How to Register to Vote: Tips for Agnes Scott Students

Image provided by Flickr user Theresas Thompson

Register as Georgia Resident in Your Home County

Georgia Residents with a valid Georgia Driver’s license may register to vote online at: https://registertovote.sos.ga.gov/GAOLVR.

Those without a valid Georgia Driver’s license may complete the State of Georgia Application for Voter Registration. Download a copy from the Georgia Secretary of State Office or stop by the Circulation Desk in McCain Library to pick up a print copy. Casey Long (clong@agnesscott.edu) is available for help in filling out the form.

If you are a new voter, in the envelope you will need to include a photocopy of your Georgia driver’s license or U.S. Passport. Also acceptable are photocopies of:

• a certified copy of your birth certificate;
• a valid Social Security card;
• a current utility bill, or a legible copy thereof, showing your name and address; or
• a bank statement, or a legible copy thereof, showing your name and address.

McCain Library called the Georgia Secretary of State to determine if a copy of your Agnes Scott College ID would be sufficient for voter registration. They said “yes,” but since this is not listed anywhere in their documentation we are hesitant to recommend it.

The postage is already paid so simply fold and seal the form when it is complete and drop it in the mail.

Register as Georgia Resident Using Your Agnes Scott Address

Agnes Scott students living on-campus can register to vote as a Georgia resident using the State of Georgia Application for Voter Registration by using the college address (141 E. College Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030) as the residence address and the student’s P.O. box number plus the college address as the mailing address. (See instructions above)

Register as a Resident of your Home State

Look for an opportunity to register online. The National Conference of State Legislatures lists 31 states that allow for online registration.

Use USA.gov to find the Elections Office for your state. They may have a downloadable Voter Registration Application for your state for your state that will allow you to mail in your application.

Alumna Architect Featured in Atlanta Magazine

McCain Library’s archival collections related to alumna architect Leila Ross Wilburn are featured prominently in the September 9, 2016 online issue of Atlanta Magazine. The full article is available here: http://www.atlantamagazine.com/homeandgarden/pioneering-female-architect-leila-ross-wilburn-one-atlantas-prolific/.

The article reports that, “After graduating* from Agnes Scott Institute (now Agnes Scott College) and studying architectural drafting with a private tutor, the 21-year-old traveled around the country to study the emerging Arts and Crafts movement—using her Kodak camera to capture some 5,000 photographs of residences that inspired her. Returning to Atlanta, she apprenticed with B.R. Padgett and Son, where her first commission was a three-story YMCA gym at Georgia Military Academy, now Woodward Academy. Just three years later, Wilburn established her own practice.”

If one visits “Atlanta’s Intown neighborhoods where early-20th-century houses and bungalows remain,” the results of Wilburn’s house plans can be seen, particularly in Decatur’s MAK neighborhood adjacent to Agnes Scott College. Her homes also still exist in Inman Park, Ansley Park, and Midtown.

Wilburn’s plan books are the only ones known to have been published by a female architect.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MCCAIN LIBRARY

*Note from McCain Library: Wilburn attended Agnes Scott Institute but did not graduate from there as stated in the article.

15 Minute Dance Party – Friday, September 9th at 6:00pm

Black Ring Radio and McCain Library are teaming up again to bring a little levity to the library with a pop-up dance party. Kick off your weekend by pushing the books aside and dancing in the Main Reading Room of McCain Library this Friday starting around 6pm. It is 15 minutes of great music and fun!

All are invited! Faculty, staff, students, and alumnae, we want to see you there!

The library will be officially closed, so no studying allowed – just dancing.

Checkout our pictures from last year!

Changes to Library Fine Policy

 With the new academic year starting, McCain Library made some changes to three fine categories and a loan period policy.

Because Browsing Book fiction/nonfiction and DVDs are high-demand collections:

1. Browsing Books and DVDs incur a $.50 (fifty cents) per day fine when overdue (previously, both were $.10 per day)

2. DVDs circulate for 7 days (previously, they were loaned for a shorter time)

Students will be glad to learn that McCain Library has discontinued overdue fines for the general circulating collection (most books in the Stacks) as of August 29, 2016.

3. The $.10 (ten cents) per day fine for the non-reserve circulating collection was dropped

Fines do remain in place for course reserves ($1.00 per hour or partial hour) since all members of a class need access to those items in a timely manner.

Students, faculty, and staff will still need to return library books eventually in order to avoid being billed for a lost item. There is a non-refundable $10 billing fee for items returned after moving into lost status. Watch for courtesy reminders sent to your ASC email account, and make a note on your calendar when checking out an item. Then you will not have to worry about any fines or lost fees. You may check your account status and request renewals 24/7 at https://sophia.agnesscott.edu/patroninfo.

All library borrowing policies are posted here: https://www.agnesscott.edu/library/about/policies.html

Questions may be directed to Christopher Bishop, User Services Librarian, cbishop@agnesscott.edu or x6337.

