Library News

Before There Was Snell

In the spirit of celebrating our beloved Snell Library and its 20 years on campus, I thought it might be interesting to see just what our college did without this iconic study center. Believe it or not, all of the books and print resources Northeastern had prior to Snell’s creation (think late 1980’s) were stored in the basement of Dodge Hall! (and you thought things got crowded during finals week here…) Given the less than workable conditions in Dodge and the growing student body, the University contracted a design for a new library to be built through The Architect’s Collaborative. The building was opened in 1990, and cost $35 million dollars to create. The library was named after George and Lorraine Snell, for their philanthropic leadership and contributions to the Northeastern learning community. George Snell graduated from Northeastern in 1941 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and became a supporter of the University in 1970. He passed away in December of 1997, and his wife Lorraine continues to stay involved with the Northeastern University Libraries. On Monday we will gather to celebrate the birthday of Snell Library, and honor the two decades of its service to the students of Northeastern. I encourage you all to join us in celebration with birthday cake and refreshments!

SimplyMap currently down

SimplyMap is back as of Monday, 4/25 AM. SimplyMap is currently unavailable.  The vendor informs us their data servers have been down all day. SimplyMap is a web site that enables users to develop interactive thematic maps and reports using thousands of demographic, business, health, crime, and marketing data variables including Mediamark and Simmons Consumer Data. We’ll inform you when the SimplyMap site is back and functioning again.  We apologize to our users for the inconvenience.

You could have your own TED talk! Here’s how…

TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design and is known for their fantastic talks by remarkable people, has announced its plans to audition speakers for the chance to have their own TED talk. On May 24th, TED will hold its first ever public audition for TED Talks in New York in front of a live audience. All you have to do is submit a one-minute video by April 25 at 11:59 p.m. indicating your idea and how you would present it. Some of the topic suggestions include  “a talk given in front of a custom-animated movie”,  “intense campfire-style storytelling”, and  “a rant delivered at blitzkrieg pace.”  Of course, other ideas are welcome. Once you upload your video to YouTube or Vimeo, complete the online submission form and see if you’re a winner. Check out the full details on the audition site.

Happy Birthday Snell!

The 20th anniversary celebration of Snell Library is fast approaching, and we couldn’t be more excited! We hope that you will join us on April 25th at 2pm as we gather to celebrate and learn about the outstanding impact Snell Library has made in our community and our vision for its future. We will start our celebration with a talk from Dean of Libraries, Will Wakeling, who will then be followed by our featured speaker David S. Ferriero, the 10th Archivist of the United States. Following the speakers, a VIP reception will be held on the second floor for our RSVP’d guests. Meanwhile, students can take a study break and enjoy  cake served in the Cyber Cafe and also de-stress with soft tissue mobilization sessions (massages) offered in the library lobby. These techniques are provided by the Physical Therapy Club who are trained experts! To attend the afternoon’s events please RSVP to Nina Shah at nin.shah@neu.edu. We hope to see you there!

Honoring Janet Morrow

Last Friday, April 8th the New England Technical Services Librarians group held its Spring Conference in Worcester, MA. Snell Library’s own Janet Morrow was honored with the NETSL Award for Excellence in Technical Services, and for her 28 years of service, accomplishments, and important contributions to the profession. Congratulations Janet for a well deserved honor!