Gate counts in 2006-2007 reach a new high of 180,035 patrons.

Internet Detective

Internet Detective is a free tutorial designed to help undergraduate students develop the critical thinking skills required to evaluate internet resources. This is one of the best tutorials I have ever run across...and I have looked at lots of tutorials! It explains the need for caution in selecting and using websites for research by university students. It requires about an hour to complete, but is nicely broken into sections so one can stop and start where you last left off. It was designed to be used by anyone and is, therefore, not specific to a particular library which is helpful. There are a few short quizes throughout the tutorial so one can test your skills. I especially liked that they address plagiarism issues within the tutorial.

Interlibrary Loan form

Stoxen Library has made it more convenient to access the Interlibrary Loan blank request form. The Interlibrary Loan link on the Stoxen Library website takes you to the Interlibrary Loan Instructions page. Select Click here to sign-in to the Stoxen Library “My Library Account” to access the Blank Interlibrary Form. We ask that you use the online form whenever requesting an item from another library. If there are questions or concerns, please contact the library staff.

Going Green!

Looking for information on going green? The public now has access to a database devoted to just this issue. Until recently, it was available only to government officials. So check out SustainLane Government Knowledge Base for information on “empowering consumers, businesses and government to go green.” Some of the topics available include climate change policy, street greening, green building, energy efficiency and many more. There is also access to SustainLane.com, a directory to green products and businesses and user reviews.

All new computers

All new computers are being installed today, for both the main and lower levels.

Summer begins

Congratulations to all graduates from the Stoxen Library staff. Have a great summer everyone!

Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!

Did you know that William Shakespeare was born on this day (April 23) in 1564 and died on the same date in 1616? In honor of his birthday, check out the following resources from your library. Clicking on this link will take you to a sampling of books either about Shakespeare and his works or inspired by them.

Library Week Door Prize Winners

Stop by the Main Service Desk at Stoxen Library to claim your prize!

Ipod Accessories
Jeremy Walston
Jesse Tallmon
Shaina Dolechek
Vicky Gullickson

Desk Accessory Set
Presley Meade
Rayma Figuerva

Common Grounds Coffee Cup Thermos
Dawn Anton
Jeremy Messer

Books
Deepak Gurung
Kevin Moberg
Dana Hillius
Shanna Thompson

Gate counts continue to increase!

Here is today’s update on Stoxen Library’s gate count statistics as of April 19, 2007.

Stoxen Library Gate Counter Statistics

Year Number
1998-99 119864
1999-00 115760
2000-01 111043
2001-02 110645
2002-03 115367
2003-04 128325
2004-05 145863
2005-06 164019
2006-07 155950 as of April 19, 2007

On Wednesday, Apr. 19, 2007 - 1077 people entered the Library.
Same Wednesday in 2006 – 965
Same Wednesday 2005 – 899

Check out the new acquisitions

A National Library week moment:

Check out the latest listings of new acquisitions.

Featured here is Ms. Rita Ennen, Assistant Director/Head of Technical Services, and team leader of the acquisitions department. Rita, in close collaboration with the faculty and other librarians, makes the acquisitions selections and works with others in the department to process the materials, and to make the Listing of New Library purchases available on the Library web page for all patrons.

Record turn-out for National Library Week book discussion

Dickinson State University's Theodore Roosevelt Scholar-in-Residence Clay Jenkinson leads today's Latte & Literature book discussion focusing on The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman.

JSTOR enhancement!

JSTOR, the scholarly journal archival database, has just added a new feature. The terms you searched with will now be highlighted within the article, allowing you to quickly find the relevant sections. This is especially nice for those 20-30 page articles!

Entrepreneurial display

Featuring Scott Molander, DSU class of 1988, The Wall Street Journal, and other business resources in Stoxen Library

Tomorrow's Heart River Writers' Circle book discussion

Tomorrow’s Heart River Writers' Circle book discussion of the book Dakota: A Spiritual Geography will commence at noon in the Roosevelt Room on the lower level of Stoxen Library (overflow location will be the Library Classroom on the same level). Also, come early if you’d like to purchase a sandwich and beverage at the coffee bar. The discussion begins at noon. Hope to see you there!

Heart River Writers’ Circle Book Discussion Friday, March 23

Dr. Bruce MacDuffie, Dickinson State University adjunct instructor of religion, will lead a Heart River Writers’ Circle follow-up discussion on Kathleen Norris’ book “Dakota: A Spiritual Geography” on March 23 from noon-1 p.m. in the Roosevelt Room at Stoxen Library.

Norris appeared at DSU in early March as part of “Women’s Voices” programming and read from her best-selling non-fiction book “Dakota: A Spiritual Geography.” Honored as a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year” and selected by Library Journal as one of the best books of the year, Dakota offers a timeless tribute to a place in the American landscape that is at once desolate and sublime, harsh and forgiving, steeped in history and myth.

It is not necessary to have read the book in order to attend. The discussion is sponsored by the DSU Department of Language and Literature and Stoxen Library, and is free and open to the public.

Business Policy class attends coffee bar grand opening

Professor Debora Dragseth's Business Policy class attended the Common Grounds Coffee Bar grand opening on March 1. In 2004, the students in this class conducted the marketing research on the demand for a coffee bar in the library.

First resident of Hawk's Point attends book discussion & coffee bar grand opening

Pearl Zilsdorf, first resident of Hawk's Point, attending the Common Ground Coffee Bar grand opening and noon Latte & Literature book discussion.

Kathleen Norris reading tonight

One last friendly reminder of tonight’s Heart River Writers’ Circle reading and reception, featuring Kathleen Norris, author of Dakota : A Spiritual Geography.

7 p.m. Beck Auditorium

Coffee Bar grand opening a great success

The ribbon is cut, the door prizes have been given out! Shown here cutting the ribbon are Debora Dragseth, Professor of Business, President Lee Vickers, and Director Lillian Crook.

See the posting next the main entrance for a listing of door prize winners.

Free coffee today for the Grand Opening of the Common Grounds Coffee Bar

The Library staff cordially extends an invitation to attend today's grand opening of the Common Ground Coffee Bar in Stoxen Library from 11:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Join us in celebrating the opening of the first true library coffee bar in North Dakota, and while you are here tour the newly renovated lower level.

Common Grounds proudly features freshly brewed Starbucks coffee and tantalizing Tazo teas. The menu also includes espresso, café latte, café mocha, cappuccino, macchiato, cold beverages, fruits, and a variety of snack foods.



11:30 Ribbon cutting

12 noon Latte & Literature book discussion, led by Karen N. Nelson, Adjunct Instructor of Communication. Frank McCourt’s memoir Teacher Man, Roosevelt Room (lower level)

12 – 3 p.m. Free samples of Starbucks coffee, free snacks, door prizes, and free Common Grounds frequent user cards

Book exchange!

Do you have books just taking up shelf space? BookMooch is a book exchange site. You type in the titles of the books you want to give away, mail those books to those who request them, receive points for those transactions and then use those points to ask for books from others. You also receive points for just listing your books. There is a huge selection of books available from this exchange. I do not want to suggest that you participate in this versus the Twice Told Tales Bookstore run by the Friends of the Public Library, but this is another option.