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‘Cat in the Stacks: Writing mistakes, writing mistakes everywhere!

CAT-STAX

I’m Michelle Callaghan, a second-year graduate student at Villanova University. This is our column, “‘Cat in the Stacks.” I’m the ‘cat. Falvey Memorial Library is the stacks. I’ll be posting about living that scholarly life, from research to study habits to embracing your inner-geek, and how the library community might aid you in all of it.


‘Tis the season to be writing. Fa la la la la, blah blah blah blaaaah. Okay, so we all know how it feels to be stuck writing – you know, when you think you’re cruising along and then

…sorry, what were we talking about?

Writing. Do you know what your writing weaknesses are? It’s good to get in touch with your common missteps. Knowing where you usually go wrong is not at all a bad thing, and it definitely doesn’t make you a bad writer. After all, the real writing skill shines during editing! But cutting down on the amount of editing you have to do by being aware of what usually goes wrong in your writing is definitely worth your time and effort.

Some common mistakes are passive voicing

Two independent clauses cannot be linked with a comma, comma splicing is a common writing mistake.

Sentence sprawl happens to the best of us. You don’t want to make your sentences too unwieldy, because they become tiresome to read, and you might lose the persuasive thrust of your essay, which is why you really don’t want to include so many ideas in one sentence, because it’s hard to read, and it’s also not fun.

Of course, you’re not on this writerly journey alone! The Writing Center is here for you.


Article by Michelle Callaghan, graduate assistant on the Communication and Service Promotion team. She is currently pursuing her MA in English at Villanova University.


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The 8:30 | STAR WARS Edition (12/10)

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Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

JEDITIPS HEAD

“Break down your studying into manageable chunks and don’t wait until the night before to begin. We have a few great resources on the LSS website that can help students get ready for finals week. I recommend checking out the Tackling Finals Week Stress and Planning for Final Exams workshops!” (Note: links are on a secure VU page so students or anyone with a VU password can access them but they are not available to the general public. The links will take you to a sign-in page.)

Jedi Master Nicole B. Subik
Assistant Director, Learning Support Services
Learning Commons in Falvey, 212 C


TODAY IN THE LIBRARY…

Finals Stress Busting Open House. 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. in the first-floor lounge. Fight the dark side with free Philly soft pretzels, hot beverages, video games and other activities to unplug and unwind. Use the #falveyforce.

Stress buster poster


SAVE THE DATE…

Stress Free Happy Healthy Hours. Friday, December 11 at 10:00 a.m. in room 205 of Falvey Memorial Library. Take a break from studying and enjoy a variety of stress-relieving activities. Each hour will feature a different activity, including coloring books for grown-ups, making your own stress balls, board games and puzzles, a combined yoga mindfulness session, and, of course, plenty of snacks and drinks. Comfort Caring Canines will also be here with therapy dogs from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.


#TBT

Student relaxing under a tree--from the 1975 yearbook

Student Lounging- from the 1975 yearbook

Check out these #TBT pics from the 1975 yearbook.  These students are chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool. Make sure you get some stress relief this week, too, Wildcats!


QUOTE OF THE DAY

On this day in 1830, poet Emily Dickinson was born. While after her death Dickinson was discovered to have written well over a thousand poems, only a handful were published during her lifetime – and the ones that were had been manipulated by publishers to fit more conventional poetic practices of the time. It was Emily’s sister Lavinia who discovered Emily’s stockpile after her death, and it is thanks to her that Emily’s poetry gained public acknowledgment. Still, it took until 1955 for a mostly unaltered collection of Dickinson’s poetry to be compiled and released. Check out Dickinson’s poetry from our stacks today!

emily dickinson

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

– Emily Dickinson

image via poets.org


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.


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The 8:30 | STAR WARS Edition (12/9)

EIGHT-THIRTY-GRAPHIC2

Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

 


JEDITIPS HEAD

Does writing papers make you want to pull out your hair buns? Jedi Master Mary Beth Simmons suggests you come to the event below!

