Sitting on the Shelf

I sat there watching the people go by, grabbing books off the shelf, writing papers, studying hard. Everyone had their own agenda, a list of things that needed to be completed before the semester ended and time was running short. Deadlines were fast approaching and more and more books seemed to be flying off the shelves just to be put back in the same place. There had to be more to life then this rush, this fast paced life of a very busy college student. All I saw day in and day out was students studying, that no fun was had no life was lived. I decided that I had to leave and see what the rest of campus life was like, this couldn’t be it.

I walked over to the chapel and peeked in the door seeing the student body worship together, and I was amazed. Then I walked outside and felt the cold breeze hit me, a shiver ran down my spine and I headed over to the building where the students ate. I looked through the window and saw laughter and joy, who knew that this was here. I went inside and walked down the stairs and saw students playing games in the gym forgetting for a moment the work that needed to be done. I ran out again going to the buildings where classes were held seeing only a few sleeping but others seemed to enjoy what they heard. Then I went to the dorms where the students slept. The lounges were full of laughter but also stressful worried looks as the students started to panic over the work that needed to be done. Then they all left and went to slept some staying up way later then they should and I decided that this life wasn’t so bad. I went back up the hill and back into the library, my home, and sat back on my shelf awaiting the new day and the new rush of students.

Morning came and so did the workers, then finally the students, starting a new day of stress and fear of not meeting that deadline. All of a sudden a library worker took me off the shelf and claimed to have “found” me. I didn’t even know I was missing I had been sitting in the same place I had always sat day after day. The worker received a prize for a job well done and I got put back on my shelf.

To those who care, adventuring is not for the books to do– it is for you the reader, and students can still have fun in between studying and classes, I have seen it. There are other books like me that are still “missing” and it would be nice if they were found.

Signed,

The book that saw the world (at least Cairn campus)

~Interpreted and Illustrated by Hannah Hannon

Unexpected Treasures

Old and retro things have fascinated me since I was a little girl. When I was nine years old my dad decided to clean out his office and sell or give away a lot of his books. I don’t remember most of them (there were quite a lot) but I do remember one, mostly because it is now mine.

My copy of Great Inventors and their Inventions by Bachman was an old school book from the Wilkes Barre District. It was published in 1918– keep in mind that’s the year that World War One ended– and it now resides, instead of on the desk of an eighth grader, on the bookshelf in my room.

Since my dad gave that book to me I have grown quite the appreciation for old books, so when I discovered the one-dollar-book-tables and free books carts in the library I was naturally drawn to them. Since I found out about them I have searched through the carts for old books and, to my great delight, found several of interest. Since last fall, I have acquired a copy of Whittier’s poems (from the 1830s!) and an old German reader (from the early 1900s). More recently, and to my great surprise, I stumbled upon a copy of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation album!

Quite honestly, there a lot of strange and fantastic things to be found in on the free carts in the library, so don’t forget to look through them when you stop by.

~Hannah Stange

Staying Sharp Over Christmas Break

We all love to spend the break having fun and savoring every moment of home-cooked meals and no responsibilities.  However, sometimes it can be really tough to come back to school in January if you’ve spent the past three weeks waking up at 10 AM.  Here are just a few ways that I’ve found help me stay healthy and productive, yet still allow for an extremely relaxing holiday season.

Make a plan
The best way to make your Christmas productive and relaxing is to make a plan!  It doesn’t have to be super detailed, but in the evening, think about what you want to accomplish the next day, what time you will wake up, and make a rough schedule.   This is a great strategy because you don’t have to fill your plate with more than you want, but you can certainly accomplish a lot of tasks now that you have so much time on your hands!  Don’t sleep the day away unless you go to bed super late, and try to maintain some type of routine, even though it can be tough.

Exercise
I know this sounds like the last thing you want to do while you’re all warm and curled up with your dog, but there are some super fun ways to get moving and sweating! Go out with your siblings for a hike or trail jog if there’s a warm enough day, or maybe even hit the gym for a little bit in the morning.  Exercise can be a great way to bring the family or friends together – meet up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while and try a kickboxing class together.  You could take the train into the city and just walk for a few miles, a sure fire way to feel ready for bed by the end of the day!  Getting your heart rate up and your blood pumping also gives your metabolism a boost for the rest of the day, minimizing the damage done by that fresh batch of cookies your mom will be pulling out of the oven.

