Odum Library launches our new website on Thursday, June 20th – complete with the fresh design, new look and improved navigation introduced on the campus website last year. Similar to the campus website, the library’s new website is now mobile device ready. You can use your smartphone or tablet to access library resources. The library has thousands of e-books on many academic subjects, not to mention hundreds of full text e-journals, and online databases.   Among the new site’s enhancements is an emphasis on GALILEO’s Discover search function that is a single gateway to  books, articles, videos, music, and other research materials in the library, notwithstanding format (print, electronic, and so forth) or location (local or remotely held).  All of the most helpful “Tutorials†were moved onto the new site and the Reference librarians plan to continue developing and adding more tutorials, including more “How to†or “Do It Yourself†videos. Navigation should be easier, with a new dynamically updated link for library hours, a new  “Live Chat†widget, and revised “Services†pages for “Studentsâ€, “Faculty and Staffâ€Â and others, zeroing in on the resources most often needed by users. Following on the success of MyVSU, all library account logins have been grouped together underneath MyLibrary. Comments about the library’s new website can be submitted via the Quick Link – Feedback link on the bottom of every page.
Learn, Study, Discover
As a recent blog post here noted, there’s a lot of construction going on in the library this summer. Unfortunately, a lot of noise comes with these projects. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused any of our patrons in recent days.
If you are someone who is bothered by the noise, we’d like to recommend our quiet computer lab, located in room 3250, on the third floor of the library. It offers a place where the noise is a little further away from the construction than our main GALILEO lab on the second floor. Do keep in mind that it is designated as a “quiet lab”, so please try to be respectful of other users in the lab. The lab has a black and white printer available, but for color prints, you will still need to visit the Internet Cafe, located on the first floor of the library.
We hope that this will provide a quieter place for you to get your work done while the construction crews are working. If you need help finding your way to this computer lab, or if you’d like another recommendation for a quieter spot in the library, just head to the Reference Desk on the second floor of the library (We’re right by all the construction!) and a reference librarian will be happy to assist you. Thank you for your patience while these projects are ongoing.
During the summer, several renovation projects will be occurring in the library. On the fourth floor, the office suite of the Library Science School is being expanded. On the second floor, the Center for eLearning office suite will undergo a major makeover and, also on the second floor, the library’s reference department office suite is being enlarged. Please “pardon our progress†during these projects. These projects will begin the week of June 3rd and should be completed by early August.
Odum Library will close at midnight on Sunday, May 26th, and reopen at 8:00 am on Tuesday, May 28th, in observation of Memorial Day. The hours on Saturday, May 25th, do not change: 9:00 am through 9:00 pm.
Memorial Day expresses remembrance and gratitude to those who died serving in the United States Armed Forces. In appreciation of all who have served, the Library of Congress maintains a collection of war remembrances through the Veterans History Project.
Visit memorials, national cemeteries, and monuments as a patriotic part of your observance of Memorial Day.
Learn more about how Memorial Day began back in the 1860s from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Enjoy the history of America the Beautiful, the U.S. Air Force Song, and other patriotic melodies, including words, sheet music, and sound recordings, all digitized and made available by the Library of Congress.
Courtesy Library of Congress
At VSU for spring semester, at least, school is out. That can mean some changes for students and staff who’ve recently been focused on classes and finals.
Luckily, both the U.S. and state of Georgia governments have a lot of information to help with planning your summer:
- If you’re moving, you’ll want to use these online forms for changing your address.
- Resume help is available from the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Traveling around Georgia? You might enjoy having a Georgia State Parks Pass and browsing this Guide to Georgia’s State Parks and Historic Sites.
- Will your travels go beyond Georgia? It might help to have a National Parks Pass.
- You can plan the costs of travel with this interactive map showing gas prices nationwide.
- Beach-goers might want to check out this coastal water temperature guide from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- Plan summer meals with this searchable guide to farmers’ markets, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Of course, we hope you’ll find your way to a library at some point during the summer with this guide to locating public libraries in your area.
Finally, while we hope you’re starting off for a great summer, remember that you’re always welcome here at Odum Library!
All floors of the library will be open 24 hours from today until Friday at 9pm! There are lots of places to study in library including group tables, study carrels, and study rooms.
Good luck on your finals, everyone!
The library and the College of Education held the seventh annual Read Fest this past Friday, April 19th, 2013 on the West Hall front lawn. Â The event, which seeks to promote literacy among area pre-K children, had more than 255 attendees from five local schools. Students who attended got to take part in a number of activities, from read-alongs to sing-alongs. They also took home goodybags filled with gifts to keep them exited about reading! Â Here are a few pictures from this years event:
April is National Poetry Month! Pulitzer Prize-winner and 2011-2012 U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine speaks on campus Wednesday, April 17th, 7:30 p.m. in Whitehead Auditorium, Fine Arts Building.
View books of poetry by Philip Levine from Odum Library’s collection as part of the Poetry at VSU exhibit, located in the first floor display cases on the library’s north side. There you’ll also see many collections of poetry by contemporary authors alongside classic poets such as Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and Dickinson.
National Poetry Month, sponsored by the Academy of American Poets, also promotes Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 18th. Carry a poem in your pocket so that you can share poetry with others!
You can find more resources for National Poetry Month through GALILEO and more information about poetry and poets, including texts of poems, through the Poetry Foundation.
We have copies of federal tax forms here at Odum Library, in the Reference area on the second floor. We can’t advise you on how to complete your tax return, but we can help you reach the forms, instructions, and schedules.
Find links to commonly requested federal forms and publications, including fill-in PDF versions of federal forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ, available at IRS.gov.
Remember that you can also e-file through the IRS web site. Some options are free, and there is also advice for purchasing software or using a commercial preparer.
Unfortunately, our supply of Georgia 500 and 500EZ forms and instruction booklets in print is gone, and no more are available from the state. You’ll need to go online to find Georgia state tax forms. E-filing is an option, but it’s free only for qualified individuals within Georgia. For further guidance, go to the Georgia Department of Revenue site. If you need tax publications from other states, check out this interactive map provided by the Federation of Tax Administrators.
March 3rd through 9th marks National Invasive Species Awareness Week.
Invasive species include plants and animals that might seem harmless, but are taking over our native habitat. Most of us are familiar with the invasive Southern Crabgrass:
Photo by John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org
The Burmese Python has earned much attention lately for populating the Everglades National Park and surrounding parts of Florida, where more than 1,800 of the snakes have been removed since January 2000.
Photo by National Park Service
Find out what invasive species might be in your back yard with the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States, supported in part by the University of Georgia, and through this information page about invasive species, courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. See more information about invasive species–and what you can do–at the Government Documents Exhibit, in the Odum Library Reference Area.