September 2011 - Volume 4, Issue 1

Welcome back! For those of you who are new to the college, this is the library's monthly e-newsletter. Nota bene means to "note well" or "pay especial attention to." We pack N.B. full of information we think you need to know about our programs and services (with occasional humorous tidbits or snarky comments to keep it lively). So read it or skim it, whichever you prefer, just don't delete it before you've had a chance to peruse this once-monthly missive from your friendly library staff. And, as ever, let us know what you think!

We are always looking for ways to improve the services we provide to our customers. With the impending rollout of the new Bryan College web site, the Library staff welcomed the chance to upgrade the layout and nomenclature of our home page. Our overriding goal was to make navigation more intuitive for our constituents, allowing them to more easily reach the great (and numerous!) resources we have available. Here is our new look:




















From the Bryan College home page, click on "Current Students" (top middle) or "Resources" (top right) for links to the library's page. Our web address remains www.bryan.edu/library. Expect quick tips for navigating our updated page in forthcoming e-newsletters! If you just can't wait, contact us and we'll be happy to provide you with a personalized "tour."
 

Weed It and Reap

A big thank you to all those who participated in the library “weeding project” this past summer.  We really appreciated your help in this huge undertaking.  Because of your expertise we withdrew over 1650 books from our collection, freeing up space for more updated materials.  We are continuing the process of discarding those books and adding new editions.

Thanks again for making this a fun time!
 
--Vonnie Johnson, Public Services Librarian

It’s amazing to me how we think we need a day, a week, or even a whole month devoted to just about everything under the sun. For instance, September happens to be World Animal Remembrance Month. At least some of the other designations for this month seem to go along with that, such as AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month, National Chicken Month, and Happy Cat Month. It seems there are several designations having to do with women and children’s issues as well, including Baby Safety Month, Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, and Women's Friendship Month. Then there are the other ever-popular health and safety issues playing upon this month for our awareness, such as National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, Atrial Fibrillation Month, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Month, Backpack Safety America Month, National Head Lice Prevention Month, Healthy Aging Month, National Sickle Cell Month, National Skin Care Awareness Month, Sports and Home Eye Safety Month. September is also DNA, Genomics and Stem Cell Education and Awareness Month, by the way.

So, recognizing that this is International Self-Awareness Month, I began to think of which way I should celebrate such a month. I am not the subtle type who would celebrate September as Subliminal Communications Month, and I was not too enthused by Fall Hat Month or National Home Furnishings Month. I’m not enough of a health nut to care that it is National Honey Month, National Rice Month, Whole Grains Month, National Mushroom Month, or Mold Awareness Month. I was pretty ho-hum with it being College Savings Month, National Coupon Month, National Piano Month, Pleasure Your Mate Month, and Sea Cadet Month. I was so apathetic about it being One-on-One Month and got so caught up in International Self-Awareness Month that I began to wonder if I needed to pull back and do something in the way of International People Skills Month.

Then I noticed it is also National Strategic Thinking Month. Since it is Shameless Promotion Month, I decided to (strategically) ask our readers to celebrate September as Be Kind To Editors and Writers Month be kind to our wonderful newsletter editor, Keri-Lynn Paulson. Visit atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian and nominate her (or another librarian for that matter) for the “I Love My Librarian Award”. Hopefully by the time everyone has read this far and acted on my suggestion for your celebration of September I won’t need to observe Update Your Resume Month!