Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

End Of Semester Update, Stephanie Bowen

Blogging the Library

The last half of the semester has been a flurry of activity. I planned an event, created a book display, attended an awesome conference, started applying to grad school, etc. In this post I’ll give a brief overview of my various activities and share what is in store for the spring semester. [excerpt]

Get Them In The Door, Sarah Myers

Blogging the Library

If blowout sales bring crazed shoppers to department stores on Black Friday and the perfect 75⁰ day draws people outside to enjoy the fresh air, then what brings the students to the library? With countless books, journals, and videos available at the click of a button, it might be easy or obvious to suppose that the library building would be an empty space gathering dust. It might be surprising, but quite the opposite is true. What makes a college library appealing? How can the academic library, as a place, continue to be important to the life of campus? [excerpt …

Larry Marschall, Professor Of Physics, Musselman Library, Laurence A. Marschall

Next Page

In this issue of Next Page, Professor of Physics Larry Marschall tells us about the many influential authors (and a musician!) who inspired everything from his career path, to his political involvement and how he raised his children.

What Words Would You Use To Describe The Library?, Sarah Myers

Blogging the Library

The library is a growing, evolving organism. Without change, the library will cease to be relevant. With the addition of technology, ebooks, virtual reference, and databases, we have the 21st century academic library. Despite the changes over the decades, ask most people what a library is meant for and you’ll still likely get an answer that suggests a quiet space for books and studying. [excerpt]

Promoting The Big Picture: Leisure Reading In The Library, Stephanie Bowen

Blogging the Library

While this internship was an opportunity for me to explore librarianship, it also turned out to be an experience in working for a college. Everything you do in higher education is focused around institutional values and goals. College’s create grandiose strategic plans or epic mission statements (which sound like mandates from the Divine) in order to convey their institutional value. Maybe we should all dress in suits and sunglasses because we’re on a mission from God? [excerpt]

Megan Adamson Sijapati, Associate Professor Of Religious Studies, Musselman Library, Megan Adamson Sijapati

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In this new Next Page offering, Associate Professor of Religious Studies Megan Adamson Sijapati divulges her old school methods of keeping track of what to read next, as well as which book recently replaced Steinbeck's East of Eden as her go-to book for giving as a gift.

#Paperwork, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

This is history, not bureaucracy, right? I am fairly certain that my methods professor did not mention anything about a thirty-page report, so why the paperwork? In order for Special Collections to request objects for loan from specific institutions, I have to complete what is called a “General Facility Report” which is a comprehensive document that inquires about facility conditions. [excerpt]

Open Access: Student Edition, Stephanie Bowen

Blogging the Library

This week, October 21-27 2013, is Open Access Week! Does anyone know what ‘open access’ is? If you dissect the term, it sounds like being able to get to something that was previously closed. But what does the phrase “open access” refer to opening? government? college education? scripts for this season of the Walking Dead? [excerpt]

Behind The Scenes: Secrets Of Preparing For Successful Research Appointments, Sarah Myers

Blogging the Library

Have you ever noticed how librarians are stereo-typically portrayed in movies and on TV? There is the perception that librarians are extremely uptight, awkward, and boring, that they require nearly complete silence, and they rarely offer any actual help. That is definitely not what being an academic librarian is about. For me, it’s about helping, learning new ideas, exchanging information, and making the research process (which I love!) a bit easier. Remember the librarians in Matilda or on Arthur? They were always willing to help and make the process of finding resources a little bit easier. That’s what I want …

Toeing The Line Between Offense And Education, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

Medical history can be gruesome. People shy away from blood and guts and images of death perhaps because it makes us question our own mortality or perhaps because it reminds us a bit too much about the origins of that hamburger we ate for lunch. Whatever the reason, a lot of humans cannot stomach the truly heinous. [excerpt]

Michael Birkner, Franklin Professor Of The Liberal Arts And Professor Of History, Musselman Library, Michael J. Birkner

Next Page

In the latest edition of Next Page, Franklin Professor of the Liberal Arts and Professor of History Michael Birkner shares why he connects with Richard Russo’s work and which amazing book he has given away as a gift in recent years (hint: it’s not an Eisenhower book!).

Hoodies And Stress: The Dynamics Of A Library Environment, Stephanie Bowen

Blogging the Library

As a college student, I worked at the circulation desk in the library. One cold December day during finals week, I was sitting at the desk and a professor walked in. Not an unusual occurrence. He approached the desk looking like he was in need of assistance. After a poignant pause, he said: “It smells like hoodies and stress in here.” I cracked up. It was true, and even more entertaining coming from the college’s lone anthropologist. [excerpt]

A New Face At The Reference Desk, Sarah Myers

Blogging the Library

Hi there! I’m Sarah and I’m a graduate reference intern this fall at the Musselman Library. I’m currently in my last semester of completing my Master of Library Science degree with Clarion University of Pennsylvania. I graduated from Susquehanna University with a degree in history. I wanted a profession that combines my love of research with my passion for teaching so that’s how I found my way to library science. My professors and librarians at Susquehanna were helpful in guiding me to this profession where I will never stop learning. [excerpt]

The Life Of A Holley Intern, Stephanie Bowen

Blogging the Library

I’m Steph Bowen, this year’s Barbara Holley Library Intern. What is the Holley internship you might ask? It’s a one year, full time, paid internship for a recent college graduate interested in becoming a librarian! Thanks to a gracious endowment from Barbara Holley, I will get wide variety of library experience. [excerpt]

Do You Doodle?, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

If you were, are, or will become a student, then you have probably thought about doodling during class. Fear not! We are not the only generation to draw in the midst of a lecture. Today’s research escapade led me to investigate George Currier’s notes from his time as a student at the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College. [excerpt]

John Commito, Professor Of Environmental Studies, Musselman Library, John A. Commito

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In this edition of Next Page, Professor of Environmental Studies John Commito reveals his love for all things Maine and why his neighbors don’t believe he reads half of what he says he does.

