Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Spring Fever - Being productive while still being able to breathe during Spring Break
0 comments Posted by Laura Saloiye at 9:17 AM
It's finally that time of the semester. The time when Spring Break draws nigh and the idea of a week away from school makes us drool with anticipation. Unfortunately, beforehand (and even afterwards for some), we have exams, quizzes, papers, and all other sorts of homework to finish. Many times Spring Break is given as a chance to work on projects that would be impossible to handle during the daily rush of things. As such, an important question rises to the forefront of our minds.
How do we get homework done during spring break while still being able to relax and enjoy our break from school?
Well, the answer is simple, but not exactly as easy. Here's some steps to help you get started:
1. Make a list of MUST-DO assignments. These assignments are ones that are important and need your attention immediately. If you can't figure out what assignments are 'must-do' ones, then look at the syllabus. Must-do assignments often depend on the due date (is it due soon?) or the grade weight (what percentage of the final grade is the assignment?).
2. Space out some time during break specifically for homework. Now, this is not near as easy as it sounds. But pick a time every day where you will get away from family, friends and Facebook and just work on homework.
3. Use your resources. If you need to work on a paper over Spring Break, be sure to check your book out of the library before you leave! Or, check out the eBooks and Online Databases linked on the library.cairn.edu home page, and find what you need right there on your computer! Searching the online catalog can also bring up books that you can access on your computer while you're at home. Always be aware of the resources you have!
4. Take a break! Depending on the type of student you are, this might be the most important step. Especially at this point in the semester, we are more than capable of running our poor brains into the ground by overstudying. Burnout is very common during this time of midterms and essays, so be sure to step back and take a break! Your brain doesn't work nearly as well when it's worn out as it would if you just took a short break. For my break, I'll watch an episode of Friends. It's only 22 minutes long, and I feel refreshed enough afterwards that I can go back to tackling my homework! Once I get something else accomplished homework-wise, I can take another break and watch another episode. This keeps me from getting overly-stressed, and it keeps my brain from shutting down on me.
These steps are only the beginning, and all require discipline. That's where the hard part comes in. But if you follow these basic steps, then you should be able to be at least somewhat productive and be able to relax at the same time! Just remember not to get TOO burnt out on homework, and to enjoy your family and friends while you're at home! Also, for any of you staying on campus, please remember that we have adjusted hours for spring break! These can be seen in the 'hours' link on the library.cairn.edu homepage. Good luck everyone, and have a wonderful spring break!
~Rachel Krodel
In case
you missed the first part of this blog series, I have set out to show Masland
Library visitors that the library is a valuable resource for social
entertainment. In Part I, I hit on some of the library’s top movies of various
genres. While movies are great entertainment for large groups of people, they
do not necessarily facilitate great social interaction. If there is much
interaction, the movie has probably become background noise and everyone missed
an important movie scene. So now I bring you to music, the perfect element to
set the mood for your social events. Even you are the loner of the party Taylor
Swift once eloquently stated, “People haven’t always been there for me but
music always has.” Therefore, I encourage you to check out some of the
library’s music and let it permeate the atmosphere of your social life.
Music
*The library’s CD collection can be found on the 2nd
floor on your left before entering the computer lab. Although I will not
expound upon them here, the Masland Library has some RECORDS available to
borrow. If you are retro enough to own a record player, ask us more on how to
get your hands on a record.
Romantics Sampler – CD M5 .R663 1995
Let me clarify first by saying this
is not a compilation of songs for a passionate date. The word Romantics refers
to a time period and genre of classical music from the 18th century.
This is music is called romantic because it explored the breadth of emotion in
a way music had not before. Therefore, the modern music listener can find great
refreshment in these pieces.
Scott Joplin Piano Rags – CD M25 .J81 P53 2004
Now these are some true American
originals. Just imagine you and your friends in some small town establishment
out west 100 years back, playing cards and listening to an old man tickling the
ivories with some good old rag time.
Spanish Guitar – CD M126 .S62 2002
This CD is sure to bring that spice
that was missing from your life. Do not forget about this one for all of your
Cinco de Mayo parties.
Quartets – CD M450
– CD M457.4
While great majority of our CD’s
consist of classical music, I wanted to highlight the quartet section of the
collection. In Fall of 2013 the world renown Ying String Quartet came and
played for our school. Some of the greatest classical music was written for
such a group of players on these instruments: two violins, a viola, and a
cello. Only four instruments! This music is not only for the sophisticated.
Jazz, Louis Armstrong – CD M1356 .A736 D445 2000
Jazz, Duke Ellington – CD M1366 .E461 D933 2000
Jazz, Coleman Hawkins – CD M1366 .H395 C654 2000
If you have not been sufficiently
exposed to big band jazz, you are missing out on one of the greatest musical
joys in life. This music may, dare I say it, make you want to dance. To give
you a little more direction within these three artists, Louis Armstrong played
some mean trumpet (and had a great voice!), Duke Ellington worked the piano,
and Coleman Hawkins played some sweet tones on the tenor saxophone.
