Posts by: Katherine Morley
It’s our favorite time of year! Yes, that’s right. It’s turkey time!
Starting at 12pm this Thursday 11/21 and Friday 11/22, you can stop by the Library Service Desk and create your own feathered friend to bring home to Mom (or back to your study carrel). We’ll have a variety of materials out so you can create anything your heart desires, from the simple and majestic hand turkey (our personal favorite) to some 3D pinecone poultry.
You might have noticed a new face down at the Library Service Desk this past month…please join us in welcoming Sarah Bergman, our new part-time reference assistant! Sarah just moved to Boston from California, where she attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and worked at the Robert E. Kennedy Library. She worked in circulation for two years, and in reference for one, and volunteered with the library in outreach programs. She enjoys coffee, documentaries, and writing short fiction and plays. She’s excited to live in New England, because she’s never seen snow, and we’re excited to have her on our staff!
Please enjoy the fourth installment of Ask Ms. Shelved, the irregularly scheduled advice column from HHSL!
Dear Ms Shelved:
Last night I studied, stressed and sleepy, sitting on the 7th floor,
And heard a phantom laugh–so creepy!–from behind a closèd door…
Oh, sorry about that…I still regret not being an English major.
What I mean to say is that I was on the quiet floor and everyone around me was working independently in carrels, but I could sometimes hear voices coming from different areas of the floor. Is the library CuRsEd??? Are these unsettling utterances the work of the phantoms of past pupils… crying out in eternal agony about an exam they never quite felt prepared for? Will a ghastly ghoul set upon me should I fall asleep at my books? Please let me know, for I am quite spooked and not at all procrastinating.
Sincerely,
Haunted in Hirsh
Dear Haunted,
Well, you certainly do have an active imagination. Perhaps you should consider creative writing as a hobby.
Fortunately, these voices you hear are not the work of otherworldly spirits, but rather the high spirits of your fellow (living) students. The group study rooms are not soundproof, so when one gets overly enthusiastic about biochemical pathways, one’s voice might carry across the rest of the floor.
Let this serve as a reminder to those who use the rooms—be mindful of your volume! Though you might feel tucked away in your own private space, if you get too loud, you will perturb (or possibly spook!) one of your compatriots. A measured, “indoor” voice should suffice for communication.
And, my dear Haunted…might I suggest that you use headphones or earplugs? You can find both at the Library Service Desk. While we encourage the users of group study rooms to moderate their volume, total silence cannot be guaranteed. That being said, should niggling noises continue to break through your noise-dampening efforts, do not hesitate to gently ask the room occupants to be quieter. Or, if you are too timid, ask a friendly Library Service Desk staff member to speak to them.
Ever yours,
Ms. Shelved
P.S.
A ghoul is specifically associated with graveyards, so even were the library to be haunted…it would not be by a ghoul. –M.S.
Pumpkin time is here! Take a break from studying and flex your creative muscles at the Library Service Desk this Thursday and Friday. Hirsh Pumpkin Patch will open at 12pm each day and we’ll have all the supplies you need to create a gorgeous gourd to adorn your apartment or study carrel.
I know. The term “equity” is trending. But there is something to the hype. The theme for this year’s Open Access (OA) Week, which we celebrate from October 21st-27th, is “Open for Whom? Equity in Open Knowledge”
We’ve made some real strides with OA over the years, that is, making research literature freely available on the Internet with few copyright or license restriction. The list of reputable OA publishers is growing, we’re developing more comprehensive appraisals of a journal’s quality, and we’re making impactful strides to rebalance the economics involved in communicating research. But when I say “we,” I unfortunately do not mean that all scholars, authors, researchers, and practitioners, geographically or economically speaking, are equally represented.
As Nick Shockey, founding Director of the Right to Research Coalition, among other things, poses these timely questions in his blog post about this year’s OA Week theme:
- Whose interests are being prioritized in the actions we take and in the platforms that we support?
- Whose voices are excluded? Are underrepresented groups included as full partners from the beginning?