Screen Shot 2015-12-08 at 11.11.17 AM


TODAY IN THE LIBRARY…

 

To provide students with additional late night study facilities, the main Library will have extended hours beginning Monday, Dec. 7th. We’ll be open most nights until 3:00 a.m.

As always, you can use your Wildcard to swipe into the 24/7 lounge, Falvey Hall lounge and Reading Room after hours. Take advantage of our cozy and inspirational spaces for quiet study. Check the Hours link on the library homepage for a full listing of extended hours.

From everyone at Falvey, good luck on your papers and final exams!


SAVE THE DATE

Stress buster poster


DID YOU KNOWDaily Advent reflections by our University community are posted on the Office for Mission and Ministry’s website.

 


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Today in 1902, actress Margaret Hamilton was born. Hamilton is most famous for her portrayal of the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz – a character recognized as one of the greatest film villains of all time (seriously, check out the internet lists!). A former schoolteacher, Hamilton went from teaching kindergarteners to scaring them. Did you know that the world of Oz has been the focus of much scholarly research – literary, sociological, and historical? You can learn more from our holdings.

 

“No matter how dreary and gray our homes are, we people of flesh and blood would rather live there than in any other country, be it ever so beautiful. There is no place like home.”  – L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

image via imdb.com


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.


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The 8:30 | STAR WARS edition (12/8)

EIGHT-THIRTY-GRAPHIC2

Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

JEDITIPS HEAD

Cambridge Companions are great fully-searchable online resources and we have them on a TON of topics, especially in English and History. If you have a paper to write on Paradise Lost, try searching the library catalog for ‘Cambridge Companion Milton’ or ‘Cambridge Companion Paradise Lost’ – if we have one on the topic, it will pop up.”

Jedi Master Sarah Wingo
Liaison Librarian English & Theatre


TODAY IN THE LIBRARY…

 

To provide students with additional late night study facilities, the main Library will have extended hours beginning Monday, Dec. 7th. We’ll be open most nights until 3:00 a.m.

As always, you can use your Wildcard to swipe into the 24/7 lounge, Falvey Hall lounge and Reading Room after hours. Take advantage of our cozy and inspirational spaces for quiet study. Check the Hours link on the library homepage for a full listing of extended hours.

From everyone at Falvey, good luck on your papers and final exams!


SAVE THE DATE

Stress buster poster


traps-201x300NEW MEDIA NEWS

You get more than text in How to Make and Set Traps, the latest eBook release produced by Falvey’s collaboration with Distributed Proofreaders. There are trap illustrations and songs about rats & otters! According to a review by Demian Katz of Dime Novel fame, the book mixes “dense and convoluted details of trap-building with anecdotes about animal behavior, reflections on the definition of “vermin,” and a strong sense of the Victorian era.” Allow us to share a rather graphic quote that Katz highlighted in his review:

Emphatically I declare it—a weasel never relinquishes its quarry till the life’s blood has been sucked and the brain extracted and eaten.

Makes you want to download it and read it right now, doesn’t it? Uh huh. Thought so.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Today music fans remember John Lennon, half of the songwriting team that made The Beatles, well, The Beatles. As most people know, John Lennon was assassinated this day in 1980.

“If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.” – John Lennon


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.


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Reading Villanova: The Global and the Interdisciplinary 'Diversity'

Bridget Black, student moderator; Brighid Dwyer, PhD, director, Program on Intergroup Relations, Multicultural Affairs; Katrina Sawyer, assistant professor, Dept. of Psychology; and Camille Burge, PhD, assistant professor, Dept. of Political Science

Bridget Black, student moderator; Brighid Dwyer, PhD, director, Program on Intergroup Relations, Multicultural Affairs; Katrina Sawyer, assistant professor, Dept. of Psychology; and Camille Burge, PhD, assistant professor, Dept. of Political Science

Camille Burge, PhD

Camille Burge, PhD

Katrina Sawyer, PhD

Katrina Sawyer, PhD

Photographs by Alice Bampton


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The 8:30 | STAR WARS Edition (12/7)

EIGHT-THIRTY-GRAPHIC2

Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

JEDITIPS HEAD

Tasty coffee is, but a substitute for rest it is not. You can study much, Padawan, but at least 6-8 hours of sleep you require in order to concentrate during your tests. Coffee and exhaustion are of the dark side…

Jedi Master Rob LeBlanc
First Year Experience & Humanities Librarian


TODAY IN THE LIBRARY…

 

To provide students with additional late night study facilities, the main Library will have extended hours beginning Monday, Dec. 7th. We’ll be open most nights until 3:00 a.m.