Star Wars Original Trilogy Soundtrack – CD M1527.2 .W721 S27
2004
It is
Star Wars. Need I say more?
International Music Mix – CD M1627 .I58 1999
A little bit of this. A little bit
of that. Musical flavors from all around the globe. Now you can connect with
all of your multicultural friends!
Simon and Garfunkel – CD M1630.18 .S55 S5 1972
I have always considered these guys
to be the original indie band. They formed a new genre of folk-rock in the
1960’s. That may seem old but their music does not sound it. Simon and
Garfunkel is great for the car or chilling at all times of the day.
Soulful Music by Leontyne Price – CD M1670 .P953 1996
I cannot say I have ever listened
to this lady, but I do know she was famous. The nature of the music of this
album is just as the title suggests.
Manheim Steamroller, Christmas
in the Aire – CD M2065 .M354 C475 1995
If you have ever listened to
Christmas music on the radio, you must have heard Manheim Steamroller. I would
describe them as new age electric orchestra rock going wild on Christmas tunes.
These songs could put you in the holiday mood in July.
Michael Card, The
Hidden Face of God – CD M2198 .C37 2006
Michael Card is an older but well
known Christian artist that came to our school in Fall of 2013. This is only
one of several albums we have of his, but check them all out!
~Wayne Hailstone
This video was inspired by a previous post "Cheap Library Dates". That blog can be read here. Please enjoy the following feature.
A Special thank you goes to the cast Daniel Wright, Rebecca Hardman and Daniel Hanselman. The artist vision and videography is courtesy of Daniel Wright and Michael Rothermal.
The library is a place for some serious studying, which occasionally produces the heavy desire to munch and crunch. There is a sign that remind folks not to go up or down the stairs with the intentions to eat food. The library is a great place to practice integrity, so please do not ignore the sign and feed the gobble monster in your tummy that likes to scratch at your insides. If you feel as though you cannot resist, walk quickly to the lobby near the front desk and munch there for some time. Why do we ask for such a difficult request? The library has many lovely books that help many people. Some books are older than most students, if not all. We try our best to keep these books clean and stainless, so the farther they are from food the better.
The sensational smells that enter the library with patrons are not only a dead giveaway of your belongings, but they also serve as distractions to other focused students. Aromas provide different therapies for people, and the aroma of food is like a lovely poison, stimulating the brain to think the body needs food, and thus other people might feel the sudden urge to eat as well, and they lose that God given grace to focus. Please think of others and the beautiful essence of the library.
Thank You
Dominique Delva
Before we dive into the essence of this article, take a
moment to describe what you think the function of the Masland Library is. You
will probably recall the heavy coursework of this past semester’s homework that you diligently
completed in the library and decide that the Masland Library is a place for
students to read books, research, and write papers. While this is the primary
function of the library, I want to propose the library can be thought of as
something else: a resource for social
entertainment. Mind you, the Masland Library is not where the social
entertainment should take place, but we do have a number DVD’s, CD’s, and books
ideal for your social affairs. Therefore, I have compiled a list of some of the
Masland Library’s finest materials so that you may realize the full potential
of this library as a resource for social entertainment. This blog will focus on
movies and will be followed by two more blogs on music and books for social
entertainment.
Movies
Few
people realize that behind the front desk at the Masland Library are many
movies that people watch for recreational purposes. Besides documentaries,
educational films, and operas there are 150 recreational films. Below I have
highlighted some of the library’s best films according to genre. Check one out
the next time you visit the library!
Operas – Richard Wagner’s Tristan Und Isolde, Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Wolfgang Mozart’s Don Giovanni
These
operas are only 5 of about 100 operas the Masland Library has on DVD. You might
have to be a true musical geek to check them out. If not, watch one anyway and
consider yourself cultured.
Musicals – Sound of
Music, Singin’ in the Rain
Do not underestimate the
entertainment of a musical put into film. It may not have the same feel as a
live performance, but remember the cast had unlimited tries to perfect each
scene.
Westerns – Stagecoach,
The Alamo
Westerns might not be
everyone’s thing, but try widening your horizons with these two films.
Classic books
turned into films – 12 Angry Men, Pride and Prejudice, Death of a Salesman, Grapes of Wrath
The books are called “classics” for
a reason. These are sure to be worth the time to watch with your friends.
Follow up by discussing how the film answers the enduring questions.
For all Disney fans, be sure to
enjoy yourselves with these two Disney favorites. Feel free to sing along.
Science Fiction – The
Original Star Wars Trilogy, The
Matrix, Minority Report, Planet of
the Apes
If you have not watched Star Wars by now, the time has come. The
original trilogy made significant advances in the use of special effects and
drastically shaped our culture. Any of these four sci-fi movies are a good
choice for your movie night.