- Are we supporting not only open access but also equitable participation in research communication?
The answers to these questions are not all obvious or easily acted upon. But these questions are our challenge. They provide focus and guidance for how to continue to grow, repair, and refine how we create and communicate research. Read more about OA at https://sites.tufts.edu/scholarlycommunication/open-access/
Post contributed by Judy Rabinowitz
BLEH!
‘tis I, the Prince of Procrastination, the Lord of Laziness, the Dragon of Draggin’, COUNT BLOCKULA
When the moon is high and the spirit is weak, I emerge to feed on the living…no, not on blood (gross)… But on the ineffable power generated by your LATE RETURNS.
When you fall under my spell, powerless to resist and unable to return your Reserve items, Electronics, and Peripherals to the Library Service Desk on time, I grow stronger with each ensuing infraction.
ONE BLOCK – a light snack for me, you cannot check out materials for 24 hours
TWO BLOCKS – heartier fare indeed, succumb to me twice and you cannot borrow for one week
THREE BLOCKS – a delicious meal, leaving me full and you unable to check out materials for one full month! Plus a letter to your Dean about your naughty ways
FOUR BLOCKS – the full buffet! I am sated, and you are without laptops and phone chargers until the end of the semester
(thunder clap!)
If you are wise, you will resist me and return your reserve materials on time, mortals. Otherwise beware the wrath of COUNT BLOCKULA!
(The Hirsh Health Sciences Library overdue item policy can be found in its entirety here: http://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/about-us/policies/overdue-items)
It’s only mid-September but the semester is already in full swing. Join us at the Library Service Desk this Thurs 9/12 and Fri 9/13, starting at 12pm, for our first FunLab of the year and make a custom cozy to adorn your favorite seasonally-spiced drink. We’ll have all the supplies you need to protect your hand from hot beverages in style!
But that’s not all! Stop by the Library Service Desk TODAY at 3pm for a teatime study break. We’ll have tea, treats, and the schedule for all of this fall’s FunLabs. Hope to see you there!
Image by Mabel Amber from Pixabay
Welcome to Tufts – and welcome to the Hirsh Health Sciences Library! We are so glad you’re here!
During orientation you will learn more about using the Hirsh Library and how we can support you during your time at the Sackler School. We also wanted to share some tips to get you started:
- Have a question? Drop by the Service Desk on the 4th floor or chat to the librarian on call.
- Need help with research, obtaining materials or want to learn a new research skill? Schedule an appointment with Andrea Kang, your librarian liaison.
- Want to familiarize your self with a wide-range of helpful resources? Check out our Biomedical Sciences Research Guide.
- Time to improve your research skills or learn how to work with data ? Sign-up for a workshop or attend a drop-in session.
We wish you a most fabulous Fall semester and hope that you will explore the wealth of resources available to you at Hirsh. Welcome!
Black Birds Desktop White by JohnED76 is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
Welcome Public Health! We’re so happy to see you!
During orientation we will take you around to various sections of the library so you can get to know us. Can’t remember what we told you or have a question about something we didn’t cover? You can always Ask Us by email, chat, phone, or text, or just stop by the Library Service Desk–there is always someone to talk to. If you need research assistance, you can get help from the librarian on call or make an appointment with your liaison, Amy Lapidow.
Don’t know where to start? We have many Research Guides on all kinds of topics. Explore!
Study Inn This Place by Alan Levine is licensed under CC0 1.0
Welcome MBSers! So happy to see you!
Can’t remember anything from orientation?! Don’t worry, you can always Ask Us by email, chat, phone, or text, or just stop by the Library Service Desk–there is always someone to talk to. If you need research assistance, you can get help from the librarian on call or make an appointment with your liaison, Amy Lapidow.
Don’t know where to start? We have many Research Guides on all kinds of topics. Explore! Especially the one about studying. We know you do a lot of that.
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https://t.co/PJaKzpYFNpThe story of "Snowflake" Bentley, the Vermont farmer who found no two were alike https://t.co/VIUdEvcPSQ
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