A few weeks ago, actually, on Gangster Day of Anything Goes spirit week, Vegas PBS came to the LVA library and asked some questions about school libraries in general and our library in particular. Click on the button below. Our section runs from the 8:48 to 11:01 minute mark.

Greetings all!

Hope that your holiday was swell.

Today I wanted to draw your attention to two new pages that have been added to the library website. Under the Research Connection menu heading.

The first link is to a page on selecting resources for selecting and analyzing resources. Of course, there is a multitude of resources provided by the library, but sometimes you have to go beyond to find research materials. This page gives you guidelines and assistance on how to determine if an online source is acceptable for a school research project. There are also links to informative videos.

Most recently, the Plagiarism 101 page was added to help provide students with a better understanding of what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. Most people seem to understand that plagiarism is turning in someone else’s work as their own, but there is more to it than simply copying, and this page is intended to make that clear. There are also links to other websites that provide a whole lot more information as well as informational videos, including this blast from Mr. Guinn’s past.

Happy New Year, and remember, it’s better to cite than be sorry.

I will make a confession. This may surprise some and anger others, but even though I am a librarian and love to read, my favorite thing in the world (family and friends excluded) is music. Nothing moves me like music, not even a good book. So I totally understand the desire to listen to good music with earbuds or headphones since you can hear things that may escape your senses otherwise.

That said, earbuds make me sad. One of my daily joys is greeting students in the morning as they pass through the library. After all, I’m a pretty happy person, so I like to pass it along. Yet, many students walk past me after I say “Good morning!” without so much as a “Hi.” They move as if the rest of humanity is invisible, or worse, nonexistent. And what do these isolated souls have in common? They’re wearing earbuds.

I will make a suggestion; take out the earbuds. Greet the people around you (especially the old man in the library). Be aware and in the moment. You’ll have time to listen to that song later.