Volume 1 Issue 5

End of Fall Semester

As the semester wraps up and we all begin to think about the holidays, the library has been active in assisting students with end of the semester projects and papers. We are always here to assist you and your students. After the last final exam is taken, we will still be here until the college closes for break. If you need to come by to begin planning for the spring semester, we will be open and ready to help you.

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White Light Night

Librarian Lauren McAdams (front) and
Friends of Magnolia Library member Harrietta Bridges
during the Mid CityWhite Light Night.

BRCC, Magnolia Library, and the Friends of Magnolia Library, participated in the Mid City White Light Night. There were music performances in the gallery, films screened in the Black-Box Theater, and a festive atmosphere throughout. The librarians were on hand to answer questions and sell the Magnolia Library holiday ornament designed by Carrie Causey. If you haven't purchased yours yet, you can stop by and talk to any librarian or call 216-8555 for more information.

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Library Hours Revised

The library hours have been revised for finals week and in the weeks before closure for Winter Break. The week of finals (Dec, 7th-13th) the hours at Mid-City will not change. Please see the schedule below for specific library hours.

Finals Week Mid-City                 Finals Week Frazier                      Finals Week Acadian
7:30 am-9:00 pm Mon-Tue        10:30 am-1:30 pm Mon         10:00 am-2:00 pm Mon-Thur
7:30 am-6:00 pm Wed-Thu        10:30 am-1:30 pm Thu
7:30 am-5:00 pm Fri

After Finals Mid-City                     After Finals Frazier                         After Finals Acadian
8:00 am-5:00 pm Mon-Fri             CLOSED until after holidays  CLOSED until after holidays

Other sites, Library CLOSED until after holidays.

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Holiday Decorating

You may have noticed the holiday decorations in the library. They were all set up, with tremendous thanks, by our student workers.

Left to Right: Library student workers Michael Washington,
Johnsea Boyd, and Caroline Gros decorating the library
with festive holiday garland.

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Recycling Display

Recycling Display

The bedrock of magnolia Library's mission is to support teaching and learning. One of the ways that we achieve this is by creating changing displays on topics or events. To contribute to BRCC's observance of Nov. 15th as National Recycle Day, librarian Shereen Marx assembled a collection of books on recycling, ecology and the environment.



The librarians are eager for students to connect with the information. Dr. Sandra Guzman, Professor of Biology, brought in one of her Environmental Science & Decision Making (ENSC 201) classes for an in-library exercise utilizing the display.

Laura Younger, Department Chair for Science, with
students in her Biology 121 class.

She had her students incorporate at least one reference from the displayed resources for a class project, and noted that  "as the students shared, it was interesting to see what they learned in 40 minutes or less." On another day, students in Laura Younger's Biology for Science Majors course looked for information for a paper about plastics in the oceans.

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Ask A Librarian

The Ask A Librarian feature from
the library Web Site.

As librarians we are always interested in new ways of connecting with you, our patrons. So we are now offering chat services. On the left side of our Web Page you may have noticed a link titled "Ask A Librarian." Accessing this link will allow you to communicate with a Reference Librarian in real-time. It's another way to stay in touch and assist you with your research needs. Try it here!

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Welcome to this, the inaugural run of the Resource Spotlight. Here we will feature a specific book, database, or other resource from our collection that you may not be familiar with. This month we are featuring Learning Express.

Learning Express Screenshot. The modules are highlighted
in different colors on the left of your screen.

Learning Express provides resources based on a series of Learning Centers (modules) that includes practice tests, exercises, skill-building courses, eBooks, and the information you need to achieve measured results. The eight modules included cover popular software tutorials, GED preparation, workplace skills improvement, occupation practice tests, U.S. citizenship, recurosos para Hispanohablantes, admissions preparation, and skills assessment.

With today's global economy and emphasis on 21st century skills, Learning Express helps patrons of all ages prepare for success in life by meeting a broad range of educational and career-oriented needs, including:

• Preparing for professional certification, licensing, and aptitude tests in a range of occupations (health care, civil service/government, law enforcement, firefighting, EMS, military, real estate, and more).
• Improving workplace skills such as interviewing techniques, business writing, and computer skills.
• Achieving higher scores on college entrance exams; ACT and SAT.
• Improving performance on college Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
• Preparing for the GED test.
• Preparing for graduate school admission tests; GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and MCAT.
• Improving proficiency levels in reading, writing, and math for elementary through post-secondary school levels.

