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Birthday Celebration for Father Falvey

Image part of “Villanova’s Library: Revisiting its Past, Envisioning its Future” exhibit, courtesy of Falvey’s Distinctive Collections

By Shawn Proctor

Happy birthday to the Rev. Daniel P. Falvey, OSA, for whom Villanova’s Library is named.

It is fitting tribute to Father Falvey to celebrate his life through the words of the Very Rev. Ralph V. Shuhler, OSA, then Assistant General, on the occasion of the library’s naming and rededication as Falvey Memorial Library on May 5, 1963.

“This library, which is the center of the intellectual life of the University, might well be called his child. He began his life’s work as an Augustinian priest in the Villanova Library as its custodian; and for twenty-five years it was the center of his unremitting care. …his counsel and designs were seen everywhere to make that building as modern and as functional as any library in the country today….

Father Falvey was not content to leave this Library a monument to the imposing campus of Villanova University. He wished to make it the source of intellectual endeavor both for the University students and for the community at large…..But far more important to the Friends of the Library were the human qualities that endeared him to all.”

Learn more about Father Falvey’s life here: https://library.villanova.edu/about-falvey/overview

 


Shawn Proctor Head shot

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

 

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Curious Cat Talks Banned Book Week: What Book Had the Biggest Impact on You?

By Shawn Proctor, Annie Stockmal, Rebecca Amrick, and Jadyn Piotrowski

"Curious Cat Banner"

 

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! Curious Cat is thinking about challenged books in honor of Banned Book Week. So we asked Falvey patrons about the books that meant the most of them, since often those are the ones most frequently challenged.

Learn more about Banned Books Week: https://blog.library.villanova.edu/2023/10/03/dig-deeper-banned-books-week/

And consider which book had the biggest impact on you as well!

 

Riley Murray curious cat

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
Riley Murray CLAS ’25

 

Kayla Waples curious cat

Wonder by R.J. Palacio.”
-Kayla Waples CON ’27

 

Anna Kate Cooper curious cat

“The Great Gatsby.”
Anna Kate Cooper CLAS ’26

 


Shawn Proctor Head shot

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

 

 

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library. 

 

 

 

Rebecca AmrickRebecca Amrick is a first-year graduate student in the English Department and a Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

 

 

 

Jadyn Piotrowski ’26 VSB is a Communication & Marketing Student Assistant at Falvey Library.


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Curious Cat Asks: How Do You Beat Stress?

 

By Shawn Proctor, Annie Stockmal, Rebecca Amrick, and Jadyn Piotrowski

"Curious Cat Banner"

 

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! Curious Cat is back and ready to help you take on this semester! This week’s question is “What is your top way to beat stress?”

We asked a few of Falvey’s favorite patrons what they think, and here’s what they said. Maybe give one of their ideas a try when you’re feeling overwhelmed!

 

Matthew Shannon curious cat

“Talking to my parents/friends.”
-Matthew Shannon CLAS ’27

 

David Sung curious cat

“Gym or taking a nap.”
-David Sung VSB ’27

 

curious cat Nicholas Beyer

“Listen to music.”
-Nicholas Beyer CLAS ’26

 


Shawn Proctor Head shot

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

 

 

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library. 

 

 

 

Rebecca AmrickRebecca Amrick is a first-year graduate student in the English Department and a Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

 

 

 

Jadyn Piotrowski ’26 VSB is a Communication & Marketing Student Assistant at Falvey Library.

 

 


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Curious Cat: National Library Week

By Anna Jankowski, Ethan Shea, and Annie Stockmal

"Curious Cat Banner"

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! This installment of the Curious Cat is especially important because it’s National Library Week! To celebrate the occasion, we asked some Falvey patrons why they love the Library. Keep reading to see the responses we received, and be sure to watch the accompanying Reel on Instagram!

"Curious Cat 4/26 (1)"

“I love old book stacks. I just love walking into random parts of the Library and sifting through old books that smell old. It’s really weird, but there’s so many little things you can find that are so interesting.”

— Satrant Bains ’25

“I’d say overall it’s just the atmosphere. I usually like to come and just sit and do some work.”

— Aliana Rojas ’25

"Curious Cat 4/26 (2)"

“My favorite part of the Library is the Reading Room. I just really like how it’s always bright in there, and I work best in the quiet.”

— Maddie McClay ’23

“I like Holy Grounds because I feel like I need a little stimulation when I’m doing my work.”

