March 2019 – Mary and Jeff Bell Library Blog

What’s a QEP?

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:March 29, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Dean's Corner

A QEP you say? Information and digital literacy you say? What the what? What’s a QEP? QEP is an acronym for Quality Enhancement Plan and is part of the SACSCOC reaffirmation process. According to SACSCOC, “the Quality Enhancement Plan is an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation process. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue that the institution considers important…

I Am a Woman and I Have a Problem: A Women’s History Month Reflection

Post author:Trisha Hernandez
Post published:March 26, 2019
Post category:Hello, from the Staff

On March 5th, I joined three amazing women on stage during the morning panel of the Women’s History Month Celebration. Dr. Clarenda Phillips, Stacy Rowan, Erin Lewis, and I spoke to the audience about how we shaped our own destinies. Our words encouraged others to acknowledge and appreciate the path paved for us while paving the way for those coming after. The audience was encouraged to find a support unit who would stand beside them through thick and thin. It was…

History Harvest: A Connection to the Community

Post author:Amanda Kowalski
Post published:March 22, 2019
Post category:News @ Your Library Service for You Things to Do

Remember when? Remember when the Harbor Bridge was built? Hurricane Celia? The Buccaneer Days Parade? High school rivalries? Selena on the Domingo Show? Concerts at the Memorial Coliseum? The civil rights marches that changed our city? South Texas has a rich history and your memories can help us understand the important events and experiences that have shaped the region. Every family has a story and individually these memories make our community what it is, and some of those important memories…

It’s All in Your Head: Psychological Thrillers and the Unreliable Narrator

Post author:Trisha Hernandez
Post published:March 19, 2019
Post category:Books & More Library Randomness Service for You Today's Special

You’re a liar…delusional...confused…insane! No one is EVER going to believe you! Ok, well not you per say (theoretically at least, I don’t really know you, so…), but this is a common accusation made in many of the best psychological thrillers available today. Take the box office success, The Girl on the Train, staring Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, and a bunch of other names that Wikipedia lists. The movie, based on the New York Times best seller by Paula Hawkins, follows Rachel Watson, an alcoholic divorcée who is…

Makers Making Use of the I-Create Makerspace Lab

Post author:David Jones
Post published:March 14, 2019
Post category:Tech in the Library We Made This

After opening the I-Create Makerspace Lab in mid-January, we never would have guessed the flurry of activity that would occur around Valentine’s Day. In the days leading up to this romantic holiday, we had a nice surge of activity as makers of all disciplines made pilgrimages and many gifts were created! The 3D printers were busy printing red roses for loved ones. On the embroidery machine, there was a whole lotta monogramming going on, including one very cuddly looking fleece…

What do you spend on textbooks?

Post author:Lisa Louis
Post published:March 12, 2019
Post category:Books & More

March 4-8 was Open Education Week, a week when we celebrate the power of the Internet to democratize education by providing a platform on which tools for learning—everything from videos and class modules to lecture notes and entire textbooks or courses—can be made freely available to anyone wanting to learn. In spite of the fact that we have the digital technology to provide learning materials at low to no cost and that many brilliant minds all over the world are engaged…

Are you a Sean or a Joe? Re-shelving Books in the Library

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:March 8, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes

Why do we ask you to put the books back on the cart instead of re-shelving them yourself? This is an excellent question. You're thinking, "If I re-shelve it myself, it will be right where I need it tomorrow; or, it'll be available for the next person." You obviously know where you pulled it from. You can see the gap right there. Also, maybe you’re saving the staff from having to do the work of putting it back; so really,…

Microform: Nothing Micro About It

Post author:Joe Hernandez
Post published:March 5, 2019
Post category:Books & More Service for You

You're on your way to get your favorite focus food or drink from the vending machines in the Daily Read Café to keep your energy up for that research assignment that you're realizing you should have started a few days earlier. On the way, you weave through other students who you know are in the same boat as you, focused but stressed. When you turn the corner around the staircase, right before you see those doors that keep all the…

Islander Feminists Guest Blog for Women’s History Month

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:March 1, 2019
Post category:Things to Do

In honor of Women’s History Month, the library is proud to host our first guest blogger, the Islander Feminists! This student organization has been a very active voice on campus. Dedicated to establishing an inviting and engaging culture where feminism and feminist topics are identified, discussed, and encouraged, this team has participated and hosted a variety of events; each aiming to build relationships, celebrate feminist ideals, educate the campus community, and so much more. They have initiated petitions, supported cultural events…