home Engineering Library Solar Eclipse Glasses at the Engineering Library

Solar Eclipse Glasses at the Engineering Library

On August 21, 2017, the TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE (imagine that in a deep, booming voice, okay?) will be gracing the skies of our campus. You may also remember that this is the first day of classes for the fall semester. Now before we get upset about the timing, we must keep in mind that the moon is on a very tight schedule. Fortunately for us, we are in the path of totality and campus is having all sorts of events.

Let’s just say we did not want to miss out on the fun! To celebrate, we will be giving out solar eclipse glasses to everyone who stops by the Engineering Library on the day of the event! It is important that you wear the glasses before and after totality otherwise the intense light from the sun will damage your eyes. You can take them off during totality and experience the full glory for a couple minutes or so.

We only have a limited amount so be sure to get here early on the 21st!

For more information about the eclipse and what to expect visit https://eclipse.aas.org/

UPDATE: We are out of glasses. Thanks for stopping by this morning!

 

 

home Engineering Library, Support the Libraries Updated Study Rooms at the Engineering Library

Updated Study Rooms at the Engineering Library

You may notice when you come back to the library at the start of the semester that our study rooms look a little different! We would like to give a big thank you to the Student Services Enhancement Fee for providing the funds for us to paint the wall behind our monitors and to the College of Engineering for our new tables and chairs!

Reserve one of our four new and improved study rooms online.

Study Room 3

home Engineering Library, Staff news Judy Siebert Maseles Retires from the Engineering Library

Judy Siebert Maseles Retires from the Engineering Library

Judy Siebert Maseles, Engineering Librarian and Web Administrator, retired last week after working for the University of Missouri Libraries for 36 years. Her retirement party was held this past Monday at the Engineering Library. The party, filled equally with library collegues and Engineering faculty and staff, celebrated her long and successful career at the University Libraries.

Judy started her career at MU as a science librarian in 1980. From the beginning, she took an interest in technology which shaped her career moving foward. In 1988 she moved to the Engineering Library as Head of the Science Branch Libraries and in 2007 she took on the role as Web Adminstrator for the University Libraries.

In addition to her librarian responsibilities, Judy was involved in a number of projects. In 1999 she helped form ET@MO, MU's organization to improve teaching and learning using technology. In 2006, she combined the DoIT computing lab with the Engineering library to create a multifunctional study space. Later on she added two large screen TVs to the study rooms. This past month, those TVs were replaced with four LCD TV screens with easy HDMI hookups for laptops. As Web Adminstrator, her and the web advisory group published several website redesigns. She also helped roll out E-Reserves, LibGuides, LibAnswers and most recently the LibCal calendar all of which are vital to the functions of the library.

Judy's work and presence in the libraries will be greatly missed.

See below for some photos from her retirement reception! Congratulations Judy!

home Engineering Library, Hours Engineering Library Summer Hours

Engineering Library Summer Hours

Summer is finally here! That means unrestricted fun in the sun and heat induced bickerings while on family vacation. All right! No worries, we'll still be here as your air conditioned isle of zen. But, Summer also means our hours are changing:

Intersession Hours:

May 13th – June 4th, July 29th – August 20th.

Monday – Friday : 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday – Sunday : Closed

Summer Session:

June 5th – July 28th

Monday – Thursday : 8:00am – 8:00pm
Friday : 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday : 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Sunday : 1:00pm – 8:00pm

Holiday Hours:

Memorial Day

May 29th : Closed

Independence Day

July 3rd : 8:00am – 5:00pm
July 4th : Closed

 

For a regularly updated list of our hours visit: http://library.missouri.edu/hours/?id=420

Have a great break! cool

 

 

home Ellis Library, Engineering Library, Staff news Grace Atkins and Kate Wright Win Scholarships to Association of College & Research Libraries’ Annual Conference

Grace Atkins and Kate Wright Win Scholarships to Association of College & Research Libraries’ Annual Conference

Grace Atkins, User Engagement Librarian, won an Early-career Librarian Scholarship and Kate Wright, Library Specialist Sr. at the Engineering Library, won a Library Support Staff Scholarship to the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) annual conference in Baltimore, MD, March 22-25. This was Kate's first national conference and Grace's second time attending ACRL (she previously attended as a student).

Conference Highlights

Winning scholarships presented Grace and Kate with extra networking opportunities. They attended a breakfast for scholarship winners and were able to meet members of the scholarship committee. Business cards were exchanged at each table, with a twist. Each person wrote answers to two questions on the back of the card, allowing everyone a chance to get to know a little more about the others, both professionally and personally. Kate says it was a nice conversation starter.

Dr. Carla Hayden's keynote address was a "huge highlight" for Grace because she "worships her." Because of her scholarship, Grace was also able to attend the preconference workshop Running Effective OER and Open Textbook Initiatives at Your Academic Library. Grace says she tweets during sessions and connects with others who attended the session in person afterward. The conference events felt like "a reunion" to Grace because she was able to connect with librarians she attended graduate school with and meet the professionals they know.

