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Ah, end of semester. Hard to believe it’s almost here. Warmer weather, approaching summer and… exams on the horizon. The work will be piling up soon. Exams to study for, projects and papers that need research and cited sources, the late nights. What’s an overwhelmed student to do when the library’s closed?

Thank goodness for Late Night Reference! After the Reference Desk is vacant and the library is closed for the night, you will still be able to get reference help online May 1-8, the week before finals when most students will be studying and writing up papers and projects.

Librarians will available online after normal hours to help students with projects, research, and general library questions. “Last semester we noticed that students didn’t want to leave the library. They were stressed out, and there was nobody around to help them,” says Sherry Bossov, one of the Reference

Librarians at FSC. “While we couldn’t keep the library open any later the librarians could still help them out from home.”

Last semester was the first time the library has offered such a service. “Last year was a success,” says Bossov. They were typically online until midnight, answer e-mails and responding to people on Meebo, which is similar to Instant Messenger. “We were actually in our pjs,” says Bossov.

Getting help couldn’t be easier. They can be reached through the library’s e-mail address: fsclibrary@fsc.edu or through Meebo. “Meebo is very easy to get onto!” says Bossov. There is a chat box located on the library’s site on the “Ask a Librarian” page, located under Research Help. “As soon as you come to this page you are connected to a librarian,” says Bossov. “Just type. And Meebo is available all the time,” she adds. During library hours, there is usually a reference librarian logged in to take your questions. “It’s just more valuable during the Late Night hours if you don’t have anything else.”
With last semster’s success and a similar structure this time, Late Night is looking good for it’s second run. “We had quite a few questions last semester, but we’d like to see more.”

Open Session Postcard

The library will be hosting a series of open sessions in the Spring semester. Need to know how get a full article online? There’s a session for that! Want to know the Secrets of Google? We can help! We’ll also feature sessions on using RefWorks, job hunting with Google, how to use the Journal Locator and others!

Stop by the Reference Desk for more information.

Late Night Reference

 Late Night Hours

Meebo or E-mail us until Midnight!

Meebo:  http://www.fsc.edu/library/ask/index.html

E-mail:  fsclibrary@fsc.edu

New Purchases!

The library has recently purchased the latest Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal winners and Honor Books for our collection!

2007 Newbery Medal Winner

Higher Power of LuckyThe Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Honor Books

  • Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm
  • Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
  • Rules by Cynthia Lord
  • 2007 Caldecott Medal Winner

    FlotsamFlotsam by David Wiesner

    Honor Books

  • Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet by David McLimans
  • Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Carole Boston Weatherford
  • 2006 Newbery Medal Winner: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

    Honor Books

  • Whittington by Alan Armstrong, illustrated by S.D. Schindler
  • Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
  • Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
  • Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Hudson Talbott
  • 2006 Caldecott Medal Winner: The Hello, Goodbye Window illustrated by Chris Raschka and written by Norton Juster

    Honor Books

  • Rosa illustrated by Bryan Collier and written by Nikki Giovanni
  • Zen Shorts illustrated and written by Jon J. Muth
  • Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride illustrated and written by Marjorie Priceman
  • Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems illustrated by Beckie Prange, written by Joyce Sidman
  • 2005 Newbery Medal Winner: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

    Honor Books

  • Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
  • The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman
  • Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt
  • 2005 Caldecott Medal Winner: Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

    Honor Books

  • The Red Book by Barbara Lehman
  • Coming on Home Soon illustrated by E.B. Lewis, written by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale illustrated and written by Mo Willems
  • 2004 Newbery Medal Winner: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering

    Honor Books

  • Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
  • An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy
  • 2004 Caldecott Medal Winner: The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

    Honor Books

  • Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
  • What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? illustrated and written by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
  • Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems
  • Look for these soon in our Children’s Section!

    New Database: Ancestry.com

    Census data, birth and death records and military records are only some of the information you can find on our newest geneology database, Ancestry.com.  Look up your own name and see what kind of records exist for you.  Even try finding yourself!

    Ancestry.com

    Laptop Use in the Library

    Each year we find more laptops on campus.  Here are some interesting tools for laptop users:

    • Plug It In: Use your laptop on the first floor of the library.  We have extended our computer table to include empty spots for laptop users.  We have added power to this area so there is no need to run down your battery.
    • Wifi: Connect to the internet with our Wifi Connection.  There is no login needed, just open up your laptop and select the college signal.
    • Printing: You can print right from your laptop. You can find directions on the IT webpage.

    The need for better environmental education is becoming more acute both nationally and locally. With that challenge in mind, Fitchburg State College has created a new concentration within its biology major. This concentration was designed for students interested in careers in wildlife conservation and management, wetlands protection, or basic and applied ecology research. The library staff working in conjunction with the Grants office and the Biology faculty set about to provide resources.  We were very successful.  The library was given a $15,000 grant from an anonymous foundation. We have enhanced our collection with books and and other resources.  We have received 310 books and 2 movies already.    The titles cover the environment, the affect of business on the environment, climate change, various field guides, energy conservation, etc.  There is a display in the Library of sample titles we have received.  The display can be found on the first floor by the elevator.

    Tests in Print
    Trial access is limited to on-campus use only

    Tests in Print is directly linked to the critical, candid test reviews found in Mental Measurements Yearbook.

    Our library is evaluating this product for the month of September. Try this and use it with Mental Measurements Yearbook!  Then let us know what you think.

    Mental Measurements Yearbook
    Trial access is limited to on-campus use only

    A comprehensive guide to over 2,000 contemporary testing instruments.
    Our library is evaluating this product for the month of September. Try this and compare it to the current version we have in the library!  Then let us know what you think.

    Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text
    Trial access is limited to on-campus use only

    Film & Television Literature Index is a comprehensive bibliographic and full text database covering the entire spectrum of television and film.

    Our library is evaluating this product for the month of September. Try this! And then let us know what you think.

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