Library — Page 7

Shoot ’em With Biscuits, Monday Sept. 9th

Posted on September 4, 2019 Written by Angela Black

Join us on September 9th in RPL 300B as we kick off this year’s Second Monday Author Series with Dr. Aaron McArthur, Assistant Professor of History and Public History Program Director at Arkansas Tech University, discussing his latest book, The Annals of the Southern Mission.

The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 PM before the main program at 7:00. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. McArthur obtained his PhD in the History of the United States West from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he mainly focused on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) history during the last half of the nineteenth century. His first book, St. Thomas, Nevada: A History Uncovered, told the story of the city of St. Thomas from its founding under the direction of Brigham Young to its inundation by Lake Mead.

His second book, The Annals of the Southern Mission: A Record of the History of the Settlement of Southern Utah, constitutes a transcribed and annotated version of the 2,266 loose, handwritten, and lined pages representing the early history of Southern Utah originally written by James G. Bleak. Dr. McArthur, along with Reid Nielson, transcribed this important historical document, bringing to light details of early pioneer life during the period from 1849-1900 in Utah, Arizona, and Nevada.

This presentation is part of our Second Monday Author Series featuring the works of our local writers and researchers. You can stay up to date on the series and all library events by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For more questions or information about the Second Monday Author Series, contact Luke Heffley at (479) 964-0546.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: History, Presentations, Second Monday Series

5 Free Things at the Tech Library

Posted on August 27, 2019 Written by Angela Black

The new fall semester has begun, and for many of you, this will be the most expensive four years of your life. To alleviate the wallet stress, the Library is here to help stretch your dollar and expand your mind with five free things you can borrow from the Ross Pendergraft Library.

1. Gen. Ed. Textbooks

Through a pilot program launched last year, the Library been obtaining copies of textbooks required for the General Education classes offered at Tech. Currently, any student can borrow a general education textbook for up to two hours of in-library use. To see if we your required book, search our online database under Course Reserves:

To see ALL the textbooks in the program, search for the word “Textbooks.” You can also ask the friendly faces at the Circulation Desk for help.

2. Calculators

Need a TI-30X for an upcoming test? Borrow one for 24 hours at the Library. Not only do we have the TI-30X, we also have TI-83’s, TI-84’s, and other graphing calculators which have inexplicably not gotten cheaper in twenty years.

Stop by the Circulation Desk for help with all your calculating needs.

3. Games (NEW!)

A new collection has been added to the Ross Pendergraft Library over the summer: Games! Table-top, board, role-playing, strategy, and old-fashioned family fun games. The Games section is located around the corner from the Young Adult Fiction collection, on the north side of the library’s first floor.

You can check them out as you would a book at the Circulation Desk. To browse them all, search our online catalog for “Games” in Location “Games”.

4. Space

You can reserve some space. Not outer space, but meeting space within Tech Library. To reserve a room, go to our homepage, and find the giant button at the bottom of our website called “Reserve a Study Room.”

Select up to two green boxes for a 2 hour stay, per day, per person. You can reserve a small study space, a larger room for up to 4 for group meetings, or the Tegrity Room for audio recordings or exams.

5. Help

You can also, at any time, borrow help from any one of the kind, helpful, and super-awesome library staff of experts who are available at the Reference Desk, Circulation Desk, 2nd Floor Help Desk, and wandering the stacks like information roombas.

I swear to you it is a cat, dressed as a shark, on a roomba chasing a small duckling.

We just want to help you find books, stop running away!

We can help you find quality research resources, provide citation guidance, suggest good research topics, locate full-text articles, or show you how to print your assignment from your phone. We are also a text, email, phone call, DM, PM, or online chat away:

Text at 479-802-4876
Call us at 479-964-0570
Email at askus@atu.libanswers.com
Do all the social media stuff at Twitter, Facebook,& Instagram
Live Chat with us here: http://libguides.atu.edu/research/help/askus
OR come by in person to visit us at the Reference or Circulation Desks to ask us anything, like “Where’s the bathroom?”, “How do I find peer-reviewed articles,” or “Who has the best chicken sandwiches?”

Best wishes for Fall 2019!

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Find it, General, Library Collection, NEW!

Summer Hours

Posted on May 20, 2019 Written by Angela Black

Campus may be emptier, and the traffic lighter, but the library is still open during the summer months:

Swing by, enjoy our air-conditioned computer labs, book and DVD collections, and excellent staff working hard to make your summer classes and/or summer reading a success.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Hours, Summer

It’s Crunch Time

Posted on April 25, 2019 Written by Angela Black

With the spring semester winding down, the frantic race to finish those papers, projects, and future plans is nearing an end. To help you crawl to the finish line, the Ross Pendergraft Library is offering extended hours and resources during the next two weeks.

OPEN 61 HOURS STRAIGHT

We will begin our day as usual on Reading Day, May 1st, at 7:00 AM. But we will not close until Friday, May 3rd, at 8:00 P.M. While we advocate strongly sleeping at some point, if you need to come in early or stay late, we’ve got your back during the first week of finals. Will there be coffee? Yes. When? Follow our Twitter @ATULibrary to find out brew times or other special announcements.