As always, you can use your Wildcard to swipe into the 24/7 lounge, Falvey Hall lounge and Reading Room after hours. Take advantage of our cozy and inspirational spaces for quiet study. Check the Hours link on the library homepage for a full listing of extended hours.

From everyone at Falvey, good luck on your papers and final exams!


SAVE THE DATE

Stress buster poster


QUOTE OF THE DAY

On this day in 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked. The infamous naval base assault was the impetus for the United States joining World War II. To dig deeper into Pearl Harbor and other events surrounding World War II, check out our holdings.

Image by U.S. Navy photographer, MCC David Rush. "A Sailor from the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band plays taps during a joint U.S. Navy/National Park Service ceremony commemorating the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The theme of this year's historic commemoration, "Pacific War Memories: The Heroic Response to Pearl Harbor," emphasized the brave efforts of those who fought at sea, on land and in the air to turn the tide in the Pacific. More than 2,000 distinguished guests and the general public joined service members, Pearl Harbor survivors and their families and friends for the annual observance." Image description via Wikimedia Commons.

Image by U.S. Navy photographer, MCC David Rush. “A Sailor from the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band plays taps during a joint U.S. Navy/National Park Service ceremony commemorating the 67th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The theme of this year’s historic commemoration, “Pacific War Memories: The Heroic Response to Pearl Harbor,” emphasized the brave efforts of those who fought at sea, on land and in the air to turn the tide in the Pacific. More than 2,000 distinguished guests and the general public joined service members, Pearl Harbor survivors and their families and friends for the annual observance.” Image description via Wikimedia Commons.

I think history is continuous. It doesn’t begin or end on Pearl Harbor Day or the day Lyndon Johnson withdraws from the presidency or on 9/11. You have to learn from the past but not be imprisoned by it. You need to take counsel of history but never be imprisoned by it.” – Richard Holbrooke


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.


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The 8:30 | Things to Know Before You Go (12/4)

EIGHT-THIRTY-GRAPHIC2

Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

TODAY IN THE LIBRARY…

The final Villanova Electronic Enthusiasts Club (VEEC) Meeting this semester. 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the first-floor lounge. Open to all. Come join in for games and fun. Questions? Contact: Matthew Pasquale 

ACS Writing Awards Reception. 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in Speakers’ Corner. Questions? Contact: Sandra Suprenuk

Gender & Women’s Studies Meet & Greet. 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in room 204. Questions? Contact: Joyce Harden


Flashback Friday

Student studying--a bit too hard! From the 1980 yearbook

Finals gotcha feeling overwhelmed? Check out this #fbf picture from the 1980 yearbook. Looks like someone hit the books a bit too hard!


GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 2015

Goodreads has announced their 2015 Choice Awards! These selections were chosen via Goodreads user ratings and are categorized by genre. They’re the perfect additions to your Goodreads Want to Read lists!

 


QUOTE OF THE DAY

National Cookie Day is the day, and cookie eating is the way… to celebrate. Why are so many “national days” food related? The answer is unclear, although perhaps it is an interesting research inquiry. But we’re not complaining for any reason that encourages the eating of chocolate chip cookies. Mmmm. Did you know the word “cookie” comes from the Dutch “koekie,” or “little cake”? Also, if you want to try your hand at some classic Italian cookie dough, check out this recipe in our digital library, straight from The Philadelphia Italian Market Cookbook out of the Celeste A. Morello Collection.

 

“Sometimes me think, what is friend? And then me say, friend is someone to share the last cookie with.” – Cookie Monster


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.


