Steampunk Halloween: A Recap

On the 30th, the library held a little reception in honor of our Steampunk display. In addition to providing candies and brownies, we invited students and staff to have their photos taken in Steampunk garb. The reception was great and we look forward to having similar events in the future. Below is a link to our Smilebox with a selection from our pop-up photo booth.

A Steampunk Halloween: Smilebox edition.

Happy Fall!

We have some new displays and signs for you this fall! Stop by and check out the wonderful books and items we have for you!

A preview of our new signage:

Welcome to the Library!

From our Halloween display:

Halloween book display

Our Steampunk display, put together by our Chief Craftswoman, Paula DeRoy:

 

Banned Books Week 2013 – Perspectives from ESL students

Banned Books SignOnce again, this year Professor Shirley Nuhn’s ESL students are creating podcasts that discuss Banned Books Week, which runs from Sept. 22-28.  Links to their podcasts are included below.  NOVA Annandale ESL students have been helping the library recognize Banned Books Week for many years, with their podcasts on the subject first added to the library’s website in 2009.

Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating essential American freedoms:  to read, to seek knowledge and to express ideas. Even if the ideas are unorthodox or unpopular, we are supposed to have access to them without limitations. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to censorship and its results.  It is sponsored by the American Library Association and the National Coalition Against Censorship, among others.

The books displayed in the library during Banned Books Week have all been targeted with removal or restrictions in libraries and schools. While books have been and continue to be banned, part of the Banned Books Week celebration is the fact that, in a majority of cases, these books have remained available.  Come on in and check them out!

Hear what everyone has to say:

Ibrahim Alousi
Huong Cao

Kevin Fuentes
Solange Vasquez Liza

Prof. Shirley Nuhn

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.