If you want to see what kind of mischief we get into on Halloween at Cole Library, check out our newest photo album on Facebook.

Every year the library staff has a little fun on Halloween. This year you’ll find we have some pumpkin friends on 3^rd floor just waiting for that perfect photo op. Our theme this year is Classic Halloween, so be prepared to see witches, ghosts, vampires, and more lurking in the library. Drop by in costume, visit our treat room, and share in the fun.

Interested in the origins of Halloween? Check out: Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night (This book is sitting with one of our pumpkin people at the moment, but feel free to check it out!)

Try Credo Reference for more about Halloween and Samhain. Also being celebrated this time of year is the Mexican holiday, El Dia de los Muertos. So many fascinating traditions to research and share!

If you have been having trouble getting to our databases from off campus since the power outage on Sunday, there’s a good reason. We’re working at correcting the underpinnings. In the meantime, if you are are on campus and are going directly from the library page to databases on the list of Electronic Resources, or to Credo Reference or RefWorks, they should be available.

From the Academic Media Studio

One of the best podcasts on digital issues in education is Dan Cohen’s Digital Campus. Broadcasting from George Mason University’s Center for History and New Media, the latest edition discusses the currently hot concept of “digital natives,” the idea that today’s students (born in the late 1980s) are intuitively responsive to and comfortable with digital technology.

Technically creating such a podcast is relatively simple—any Cornell faculty member or department could go and do likewise. However, this podcast is distinguished by the thoughtful and timely commentary, and that can take a lot of time. Just gathering the guests and information could be a full time job for someone. Still, it’s projects like this that are bringing the sponsoring schools quite a lot of glory.

Resources:

Digital Natives

John Palfrey, et al. Born Digital Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives (Basic Books, 2008)

Siva Vaidhyanathan, “Youth & Technology Generational Myth: Not all young people are tech-savvy” The Chronicle of Higher Education (September 19, 2008)

How fun it is to hear stories from the alums when they return to campus! Did you know the library used to have a staircase in the middle? Some alums boast about the day they helped carry arm loads of books from the former library (now Norton Geology) to our current location. This year, during the morning hours of registration on Friday and Saturday, many alumni are helping to identify photos from our Archives. Some remember names; others remember groups; others are identifying places, hair and clothing styles or background in the photos. Each piece of the puzzle helps us “date” the photos.

Did you know

• butterfly chairs were came out in the late 40’s?
• in the 50’s women on campus wore white suit jackets?
• Terry Gibson ‘59 (Senior VP for the College Campaign) was a track star and we have pictures to prove it? The relay queen and her attendants presented trophies to the track stars.
• there used to be a formal event for freshman to meet each other?
• 1973 was the last year freshmen had to wear beanies?

Whether sharing memories, identifying photos, meeting old and new friends, we’re glad you’ve come to visit.