Keep track of what you consume 
This may sound like overkill for the holiday season, but there’s some real truth to the importance of breakfast and veggies.  Make sure your meals are all balanced and spaced out correctly, that way you don’t undereat or overeat at any given time of the day.  This will help you stay full, eat less, and still allow you to enjoy reasonable amounts of your holiday favorites.

Stimulate your mind
During the semester, I am way too busy for watching Netflix, so my plans this break will definitely consist of all of Stranger Things season two.  I totally understand the urge to pull up Netflix at every free moment, but skip the season-long binge watching sessions and fill your time with other brain-stimulating activities as well.  This could include games with your family, practicing an instrument, learning a new recipe, or taking up a new hobby.

~Maya Neal

On to Christmas Break!

Christmas time is here! Christmas break can mean many things, especially for us college students. Sleep, relaxation, or anxiety (depending on what home is like), catching up with old friends, new adventures, and did I mention SLEEP?! It’s a time for us to take a break, to either love or hate how commercialized Christmas has become and repeat another year of family and friends. Christmas time can be crazy and it can speed by quickly. So, make sure you enjoy it. The library offers not only a great atmosphere with all of the decorations that were put up (like the awesome 6 foot tall tree of books in the lobby.. come check it out!), but it also has, guess what? Books. I know that we all “read”a lot during the semester, but there is nothing like kicking back with a good book that can bring you to all different types of worlds and make you relax simultaneously. Although, if it’s a really good book, you might lose some sleep. Reading is so important and while there are many academic books in the library that are necessary for our college careers, there are also novels like The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver which I am enjoying immensely right now and which I checked out of the library not too long ago.

So, I encourage all of you to breathe, relax, and not only remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas, but ask God to show you Himself in new ways this holiday season. Enjoy new books; go on adventures with both old friends from home and new friends you find in the characters. Don’t let it be another cliché time of year; press in and see all of the wondrous things that can happen this Christmas. And don’t forget to sleep.

~Kiana Schwab

Updates and Improvements

In the span of the past year or so, the Masland Library has upgraded the study areas in the building in order to provide the students of Cairn University with greater comfort for the long hours of reading, a quieter atmosphere for quality study sessions, and even more advanced technology options for those of us who forget our laptops, phone chargers, or earphones all the way down in Heritage Hall. Some of these additions are obvious and exciting – others are subtle, yet essential to the academic success and the mental sanity of the students of the university. The exciting additions are as follows:

• BRAND NEW headphones, ones that fit most head sizes. These headphones are classy, comfortable and sound-cancelling (for the most part). Not only will you experience quality sound, but you also get a quality look as you jam out to your tunes. No more of those clunky, old, space antennas that we used to offer. (Unless you really liked the space antennas. We still have those.)
• The downstairs computer lab has been magically transformed into a quiet study space for those of you that don’t want to be affected by the not-so-whispered conversations and the sound of books dropping in the main part of the library. Use this space for individual study – NOT for group study. (We have private study rooms available for groups to have space to discuss and work together. Check out keys for the study rooms at the front desk!*) Specialities of the quiet study space involve super big and comfy chairs, large work areas (a few of which resemble dining room tables), and inspirational pieces of art to stimulate your brain.
• We now have CHROMEBOOKS available for check-out! These sleek little pieces of technology are a great tool for those days when you spill your coffee all over your MacBook, when you forgot your power cord in your dorm room, or when you just want to try out some new technology. The Chromebooks can be checked out for 2 hours at a time, but they have to stay in the library. Make sure you treat them as if they were your own, because if you don’t.. Well.. it might cost you something**.
• Finally, the most exciting addition of all. The Masland Library has FINALLY – after years of tears, petitions, pleas, suggestion cards, threats, and stiff backs – added BEANBAGS to your library experience. These beanbags serve many purposes, of few of which I will name.

