Welcome back, Cats! As you settle into the fall semester, be sure to reach out to your subject librarian. Whether you’re working on a research project or looking for some assistance with library services, Falvey librarians are here to help! Not sure which librarian to contact? Email ref@villanova.edu or fill out this form.

Nicole Daly

Subject Specialization: Communication, Sociology and Criminology

Phone: 610-519-5207

Email: nicole.daly@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 225

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/nicole-daly

Nikolaus Fogle

Subject Specialization: Philosophy

Phone: 610-519-5182

Email: nikolaus.fogle@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 227

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/nikolaus-fogle

Alfred Fry 

Subject Specialization: Engineering, Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics, Astronomy, Mathematics and Statistics, Computer Science

Phone: 610-519-4283

Email: alfred.fry@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 224

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/alfred-fry

Linda Hauck 

Subject Specialization: Business, Human Resource Development

Phone: 610-519-8744

Email: linda.hauck@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 222

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/linda-hauck

Erica Hayes 

Subject Specialization: Digital Scholarship, Digital Humanities

Phone: 610-519-5391

Email: erica.hayes@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 218B

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/erica-hayes

Sarah Hughes

Subject Specialization: Nursing, Biology, Health Sciences

Phone: 610-519-8129

Email: sarah.hughes@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 220

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/sarah-hughes

Robert LeBlanc 

Subject Specialization: ACS, First-Year Experience

Phone: 610-519-7778

Email: robert.leblanc@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 226

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/robert-leblanc

Laurie Ortiz Rivera

Subject Specialization: History, Art History, Education & Counseling

Phone: 610-519-3907

Email: laurie.ortizrivera@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 229

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/laurie-ortiz

Darren Poley

Subject Specialization: Theology & Religious Studies, Humanities & Classical Studies

Phone: 610-519-6371

Email: darren.poley@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 230

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/darren-poley

Jutta Seibert

Subject Specialization: Global Interdisciplinary Studies

Phone: 610-519-7876

Email: jutta.seibert@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 228

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/jutta-seibert

Merrill Stein

Subject Specialization: Political Science, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Public Admin., Naval Science and Geography & the Environment

Phone: 610-519-4272

Email: merrill.stein@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 221

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/merrill-stein

Sarah Wingo

Subject Specialization: English Literature, Theatre and Romance Languages & Literature

Phone: 610-519-5183

Email: sarah.wingo@villanova.edu

Office: Falvey 223

Make an Appointment: https://library.appointlet.com/b/sarah-wingo

In lieu of our traditional Spring Break, this semester Villanova is giving us two working breaks, with our first one being this Wednesday and Thursday. Below I’ve shared three tips about how to make the most of your working break and ensure it’s both a productive and relaxing two days.

#1 Evaluate Your Priorities This time is supposed to be a mental reset, so it is important to make sure you are prioritizing your mental health on these two days. As we get into the semester, I’m finding more and more that my priorities for the day are focused around the assignments I have due in the following days or the readings I have for class that night. But this week, I’m restructuring my priorities and putting relaxing activities, such as going for a walk or reading a book for fun, at the top of my list.

#2 Actually WORK It can be tempting to see this working break as two days off, especially if you are lucky enough to have a professor who is not holding classes, but remember this is an opportunity to catch up on or stay on top of your work! As you’ll see through my other tips, your work can look a little different this week, but you don’t want to end this week feeling more behind and overwhelmed than you did on Monday. Make yourself clear goals then crush those goals!

#3 Build Connections with Professors & Librarians This week, I’m focusing on building relationships with more of my professors. Many professors are holding extra office hours this week to talk to students about projects, papers, or exams. Leverage that extra time and drop-in to form a relationship. Subject librarians are an additional resource that you can connect with this week! Whether it’s just to say hi and see if they have any thoughts on your research topic for this semester or to ask for help finding that last elusive source you need for a paper, Falvey’s subject librarians are ready and available to help. Find a lists of all subject librarians here.

#4 Focus on Relaxation & Productivity On my “days off” when I still want to make sure I’m being productive and getting work done, I find little ways to make the day feel more relaxing. Maybe usually you’re up at 8 AM every morning to start working. This week, instead, let your day start at 10 AM or 11 AM and still end at the same time. Or, instead of working at your desk, do some work from bed or the couch. Those little tweaks to your routine may make it feel more like a break while still letting you stay on top of your work.

