Open 24/7 During Finals Week

 Library, Main Floor Only, open 24 hours during finals week
The Student Association, the Library, and the administration are collaborating to conduct an experimental trial to extend the Library Main Floor open hours during finals weeks. The Main Floor of the Library will be open 24 hours on weekdays, beginning Sunday April 29th at noon and ending the morning of Thursday, May 17th.  The entire Library will close at 9pm as usual Friday and Saturday hours will be 10am – 9pm, also as usual. See the Library website for the most up-to-date hours information.
  
During the trial, A New Paltz ID card will be required to enter the building after midnight. Increased staffing and University Police Department awareness will help ensure everyone’s safety.  If staying late, please park in the Elting Gym Parking Lot to avoid being ticketed  Desk services will be limited to checking out reserve items only.
 
We need your help in keeping our beautiful building clean.  Remove your food and trash and straighten the spaces you’ve used before you leave.  Please help to maintain the building so that future generations of students can enjoy its welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.
 
We welcome your suggestions – comment cards will be available for patrons to give us feedback.

 

Black History for the other 11…

If you’re looking for a great way to expand your encounter with Black history beyond the month of February, check out Glory Days by Janus Adams*. This book – available in the Library – provides 365 brief, powerful essays highlighting African American contributions to the political, scientific, athletic, artistic, and economic life of the U.S., one for each day of the year.Glory Days / Janus Adams

Each essay carries the reader on a journey, propelled by Dr. Adams’ passionate, unsparing prose.  For in celebrating achievement, she doesn’t hesitate to expose the viciousness of the obstacles overcome.  Even if you don’t check out the book, I urge you to read the introduction. Written in 1995 it sounds notes of eerie familiarity, of an era of growing hostility toward people of color. It states as the book’s purpose: to remind those people – and those who would undermine them – of their majestic determination to rise, to love themselves and their children, and assert their right to happiness and success, again and again, often over the persecution and hatred of their countrymen.

If you marveled at the power of her oratory, or are curious what compelled a return performance of her brilliant lecture, Glory Days will prove that performance was no fluke.

*Last Fall’s Distinguished Speaker at SUNY New Paltz, the first ever invited to reprise her lecture.  She delivered her talk “Know When to Leave the Plantation” again last week.

Gary Oliver

Gary Oliver, the technician who supports nearly all Library technology, celebrated his 25th anniversary working for NYS. It’s his extraordinary skill, and speed which keeps most of our technology running so reliably. If you’ve used a Library PC, laptop, or iPad; used inter library loan, or borrowed a book, you’ve probably benefited from Gary’s quiet excellence. Thanks Gary from all of us.