is small, hand-sized computer that plugs in just about anywhere. You do need a keyboard to connect, but you can hook up to your TV or any monitor and voila, you’ve got a working computer. The operating system is on a SD card and plugs into the unit. You can do anything on the Pi that you can do on a PC! And it only costs $35.
Hector Revollo explains raspberry pi computer.

Display, Library Tidbits

What would you do?

Quote

As part of our book display series about finance, the library asked visitors this very important question:

“If you won the lottery, what would you do?”

Below are several of the interesting responses we received:

I would move to help children and poor people around the world.

I would just keep enough money to live a simple life and give the rest to children or create and organization that will help them.

Travel–get a sports car [and] drive around the country.

Pay off debts, give a few friends cars or money, setup college fund for my son, put some in stocks, EFTs, mutual funds. Take a month off, go on vacation. Buy a few t hings for myself and family. Buy my husband a new car. Have some [money] in the bank, pay for my schooling and books and set up a nest egg for later.

Here’s the kicker:

I’d pay off my debt, buy a rocketship, and become the first person to send a oat into outer space.

What would YOU do if you won the lottery?

Library Tidbits, Staff

Work Smarter, Not Harder

This week, we will do a series on how to study effectively. Often, when we think of studying, we conjure up thoughts of spending hours upon hours sitting at a desk focusing on one subject until our eyes fall out. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Everyone has their own studying habits, but it’s always fun to mix things up. Trying that new study tip might be the thing to help you through your exams and papers.

It’s okay to take a break from studying. Taking a five to ten minute break can help you re-energize and focus on your study goals. In the article “10 Highly Effectively Study Habits,” John M. Grohol remarks that “rewards start by chunking study time into manageable components.” Taking a small study break each hour (or half an hour, or 45 minutes) can help stave off any boredom you might feel.

Here are some ideas for your study break from Bill Fleming, our Outreach and Marketing Librarian:

“When you get worn out and bleary eyed, get some fresh air and crank some tunes in those headphones for a while to get yourself pumped again!”

Samara Carter, our periodicals and ILL Library Specialist, also takes small breaks when studying and recommends hot mint tea–especially peppermint–as a way to remain calm during exam week.

As a way to de-stress and take a break, stop by the library next Wednesday at 10 a.m. and next Thursday at 1 p.m. to grab a treat.