VT Libraries Edible Books Contest!

Do you like food?  Do you like books?  Then you MUST join us for our first official Edible Books Contest at Virginia Tech's University Libraries on Friday, March 30 from 2-4 p.m.  
Just what is an Edible Book Contest (aka an Edible Book Festival)? 

A winner from 2011:  Madeline

Edible book contests are about being creative with books and food. Entries can look like, poke fun, interpret, or highlight a book or element of a book. Entries can be sweet, savory, salty, bitter...anything! You can see images from our Newman Library pilot program in 2011 on the Newman Library Flickr site


Many libraries host similar events and you can find other examples on the web.


If you would like to enter the contest, visit the website for the contest:  http://tinyurl.com/VTEdibleBooks2012 

A 2011 favorite:  Make Way for Dumplings

Contact me--Rebecca Miller (millerrk@vt.edu), and/or Kira Dietz (kadietz@vt.edu) if you have questions about the rules, the form, or the event! We can't wait to see you Friday, March 30, 2012 in Torgersen Hall, Room 1100! 

Help! I'm Really Stressed Out!

And now, for the second post in this "finals" series (and the obligatory cat picture):

    Help!  I'm Really Stressed Out!

Image from:  cheezburger.com

Lack of sleep?  Anxiety?  Pages and pages of tests and papers all due in the next week? Newman Library has just the thing for you:  our Reading Day Stress Relievers! (and other resources)

Tomorrow, December 8, Newman Library will be hosting several events especially geared toward relieving your stress:




11:45 a.m.-12:15(ish):  EnCorps, the string ensemble of the Corps of Cadets and the Brass Quartet, will play near the 2nd floor entrance of Newman Library.  Be sure to stop by and listen!

2:00-7:00 p.m.:  The Reiki Club will help melt your tensions away through energy movement.  They will also be near the 2nd floor entrance of Newman Library.  First come, first served--there will be a welcome/waiting area!

9:00 p.m.-late, late, late:  Newman Library hosts its first free hot chocolate/coffee/tea night of the semester!  We will be offering these free beverages from tomorrow night, and then December 11-14.  Make this caffeine stop before starting your serious studying.

What else do we have to offer to ease your anxiety?

Librarians and library staff, of course, are available through midnight in order to help you with your research.  Stop by the 4th or 2nd floor reference desks for help.  If you're not into one-on-one help, check out a few books geared toward stress relief and study strategies.  Click the titles to view the Addison records and check them out!

• Coping with Stress at University:  A Survival Guide
• Motivation and Learning Strategies for College Success
• Becoming a Master Student
• Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College
• The Smart Study Guide
• The 10-Step Method of Stress Relief
• Yoga for Stress Relief
• Manage Stress
• Managing Stress:  Expert Solutions to Everyday Problems

A Few Noteworthy Items...

I can't believe that Thanksgiving was last week, and that we're already finishing up the last full week of classes for the semester.  This post is mainly a hodgepodge of news and events related to the library--next week, I'll begin a week-long series of posts on research and study tips, but for now, here's what we have going on in the library that you may want to know about:

• HNFE Librarian Office Hours:  I will be holding ONE more office hours session in Wallace Hall this semester (note:  there will be no office hours on Tuesday, 12/6).  I will be in Wallace Atrium next Wednesday, December 7 from 9:00-10:30 a.m.  Please stop by if you have any research or other questions for me!  Otherwise, don't hesitate to schedule a consultation session with me.  I'll be here up until the University closes on December 23, so just let me know how I can help!

• VT Author Recognition Day Announcement:  Did you publish or edit a book during 2011?  Make sure we know about it so we can recognize you in February at our annual Author Recognition event!

• Free Coffee is Back:  From December 8 (next Thursday) through December 15, Newman Library will have extended hours for exams AND FREE COFFEE!  If you're up late studying, be sure to swing by.

• The Grateful Gobbler is also Back:  Through January 3, we will be collecting food for the Giving Tree Food Pantry (a local charity).  Be sure to donate, especially if you don't want to leave any food in your dorm or apartment over break!

• Changes in Library Hours:  During exams, and then break, Newman Library will have varied hours.  Always check the website (linked above) to see what the hours are on any given day!  

There are a lot of exciting changes happening at the Libraries over the next few months, so I imagine that I will be writing about a few more noteworthy items very, very soon.  Until next week:  happy writing, studying, researching, and relaxing!  

Culinary History Highlight: Event This Week!

Newman Classic Film Series: Your 1960s Kitchen

Have you heard about the Newman Classic Film Series?  This fall (through the end of October), Newman Library will be hosting free films from our collection every Sunday night on the lawn between Torgersen Hall and Newman Library.  We're also providing free popcorn and bottled water (you'll need to bring your own blanket/lawn chair), so why not join us?  

This Sunday (October 2), we'll be featuring three short films from the 1960s on keeping your kitchen (and household) running efficiently.  The first two short films were produced right here at VPI:  15 Minutes to Mealtime and Freeze for Ease.  The third film, Alice in Numberland, is a USDA film from the same time period.  

The films start at 8:30 p.m. each week, so put it on your calendar now and join us this Sunday!  More information can be found on the Facebook page for the Newman Classic Film Series.  

Free Greenberry's Coffee!! Tonight!

I don't know if you've heard the rumors, but I can now confirm that they are true:  Greenberry's will be providing free coffee for exams!

On the evenings of May 5 (tonight!), 6, 8, 9, and 10, Greenberry's will be donating free coffee to students studying in the library.  The coffee, along with hot chocolate and tea provided by the Library Marketing Committee, will be available in the 2nd floor Learning Commons (right beside the 2nd floor Reference Desk).

