“I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He’ll see the day of glory
See the day when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again”

—”Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy” by David Bowie and Bing Crosby

For those who want to reflect on how to bring peace to earth, consider reading Pope John XXIII’s encyclical letter in Falvey’s Memorial Library’s holdings.

By Daniella Snyder

Hey Wildcats, looking for something fun to do today and over your long Memorial Day Weekend?

You can get all the summer vibes from Falvey’s summer word search. I recommend you print it, take it outside, and find all the words while sitting underneath the sun while drinking a glass of lemonade. (Hammock optional, but highly recommended!)

Daniella Snyder is a former graduate assistant at Falvey Memorial Library.

By Daniella Snyder

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

Hello, Wildcats!

For the last two years, it has been a pleasure to serve as Falvey Memorial Library’s ‘Cat in the Stacks. I’ve shared stories, books, and studying tips. I’ve discussed finals stress, the fantastic productions put on in Vasey Theatre, and I’ve researched important holidays, such as Women’s History Month and Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I’ve certainly learned a lot, and I hope you have, too!

For my last blog post, I thought I’d take some time to share my gratitude for some of the many people who have made my time at Falvey Memorial Library so special.

To the Holy Grounds employees: Thank you for always serving me the midday black coffee and sugary donut! My productivity during my usual 1-2 p.m. slump can be attributed to you!

To the subject librarians: Thank you for being available to talk, give advice, or listen. I will miss our regular conversations about Matt LeBlanc and The Golden Compass, and I will definitely miss your warm and helpful emails.

To the IT department: It was a delight to sit near you all. Thank you for your patience while I talked about The Bachelor all Tuesday morning, and thank you for not laughing at me every time I had a minor computer problem.

To Kayla at the front desk: Catching your infectious positivity at the front desk was a great way to start my work shift. I know we’ll both be leaving the library, but I hope to see you again soon!

To Allie, Annabelle, Kelly, and the rest of the student staff: You ladies are superstars, and I will miss you immensely. I know you only spent a small portion of your Villanova experience with me, but you all made 100% of my Villanova experience what it was. Never hesitate to call or text me. Promise you won’t like the next grad assistant more than you like me?

To Nate: You’re the Dwight to my Jim. I know you wouldn’t like it if I wrote anything emotional or corny, so I’ll just say you’ve been a great co-worker, and I’m sure we’ll see each other soon.

To Shawn: You’ve been a great writing mentor for my last year in the office, and I’m sure you’ll be the same for the next set of GAs. Your big ideas are great, and I can’t wait to see a Tiny Front Desk Concert soon.

To Kallie: I will miss you, your spunk, and your Monday morning affirmations. You’ve been a fantastic mentor, and I’ve always appreciated your advice, whether it was about school, work, or life.

To Gina: You are a superhero, and I don’t know where any of us would be without you. You inspire me to always see the glass half full and to see the good in everything. I will miss you!

To Joanne: Thank you for your guidance throughout these last two years, and thank you for allowing our big ideas to come to life, like creating a podcast or recording the GlobalSmackDown. You were a great mentor, and I can only hope that my next supervisor will be as great as you!

Signing off,

Daniella

Daniella is a graduate student in the English department and a (former) graduate assistant for Falvey Memorial Library.

By Daniella Snyder

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

Wildcats, this will sound nerdy, but one of my favorite parts of the summer is crafting a list of the books I plan to read over the next few months. Like a good playlist, my summer reading list must have a combination of different genres. It needs something academic, something funny, and I always add something that I should’ve read by now, but haven’t. I think you can tell a lot about a person by what books they read, so I thought I’d share this summer’s reading list.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Even though I know that Vonnegut’s a famous author, and Slaughterhouse-Five is a classic novel, I’ve never actually read it, and I’m pretty late to the Vonnegut game. I started reading his novels in college, but have only read two or three of his works. Slaughterhouse-Five is like, the Shawshank Redemption of books. Everyone’s read it, so I should too.

I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawing, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff by Abbi Jacobson

Abbi Jacobson is a comedic genius. If you’ve seen Broad City, you know what I mean. With this book, I think I’ll be LQTM (laughing quietly to myself) at the beach, at the park, and on the train.

Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby

I was supposed to hear Samantha Irby read at the Free Library of Philadelphia in April, but reading her newest collection of essays will make up for the missed experience. Irby’s writing is biting and hysterical. I’d recommend this one to any of your funny friends.

How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

//I don’t really like self-help books, but I think this is different. Odell writes a book that helps us think about efficiency and attention in a new way.

Life of the Party by Olivia Gatwood

I had to have at least one poetry collection on the list, and Olivia Gatwood is so cool. Seriously, though. I stalk her on Instagram, and think she’s so rad. So, I have to imagine that her poetry will be relatable, interesting, and bold.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid

This has been a highly-anticipated book of 2020, and I don’t know much about it, other than my friends have read it and liked it, so I should read it, too.

The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I took a Fitzgerald course in college, and I still never managed to read this novel. Since Gatsby is still one of my favorite books of all time (basic, I know) I think it’s only right that I read the rest of the Fitzgerald canon.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Honestly, how haven’t I read this book yet? It was named a top book of the last decade. Decade! Enough said.

Playing to the Gallery: Helping Contemporary Art in its Struggle to Be Understood by Grayson Perry

If you’ve known me for 15+ minutes, you would know that I studied art history in college, because I somehow incorporate that fact into every conversation I’ve ever had. This book has been on my list for a while.

Daniella Snyder is a former graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library. This week, she’s reading The Upside of Being Down by Jen Gotch.

Image courtesy of Pixabay via pexels.com

By Susan Turkel

Have you seen announcements for Falvey Brown Bags, but found that you couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts? No worries—we will bring the brown bag to you!

Library Workshops and Presentations request form

The librarians at Falvey invite you to request a workshop on journal publishing, data visualization, citation management, fair use, or any of a host of other topics. Check out our offerings, or suggest a topic of your own!

Our “on demand” workshops can be customized to your needs. The time and place are flexible as well: we can host the workshop at the library, or we can bring the show on the road and meet with your group at your location on campus.

We’re happy to present to your lab group, your class, or a gathering of your colleagues.

Of course, our subject librarians are also happy to present a course-related information literacy instruction session; fill out this form or reach out to your librarian directly.

We look forward to working with you!

Susan Turkel, MA, MLS, is a Social Sciences Librarian at Falvey Memorial Library.

By Daniella Snyder

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

Hey, Wildcats, big things are happening next week in Falvey for Black History Month.

On Tuesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., join members of the Villanova community in Speakers’ Corner for the African American Read-In. We’ll be listening to and reading cherished texts aloud. Falvey will have materials available to read, from poetry to scientific papers, but you should feel free to bring your own book.

The Read-In is sponsored by the Department of Education and Counseling; Falvey Memorial Library; the Department of English; the Department of Communication; the Gender and Women’s Studies Program and CLAS Diversity; and the Equity and Inclusion Committee. The African American Read-In is affiliated with the National Council of Teachers of English and Villanova University’s Black History Month.

Here at Falvey, we’ve been gathering library goers’ favorite books by authors of color. Here are some of the more popular recommendations that are available in our stacks:

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

In Toni Morrison’s first novel, published in 1970, she tells the story of Pecola Breedlove growing up during the years following the Great Depression. Morrison, a Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, was (and still is) an American literary genius and hero.

The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin

James Baldwin wrote this nonfiction book in 1963. It contains two essays, each of them relating to the role of race in the United States and religion. Along with essays, Baldwin also wrote fiction and plays, and his writing addresses the intersections of race and masculinity, sexuality, spirituality, and class.

Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde, feminist icon, composed a collection of essays and speeches dating from 1976 to 1984, and speaks to her identity as a black woman, lesbian, and mother. The essays in this collection are considered landmark works that have inspired decades of third and fourth-wave feminist thought.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Coates drew from his own life growing up in Baltimore to write this nonfiction book in 2015 . Inspired by the structure of Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, Coates wrote the book in the form of a letter to his teenage son in an attempt to explain to him the racist violence that has become woven into American culture. It was named one of the best books of the decade in The New York Times.

What will you be reading for the African American Read-In? Tell us @villanovalibrary on Instagram or tweet us @falveylibrary!

Daniella Snyder, graduate assistant in the Communication & Marketing Department, recommends reading [insert] boy by Danez Smith for Black History Month.

