This is a friendly reminder that books and other items on loan from the University Libraries over the Spring Semester are due on May 20, 2011. These materials must be physically returned to the Libraries for check-in or for renewal.

Questions? Please call 683-4154 or email: circ1@libstaff.lib.odu.edu

iPads will be unavailable for borrowing from Friday, May 6th through Sunday, May 15th as part of the end of semester inventory restoration. Loaning of iPads will resume Monday, May 16th.

The ODU Libraries will be closed Saturday, May 7th and Sunday, May 8th for Commencement. Summer hours begin Monday, May 9th.

Need somewhere to study for finals? The Perry Library will be available for extended hours as follows:

  April 27 - 28 (Wed-Thurs) 8am - 2am*
  April 29 (Fri) 8am - 9:30pm
  April 30 (Sat) 9am - 9:30pm
  May 1 (Sun) 9am - 2am*
  May 2 - 4 (Mon-Wed) 8am - 2am*

The following hours are for Perry Library, Hofheimer Art Library, and Diehn Composers Room:

  May 6 (Fri) 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
  May 7 - 8 CLOSED Commencement

See Hours & Information on the library web site.

The American Library Association has designated this week "Preservation Week" to bring attention to preservation needs in libraries, as well as in communities and homes where countless treasures are at risk. "Pass It On: Saving Heritage and Memories" is this year's theme. You can find information and resources on ALA's Website.

From the ALA Website:

Why is preservation important?

In 2005 the first comprehensive national survey of the condition and preservation needs of the nation’s collections reported that U.S. institutions hold more than 4.8 billion items. Libraries alone hold 3 billion items (63 percent of the whole). A treasure trove of uncounted additional items is held by individuals, families, and communities. Some 630 million items in collecting institutions require immediate attention and care. Eighty percent of these institutions have no paid staff assigned responsibility for collections care; 22 percent have no collections care personnel at all. Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan. As natural disasters of recent years have taught us, these resources are in jeopardy should a disaster strike. Personal, family, and community collections are equally at risk.

Key environmental factors that place collections at risk:

--> Light: Ultraviolet rays from natural and artificial sources can cause fading and disintegration.
--> Pollutants: Dust is abrasive and can accelerate harmful chemical reactions.
--> Heat: High temperatures can accelerate deterioration.
--> Moisture: High humidity promotes mold growth, corrosion, and degradation, while excessive dryness can cause drying and cracking. Fluctuations between extremes can cause warping, buckling and flaking.

Key items that should be preserved:

Historical materials that are unpublished and one-of-a-kind, such as: architectural drawings, artifacts, audio and video recordings, diaries, genealogical information, letters, maps, memoirs/reminiscences, minutes/reports, photo albums and photographs, printed materials, professional and business papers, speeches/lectures

After a few years without it, the ODU Libraries has brought back the full Britannica Online Academic Edition.

You now have access to Encyclopaedia Britannica, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus, magazines and periodicals, and many other research tools including an atlas, biographies, news, and multimedia. Also available is a comprehensive database of statistics on every nation of the world, and 225 classic works by 140 authors that offer an introduction to significant works of history, literature, philosophy, and science.

One exciting feature is the extensive video collecton – "over 3,000 videos and video clips that cover a variety of subjects, including History, Science, the Arts, and Social Studies. Video topics include Toulouse-Lautrec, Botticelli, Lewis & Clark, Asia, Ancient Cultures, World Wars, Economics, Native Americans, Insects, the Chaos Theory, and the expanding Universe, among others. Short video clips are 1-5 minutes long and full length extended play videos are between 15 to 45 minutes long. All videos can be played online or downloaded and used in Power Point Presentations.

Access Britannica Online Academic Edition from "Find Databases A-Z" or "Find Books & More" then "General Reference Resources."

From the Art Library blog:

Share Our Strength! Women Artists of the 1960s and 1970s

Feminism’s ‘second wave’ emerged in the USA at the end of the 1960s. Women were fed up with isolation at home and inferior pay and conditions at work. The emphasis on equal opportunity led women artists to organize against institutional discrimination.

From the early 1970s several exhibitions and publications began the retrieval of knowledge about women artists that had been overlooked in the 20th century. Among them were artist Judy Chicago who created The Dinner Party, one of the most significant works of feminist art. Around the same time, Art Historian Linda Nochlin wrote her groundbreaking article "Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?"

The exhibit in the Diehn Atrium highlights a few of the influential women artists and art historians during the time, including Judy Chicago, Louise Bourgeois and Virginia native Sally Mann.

The exhibit in the Art Library showcases art work by Old Dominion University student Mary-Paige Cannon, and places the work within the context of the feminist art movement.

Take a break and come by to view the exhibits!!

It’s course evaluation time again and the University would appreciate your assistance. Students, this is your opportunity to help improve academics here at ODU. The information gathered through the Course Evaluation System is used as part of the evaluation of instruction at Old Dominion University.

Students can complete the evaluations through the last day of classes (cuts off at midnight).

Click here to participate in the course evaluation process.

In case you've been wondering... work continues as planned on the north and south additions to the Perry Library.

On the north addition -- Learning Commons:

-- finishing coats are being placed on the drywall partitions and soffits
-- the ceiling grid installation in the renovation/addition space is 2/3 complete
-- sprinkler work in the addition continues
-- other mechanical, electrical and plumbing installations continue and should be ready for inspection in May
-- roofing work will be completed in the next few weeks
-- work on the concrete patio for the café area has begun
-- fireproofing for the third floor infill continues

On the south addition -- Student Success Center:

-- BCOM( Bureau of Capital Outlay Management) inspection completed
-- paint, blinds and carpet on the 1st and 2nd floor rooms should be completed in two weeks
-- delivery and installation of doors should begin later this week
-- toilet partitions and accessories are being installed
-- fire alarm and air conditioning systems are being tested for startup
-- the water line to the building will soon be approved, with water available by 4/29
-- on the exterior, the courtyard has lights

Sometime in early Fall 2011, we will have two beautiful new spaces to serve ODU's students and faculty!!!