Friends Of Musselman Library Newsletter Fall 2013, Musselman Library

Friends of Musselman Library Newsletter

Table of Contents: From the Director: Honoring Memories (Robin Wagner); Civil War Flag Unfurls Adams County’s History (Richard Ogden); Video Goes Behind the Scenes: Meet the Musselman Interns and Musselman Library Internship Experience (Linnea Goebel ’13, Mary Wooton); Fund Assists Purchase of Civil War Materials; Music at Musselman; Focus on Philanthropy (Bruce Stefany ’71); A Drummer Boy’s Legacy Makes its Way to Gettysburg (Charlotte Smedley); Class of 1963 Comes Home Again (Ron Couchman ’63); New Archivist Has Her Own History with the College (Amy Lucadamo ’00, Timothy Shannon); GettDigital- The Albert Chance Archive (Barbara Chance Hall); Snow Cones, Sasparilla and …

North And South: Archivists Document Gettysburg’S 150th, Robin Wagner

All Musselman Library Staff Works

Sometimes the best special collections are right in your own backyard. Not the ones that come to you from a retiring professor, local collector, or estate settlement, but the ones that you put together yourself. Rather than sit by and wait for memorabilia related to the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg to come to them, archivists at Gettysburg College took an active role, becoming part of the history they would normally just accept from donors. [excerpt]

A Hypochondriac Investigates The Evolution Of Medicine, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

This exhibit will open to the public in February 2014, but until then I have my work cut out for me. I am currently researching various aspects of medical history spanning from the mid-1800s, through the Civil War, to WWI. Thus far I have read accounts of women volunteers during the American Civil War, important changes that went into effect during WWI, and an overly detailed description on how to perform tooth extractions according to the latest science of the 1860s. [excerpt]

Amy Dailey, Assistant Professor Of Health Sciences, Musselman Library, Amy B. Dailey

Next Page

In this next edition of Next Page, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Amy Dailey shares with us which article she recommends to students for a better understanding of the health care crisis in America along with her mild fascination with dystopian literature and books about mammograms.

Musselman Library Strategic Plan 2013-2016, Musselman Library

All Musselman Library Staff Works

Musselman Library Strategic Plan 2013-2016 reflects the evolution of libraries and higher education since the 2007 adoption of Crossroads, Connections, and Creativity: Musselman Library Strategic Plan. The 2013-2016 strategic plan challenges Musselman Library to think about ways in which the library can further support its community of learners. This plan builds upon the core issues of services, collections, learning, and access that were identified in 2007 and recognizes the growth accomplished in these areas.

In early 2013, Robin Wagner, Director of Library Services, formed the Strategic Planning Steering Committee in order to develop a plan to guide Musselman Library’s priorities …

Jack Ryan, Vice Provost, Musselman Library, Jack Ryan

Next Page

In this first edition of Next Page, Vice Provost Jack Ryan shares with us his reading habits, book recommendations, and which returning television show will likely soak up a solid eight hours of his reading time.

Open-Access And The Cupola, John C. Hill

Blogging the Library

I am currently working to develop The Cupola, Gettysburg College’s open-access compliant institutional repository. That’s a mouthful! What, exactly, is an open-access compliant institutional repository? Since I’m a philosophy student at heart, I’ll engage in a little bit of conceptual analysis and explain what each of these constituent terms mean.

An institutional repository is a place where an institution—in this case, Gettysburg College—can store and preserving the research created by its members. The Cupola stores research by faculty, but also students. [excerpt]

At The Desk, John C. Hill

Blogging the Library

During the past few weeks of my internship, I've spent time providing research consultations at the Reference Desk. I initially sat with a librarian during my shift, but I’m now working independently. Since then, I have fielded questions about gender roles in high school guidance offices, the invasive nature of the lionfish species, and the causes of industrialization in early modern Spain. [excerpt]

Instruction And Focus Groups, John C. Hill

Blogging the Library

My internship focuses not only on reference librarianship, but also information literacy and instruction. Accordingly, I’ve been fortunate to sit in on some library instruction classes with Clint. I think that the image of a librarian as a reference resource is pretty well established in our cultural consciousness, at least here at Gettysburg College, but the image of librarian as teacher is perhaps not as prominent. At some colleges and universities, however, librarians are considered part of the faculty. [excerpt]

Introduction Post: John Hill, John C. Hill

Blogging the Library

My first two weeks have been busy and exciting. I have trained with several reference librarians during my shifts at the Reference Desk. Each of them has a different perspective on librarianship, and each of them plays a different role in Musselman Library, but all of them are devoted to making useful resources available to students and faculty and to teaching them how to use these resources. I am excited to practice strategies for answering people’s questions, but I am admittedly nervous to staff the desk on my own. I am confident, though, that with a little bit more time …