Photo by Michael on Unsplash.

BY MERRILL STEIN 

Did you know? HeinOnline, a robust legal database, now offers a new collection: U.S. Presidential Impeachment Library.

The collection, organized based on the four affected Presidents, brings together a variety of documents, both contemporaneous and asynchronous to each President’s impeachment. It presents a snapshot of the political climate as each impeachment played out as well as the long view history has taken of each proceeding.

Accessible from the Falvey Library homepage. 

Subscription is courtesy of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law.

Merrill Stein is Political Science Librarian 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 books, to research, to study habits and everything in between–and how the Falvey Library can play a large role in your success here on campus!

Wildcats, it’s the Final(s) Countdown. *cue rock song*

Falvey believes that paying attention to your mental health becomes increasingly more important during these few weeks, which is why we are hosting a bunch of stress relief events in order to help you stay happy and healthy.

Mark your calendar with these:

Thursday, Dec. 12, 1-3 PM, Holy Grounds: Vinyls for Finals

That’s right, we’re back with Falvey’s famous semi-annual stress bustin’ event. This year’s event will feature a soundtrack from vinyl records, pizza, and games!

Thursday, Dec. 12, 4-6 PM, Speakers’ Corner: Stress-Relief Scrapbooking

Come take a break from finals stress and create a scrapbook with your own photos and art supplies, provided by the yearbook/CAT.

Friday, Dec. 13, 12-2 PM, Room 205: Happy Healthy Hours/Pals for Life

You know the deal. Therapy. Dogs. Cuddles.

Beyond hosting these events, we want to make you that you know how to cope with stress on your own, especially during hard times. Follow our list of advice to make your finals a little more manageable.

1. 1. Plan, plan, plan. Research has made it clear that stress can be managed through planning. Make daily and weekly to-do lists, set reminders on your phone, or use a handy paper planner. Personally, I make every large assignment due date as the first “event” in my Outlook calendar, so when I wake up in the morning and look at my schedule, I know exactly what’s due that day.
   2. Meditate. It’s obvious that meditation has incredible health benefits including clarity of mind, reduced anxiety, and minimal stress. Can’t sit still that long by yourself? Use the app Headspace (free to download!) to guide you through 5, 10, and 15-minute meditation sessions.
   3. OHIO. No, not the state. It stands for “Only handle it once.” Don’t think it’s a big deal if you let that email sit for a few days? Wrong. Having a million tasks– even if they’re small– is like having a million mental tabs open. If you remember that you haven’t spoken to your family in 2 weeks, don’t put it on the ever-expanding to-do list. Only handle it once…meaning, just do it immediately. Keeping a short list of things to do will reduce your stress in the long run.
   4. Positive affirmations. Instead of just checking things off a to-do list, people can often find it beneficial to write an “I’ve Done” list. Write a list of things you accomplished that day, along with things you did really well. Even if it’s a small task (like taking out the garbage) reminding yourself of your accomplishments can have seriously positive effects!
   5. Spend time with friends. Isolating yourself is guaranteed to amplify all negative and stressful emotions you have during exams week. Eat with people, study with people, get coffee with people. Do not (I repeat: do NOT) lock yourself up in your room or apartment alone. You need your people, especially when things get tough.
   6. Sleep, eat, and shower. While this seems obvious, students often fail to prioritize basic human necessities during stressful academic weeks. Please…take care of yourself. Sleep 7-8 hours a night, drink your water, eat food, and shower. Your body and mind will thank you when this is all over.
   7. Seek counseling. If you feel like college always makes you finals-level stressed, you might want to consider talking to a professional about more effective and long-term ways to manage stress or anxiety. Visit the Counseling Center’s website here.
   
   
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The Villanova community now also has access to many journals that were previously unavailable. Falvey Library recently acquired three large collections from Taylor and Francis.

Previously, the library subscribed to fewer than 200 Taylor and Francis journals. But now, Villanovans have access to the complete Social Science and Humanities Library (~1,400 titles), the Science and Technology Library (~500 titles), and the Medical Library (~190 titles).  These collections contain articles published since 1997.

Alfred Fry is Science & Engineering Librarian at Falvey 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.