Foreign Film Nights @ the Library

Posted on by Alicia Morrissey

Brand new study rooms, comfortable furniture, and natural lighting are not the only features the library will be offering in the fall. The excitement of the new opening has been sparking new ideas of various events that could be planned and held when the building reopens. Visions of students proudly displaying their artwork in galleries, students boldly reading aloud their poetry for their classmates, and students laughing as they participate in stress-relieving activities during finals week fill the minds of library faculty and staff.

Starting in the fall of 2013, the library will launch monthly Foreign Film Nights. The library has screening rights to various foreign films from many different countries including France, Italy, Japan, and Israel. Screenings will be held during which students can expand their minds and broaden their movie horizon. All of these screenings are free and open to the public. No tickets necessary. All the films are spoken in the native language of the country it comes from, however there will be English subtitles so the stories will be easy to follow. The first three films will be held during the Fall semester in September, October, and November. These films are The Day I Saw Your Heart, a 2011 French drama/comedy; Corpo Celeste, a 2011 Italian drama; and Hospitalité, a 2010 Japanese comedy.

On September 18, 2013 at 7 p.m., The Day I Saw Your Heart will be shown. The story in this film is one of a 60-year-old man who is expecting a child with his new wife. The man attempts to form a closer bond with his grown daughters, who are shocked by the news, but his attempts may tear the family apart.

Corpo Celeste will be shown on October 30, 2013 at 7 p.m. This story follows a 13-year-old girl who, after living in Switzerland for 10 years, moves back to Italy. While in Italy, this young girl struggles with socialization as well as her faith in her church.

On November 13, 2013 at 7 p.m. Hospitalité will be shown. This film tells the story of a small Japanese family living in an extremely boring neighborhood whose lives are turned upside down when a man begins to stay at the family’s house as a live-in employee.

For the Spring 2014 semester, three more films will be shown. On February 12, 2014 at 7 p.m., The Queen of Hearts, a 2010 French romantic comedy, will be presented. A 2009 Israeli drama, Seven Minutes in Heaven, will be featured on March 5, 2014 at 7 p.m. Lastly, at 7 p.m. on April 9, 2014, a 2012 American drama about the friendship between two young immigrants, Foreign Letters, will be screened.

Foreign Film Nights @ the Library, 2013-2014
September 18, 2013 @ 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Night The Day I Saw Your Heart
October 30, 2013 @ 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Night Corpo Celeste
November 13, 2013 @ 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Night – Hospitalité
February 12, 2014 @ 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Night The Queen of Hearts
March 5, 2014 @ 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Night Seven Minutes in Heaven
April 9, 2014 @ 7 p.m. – Foreign Film Night Foreign Letters

Do any of these movies sound interesting to you? Do you have any comments or suggestions about an art gallery, poetry reading, or stress-relieving activities being held? If you have any thoughts or ideas about more events the library could hold, please leave your comments below.

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New Library Furniture

Posted on by Emily Birks

For the last few years, Millersville students have been waiting in anticipation of the new library that will be opening back up on campus in the fall of 2013.  After much renovation, the inside of the library is beginning to take shape.  With numerous study areas, classrooms, and even a café, the library is going to be a relaxing and visually pleasing place where students can study and work.  The furniture that has been chosen for the library will certainly enhance the feel of the different rooms in the library.

One of the first unique pieces of furniture that one would see when first entering the library are the Leland brand benches.  Not only are they appealing to the eye but would also offer needed seating for a quick rest stop in the busy life of a college student.

Another room where the furniture offers practical and fun appeal is the reading room on the first floor.  This room will be filled with comfortable Herman Miller Swoop and Lounge chairs to serve students with a relaxing space to read and work.  And adding a more whimsical look to the room are little couches.  These Herman Miller Tato, Tatone, and Tantino chair will make one think of the good old days reading in elementary school on bean bag chairs when reading on these fun shaped couches was the coolest thing to do (although they’re firmer than bean bag chairs).

The area of the library that many students are excited for is the café and 24 hour study area surrounding it.  Cafés, for some reason or another (probably the coffee), bring a boost to the study and work atmosphere, and the furniture that will be in and around this area will do the same thing.  There will be Leland stools and bar seating at the café itself, and in the 24 hour study area there will be Haverford booths and tables for comfort and room to work.

