Poinsettia, Tree and Wreath Sale (Dec 3-5)

The UW Forestry Club and the UW Horticulture Society will team during the first weekend in December to offer the campus community a selection of trees, wreathes, poinsettias and other plants popular during the winter holidays. Details on plants and pricing follow below.

Hours and Location (Stock Pavilion):
Friday, December 3: 8:00AM - 8:00PM
Saturday, December 4: 8:00AM - 8:00PM
Sunday, December 5: 9:00AM - 3:00PM

UW Forestry Club, 2010 Tree Sale
Fraser Fir: $50
Balsam Fir: $40
White Pine: $30
Fraser Wreaths: $22

UW Horticulture Society, Poinsettia Sale
A selection of poinsettias (with wrapping service) and the UW Hort Society Cookbook will be available for purchase at the sale. Poinsettias are also available for pre-order (visit the UW Horticulture Society site for more information on how to submit your email request).

4″ Poinsettia: $8
6-1/2″ Poinsettia: $20
7″ Mumsettia: $25
4″ Xmas Cactus: $8
6″ Xmas Cactus: $12

Where to Study Now

We are pleased that you have come to study at Steenbock. Do note the various areas of our building that can accommodate your preferences for quiet, study space or areas for group work.

First floor (book stacks)
Visit the first floor to find the library’s group study rooms (that can be reserved using the Study Room Reservation System). Additionally, there are many large tables to accommodate group work. Snack machines (including one for hot beverages) can also be found here. A small bank of computers accesses online resources and the MS Office suite of software; for additional software, visit the InfoLab on second.

Second floor (entrance level)
The second floor (or entrance level) hosts the DoIT InfoLab as well as library circulation and reference services where you can get assistance from staff. The floor offers some relaxed seating and tables for reasonably-quiet group study.

Third floor (journal collections)
The third floor affords table seating and individual study carrels. While it is generally a quieter study area than the first floor (for instance), the open atrium with its view of second, does permit some sound to carry.

Fourth floor (journal collections, government documents, University Archives)
This floor has been designated as the quiet study floor for this building. While there will be some staff working in this space between the hours of 8:00-5:00, the library works to preserve this space for quiet study needs. Large tables and individual carrels are available.

Thanksgiving Week Hours, Campus Libraries

During this week of the Thanksgiving holiday, campus libraries will observe some changes from their regular hours of operation. Do plan ahead should you need to visit the libraries or to pick up items from their collections. Steenbock Library hours are posted on its home page (lower right on screen) and on its detailed hours page. Hours of operation for all campus libraries can be found by browsing the list of libraries at the campus libraries' page.

Do note that again this year the campus will be closed during the Friday following the Thanksgiving holiday (November 26) to observe a mandatory furlough.

Online resources, with the exception of chat and immediate email contact, will be available twenty-four hours, every day, and can be accessed from off-campus as well.

We wish you well on your travels and to enjoy a pleasant long weekend.

Savoring Cranberries

Question: Which state produces the most cranberries?

Answer: Wisconsin!

In fact, the cranberry, ubiquitous during this time of year given its association with traditional Thanksgiving holiday feasting, is Wisconsin’s leading fruit crop. (View the USDA NASS Cranberry Forecast and Statistics page).

Consult Steenbock’s research guide to the American Cranberry to discover some great resources regarding cranberry cultivation, marketing, and use (including links to online recipe sites).

Additionally, Steenbock librarians have placed some selected cranberry-themed titles from our collection on the display rack, first floor, opposite the stairwell and outside study rooms 107, 108. Feel free to check them out!

Live in Harmony, Yeo Valley Rap

Yeo Valley, an organic dairy in the UK, has launched an upbeat series of commercials that put a fresh spin on milk marketing. Visit its YeoTube to view these and more including the "Yeo Valley Rap".

The sun is up, the milk is chilled... (see lyrics)

Congratulations to a U.S. Professor of the Year!

Steenbock Library extends a message of congratulations to Teri Balser, Associate Professor of Soil Science and Director of the Institute for Cross-College Biology Education, on being named a U.S. Professor of the Year, a title that recognizes excellence in the teaching and mentoring of undergraduate students.

Only four professors from around the country are selected annually to receive this honor which is based upon measures of four criteria: his/her "impact on, and involvement with undergraduates; a scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contributions to undergraduate education in the school, community and profession; and support from colleagues and current and former students."

See the full news release!

Get Assistance from the Writing Center

The Writing Center can help you with the mechanics of organizing your thoughts and resources to complete writing assignments for your classes. The Center offers several options for individual consultation including email, face to face instruction, and live chat conferencing.

The Writing Center office is located in Helen C. White Hall, Room 6171. Drop-by assistance is offered at several campus locations including College and Memorial Libraries and several residence halls (including Lakeshore). The Center website also features a handy "Writer’s Handbook" that provides examples, strategies and tips for getting started, avoiding common grammatical errors and citing your resources accurately.

The Center may also have a free class that fits your needs. Click here to view the fall 2010 class list.

