How I learned to know and love the library

There is this film (Fight Club) where the main character has a peculiar, personal way of expressing emotions: "I am Jack's complete lack of surprise," for example.

I am Ana and this is Ana's intro to a fascinating world called UVM Libraries. This is my first semester at UVM, my third month working in the Bailey/ Howe Library and my first post on this blog.

This Library can make a lot of libraries look like a joke. I spent a lot of time here even before I started school or work. I simply liked the feeling. Starting with the first floor, then zigzagging from the Media Center to the Second Floor and finally ending up at the last one. That's where you can hear your thoughts. Where people respect this thing called SILENCE. And it's nice. It's nice to have that option. The option to discover the thoughts in the books and the way they manage to infiltrate in every hidden corner of your mind. And how they will reveal themselves at a certain point in your existence.

I am a Film Major. And a Sophomore, almost a Junior. The third floor has rows after rows of books about films. Whatever you could think of. My first absurd thought was 'what if I get locked in the library one night?/ There's no way I would get bored.' And I still believe that. Either working or studying or just being there, the 'good feeling' doesn't go away.

This is Ana's second step to discovering the Library. This is also Ana's goodbye for now.

New Lighting = Less Energy

Have to say thank you to Scott Miller, yet again, for masterminding the new lighting in Bailey/Howe. Not only is it more attractive, it's much, much more energy efficient. Already, the lighting has saved 10-20 percent on our electric consumption--and bills.

Caption, Anyone?

MIT Librarian, Ellen Duranceau speaking on December 3, 2009

Please come hear Ellen Duranceau, an MIT librarian, in the Dean's Conference Room on Thursday, Dec. 3. Her appearance is sponsored by the University Libraries Scholarly Communications Committee.

10-10:45 Overview of Scholarly Communication/Open Publishing Issues and Trends (all faculty/staff invited).

11-12:00 One hour workshop for liaisons: how to have conversations with faculty about scholarly publishing issues. (Liaisons invited).

As Program Manager, Scholarly Publishing & Licensing in the MIT Libraries, Ellen is responsible for outreach to authors at MIT in relation to their copyrights; acts as point person for copyright issues; and manages the Libraries' licensing program. She was staff to the faculty committee that developed the MIT Faculty Open Access Policy, passed by unanimous faculty vote in March 2009, and is now part of the team administering the policy.

Ellen has worked in the MIT Libraries in a variety of roles since 1990, and has prior experience in academic and special libraries. She has written and spoken widely on digital acquisitions, and more recently, on institutional repositories and author rights issues. She is the incoming program planner for the ACRL New England Scholarly Communication Special Interest Group.

See the CDI

Explore one of the treasures on the 3rd floor of Bailey/Howe!

The Staff and Faculty Development Committee invites you to meet Robin Katz and Sibyl Schaefer for a presentation on the Center for Digital Initiatives.

Robin and Sibyl will give their Libraries colleagues an introduction to CDI collections and the technical/scanning processes, plus discuss their recent and forthcoming projects.

Date: Thursday, December 10th

Location: CDI Conference Room

Time: noon-1p.m. (you may bring your lunch if you wish to brown bag it.)

Two Open Fora for December!

Peter Spitzform and Albert Joy will discuss, "The Changing Landscape of Monographs," on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 10:30 a.m. Peter and Albert gave this talk at a recent even in Charleston, SC.

Peter Blackmer will discuss, "UVM's Budgeting Process," on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 10:30 a.m.

Due to the winter holidays, these were the best (only) dates to hold these fora. Both will be held in the Dean's Conference Room.

LIVING IN A WIRED WORLD: Can Personal Privacy Survive in the 21st Century?

Imagine waking up one day in your own personal terrarium, where everything you do and say can be seen by anyone passing by. In a world of Web cams, social networking sites, and GPs-equipped phones, your dorm walls may be more transparent than you realize...

The University of Vermont Libraries present a lecture and book-signing by Burlington-based attorney and computer forensics expert Fred Lane, on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m. in Billings North Lounge. Refreshments will be served.