Finals are a week away, and Mizzou Libraries wants to help you be prepared. Check this post every day this week for tips on getting ready for your exams using library resources and services.
Countdown to Finals
Super Admin
Countdown to Finals: Staying a Step Ahead
Finals week can be overwhelming, but doing some things ahead will save time later. Before finals start:
- Reserve group study rooms in Ellis Library or the Engineering and Journalism libraries. Study rooms fill up fast but can be reserved in advance.
- Download PrintAnywhere. Software for each printing site must be downloaded separately. If you’ll be in the library, install those printers on your device now.
- Request books from MERLIN and MOBIUS. This is not an overnight service, so give books you need time to arrive.
- Print your poster. Ellis Library’s plotter printer is in high demand at the end of the year. Skip the lines by finishing early.
De-stress with Therapy Dogs and More in Ellis Library
Trained therapy dogs will be in Ellis Library once again during finals week. Visit the dogs on the first floor of Ellis Library during the following times:
Sunday, May 6th: 3-5 pm AND 7-9 pm
Monday, May 7th: 7-9 pm
Tuesday, May 8th: 7-9 pm
Wednesday, May 9th:7-9 pm
Also check out the Zen coloring tables on the first floor, or if you need a quiet space to work on your final papers and projects, Room 213 (Electronic Classroom 2) is open 24/7 during finals as a quiet study space with computers.
All of the dogs are certified therapy dogs, and many participate in service activities in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and libraries. These therapy dogs are trained to interact with children, the elderly, and others facing difficult situations such as college students experiencing finals week stress.
Prices and Wages Give Us a Glimpse into the Past
The Prices and Wages by Decade research guide has found fans across campus, the state, and the world since Marie Concannon, Head of Government Information, created it six years ago.
Esteemed research scientist Jay Zagorsky, who collects data for the National Longitudinal Surveys of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is one of the latest scholars to use the detailed lists of resources for prices and wages throughout the history of the U.S. Zagorsky investigated how prices at high end restaurants have changed since 1899 using menus found via the guide.
Marie enjoys making historical prices meaningful by placing them in context with average wages paid at the time. The guide directs users mostly to U.S. federal and state government information, supplemented by other primary sources when needed.
The audience for the Prices and Wages by Decade guide has dramatically increased each year. Maries notes that the vast majority of visitors find the guide through Google searches. She says, “I developed the site expecting that most people would look for hard-to-find information from the 1800s, but it turned out that the most popular decades are the 1920s, 1950s and 1970s.”
If you use the guide, let us know about your project and how the information you found on prices and wages made the research process easier.
#TipTuesday: Alumni Access
Are you a University of Missouri student getting ready to graduate? Are you worried about losing access to our databases?
Fear not!
Ellis Library provides guest accounts for alumni and other visitors! Come visit the Research and Information Desk with a government-issued photo ID to have your guest account created.
For up to two hours per day, you can freely use the guest computers to search databases, use the printers, and more.
More information regarding visitors and guest accounts can be found here.
HGSA Book Sale at Read Hall
There’s a book sale happening outside of Read Hall!
-
Monday 4/23
10am – 2pm -
Tuesday 4/24
10am – 2pm
Books are $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardbacks.
All proceeds go to the Mizzou History Graduate Students Association.
If you see a library book among the selection, please return it! (lol librarian humor)
#TipTuesday: Need Writing Help?
You know the writing tutors in Ellis Library can help with papers for your classes, but what if you need help with other kinds of writing?
You’re in luck–writing tutors can help with:
- creative writing
- scholarship essays
- personal statements
- cover letters
- and more
Check this semester’s hours and instructions so you’re ready for your appointment.
Where Can I Go for My Phone or Video Interview?
Looking for a quiet place to take your phone or video interview on campus? The library might seem like a great place, but our study rooms are for group study only. The MU Career Center is here for you instead.
First, check out this list to see if your school or college has its own career services office. If not, the MU Career Center will work with you to use one of their interview rooms. These rooms are in high demand, and only one room has a landline, so make your reservation sooner rather than later. (All rooms have computers with webcams and Skype.) For more information, email peiterL@missouri.edu or call 573-884-6317.
Now that you know how to find a quiet place to have your interview, do you have questions about how to do your best during the interview itself?
Here are a few best practices for online interviews:
- Remove anything from the background you don’t want employers to see.
- Test both the audio and video.
- Look at the webcam, not the screen.
Read the rest of the list and tips for phone interviews on the Career Center website.
Good luck, Tigers!
#TipTuesday: Scan for Free
You can scan documents for free at Ellis Library! The KIC scanners are located on the first floor of the library.
Place your materials in the middle of the document table, and use the touch screen to scan. An image of your materials will appear on the screen. There are several options to modify the image. When you are satisfied with your scanned image, use the touch screen to email the image to yourself or save it to a USB drive.
If you need help or have questions, just ask at the Research Help and Information Desk!
Asking the Right Questions Pays Off
Mizzou has made its mark on Nikolaus Frier, a senior mechanical engineering major from St. Louis, and he will leave his mark on Mizzou as well. For his field of study, Nik had a couple of in-state options but chose Mizzou, which he says “seemed beautiful and big” and where he knew he’d have many options for getting involved.
Extracurricular activities have in fact brought Nik unanticipated opportunities. He was a member of the 3D Printing Club during the time when the service was transitioning from being student led to being hosted by Mizzou Libraries. “I was losing hours at another campus job,” he said, “so I sent out my feelers and asked if the library would need any additional help running this service.” After demonstrating his knowledge of 3D printing to Ernest Shaw, Manager of Information Technology for the Libraries, Nik found himself employed by Print Anything.
Nik worries that his favorite Mizzou memory “might be a little cheesy,” but going to the midnight barbeque the first week of his freshman year was life changing. He met his girlfriend there, and they celebrated four years together in August.
His second favorite memory is yet to come. As project lead for Make Mizzou, a project of the 3D Printing Club, he’s overseen the design of a 3D campus map for the quad. “We have the 2D kiosks around campus, right?” Nik asks. “We wanted a 3D one so visually impaired students would be better able to navigate campus.” The 3D campus map is currently in the prototype finalization stage and will be installed in the fall.
“Getting involved is the right step into learning about your resources here at Mizzou,” Nik advises his fellow Tigers. “As soon as you’re part of a club, you realize you need this thing done. Well, how would I get that done? Then you start asking the right questions.” Nik is proof that asking the right questions pays off.
Nik plans to work as an engineer after graduation but also is confident that he has learned the necessary skills to open his own model-making company. Either way, he won’t miss what he foresees as his second favorite Mizzou memory: the groundbreaking of the 3D campus map in the fall.