Memorial Day History and Library Hours

The Coker Library will be closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for the Memorial Day holiday.  We will reopen Tuesday, May 28th at 8:30 a.m.

Memorial Day began as Decoration Day during the Civil War as a holiday dedicated to remembering the dead from that horrific war, often by decorating the graves of these soldiers.  As the holiday began to honor the dead of all of America's wars, the name was changed to Memorial Day shortly after World War I.  In 1971, Congress proclaimed Memorial day to be a National Holiday, to be held on the last Monday of May.

Memorial Day is also the traditional beginning of summer in the United States, so break out the white pants!

Source:
"Memorial Day." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 24 May. 2013. 

"Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs." Memorial Day History. U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs, 30 Nov. 2012. Web. 24 May 2013.

Photo source: Tomb of the Unknowns: People Paying Their Respects. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 24 May. 2013. 

Cookies in the Library

Tonight...WE WILL HAVE COOKIES IN THE LIBRARY!

Yes, we will have cookies, milk, and other treats to help get you through exams.  Look for the cookie table by the front desk on the first floor. well before we close at 1 AM.  Yes, we are open until 1 AM!

And good luck with exams!

Public Safety Message: Please, Please, Please save your papers/assignments!

We're winding the semester down, with reading day and exams just a few days away.  It's also time for all of those last papers and take home exams to be finished up and turned in.

We had the power flicker on and off briefly today, and one of our students lost an 11 page paper.  Keep in mind that the PCs in the library have software that wipes any new files (or settings) made while you've been logged in.  Any saved files are deleted.

Please take these precautions to keep your assignments safe:

1. Backup your files in multiple locations.  Most experts say in three places, but I recommend at least two.

2. Print out a hard copy frequently.  This serves two purposes: you have a hard copy in case your digital copy fails and the printed copy is easier to proofread.

Backup ideas: 

1. A flash drive is easy and convenient.  The problem is that they often get lost or damaged.  So I would combine it with other services.

2. E-mail: Your Coker e-mail is an excellent cloud based service.  You can use a personal e-mail account if you prefer, but it works the same.  Every few minutes, e-mail yourself a copy of the paper you are working on.  Keep in mind that "sent" e-mails are also kept separately, so even if you accidently delete an e-mail with a copy of your assignment, it probably will still be available in the "sent" folder.

3. True cloud services like Dropbox.  Dropbox is a great, free, storage service available from many different devices and computers.  The desktop client can be installed on your personal PC (or Android, iOS, or other device) and acts as a Windows (or Mac and Linux) folder.  It can be your default save location - so each time your document Autosaves, it saves into your Dropbox folder.

Good luck and keep your stuff backed up!

Writer's Studio Hours - Spring exams 2013

With exams right around the corner, Dr. David McCracken, Interim Director of the Writer's Studio, passes along the following hours during Reading Day and exams:

The Writer's Studio will be open from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. during reading day (May 8) and final exams (May 9-May 14).

 

The Writer's Studio will not be open on Sunday, May 12.

The Writer's Studio is located on the second floor of the LITC and can help you with all facets of writing - from outline to citations.

Food For Fines Returns May 1st

Our Food For Fines Program will start on May 1st, and run through Friday, May 17th.

It's simple: bring a nonperishable food item for credit towards overdue fines.  Earn $2.50 in credit towards your fines, per item.  Bring 4 items and get $10 off, and so on.

If you have any questions, please ask the circulation staff or call 843-383-8125.

Picture courtesy of Flickr user kimmyha.

World Book Night

We'll be participating in World Book Night on April 23.  From their website:

World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person. Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light and nonreaders.  In 2013, World Book Night will be celebrated in the U.S., the UK, and Ireland.

World Book Night is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don't regularly do so. But it is also about more than that: It’s about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and touching lives in the simplest of ways—through the sharing of stories.

World Book Night is a nonprofit organization. We exist because of the support of thousands of book givers, booksellers, librarians, and financial supporters who believe in our mission.  

Set for April 23 each year to honor Shakespeare’s birthday, World Book Night was successfully launched in the U.K. in 2011, and World Book Night was first celebrated in the U.S. in 2012. Thank you to our U.K. friends for such a wonderful idea!

We will be giving away 20 copies of  Montana Sky by Nora Roberts:

When Jack Mercy died, he left behind a ranch worth  nearly twenty million dollars. Now his three daughters—each  born of a different mother, and each unknown by the others—are gathered to hear the reading of the will.

But the women are shocked to learn that before any of them can inherit, they must live together on the ranch for one year. For Tess, a screenwriter  who just wants to collect her cash and get back to Hollywood, it’s a nightmare. For Lily, on the run from her abusive ex-husband, it’s a refuge. And for Willa—who grew up on the ranch—it’s an intrusion into her rightful home.

They are sisters…and strangers. Now they face a challenge: to put their bitterness aside and live like a family. To protect each other from danger—and unite against a brutal enemy who threatens to destroy them all.

Information Literacy Fair

We're having a couple of different Information Literacy Fairs over the next week or so, in order to test our students' information literacy ability.  Each student that takes the test will receive a free drink voucher from Java City Cafe, and all test takers will be entered into a drawing for Wal-Mart gift card.

We'll have a fair from 9-3 PM tomorrow, April 2nd, and 3-9 PM on April 9th.  The test can be taken anytime before April 30th, but you will need a unique identifier (a code) to enter into the testing website.  Stop by the Circulation Desk for the code and more information.