Schurz Library--We're Here to Help Students Succeed

 

The Schurz Library is open more staffed hours than any other building on campus. We are a place where students can get help with their research and technology needs (we've had a 40% increase in research consultations and a 95% increase in library instruction sessions since last year). We provide a convenient, comfortable, and safe place to study and collaborate with peers (study room reservations have increased 25% since last year), and starting this fall with our Schurz Speaker Series Student Research Spotlight and Tiny Shelves Concert Series, a place where students can share their talents with others.

 

This two-part newsletter series celebrates students at our library. This issue focuses on student uses of the library, while next week's issue will feature student workers, past and present.

 

We're always looking for new ways to meet student needs. Have a suggestion? Please contact Dean Vicki Bloom at vdbloom@iusb.edu.  

New Student Uses of the Library

 

Students in Alessandra Sulpy's drawing class sketching in the Schurz Library's 5th Floor Atrium as part of class assignment. (photo by Vicki Bloom)

Dean Vicki Bloom (left) awarding the 2014 Library Prize for Undergraduate Research to Lexi Millard (center). Millard will be presenting her paper at the Nov. 11 Schurz Library Speaker Series. Also pictured, English professor Jake Mattox. (photo by Julie Elliott)

Schurz Library Speaker Series: Student Research Spotlight: Lexi Millard
2014 Library Prize winner to present her paper, "'The Long Misery' - Troubled Masculinity in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome."

By Julie Elliott

Please join us Tuesday, November 11 at 5 p.m. in the Schurz Library's fifth floor atrium for IU South Bend senior Lexi Millard's presentation of her Library Prize-winning project, "'The Long Misery' - Troubled Masculinity in Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome." Light refreshments will follow. 

 

Millard's paper explores Wharton's critique of early 20th century discourses on masculinity in the novel Ethan Frome, and how these discourses impacted the narrative of the title character. Using a mixture of literary criticism, theoretical texts, and historical material, Millard's sophisticated use of library materials created an exceptional paper.  

 

Millard, a senior majoring in English, is a SMART research grant award winner whose recent work includes a study of queer and black identity in 19th century United States. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school to pursue a PhD in literature.

 

The Schurz Library Speaker Series features IU South Bend student and faculty research. It is free and open to the public.     

 

Questions about this event? Please contact Julie Elliott at 520-4410 or jmfelli@iusb.edu.  


While many IU South Bend students frequent the Library for a place to study, many argue that Junior Jared LaRue is here the most often. By his estimate, he's here most hours the library is open. (photo by Julie Johnson)
 
Student Spotlight: Look Familiar? Jared LaRue considers the Library a second home

Junior biochemistry major can be found studying in the library most hours we're open

 

By Julie Elliott

It has been suggested by library faculty and staff that Jared LaRue spends more time in the Library than any other student at IU South Bend. While we cannot verify this, we did get a chance to chat with LaRue about what he likes best about the Schurz Library and IU South Bend.

  

What he likes best about the Schurz Library:

 

The people. "The workers, faculty, and students all just make the library a nice, comfortable, and relaxing place to be.  I really like the atmosphere that everyone provides because it makes studying just a little more bearable."

Why the Library?

"I enjoy studying at the library because normally, that is where I'm able to find other people studying.  It helps to have others there that can collaborate and help until we can get problems figured out."

What do you like best about IU South Bend?

"I appreciate the personable experience here at IU South Bend.  For the most part, IU South Bend has some wonderful teachers, some of whom even collaborate over at Notre Dame.  That should say something of how great our teachers are.  I love the fact that we have these awesome teachers that are at a somewhat smaller campus which allows students to have a very personable experience with their professors.  Not many other places in the nation, let alone the state, have that luxury of having professors with whom they are able to have such a connection with.  It really is a great school to get a good education while making some great connections."

 

IU South Bend student Alyssa Neece (right) performs in 
Von Strantz's Tiny Shelves concert on September 11. The concert series is part of a Vision 20/20 grant project that features monthly 5-song acoustic concerts by student bands and performers. (photo by Joe Haase)

Tiny Shelves Concert Series Features Student Performers 
Vision 20/20 grant project aims to increase student extracurricular interaction with the Library and University   

By Julie Elliott

 

The 2014-2015 Tiny Shelves Concert Series is underway, with previous performances by Von Strantz and The Tides. Their performances are available for viewing on the Schurz Library's YouTube channel. Held in the Library's fifth floor atrium, upcoming concerts feature student bands Half Fiction (November 13, 12:30 p.m.) and The Giden Sisters (December 11, 12:30 p.m.) to be held in the Library's fifth floor atrium. 

 

Modeled after NPR's Tiny Desks concert series, these concerts feature mostly acoustic 5-song concerts by IU South Bend performers and bands. 

 

The concerts have been made possible by a Vision 20/20 grant by Schurz Librarians Craig Finlay and Julie Elliott, Joel Langston in Information Technologies and Scott Strittmatter in Student Life.  The goals for the concerts are to increase a sense of campus community among students, increase the use of the Library's and campus' social media sites (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter), and to visibly promote creative extracurricular student interaction with the university.

 

Performers at the Tiny Shelves Concerts will also be invited to perform at the 2015 RiverFest. We are currently completing our spring roster of performers. At least one member of any group should be a student at IU South Bend. Students interested in performing should contact Craig Finlay at scfinlay@iusb.edu.  

 


 


Giving to the Library
Donations help with collections, student scholarships, digitization, and more   

Please consider a gift to the Franklin D. Schurz Library. 


The faculty and staff of the Franklin D. Schurz Library take great pride in the resources and services we offer to meet our mission. We can only maintain this high quality through the additional support from individuals and organizations like you. Please visit https://www.iusb.edu/library/about/donation.php to learn more about how to donate to the library. 

  

Interested in collections? Select the Franklin D. Schurz Library Fund (32RR04205), Schurz Library Endowment (37RR04279), and/or Wiekamp Educational Resource Commons Fund (32RR04CT1).  

 

Interested in scholarships? Select the Endowed Russo Library Worker Scholarship (37RR04782) and/or the Franklin D. Schurz Library Fund, which supports the Library Prize for Undergraduate

Research

 

Interested in digitization? Select the Franklin D. Schurz Library Fund.

 

Tax Advantages: Gifts to Indiana University are deductible as charitable contributions within the limits of the Internal Revenue Code. Indiana taxpayers are eligible for a 50% tax credit for gifts up to $400 on joint returns, or $200 on individual returns.

For questions, contact: Vicki Bloom, Dean of Library Services at (574) 520-4448 or Dina Harris, Director of Development at (574) 520-4131.

 

Franklin D. Schurz Library
Vicki Bloom, Dean of Library Services
vdbloom@iusb.edu
Julie Elliott, Library Newsletter Editor
jmfelli@iusb.edu
Stay Connected
For more news, visit:
Like us on Facebook   Follow me on Twitter
"Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one."