— Ashley Mulhare ’23

"Curious Cat 4/26 (3)"

“I like coming and people watching and doing work.”

— Christian Badalamenti ’24

“I’d say my favorite part is this room in particular [Falvey 205].”

— Mac Clark ’24

“My favorite part of the Library is the Reading Room with all of its windows. Sometimes I can watch the sunset there.”

— Julia Barclay ’25

“I agree with the Reading Room, and to elaborate on that, I like the peace and quiet.”

— Peter McSherey ’25


Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

 

 

 

 

Headshot of Ethan SheaEthan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

 

 

 

 

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library. 


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Cat in the Stax: Boaty McBoatface

By Ethan Shea

"RRS Sir David Attenborough"

Image: The Natural Environment Research Council

You may have heard of the saying “jump the shark.” The phrase is used to describe a form of entertainment that starts incorporating gimmicky and ridiculous events, indicating a decline in quality.

This idiom was coined in 1985 as a response to Fonzie, in a 1977 episode of Happy Days, jumping over a shark while on water-skis. A far-fetched event that indicated a drop in the show’s quality.

This sort of pop culture generated phrase only seems to come around every once in a while, but they’re still being coined today. One of my favorites is the phenomenon of “McBoatfacing.”

McBoatfacing is defined as making the mistake of letting the internet or general public decide something. This phrase derived from a 2016 online contest the British government hosted to name a research boat.

The name received 124,109 votes, handily winning the competition. It was described as a homage to Hooty McOwlface, an owl named through similar circumstances in 2012 which became a popular internet meme.

"2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400 Logo"

Image: NASCAR

Similar naming contests have been McBoatfaced since, such as the naming of a horse in Sydney, Australia (Horsey McHorseface), a Busch Beer sponsored NASCAR race (2021 Buschy McBusch Race 400), and a SpaceX satellite terminal (Dishy McFlatface).

Unfortunately, despite winning the vote, the research vessel was not named Boaty McBoatface. Rather, the boat is now known as the RRS Sir David Attenborough. To appease the masses, one of the boat’s deployable submersibles was named Boaty McBoatface.

Here at Falvey, we love hearing about the ways in which language continues to evolve during the age of the internet. Who knows what the next big turn of phrase will be?

If you’re looking to spice up your vocabulary, check out our collection of thesauruses in the stacks!


Headshot of Ethan SheaEthan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.


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Curious Cat: Your Starring Role!

By Anna Jankowski, Ethan Shea and Annie Stockmal

"Curious Cat Banner"

Happy Thursday, Wildcats! Welcome to another installment of the Curious Cat! This week’s question is “Who would you like to play yourself in a movie?” Your answer can be a celebrity look-alike or just someone who would capture your energy. We asked a few Falvey patrons what they think, and here are the answers we received:

“Julia Roberts.”

— Tierney Schiff ’23

“Elizabeth Olsen.”

— Bridget Caste ’23

“Miley Cyrus.”

— Caroline Kane ’23

“Emma Watson.”

— Reilly Graney ’23

“I would say Jennifer Lawrence.”

— Michelle Diamandi ’23

“Lady Gaga just because she can do everything, and I think she is one of the best performers out there.”

— Marina Passero ’23

“Selena Gomez because I really relate to her character Alex Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place.”

— Emily Weingold ’23

“Young Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap because everyone’s been saying I look like her recently.”

— Fiona Kelley ’23

“Eli Manning because I’ve been told I look a lot like him, but also Jake Gyllenhaal because he’s really intense.”

— Kevin Heist ’23


Anna JankowskiAnna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Senior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

 

 

 

 

Headshot of Ethan SheaEthan Shea is a second-year graduate student in the English Department and Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

 

 

 

 

Annie Stockmal is a graduate student in the Communication Department and Graduate Assistant in Falvey Library. 


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Ash Wednesday Heralds Lent, A Time of Reflection

The image depicts St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church’s Ashes to Go station on Ash Wednesday in 2017 that was positioned at w:Mizner Park in Florida. Fr. Andrew Sherman and Fr. Craig Burlington are pictured distributing ashes to people in Boca Raton, Florida. This picture was clicked on March 1, 2017.

By Shawn Proctor

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and penance that prepares for and signals the coming of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus. It celebrates the redemption of all people made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice.

For many Christians, Lent is a time to give up something, most often a vice like chocolate or even social media. Others fast or donate their meals to the less fortunate. But whether you cut out Hershey’s bars or posting on TikTok, the real goal is to devote more completely to faith and reflect on your connection to God.

