Crazy Librarians

Peeps in the Library -- A User Study

Well, it's getting close to Easter. Librarians all over the country are looking again to Millikin Library and shaking their heads, considering doing similar studies in their own libraries. Or wondering why they haven't. Make sure you scroll down through the entire website. You certainly don't want to miss a thing. Let me know if any of you would like to become involved in some studies in our library. I have some work in mind...

It is really time for people outside of the librarian world to see the nutty world of librarians. What we do with our free time. What our professional senses of humor looks like.

Medieval Helpdesk (with English subtitles)

Reading on a Dream: A Library Musical

Librarian Workout Tape

"Ray of Light" St Joseph County Public Library (This is rather long. If you can't watch the whole video, skip to the end.)

Gorilla Librarian (Monty Python)

Have a good time chuckling!

An impression of UF libraries by a non-librarian type person

First of all, thanks to Merrie for allowing me to guest-blog on her very excellent, very informative forum, and for giving me the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite subjects, Library West and the UF libraries.
To be honest, I really didn’t start to appreciate the university libraries until I started working as a student assistant at the beginning of last summer. Working with the reference librarians has been a great opportunity to see how knowledgeable they are and willing to go the extra mile for their patrons. If you’ve ever hesitated to go up to the desk and ask for help with a project, please reconsider; no matter how arcane your question, you will no doubt find someone at the desk who can help you. And if, for some reason, they are unable to get the information you need they will invariably refer you to someone who can.
My advice: Make the reference desk at Library West your second home and the librarians your best study buddies. They will not do you wrong.

Some more tips:

• The Circulation desk on the second floor is a great place to start in your search because they can direct you to the places you need to go. They can also provide you with a laptop if computers in the library are scarce, and a set of headphones if you foolishly left yours at home. Be nice to your circulation desk people and be sure to say “hi” to Missy!
• Using your own laptop in the library? You can now print to the third floor orange printer.
  
• The fourth floor, if you are an undergrad who needs extreme quiet to study, is the place to go. You can even sometimes find a study carrel in which to hunker down.
• Second choice for X-treme quietude: The first floor, which at times resembles a basement so how can you go wrong?
• Design and film students take notice: The third floor has high-end computers for graphics and two editing suites! Sweet!
  

Besides the UF Libraries’ home page, Merrie’s blog is probably the best resource for new and interesting information, not just for her areas of expertise but for Library West as a whole. Her most recent post about Book Crossing is a great example of the potential of a library as community space, and I encourage every reader to explore its possibilities. She talks about the library’s potential as community arena in another post about other university and college libraries who have jumped on the library-as-community-space bandwagon (a coffee shop also doesn't hurt).
Okay, I’ve babbled long enough, back to our fearless leader of the library blogs at UF. Thank you once again.
Michele is a student, mom, and mate who enjoys helping others. When she is not working for the greater good at Library West she works on her own, somewhat neglected blogspot blog, The Accidental Environmentalist.

BookCrossing.com

Set Your Books Free! Then Watch Them Travel the World through BookCrossing.com

You've read a book you loved, liked, hated. Whatever. You'd love to share it with another. If you're like me, your books are piled up on the floor. Each time a loved one comes to visit, she mutters about your need for more bookshelves, academics who have no space for guests to sit, and fire hazards from the floor to the ceilings.

BookCrossing.com provides Internet space for you to register your books online, journal them (describe them, talk about your interest in them, and critique or evaluate them) and then release them to other people.

Wild Releases mean you release them into the wild: you journal your book, label it as "free not lost", announce where you're leaving it, and ask the finder to register your book, so you can watch it travel around the world.

There are book rings and book rays as well, allowing groups of people all around the world to share their books. And wish lists that tell you who dreams of the books you no longer want or just want to give away.

It's a lovely way to trade books with folks all over the place. Lots of people have done it here in Gainesville already. I'd love to see our libraries get in on the act. Lets make our libraries a Crossing Zone! And maybe later an Official BookCrossing Zone!

Poetry Readings? Meetings? Public Space?

Starbucks Opens Monday! Let's Use the Library as a Community Space

For many of us, caffeine activates our minds and keeps our bodies awake for longer and deeper study. Plus it's tastier than ever. And the aroma! Just delightful! Cookies, pretzels, and music seduce us into Starbucks on the first floor of Library West.

Bring your covered drinks into the other areas of the library, but eat the foods down on the first floor -- below the escalator.

What do we want to do with those spaces? Poetry readings? Jazz clubs on Friday evenings? Meeting space for clubs? Other academic libraries in Universities and Colleges use their library cafe's as public community space.

http://wally.rit.edu/javawally/

If you have ideas, want to develop weekly or monthly meetings, let me know. See what we can dream up. And have a great time!

Welcome to Library West

Welcome to our newly renovated Library West!

If you are any bit as excited as those of us working inside the library, you are probably drooling to get at the books and other materials. But perhaps wondering where it's all placed right now? I'm happy to show you around, either in groups or individually. Please feel free to call or email me about consultations.
My phone number is 273-2649
My email is merdavi@ufl.edu