So, the library, huh?

New to the Boise State campus community? Want to get a feel for what the library offers? Here's a taste:

• Bring your laptop or mobile device--the whole building is Wi-Fi enabled.
• Access thousands of articles from journals and magazines from the A-Z list of databases. You will find that more and more of our databases are mobile-friendly, too. 
• There are over 110 computers with Microsoft Office 2010, Mac and PC laptops and notebooks for checkout.
• A Starbucks coffee shop on the first floor.
• Scanners, microform readers, and multiple BroncoPrint stations (including color printing) in the first and second floors--all wired to include wireless printing from your laptop.
• Check out iPads at the Circulation desk, each with tons of helpful apps.
• A growing collection of streaming video and music databases on a wide range of subjects--watch online or on your portable device. 
• Find an extensive list of subject guides via the library's LibGuides system.
• Find library hours at our nifty calendar page at http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php 

There are way more resources available to you than we can list here, but if you're curious or want research help, stop by Circulation or the Reference Desk and we'll be glad to answer any questions you may have about us (or the campus!).

UFO Festival & Space

Photo by Cassie

If you look up at the stars and wonder, are we alone in the universe? Chances are you'd like the UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico this weekend. How did "The Roswell Incident" begin? From the website:

In early July, 1947, a mysterious object crashed on a ranch 30 miles north of Roswell.  The Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) issued a statement claiming to have recovered a crashed "flying disk."  An article ran on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record and the next day, RAAF changed its statement to say that the object was a weather balloon, not a flying disk as they previously reported.  This revised statement sparked immediate controversy and has continued to be a topic of debate more than 60 years later.

The website Offbeat New Mexico describes the event as an annual gathering "that attracts thousands of doubters, believers, scholars, scientists, authors, astronauts, tourists and children of all ages – from this world and beyond - to this small Southeastern New Mexico city in search of a little truth and a whole lot of fun, foolishness and entertainment during the UFO Festival."

If the vastness of space is more appealing, then set your course to the official NASA website for links to its massive multimedia archive, a consolidated launch schedule, and mind-blowing photos from the Hubble Space Telescope. You can also get your daily dose of Astronomy by following the always-fascinating Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD).

Library closed for 4th of July

The Boise State campus & Albertsons Library will be closed on Thursday, July 4th for Independence Day. Regular library summer hours resume on Friday, July 5th.

Library hours are listed at http://library.boisestate.edu/about/hours.php

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

A Look at a Fourth of July Speech Given by Senator Frank Church

Frank Church at a fair during his campaign for reelection as Senator in 1962.

“More Than They Took:” A Look at a Fourth of July Speech Given by Senator Frank Church

Frank Church was a senator from Idaho who served four consecutive terms in Congress from 1956-1980. His collection in Special Collections spans over 800 boxes and is the largest collection in Special Collections as well as the most heavily used. During his 1962 campaign for reelection to the Senate, Church delivered a speech on July 4 in Grangeville, Idaho. The speech titled “More Than They Took” was given as part of the Fourth of July Centennial Program of the Idaho County Historical Society.

The speech covered the historic event of pioneers coming to the Idaho County area in 1862, and Church shared several stories about the pioneers. The early settlers worked in the mining camps and faced many hardships – lack of food and supplies and disease. The village of Florence was hit by a severe snowstorm on July 3, 1862. Trains often could not get to the area until May, and men would often carry packs of provisions weighing 60-75 pounds to the villages in the area. There were also many unique characters in Idaho County in its early days, including a poet called “Pine Tree Johnson” who lived under a pine tree rather than living in a house and ran for the Idaho legislature and won.

Church also shared the legend that it was in Idaho County where the state got its name. Joaquin Miller, the “Poet of the Sierras,” was a pony express rider for the mines of Idaho. According to Miller, “Ee-dah-how” meant the “Gem of the Mountains.” In speaking of the Fourth of July holiday, Church said,

“It is our most truly American holiday. And it is also more lively, joyous, and patriotic than any other holiday.”

To view the full speech and other materials in the Frank Church Collection, visit Special Collections on the second floor of the library or send an email to archives@boisestate.edu. The guide to the collection can be viewed here.

