Hey! Welcome back from Spring Break. I’ve just returned from sunny Florida myself. Upon my return to DC I was rudely greeted by 36 degree weather, which made me seriously reexamine why I got on the return flight. Then I remembered all of my faithful readers . . . So as promised:

Decoding Call Numbers

Books on the library shelves are organized by subject, this requires a complex system of letters and numbers called call numbers. Each book in the library is assigned a call number that denotes exactly where the item belongs. Call numbers are usually found on the spine of the book or the upper left side of the face of the book. Here are some tips for finding books in the stacks (that’s the cool library term for the shelves).

1. Books are shelved alphabetically (left to right) by the top letter or letters in the call number.
2. All books of the same top letter are arranged numerically by the number below.
3. All of the same number are arranged first alphabetically by the letter after the decimal point and then decimally by the number after the letter.
4. If another letter appears after the decimal number, it is also arranged first alphabetically within the previous number group and then decimally.
Here is a sample row:

B351.C3 / BC2.C3 / BC10.C3 / BC15.C3 / BC15.5.C3 / BC15.5.D331 / BC15.5.D4 / BC15.5.D4A1

Now, the most important thing to remember: When in doubt ask a library staff member!

Your friendly librarian,
Sarah

The GW Women’s Basketball team rocks our socks!

Last night they kicked the behinds of 4th-seeded Texas A&M (does that stand for Aim and Miss?), 59-47, to advance to the sweet 16. This is clearly awesome! I think they are going to win it all! Who is with me??

The next game will either be against North Carolina or Notre Dame and will be next Tuesday night. Go Colonials!

We’re glad you’re back from Spring Break (even if you aren’t glad to be back)! Here at Eckles it was quiet as could be. The staff just stared sullenly into the silence, counting the hours until our beloved students returned.

So spring has sprung and classes have resumed and you are back in that relentless march toward finals. You’re going to want to buckle down and hit the books and we’re here to help. Not only do we have books for you to hit, but we have expanded our hours even more!

From now until the end of the semester, Eckles Library will remain open until 9pm on Friday nights! Keep watching for even more expanded hours during finals.

What better finale could there be to Spring Break than a robust celebration of that most frolicsome of holidays - St. Patrick’s Day! Eckles will be CLOSED on Saturday, March 17th, so that the staff can be free to dye their hair green and River Dance around the fountain.

We hope you’ll be celebrating too, but please, PLEASE, I beg you, don’t do anything foolish! Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Stripes and plaid never go together - even if they are green and it is St. Paddy’s Day. Everyone has a camera on their cell phone these days and your friends will never let you forget this particular fashion faux pas.
• It is physically impossible to look “cool” while River Dancing. If Michael Flatley couldn’t do it with stage lights and fleet of stylists, you can’t do it either.
• A shillelagh is just a big stick. If someone offers to show theirs to you, you’re probably going to get beaten over the head.

Be safe! And we’ll see you all on Sunday (when Eckles is back to regular hours).

Sadly, the GW Men’s Basketball team was no match for the Ides of March…or Vanderbilt, for that matter. Our beloved Colonials lost 77-44 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament tonight.

BUT

I believe St. Patrick’s Day will be a much luckier day for GW! That is the day that our 5th seeded GW women are destined to dance a leprechaun jig all over Boise State in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. Go Colonials!

Congratulations! You’ve made it through papers and tests and endless reading…and now it is time to enjoy some Spring Break!

Here are a few Spring Break tips to keep you healthy and happy:

• Red skin does not look good with your red bathing suit - wear sunscreen!
• Only swim within sight of a really cute lifeguard. If you need to be saved, make sure you are saved by someone hot.
• When dancing on the beach, beware of sharp shells and bad music.

Just in case your Spring Break plans don’t involve sunscreen and lifeguards, Eckles Library is open for your enjoyment! Come and join us for the fun and excitement you can only find in an academic library during Spring Break!

Spring Break Hours:
Mon. - Fri., March 12-16 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sat., March 17 CLOSED

Congratulations to our Men’s Basketball team on their sock-rocking win over the University of Rhode Island to become the A-10 champions!

They are off to the big dance as an 11th seed! GW will face Vanderbilt on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Man’s Basketball Tournament in Sacramento, CA.

Go Colonials!

Throughout the month of March, Eckles is pleased to be hosting a display of The Clothesline Project.

The Clothesline Project (CLP) is a program started on Cape Cod, MA, in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. It is a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating a shirt. They then hang the shirt on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women.

Come to the first floor of Eckles Library anytime in March to see this powerful display. Don’t forget to check back here for more information as the month rolls along.

We know that you’re counting the hours until Spring Break and busy day dreaming about the warm sun and sandy beach…BUT there are still a few days of classes left. That means there are still a few days left of FREE COFFEE.

Just a reminder, Free Coffee hours are
Monday-Friday: 4pm - close
Saturday-Sunday: All day!

Free Coffee ends Friday, March 9th at 5pm, so get it while it’s hot!

Cryptic Terms in the Library World

The library is full of library lingo that can be difficult to decipher if you’re not a permanent resident of Library World. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll define and explain some of secret library code that is essential to a successful library experience.

CLS (Consortium Loan Service) - The consortium loan service allows patrons to request books from any one of GW’s eight partner schools in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), these include, American, Catholic, George Mason, Georgetown, Gallaudet, Marymount Trinity, and University of the District of Columbia. CLS gives you access to millions of books, so you should always find something on your topic. You can find out more information on how to use CLS here: http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/catalog/request.html

ILL (Inter Library Loan) - ILL is a service that allows you to access materials not available thorough any of the libraries in the consortium. If you are looking for a specific title and can’t find it in the ALADIN Catalog or any of the 250+ databases offered by GW, then you can submit an ILL request and the library staff will search the world over (literally the world) to find the resources you need. This service is free to GW students. You can find out how to place an ILL request here: http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/service/interlibrary/

Next time: Decoding Call Numbers and What’s Up with WRLC?
Have a great Spring Break!

Your reference librarian - Sarah