Science Constellation@UW-Madison (Dec 29)

The UW-Madison campus welcomes the community to visit its constellation of science venues.
Come learn what there is to discover when Wednesday Nite @ the Lab welcomes Dave Nelson, Biochemistry and Tom Zinnen, Biotechnology Center, to describe these exciting destinations and how this constellation model can serve to enhance communication between university researchers and lifelong learners.

Wednesday Nite @ the Lab programs meet in Room 1111 (Auditorium) of the Genetics/Biotechnology Center building, 425 Henry Mall, from 7:00- 8:15 PM.

Wisconsin Agricultural Economic Outlook Forum (Jan 19)

Economists and commodity specialists from UW-Madison and UW-River Falls will be on-hand to review the financial status of the state’s farm sector and its emerging issues and opportunities during the fourth annual forum, January 19 (12:45-4:00 PM) at the Pyle Center.

Register to attend the forum by January 12, 2011. For those unable to attend the event at the Pyle Center, there will be a live webcast made available from the site. The site also supplies links to a tentative agenda and the report and webcast from the previous (2010) forum.

The forum is hosted by UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and UW-Extension, Cooperative Extension with sponsorship provided by the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation, the Wisconsin Farmers Union and the UW-Madison Office of University Relations.

What Library Staff are Reading

One of the fun requests that we receive at our library reference desk is for suggestions to meet recreational reading interests. If you ever struggle to come up with what to read next (apart from required texts), consider a list of titles generated by campus library staff.

Use our reading list to find something to distract you from the local wintry scene or to discover that gift of a "little something" for friends and family.

Consult with your librarians for additional recommendations and to locate available copies from campus or public libraries.

Handy links:

• MadCat
  Don’t forget UW System search and borrowing options!

• LinkCat, South Central Wisconsin Library System

• WorldCat (find library copies nationally, some internationally)

Donate Your Copy (Go Big Read)

Have you finished reading the Go Big Read selection, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks?

If so, and if you do not anticipate needing it for future use or wish to keep it, please consider donating your gently-used copy to students who will use it in their spring semester classes. Donate your copy by dropping it off in any campus library return box.

Questions regarding this process (donation/redistribution) can be sent to the Go Big Read program.

Thanks!

Late Nights at the Libraries

Be sure to check the "Stay Up Late" pages for a list of extended library hours and finals week activities at the various campus libraries.

Steenbock Library is pleased to announce that it is piloting 24-hour study during the 2010 final exam period. Beginning, Thursday, December 16 and running through Wednesday, December 22, the library will be open for 24 hours of each study day.

Should you need to come and go from our building during this extended-hours period, we always advise using the "buddy system" and walk or share a ride with friends. Additionally, and as need be, do consider using SAFE Nighttime services.

The library will host a generous donation from the Lakeshore Residence Halls of coffee and hot chocolate during the evenings, (December 17-22; between 7:00-11:30 PM, while supplies last).

Look for the hot beverage service on the first floor (vending alcove).

Steenbock Library staff and the Lakeshore Residence Hall community wish you the best for a successful finals week and end of term.

Christmas Bird Count

Beginning December 14 and running through January 5, bird enthusiasts will take to the fields and woodlands to record their sightings of particular bird species--a brilliant example of citizen science in action where engaged volunteers partner with researchers to document particular phenomena.

If you are interested in getting involved with this year’s count, see the Audubon Society’s information for participants.

For more information about bird species, do consult the online edition of Birds of North America. This comprehensive reference tool details the life histories of more than 716 North American species. The online edition, a product of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the American Ornithologist’s Union supplies descriptive text, image collections, audio and video to reveal aspects of behavior and habitat. For locating additional library resources devoted to ornithology, see the Ornithology Research Guide.

Should you wish to document your bird sightings year-round, consider registering with the eBird community--a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society to record bird abundance and distribution.

Try an E-Reader (Pilot Project)

Would you like to borrow a Kindle or an iPad to do a bit of light reading? If so, you will want to place a request to borrow one of ten pre-loaded devices from College Library.

In order to place a request, simply complete the E-Reader Request form. College Library staff will contact you when your preference (or first available) for either device is available. At this time, the e-reader devices are only available for a two-week loan period, without renewal (although you can place another request).

Please note that due to the popularity of this service, there will likely be a waiting period. The e-books currently available on the reader devices were selected to satisfy recreational reading interests; the catalog of titles can be viewed at Library Thing.

As a pilot project to explore building a collection of popular e-books, College Library also invites undergraduates to suggest new titles to add to this e-book collection (recommendations can be submitted with the request form).

For more information, see the E-Reader Overview.

24-Hour Study, Finals Week

Steenbock Library is pleased to announce that it will pilot 24-hour study during the 2010 final exam period. Beginning, Thursday, December 16 and running through Wednesday, December 22, the library will be open for 24 hours of each study day.

As there has been much interest for a late-night study location on this end of campus, we welcome your feedback about this service and our facility. Please reply to this post or drop a message into our "suggestion box" near the entrance, on the table beneath the large display monitor.

Should you need to come and go from our building during this extended-hours period, we always advise using the "buddy system" and walk or share a ride with friends. Additionally, and as need be, do consider using SAFE Nighttime services.

The library is also happy to host a generous donation of coffee and hot chocolate from the Lakeshore Residence Hall community. This free, hot beverage service will be in place from December 17 through December 22 beginning at 7:00PM each evening and continuing while supplies last.

The staff at Steenbock Library wishes you the best for a successful end of term!

Hours (December 13-26, 2010):

• Monday - Tuesday, December 13 -14: 8:00am - 1:00am

• Wednesday, December 15: 8:00am - 12:00am

• Thursday - Wednesday, December 16 - 22: 24 Hour Study

• Thursday, December 23: 12:00am - 6:00pm

• Friday - Sunday, December 24 - 26: CLOSED

Suggest a Book for the Next Go Big Read!

Planning is already underway for the next Go Big Read. If you have enjoyed reflecting upon the immortality of HeLa cells with this year’s selection, the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, then we welcome you to suggest a similarly-engaging read for year three.

An ideal book will have the following qualities:

• Be readable (relevant, engaging, and well-written)

• Appeal to individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences

• Encompass sufficient depth and scope to generate discussions from different points of view

• Be conducive to teaching and learning with opportunities for integration into academic programs

• Lend itself to a variety of activities and programming (maybe even an author visit!)

The deadline for submitting a recommendation is January 6, 2011.

The Go Big Read Review Committee will sort through the nominations on behalf of the Chancellor’s sub-committee, which will then make the final selection.

See the list of suggested titles as it grows...(updated daily!)

Suggest your book here.

Call for Course Reserves (Spring 2011)

Steenbock’s course reserves deadline is fast approaching!

To ensure that reserve materials are available in time for the first day of class, we invite faculty and staff to submit their course reserve materials by our deadline date: December 20, 2010.

For more information, visit the Steenbock Course Reserves page, phone 263-833, email or complete an online request form.

For students:
You can access your e-reserve content by logging in to your MyUW and selecting the Library/Reserves link listed with your registered classes. Similarly, you can access these same library links from within Learn@UW. Should your instructor have placed materials for you to use at one of our campus libraries, visit the MadCat catalog to run a Course Reserves search.