WHAT BEANBAGS ARE FOR

1. Sitting on
2. Taking that inevitable study break nap
3. Hanging out with your friends in comfort (quietly, of course***)
4. Writing papers and doing research while feeling like you’re enveloped in a cloud
5. Generally enjoying because they are soft and fluffy and big and lovely and infinitely better than the chairs

WHAT BEANBAGS NOT FOR

1. Throwing over the second floor balcony. Seriously. No. That’s how people die.
2. Canoodling. Shenanigans. You know what I mean. All those Cairn couples out there.. One person per beanbag, please. PDA to the minimum, please. For everyone else’s sake, please.. Leave room for Jesus.
3. Eating food. These beanbags are in pristine (kind of) condition and deserve to be treated with respect to keep them as beautiful and comfortable as they are now. Also, you’re not allowed to be eating food in the library anyways****, so.. Keep that in mind as you enjoy the fluff.
4. Building forts. Those suckers are pretty hefty, so keep them on the floor, okay*****? It’s better for everyone that way.

Take advantage of all of these upgrades******! They are here to make your life easier, happier, and less stressful. Happy Thursday!

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* Seriously. We will ask you to relocate to a noise-friendly area of the library.

** Cost you something like the price of a Chromebook. Or your technology-using privileges.

*** Seriously. We will call security to escort you from the premises in handcuffs if you can’t keep your voices down. Well.. maybe not in handcuffs, but.. Be respectful, okay?

**** Nobody likes ants and rodents hanging out by the beanbags, right? Right. Keep the crumbs in the library. Seriously.

***** Seriously. Do your back and your tired limbs a favor and leave them on the floor.

****** Seriously!! We want you to be here and we have these resources for your enjoyment and convenience.

~Emily Tielmann

America meets the Fahrenheit 451 world

In the blink on an eye, any country in the world can be taken out with nuclear weapons. Technology has become life threatening; however, few seem to worry about its effects. People are blind to the direction the world is headed in. Omar N. Bradley once said, “If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.” In the same way, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 alludes to the current modern-day world. American society believes it has met the peak of intelligence; however, Bradbury shows his readers how negligent American society has become through the chaos within the culture, which ensues when wisdom and youth are neglected.

Fahrenheit 451 was published in the early 50’s, despite the era it was written in, Bradbury makes many valid points reflecting modern culture. Bradbury predicts the obsession with technology and the problems it may cause; including, but not limited to, an enormous lack of human interaction. The characters do not care for others and have become very egocentric.  It is as if they never grew up. During times of stress, anxiety, etc. they resort to technology to comfort them, bringing to mind a parent comforting a child with a pacifier.

This book is a great read, especially for those who enjoying thinking. You can find Fahrenheit 451 on the shelves of the Masland Library here at Cairn University in our fiction section. Challenge yourself to prove this story wrong and get to know your fellow school mates. How will you stop America from reaching a dystopian nightmare?

~Ismael Santana

By Grace Alone

This semester I have had the privilege of interning at a drug and alcohol rehab center for women. It has been an experience that I would not trade for anything and also one I wish everyone could experience.  Addiction Recovery is hard, it’s not pretty, and it makes people vulnerable. However, it also makes people search, makes them available and makes them open to new ways of life. You see, we all search for things to fill us, to make us happy, or cheer us up. People in recovery are the same, they looked for things just like I do, and you do, and the difference is that they landed on a substance and not a Netflix show. And the ONLY THING that separates me from them, you from them, is the grace of God alone. That could be me, should be me, and could be you.

But the beautiful thing is that I have never met people so open, so willing, and so desperate in need for something deeper. Never have I been able to see the need for Jesus more than I have this semester and never have I been around people so hungry for it.

Now I know what you’re thinking. How does this relate to the library? Well let me tell you.

I have read, borrowed and skimmed dozens of books in the Library about addiction. And let me tell you, there’s plenty.

But not just that.

The Library is simply where it starts. You find a book, you check it out, you read it, your take notes (maybe), and you return it. But it’s what you do after that, it’s how you act on the information you just read, it’s how you follow Jesus’ commands using that newfound information, it’s how you treat people.

So do yourself a favor, visit the Library (there’s plenty of topics to find), check out a book, read it, and then make use of it!