“The purpose of Lent is to provide that purification by weaning all of humanity from sin and selfishness through self-denial and prayer, by creating in them the desire to do God’s will and to make His kingdom come by making it come first of all in their hearts.” (New Catholic Encyclopedia)

Each year since 2019, Villanova’s Office of Mission and Ministry has offered Lenten reflections written by faculty, staff, and students. These collections are personal glimpses into the University’s Augustinian Catholic community and inspiration for your own Lenten practice.

Additionally, Falvey Library has many relevant holdings, some of which are noted in stories already posted on the website.

In expanding on the theme of reading as a form of reflection, we add to these offerings Show me the way: Readings for each day of Lent by Henri J. M. Nouwen.  It traces his 40-day journey from solemn beginning to joyous Easter conclusion. The physical copy of the book is available in the stacks, can be reserved for Pick Up & Go, or requested for partial scanning.

 


""Shawn Proctor is Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Library.

 

 


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Research Consults for Data & Statistics

By Linda Hauck

One of the favorite parts of my job is to support students in their search for data and statistics. Some students needs are met by a quick search in Statista, a database that aggregates data and statistics on a wide range of topics or a smart google search employing filetype:xls or site:.gov. These quick solutions are satisfying, for sure, but the real fun happens when students need multiple datasets for data analysis, or a research methods project.

To help these students, I start the conversation by asking about their topic and how they envision using data. We talk about their ideal dataset keeping in mind how it might be generated, who is likely to collect the data, what frequency, granularity, time period, populations, and geographies are needed. If there is an agency or organization that is obviously most likely to compile the idea dataset, it makes sense to start there. If not, doing a scholarly literature review and focusing on the data or methods section of papers will point to potential sources.

This data exploration process can be time consuming but fun!

Grace Liu, Business Librarian at West Chester University, with the advice of Bobray Bordelon, Economics & Finance Librarian/Data Services Librarian at Princeton University distilled the process in this neat infographic.


Linda Hauck, MLS, MBA is Business Librarian at Falvey Library.


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Welcome to Falvey: Iliana Chaleva Joins Resource Management & Description

Iliana Chaleva

Lia Chaleva, Acquisitions & Licensing Librarian. Photo by Kallie Stahl, Communication & Marketing Specialist.


Iliana “Lia” Chaleva recently joined Resource Management and Description as Acquisitions & Licensing Librarian. Resource Management & Description “builds and cultivates collections through acquisitions, licensing, description, discovery, and access to resources for Villanova scholars and community.”

Before joining the Falvey Library staff, Chaleva was the e-Resource Librarian at West Chester University. She also worked as an e-Resource Librarian at Bryn Mawr College for nearly 15 years. After coming across the job posting for Falvey Library, Chaleva knew she wanted to explore the opportunity at Villanova University. “I live on the Main Line and I’ve always had an affinity for Villanova’s campus. Especially these last few years, driving past and seeing all the progress that has been made. Its such an inviting place.”

Originally from Bulgaria, Chaleva earned her Master’s in Library & Information Science (LIS) from Rutgers University. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from the American University in Bulgaria. Her interest in LIS began when she worked at the European Union (EU) Information Center in Bulgaria after graduating from the American University in Bulgaria. “The space had a small library with documents about the EU, work stations, free brochures. I worked at the public information desk answering questions: It felt like I was working in a mini library. I became interested in learning how to effectively organize information. Rutgers University was a perfect fit for me. I was able to conduct research and work on a variety of library information projects while completing my degree.”

Chaleva compliments her colleagues when discussing her role as Acquisitions & Licensing Librarian. “I work with a wonderful team. We are always working to get access for all users. I am responsible for reviewing current contracts with publishers and ensuring those terms and conditions are favorable for the Villanova community. My role entails a lot of technical information, but ultimately those technicalities can benefit Falvey Library patrons. Acquiring new resources is a collaborative process. Everyone has input, and we all work together to ensure we are obtaining the best information from vendors.”

In her free time, Chaleva enjoys spending time with her family and watching her children’s sporting events. “My family and I like to be outside. We like to kayak, hike, and fish. (‘We catch the fish, but always put them back!)'” She enjoys reading and watching historical movies. Her reading recommendations for Falvey patrons: Antarctica by David Day, Pennsylvania Good Eats by Brian Yarvin, and True Crime Philadelphia by Kathryn Caravan.