Julia Stringfellow,
Archivist/Librarian and Assistant Professor

Summer Reading Programs: Not Just for Kids Anymore!

Photo by Starzyia

How many of us can recall those fun summers spent at the local library reading books and winning prizes as part of the annual Summer Reading Program? For years, research has shown  that these types of programs help prevent the “summer slide,” in which K-12 students lose some of their reading achievement, including vocabulary and comprehension, but did you know Summer Reading Programs aren’t just for kids anymore?

Many libraries, including those in the Treasure Valley, offer programs for readers 18 and older and many of those programs offer fantastic prizes! The Boise Public Library system for example, advertises prizes for adults including, HD Nooks, iPod Nanos, Fred Myer gift certificates and more. Participants receive an entry into the prize drawings for every two books they read or listen to. That’s right! Audiobooks, eBooks, and books read to pre-readers count too!

During the school year it is so easy to get bogged down in research and required reading that students, and even faculty, often forget the importance of recreational reading. Summer is the perfect opportunity to try a new author, a new genre, or just finally get around to reading that book everyone else seems to have read. Although most libraries require a library card in order to participate, some, like Boise Public and Meridian Public Libraries, don’t even require that you come in to fill out the entry forms; once you have a library card you can submit entries online from the library’s website.

Visit your local public library to find out more!

Heather Grevatt,
Access Services

John Streiff Retires

John Streiff of the circulation department checking out a book to a library patron, June 1995.

John Streiff, Library Circulation Manager, retired on Monday, June 17th. That was the last day he worked with student employees, answered patron questions, and closed the building. We’ll miss him and his expertise but we are very happy he is going to have more time to ride his bike, write and play music, and spend time with his wife Sandy and their family.

To quote what we wrote for the Update:

Streiff started at Boise State as an adjunct English instructor in August 1992. He was subsequently hired by Albertsons Library in 1993 as a library assistant and promoted to circulation manager in 2008. Through the years he has supervised hundreds of student employees and has served Boise State staff and students with great competence and skill.

“I feel honored to have mentored and encouraged all the students I have had the pleasure of supervising over the years,” he said. “Additionally, numerous faculty and staff relationships have given me an especially rich experience here at Boise State. Though I can’t really retire from a family (unless I want to join some crazy relatives in the basement!), I will always feel part of this educational community. I look forward to enjoying many more years of learning from this great family of friends, students and scholars.”

We hope John returns to visit us as a patron and we hope we run into him cycling on the greenbelt, flying down from Lucky Peak, or playing in a Jazz club. Good luck John!!!!

Mary Aagard,
Access Services

Time is on your side with laptop checkouts

Photo by Jen Gallardo

You check out a laptop from the Circulation Desk. You set up a study space on the fourth floor and arrange it just so.  You’re several hours into the essay that will determine your grade in the class that will ultimately determine your academic future and in turn your entire life! When suddenly, you glance at the clock and realize that the laptop was due 30 minutes ago. Panic sets in as “$.50 per minute overdue fine” echoes in your ears.  

This all too familiar scenario happens to students every day, which is why Access Services is happy to announce that starting Summer 2013 we have updated our laptop lending policy. Instead of a 3-hour check-out period, students may now check out a laptop at any time during the day and keep it until 30 minutes before closing, no renewals necessary!   

In addition, the $.50 per minute overdue fine has been eliminated. Students will now operate on a 3-strike system. If a student returns technology items late, 3 times in a single semester, they will lose their technology borrowing privileges until the start of a new semester. These students will still have access to all Library desktop computers, scanning, and printing and will be able to check out all non-technology items, such as books, periodicals, and DVDs. Their ability to borrow materials from OIT operated Labs, such as The Zone will not be affected. 

Some aspects of technology lending will not change. Except for 3-day iPads, technology items are still restricted to in-Library use only.  Also, students will not be able to “park” their materials. If students need to leave the library, they must check-in their items and check them out again when they return. Due to limited supplies, the extended checkout will not apply to certain specific items, such as iPhone 5 chargers, Apple Mag-Safe chargers, and VGA adapter kits.  

It is the Library’s hope that these new policies will better serve our students by providing uninterrupted typing and studying time, while eliminating the stress associated with large fines!

Heather Grevatt,

Access Services