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Don't spend a day this summer without the Reading Girl!

Now, for the ridiculously low price of $1.00, you can buy a sturdy, covered, reusable 16 oz. Reading Girl mug (approved for use in all campus libraries!) and keep her with you always.

The Friends of the Library sponsored Reading Girl mugs are available from Bill Ruth or Sandy Austin in the Main Library Administrative Office area on weekdays from 9am-noon and 1-4pm.

It depends what you mean by due.....

So May 18 is the official due date. What does that really mean?

First, if you are still using any semester-loan books, scores, or government publications to complete your finals -- just keep them and return them when you are finished. Unless it is an item that gets fined (OhioLINKs, reserves, recalled materials), there is no penalty for returning these books a couple of days late.

Our semester-loan policy for most books, scores, and government publications requires us to pick A DAY for all of these materials to be due. As of this morning, there were more than 7,000 items checked out to students from the Main Library alone. We really don't want them all returned to us today!! We're happy to accept them any day this week. Return early and often. Check out our library hours to know when we're open.

And if you need materials beyond the end of the semester, see our policy for extended privileges.

Questions? Contact me anytime!

Allison Gallaher
Head of Circulation

To Renew or Not to Renew?

Are you wondering whether you need to renew your books before the May 18th due date? Here's my advice:

• If you just need to complete work during finals, please just keep your books and return them when you're done with them. [Now this doesn't mean to ignore due dates for items that get fines, like periodicals or OhioLINKs or reserves or videos or recalled books].
• If you're finishing an incomplete, you can keep the books until you're finished with them. Please complete a Request for Summer privileges form, and after we've processed it, renew your books.

• If you're a returning student who's remaining in Oberlin for the summer, you're welcome to claim summer borrowing privileges and check out books. Please do renew any materials you'd like to keep for the summer, after we've processed your summer privileges request form.

We will hold your enrollment for fall semester if you don't return or renew the materials that you have checked out and that are due before the end of the semester.

Do you want to check on what you currently have checked out and when it's due? Just access your account at http://obis.oberlin.edu/patroninfo/

Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about your library account or our policies! Best of luck in the final days of the semester!

Allison Gallaher
Head of Circulation

Questions that Never Die #15: Oxygen Deprivation

Studies show there is no evidence that the air in Mudd causes sleepiness. For a full explanation of the results see our RAE Board archives.

Therefore it is completely safe to study in any of the campus libraries, which have extended their hours for reading period and exams. Check out the times on our hours page.

The end of the semester approaches!

Do you have questions about when your library materials are due? Are you wondering about renewals and check-outs for the summer? We may have anticipated your question with our end-of-semester FAQ! Check out the significant dates for May. Or contact us with your questions.

Stock up on art books while you can ...

The Art Library will be closed for 2 months this summer while we install compact shelving.

Take note:
The last day Art Library will be open is Sunday, May 21 2006
The Art Library will re-open on Monday, July 17 2006.

Books will *not* be available for paging, so check-out items needed for summer use *before* the end of the semester. If you're a returning student, fill out a request for summer privileges form.

Throughout the time the Art Library is closed, it will be possible to request books from the OhioLINK central catalog even if we own them.

Thanks in advance for your patience during this Art Library improvement project!

Crazy clocks

Due to a power outage last Saturday 5/6/06, many clocks around campus have lost the correct time. If all goes well, the main campus clock will be repaired and reset by the end of the day on Monday, which will then cause other clocks in buildings across campus (including those in the libraries) to be reset to the proper time.

1-day loan for Main Periodicals

During the month of May, periodicals in the Main Library have 1-day loan periods. Borrowers may bring periodicals to the circulation desk for daily renewal until another user requests the volume. We do this to ensure wide access to periodicals that may be in high demand at the end of the semester.

If you need a volume that is currently checked out, place a request for it in OBIS using the button. When the item is returned, we will e-mail you. If you have extended need for a volume, it may be possible to allow this without daily renewals, on a case-by-case basis. Only circulation desk supervisors may approve this arrangement; please feel free to speak with one of us about your needs.

Ebooks Galore!

We've recently added more than 24,000 electronic books to our collection. Search OBIS using "ebrary" as an author to check out the wide range of subjects covered. Add a keyword to the search (like immigration) to see ebrary books on a specific topic.

In order to read an ebrary book online you'll have to download a plug-in for Firefox or Internet Explorer. The Windows workstations in the Main Library reference area are ready to go!

ebrary allows full text searching, bookmarking, highlighting, note-taking, and printing (on a limited basis). Read about how you can personalize your ebrary environment in the ebrary Quick Guide.

No local student checks after May 1

In accordance with College practice, the Library will not accept payments from students in the form of checks drawn on local banks during May. If do your banking from your permanent address, you may still pay by check. The library also accepts cash and money orders.

Thanks for giving us a piece of your mind!

Over 1,000 students responded to our recent web survey (Thank you, thank you, thank you!) and the summary results are now posted on the Academic Commons Project web page.

For those of you who didn't take the survey and don't know what this is all about ... the Library & the CIT have begun planning a renovation of Mudd's Main and A-levels, which will likely involve both physical space remodeling and a re-tooling of public services. We're calling this the Academic Commons Project.