Faculty

October 2009 R.E.A.D. (Read, Eat, and Discuss) Meeting
This book discussion is part of Campus Sustainability Day

Book: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Date: Wed., Oct. 21, 2009

Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Location: 1210 ML

Online supplemental material:
LitLovers discussion questions
New York Times Book Review

Books selected for 2009/2010:
Wed., 11/18/2009 - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Tues., 2/2/2010 - The Book Thief by Marcus Suzan
Wed., 4/7/2010 - Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to promote peace...one school at a time by Greg Mortenson

September 2009 R.E.A.D. (Read, Eat, and Discuss) Meeting

Book: Dreams From My Father: A story of race and inheritance by Barack Obama

Date: Tues., Sept. 29, 2009

Time: Noon to 1:00 p.m.

Location: 1210 ML


Books selected for 2009/2010:
Wed., 10/21/2009 - In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan
Wed., 11/18/2009 - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
Tues., 2/2/2010 - The Book Thief by Marcus Suzan
Wed., 4/7/2010 - Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to promote peace...one school at a time by Greg Mortenson

The Mardigian Library has a new, special digital bookplate to acknowledge and thank the individuals who give a donation of $50 or more to the library during the 2009-10 academic year, the university’s 50th anniversary. Your donation will go to the library’s Collection of Excellence fund which is used to purchase books, videos, e-books, and much more.

The university was founded in 1959 with a gift from the Ford Motor Company, and in the last 50 years, over 140,000 students have attended classes and more than 41,000 individuals obtained degrees. Hopefully ALL of them used the library!

The current library was the first structure completed in a building phase that began in the late 1970’s, opening in 1980 with seating for 1,200. Over the years, many changes have taken place, including the addition of a coffee bar, a computer lab, and a faculty lounge. Today’s library staff members actively engage with faculty to provide the best possible instruction, resources and services for our students.

You may make a gift online or by mail.

Thank you for your support!

To meet the needs of our tech-savvy millennial students, the Mardigian Library recently installed new searching software. Using a simple search box, students can simultaneously search multiple databases. Results include books, articles, ebooks, and other materials from the Mardigian Library, the University of Michigan Libraries in Ann Arbor, MeLCat (Michigan libraries), and WorldCat (libraries worldwide). Using the new software saves students time and hassle!

In a list of results, titles are arranged by relevance, with items owned by the Mardigian Library appearing first. Cover images are shown, similar to Amazon’s displays. Additional information such as reviews, summaries, and abstracts is also available.

The new software features “faceted searching”, which allows users to narrow the results by author, format, year, topic, etc. Or, the user can choose to set off on a path of discovery by clicking on various links of interest.

Behind the scenes is a “mega index”. Rather than waiting for all databases to respond individually over the Internet, the new software requires only one reply from the mega index. Having a pre-built index is a giant leap forward in the ability to provide fast results.

The library’s more traditional online public catalog (OPAC), as well as individual journal databases, will continue to be available. Many users are accustomed to these interfaces which have their own particular strengths.

To try the new software, go to the library web page and enter your search in the “Quick Search” box.