By Shawn Proctor and Migena Rrapushaj

Patrons who access Falvey Library remotely now have the option of connecting with live assistance via the website’s live library chat.

Librarians are available to assist with various reference questions students and faculty may have, such as research help and finding resources in our databases. Begin a chat by clicking the “Ask Us: Live Chat” button on the bottom right and top right of Falvey’s website.

Similarly, Access Services staff can assist with questions about circulation of Library materials, access to the Library, Interlibrary Loans, Library user accounts, and more. Staff can be contacted directly on pages relevant to Access Services (for example, the “Borrow from Falvey Library” page) by typing a message in any of the chat boxes that are visible.

Live chat assistance is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., on most weeks during the semester.

This service will be a help to patrons, helping them navigate the Library’s robust resources and databases from on campus or around the world!

Shawn Proctor, MFA, is Communication and Marketing Program Manager, and Migena Rrapushaj is Access and Collections Specialist at Falvey Library.

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.

Click above for Falvey’s Frequently Asked Question page.

By Shawn Proctor

• Where can I study in the Library?
• When are my books due back?
• How do I request a book from the collection?
• How do I set up a meeting with a librarian?

Happy first day of the new semester, Wildcats! When you visit the Library, you will notice that we’ve updated our look for the spring, adding new study spaces on the first floor. We also made tweaks to services, based on your needs.

So be sure to stop by Falvey’s fabulous FAQ page early and often so you can take full advantage of all the Library has to offer, including online events, digital resources, and, of course, books!

Shawn Proctor, MFA, Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library, is super excited the students are back!

Falvey Memorial Library inspires students to challenge their minds and hearts by accessing expansive print, digital, and archival resources and collaborating with expert subject librarians and staff.

That is why we are asking you to consider supporting the Library this Giving Tuesday.

Make a gift of $25 or more through this link and you will receive Villanova’s 2019 Christmas ornament as a thank you. Be sure to restrict your gift to Falvey through this link by selecting the “other” option in the drop down of designations.

The University is recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education as a top producer of Fulbright Scholars, and the Library is a critical component of student and faculty research and scholarship.  In 2013, the Association of College and Research Libraries honored the Library with the Excellence in Academic Libraries Award for its outstanding accomplishments in furthering Villanova’s  educational mission – yet there remains opportunities for Falvey to do more in support of Villanova’s student-scholars.

Help the Library this Giving Tuesday to continue to evolve to meet the needs of modern students, acting as the campus’ academic and intellectual hub and a point of alumni pride.

Falvey Memorial Library by the Numbers:
Falvey teems with students seeking study space, essential resources and librarians to guide their research and studies.  But did you know just how much support the Library provides students and faculty?

In 2017-18 academic year:

• Students, faculty, and community members visited the Library approximately 600,000 times.
• The collection was used over 1 million times, including 370,000 digital chapters and 630,000 journal articles.
• Librarian staff provided more than 2,300 annual in-person and online consultations.
• The Library hosted more than 900 academic and social events.

Falvey Memorial Library has never been more essential to the campus community, providing resources vital to student and faculty academic and research success.

Give to support the Library today!