Procrastination – Endless

CURE CITATION ANXIETY

Nervous about your citations? Easybib no longer making any sense? Make sure your MLA is not DOA by taking a look at our links to instruction, videos, sample papers, and other tools to help you cite right. We also have trained experts at the main Research Help Desk to give you guidance and pointers, or if you’d rather consult the ultimate source, they can also help you locate the official citation manuals for APA, MLA, Chicago, and more.

RESERVE YOUR SPACE

Having trouble finding the right place to study? The library is full of open computer labs, tables for group work, and couches/comfortable chairs scattered throughout the building. But if you need your own room, we have 8 study rooms to reserve for quiet escapes or a guaranteed meeting spaces. Secure your space today by going to our Room Reservation System. Click on any green block to reserve your room. Click on the room number to find more details about room size and if there’s a whiteboard. But hurry–space is filling up fast!

YOU GOT THIS

This may be your first year or your last, and when you are here at midnight, tired, exhausted, or in that weird space where you are so tired you are actually giggly, deliriously wide-awake–we see you. This is college, and you’re still here, doing the best you can to make it through. Remember, you’ve made it this far, and we’re all rooting for you. Keep going, and if you have a break or feel like you are nearing your breaking point, come see us at the desk and just check in. If you need help, we can help. And if you need to cry, we have tissues. Good luck!

Filed Under: Library Tagged: finalsweek, Hours

Like Us? Love Us? Tell Us!

Posted on April 18, 2019 Written by Angela Black

If you haven’t had a chance to take the Library survey, take three minutes and help us, help you: Take the Library Survey. Available until Wednesday, April 24th, the annual library survey is your chance to suggest changes, recommend new services or collections, and/or lodge complaints about the temperature.

https://gph.is/2RJTLiI

Because of your input, we’ve made the following changes to the library:

Extended hours, including later hours during the week, on Fridays, and a 24 hour opening period during finals.
Increased number of study rooms
Increased number of computer stations
Increased number of journals and databases to support sciences, nursing, and other STEM fields
Extended check-out times for calculators and DVDs for students
Replaced the broken chairs and mid-90’s floral couches
Purchased more Young Adult and Popular Reading books
Changed policy to allow drinks
Subscribed to HeinOnline
Added an easy-to-use scanning station and fax machine
Added more movies and television shows
Invited the tutoring center for evening hours
Unlocked the balcony on the 3rd Floor
Purchased required General Education Textbooks for check-out
Made this annual survey shorter

As you can see, we’re eager to make the same changes, and your comments and input help us advocate for your needs. While we always try to improve what we can, there are always a few requests that are not feasible at this time or cannot be so easily accommodated. Below are some suggestions we simply cannot make happen at this time:

Allow Food – Nothing makes students hungrier than late-night studying. Unfortunately, where food happens, pests follow, and the last thing we need are well-educated mice trying to take over the world.
Maintain the Perfect Temperature for Everyone–While have made great strides in upgrading our central AC/Heat, it is not always going to be optimum for everyone at all times of the year. But let our staff know if you are too cold or too hot–we might be able to make adjustments or at least give you tips on low-price cardigans.
A Quieter Library--The library used to be a silent refuge from a noisy world, but learning can sometimes make sounds, especially group-learning. That’s why we have designated the 1st floor as low noise and the 2nd floor as a quiet zone. But since we cannot be everywhere all of the time, we have implemented a Text-A-Librarian service you can use to a summon shushing librarian to quiet things down. We do our best, but we need your help.
Open 24 Hours All The Time–This convenience and procrastination fuel is sorely needed on campus, we agree. However, until the funds, the security, the staffing, and the coffee are available for such a service, it will remain just out of reach.
More Monster Trucks–This is an actual comment.

Even if there is a limit to what we can do, there is no limit to how hard we will work to help you succeed academically. Tell us how best we can help: https://techlibraries2019.questionpro.com/

In the meantime, stay up to date on all library events and happenings, including our 24 hour schedule for finals on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: User survey

Climate Change Discussion

Posted on April 12, 2019 Written by Angela Black

On Tuesday, April 16th, at 7:00 P.M., the Ross Pendergraft Library will hold a panel discussion on climate change—what is it, how does it affect our environment, and what we can do to help save our planet. The discussion will feature four experts in business, chemistry, sustainability alternative energy and natural disasters:

Bob Allen, Professor of Chemistry (Emeritus)
Andy Barrett, Alternative Energy Professional
Pat Ford, Agri-Business Owner
Caroline Hackerott, Assistant Professor of Emergency Management

The discussion will center on the PBS NOVA series episode, Decoding the Weather Machine. This event is free and open to the public—all are welcome!

