Author: Richard Mcelrath

Library in Inclement Weather

~ Richard Mcelrath

Friends and Colleagues,

Occasionally, despite our best efforts to ensure adequate staffing, weather conditions may make it necessary to close the Library early or open late.

Whenever the Library has an unexpected schedule change, we will always update

Please check one or more of these sources before planning a trip to the Library, especially when the weather is bad.  We will make every attempt to remain open for our regularly scheduled hours despite the predicted winter storm.

Thanks for your understanding.

Greetings to our fabulous Library Student Workers!

~ Richard Mcelrath

When I was in college, everyone knew the Library was the best place to work on campus. You didn’t have to serve cafeteria food, it was quiet, and you got to work with interesting people.

Well that’s all still true of Sojourner Truth Library, except the part about it being quiet! There’s almost always something going on here. Whether it’s helping a fellow student find resources for a research paper, figuring out a printer problem, helping prepare an exhibit, or searching for lost books, it’s rare that we run out of jobs for our student staff. Just this summer, our students completed a major project to shift over 200,000 books, freeing up access to our Art, Art History and Music collections.

To our newest student staff: welcome! You’ve joined an exceptional team. Get ready to learn and grow together with our veterans. To our returning students: welcome back! We look forward to another great year working with you and delivering quality library services.

Welcome to the Sojourner Truth Library – until 3am!

~ Richard Mcelrath

To the Class of 2017, Welcome!  And to our returning students, and faculty, Welcome Back!  Here’s a quick update on what’s new in the Sojourner Truth Library at SUNY New Paltz.  

Need help?  Visit our LibAnswers/Frequently Asked Questions page!

Late Night Study open until 3am

If, like me, you’re a late night person, and want a place to work after your roommate goes to sleep, the Library once again offers extended hours. Starting this week, the Library Late Night Study @ the Terrace is open from 11pm until 3am, Sunday through Wednesday.  Wireless, laptops and a printer will be available, and most important: a quiet place to work.  Remember, during Midterms and Finals the Late Night Study Room will be open all night until 8am.

The Terrace is located to the west of the Library, across from the main Library parking lot.

 James H. Ottaway to Speak

James H. Ottaway, Jr., distinguished journalist, publisher, and newspaper executive will deliver the seventh annual Dennis O’Keefe Memorial Lecture, sponsored by the Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library, at 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 19, in Coykendall Science Building Auditorium..

Mr. Ottaway’s long career in journalism began as a reporter and associate editor of the News-Times of Danbury, Connecticut and culminated in his retirement from the Board of Directors of Dow Jones & Company. He has long been affiliated with numerous philanthropic organizations, serving on the boards of Doctors without Boarders, Human Rights Watch, the American School of Classical Studies (Athens), and the Walkill Valley Land Trust, among other organizations.  Please join us for a stimulating talk and reception afterwards.

 [London] Times Online & other major additions

Over the last few months, the Library has added significant new digital collections. These include the Times Digital Archive, which provides the London Times newspaper in full text from 1785 (yes, before the French Revolution) to 2007.  Also added: Art Index Retrospective, which indexes articles from more than 420 periodicals published throughout the world from 1928 to 1984; and Readers’ Guide Retrospective, which indexes popular, general-interest periodicals published in the United States from 1890 to 1982.  Finally, the Gannett Newspapers Database provides access to over 85 Gannett newspapers, six from New York State: Poughkeepsie Journal, Press and Sun Bulletin (Binghamton), Ithaca Journal, Democrat & Chronicle(Rochester), Journal News (White Plains), and the Star Gazette (Elmira).

More iPads

The Library now has 25 iPads available at the Checkout Desk for 7 day loan and five available for 3 hour in-library use, more than double what we offered at the start of last year.  Be sure and review the lending policy before borrowing.

Starbucks coming back

We in the Library were thrilled along with all of you at the opening of the “We Proudly Serve Starbucks” mini-cafe in the Sojourner Truth Library.  Likewise, we mourn the temporary closing, due to some required extra plumbing work.  But the good news is that it should be back online in 1½ – 2 weeks — just in time for midterms!

Art, Art History and Music Back in Open Stacks

Finally, our heavily used Art, Art History and Music books have been liberated from moveable shelving into fully accessible open stacks.  Library student workers worked tirelessly over the summer to shift the entire ground floor collection to recover the space needed.  Heartfelt thanks to our junior colleagues for this extraordinary effort!

We look forward to making you feel welcome in the Library. No question is too simple, or too unimportant to ask.  Try us out when you’re facing your next research paper or assignment.

Thanks!

 Mark