Library News

Category: Library News

2014 Welcome Week Library Events

Library Open HouseFor the first time in forever- the library will be full of students!*

We have some fun events planned for new students and their parents during Welcome Week. Come to the library for any or all of these events, or just stop by to check out some novels, movies, or video games. The library will be open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week, 10 a.m to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Visit our table at the services fair
Tuesday from 1-4 in the Somerset Room of the Warch Campus Center
Stop by our table to learn about the services the library offers our students, our collections, and meet some of our awesome staff.

Parent Drop-In at the Library
Tuesday September 9, 1:30-3:30
Parents, need a place to read the paper, get some coffee, and charge your phones? Stop by the library to relax and talk with the Mudd librarians about how we can help your students succeed.

Library Open House Party
Thursday, September 11, 9 a.m.– noon
Come for the doughnuts and coffee, stay for the games, tours, library giveaways, crafts, and friendly librarians. We also have a mountain of prizes that were donated from downtown businesses.

We’ve also put together an informative welcome page for new students to help you learn all about the Mudd Library.

*We apologize to those of you who will now have the Frozen soundtrack stuck in your heads for the remainder of the day.

Remembering Bob French

Bob FrenchRobert French ’48, a great friend of the Library and of Lawrence, died Saturday, July 13, 2014 at his home in Appleton. He was 90.

Bob had a wide range of interests but his passion was Abraham Lincoln. Bob felt that “if we follow Lincoln’s footsteps, we’ll learn to live with different races not only in our own country but in the world…I think that’s my great interest in Lincoln.” He bought his first book on Lincoln in 1941, with money he received as a high school graduation gift. From there his collection grew to include thousands of books, pamphlets, government documents, art work, sculpture, a Lincoln autograph, and more.

His excellent collection was made so by the fact that it was not collected willy-nilly, but strategically. Bob consulted many bibliographies including the Library of Congress Civil War bibliography, and systematically (with the help especially of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago) went about building his collection –  then gave it to Lawrence. In 1992, Bob made the initial gift of his collection and in 1998 he gave a gift for the construction of the Lincoln Reading Room in the Library which was dedicated in 2000 in the memory of Bob’s mother.

But that wasn’t the end of it. For the rest of his life, Bob was a regular visitor to the Library, coming in regularly to check on the collection, talk about it, and make additions to it. After the room was built, he continued to give current scholarship resulting in an impressive collection that includes significant works of contemporary Civil War and Lincoln scholarship as well as historical works.

Of course, Bob was more than a donor and a visitor. He was a good friend to many at Lawrence and we’d look forward to hearing his voice on the phone or seeing his face in the doorway. Since Bob never owned a computer, once Lincoln scholarship began moving online, he would regularly call or stop by the reference desk to ask us to check “on the computer” for this book or that article. He was great storyteller and would always have stories about his time at Lawrence or a report from up at the lake or one of his many world travels. He was eager and very willing to talk with others about Lincoln and the Civil War in general. If you were interested, the discussions were lively and the information he imparted was remarkable. He will be missed by many at Lawrence.

A memorial service will take place at 2 pm on Thursday, July 24, in the Nathan Marsh Pusey Room of the Warch Campus Center.

Canine Therapy at the Library!

The term is coming to an end and finals are looming closer…must be time to pet some dogs!

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For the past few years, the Mudd has hosted canine therapy for students to de-stress for a bit and take their minds off the pressure of spring term finals.  Faculty, staff, and students bring their dogs for Lawrence students to get some puppy love!

It’s a whole lot of fun and this year it will be on Monday, June 9th from 2-3pm, outside of the Mudd. Pictures from past years’ canine therapy events can be found on our Flickr page!

Senior Experience Addresses Wisconsin Mine

For her senior experience project, geology major Steph Courtney ’14 decided to approach an issue that hits close to home.  In a series of four posters and tangible display accessories, Courtney explores the geology and hazards associated with GTac’s planned taconite mine near Mellen, Wisconsin.  The goal of the posters is to provide an information source about these topics because it is fairly difficult to find accessible scientific information from scientists in today’s political climate.DSC022381

In her project’s mission, Courtney states, “In my time at Lawrence, I’ve discovered that I have a passion for science public outreach, education, and communication.  Coupled with my interests in conveying information visually, I’ve found that one of the ways I most enjoy working on this passion is through museum-type displays, such as this one.  I’ve found a number of ways to exercise and refine that passion through LU-garnered opportunities, but feel that…public engagement and feedback is always helpful.”DSC022401

Courtney isn’t the sole part of the geology department who is addressing this topic, professors Andrew Knudsen and Marcia Bjornerud have been working on this issue as well, and collaborated with another geology student to write a paper about it.  In addition, Bjornerud has been working with the Bad River tribe and has testified to the state legislature about the planned mine.

Steph Courtney’s display can be viewed on the second floor of the Mudd Library through May 9th, 2014.  There will be a public reception (with snacks!) on May 4th from 3-5pm.

