Christmas Break

Christmas Tree 2014 009A big congratulations on finishing out the quarter! Finals are done, the last papers have been submitted, good byes have been shared all around – and now it’s time for rest and relaxation.

We will be open through some of the break, in case you need a good book or are still finishing up some last minute work. From December 11-23, our hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  On Christmas Eve, we are open from 8:00 a.m. to noon. We then take part in the university-wide Christmas closure December 25 through January 1, 2014. We return on January 2, 2015 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Come check out a DVD, a book from the Popular Fiction Collection, or enjoy the quiet of our reading room, and the lovely Christmas tree made of books therein.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Need a room? Book it instantly.

Tech updates in study rooms.

Reserving a room just got easier! In the Spring, SPU introduced Room Finder to replace the old reservations system – now putting all of SPU’s available spaces across campus on the same page. You can now book small conference, study rooms, and media rooms at the Library instantly.

There are several ways you can reserve a room. Here’s how:

  • Use the QR code posted on the room window to reserve a room instantly or check the room’s availability with your mobile device.
  • From your dorm room or home, use your laptop to reserve a room for your next study group through the link on the library webpage.
  • The library Seminar Room is a mediated room and requires approval, so be sure to submit your request well in advance of the date needed and make sure your request meets the policies of the room.

Keep in mind that midterms and finals are an especially busy time for library study rooms. By planning ahead and anticipating your study requirements, this system will allow you to reserve your room in advance so you can beat the last minute rush for rooms.

We’re here to help with your research and academic needs. If you ever need assistance in reserving a room at the Library, or need to discuss the availability of the seminar room or other spaces in the Library, please contact Jo Krough at 206-281-2413 or email libraryrooms@spu.edu.

Thanksgiving and the Quiet Study Zone

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Call number: PS3566.R36 I84

It’s a little hard to believe, but the quarter is already winding down and the holidays are just around the corner – and for this we cheer! But we also understand that between now and snow-laced, jingle-belled Christmas joy are those little things called Finals. For this we have quiet zones and ear plugs.

The Seminar Room on the second floor of the Library will turn into a quiet study zone during finals week. It will be available all day on Saturday, December 7th and Sunday, the 8th and then after 6:00 p.m. on Monday, the 9th, and Tuesday the 10th. Feel free to settle in with a beverage or quiet snacks. We’re also distributing disposable ear plugs to block out extra sound – ask for a pair at the Circulation Desk, Reference Desk, or the Tech Desk. Need some extra study tips? Or help with research? Come on by, we are happy to answer any questions and help out in any way we can.

But first, Thanksgiving. We are closed on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, the 29th, and have reduced hours on Saturday the 30th from noon to 8:00 p.m.  We go back to normal hours on Sunday (10:00 a.m. to midnight).

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and safe holiday travels!

From the Director: The Library as a Place of Memory, Perception, and Expectation

In his Friends of the Library lecture last April, publisher Gregory Wolfe discussed how those who mediate or curate cultural works are stewards, critics, and provocateurs. These roles are oriented, respectively, toward the past, present, and future.

In last spring’s Friends of the Library Newsletter, I wrote about how the roles of a library are oriented similarly to the three dimensions of time (see “From the Director: The Past, Future, and Present of the Library”). Augustine famously described how the past, present, and future are present to us through memory, direct perception, and expectation. Libraries help preserve and present these experiences of temporality for individuals as well as cultures. As an archive, a library sustains memory by bringing historical collections forward in space and time. As a site of discovery, creation, and sharing, a library is a place of dynamic activity in the present. And through this activity, directed toward anticipated outcomes, a library is a space that opens to the future.

In his lecture, Greg also shared his personal motivations for becoming a publisher, which included a desire to create community through communication. Here, too, the work of the publisher is consonant with the work of a library: a library is created for and sustained by a community. All the things that constitute a library—collections, staff, services, spaces, and systems—function to mediate these resources to a community for its formation.

An early publication for the institution that became Seattle Pacific University boasts of its proximity to “city libraries and markets” (see Thirteenth Annual Catalogue of The Seattle Seminary, page 11). But when the founders drafted the institution’s bylaws, it was assumed that the school would have its own modest library (books on hygiene and foreign missions are mentioned as particular needs). Throughout the following century, the SPU Library grew to become an essential resource for developing the community of learners and scholars at SPU.

This year’s Annual Report documents the many ways collections, instruction, tools, spaces, and personnel make the SPU Library a place that sustains memory, perception, and expectation for the community at SPU and beyond (see “SPU Library Annual Report 2012-2013”).

Michael J. Paulus, Jr.

University Librarian and Associate Professor

Seattle Pacific University

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2013 Friends of the Library Newsletter. If you would like to receive this biannual newsletter, send an email to Jo Krogh at kroghj@spu.edu.

New Library Discovery System for 2014

Dear Members of the SPU Community,

Beginning January 1, 2014, we will have a new search tool for finding materials in the SPU Library and Summit libraries. Our library is one of the 37 Summit libraries transitioning to this shared system, which will enhance the discovery and sharing of resources within the Orbis Cascade Alliance.

The new interface is similar to our current SPU WorldCat system and other search tools you may have used before: you search for books, articles, and more using a single search box and then select from various options to filter your results.

Here are some key changes to be aware of once the new system is live:

  • The “Classic Catalog” and SPU WorldCat will be replaced by the new system after December 31. Learn more here.
  • Signing in with your SPU username and password will maximize your search experience. Learn more here.
  • You will see new “Get It” and “View It” tabs under each title to help you access and request items. Learn more here.
  • Journals A-Z will become eJournals A-Z. Learn more here.

Additional information and guidance is available here.

If you have questions or feedback, please speak with the liaison librarian for your area or any member of the library staff.

Michael J. Paulus, Jr.