2012

New Outlets, Quiet and Silent Areas in Club Snell

Over the summer the library began a series of initiatives in response to the results of a survey administered in the spring semester, where students identified a number of areas they would like to see improved. The library is using the feedback to update different parts of Club Snell with both physical changes as well as addressing how the space is used. Several concerns were addressed in this summer’s renovations; one change came from both survey responses as well as noise complaints made by students. These concerns have resulted in the rebranding of the third and fourth floors, from the “quiet floors”; to the quiet and silent floors, respectively. The third floor, now the “quiet” floor, will allow for whispered conversation and the fourth floor, now the “silent” floor will prohibit noise or conversation of any kind. The library will continue its policy that phone calls be taken on the first and second floor and not in the stairwells, as they disturb those working on the upper floors of the building. With this in mind, students will still be able to check out laptop locks at the first floor desk of Snell in order to ensure that their laptops remain secure while they are taking phone calls. The number one concern expressed by students was the number of power outlets, and as a result hundreds of new outlets have been installed all over the library. With the highest number of outlets concentrated in areas where there are many tables and desks. The redesigned space will soon feature several new, smaller tables as suggested by students. This will increase the overall seat count to just over 1,700 with more than 800 tables for students to work and study at. But the exciting renovations don’t stop there! As you probably know the second floor of Snell has been completely redesigned, for more information on these improvements check back soon, we’ll have more information about that soon. In the meantime any concerns or comments can be tweeted @ClubSnell or please feel free to speak up in the comments here.  

5 ways to protect your valuables

Every week you read that student laptops and backpacks disappear from campus lounges, labs, and, of course, even Snell Library. While no method is foolproof in preventing theft, here are some things you can do to reduce the likelihood that your valuables will be stolen: 1. Purchase and carry a laptop lock.  It’s true that a determined thief can use boltcutters or other strategies to thwart a lock, but locks do prevent opportunistic theft by someone walking by and looking for an easy target.  Lock your laptop to anchors on our tables and desks, or to anything secure.  You can find more information about laptop locks at SecureNU. 2. Borrow a laptop lock. We have locks you can borrow at the Circulation Desk on the first floor of Snell Library. Be aware that they may not work with every device (Macbook Air, I’m looking at you!)–which is why buying your own lock may be a better choice. 3. Don’t bring your laptop! We have laptops, ipads, cameras and graphic tablets that you can borrow (along with a lock, by the way!) or just use one of the hundreds of Mac and PC computers on every floor of Snell Library and in the Infocommons. 4. Don’t leave anything unattended. It sounds obvious, but it’s so tempting to think, “I’m sure it’s OK to leave my stuff for a couple of secs and run over to Argo Tea or the restroom.”  Don’t do it–sadly, that’s when most thefts happen. Take your valuables with you. 5. Use your judgment and don’t rely on others. If you tell a stranger to watch your stuff, both the stuff and the stranger may be gone when you return! If you notice anything missing, please report it immediately to the Circulation Desk on the first floor.  We can check our lost and found and help you to follow up with Campus Security if needed.

Introducing a new guest blogger

Hello Huskies! My name is Kristina Lopez, I am a third year criminal justice major and history minor. I am also the Vice President for Academic Affairs in the Student Government Association, and I am honored to be a guest blogger for Club Snell! I have spent countless hours in the library working on different projects and assignments, and I look forward to giving both a student perspective as well as the perspective of someone who works closely with the library to see through all the exciting changes that happen there! I am always available for comments or questions; you can email me at lopez.k@husky.neu.edu or stop by the SGA office in 332 Curry!

Affordable Textbooks 2012…Now, With Even More Options! [Updated]

It’s been two years since I last posted about textbooks, and with classes starting this week, I thought it was a good time to write an update to that post. Since then, a few things have changed.

First, the Bad News…

The cost of textbooks just keeps going up. The New York Times article from October 2009 that I cited in my previous post estimated that college students spent, on average, between $700 and $1,000 each year on textbooks. Fast forward to August 2012… the Wall Street Journal just reported that the average student’s textbook bill is now up to $1,213 a year. (Of course, you can always try selling a purchased textbook back to the bookstore at the end of the term, but, having stood in the buyback line myself recently, I know as well as you do that it’s not exactly a money-making opportunity – if you’re able to sell it back at all, that is. Textbook editions change so frequently that the copy you just bought may well be worthless in only a few months.)

Okay, How About Some Good News?

There now are more alternatives to paying the full amount for a new, hardcover textbook. Textbook rental programs have really taken off in the past couple of years – the NU bookstore has been offering a rental program since Fall 2010, with both print and e-textbooks available for rental. If you’re taking ENGL 1102 this semester, for example, you can choose between buying a new or used copy of Ways of Reading, or rent a copy for about half the cost of buying a new one. Rental can be a good option when you can’t picture yourself referring back to your dogeared copy after you’re done with the course. Online rental companies are also popular – Chegg has been around for a while, and Amazon just got into the textbook rental market, too (although at least one blogger found their selection a bit “skimpy”). It seems like we’ve been hearing a lot about e-textbooks for a long time now, but the iPad has really helped that market take off in the last year. More publishers are working to convert their traditional textbooks into iPad apps, which allow for interactivity in ways that an e-book on, say, a Kindle doesn’t offer. It looks like publishers are realizing that an e-textbook can be much more than a PDF. “Open” textbooks are also gaining traction, as more faculty choose to adopt them for their courses. Publishers like Flat World Knowledge and Boundless offer online learning materials that are free or available for purchase on a sliding scale. Individual faculty are creating open educational resources (OERs) as well – here at Northeastern, Dr. Albert-László Barabási’s network science course website offers a great example of how OERs can be much more than static texts.

What’s the Bottom Line?

This is a great time to start investigating alternatives to traditional printed textbooks – and as you can see, there are lots of options. Faculty – I encourage you to “think outside the shrinkwrap,” if you’re not already doing so. Students – investigate options and talk to your instructors. Let them know that you want to see textbooks become more affordable. And, if nothing else, ask them to put a desk copy of the textbook on reserve at the library! Update, 9/10/12: If you’re interested in learning about new developments in this area, I maintain an up-to-date list of links to news stories and blog posts on Delicious (also available as an RSS feed).  

New: Illustrated London News, 1842-2003

See news and images from the height of Victorian culture, a window into how the English viewed the world around them.  The Illustrated London News provides new resources for art, history, costume design, postcolonial studies, and more. Advanced search features let you limit to just one section of the newspaper, or only image captions, to find: We think this will have a lot of applicability across many subjects, so let us know what you think.