Don’t play with this fire; it’s addictive

So I am almost done reading The Girl Who Played with Fire. Good book. I must say I loved The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,聽but this second novel gets to the heart of the action in the perfect amount of time. Dragon Tattoo had about 100 pages in the beginning that in my opinion could seriously have been reduced or cut out. I am also currently watching the Dragon Tattoo on Netflix. The movie is from 2009 and subtitled since it is a Swedish film. What I was surprised to discover as well was that The Girl Who Played with Fire is currently in theaters! When I was checking out times for the new movie, Inception, I was taken aback! I had no idea that the books had reached such a wide audience that Swedish films were being played in the movie theaters here in the US. I am definitely not going to see this movie until I finish the second book… but it’s a good thing I only have about 100 pages left. I must say something about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie. I was told it was good and I would really like it, but it jumps into the action almost too fast. The slow start that the book had is completely negated by the quick jump that the movie takes. I also think that Lisbeth Salander’s character is seen in a very different light in the movie. In the book, Larsson is able to give context and Lisbeth’s thoughts behind her actions. In the movie she simply comes across as a tattooed, pierced, black-clothes-wearing feminist vigilante. I don’t think the viewers really get an idea of her character. Maybe in the Fire movie you see more of her personality, as the book focuses mostly on her. Overall I am loving the second novel and can’t wait to finish it. The movies… definitely for people who have read the book. Now I’m just waiting for an English version to come out so I don’t have to focus on subtitles!! All three of Larsson’s novels can be found in Snell library… but good luck taking them out… you’ll have to get in line!

Alumni Reading Room update

Let it be known that the construction on the Alumni Reading room, having been pushed back聽 from June 25th, is now set to begin on July 23rd. I will be posting signs and a revised version of the press release around the area where it聽will聽be tomorrow and Friday. The previous alumni reading room post has been updated with this new date also, just for the sake of consistency. The room is still expected to open early in the fall semseter.

Faculty Please Submit Course Reserves by Aug 6

August 6.聽 That’s the deadline to guarantee that your assignments will be available on Reserve to your students for the fall term. It’s easy!聽 Faculty and TA’s, just click on the library tab in myNEU to place your Course Reserves with the library. What are Course Reserves?聽 Materials that faculty members ask the library to set aside for class reading.聽 It’s not just for reading, however!聽 Faculty also may set aside DVDs, CDs, and VHS for class viewing and listening. If you’re a faculty member using Blackboard, you may wish to make the course readings in your syllabus into a hotlink in addition to putting photocopies on reserve.聽 There’s no deadline for that!聽 The hotlink approach works best when: 1. The reading assignment is a journal article. 2. The library subscribes to the journal online (use our ejournal finder to check) Our web site has more information about blackboard linking and Course Reserves.

Attention: who wants to work at Snell?

Snell Library has recently posted two open positions for hiring. Both are full time positions that all may apply to. Below are descriptions of the positions. 1. Advancement and Marketing Assistant, Northeastern University Libraries Help us to grow! This position assists with advancement and marketing efforts of the University Libraries. Major responsibilities include setting up appointments with donors, making thank you calls, drafting correspondence to donors and alumni, coordinating tasks, communicating with advancement and marketing staff across campus, running database reports, and assisting the department head with priority projects. S/he will also be responsible for payroll and monitoring departmental expenditures and the department budget. In addition s/he will hire, train, and supervise 1-2 coops and 3-6 work study students. Other responsibilities include collaborating with the Programming & Communications committee and managing coop students on marketing and programming projects such as author talks and panel discussions. 聽聽 聽聽 Qualifications 聽聽This individual must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, very strong interpersonal abilities, a positive attitude, and be detail oriented. S/he should feel comfortable picking up the phone and calling anyone. S/he should be able to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and to meet project deadlines. S/he must be able to work independently and in teams, possess decision-making abilities and problem-solving skills, and effectively supervise others. S/he should be flexible, adaptable, and creative. Eagerness to grow and learn is a plus. Experience with client relations, sales, or advancement experience is preferred. Two+ years computer experience working with databases, word processing programs, and generating reports is necessary. Experience with SalesForce is a plus. Budget experience is preferred. Bachelor’s degree is required. Flexibility in work schedule is required (some evening and weekends). If you have questions about this position at Northeastern, please contact: Maria Taesil Hudson Carpenter Director of Advancement, Marketing & Communications Northeastern University Libraries 617.373.2821 o 857.719.8009 c m.carpenter@neu.edu 2. Digital Library Developer Are you interested in applying your technical skills in an academic environment? Do you think about the future of libraries, scholarly publishing, and digital information management systems? 聽Do you enjoy working with dedicated colleagues and solving interesting problems? 聽If so, consider applying to be our Digital Library Developer! As part of a new Digital Library Management department, the Digital Library Developer will develop and maintain the core technical infrastructure for a comprehensive digital library/repository service. 聽The successful candidate will work closely with colleagues in the Libraries and in Information Services and will play a leading role in designing the primary architecture, workflows and applications for Northeastern’s digital repository service. Typical duties include: working with open-source and commercial applications to develop an OAIS compliant infrastructure that supports the ingestion, storage/preservation, and distribution of digital assets. 聽The Digital Library Developer will be responsible for designing, developing, testing and deploying new technologies, tools and resources to extend and enhance digital content and services, developing application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate multiple submission and access pathways; and collaborating with IS colleagues to implement appropriate identity management and authentication policies. Qualifications Qualifications for this exciting position include: – 聽聽聽Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and four to six years of significant development experience in an object oriented development environment such as Java. – 聽聽聽Strong working knowledge of Java, SQL, XML/XSL. – 聽聽聽Experience with web programming frameworks such as PhP, Rails, or Django. – 聽聽聽Demonstrated experience with Unix, Unix utilities, device handling, data storage, and basic UNIX administration. – 聽聽聽Knowledge of current web development standards and cross platform compatibility and accessibility techniques. – 聽聽聽Experience with Open Source software. – 聽聽聽Excellent oral and written skills. – 聽聽聽Strong interpersonal skills; ability to work successfully in a collaborative environment. – 聽聽聽Experience with IT in a higher education setting desirable. Additional Information Questions about this position or Northeastern’s digital library program should be sent to Patrick Yott at p.yott@neu.edu. To apply for these jobs: If applying from the Careers @ Northeastern site: 1. Click on the ‘Add to My Positions’ button; 2. Click on the ‘View My Positions’ button; 3. Click on the ‘Apply for Positions’ button; 4. Follow the instructions on how to complete ‘The Application Process’. Important: remember that these jobs will be listed under the heading “College/Area: Libraries” If applying from an external job site: 1. Copy the following URL and paste it into a new browser window: https://psoft.neu.edu/psc/neuhrprdpub/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/NEU_HR.NEU_JOBS.GBL 2. Find the position(s) you are interested in applying for and follow the instructions available on the Careers @ Northeastern site. Please contact only the aforementioned staff聽if you are interested in applying; feel free to refer friends outside of Northeastern who may be qualified/interested. Furthermore, spread this blog post around! -Damon G