About Our Library

Celebrate National Library Week

About Our Library / By /

This week is National Library Week, a whole week of celebrating libraries. Drop in and see us. We’ll have a pop-up library at lunchtime on Monday showing off some of our favorite items. You can also join the fun all week long with our “Hue-Mongous” coloring event.

Libraries are great places to learn, relax, socialize, and work. They’re pretty interesting places too. Please enjoy a few fun facts about libraries.

*The largest library in the world is the Library of Congress. It has about 168 million items and 838 miles of bookshelves.

*Librarians used to have to learn a special writing system called Library Hand.

*A library in Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec sits atop the US/Canada border. A line runs right through the building where you can walk back and forth between the countries, no passport required.

*There are far more libraries in the US than there are McDonald’s.

*Attendance at library programs exceeds attendance at MLB, NFL, and NBA games combined.

*Some libraries lend some pretty surprising things like neckties, cake pans, fishing rods, tools, taxidermy, and seeds. You might be wondering how you can “borrow” seeds. You have to promise the replenish them when your crop comes in.

*There are some very specialized libraries such as a library of magic in New York City and a library of smells in Versailles, France.

*The facade of the Kansas City Public looks like giant books.

*Isaac Asimov published books in 9 of the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal System.

*Harvard Library has at least one book bound in human skin.

*And finally, the book that holds the record for the most stolen library book is …wait for it…The Guinness Book of World Records.

What To Read — After Class

About Our Library, In the Collection, Readers' Advisory / By /

Do you ever find yourself looking for something good to read that is not related to your studies, but just for fun? Check out the After Class collection in the library. The After Class collection is located on the main level, in the lounge area at the front of the library. Here you’ll find a mixture of current fiction and non-fiction books, many of them bestsellers. It’s a great place to browse when you’re just looking for something entertaining to read. Relax with your book in the library, or check it out with your MVCC ID card. A few titles from the current collection are shown above. To find out more about these titles, or to see all the books in the collection click here.

Finals Week in the Library

About Our Library, General Information, Student Resources / By /
Student asking librarian for help

With finals starting tomorrow, I wanted to wish you all good luck and remind you that the library is here to help.

Do you need a quiet place to study? The library is the perfect place for that. We have many different spaces to study in including a small silent study area on the first floor of the library (which is pretty quiet to begin with). If you prefer to study with a group, you can book one of our study rooms for up to 4 people. You can also book a virtual study room.

Do you need to review your textbook? We have many of the books used on campus; search the library textbook collection to see if we have what you need. Most check out for 3 hours.

Do you need help researching for your final paper? You can ask for help at the library information desk, or you can call, email, text, or chat with us on the Ask a Librarian page. Do you need help citing sources? The librarians can help you with that too, or you can use our citing sources guide.

Do you need to print a paper? The library has black and white printers (10-15 cents a page) and a color printer (50 cents a page). We also have a scanner if you need it.

Do you need to know when your finals are? You can check the final exam schedule.

When in doubt, Ask a Librarian!

Kid’s Books in the Library

About Our Library, Education, General Information, In the Collection, Juvenile Collection / By /

Do you have kids? Are you taking a children’s literature course? Or do you just like reading children’s or young adult books?  In any case, did you know that the library has a children’s book collection?  It is a small, but growing section in the lower level of the library near the men’s bathroom.  The best way to browse titles virtually is to do a search for “juvenile” in the library catalog. Once you get results, use the menu on the left to refine by the location “juvenile”.

Screenshot of menu to refine search

Do you prefer electronic books?  We have access to children’s e-books as well.  The best way to find the children’s e-books is to start at the library catalog. Search for “juvenile”. Once you get results, then use the menu on the left to refine by “juvenile fiction” and/or “juvenile nonfiction” and then under “format” choose “Ebooks” (see screenshot below).

Screenshot of library catalog

Bathing in the Forest to Relieve Stress… at the Library?

About Our Library, Events, In the Collection, Library Space, One Book: All We Can Save, Virtual Book Displays / By /

This year’s One Book One College selection is All We Can Save, a collections of essays by women leading the fight against climate change. Thinking about climate change and the environment can be really stressful, but getting out into and enjoying nature can have some really positive benefits.

You might have heard of “Forest Bathing“, the concept of immersing yourself in a natural environment as a form of stress relief. While participants do not actually bathe or even enter into water, sounds, smells, textures, and even tastes of nature are explored and enjoyed.