You can read more about it here, in the official library news release, but take it from me:  this is is one giveaway that you don't want to miss!  See you in the library!

Grow Green with Sustainable Gardening @ Blacksburg Library

TOMORROW:  Tuesday, April 19, 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Blacksburg Library
Learn things you can implement now to make your garden more sustainable and healthier for you and your family!  Short presentations and question-and-answer sessions will be available with the following experts.  More information available on the Blacksburg Library's event page

• “Permaculture Design,” by Sarah Gibbs of NatureScapes
• “Composting 101,” by Sustainable Agriculture Consultant Barry B. Robinson
• “Organic Gardening Basics,” by Rebekah Paulson of Rebekah’s Country Garden

Information from Cathy Prati's Blacksburg Library and Activities Newsletter

More EndNote!

This semester, I have gotten more questions about EndNote than ever before!  On April 15, FDI (Faculty Development Institute) will offer a 2-hour workshop on EndNote X4.  Information about registration is available here:  http://www.lib.vt.edu/libnews/2011/2011-04-01.html, and any VT faculty, staff, or graduate student is eligible to register.

Of course, I am also always available to sit down with you, or your class, and go over the EndNote program.  X5 will be coming out soon, and it looks like the update has some really cool features!

Graduate Education Week: Lounge at the Library!

Attention, HNFE graduate students:  Happy Graduate Education Week!  It definitely looks like you all have a busy week scheduled, with lots of exciting events, but I wanted to highlight one of those events--Lounge at the Library!

Tomorow (Tuesday, 3/22), University Libraries will be sponsoring a special event just for Graduate Education Week.  At noon, in the Graduate Study Lounge (416 Newman Library), University Libraries will provide a light lunch and (very) brief program:  Managing Your Scholarly Identity.  This program will include an opportunity for you to meet your subject librarian, in addition to playing with scholarly identity tools in our "scholarly identity tools petting zoo."

Can't make it to tomorrow's lunch?  You can still view the handout that I created for tomorrow's program and petting zoo. Each tool that you see listed on this handout will be available for you to experiment with tomorrow; if you have any questions about any of the tools listed, simply let me know, and we can discuss them!

Scholarly Identity Tools

View more documents from Rebecca Miller.

For a full listing of Graduate Education Week activities, visit the website. See you all at the library tomorrow!

FDI Workshop on Zotero

On Wednesday, March 23 from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., the Faculty Development Institute will host a workshop on Zotero.  Zotero, a free, browser-based bibliographic manager, has gained quite a lot of popularity over the past year, and more students, researchers, and faculty members are using it as an alternative to other bibliographic managers like EndNote.

You can register online, just as you usually do for FDI sessions:  https://app.fdi.vt.edu/public/modules/selfenroll/_enroll.php?eventPk1=13162

If you can't make the FDI session, but would like to learn more about Zotero, or any other bibliographic manager, simply contact me and we can sit down and discuss it!

Read the University Libraries' news release about this workshop:  http://www.lib.vt.edu/libnews/2011/2011-03-09.html

Upcoming Events: EndNote Webinar and Cooking Husbands in the Library

Over the next week and a half or so, there are two events sponsored by University Libraries that you may be interested in attending!  The first one, How to Cook a Husband, is one that I publicized a few weeks ago on this blog, but, just as a reminder, that event will take place at 2 p.m. THIS Friday (2/25) on the 4th floor of Newman Library--note:  this is a change from the original location!

The second event that you may be interested in is an EndNote X4 Webinar, hosted by yours truly and Heather Moorefield-Lang, the College Librarian for the School of Education.  The webinar will run from 6:30-7:30 p.m. next Thursday, March 3.  And, you can participate in it from the comfort of your own home (or office).  Please register for this webinar; registration and other information is available:  http://www.lib.vt.edu/libnews/2011/2011-02-22.html.  Once you register for the webinar, additional information about attending the event will be sent to the email address that you provide.

We hope to see you at the library (either in person or virtually) for these two exciting events!

"How to Cook a Husband" Culinary Event

At 2 p.m. on February 25 in Newman Library, Acquisitions Archivist Kira Dietz will be giving an informal presentation on the Culinary History Collection here are Virginia Tech. Titled “How to Cook a Husband: Household Management in the Culinary History Collection,” Kira’s presentation will focus on recent activities with the collection, as well as how the libraries acquire materials and what the libraries do with them once we have them. There is a lot more to this collection than cookbooks!  After the presentation, there will be a “show and touch” in the Special Collections conference room to share some new and favorite acquisitions. 

Calling All VT (Book) Authors!

From University Libraries:

The University Libraries, in partnership with the Provost's Office, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and Virginia Tech's chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, are co-sponsoring and coordinating the sixth annual Virginia Tech Authors Day to honor the authors' academic contributions to the university. 

The occasion will be marked by an introduction of the authors, a display of representative books, and a presentation by Katrina Powell of the English Department, who will discuss the books for which she was awarded Phi Beta Kappa’s 2010 Albert L. Sturm Award for Excellence in Faculty Research, followed by a reception. The event is scheduled for Thursday, February 17, 2011, at 4:30 p.m. in Newman Library. Please save this date, formal invitations with details of the event location and program will be mailed in January, 2011.

We would like to solicit your assistance in obtaining a list of books (not journal articles or book chapters) that you have authored/co-authored or edited, that have a publication date of 2010. Please send names and lists of publications to Lori Lee, secretary in the University Libraries Research and Instructional Services department, for inclusion in the event.

We request that you respond by Wednesday December 22, 2010 to allow library staff sufficient time to compile the list and where possible secure copies of the publications not already in our collections. The compiled list will be displayed online and updated regularly,.