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‘Cat in the Stacks: A Study in Sarcasm

CAT-STAX

I’m Michelle Callaghan, a second-year graduate student at Villanova University. This is our column, “‘Cat in the Stacks.” I’m the ‘cat. Falvey Memorial Library is the stacks. I’ll be posting about living that scholarly life, from research to study habits to embracing your inner-geek, and how the library community might aid you in all of it.


Hey Wildcats! It’s the first week of December and that means it’s time to relax. It’s time to read those fluff books you’ve been stockpiling. It’s time to sleep in and maybe catch up on a little exercise. You can do anything you want. It’s December 3rd and you don’t have a care in the world. No deadlines, nothing to study for, nothing to worry about.

Nothing at all to worry about.

Chances are you’ll get bored. What do you have to do with your time? It’s understandable you’d run out of things to do.

You’re probably so relaxed right now.

You probably have the calmest energy ever.

Clear sailing in the first weeks of December, right? Clear sailing.

Never seen a to-do list so empty before.

Now, I mean, I guess if you stumbled into anything important to do (although I can’t imagine what), you could come to the library. I guess.

If for whatever crazy reason you have a question you need an answer to, you could talk to a librarian. But it’s not like you have any deadlines or anything.

It’s the first week of December.

Twiddle your thumbs.

Take up yoga.

String up a hammock.

Take a load off.

The library’s here if you somehow manage to find something to do.

 

(Good luck and may you have a fruitful finals prep. Next week the Library is open extra late – come on over.)


Article by Michelle Callaghan, graduate assistant on the Communication and Service Promotion team. She is currently pursuing her MA in English at Villanova University.


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The 8:30 | Things to Know Before You Go (12/3)

 

EIGHT-THIRTY-GRAPHIC2

Here’s your daily dose of library-oriented speed-reads to start your day!

 


SAVE THE DATE…

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! The final Villanova Electronic Enthusiasts Club (VEEC) Meeting this semester. Friday, December 4 at 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the first-floor lounge. The VEEC is a social club, focused on recreation and relaxation. Participants gather to play video games in a safe and fun environment. The VEEC is always accepting new members. Open to all. Come join in for games and fun.

 


STUDY STRESS?

Here you go! It’ll be okay.


GOOGLE USERS

Google has implemented a starring system to save images from Google searches to personal collections. Simply star an image result and it’s yours. Compiling photos for a project or presentation has never been easier! Learn more here.


QUOTE OF THE DAY

Today is #roofoveryourhead day, a day to appreciate and be thankful for things you might take for granted daily, such as the roof over your head, the food in your refrigerator, or warm clothes on your back. Want to observe this holiday? Donate a toy for Christmas or support a local shelter. Speaking of roofs over your head, our extended hours are coming up next week for finals, and you know you can always find a warm corner in the library!

WyczolkowskiWiosna

Wiosna w Gościeradzu (Spring in w Gościeradz Akwarela. Muzeum Okręgowe, Bydgoszcz)

“Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books – especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.” – John Wooden


HAVE A GREAT DAY!

If you have ideas for inclusion in The 8:30 or to Library News in general, you’re invited to send them to joanne.quinn@villanova.edu.


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Our Library Staff's Adventures Abroad

The following article was written by Kallie Stahl, graduate assistant on the Library Events & Outreach team. She is currently pursuing her MA in communication at Villanova University.


Welcome to the weeks after fall break, the point in the semester where warm weather nostalgia is a constant daydream. Even though your favorite television shows are finally back with new seasons, you still can’t shake those thrilling summer memories. Whether you worked, bravely endured summer courses, or explored new places, your summer experiences allowed you the opportunity for personal growth and reflection.