~Kristen Holmes

A Grace Sufficient

Vulnerability can be defined as the state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. And nothing stings more than the vulnerability of uttering those three little words: “I don’t know.”  It’s a phrase that clings to the vocal cords like peanut butter to the roof of your mouth, and we have to use it more times than not if we’re honest with ourselves. If all the knowledge to be obtained were a circle, the knowledge any one college student possesses would be nothing more than a pen dot within it.

In fact, as students, ours is a position characterized by lacking knowledge and depending on those who have gone before us so that we may grow our minds and perceptions. These predecessors lead us to ask questions and dive into the abyss of research possibilities, which is exciting . . . until you realize you have three papers to write, two exams to study for, and that huge social event that simply cannot be missed.

Thankfully, there are people and offices established all over campus to support students as we endeavor to unfold the mystery that is navigating adulthood and intellect. In the ARC there are people who are trained to help you manage your schedule and optimize study time. Likewise, the library has experienced staff with hearts ready to serve any student needing assistance.

Laura Saloiye, a Cairn University alumna, has worked at Cairn since 2001, first as a student and, beginning in 2008, as a librarian. In addition to her pleasant personality, Laura has a copious knowledge of the research process and the Masland Library resources that can help any student better utilize all the library has to offer. She is one of the most beneficial tools the Masland Library has to offer the students at Cairn University. The entire Cairn community can learn how to efficiently research and eloquently sift through depths of knowledge which extend well beyond the limits of the many pages on our shelves. You need only ask.

~Theresa Yandell

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Fare thee well

Fare thee well, good sir Melvin.

 

Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (Honore Daumier, 1808-1879)

The Masland Library has recently bid adieu to a great staff person of the Masland Kingdom. In the midst of disappointment for an un-had book, he would set out to gather it from the ILLied nations. When curiosity availed, he would tell you about the oldest book in the Rare dungeon. Fascinated with the mystical and perplexing writings of the Deutsche wizards, and never failing to create new facial expressions for any and every moment.

 

His name was Sir Melvin.

Sir Melvin has disappeared without a trace. Soon after those who remained in the kingdom of Masland began to notice hand and boot prints on the carpet. It wasn’t long until the security gates would go off when someone walked in, not out. Worst of all, the downstairs computer lab was suddenly gone.

When something goes awry or if there is an unexplained occurrence, the people of the Masland Kingdom know that the ghost of Sir Melvin still lingers.

 

~KC Carothers

Summer at Masland Library

Summers are strange things, most frequently I am asked by my friends and family, what I do all day since the students are all gone, and why I still work full time.  Most people believe that summers at an academic library are similar to a high school teacher’s hours (that they are off unless they are stuck teaching summer school).  No, here at Masland Library, we begin on all the projects that were too noisy or disruptive to work on during classes.   So what do I do?

I work on Web Content; while the student workers are out in the stacks doing inventory.

We create lists to review the inventory scans; while the student workers continue to work on inventory.

Now a second student worker is working on finding missing items while I create a LibGuide.

Then towards the middle of summer we realize…all of the items we have reclassed and cataloged have filled the shelves so that there is no more room.  Now we have to begin selective shifting (there have been summers where the whole library has needed shifting).

So one student worker is shifting while another is doing inventory; another student is processing all of those reclass and new books.

Now someone is double-checking the new items; while more new items are being processed.

Now we have to shift another area while another student is STILL working on inventory.

Towards the end of summer we realize all the other small things that need to be accomplished before Weekend of Welcome; new signs for the shelves; that shelf over there has been switched with the one above it; Oh No! another whole series has come in for Biblical Reference and we need to shift everything again.  What do you mean there are information literacy sessions being held Weekend of Welcome…now I need a PowerPoint. Goodness me the Reserves still haven’t been collected…we need to get them before the new students do.  RA’s are back…eke that means that students will be here in a matter of days!

Student workers are madly cleaning up shelves and placing end cap labels on.

Reserves are being pulled and activated.

All tutorials are being reviewed and information literacy classes are being taught.

Summers are strange things. While there is definitely fewer people in the Library and fewer reference questions we are preparing to give students the best service, cleanest library, and best resources available so that they can utilize the resources we have for them.

~Laura Saloiye