RAMble: WCU Libraries News & Views

"Democracy Now" co-host Juan Gonzalez at WCU ! - Monday November 16

Opportunity to hear
** Juan González, lecture and interview **

7:30 p.m. Monday November 16, 2009 in the Philips Autograph Library

Named one of the America’s most influential Hispanics, Juan González has been revered and honored for his investigative journalism and political activism since the 1970’s. 
Among his many accomplishments, González has served as president of the National Congress for Puerto Rican Rights and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, winning the George Polk Award in 1998 and the Pulitzer Prize in 2007. For his work he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences.  Mr. González has written three books, and currently co-hosts Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman.  Democracy Now! is a daily TV/radio news program airing on over 800 stations, pioneering the largest community media collaboration in the U.S.

An interview will be conducted by Dr. Idna Corbett, West Chester University Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Student Support Services.  She is an advisor to WCU’s Latino American Students Organization, and organizes many events celebrating Hispanic heritage. 

  *The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American Culture.  The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Help us Help You More! Participate in Our Survey!

Attention WCU Students, Faculty and Staff !

We want to gain a better understanding of what our community thinks about WCU Library services. Your participation in a very important online survey could really help. The LibQUAL+ survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Students who participate in the survey  might even win one of many great prizes, including an iPod nano!

This survey is important because it will:

- Help us better understand how the WCU community rates library services

- Allow us to benchmark results against other libraries to determine best practices

- Let us know where we can concentrate service improvements for WCU users

   It is very important to get good participation, so we hope you will respond. All members of the West Chester University community, students, faculty, and staff, will be asked to respond to the survey. Participation is strictly voluntary, and you may discontinue the completion of the LibQUAL+ survey at any time. Completion of the survey will serve as indication of your informed consent to participate. Please be assured that if you participate, your responses will be held in confidence. No identifying links between responses and the individual responding will be retained. We would greatly appreciate it if you would complete the online survey right now, or within the next few days.  

*You must be a WCU student, faculty or staff member to participate.*
To take the survey, please go to the following link: 

http://survey.libqual.org/index.cfm?ID=331640

  STUDENTS can WIN PRIZES! We are able to provide a small incentive for your participation. If you choose, you can enter a drawing for a chance to win an iPod nano or other great prizes such as bookstore gift certificates and flash drives, by adding your e-mail address at the end of the survey. A drawing will be held at the conclusion of the survey and winners will be notified by email.

If you have any difficulty in accessing or taking the survey, please contact LIBQUAL@wcupa.edu

Many thanks for helping us out with this important survey.

Dick Swain
Director of Library Services
WCU Libraries

The Big Read at WCU

During the fall semester, many activities are planned as part of The Big Read.

Join us at any or all of these upcoming events!

• Friday 10/23, 11:00am-12:00pm in Sykes Student Union 257
  Phillies Fans Short Story Discussion for Sun, Stone, and Shadows
  Featured story: "The Night of Margaret Rose." 
  Discussion Leader: Nicole Fortuna, BA-English Major. 
  Participants can win fun Phillies' prizes!
  
• Thursday 10/29, 3:30-4:30pm in FHG Library Special Collections (Rm 615)
  The Big Read will host a dramatic reading of two short stories from Sun, Stone, and Shadows-- "The Mist" and "My Life with the Wave." 
  WCU Theatre majors will perform the stories. 
  This promises to be an exciting event even for individuals who have not read the stories.  Refreshments will be served in the Faculty/Staff (Rm 613) lounge directly following the performance.
  
• Wednesday 11/4, 1:00-2:00pm in Main Hall 132
  Phillies Fans Short Story Discussion for Sun, Stone and Shadows. 
  Featured story: "The Switchman." 
  Discussion Leader: Louis Soler, BSED-English Major. 
  Participants can win fun Phillies' prizes.
  
• Thursday 11/5, 4:00pm-5:00pm in FHG Library Faculty/Staff Lounge (Rm 613, 6th floor)
  Nacho Party Short Story Discussion. 
  Featured stories: "My Life with the Wave" and "The Cooking Lesson." 
  Discussion Leaders: Kaylene Merselis, pre-Communications and Regan Kopp, BSED-English.
  
• Friday 11/6, 11:30am-12:30pm in Main Hall 416
  Phillies Fans Short Story Discussion for Sun, Stone and Shadows.
  Featured story: "Chac-Mool." 
  Discussion Leader: Jess Alicea, pre-communications. 
  Participants can win fun Phillies' prizes.

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American Culture.  The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. 

Spooky Scribbles and Entertaining Epitaphs !

Come brrrowwsse “Spooky Scribbles and Entertaining Epitaphs," the new library exhibit across from the elevators on the 2nd floor.  You'll find items from the Library’s collection dealing with spooky and Halloween-y themes like ghosts, graveyards, and witches.  Also included is a collection of epitaph poetry books from Special Collections, published in the early 19th century, which feature inscriptions from tombstones throughout the U.S. and Britain (some of them are quite amusing).  Stop by and take a look!

Extended Hours for the Library - til 2am - Sunday - Wednesday

Beginning this Sunday, October 18, the FHG Library will extend its hours until 2:00 a.m. Sundays through Wednesdays.

This is being done in response to a request by the West Chester University Student Government Association.

 

Use of library, as measured by the number of people entering the building, has increased by over 10% a year since 2006.

Contrary to what many people might suppose, a study done by graduate students in the West Chester University Applied Statistics Program shows that the increase in use is a result of greater student use of the library. It is not a result of the presence of a coffee shop.

 

These extended hours are a pilot project, and we will keep track of how many people are in the library during evening hours to see if use of the library justifies this additional expense. I thank the Provost for her help in funding this pilot project.

  

West Chester University Library Services tries to be as responsive as possible to student and faculty needs, and I appreciate any and all suggestions to improve library services and collections.

 

Dick

Richard H. (Dick) Swain

Director of Library Services

Francis Harvey Green Library

West Chester University

25 West Rosedale Avenue

West Chester, PA 19383

610-436-2747

rswain@wcupa.edu