War – Gods and Generals, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, The Hunt for Red October
Experience some of the world’s 19th
and 20th century wars through these popular historical war films. I
daresay Schindler’s List will draw a
tear or two.
Drama – The Truman
Show (Satire, Comedy), Fireproof (Christian), Stranger Than Fiction (Comedy), Cast Away (Adventure), The Passion of the Christ (Religion,
History)
These drama films really have
little in common (hence the secondary genres in parenthesis) but they are all
quality films that deserve your attention. They are more “moving” than
“exciting.”
Biographical film – Finding
Neverland, A Beautiful Mind, A River
Runs Through it, Gandhi
All of these films are also drama
pieces but they are based on real people from the real world. Learn to see life
through someone else’s eyes.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Yes, the library does indeed have
all three The Lord of the Rings movies. These movies are so fantastic I decided
to separate them from the others in this list. We can only hope the library
will add the new The Hobbit movies to
the collection.
~Wayne Hailstone
When
you were a kid, you probably thought you wanted to be a spy. There’s a common
misconception among young people that that’s the coolest job you could possibly
have. But that’s only because few children know how cool it is to be a Student
Worker in the University Library. In fact, being a library worker is sort of
like being a spy in a lot of ways! Here are five examples.
1. They
overhear everything: What you qualify as a whisper probably isn’t as quiet as
you thought. Student Workers overhear a lot in the library (and they’re not
even invisible). Wearing headphones, taking calls outside, and actually
whispering will help keep your secret schemes under wraps. But don’t worry,
library workers are sworn to secrecy when it comes to classified information
like your academic record.
2. They have
gadgets: If you’ve ever seen a library worker sneaking around with a hand-held
device, they aren’t scanning your retinas or looking at blueprints. These
little gizmos keep track of how many times books have been used, but not
checked out. This is why we ask you to leave your used books on the carts
around the library or at your table - as evidence.
4. They
consult high-tech databases: Nearly everything a Library Worker needs to know
can be found either in their training manuals or in the limited-access online
databases. If you’re a Cairn student, you too have access to these stockpiles
of information. If you’re having trouble accessing or using a database, one of
these Student Workers or a librarian can help you.
5. They wear a
badge: Nothing says “elite” like the shiny faux-gold of a library nametag.
These badges are proudly worn by (undisguised) library employees who would be
happy to serve you the next time you need help accessing information!
~Christine Fitzpatrick
The library staff has an idea for a new art competition and we need your help to determine if there is enough interest. In lieu of the Library's participation in the University-wide art competition, it was suggested the Library sponsor a book art competition.
What is book art?
There are so many types of book art out there and we have included some for you to see here in this blog. Masland Library's definition of book art is: Art that is either designed or created using books as the main creative element.
Styles?
Sculptures, origami, architecture, and so many other styles can be used.
Are you interested?
If you are can you please comment here or on Facebook after this post.
1. Check and respond to your Cairn email. I’ve missed numerous deadlines (payments, book return dates, etc.) because I either neglected to read my email or just chose not to care, expecting that things would go my way. Entitlement is not an appropriate Christian attitude.
Lesson Learned: Freshman Year
2. Take responsibility. I don’t know about you, but I have weaseled my way out of lots of problems, even at a Biblical university. I like to blame the cosmic forces that are (so, God I guess) for every problem that comes my way. “I’m sorry,” is a much better response than, “I can’t pay that $500 fine for this overdue book because I’m busy and never check my school email."
Lesson Learned: Sophomore Year
3. Work now, play later. Prioritizing your life as a student means that assignments come first. If for some reason they can’t, then you need to re-prioritize so they can. Completing work on-time and completing work well can be an act of worship with the right motivation. Do all things to the glory of God.
Lesson Learned: Junior Year
4. Print assignments early. A lot of folks like to print out papers 10 minutes before their class starts. Waiting in line at the printer can be super frustrating especially if the printer malfunctions (which can happen), and puts you in a poor mood for class.
Lesson Learned: Sophomore Year
5. Accept help with grace. Cairn faculty, staff, and student workers are not out to get you. We want to help because we in fact do know that life is tough, stressful, and out-of-control at times. If you let go of pride and accept help (or let go of pride that things could ever dare go wrong for you) then we can help you more effectively.
Lesson Learned: Junior Year
6. Trust Jesus. Ultimately, a failing grade does not have eternal weight. It may bring shame or disappointment, but your righteousness and approval before God is found solely in Christ. If you truly grasp that, you have the power to go before a professor and admit your mistakes (not hiding them because you fear punishment) and even ask for help. Repentance plays just as important role in human relationships as it does with God and will prevent a lot of problems from getting as bad as you might let them.
