“My Semester at the Library”  |  By Chelsea Cowit, Purchase College Class of 2014

When you think of the library, you probably think of studying or of rushing to print your paper. What you might not consider is how much goes on behind the scenes. For the past semester, I did my undergraduate internship at the library, and I can safely say it is a far more complex place than I thought.

There are aspects of life at SUNY Purchase I don’t know about due to my status as a transfer student.  The Library’s Research by Subject guides are one of these aspects, and I’ve found them to be very valuable.  Each guide includes components to help students, whether it’s a link to a subject database or a list of required movies/books for a program like Cinema Studies.

Through my internship, I’ve seen how communication between professors and librarians is vital.  There are many aspects of the library that require communication.  Have you ever gone to an instruction session in the library? That’s set up between the professor and the librarian. New book collections also start with communication between the librarian and the professor.

On the topic of communication, I’ve always been afraid to ask for help at the Reference Desk , fearing that I would annoy the librarians, that my questions were too simple, or that the librarians were too busy to help me.  I’ve realized that this was not a good assumption. While shadowing the librarians at the reference desk, I’ve seen students from all walks of life come and ask for assistance, and I’ve watched and helped the librarians provide it. Librarians are there to help you, and their help is irreplaceable.  They can help with any type of question you may have, be it a research question or simply how to save as a PDF file.  All it takes is that first step of communication– either in person, through the text a librarian (“Text Us”) service, or the chat service (“Ask Us”), all linked on the homepage of the library.  Next time you find yourself needing assistance, ask them. They work hard to help you!

Beyond gaining knowledge of the library during my internship, I also gained confidence in myself. During my final day, I found myself helping students with confidence I had been lacking before. I helped students with an easy smile.  Before interning, I wasn’t as sure of myself when I talked, and I wasn’t confident in providing help to people. I still struggle with this, but stepping into the library to intern this semester has forced me out of my comfort zone and enabled me to gain those skills. For me, the library has been a place where I’ve grown.

A festive atmosphere was enjoyed by all who attended.  You can check out photos from the event by Peter Ohring on Flickr.  Maybe you’ll spot your favorite classmates, professors, and librarians!

Congrats Seniors!

Coffee image from Apple’s Eyes Studio: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Hot_drinks_g184-Cup_Of_Coffee_p31711.html  Bagels image from Marcus: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Breads_Cakes_and_Coo_g268-Bagels_On_Bread_Board_p131974.html

Unattended belongings attract thieves. Please do not leave any valuables unattended in the library; this includes, but is not limited to: backpacks, laptops, wallets, purses, USB drives, textbooks, and cell phones.

It may seem like you’ll only be gone for a minute, but one minute is all that it takes for someone to walk off with your stuff.

[Lost and Found is located at the Circulation Desk.]

This will move the designated block to your Dock area (far left side of your Moodle page) and free up space to allow you to see your Project Information fields more easily. For more help with your Student Project Space in Moodle, please visit the Student Project Guide: http://purchase.libguides.com/studentprojects.

If you do not have a Project Space in Moodle, please email the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center (TLTC) immediately at TLTC@purchase.edu.

And don’t forget our other Finals Countdown study breaks this week:  you can still send a postcard to a friend or family member (postage is on us), make a button, or play board games in the 2012 Lounge.

Here are some beautiful origami creations folded on Wednesday May 1st by students and staff:

an origami menagerie: cranes, samurai hat, frog, heart

origami penguin wearing a samurai hat

origami bows & heart made by a student

Here are some of the awesome buttons Purchase students created on Tuesday. The limit is 3 buttons per person to make or take. And yes, they are free.

We made these buttons from a paper book jacket for this book, “Deborah Kass : before and happily ever after” by Lisa Liebmann.

Anatomy of a Heart: button designed by a  student

creative koala button!

This one was created from a print-out of an art student’s previous work

The Library is Open 24/5, which means it can get pretty noisy,  pretty quickly!

That’s why we need YOUR help to keep the Library comfortable for yourself and your peers during our extended hours.

The building is divided into three color-coded areas by noise level: Group Study (orange), Quiet Study (yellow), and Silent Study (blue).  The rules and locations of each zone are clearly posted in each space, but please refer to our Study Zone FAQ for full details.

When classes are not held there, Computer Labs 1004B (Mac) & 1004C (PC) are Silent Labs.  If you need to work on a collaborative project or a video/music editing project, please use the computers in the DMZ,  Lab 1004D, or the Reference Area.

Cell phone calls are permitted in the Group Study areas only and should be kept at a low volume and short duration.

Please use headphones if you need to watch a movie or listen to music in the library.

You can review the Library’s noise policy and locate your preferred study zone on our Library Map.

Library staff will amp up the enforcement of noise policy during Finals Week, but we can’t do it alone!

We need everyone in the Purchase community to respect each other  and help keep the Library a clean, peaceful, and comfortable place to study during our 24/5 hours.

If you encounter a noise problem, please tell a librarian or Text Us at (914) 873-1711.  Tell us where you are, describe the problem, and a library staff member will come to handle the issue.

This event is hosted by Provost Barbara Dixon and Library Director Patrick Callahan and will highlight scholarship and creative work by Purchase College faculty. To RSVP for this event, click here.