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!

We want your old DVDs! (Provided they still work, of course.)

Have a bunch of DVDs you don’t want anymore?  Maybe you can help us out!

The library is looking to expand its leisure DVD offerings (you know, stuff you’d watch for fun as opposed to for class), and we’re hoping for donations of gently used, good condition DVDs (as in “still playable” and “not scratched like a cat sharpened its claws on it”) from you, our adoring public.  We get to increase our offerings to the Bryant community, the community gets a wider selection of fun DVDs to watch cheap as free, you get the dual benefits of knowing you helped us out and clearing stuff out of your room… everyone wins!

If you have any questions, call us at 401-232-6125 or email us at library@bryant.edu, or you can just stop by the desk and drop ‘em off.  We’ll have a quick form for you to fill out (mostly so we know who stuff is coming from and so we can find out what you want us to do with ‘em if it turns out we can’t use them), but it’s a pretty painless process.

Thanks for helping us to continue to help you!

Easter Weekend Hours, March 29th-31st

Our schedule is going to be a little different over the Easter holiday weekend, so please make note of the changes on Friday and Sunday:

Friday, March 29th: 7:30 am to 4 pm

Saturday, March 30th: 10 am to 6 pm

Sunday, March 31st: 4 pm to 1:30 am

Have a great weekend, and remember, even if you don’t celebrate Easter, you can still gorge yourself on Cadbury Creme Eggs.

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.

Starry-Eyed New Science Books!

Hi everyone! Apologies for the long absence. . .life has been crazily hectic over the past month, but I’ve finally hit a lull, which means time for more book recommendations!

Today I’d like to point out two brand new books in our collection: How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown, and Hindsight and Popular Astronomy by Alan B. Whiting.

Perhaps you remember hearing the news in 2006, that the solar system that we’d all been so familiar with would no longer be the same. Pluto, the ninth and presumably outermost planet, was a planet no longer. How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming is written by Mike Brown, the astronomer whose discovery of a tenth planet sparked another look at poor Pluto. At only 260 pages, this book is a quick and interesting read on Brown’s work to discover another planet, and the variety of challenges along this path– including a group of rival astronomers who go to great lengths to sabotage his efforts. There is also discussion of the debate about what the term planet actually means and how the International Astronomical Union came to the fateful decision to “demote” Pluto. This book is very engaging and does not require any prior knowledge of astronomy in order to be enjoyed.

Will removing Pluto’s planet status be questioned in the future?  In Hindsight and Popular Astronomy, University of Birmingham affiliated author Alan B. Whiting takes a look at astronomy books written between 1833 and 1944 to find out what information was spot on, what has changed, and in some cases, what was wrong. The final chapter nicely ties everything together by explaining how scientists can take steps to guard against writing wrong information, and tips for non-scientists to keep in mind when reading scientific sources. Because this book looks at the history of astronomy and not just the science itself, a prior knowledge of some astronomy terms is useful but not necessary.

Speaking of space and planets and such, have you heard of Gustav Holst’s suite, The Planets? If not, even if you don’t normally like classical music, I recommend at least checking out Mars: The Bringer of War. If this isn’t the most metal classical music composition of all time, I don’t know what is.

‘Til next time!

 

Seniors, be sure to pick up your free copy of Extreme Productivity at the library

Extreme Productivity, a book Harvard Business School professor/investment management firm chairman/author/human dynamo Robert C. Pozen about how to achieve best results and maximum performance, has been made available for free to Bryant University seniors thanks to a special arrangement between Mr. Pozen and President Machtley.  Copies can be picked up here at the library’s circulation desk – just stop by and ask for your copy, and we’ll cross your name off the list and send you on your way.  Only one book per student, please.

Mr. Pozen will be speaking on campus on Tuesday, April 16th, at 5 pm, so if you want to get your copy signed and ask the man just how he manages to get so much done in a day and still, you know, sleep, you’d be wise to take advantage of the opportunity.

Library Schedule for Spring Break, March 8 – 17

Spring Break is just a few days away… you can make it! Enjoy it if you’re going somewhere fun and warm, but if you’re not, consider visiting us at the library, since we’ll be open.  Here’s our schedule for the week of break:

Friday, March 8th: 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Saturday, March 9th, and Sunday, March 10th: CLOSED

Monday, March 11th, and Tuesday, March 12th: 7:30 am to 9 pm

Wednesday, March 13th: 7:30 am to 5 pm (Closing early for a Women’s Summit event)

Thursday, March 14th: 7:30 am to 9 pm

Friday, March 15th: 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

Saturday, March 16th: CLOSED

Sunday, March 17th: Noon to 1:30 am

Have fun, travel safely, and try not to do anything that could keep you from running for public office.  And if you do anyway, at least have the sense not to photograph yourself.