Do you use a Citation Manager? Take the Survey!

UW-Madison Libraries is looking to assess your use of citation management tools (EndNote, Mendeley, RefWorks, Zotero, etc.). Your participation is encouraged and appreciated even if you do not use these tools regularly. The survey should take less than five minutes to complete--and your reply to survey questions will remain anonymous.

The deadline for completing the survey will be November 30, 2010.

Take the survey!

Job Hunting on the Internet, Workshop (Nov 12)

Discover resources and strategies for job hunting on the Internet/Web. The workshop will cover resume writing resources, databases for job postings, tips for finding non-advertised jobs, and methods for researching potential employers. There will be time for hands-on exploration.

Job Hunting on the Internet
Friday, November 12 (noon – 1:15 PM)
Steenbock Instruction Lab, Room 105 (first floor, downstairs!)

No registration is necessary in order to attend.

Of related interest:

College Library also maintains a Career Collection of more than 1,000 books on writing resumes and cover letters, preparing for interviews, job hunting, and choosing and preparing for a career. This collection is located in the center area of the third floor of College Library.

In addition to College Library’s Career Collection, there are many other career guides to particular fields that can be found in the various libraries. Steenbock Library has career guides in its book stacks that are in keeping with the other collections we support for CALS, SOHE and VetMed.

Speak with your librarians for assistance locating these resources OR try using the MadCat catalog, "Words Anywhere" or "Title Words" searches.

CALS Career Services, Workshops

CALS Career Services offers a series of workshops, for undergraduate and graduate students, about the job-seeking process. Consult the Career Services events calendar for these and other opportunities.

• November 16, (1:20-2:10 PM): Freshman Resume/No Experience Resume, Room 116 Ag Hall

• December 1, (9:55-10:40 AM): Closing the Sale: Selling Yourself in an Interview, Room 116 Ag Hall

• December 10, (3:30-4:20 PM): BuckyNet Unleashed!, Animal Sciences Computer Lab, Room 204

All Campus Food Drive

Beginning Monday, November 8 and running through Friday, December 3, students and staff are invited to donate non-perishable food items on behalf of the "Share Your Holidays" end-hunger campaign. This effort, as coordinated by NBC 15, the campus Office of Visitor & Information Programs and other campus organizations, supplies necessary food items for the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin.

Campus donation sites include the following:

• Red Gym (Campus Information Center), 716 Langdon Street
• Welcome Center, 21 N. Park Street
• DoIT TechStore, 1210 W. Dayton Street
• Weeks Hall (main lobby), 1215 W. Dayton Street
• Wisconsin Alumni Association, 650 N. Lake Street

Additional donation sites will soon be added by participating groups and in specific building locations, including Memorial Library, Student Services/333 East Campus Mall and the School of Business.

Those who wish to make a monetary donation can do so through the Second Harvest site, "Share Your Holidays" campaign page.

See the campus press release.

Short Course Welcome

Steenbock Library welcomes CALS Short Course students to campus. The Farm and Industry Short Course, founded in 1885, is a 17-week program of study designed to prepare its students for great careers in agriculture.

(For more information about this program’s history, take a look at A History of the Farm and Industry Short Course, 1885-2010)

The library with its collections, staff, and proximity to the residence halls is prepared to assist students with finding and using resources to complete class projects.

The library also supplies lab and group study spaces and access to recreational materials from our entire campus library system.

Campus Theft Alert

Campus police have reported an increase in theft--particularly of unattended items in open study spaces. As you study at Steenbock, we, the library’s staff, advise you to never leave your personal and valuable possessions unattended whether you are using the lab or have been seated at a table or in a group study room. Targeted items for thieves have included backpacks, laptops and purses or wallets.

As a preventable crime, campus police remind students and staff to never risk theft by leaving possessions unattended for even a short period of time in a public space and that the loss of these personal items can contribute to other vulnerabilities--including the risk for identity theft/fraud.

Additional information can be found at the UW Police Department Website or the SafeU site.

Forward Thinking

On November 1, library staff from UW-Madison and the UW System launched a beta edition of "Forward" –a reinvention of our library catalogs and a fresh approach to resource discovery.
Find links to Forward from the Websites to campus libraries and Steenbock. Set your search for UW-Madison or for the UW System and UW Digital Collections.

As of the November 1st date, two campuses (Madison and Whitewater) can already place requests for UW System items directly within Forward. The development team anticipates that more campuses will be able to do so soon during Forward’s public beta period which runs through December.

While you give it a try, be sure to send your thoughts and suggestions to the development team by clicking on the Feedback button links.

Plan Your Trip to the Polls

Election Day is Tuesday, November 2! Are you ready to cast your vote?

The polls are open from 7:00 AM until 8:00 PM. In order to vote in Wisconsin, you need to be registered and you can still do that at your polling place on Election Day.

Use the following links to find your polling place.

Where Do I Vote? (City of Madison)

Voting on campus (dorm polling locations)

Sources for information about the candidates and issues:

Wisconsin Vote