This is the first of two of Villanova’s working breaks this semester. Use this one as a trial run to see what works best for you. If you have any other tips to share or your plans to make the most of today and tomorrow, share in the comments!

Jenna Newman is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m., in Falvey’s Speakers’ Corner, join a faculty panel for conversation and questions about the upcoming decennial census on April 1, 2020. Discussion will aim to provide context and insight into the history of the Census, its use in research and policy-making, and issues particular to the 2020 Census. Faculty panelists include Camille Burge, PhD, Political Science; Judith Giesberg, PhD, History; Rory Kramer, PhD, Sociology and Criminology; and Stephen Strader, PhD, Geography and the Environment. This ACS approved event, sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library with support from librarians Deborah Bishov and Merrill Stein, is free and open to the public.

Every 10 years, the U.S. Census Bureau counts the populations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Mandated by the Constitution, the results determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and provide helpful data for public service/administration members and local communities.

Traditionally, Census respondents completed a short questionnaire by phone or mail. This year, individuals will be able to complete the questionnaire online or through their mobile device. For additional information and ways in which you can get involved, visit the United States Census Bureau website.

Dig deeper: Check out the links below to learn more about the Census. Resources courtesy of Librarian Merrill Stein.

• Census Bureau Library
• Explore Census Data
• U.S. Census Data and Statistics
• Standard Hierarchy of Census Geographic Entities
• US Census Bureau Geographic Entities and Concept
• What Census Calls Us: A Historical Timeline (Pew Research Center)
• Census in SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development
• History of the Census in Multicultural America: A Multimedia Encyclopedia
• Encyclopedia of the U.S. census: from the constitution to the American community survey
• Census 2020: examining the readiness of key aspects of the Census Bureau’s 2020 census preparation: hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, second session, June 9, 2016
• Social Explorer (Falvey Library database)
• Data-Planet (Sage) (Falvey Library database)
• ESRI Tapestry Segmentation. Explore Your Neighborhood
• AncestryLibrary (ProQuest) (Falvey Library database)
• Census Bureau Genealogy
• National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) – The IPUMS National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) provides free online access to summary statistics and GIS boundary files for U.S. censuses and other nationwide surveys from 1790 through the present. (Using NHGIS: An Introduction)
• Longitudinal Tract Database
  

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  Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library. 

I’m Daniella Snyder, a second-year graduate student at Villanova University, and your ‘Cat in Falvey Library’s Stacks. I’ll be posting about academics–from research to study habits and everything in between–and how Falvey Library can play a large role in your success here on campus!

Happy fall, Wildcats!

In the midst of Halloween, midterms, and seasonal allergies, autumn can get really busy. However, Falvey wants to make sure you use the Library’s great services and resources to ensure a smooth academic semester. So, we created a “Falvey Fall Bucket List,” complete with some of the Library’s essentials for the new season.

We want you to meet with one of our incredible subject librarians to get research help for that upcoming paper. We also think you should utilize our excellent 24-hour study spaces. Even at 2 AM, we promise there are no scary jack-o’-lanterns, bats, or monsters roaming our halls. You can study alone, with classmates, or with friends during all hours of the day for those terrifying midterm exams.

You can get in the fall season spirit with pumpkin spice coffees and muffins in Holy Grounds. We even think you should get #spooky by venturing into the hallowed halls of Falvey West. Did you know there are study spaces there, too? You might even find a book or two.

(We swear that it’s not as scary down there as you think it is!)

If you complete any of the tasks on the Falvey Fall Bucket List, awesome! Take a picture and post it on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Tag the library’s account and use the hashtag #FalveyFallBucketList.

Don’t want to post it? That’s cool, too. Follow us on one of our social media platforms and send us the picture.

For every item on the bucket list you complete, you’ll be entered in to win a $20 gift card to the bookstore!

Good luck!

Daniella Snyder, our Graduate Assistant in the Communication & Marketing Department, loves fall. She’s most excited for her fall break road trip to Acadia National Park in Maine.

Please join us for the Falvey Brown Bag Lunch Series. Sessions will begin at 12:00 p.m. in Falvey’s room 205.