Both Grace and Kate enjoyed ACRL because it is a large national conference–and yet focused at the same time.

Exploring Baltimore

Both Grace and Kate were able to attend a reception sponsored by the American Theological Library Association (ATLA) at the National Aquarium. Grace visited Edgar Allan Poe's grave, and Kate enjoyed exploring the Inner Harbor and the amazing restaurants, including this incredible French Dip.

Tips for Scholarship Success and Attending a National Conference

First, apply for scholarships, always! Grace recommends looking at the theme for the conference and tying that into your application. It needs to be clear that your interests connect with the theme of the conference. Kate recommends "getting over your fear" of showing your application essay to other colleagues. Having several people look over your materials helps you make sure that they are personalized. Sending a generic essay usually isn't successful.

As far as attending a large conference, be sure to download the conference app, if available. When it comes to scheduling your time, Grace recommends having a tentative schedule for each day but being flexible; for example, continuing a conversation with a knowledgeable colleague can be a valuable reason to alter your schedule. When making her schedule, Grace tries to balance sessions related to her current projects with her personal interests. This allows her to gain tools in areas where she is building her expertise while learning more about social justice within the profession. Grace also recommends asking yourself whether you are interested in a practical session about a particular tool or a session about theoretical approaches to a particular problem.

Choosing which sessions to attend can be a learning experience in and of itself. Kate recommends the career-oriented sessions for students on the job market. She attended several sessions relating to her current position, such as designing LibGuides and encouraging faculty to use open resources in the face of rising textbook costs. Kate also learned that it's okay to (politely) skip out early on occasion if you need to get to another session.

Finals Survival Guide

It's that time in the semester again: FINALS.

Never fear! From research help to stress relieving activities, Mizzou Libraries have your back! Check out our Finals Survival Guide with details on all the end of semester resources that we have to offer.

And remember, when in doubt, Ask a Librarian!

 

home Engineering Library End of Semester Haiku

End of Semester Haiku

It's crunch time! The end of the Spring semester is quickly approaching and graduation may be on your horizon. With essays and tests plaguing our thoughts, we can forget minor details like backing up that important final paper.

In honor of all the data lost due to the failure of technology during these turbulent times, we offer solace (or humor, at least) in the form of Haiku:

Three things are certain:
Death, taxes, and lost data.
Guess which has occured.
— David Dixon

Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
— Suzie Wagner

Your file was so big.
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.
— David J. Liszewski

Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
— Peter Rothman

Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.
— David Ansel

Having been erased,
the document you're seeking
Must now be retyped.
— Judy Birmingham

The website you seek
Cannot be located, but
Countless more exist.
— Joy Rothke

 

Source – Orginally from a Salon.com contest that has since been archived. These having been making the rounds since 1998. Yeesh!

 

home Engineering Library PSA : Remember Your USB Flash Drives!

PSA : Remember Your USB Flash Drives!

Alright, that 29 seconds might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the Engineering Library does get a lot of USB drives turned in at the circulation desk! Please remember to take your USB drive out of the slot before you leave. We don’t want you to lose your assignments!

Some tips:

  1.  Add a contact folder to your USB drive which contains your name and email so we know it belongs to you. We try our best to reconnect USB drives with their owners and it makes it much easier when we have a contact information.
  2.  Encrypt the most important files on your drive so nobody can steal your information if you do lose it.
  3.  Add a keychain to your drive so it is easier to see and remember.
  4. Consider keeping backups of your files in a cloud service. Humans are not perfect so the odds of losing a small USB drive can be high. It is good practice to keep backups of your most important work elsewhere in case your USB drive cannot be recovered.

Public Service Announcement brought to you by the Engineering Library & Technology Commons

home Engineering Library, Hours Engineering Library: Spring Break Hours

Engineering Library: Spring Break Hours

Engineering Library Spring Break Hours: Friday, March 24th until Saturday, April 1st.

Friday, March 24th: 8:00am – 5:00pm (please note early closure!)
Saturday, March 25th: Closed
Sunday, March 26th: Closed
Monday, March 27th – Friday, March 31st: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday, April 1st: Closed

Regular hours resume on Sunday, April 2nd, at 1:00pm.

For an up-to-date list of all of our hours visit: MU Libraries Hours

home Engineering Library New Equipment Available for Checkout

New Equipment Available for Checkout

This semester the Engineering Library has added new items to our equipment checkout. We've added more Android and iPhone chargers, the newest MacBook charger (Magsafe 2), a couple of Flip Ultra HD video cameras, several power strips with extension cords, and two ethernet cords. Ask for them at the circulation desk!

For a complete list of everything we checkout, visit https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/equipment