If you’d like to learn more about Forest Bathing, check out the book “Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness“. Find it in our After Class collection near the library entrance.

The After Class bookshelf, surrounded by student seating
To find the After Class book collection, turn right after you enter the library

If you’d like to get out in nature and learn about it at the same time, check out some of the Library’s upcoming public events. We have a couple opportunities for members of the MVCC community to learn more about the natural areas on campus! Register for events on our Events page. Events are always FREE!

MVCC Prairie Tour (Weds 9/29 and Thurs 9/30) Join earth science faculty member, Jana Svec, for a tour of MVCC’s own prairie. Learn about the geography, plants and animals that are in our own backyard, right on campus.

Native Plants: Foundation of Our Ecosystem (Online Event 10/6) We will discuss how native plants, insects and birds interconnect to maintain our food supply, water, air quality, climate etc.  The significant decline in birds and insects is largely due to habitat loss and lack of native plants.  We will show what the individual can do to reverse this trend. This discussion will be presented by Catheryn Bryla, Sag Moraine

Prairie Seed Collection Event (Tues 10/12 and Thurs 10/14) Help us protect MVCC’s prairie! Join us and Jana Svac, earth science faculty member, in collecting seeds from native plants to ensure that our prairie remains healthy for the future. This is a chance to get outside and make a difference.

Finally, if you want to dig deeper into the native plants and wildlife of Illinois, check out this librarian-curated list of websites, field guides, and books! Click on the image below to browse!

Explore Wild Illinois

Questions for Librarians

About Our Library, Reference Desk Questions / By /

Did you ever have a question that you weren’t sure you should ask us? Guess what — of course you should ask! Librarians love to get questions. People ask librarians about all sorts of things. The graphic below gives an idea of what students have been asking the MVCC librarians recently. Do you have a question about research, about using the library, about something on campus? Are you wondering what kinds of pets the librarians have? Ask a Librarian!

BINGE BAGS: Binge-Watch Amazing Movies for Free!

About Our Library, In the Collection, Library Space, Music and Video / By /

Winter may have been cold and snowy this year, but that just means its a good time to curl up with a good movie… or 4! MVCC Library has new Binge Bags to help you out! Each bag has 3 or 4 movies centered around a theme that you can take home for 3 weeks. All you need is your MVCC ID to check out a bag! You can find them right inside the library entrance, so if you’re on campus, stop by and pick one up!

Check out our current bags in the slideshow below:

“How do I _____ at the Library?”: A Library Choose Your Own Adventure

About Our Library, Covid-19, Library Space, Student Resources, Technology / By /

Using the library can be an adventure, especially with so many recent changes. Follow the steps in this guide to find the information you need to be successful this semester. Choose a “character” to get started on your library adventure!

First, Choose Your Character:

You’ve Chosen Student!

Students can find all sorts of help at the library, including research and citation guidance, technology to borrow, and of course books! What will you do next?

Next, Choose Your Action:

You’ve Chosen Staff or Faculty Member!

Staff and Faculty are the backbone of education! The library wants to support you in your work by providing several services. Which one will you choose?

Next, Choose Your Action:

You’ve Chosen Member of the Community!

Members of the community are still welcome in the library and we have several services available to you. Which will you choose?

Next, Choose Your Action:

You’ve Chosen Research!

Research projects can be overwhelming, but the library has so many ways to learn what you need to be successful! Where will you start?

You’ve Chosen Visiting the Library!

The library is excited to welcome visitors back into the building, but there are some new things to know about using the space. What would you like to know?

You’ve Chosen Help with a Nursing Assignment!

Nursing assignments can be tough, but the library is ready to support you. What’s your next move?

Need an Article the Library Does Not Have? Order with InterLibrary Loan (ILL)!

About Our Library, Primary Sources, Reference Desk Questions, Student Resources / By /

Are you researching for a paper, and you find that the Library does not have the article (or other resource) you would like to use? Click on this tutorial to learn how to request an article through the Library’s InterLibrary Loan (ILL) service! If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to Ask a Librarian for help.

Use Library Drop Boxes

About Our Library / By /

Feel free to return library materials (EXCEPT electronics) into one of our drop boxes. Either the one directly outside the Library entrance (IN L Building), OR the one outside Building L. Please see photos below.

INSIDE L Building, directly outside the Library entrance.
OUTSIDE the L Building
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