As a patron affiliated with BRCC Magnolia Library you have access to these learning centers anytime and anywhere with online access. Why not try it today?

volume 1 issue 4

Community
      As the semester rolls on, we have been very busy in the library. We have visited several classes and offered bibliographic instruction sessions, we have provided tours of the library, and we have participated in community events (both here at BRCC and in greater Baton Rouge). Capacity building and creating a sense of community are central to the vibrancy, effectiveness, and life of a library, and it is also central to the mission of BRCC. The American Library Association (ALA) affirms this philosophy and offers information on how you and your library can grow with these ideas to the fullest extent (linked here).

      Statistics from the ALA cite that 95% of users and 83% of non-users believe the library to be somewhat or very important within their community. The organization also described how libraries support events that bring the community together and develop the overall culture that binds groups together. These goals are part of what we do in Magnolia Library, and there are many ways that you can participate: request a bibliographic instruction session for your class, sign up with us to volunteer, or join the Friends of Magnolia Library. We exist for you, and to find out more about how you can participate in these activities call the library (216-8555), email a librarian (librarian@mybrcc.edu), or stop by.  


Louisiana Book Festival
      The 10th annual Louisiana Book Festival took place on the grounds of Capitol Park November 2nd and was sponsored by the State Library. Your Magnolia Librarians represented the college at this event by volunteering in different capacities. Some of these duties included serving as author escorts, room monitors, and shuttle drivers. The event was a success for the State Library and for Baton Rouge. The book festival was covered by The Advocate, and a  link to that article can be found here. The State Library is already making plans for next year, and volunteers will again be needed. It's a great way to get involved with the community, and it is never too early to think about signing up to volunteer along with your friendly librarians.

Eric Stewart, Kathy Seidel, Jackie Jones, and Peter Klubek
volunteering at the 10th annual Louisiana Book Festival.

Toys for Tots
      The BRCC Library Club is pleased to sponsor the "Toys for Tots" toy drive for BRCC again this holiday season. "Toys for Tots" is an initiative of the U.S. Marine Corps Reseve, whose goal is "to deliver, through a new toy at Christmas, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible, productive, patriotic citizens."

      This year the drive will be taken to all BRCC sites. Look for the festive collection box on your campus and please donate new, unwrapped toys. The BRCC toy drive will run from from November 1 to December 5, 2013.

Library Club members Tanekeia Diamond,
Neil Bernard, Eric Stewart, Rusty Burrell, Korayja Jone

Friends of the Magnolia Library
      The mission of the Friends of the Magnolia Library is to support the Baton Rouge Community College Library in its resources, programs and services that will better serve the students, faculty, staff, and community. Friends membership is open to anyone who values the library and wants to do more to support and help energize our role as a vital community resource. Different activities of the friends group have included: Library club activities, book talks and exhibits, One Book One Community programs, advocating libraries and literacy in the community, or bringing your own new ideas when you join! 

The Friends of Magnolia Library Board members:
(left to right) Kathryn Arrington (Treasurer),
Harrietta Bridges (Vice-President)
 Laura Younger, Suzanne Rohli (Secretary),
Melanie Sims, and Mary Lou Earle (President).
 Not shown: Mary Katherine Politz

      The Friends of Magnolia Library have commissioned a festive holiday ornament based on original art by BRCC’s Carrie Causey, Assistant Professor of English & Humanities. Says Board president Mary Lou Earle, “The Friends Board will use the proceeds from ornament sales to bolster Library programs and professional development, which will make Magnolia Library an even richer resource for BRCC students and faculty.”  Causey’s design is a white magnolia in full flower against a satin red background, with “BRCC” on the ornament’s opposite side.  Ornaments are  $10 each and can be purchased in the Library.  For more information:  225-216-8555.

Front and back image of
BRCC Magnolia Library holiday ornament. 

READesign at Bernard Terrace
      On Tuesday, October 22nd,  Capital One Bank team members and Heart of America staff transformed and updated the Bernard Terrace elementary school library into a great learning center for the school. Your BRCC librarians have developed a working partnership with Bernard Terrace and were also invited to participate and volunteer in updating this library space. In addition to new paint and furniture, new resource materials were also provided. There were enough books purchased for this makeover, that each student in the school got to select five books to keep! With the relationship between the school and Magnolia Library, more partnerships are sure to develop. Talk to your librarians if you would like to volunteer for future projects, including the Read Across America project in the spring.  

Peter Klubek building a chair in the
newly renovated library space.

