UCA Library Blog (Legacy)

• While I was working in the Library late one night,
• In a hidden study room I found a gruesome sight:
• Some ages ago, in a dusty nook,
• A student expired along with his books!

Just kidding.

But we do have five boxes of bones at the library! The bones are divided into three sections: two sets of bones of the axial and appendicular skeletons each, and one set of the vertebral column, or as we refer to them, head, upper, and lower sections. Torreyson Library strives to provide the resources you need to succeed in your academic career at UCA. By engaging the senses, active learning materials like the bones support greater comprehension and improved information retention. So if you need a break from studying "many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore," be sure to ask us about our nontraditional collections. 

The bones rest in pieces at the Circulation Desk, but are available for checkout for 2 hours at a time. Please note that the bones must remain inside the building. If you need to use them longer than 2 hours, just visit the Circulation Desk and renew them for 2 more hours (as long another student is not waiting for them).

From time to time we'll feature a member of the library faculty and staff. We hope you enjoy getting to know us!

What is your position here at the library?

Day Library Supervisor

How and/or why did you get into libraries?

In 1996, I was looking for a job that was close to my son's schools and that had good insurance.  I saw an ad in the newspaper for two jobs at this library, one in Government Documents and one at Circulation.  I applied for both, and I was interviewed and hired for Circulation.

What do you enjoy most about working in libraries? Or in Torreyson library in particular?

What I enjoy most is the people.  I enjoy talking to the students, faculty, and staff.  I also love the books.

What is something you wish people knew about the library?

I wish that students knew how much we want to help them.  Some students seem to think that asking a question is a bother to us.  We are here to help, so students are never a bother.

What is your favorite book or genre?

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan.  I love to read Cozies, which are murder mysteries that downplay the violence and are set in small communities.

Fall Break is almost here!  As you make your plans to rest and de-stress this weekend, don’t forget to take advantage of the free entertainment available at the UCA Library.

Our browsing collection, located next to the Reference Desk, offers best-selling and award-winning novels and nonfiction. We have mysteries, humor, suspense, and even graphic novels in our browsing and main book collections.  Lurking just inside the front doors, you will also find a special display of spooky reads to help you get in the spirit of the season. Browsing books check out for two weeks since they are new and in high demand, but books from the main collection can be checked out for 28 days.  

If you have a long drive ahead to visit family or friends, check out our audiobooks before you leave. They are located right next to our browsing book collection.

Whether you’re hitting the road or hitting the books for a study marathon this weekend, you might want to check out some DVDs, just for fun. We have new award-winning films as well as the classics. You get the popcorn, and the movie is on us! DVDs can be checked out three at a time for three days.

The Library will remain open for normal hours Thursday and Friday, October 19th and 20th, but will be closed on Saturday, October 21st. The Library will resume normal hours again on Sunday, October 22nd. Have a great break!

From time to time we'll feature a member of the library faculty and staff. We hope you enjoy getting to know us!

What is your position here at the library?

Library Director

How and/or why did you get into libraries?

I wanted to work in academia, but getting a Ph.D. would have taken too long. I had a friend who was a librarian at the Univ. of Tennessee.  He recommended library science, I looked into it, and here I am 40 years later.

What do you enjoy most about working in libraries? Or in Torreyson library in particular?

I have always enjoyed the interaction with faculty and students. I like working with educated people. I’ve only been at Torreyson for a year, but I really enjoy the library faculty and staff. This is a great library.

What is something you wish people knew about the library?

I hope they know how to take advantage of all of our great resources.  Purchasing and organizing resources is important, but educating users in how to utilize those resources is most important.

What is your favorite book? Or what are you reading right now?

Catch-22! I’ve read it several times, but I first read it as a college freshman after my mother (a Baptist minister’s wife) read it for a class she was taking.  She thought I might like it. I’m still amazed at how well she knew me!