Continuing with the first floor of the library, there will be a large common area with computers and printers for students to have access to and use throughout the day.  These unique looking Herman Miller pieces of furniture will give the work space an open and useful feel.  There will be even more comfortable Integra seating available around the computer area as well.  Every piece of furniture has a purpose and will be beneficial towards the environment of the library.

The first floor isn’t the only area that students can gather and work, for there are also multiple study rooms on the upper levels of the library.  On the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh floors there are group study rooms with white boards, chairs and easily moveable tables allowing for groups of students to meet outside of class and work on projects together in their own private study rooms.

 

And no library would be complete without… a place for the books, of course!  On almost every floor, there is new spacesaver shelving for all of the library’s collections.  Having seen some of this shelving first hand, it looks like it will keep all the books organized easily.  There is even bin like shelving for children’s books.

All in all, one would describe the new furniture for the library as exciting, fun, and modern.  The pictures of furniture shown above are examples of what students can expect to see, though they may come in different colors in the actual library.  The wait will definitely be worth it when students get to experience the brand new Millersville Library in the fall.

Also check out the Millersville University Library Facebook page for updates and photos!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/MULibrary?fref=ts

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Student Article: New Library on the Horizon

Posted on by Erin Dorney

Thanks to Millersville student Erin Donovan for allowing us to cross-post her article about the library renovation on our blog! Erin’s article was originally published on the engl315journal on November 5th, 2012. Thanks for the great coverage!

New Library on the Horizon

By Erin Donovan

The Millersville University Library doesn’t look drastically different than it did a year and a half ago, but its renovation and construction is on schedule, and there will be a lot to look forward to once it is complete.

According to Outreach Librarian Erin Dorney, the new library will “look more modern, have more natural light, and be a better place for students.” However, that time has not arrived quite yet, and there are some challenges to overcome in the meantime.

When reconstruction began in the summer of 2011, many students and faculty were concerned about having their library out of commission for two years. This is where Dorney came in. She is responsible for communicating information regarding the library and its status throughout this process, and allaying their fears.

Many students, Dorney explained, were unaware of the dangers the old library presented, resulting in the necessary renovations. There was no sprinkler system in the old building, and with many paper books, that posed a large hazard. The building had elevators, but they did not stop at every floor, and so were not compliant with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations. And finally, because the building was never previously renovated, the heating and wiring systems were originals and needed to be replaced.

Going into this major overhaul, Dorney explained that faculty members were unsure of what attributes of the library students would miss most. Would it be the books? The study space? The Ganser Grind?

The answer was, in fact, the study space. Students miss having a place where they can go to focus on their studies, whether solo or in a group. Dorney explains that the library faculty members are working on projects to provide students what they need.

Currently, the temporary library is located in Gerhart Hall. According to the Millersville University Library blog, students are still able to “borrow books, access databases of scholarly journal articles, and engage with library faculty and staff to ensure research success.”

To help solve the problem of study space, several classrooms in the academic buildings around campus have been converted into study spaces. There are locations in Stayer, McComsey, and Roddy, and their respective operating times are listed online.

Another key feature to solving the study space issue is the conversion of the Club de’Ville, in the bottom of the Student Memorial Center, into a quiet study zone. According to Dorney, students had been complaining about the lack of entirely quiet locations, and thus the quiet study space in the SMC was born. The Club de’Ville is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the area is monitored by student workers hired by the library to ensure students can do their best work.

Once the library is complete, students will have a state-of-the-art facility which will provide unique opportunities. One new feature is a 24-hour study space that students will be able to access with a swipe of their student ID card. And within this new 24-hour section, there will be an expanded café, which will hopefully include the campus Starbucks operation.

In the previous building, one floor was completely unavailable to students because it was reserved for machines that kept the building in operation. In the new facility, this floor is almost entirely reclaimed and converted into study space.

Dorney explained that the new library will also be a potential space for the community to function. New rooms equipped with tables, white boards, and comfortable seating will provide the chance for organizations outside of Millersville University to come in and further enhance students’ opportunities.

Throughout this entire renovation project, Dorney explains in Millersville University’s blog, the Exchange, that faculty members are “working hard to take the concerns and issues… and come up with solutions, so there is less of a burden on the students.”

The new library will be reopened and rededicated in the fall 2013 semester, which will open many doors for both incoming and current students.

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You Asked, We Answered: Quiet, Daytime Study Space!