Use the skills you’ve learned these past few months to make this academic year your best one yet. If you still can’t seem to shake your need for adventure, don’t try! Continue to fuel your desire to leave no stone unturned. While the Office of Education Abroad can supply you with helpful information and support, the world-traveling staff at Falvey can be another resource to help you plan the trip of your dreams!

sarah wingo travel
 Sarah Wingo, Team Leader – Humanities II, Subject Librarian for English Literature & Theatre

“In undergrad I did a study abroad in London, which included an internship with a West End production company. I ended up returning to the UK for graduate school where I did my M.A. in English at the University of Birmingham’s Shakespeare Institute located in Stratford upon Avon. I was also fortunate enough to be able to take time to travel during both my study abroad and my graduate degree and visit places like Scotland, Ireland; Wales; Nice and Cannes in France, as well as Monaco; Florence and Venice, Italy; Saville, Spain; Heidelberg and Munich, Germany, and Prague in the Czech Republic to name a few.”

 

IMG_2379FullSizeRenderRob LeBlanc, First Year Experience & Humanities Librarian

“While I did not study abroad there, I recently took an amazing trip to Iceland. We hiked in cloud-shrouded mountains, climbed a glacier, dodged free-roaming sheep, and learned a great deal about the fascinating history of this Viking-settled country. We traveled the Route 1 ‘ring road’ around the entire country so we were able to experience the full diversity of this unique geothermal island. It was so wild, bucolic, and beautiful that I’m glad I took pictures, otherwise I’d wonder if I’d dreamt the whole thing.”

 

laura m travels
Laura Matthews, Library Events & Outreach Specialist

“I got the travel bug at a young age, or maybe I was just born with it. I enjoy meeting people, experiencing diverse cultures and seeing different cities, states, countries… the world! I decided during my freshman year of college that I was definitely going to study abroad. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss. I studied abroad during my sophomore year of college for an entire semester. At the time, a younger and more timid me wanted to stay somewhat close to home and wanted to be in a predominantly English-speaking country. England was the popular choice for students who were in the same requirement boat as me. I also like to be different. Why go to England when that is where most students seem to be going? Alas, I chose Scotland! My university didn’t have an exchange program with a university in Scotland so I applied directly to the university that I wanted to attend. I was accepted and spent the spring of 2007 at University of Stirling in Stirling, Scotland. To say it was the best semester of my college experience would be a complete understatement; it was so much more. I met lifelong friends, people with the same desires, life views, and perspectives as me – how awesome is that?! I highly suggest you take advantage of any opportunity that may arise to study abroad. Guaranteed, it will change your life.”

 

Uspal travels
Dave Uspal, Web Specialist for Library and Scholarly Applications

Last spring, Dave and his wife traveled throughout Eastern Europe last spring visiting Romania, Eastern Slovakia, Krakow and Berlin. “Specifically, the picture above was taken in Maramureș County, in northern Romania along the border with Ukraine, which is one of the last places in Europe that has kept its rural traditions. The people are exceptionally friendly, and wherever we went, we were invited into their house. I was offered fresh cream at one random woman’s house. Again, not tourists stops – actual homes.”

 

Kallie travels
Kallie Stahl, Graduate Assistant on the Library Events & Outreach team

As a current graduate student in the Department of Communication, I had the opportunity to take part in the Shanghai Business and Communication Internship Program. I spent six weeks abroad, five weeks in Shanghai and one week in Beijing. Working for an international fashion company, I was able to enhance my intercultural communication skills and build upon current marketing and public relations credentials. During the program, I was able to see a multitude of amazing sites including: The Bund, Jade Budda Temple, Yuyuan Garden, People’s Square, Jing’ an Temple, Zhouzhuang, the Temple of Heaven, Huangpu River, Oriental Pearl Tower, the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Great Wall of China. I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in interning abroad. Experiencing Asian culture firsthand was a wonderful occasion, and I’m grateful to Villanova for providing this life changing learning adventure.

The best way to learn about places unbeknownst to you is to listen to those that have traveled there. So, whether you’re planning on studying abroad or just looking to book a fun getaway, the Villanova community can be your guide. Bon Voyage!


Article by Kallie Stahl, Graduate Assistant on the Library Events & Outreach team. She is currently pursuing her MA in Communication at Villanova University.


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Last Modified: December 2, 2015

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