  

D.I.G.
      Jacqueline Jones, Associate Dean of Learning Resources, served as one of the panelists at this years Diversity Interest Group (D.I.G.) mentoring program that was held Saturday, October 5th, on the LSU Baton Rouge campus. This year's theme was "Keeping Pace with Transformation of Libraries in an Ever Diverse Society." Six panelists discussed the reorganization of libraries due to budget cuts and attrition of staff, as well as the services being offered to users along with various modes of communication used to attract users. Associate Dean Jones shared background on the College's recent merger with the technical colleges in and around the parish, and the impact on staff to meet the informational needs and services of an additional six campuses. This was the first year the program was made available virtually to participants through Adobe Connect.

Jacqueline Jones
at D.I.G.

LALINC Directors Meeting

      The Louisiana Academic Library Information Network Consortium (LALINC) formally known as LOUIS, met on BRCC's Mid City Campus Thursday, October 17-18. This marked the second time for BRCC to host this meeting. Library deans and directors from across the state were in attendance.

Group photo of LALINC library deans and directors.

Dual Enrollment
      As part of our ongoing role to assist you and your students in the development of Information literacy skills, we led a tour of the library for dual enrollment students on October 15. This group of students was visiting campus from White Castle, and they got the oppertunity to see first hand many of the features and resources found at Magnolia Library. The overall response from the high school students was very positive with several commenting that they plan to attend BRCC when they graduate.

     As a recruitment tool this is very powerful. While on the tour some of the students spotted alumni who graduated the previous year.

Laddawan Kongchum leading a
library tour for dual enrollment.

Shereen Marx leading a
library tour for dual enrollment.

      This service is not limited to incoming students, but is open to all instructors and courses at BRCC. If you would like to schedule a tour of the library and its resources for your class, call the library at 216-8555, or e-mail librarian@mybrcc.edu.

Student Nurses' Association
      Reference Librarian, Lauren McAdams was a featured guest speaker at the November 4th meeting of the BRCC Student Nurses' Association (SNA). McAdams gave each student in attendance a flyer with quick tips on how to use the library's resources. The students also learned about a the library hours at Frazier and the Nursing Libguide that is available to them 24/7 online. Interested in checking out the Nursing LibGuide yourself? Here's the address: http://guides.mybrcc.edu/nursing
   

Lauren McAdams leading a session at the
BRCC Student Nurses' Association.

Acadian Campus
      Services and activities continue to develop at the Acadian campus. During the Fall Fest event, Associate Dean of Learning Resources, Jackie Jones and Reference Librarian, Kathryn Seidel were on hand to provide information about the resources and oppertunites the library has for students and instructors at this location. These events are a great way to meet and talk to your librarians about the library services you require for your classes.

Jacqueline Jones and Kathy Seidel at Acadian Fall Fest

     On November 6 and 7, Kathy Seidel also continued our workshop series to introduce faculty to the library’s electronic resources. Similar to the SEEK series offered in the past, these workshops focused primarily on the EBSCOHost databases and Learning Express. If you missed these sessions it's not too late. The Magnolia Library will present an additional workshop on using the library electronic databases for faculty at the Acadian campus.  This session will meet on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 12:30pm in Acadian room 224. Please join us to learn more about these wonderful research tools! If you are unable to attend and would like to schedule a different instruction session, please contact Kathy Seidel at seidelk@mybrcc.edu.

Kathy Seidel leading a database workshop
at the Acadian campus.

      

      These popular seminars are available to all faculty at all BRCC locations. If there is a particular database your are curious about, or if you have any questions about the library databases, please contact your library liaison, or email us at librarian@mybrcc.edu. More database workshops are in development, and with your feedback we can tailor these sessions to meet your specific questions and needs.

New Resource
      Our Cataloging Librarian, Jenny Wong, has been hard at work cataloging Shepard's Law books. These books are part of the Shepard's Citation Service. This service provides a comprehensive case citation and treatment history to verify the validity of case law, agency opinions, and other legal documents.  Shepardizing is the practice of using Shepard's Citation Service to validate a citation. Our new collection includes citations for Federal, United States, and Louisiana. These volumes enter our collection as  a donation from Jamie Gurt. They are available, and can be found in the Reference Stacks.

Jenny Wong processing the Shepard's Citations

Midterm is upon us

   

      It hardly seems possible, but midterm is upon us. First seven weeks courses have wrapped up their finals and second seven weeks courses will soon be under way. For classes that run the full semester, this is often a time when a major project, paper, or presentation is at hand. Now might be a good time to remind your students about all of the resources the library has to assist with these assignments. It is also a time to reflect on the research process and how it is not always linear.

