Masland Library Blog

When homework continually piles up throughout the semester, it is hard to think of doing any independent study for one’s own benefit. But sometimes, some independent study is actually more refreshing than draining.

During this semester, I have had the opportunity to begin studying Islam. For one of the fastest growing religions in the world, it is upsetting how little I knew about it. Once I decided that I desired to know more, I began perusing a few different sections within our library that contained literature on the subject. I found many decent resources, but I must say that my favorite book that I stumbled upon is Unveiling Islam by Ergun Mehmet Caner and Emir Fethi Caner. Although I am currently only 54 pages in, this book has taught me a substantial amount about this belief system.

The authors of Unveiling Islam, Ergun and Emir, are brothers who were raised as Sunni Muslims. Now, highly respected theology professors, Ergun and Emir wrote this book together in order to present the practices, ethics, and beliefs of Islam. Ergun and Emir helpfully present the Islamic beliefs by directly contrasting them to Christianity.

Some other books that were also helpful to me were Islam: A Short Guide to the Faith by Roger Allen and Shawkat M. Toorawa, and A New Anthropology of Islam by John Bowen.

As college students, there is so much to balance, and the idea of adding one more thing onto our plate doesn’t exactly sound like the most appetizing option, but amidst all of the stress of homework and extracurricular activities, it can be nice to set aside some time to invest in an area that is unrelated to your studies that interests you. Balancing time is key, but I encourage you to take a book, fiction or non-fiction, and set aside time during your semester to read for fun. With always reading for classes, the joy of reading tends to disappear. I challenge you to remember that reading can actually be quite an enjoyable endeavor.

~Leia Brunette

Titles are often what catch people’s attention. So was my case with Fahrenheit 451. Why the strange title you may ask. The title of the book is the temperature at which books burn. It is set in a dystopian society where they have decided that books are a bad thing. They are useless collections of words that mess with people’s view of reality and toy with their emotions resulting in poor judgment.

Guy Montag is a fireman, not a firefighter whose job is to burn books. A task which he has found satisfying until a seventeen-year-old girl named Clarisse McClellan pops into his life, and starts asking him questions and pointing out things that he had never thought about before. This is where Montag’s journey really starts as he discovers the wonder of books for himself.

I really enjoyed this book and think it may be one of my new favorite in the category from dystopian literature. I would recommend it to people who read and enjoyed The Hunger Games series and were looking for something else with a world gone wrong and a desire for change. Also for those who liked 1984, there are some similarities. I would say even if you hated 1984 and wished it could have been a bit different I would recommend this book because I personally was not a fan of 1984, and the thought of going into another dystopian intimidated me a bit, but Ray Bradbury had me from the first page of the story all the way through.

I would also encourage you to read his two introductions. I started to read and fell in love with the author immediately because I connected with his love of books and how he came across his ideas. Even if that is not something you enjoy, seeing his thought process is rather interesting.

I will leave you with a quote from his character Farber in the book. “The magic is only in what books say, how they stitched the patches of the universe together into one garment for us.” ― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Happy reading!

Elisabeth Smith

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. 

kept them indoors (shocking, I know). While you may think the library is made up entirely of the BIB REF section, there are a lot of resources here that will help you replicate that TV watching experience as best as possible. With a little imagination you’ll forget you’re not watching the real deal. Here’s some suggestions for stocking up before the next storm:

Guest Post by Abbie Fehr

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I came to work at the library the beginning of my freshman year at Cairn. I just thought I’d be working with a bunch of books. And while that has been overwhelmingly true, four years of working at the library—including 2 J-terms and 3 summers—has taught me that it’s so much more.  

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.

Looking for a book this summer? Student worker Ryan Eshelman provides us with a view into e-books.
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It seems like every time a new piece of technology is introduced, people are quick to jump on the bandwagon and proclaim it as “The next big thing”, often supposedly rendering whatever it replaced obsolete. This happened somewhat recently, with the introduction of electronic books, or “eBooks” for short.

eBooks were not regarded as much of a threat to physical print at launch, as they had to be read on a bulky home computer. However, in 2007, Amazon released the Kindle, a portable eBook reader. Able to store over a thousand books, this changed everything. Although not the first eReader, the Kindle was so wildly popular that it sold out within 5 hours of launch, and libraries everywhere started integrating technology to allow patrons to “check out” eBooks, which would then delete themselves after a set period. 6 years later, eReaders have become mainstream, with many people owning one, or a tablet with an eBook reader app.[For more information see our Libguide on Tablets.]

Yet this doesn’t necessarily mean that physical books are dying. There are many reasons to still head to Masland Library to check out a book. For one thing, it’s free. While there are a few classics that can be downloaded onto a reader for free, the majority of eBooks cost money. Another wonderful feature of the physical book is that it can’t run out of power. Some people just prefer the feel of turning the pages of a physical book in their hands, or even the satisfying “thud” of slamming a finished book closed. Whatever your preferences, the Masland Library has both physical and electronic resources available to you, to suit any need or inclination.

To see what the Masland Library has available you can check the Library Catalog for more information.  To download ebooks from the Masland Library you will need to download the ebrary app from either Google Play or the iTunes store.   

It has come upon us once again. That time of the year where students pull all-nighters with their noses stuffed into books and coffee in their hands. We all know the stress of finals week, so the library is offering some good news to hard-core study students! The library will be open an extra hour than later, making closing time midnight instead of 11! We also advise you to make use of the study rooms that can be checked out at the front desk, if having people going by will get you distracted. The study rooms help you to focus on your studies and not get distracted by friends who walk by.

And if you need time to de-stress, you can check out a movie to help relax! With May 4th having just passed us, a personal recommendation is one of the Star Wars movies. The movies will come up on a search in the library catalog, and can be checked out at the front desk. And for those of you who listen to music while you study, the library has headphones to check out at the front desk as well!

Hope all of our commodities help with this last week of craziness. Good studying!

~Rachel

~ Allison Beyer