Coffee and cookies! Oh, my!

Once again, Western-Arcade Library is hosting its annual holiday coffee and cookie faire. Now thru December 19th, your friendly library staff will be serving up piping hot coffee and homemade cookies, free of charge, weekdays 6pm-8pm.

And while you’re at the library, be sure to check out the many resources available to you—including your hardworking library staff. We can assist you in locating hard to find materials within and outside the walls of the library. We can provide you access to thousands of academic journals, all of which can be access from your home, office and mobile device. Need a resource that’s not on the shelf? Ask about our interlibrary loan service. “Yes, Virginia, you can get that book from the Library of Congress!” Want to talk to a librarian LIVE from the comfort of your sofa? Check out our reference chat service. And don’t forget about our gently used books, audios and videos for sale. Soft backs are only $1. Hard backs are $2. Audios/videos are $2. It’s the perfect holiday gift.

So stop by, grab a cup of Joe, and get to know the library and librarians. You might be surprised what we can offer you.

Merry Christmas!

And the winner is…

October was Theological Libraries Month. Western Seminary, along with other seminaries across the country, helped to promote the importance and value of libraries and archives in theological education.

Many of you celebrated with us. Throughout the month, we offered a free $50 gas card to anyone who could guess the total number of library catalog cards in a container. 46 individuals participated in the contest. Guesses ranged from 439 to 10,349!

The total number of cards in the container was 806. And the winner was…Stephanie Rafdal. Stephanie’s guess was 850. Way to go, Stephanie!

Throughout the year, Western-Arcade Library offers many ways for the seminary community to come together in fellowship. Through events like Theological Libraries Month, the Holiday Coffee & Cookie Faire, Spring Book Sale, and Summer Soda Nights, the librarians and staff are here to help you thrive! Let us know how we’re doing by sending us your questions, thoughts, and/or suggestions. Contact us anytime. We want to hear from you!

Our goal at the library is to help you succeed at Western.

Theological Libraries Month

October is Theological Libraries Month. Once again, Western-Arcade Library will participate with seminaries across the country to promote the importance and value of libraries in theological education.

We invite you to visit the Library and celebrate with us. On the circulation desk you will find a large plastic container containing some dusty, old, archaic library catalog cards. Yes, there was an era before computers! Guess how many cards are in the container and if you are the closest “guestimator”, you will win a $50 gas card. (One entry per person, please). The contest will end Oct. 27th and the winner will be announced in next month’s newsletter.

And while you are at the Library, check out our expanding collection of academic full text electronic books, journals, bible studies, and language resources. Allow us to also assist you with your information and research needs. In addition to traditional research and reference service, we also offer virtual reference. Call or visit the Library, or feel free to email us anytime.

Our goal is to help you succeed at Western!

Sarah Romanov: Arcade Church Librarian

For nearly 20 years, Western Seminary and Arcade Church have joined forces to provide quality library services to students, faculty, and staff. This month, I would like to introduce to you Sarah Romanov, Arcade Church Librarian.

Hello,

I’m happy to serve in the library as the Library Director for Arcade Church. I have volunteered in the library for about five years now, and have been the Library Director for almost a year. My love of books and reading as well as my eye for detail and organization make this ministry a perfect fit for me!

My husband Andrew and I live just about a mile away from Arcade Church. We have been married for 14 years, and although we do not yet have children, we have two very cute cats named Skipper and Gilligan! Andrew and I enjoy opening our home to others, traveling, and serving God in our various ministries. Andrew is originally from Russia, and we are involved in ministry to Russian-speaking people at Arcade Church.

I usually work in the library one day per week and every other Sunday morning. I am happy to help you find whatever you need if you are in the library while I am there! The Arcade Church – Western Seminary Library is a wonderful resource, and I enjoy helping to make it the best that it can be!

Find It Fast! Accessing Full-Text Research Articles

I would like to take a moment to let you know about the Western research databases, a valuable online research tool you can access free of charge via the library web site. Available campus-wide or remotely (with user ID and password), the Western research databases provide an easy and efficient way to find scholarly resources you need to complete your written research assignments.

This month, the library staff will be offering free workshops on ministry and counseling resources, including all APA and ATLA digital content. Each workshop presents one library research component in a 30 minute tutorial. It’s short, focused, and best of all, there’s no need to sign up for summer sessions. Instruction is offered at the top of each hour (8am to 3pm) every Saturday.

Bring a list of topics you would like to research, or come and find out how to cite your research appropriately. All classes are conducted in a supportive and non-threatening environment.

Workshops will be offered on the following weekends in July (pick one):
•Western Research Databases (EBSCOhost): July 11, 18, 25

See you at the library!