      Jessie Daniels at the London School of Economics and Political Science reminds us that in the 21st Century, scholarly research does not follow the logical path that it once did. She explains how an article she wrote on race and racism in the Internet began as a Tweet, became a series of blog posts, and then finally developed into the peer-reviewed article published in New Media and Society. As educators and scholars we are all familiar with each of these types of communication and understand the merits of each form. However, this is not always the case with our students. The library is here to help in that regard, and we can guide your students towards an appreciation for research and an understanding of how to develop their thoughts beyond posting on social networking sites. In reference to the quote above, imagination is powerful and it is our job at BRCC to maximize this potential in our students.

Research Skills in Action

BRCC poster presentations at the LUC conference 

Librarians Peter Klubek, Kathy Seidel and Shereen Marx represented BRCC at poster sessions during the 21^st annual LOUIS Users Conference (LUC) held on October 3-4 at the West Baton Rouge Conference Center in Port Allen.  Klubek’s poster depicted his study of “Dedicated Study Space Within the Library and the Impact on Grades,” which demonstrated that students who used the dedicated study space succeeded in passing the course at a rate 13.6 percentage points higher than the students who did not use the dedicated space.  

Peter Klubek presenting his poster at the LUC conference

The poster produced by Marx and Seidel, “Attack the Slack in the Stacks: Shelf-shifting Simplified,” showed the plan the two librarians developed to quickly move more than 60% of Magnolia Library’s circulating collection to make way for the possible construction of two new rooms within areas currently occupied by stacks.

Kathy Seidel presenting her poster at the LUC conference

Shereen Marx with her poster at the LUC conference

      LOUIS is the centralized support staff of the Louisiana Library Network, a consortium of academic libraries, state and private libraries, and museums and archives.  Located on the LSU campus, LOUIS sponsors an annual conference for its members to address their research, learning, and teaching needs. 

Research Services Available

Sample LALINC card

      Many BRCC faculty and staff may be unaware of a great benefit that is offered through Magnolia Library – a LALINC borrowing card – which gives card holders a way to borrow materials from private and public academic libraries at Louisiana colleges and universities other than their own.  In Baton Rouge alone, this makes the collections at Southern University and LSU accessible.

LALINC cards must be renewed from semester to semester, and possession of a card does not guarantee borrowing privileges from all Louisiana academic libraries. Also, policies differ from library to library.  For example, LSU requires presentation of a valid VISA or Mastercard to borrow items.

For more LALINC borrowing information or to request a card, ask your librarian at the reference desk or contact Shereen Marx at marxs@mybrcc.edu.  To obtain a LALINC borrowing card, your BRCC library account must be in good standing, with no outstanding overdue items or library fines.

More information about the Louisiana Academic Library Information Network Consortium (LALINC) can be found at the LOUIS website: here.  

Louisiana Book Festival

      The Louisiana Book Festival is opening in a few short weeks. This is a one day event, on November 2nd from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It is sponsored by the Louisiana Center For The Book and features food, music, poetry, and of course books! It is located on the grounds of the State Capitol, Capitol Park Museum, and nearby locations. This fun festival provides an opportunity to meet authors and enjoy book related activities and presentations.

Traditionally your BRCC Magnolia librarians have participated in this event by volunteering.

Book Festival 2011
Back Row: Peter Klubek, Kathy Seidel, Brenden McAdams, Eric Stewart
Middle Row: Hunter Anthony, Lauren McAdams, Bea Gyimah
Front Row: Jenny Wong, Shereen Marx, Laddawan Kongchum, Joanie Chavis

The book festival is always looking for more volunteers. If you are interested in participating, click here to volunteer. Be sure to sign up as a group with BRCC Library.

@ your library

Students making use of the library.

      The semester is now off and rolling! We have been very busy in the library assisting students and helping them locate pertinent information for your assignments and projects. Even before the semester started we were active participants in all of the preparation activity. There was a librarian present at each of the orientations including Tiger Bridge, New Student, Dual Enrollment, Adjunct Faculty, Nursing, and VTEC. 

Lauren McAdams speaking at the Nursing Orientation.

        

      Many of you have made library assignments that have had your students tour the library, use the databases, learn about e-books, reference books, and reserve items. All of these things are great ways to increase information literacy and get your students to apply what you have been presenting in the classroom. But, did you know that there are more options available to you?

      A recent article by Hubbard and Lotts looked at information literacy and how libraries can help with the discovery and significance of primary vs. secondary sources.  The authors had students from a college success course break up into five groups. Each group was given a unique item from the library special collections. Instructions were provided, and then the students were invited to personally examine the object their group had been given. After an appropriate amount of time, each group had to present their object to the rest of the class. Each time this lesson was presented, the cultural significance of each of the objects was not readily apparent to the participants. As a result, more instruction was required of the librarians. The authors stated that with this additional instruction, the provided context of the objects took on more meaning and gave the students an experience to see history come alive.  With particular emphasis on primary sources, Hubbard and Lotts wrote that the active learning that resulted from these lessons gave students the unique opportunity to express thoughts and gain an understanding of the variety of information sources available to them.