Chaleva’s office is located on the second floor of Falvey Library, room 232. Email iliana.chaleva@villanova.edu; 610-519-4731.


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

 

 


 


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OER Faculty Adoption Award Forum

banner for OER Forum

The OER (Open Educational Resources) Faculty Adoption Award Forum, held virtually on March 9, highlighted the diverse and flexible nature of openly licensed course materials and shined a light on student’s preference for free digital materials.

Professor Jeanne Liedtka, JD, received the award to transition the Law of Contracts and Sales elective to using OER. Not a newcomer to OER, she had previously used OER in the popular Intellectual Property (IP) Law for Business course. Liedtka compared and contrasted both successful experiences. IP is a dynamic branch of law heavily dependent on case law.  A law school text, Boyle & Jenkins’ Intellectual Property:  Law and the Information Society: Cases and Materials, served as the backbone of the course.  Her undergraduate student’s weren’t phased by materials designed for law school students, but Liedtka did go the extra mile to supplement the text with articles centering business perspectives on IP issues and recent cases in the public domain.  Liedtka noted that contract law is less dynamic field, and she had well developed lectures notes that served as the core of the course, so Introduction to Contracts, Sales & Product Liabilitywritten for undergraduates, was a serviceable reference.  She encouraged faculty interested in exploring OER adoptions to contact their subject librarians who can map available OER to course outlines and syllabi.

Valentina DeNardis, PhD, shared her personal and professional reasons for adopting Dickinson College Commentaries, to the Classics course, Readings in Authors. As a first generation student herself, Dr. DeNardis recalled feeling overwhelmed by the cost of texts and being stressed when the edition of a text she needed to use far exceeded the price for alternatives. In a grad school class, where she met her husband, she had to purchase a very costly scholarly monograph that was never even used, so now they have two pristine copies in their home. From a teaching perspective, Dr. DeNardis noted that affordability isn’t the only reason to choose openly licensed materials. Digital is convenient, flexible, and accessible. Because classics studies require a wide range of very expensive materials including texts, dictionaries, grammar books, translations, and essays, the Commentaries supplemented with Library-subscribed content was ideal.  Dr. DeNardis built a Microsoft OneNote notebook to deliver the content and as a forum for student collaboration.

A panel of students spoke to the social and academic benefits that flowed from using OER. Olivia noted that the online platform was better for visual learners because it facilitated looking up maps, videos, and images. Lauren felt that digital materials made it easier to do translations, because she could easily toggle between dictionaries. Anna liked digital sticky notes, which are environmentally friendly! From a pocket book point of view, Valeria noted that in fields with rapidly evolving developments having a current text is important, but it is distressing that the resale value of commercial textbooks diminish fast due to constant updates. Tuition increases and expensive textbooks can make it hard for some students to stay in college. She felt that using OER allowed everyone to be in the conversation and made class debates fun.

When asked about their overall experience with college textbooks, Olivia recommended frequent and early alerts about required books because discounted books sell out fast and delays in shipping can cause students to fall behind in their work. It was a relief to Lauren to find out on the first day of class that she didn’t have to pay for any books. Valeria said “eliminating the economic barrier of buying books gets everyone involved..[which] helps professors and students.” She observed that students can be discouraged from taking a class or  minoring in a subject because of expensive materials, whereas free or low cost books promote exploration. One student asked if professors are required to assign textbooks, even when they don’t intend to rely on them heavily, and wished that they would let students know up front when that is the case.

Dr. DeNardis explained that she hopes the effort she made finding and using affordable materials will serve as a model for her peers. Liedtka explained that at VSB faculty teaching core courses are encouraged to use the same text to ensure a consistent student experience, and that faculty have the freedom to design the course around the textbook, sometimes using relying on it heavily or sometimes only as a reference.

The forum concluded with a discussion about how to advance the use of OER at Villanova. On the demand side, both Dr. DeNardis and Liedtka recommended awards and grants, faculty surveys, forums and programs, and library services. On the demand side, both suggested encouragement and support for Villanova faculty authoring OER. They observed that authoring OER ensures the availability of great content and noted that it would enhance University branding and raise the profile of programs.

The 2022-23 Faculty Adoption Grant is accepting applications.  Visit this site to apply.

A recording of the OER Faculty Adoption Award Forum is available.


Linda Hauck is the Business Librarian at Falvey Memorial Library and Affordable Materials Project member.

 


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Last Modified: April 19, 2022

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