National Library Week 2014!

Come celebrate National Library Week here at the Mudd from April 13-19! The festivities will begin Monday, some highlights include:

National Library Week 2014

  • Hidden prizes all over the library! Plastic eggs containing a slip redeemable a prize have been hidden around the library. Bring the egg to the reference desk to pick a prize!
  • Enter the annual Library Haiku Contest!
  • Library Student Worker Appreciation Day on Tuesday, April 15th- make sure to say thanks for all the hard work they do!
  • Ask a question at the reference desk, get a cookie on Wednesday, April 16th from 6-10 PM!
  • Tell us your favorite thing about the library, and see why the staff and students love it too!

Take a look at our Facebook album to see photos of the library staff sharing what it is that we love about working at the Mudd Library.

We hope to see you here!

The Wisconsin Collection

002 (Medium)Are you interested in Wisconsin history, geology, or politics? Do you enjoy reading locally-written literature? Do you love Wisconsin? If so, take some time to peruse our fabulous Wisconsin Collection!

Located on the library’s fourth floor, the Wisconsin Collection features over 2,500 titles related to Wisconsin or written by Wisconsin authors. State and local history titles abound, some dating from the time when Wisconsin was still a territory. Learn about the rich culture of the Native American tribes who have called the state their home, or about the many immigrants who have settled here. Explore the unique culinary and linguistic history of the area, or savor poetry inspired by Wisconsin’s beautiful landscapes and extreme climate.

The Wisconsin Collection features books about the Fox Cities specifically, as well as other interesting cheese-state locales, such as Milwaukee, Madison, and Door County. Enjoy the works of famous Wisconsin authors Edna Ferber, Aldo Leopold, Jane Hamilton, and Michael Perry. Field guides can help you learn about and identify local flora and fauna, and hiking and backpacking manuals abound if you’re looking to experience the diverse and rustic natural beauty of the state. Biographies of famous Wisconsin residents, such as Les Paul, Gaylord Nelson, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Bob La Folette, can be found in the collection as well.

If you’re curious about regional or state statistics, the collection features a plethora of statistical information, including the full collection of the state’s Blue Books. Of course, it could hardly be named the Wisconsin Collection without titles featuring the Green Bay Packers, the Wisconsin Badgers, and beer.

Whether you’re a political activist or an amateur naturalist, a statistics buff or a committed locavore, be sure to spend some time in the stacks of the Wisconsin Collection. You can see a small sampling of titles from this collection by checking out our Pinterest page. Exploring the state of Wisconsin is as easy as a visit to the Seeley G. Mudd!

Lux Reaches 100,000 Downloads

The Lux institutional repository is the home for the scholarly and creative output of Lawrence University. What does that mean, exactly? Lux is an electronic database that contains scholarly articles, art projects, honors projects, meeting documentation, and more- all created by Lawrence University students, faculty, and staff.

Here are a few examples of what can be found in Lux:

Recently, Lux reached the exciting milestone of 100,000 downloads of full-text content.

Mapping Then and Now: History of Geologic Mapping Display

Geologic Mapping Display

Have you noticed the large measuring rod that has been affixed to the stairway railing in the library? We are not expecting a flood or measuring the height of our patrons as some have suggested. That is called a stadia rod, and it is part of a geological mapping exhibit that will be set up in the library throughout winter term.

This display will consist of three installments, starting with From Washington and Jefferson to the Establishment of the U.S. Geological Survey, Last Century Mapping Techniques, and concluding with Current Digital Mapping Methods.

Geologic Mapping

The display was designed by Professor Emeritus of Geology, John Palmquist, with the purpose of exploring the role of maps and mapping in the development of the United States, as well as to show how mapping techniques have advanced over time.

For the duration of the display, a plane table, alidade, and stadia rod will be set up to encourage visitors to not only see these tools, but also to get a feel for how they are used.

Finals Stress Relief in the Library

We are happy to report that a variety of finals stress relief options will be available for Lawrence students in the library this weekend.

Our friends from around campus will be hosting the following stress relief events on the first floor of the library:

  • Kappa Alpha Theta will be selling cupcakes to raise money for CASA of the Fox Cities:
    Saturday, noon-6pm
  • Asia-A will be encouraging origami as a study break:
    Saturday, 7-10pm
  • The Wellness Committee will be bringing in chair massage and will have healthy snacks:
    Saturday, 1-3pm

We’ve set up a couple of stress relief options ourselves, available during all open library hours over reading period and finals:

  • Cut out a paper snowflake to decorate our tree. We have templates of Anthony Herrera’s awesome Star Wars snowflakes, Doctor Who TARDIS and Cybermen, as well as some more traditional designs. We also have plain paper available for those who’d like to exhibit their own creativity. The paper and tree are located to the right of the circulation desk.
  • Create with LEGO bricks! We’ve set out a collection of LEGO bricks on a table in front of the reference desk for some fun creativity time.

OF course, from group study rooms to individual carrels, the library has whatever type of study space you need.