This post was originally published on March 8, 2017. Some blog posts are republished from time to time if they contain content where the information has not changed but continues to be relevant.

Sometimes during our research process, we find what sounds like the perfect book or article only to find out that the library doesn’t have the resource. Not sure what to do? The library has a few options to connect you to the information you need.

For books, your quickest option is to see if Hendrix Library has what you need. Our library has a partnership with Hendrix Library that allows UCA students, faculty, and staff with a current BearCard to checkout books.  Check their online catalog to see if they have the resource you need. If they do, double check their library hours, take your BearCard to their library, and checkout the book.

If Hendrix does not have the book you need, you can check to see if another academic library in Arkansas does. With an ARKLink card and your current BearCard, you can checkout books from most of the college and university libraries in the state. A complete list of participating libraries can be found at the ARKLink website. This is a great option if you are going to be near another college or university or if you don’t have the time to wait for the book to come through interlibrary loan. Before you go, come by the Circulation Desk to get an ARKLink Card. Or if you are a distance education student, you can fill out our online ARKLink Card Registration form, and a card will be sent to you.  

For articles and books not located at UCA or Hendrix, interlibrary loan is the easiest option available. Interlibrary loan is a service where library staff contacts other libraries to borrow resources. With interlibrary loan, you do not have to visit another library as books are delivered to our library, and articles are delivered to you electronically. To place a request you will need to have an ILLiad account, which requires a one-time registration of a username and password. Once you have an account you can place requests, view request status, and access requested articles.

Tips for using Interlibrary Loan:

• Make sure our library doesn’t have it.  Always check our library catalog for books and our eJournal Finder for articles. If you need help using either of these tools stop by the Reference Desk or call 501-450-5224.

• Make sure you have enough time. The interlibrary loan process takes time with books taking 1 to 2 weeks and articles taking 1 to 5 days to arrive.

• Provide as much information about the book or article that you can. Interlibrary loan staff can process requests faster if they have the most complete information.

• Check your email. Interlibrary loan staff will contact you with questions and/or let you know when your requested item arrives through email. When you register for ILLiad, provide an email address that you check regularly.

• Return your books. If you are borrowing books through interlibrary loan, be aware of due dates. Due dates are set by the lending library, so while you may pickup your books at the same time, they can each have a different due date. It is your responsibility to return or renew them on time.

We've all heard about #fakenews, lately. Sometimes, it's easy to spot the misleading or incorrect information. Sometimes, the information is clearly satire. But sometimes, the misinformation is hidden amongst factual information, making it hard to spot. While sharing false or misinformation in a casual setting may be embarrassing, using unverified or false information in a research paper can damage your credibility and your grade.

Want to help stop the spread of fake news? One trick is to apply an evaluation framework to any resource you come across. One of our favorites is RADAR:

Ask yourself these questions about the source you are considering. This will give you a fuller picture of the source's purpose and its usefulness.

Welcome to October, the spookiest month! The leaves are changing, the air is getting crisp, and it’s time to curl up with a good (scary) book.

Our Halloween displays are full of classic horror, psychological terror, and true crime stories just waiting to be read. 

Want a recommendation?

Check out Mr. Splitfoot if you are looking for a bit of a “gothic” read.

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

Call Number: PS3608.U585 M7 2016

 

Want to try something a bit more classic? Check out Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle for an unsettling mystery.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Call Number: PS3519.A392 W4 1984

 

Want those creepy vibes without the abject terror? Check out The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Call Number: PS3611.O74927 H57 2005

 

Bad cover, great book: The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan

The Red Tree by Caitlin R. Kiernan

Call Number: PS3561.I358 R43 2010

 

Looking for even more?

The websites below will help you pick out a new book!

Type in a book you liked, and this database will give you recommendations based on what other readers have enjoyed: http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/

Create your own reading map with http://www.yournextread.com/us/

PS: If you get time, thank Danielle Kraus on the overnight crew for curating the fantastic displays!