Jarrett Library 2014 Bucket List



As a reference and instruction librarian here at ETBU, I often find myself lost in the stacks or the archives just marveling at the resources that are available to our students. The sad thing is, many of these resources one might never know about unless they were looking for that specific item and proceeded with wisdom to ask one of your ETBU librarians where you might find it. We have incredible information that many people aren’t aware of – this is the librarian’s lament. Apparently, I’m not alone in this lament as a fellow librarian over at UGL in Illinois touched on the same idea in the post “Listful Thinking” which includes a lovely bucket list for their soon to graduate students. It is a beautiful attempt to help those future alums soak in the value of their college library just one more time before they head off to new adventures (and new libraries).

To our soon to graduate 2014 seniors: 

We, the librarians and staff of Mamye Jarrett Library eagerly awaited your arrival your first semester on campus. We thought about what types of resources you might need and how we might get those to you. We made plans to greet you in your first days on campus and tried to make sure that you were able to register for your very first account with us. Throughout your time with us we looked forward to seeing your faces – even during finals at 3 a.m. – and hoped that when you called on us we would be able to help you find that perfect resource for your research. In a sense, we’ve watched you grow up as researchers – from helping you figure out an your first Turabian footnote to helping you navigate the burgeoning seas of information – we’ve been there when you’ve let us be there and for that, I must say, this librarian is grateful. Now as you get ready to walk down across that stage on May 3rd, know that the librarians and staff of Jarrett Library will be cheering you on in our best dress (and for some it should be noted, this includes an eye-popping shade of lemon yellow) as you head off to face a new world of information -- hopefully with the information literacy tools we’ve tried to impart to you along the way. 

But before you go, here are a few things we think you should try and experience before you kick the proverbial academic bucket –

  • Flex your government knowledge as you attempt to name each American President featured in our Mosaic Wood Carving Presidential Portraits collection in the library’s Heritage Room.
  • Take a trip into the nostalgia of your childhood while visiting our Children’s Literature stacks. Find your favorite book from days gone by and take a moment to let your pending adulthood soak in.
  • Spend some time flipping through the history of ETBU by looking at our extensive collection of ETBU annuals housed within our University Archives.
  • Check out a key for a study room from the circulation desk for a last ditch effort to study quietly.
  • Take some time to click through our Digital Archives featuring the inauguration of Dr. Samuel “Dub” Oliver.
  • Have you managed to grasp the Library of Congress Classification System while you were here? If so, venture out and try to find a book on your own in the stacks. (And if you haven’t mastered it just yet, we’re still here to help – no judgement)
  • Tackle that last group project with your pals in the library’s Heritage Room – where it’s definitely okay to talk.
  • Host an impromptu film festival using the feature films collection found in your library – Star Wars anyone?
  • Use the microfilm machine to find out what was happening in Marshall, Texas the day that you were born.
  • Slow down the aging process by perusing what all the kids are reading these days in our Young Adult Collection.
  • Read all of the plaques nestled on the walls throughout the library – you might even learn something.
  • Get a few friends together and snap a selfie with our Seagulls Statue.
  • Follow the library on Facebook and Twitter so that we can still be a part of your life.
  • Ask a librarian to help you with your sources or research – for old time’s sake.
  • Take a well deserved snooze on one of our oh-so-comfy couches.
And finally, stop in and tell us goodbye before the big day because we are certainly going to miss you. We wish you the best! 

(one last tip… track down your local public library the minute you get where you are going – they’d like the help you too!)

-  by Elizabeth Ponder, Librarian & Manager of Instruction & Information Services

Comments

ekens said…
Elizabeth Ponder, you have a way with words. That's a good quality in a librarian.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 at 9:22:00 PM CDT
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