Text Analysis 101 (Tuesday, Sept. 24)

Analyzing textual data with computational tools can aid in both reading and interpretation, allowing us to discover patterns and trends across large volumes of text. Come learn more about text analysis and introductory software for text and data mining like AntConc and Voyant Tools. Session will be led by Librarian Erica Hayes.

Measures of Impact (Wednesday, Sept. 25)

Learn about impact factors, fake impact factors, other citation measures, and altmetrics. (Also offered Oct. 29). Session will be led by Librarians Deborah Bishov and Alfred Fry.

Affordable Materials Project @ Villanova University (Wednesday, Oct. 2)

Join us for a discussion about library supported (licensed books and articles, copyright “fair use”, course reserves and OER) and bookstore offered (early adoption, Follett Discover, course packs) mechanisms for keeping a check on the cost of course materials. Session will be led by Librarian Linda Hauck and Bernadette Mania, Villanova Bookstore Course Materials Manager. Preregistration required: https://bit.ly/2jZS1ae

You may also join this session remotely via Zoom: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/496692906

Capturing the Web: Introduction to Web Archiving (Thursday, Oct. 3)

Get a foundational view of web archiving and learn ways to leverage the Wayback Machine and other web preservation tools in your scholarship and teaching. Session will be led by Archivist Beaudry Allen.

Data Visualization with Tableau (Wednesday, Oct. 16, Griffin Room, 10:00 a.m.)

What makes a good data visualization? In this session, we will discuss how to tell a compelling story using effective visual elements. We will also provide a gentle introduction to using Tableau Desktop Public, a free software that allows individuals to publish interactive data visualizations on the web. Session will be led by Librarian Erica Hayes.

Open Educational Resources (Wednesday, Oct. 23) 

Open Educational Resources (OER) can reduce textbook costs for students and push publishers to reconsider their textbook publishing models. If you are not entirely satisfied with the textbook you are using and are interested in learning about options, this workshop is for you! Session will be led by Librarians Linda Hauck and Sarah Hughes. Preregistration required: https://bit.ly/2kyNg7O

You may also join this session remotely via Zoom: https://villanova.zoom.us/j/887238686

The 2020 Census (Wednesday, Oct. 23, Speakers’ Corner, 4:00 p.m.)

Expert panel with Camille Burge, Political Science; Judith Giesberg, History; Rory Kramer, Sociology and Criminology; and Stephen Strader, Geography and the Environment. Ahead of Census 2020, coming up this spring, faculty experts will provide context and insight into the history of the Census, its use in research and policy-making, and issues particular to this upcoming Census. Session will be led by Librarians Deborah Bishov and Merrill Stein.

Measures of Impact (Tuesday, Oct. 29)

Learn about impact factors, fake impact factors, other citation measures, and altmetrics. Session will be led by Librarians Deborah Bishov and Alfred Fry.

Storytelling and GIS (Wednesday, Oct. 30)

While maps have been around for centuries, the digital age has given them new meaning. GIS software offers users the potential to visualize, analyze, and tell spatial stories. Learn more about GIS and the many online mapping platforms out there, including Esri Story Maps, Social Explorer, and StoryMapJS. Session will be led by Librarians Deborah Bishov and Erica Hayes.

Chicago-Style Resource Formatting and Management: Best Practices and Recent Updates (Wednesday, Nov. 6)

Learn about changes proposed in the 17th edition, best practices and tools to manage sources, and how to navigate the content-rich CMOS online platform. Session will be led by Librarian Jutta Seibert.

Staying Alert: Tracking New Books and Publications in Your Field (Thursday, Nov. 7) 

Let your inbox be your watchdog and get notified of new publications on your interests or new citations of your work. Session will be led by Librarians Sarah Hughes and Susan Turkel.

Citation Wrangling (Tuesday, Nov. 12)

Serious research projects call for no-nonsense tools for taming citations. Learn how to use Zotero and Mendeley to save, organize and share references. Session will be led by Librarians Nik Fogle and Alfred Fry.

Introduction to Data Management (Wednesday, Nov. 13)

Learn about data management plans and best practices. Session will be led by Librarian Alfred Fry.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Memorial Library.