Posted on by Erin Dorney

Quiet Study Space in the Club de’Ville (SMC), 7 AM – 5 PM, Monday – Friday

The Library Quiet Study Space located in Club DeVille in the lower level of the SMC is now in operation from 7 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday. The study space was established by the Coalition of Student Advocates and is supported by the Millersville University Library, Student Services, Inc. and the Office of Student Affairs. The study space is monitored by student assistants to maintain a quiet environment. A code of conduct for the space (developed by the Coalition of Student Advocates) has been posted, as well as signs regarding other library study spaces and services.

As always, if you have questions or comments about the renovation project, feel free to comment here or email us at new.library@millersville.edu.

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Renovation is on schedule for fall 2013

Posted on by Erin Dorney

Welcome back to campus!

Construction on the library renovation project has been smooth sailing over the summer of 2012. Check out the library Facebook Page to see some pictures from inside the building, including new elevator shafts, group study rooms, and lots of glass & natural light!

facebook photos

As a reminder, the renovation is on schedule to be completed by the summer of 2013, with our official re-dedication in the fall of 2013. In the meantime, our temporary library in Gerhart Hall is going strong and we’re still here to provide you with the resources and services you need to succeed.

Additionally, this semester we’ll be launching a  brand new study space on campus in the Club de’Ville. This space will be available during the daytime (approx. 7 AM – 5 PM) and will be monitored by students to maintain a quiet environment for studying and research. Stay tuned for more details, or visit the library website to find what you need!

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Renovation By the Numbers

Posted on by Erin Dorney

The summer and fall of 2011 were busy seasons for the Library! During the summer, library services began in Gerhart Hall and staff and faculty members moved to various locations on and off campus. General collection materials were packed and moved to the off-site storage location during September and October. Archives & Special Collections materials were packed during the summer and early fall of 2011 and moving to Franklin House and the offsite location was completed by the end of October. Careful planning and lots of hard work made the move successful, thanks to staff, faculty, students, and our moving crew from Treier.

  • Items that were in the old library (books, microfilm, etc): 350,000+
  • Items moved offsite into storage: 460 pallets (13,800 boxes), equaling approx. 20,700 cubic feet (13.5 Burrows Hall Dorm rooms, filled floor to ceiling)
  • Items now available in the temporary library @ Gerhart Hall: 10,000+
  • Time spent boxing and moving items out of the old library: 5 weeks and 2 days
  • Individuals who helped box & move items: 40
  • Bubble wrap used: 108 rolls @ 375 feet/roll = 40,500 feet
  • Linear feet of shelving set up offsite for the reclass project: 10,000
  • Fluorescent light fixtures taken out of Ganser: 2,593
  • Fluorescent light bulbs taken out of Ganser: 4,182 (48” bulbs) and 204 (24” bulbs)
  • Truck trips made moving general collection items from Ganser to our offsite storage location: 49
  • Truck trips made moving Special Collections items from Ganser to our offsite storage location: 14
  • Truck trips made moving furniture and shelving from Ganser to our offsite storage: 21
  • Boxes filled with Special Collections materials: 2,700
  • Special Collections items available in Franklin House for research: approximately 600
  • Recycling dumpsters filled: 4 (40-yard) and 8 (20-yard)
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Summer 2011 Update

Posted on by Erin Dorney

If you’ve been on campus at all this summer, you may have noticed that the library has transitioned to its temporary new home in Gerhart Hall! Our hours for summer 2 and summer 3 are:

  • Monday through Thursday – 9 am – 9 pm
  • Friday – 9 am – 5 pm
  • Saturday – Closed
  • Sunday – 5 pm – 9 pm
  • Closed: July 2, 3, 4, 9, 16, 17, 23, 30 & August 6, 13, 20, 21

Here are some of the things students, faculty and staff can do in Gerhart:

  • Use computers for research & papers
  • Borrow books, textbooks, juvenile items, DVDs, graphic novels & more
  • Check out laptops and DVD players to use around campus
  • Pick up EZ-Borrow & Interlibrary Loan items
  • Return items & pay fines
  • Use course reserve items
  • Print your papers
  • Use small group study spaces
  • Request curriculum, FOSS kits & oversized children’s textbooks for pick-up @ Gerhart Hall

In addition, you can receive research help via phone, text message, email, chat or in person (by scheduling a personal appointment) from a librarian.  Please visit http://blogs.millersville.edu/help or click on “Get Help” in the navigation bar above for more information. If you have questions, we can help!

 

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