For more information about the event, you can visit our event guide or contact the library at (479) 964-0569. You can stay up to date on the series and all library events by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: climate change, Panel discussion, Presentations

A Panel of Ice and Fire

Posted on April 8, 2019 Written by Angela Black

The series finale of Game of Thrones takes place in a few days but if you want to get your fix early, tune the Ross Pendergraft Library has GOT you covered. On Thursday, April 11th, at 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300A, we will host our very own “small council” of scholars and writers discussing the stories, the politics, the history, the show, and the writer behind one of the biggest pop culture sensations of the past ten years. The event will feature four experts from the ATU family who will discuss an aspect of the series and take questions from the audience. Panelists include:

Dr. Arwen Taylor, Assistant Professor of English

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Dr. Chris Housenick, Assistant Professor of Political Science

Dr. Deborah Wilson, Professor of English

Slade Dupuy, Science Fiction and Fantasy Author

All are welcome! A small reception will precede the event at 6:30 P.M.

Need to get to catch up on the show, re-watch your favorite parts, or see what all the fuss is about? The Ross Pendergraft Library has all seasons available on DVD, as well as the entire book series in both hardback and audiobook format.

You can stay up to date on this and all library events by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For more questions or information about the Game of Thrones discussion, or to simply discuss Game of Thrones, contact Angela Black at (479) 964-0569.

Filed Under: Library

Tonight’s Starting Lineup

Posted on April 8, 2019 Written by Angela Black

Tonight at the Ross Pendergraft Library, join us at 7:00 PM in RPL300B for a special guest speaker, Jim Yeager who will talk about his book: Backroads and Ballplayers: A Collection of Stories About Famous (and Not So Famous) Professional Baseball Players from Rural Arkansas. All are welcome!

Backroads and Ballplayers recalls the paths that more than 50 Arkansans took in pursuit of their dreams to play professional baseball, including individuals from the River Valley area, the mountains of North Arkansas, and the Delta farmland.

Assisted by various members of the Robinson-Kell Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research, these stories of rural Arkansas baseball during the first half of the twentieth century recounts “Arkansas’ Fields of Dreams.”

Yeager is retired from an education career that spanned more than 40 years and included service as a coach, teacher, guidance counselor and educational technology specialist. He was the first coach during the intercollegiate era of women’s basketball at Arkansas Tech and established the Golden Suns’ winning tradition by guiding them to four consecutive conference championships from 1979-82.

This presentation is part of our Author’s Second Monday Series featuring the works of our local writers and researchers. You can stay up to date on the series and all library events by following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. For more questions or information about the Second Monday Author Series, contact Luke Heffley at (479) 964-0546.

Filed Under: Library

Dance Party at the Library

Posted on March 27, 2019 Written by Angela Black

Come shake it up to live music next Saturday, April 6th at the Ross Pendergraft Library as we host our second Contra Dance in RPL 300B from 7:00-9:00 P.M. No partner and no experience necessary. Each dance will be taught before it begins, and no one will be left behind. The event includes live music from the Valley Jam Session Players and caller Cynthia Callahan.

An old-time contra dance, also referred to as a barn dance, is an informal country dance stemming from such dances in 17th century Western Europe. It has evolved just as the old-time music has. Traditionally this type of dance always uses live musicians playing fiddle tunes.

As part of the Echoes of the River Valley series, the library is bringing to life the folk arts of the past for a new generation. In addition to dancing, the series has featured events like yarn spinning, hand-quilting, and open jam sessions. The Jam Sessions occur every Thursday night from 5:30-7:30 PM in Doc Bryan 133. To learn more about this event, or others in the series, check out our resource guide or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Dancing, Music, Presentations

Spring Break!

Posted on March 15, 2019 Written by Angela Black

The Ross Pendergraft Library is going on spring break! At least for a few extra hours during the week. Here’s the schedule for our reduced hours during spring break:

Saturday, March 16th – CLOSED
Sunday, March 17th – CLOSED
Monday, March 18th-Friday, March 22nd – 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
Saturday, March 23rd – CLOSED
Sunday, March 24th – Resumes regular hours, 1:00 P.M. to 1:00 A.M.

If you are planning a long trip, don’t forget the library has a collection of Audiobooks on CD and MP3 that you can pop in the car stereo or download to your phone for bluetooth broadcast. Here’s a few new titles, fresh on the shelf:

Children of Blood and Bone – Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls. But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Educated : a memoir – Traces the author’s experiences as a child born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, describing her participation in her family’s paranoid stockpiling activities and her resolve to educate herself well enough to earn acceptance into a prestigious university and the unfamiliar world beyond.

The Good Neighbor : the Life and Work of Fred Rogers – Drawing on original interviews, oral histories and archival documents, the author traces the iconic children’s program host’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work. Narrated by LeVar Burton.

Pet Sematary: A novel – When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job, and moves his family to the idyllic, rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Yet despite Ludlow’s tranquility, there’s an undercurrent of danger that lingers like the graveyard in the woods near the Creed’s home, where generations of children have buried their beloved pets. This Stephen King classic is narrated by Michael C. Hall.

Always Look On the Bright Side of Life : A Sortabiography – From the ingenious comic performer, Eric Idle, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot, comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candor.

The Greatest Love Story Ever Told – Presented as an oral history in a series of conversations between the couple, the book features anecdotes, hijinks, photos, and a veritable grab bag of tomfoolery. This is not only the intoxicating book that Megan Mullally’s and Nick Offerman’s fans have been waiting for, it might just hold the solution to the greatest threat facing our modern world: the single life.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Audiobooks, Holidays, Hours, NEW!