      Librarians bring unique experiences and open new avenues to the learning in your classrooms.  Here at BRCC, Magnolia Library can assist you with this. Why not take this opportunity to meet with your subject liaison  to brainstorm and discuss possible lesson plans?  Did you know we feature an archive and three special collections (The Louisiana Collection, the Earle Collection, and the MCRC Collection)? An exercise similar to the one described here could be custom created for you and your class.

Peter Klubek at the Port Allen site.

     

      Work is progressing on the development of library services at each of the former CATC campuses. A librarian will be present at each location at least one day a week. For a complete schedule of hours of operation click here. Please note that at our Mid City campus, hours on Monday and Tuesday have been extended to 9:00 PM.

Peter Klubek addressing nursing students at Westside

    

      Students have met this new service with enthusiasm, and are looking forward to working with the librarians. Durring the introductions students asked a variety of questions, and instructors at these sites were encourged by our visits. Plans are already underway for the librarian at Jackson to visit the class for a bibliographic instruction session that will demonstrate some of the services the library offers.
         

Welcome!

Back row from left to right: Shereen Marx, Dean Joanie Chavis, Peter Klubek.

Middle row from left to right: Associate Dean Jacqueline Jones, Lauren McAdams, Jenny Wong.

Front row from left to right: Laddawan Kongchum, Kathy Seidel.

                             

Welcome! Welcome to a new semester, a new BRCC, and to this, the inaugural newsletter/blog of your Magnolia Library.  Here you will be able to find out about all the news, events and activities happening in your library. It is a collaborative effort of all the librarians and will be a great resource to not only follow what is happening in the library, but will also afford you another outlet to get involved and participate in developing the collections, resources, and programming you require in support of your courses.

This raises an interesting question: What is required of an academic library in the 21st Century? The Association of College and Research Libraries is an organization that has examined this issue, and Larry Hardesty wrote about it in 2000. Although over 10 years old, this article is still very relevant today. Hardesty outlined the worth of a college education and explained that if one of the outcomes is to be able to identify, locate, and use information as lifelong learners, access to a library and the services of librarians is critical. He explained that students need to not only know and understand how to use electronic resources, but that they must also develop a knowledge of the physical items and resources available to them. The author stressed that these resources are selected by both librarians and their instructors, and therefore offer a more in-depth perspective of the very issues discussed in classrooms. The physical library in combination with electronic material helps to paint a fuller picture and can aid in getting your students to think beyond completing an assignment and develop a more global perspective.

To this end, we need your help! Please continue to support your library and communicate with your subject area liaisons regularly (liaison list is here). If there is something we can add to your library or our services that we do not have, let us know. Remember that in addition to assistance with resources in the library we have library tours and bibliographic instruction sessions, which can be customized to your class/assignment.        

Librarians have already been busy adding new resources to serve you better. Recently we have added to the support for students with disabilities. A wheelchair-accessible study table has been made available on the second floor. The height of the table is adjustable with the push of a button and ranges from 25 to 33 inches. The table is located on the second floor of the Library, adjacent to the windows that face Government Street. Priority for use of the table is given to students in wheelchairs and other students with disabilities. In addition, the screen reading software JAWS installed at computer station 206 on the second floor is designed to make electronic resources accessible for students with visual impairments.  Please contact the library at (225) 216-8555 if you have questions about the library or its resources.

Wheelchair-accessible study table on 2nd Fl. 

                            

Librarians have also been busy preparing to meet the needs of students at our new satellite facilities by creating libraries in these spaces. Over the last two weeks visits were conducted at New Roads, Jackson, Plaquemine, Port Allen, Acadian, and Hooper Road.

 Librarians touring Airport Facility.

                                       

Librarians touring Airport Facility.

                                                                     

Librarians touring Plaquemine.

                                                    
The libraries in these spaces will not be complete before the start of the semester, but library services will be available the first week of classes.

In addition to these exciting developments, your BRCC librarians have also been representing our campus out in the community. Bernard Terrace completed a renovation prior to the start of the new school year, and Magnolia Librarians were present to assist with moving teachers back into the classroom.

 Librarian Group photo in front of Bernard Terrace elementary.

                                       

We are looking forward to another great semster and academic year!