Archives for August 2017

Back to School

Welcome home and welcome back!  The Library is open and ready for new and returning students & faculty.  Over the summer, we’ve really bulked up with new services, new hours, and new databases designed to help everyone keep calm and carry on through the academic life of Tech.  Here’s the top five things you should know about Tech’s most popular destination for studying, printing, and researching.

We’re Open Late…Really Late

The Library is the best and ONLY place on campus open for studying, printing, and meeting after midnight at Tech.  From Sunday through Thursday, we remain open until 1:00 AM and continue to offer excellent and slightly over-caffeinated service long after other offices and buildings close.

In addition, the Library will now offer extended hours on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  Beginning Friday, August 25th, the library will remain open until 8:00 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays during the regular fall semester.  Additionally, we will open early on Sunday’s at 1:00 PM beginning Sunday, August 27th.

hours for the library in a chart.

Check our website for full schedules, special hours during holidays, and our upcoming 24-hour schedule at finals.  Feel free to bring in a coffee (with a lid) and burn the midnight oil with us.

We Got the Prints

We know many students at Tech only come to the library for the printers.  And that’s ok!  But if you are new, the act of printing can be a little confusing.  Here’s a step-by-step introduction on how to print:

  1. Login to a computer in the General Lab.
  2. Press Ctrl + P or find a Printer Icon to print your academic paper, course schedule, or cute cat pics.
  3. Choose “Dell Universal Print Queue” as your printer and select “Print”
  4. Get up and look for the printer stations. These are separate computers next to a large laser printer.
  5. Login with your Tech Username/Password or simply swipe your ID at the station.  You should see your document ready to print.  You’ll also see the balance on your account and the cost of the job.
  6. If everything looks right, press print.

Prints costs $0.10 a page in black and white, but we also have a color printer that eats up $0.30 a page.  Every student starts with $20 on their account each semester.  But if you run out of money on your account, you can always top it off with cash at the PHIL station, next to Circulation Desk.

If something goes wrong or you can’t find the right printer, friendly staff are standing by on all floors to help with this very thing.

You Can Get a Room

image of bookit chart with red squares indicating booked rooms and green squares indicating free rooms

The Library offers study rooms, multimedia-use rooms, and even an audio lab to record songs, mix music, or narrate video.  Reserve space using our online reservation system, Book It.   The Library has 5 study rooms that can be reserved by any Tech faculty, staff, or student on a first come, first serve basis.

If you need to make a Tegrity recording, reserve one of our Multimedia rooms.  These all-purpose rooms allow you to record yourself taking an exam for instructors, create video or audio presentations, or use interactive software such as Read & Write Gold or Pronunciator.

screenshot of how to book a tegrity room from the Book It dropdown.

If you need to make a podcast or lay down some sick beats, you might want to book some time in our new Audio Lab.  Open to all students, faculty, and staff, the audio lab contains sophisticated software and hardware designed to create professional recordings.   Professional staff are standing by to help you learn the software and make something amazing.

a picture of a woman's hands manipulating a Mini mixing board

We’re All About That (Data)base

Need research?  We have all that in one easy-to-use search:

Screenshot of our find it search engine. There's a blank to search articles, books, and moreSearch and find scholarly articles, books, DVDs, streaming video, or calculators using our search engine for all things Tech Library.  Not sure how to find something in Find It?  See this handy guide for getting the most out of your searches: http://libguides.atu.edu/FindIt

If you need something more specialized, see our list of A-to-Z databases, containing over 200 topical databases for every subject or format need.

We’re Better Than Google

google search result indicating that librarians are the secret masters of the universe.

A search engine will never replace the listening, knowledgeable, and compassionate humans at the Library (at least…not yet).  We have dedicated, friendly staff poised to drop anything to help you succeed.  We thrive on questions, and chase after answers like the professional information hunters that we are.  When you are in need of an answer and don’t know who to call, call us: (855) 761-0006.  We may not always know the answer, but we know the right place to find it.  You can also ask us a question via Ask-A-Librarian or text us at (479) 802-4876.

So come by this semester, either online or in-person, and let us help you find the answers, book a study room, or print your cat pictures.  In the meantime, welcome (back) to Tech and good luck!

 

Solar Eclipse Party

The Ross Pendergraft Library has teamed up with the Department of Physical Sciences to host a solar eclipse watch party on August 21st, 2017, from 12:30-1:30.  Join us at the observatory patio adjacent to McEver for cold drinks, snacks, and free solar eclipse glasses.  The Department of Physical Sciences is also providing two telescopes with special solar filters for students, faculty, and staff to view the eclipse close-up.  All are welcome!

Carl and Rick meme where Rick says, "guess what snacks we're bringing to the solar eclipse party?" and Carl is just saysing, "Not..." and Rick finishes with "Sun chips and Moon Pies, Carl!". And Carl says, "Stop"

The last total eclipse across the contiguous U.S. has not occurred since 1979, and the whole country is celebrating with viewing parties, parades, and other special events. While Russellville will not be in an area of totality, where the moon completely blocks the sun, we will experience at least 89% of obscuration, reducing the light of the sun to a sliver.   The peak is expected to occur at 1:15 P.M.

Interactive map of the united states with the information for Russellville's percentage obscuration (89%)

Because we will not experience totality here at Tech, there is no safe time to look directly at the sun without special-purpose solar glasses.  Looking directly at the sun even if partially obscured can damage your retinas.  Do not look at the sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device while using the solar eclipse glasses—the concentrated solar rays will damage the filter and enter your eyes, causing serious injury.

An infographic on how to view the eclipse safely. Like, don't look at it with sunglasses on.

If you miss the eclipse, the Ross Pendergraft Library will show the live-stream from AETN of the eclipse as it passes through South Carolina beginning at 1:30.  While there, be sure to pick up a few books to learn more about past, present, and future solar eclipses.

book Jacket for book called "totality"Totality : The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024

 

 

Book jacket for book called "Sun Moon Earth"Sun Moon Earth: The History of Solar Eclipses from Omens of Doom to Einstein and Exoplanets

 

book jacket for Mask of the SunMask of the Sun: The Science, History and Forgotten Lore of Eclipses

 

book jacket for book called american eclipseAmerican Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World

 

Book jacket for book called solar scienceSolar science : Exploring Sunspots, Seasons, Eclipses, and More

 

 

For more information on this event or questions, email the public services librarian, Sherry Tinerella or call (479) 964-0571.   We hope to see you Monday, August 21st, from 12:30-1:30 for the great American solar eclipse. Your next chance to see a solar eclipse over the United States won’t be until 2024, so don’t miss this celestial event!

 

poster for the Great American Solar Eclipse