MLA and APA refresher course

Do you need to dust off your old computer and brush up on your research skills? Would you like to re-acquaint yourself with the Western research databases? Do you have an assignment due this semester that requires you to use MLA or APA format?

The Library’s "Research on the Go!" workshops can help you. Each workshop presents one library research component in a 30 minute tutorial. It’s short, focused, and best of all, there’s no need to sign up for summer sessions. Instruction is offered at the top of each hour 8am to 3pm on Saturdays.

Bring a list of topics you would like to research, or come and find out how to cite your research appropriately. All classes are conducted in a supportive and non-threatening environment.

"Research on the Go!" workshops will be offered on the following weekends in June:

• MLA and APA Citation Style (Functional): June 13, 20

I look forward to seeing you at the library.

Text A Librarian

The staff at Western-Arcade Library offers research and reference services to all currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff. Librarians are available to assist with learning how to locate books, use the Western research databases, and find authoritative resources on the Internet. We can also help streamline research topics or find materials not available in the Library.

One-on-one reference assistance is available during normal business hours. If you need assistance, just ask a librarian. If a librarian is not available, a Western Seminary staff member will gladly assist you.

In addition to providing traditional research and reference services, the staff at Western-Arcade Library also provides assistance with reference questions via phone, e-mail, chat and now text messaging. Our goal is to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours. Send your request(s) to: dholifield@westernseminary.edu or call the library at 916.488.3720 x7. Chat reference assistance is available Wednesdays 6pm-9pm, Thursdays 6pm-9pm and Saturdays 8am-4:30pm.. Send your request(s) to:

Yahoo Messenger: monographguy
AIM: monographman
ICQ: 381981242
Windows Live Messenger: monographman

Text messaging reference service is available Wednesdays and Thursdays 6pm-9pm and Saturdays 8am-4:30pm. The Library text message phone number is 916.303.6277.
See you online (and at the library)!

Library Hours Expand…again

You spoke and we listened.

Western-Arcade Library is now open 7 days a week, a total of 74 hours per week!

The library is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. The library is also open nights and weekends as posted.

Use of the library will determine if future expansion is needed. So stop by the library! The library collection contains more than 12,000 titles and we subscribe to hundreds of academic theological and counseling journals all of which are accessible from your home or office. Combined with the Portland campus library collection, our total print volumes exceed 103,000 titles!

The Library is a member of the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC), a global cooperative providing you access to more than one million titles at more than 71,000 institutions worldwide via interlibrary loan. You also have access to the American Theological Library Association and American Psychological Association research databases, as well as several other discipline specific programs in ministry and counseling.

For further information on these and other resources, please call or visit the library, or feel free to email me anytime at dholifield@westernseminary.edu .

GIGANTIC Book Sale

Western-Arcade Library generates a portion of its operating and acquisitions budget through library book sales. Books and other resources are donated by local area pastors, therapists, educators, members of Arcade Church and students, faculty, and staff of Western Seminary. Some of these items go directly to the shelves; others are set aside for the library book sale.

The Library will hold its spring book sale March 26-29. Fiction and non-fiction titles (hardcover and paperback), CDs, cassettes, VHS tapes, DVDs, children’s literature and more will be offered at bargain prices – $5 per bag! Check your campus mailbox for more information.

Western-Arcade Library is open every day. The library is also open nights and weekends as posted in the classrooms, main office, library, and online.

Come early! The best selections will go fast!

(Donations are always welcome at the library. Materials may be dropped off at the library, at the Arcade Church office (off of Becerra Way), or at the Western Seminary main office. All donations are tax deductable. Receipts are available upon request.)

Library Upgrades

In our ongoing effort to meet the information needs of our students, faculty, and staff--Western-Arcade Library recently upgraded its IT infrastructure. Our new Dell Vostros run on Intel Pentium Core 2 Dual technology with 4 GB of RAM (memory), which means you’ll wait less for web pages to load. Each new workstation is tethered to a 19” widescreen flat panel display, DVD and CD write and rewritable drives are available, and multiple USB ports are provided to support a wide variety of multi-media applications. Each workstation is also loaded with Internet Explorer 7, Windows Vista, and Word 2007.

Western-Arcade Library is committed to making your library experience pleasurable. We invite you to consider letting us know how we’re doing by sending us your questions, thoughts, and any purchase or withdraw suggestions. Your opinions are important to us and your identity will be kept confidential. (If you wish to be contacted directly about your suggestion(s), include your name and contact information.)

To access the library online suggestion box:
• Visit www.westernseminary.edu/sacramento
• Click “Libraries Resources” on the far left pane.
• Click “Suggestion Box” at the bottom of the page.

We want to hear from you…always!