The iPad Mini is here!

The library now has 3 iPad Minis to loan out!

Same deal as the iPad 2… you can check it out for 7 days, with an option to renew for an additional 7 days, and these are available to Bryant students, staff, and faculty only.  If you come by and we don’t have any available, you can ask to be put on our waiting list.

It’s the iPad, but smaller.

But, you know, bigger than your phone.

Either way, enjoy it, and let us know what you think!

Thanks to you, the BookScan Station has returned.

So a few months ago we were all

But now we’re all

Because at long last our beloved BookScan Station

has returned! It’s back in its old location between the copy machines on the first floor, just waiting for you to come and scan your books and documents in an easy, frustration free manner. In the interest of full disclosure we should point out that the scan-to-email function is not working yet, but this is a known issue and will hopefully be resolved soon.

Thank you, Bryant community, for showing your support and letting your voices be heard in saying that you wanted this to come back to the library, since that showed the Powers That Be that this was a useful and needed device for our patrons.  We literally could not have gotten it back without your efforts.  And we promise to stop all this meme abuse now.

Well, okay, one more.

Good IDEAs on the future of libraries

Bryant’s IDEA (that’s “Innovation and Design Experience for All” for those of you playing along at home) was held Monday, January 21st through Wednesday, January 23rd, and gave this year’s freshman class the opportunity to apply design thinking and teamwork skills to a variety of “real world” applications covering a wide array of topics – transportation, the environment, retail, food service, cultural programs, community involvement, and many more.  Group #4, mentored by Thom Bassett, Stephanie Carter, and Kyle Nyskohus, tackled the topic of libraries, and the students in that group generated several projects conveying their ideas on the future of libraries – what services they should provide, what materials should be offered, how they should be constructed, etc.  Some of these projects are now on display on the first floor of the library:

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Take the time to give them a closer look as you walk by.  There are lots of good ideas being thrown around here – some that libraries across the world are already in the process of implementing, some that are aspired toward, and probably a few that no one has even considered yet.  We’re such big fans that we’re hoping to get some of these students to present their ideas to us in person somewhere down the line.

Group 4 (and everyone else involved with IDEA) did a bang-up job on this.  Give their work a look, they’ve really earned your attention!

Digital Commons@Bryant University

Have you ever wondered what the scholarly pursuits of your colleagues, professors, and classmates are? Would you like to explore the history of Bryant University, and see actual artifacts that tell the story of the university? Then you should check out the Digital Commons@Bryant University. To access Digital Commons simply hover your mouse over the “Special Collections” tab on the left hand side of the page and then click “Digital Commons.”

Digital Commons is a database powered by a company called BePress. This database holds all kinds of historical and scholarly material for your perusal. Many colleges and universities are exploring ways to provide resources that are more easily accessible. Libraries are also exploring the concept of Open Access. If you would like to read more about Open Access and related initiatives a good place to start would be UC Berkeley the Digital Public of America.

Want to check out what the Science and Technology faculty are working on? Simply visit their page here. What about the Accounting faculty? See that here. Maybe you would like to explore past Senior Honors Projects? Explore those here.

In addition to scholarly material published by faculty and staff our Digital Commons contains lots of historical and archival material. We have the Archway, Bryant Commencements, Bryant Magazine, Historical photos and documents, and so much more.

Also, don’t forget to check out the Bryant College Goes to War archive headed by Professor Judy Litoff. This wonderful collection documents the impact that World War II had on Bryant and its community.

If you are a Bryant faculty member who would like their work published in our Digital Commons, please contact Anthony Marando at marandoa@bryant.edu or refdesk@bryant.edu. The Digital Commons can only grow with your support.

As you can see we have only scrapped the surface of the Digital Commons@Bryant University. If you need help accessing materials or have questions about the collection, send an e-mail to dcommons@bryant.edu or you can IM us from the main library homepage.

Online Study Room Reservation At Last!

You asked.  You pleaded.  A few of you complained, but we won’t talk about that.  At least one person has even thrown around the phrase “I’m begging ya.”  Your patience has been rewarded – library study rooms can now be reserved online.

The process is simple - just go to this page on the library website (which can also be found under the Library Services heading of our home page), read through the policies and procedures and click on the big Thumbs Up at the bottom of the page to jump into the R25 reservation software and reserve your room.

A few important guidelines to remember:

• You will need to contact us (232-6125) for the username and password in order to log in (due to security concerns, we can’t just post it on the web for all to see).
• Study room reservation is limited to Bryant students only.
• Time blocks are in half-hour increments.
• Remember the 3-3-6 Rule: you must have a group of at least 3 people to request a room, you can only book up to 3 hours at a time, and you can only book a maximum of 6 hours per week.
• When booking rooms, you MUST include your name, your Bryant ID number, your Bryant email address, and the names of at least two other people in your group.  If those are missing, the request won’t be processed.
• Check back to make sure your request has been processed, as your room assignment may have changed!  Please allow a 24 hour turnaround for request processing, especially during busy times.
• You are responsible for using the room you have been assigned.  If you use a different room, you may lose your reservation.

As always, feel free to contact us in person, by phone (232-6125), or email (circdesk (at) bryant (dot) edu) if you have any questions.