Lesson Re-learned: Every Year
~Ben Overbey
Guest Post by Abbie Fehr
The library’s about journals. I wouldn’t be a proper library employee if I didn’t at least give the obligatory nod to some of the other resources the library offers. I bet you didn’t even know this job was an option, but I worked two years as the Serials Clerk—stamping, shelving, and shifting the various periodicals that come into the library. They’re nifty, but most people don’t even know that they exist on the right side of the bottom floor of the library. Check them out sometime, except not literally because they’re set as Library Use Only and taking them from the library would be considered stealing. And that would make me sad. And for goodness sake, please use the online databases sometime. They make your work a whole lot easier and more credible, and you’ll have less to regret when you graduate and have no access to them anymore. At least make the most of the time you have. There’s also CDs and DVDs, including all three seasons of Downton Abbey, which of course you have the time to watch during the semester.
The library’s about studying. I didn’t actually do all that much studying in the library because, as an employee, I invariably got people coming to me with library questions when I was trying to do my homework. I didn’t like the tension between the joy of helping someone and the frustration at being derailed from my train of thought, so I just stayed away. But I’ll still think fondly of how I used the uncomfortable chairs to spur me on to finish my paper faster or how I felt lost and confused when I found that some cruel person had taken my spot at study carrel #42. Sometimes the library felt like an existential time loop, where hundreds of students have written that same eschatology paper in this building over the past 20 years. There’s a strange solace in that kind of solidarity.
The library’s about people. While library patrons are all well and good, the people in the library that will stick with me the most are the librarians. Having worked in both parts of the library—the “downstairs” Circulation department and “upstairs” Technical Services department—I’ve had the privilege of working with all 7 of Cairn’s librarians. (Yes, there are more than just the two you see on a regular basis.) I will miss the quiet kindness that I observed in Gwenn, the teasing I took from Alice, the thunderous theological discussions I had with Melvin, the vegan recipes I stole from Laura, the analysis of period dramas I thought through with Stephanie, the laughter I shared with Nang Tsin, and the polite banter I ventured with Dr. Hui. Those things might have little to do with actual work, but that is not to imply that everyone’s lazy. We’re not. We do a lot more than patrons will ever see, and we like it that way. More than all of the stamping and shifting and shelving that I’ve done in the library, these conversations that happened amidst and around that work will stick with me the longest.
The library’s about Jesus. Mostly, I think, the past four years have taught me that the library’s about Jesus. I mean this on more than the fundamental fact that it’s a theological library at a biblical university. That’s just the obvious part. But through example and explanation, I’ve seen the Gospel play out between those pale pink walls. I was forgiven one day when I completely forgot to show up to work as a freshman and then restored to the point where I was given a key and the freedom to come work on library projects at off hours. There was the time where I sent my boss an email because I was nearing an emotional breaking point and didn’t know if I could keep it together at work—and rather than lecturing me about professionalism—he simply told me that he and his wife were praying for me. From serious talks on Calvinism and church music to advice on how to seduce men with pie, I’ve been convicted, challenged, amused, unsettled, and encouraged by the various people at the library. They’re not perfect. I’m not perfect. But beyond a shared love of books, a shared love of Jesus draws us together in a way that nothing else can.
I’ve learned a lot in these past four years, and the library has been a big part of it. Though gone for less than a week, I already miss it. I will always be grateful.
Goodbye.
abbie fehr.
A library date occurs when a guy (or girl) wants to take their loved one on a date that is free of charge. The first thing that they need to know is when the Masland Library is open. The library is open on Monday to Thursday from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM; Friday from 7:30 AM to 7:00 PM; Saturday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM; and Sunday from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. For special hours please see our library hours page here. When the library is open, the date will begin when once a couple enters the library. The order of events that will be described does not have to be done chronologically.
After sharing some memorable moments in the computer lab, the couple will go to Juvenile Lab which is located next to the Curriculum Lab on the Mezzanine level. As they browse the various children's books, they will have an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia and will grab their favorite children's books from the shelves and proceed to read to their loved ones. The time in the Juvenile Lab is a great time to pour your childhood feelings into someone else so that they may love you all the more. The books in the Juvenile Lab are also useful for the elementary education majors. When the couple finishes with their stories, they will find one of the small cubicle desks in the library and share it. The cubicle desks are very useful for all students to use when they want to do homework with peace and quiet. So with peace and quiet, the couple can sit together and whisper sweet little nothings to each other. The couple will leave the library very much in love and still without money. Nonetheless, they will treasure those sweet moments together during their library date for the rest of their days.
Some of these ideas are simple ideas for loved ones to invest their time in if they want to have cheap library dates. Enjoy the Masland Library and all of the wonderful dates you may have there. I trust that the student body at Cairn University will also have ideas to contribute to the concept of a cheap library date, and I hope they will treasure those moments.
~Daniel Wright
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