 

The “Most Expensive” Textbooks on Reserve – Fall 2016

  McCain Library continues to provide a loaner copy of the most expensive textbooks required in certain Agnes Scott College courses. These are typically 100-level (a few 200- level) classes in the natural sciences, foreign languages, and Econ/Business. This list below does not include other books on course reserve, only ones that met criteria for purchase by the library (reflecting a student focus group’s advice to us), or that were provided by a faculty member/academic department: 

• Retail cost is more than $100, and the book is not easily bought used or rented for less $
• Quickly available on Amazon.com or through a similar source
• Used in 100-level/introductory classes for subjects noted above (with the thought that students are more likely to want to buy and keep a personal copy of texts related to a major in higher level courses, rather than the 100-level books)

The textbook may be borrowed for two hours at one time to use in McCain Library.

Always check our catalog for the full picture! All course reserves are searchable/noted in the SOPHIA library catalog:  http://sophia.agnesscott.edu/search/r.

 

Expensive Textbooks on Reserve (not a list of all books on reserve)

 

 

When It’s Sunny, Borrow a Library Bike!

Thanks to Anna Byrd ’19 and Ginny Hudgins ’20 for decorating these signs!

McCain Library has partnered with various offices on campus (in particular the Center for Student Involvement, Carolyn Cornelison, and her student assistant Jamila Surpris ’17) to revive bicycle loans on campus. When the weather is pleasant, students may borrow a Library Bike to ride around Decatur, to MARTA, to the Farmers’ Market, or wherever you wish to go.

1.       Currently, there are five (5) bicycles in working order; we hope to soon have seven (7). Bikes can be searched in SOPHIA by title (“Purple Bike”) to verify availability.

2.       Library Bikes are numbered, have metal baskets on the front, and are housed in two places: the bike rack to the left of McCain Library’s front entrance and the bike racks in the rear of the library. Normally, four or more bikes will stay in the front rack with the remainder in the back rack.

3.       Current ASC students, staff, and faculty are allowed to check out the bikes for one day.

4.       The borrower must complete a “Purple Bike Program Release Form” and only needs to fill out one release form for the current school year.

5.       Patrons will be loaned a helmet and a key to the corresponding numbered bike’s lock.  Please use caution when riding the bikes (avoid stairs : )  ), lock them up through the front wheel to deter theft, and alert library staff if one needs repairs.

6.       A tire pump is also available for short-term loan.

7.       Bikes are due back to McCain Library:

Sunday – Thursday by 8 pm (sunset/dark, so we want you to be safe)

Friday–Saturday by 5:30 pm (the library closes at 6:00 pm) 

8.   Upon return, patrons should lock the bike in its original location/rack, returning the key and helmet to the library’s Circulation Desk.

 

Two New Employees Join McCain Library

Christopher Bishop joined Agnes Scott College as the User Services Librarian on August 15, taking over the office and position formerly held by Erica Hardy. In this role, Chris will provide leadership and vision for the McCain Library unit and three staff who handle circulation, course reserves, interlibrary loan/ARCHE interlibrary use, patron records, and software/web pages related to those public services. Chris will also assist other ASC librarians with assessment, collection development, instructional sessions, faculty outreach, and research support. Look for him on Tuesday nights at the Research Help Desk.

He comes to ASC from Emory University’s Oxford College Library where he was Systems Librarian and liaison to the History, Sociology, and Economics departments at Oxford, providing support for faculty research, reserve requests, and instructional needs. He was instrumental in the rollout of a whole new integrated system software at both the Oxford and Atlanta campus libraries of Emory University. Prior to Oxford, Chris served as Reference and Instructional Librarian at the Westminster Schools, as a Teacher-Librarian at Redan High School, and as Periodical Service Center Coordinator at Georgia State University Libraries in Atlanta.

Chris has earned the following degrees: a Master of Library and Information Science from Florida State University; a Master of Library Media Technology, and a Bachelor of Arts (History) from Georgia State University.  He will be presenting at two professional conferences this fall.

When he is not dreaming up new library services for McCain Library to offer, you can find Chris near campus in Decatur, searching Pinterest for home ideas and thinking of ways to construct the inventions he finds on a shoestring budget.

 

Stephany Atkins Kurth became the Access Services & Interlibrary Loan Coordinator for McCain Library on August 1. Her office is on the library’s ground floor where Debbie Adams formerly worked. Stephany is handling interlibrary loan requests from the ASC campus and from other libraries. She also is directing the hiring, collaborative training, and evaluating of McCain’s student assistants and serving as back-up for Circulation Desk staffing.

Before coming to Agnes Scott College, Stephany worked as a Library Associate for nine years at Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture Library, where she also served on the institute’s Staff Council. Her extensive library experience includes three years as a Reference Assistant at the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah; work as a Periodicals Coordinator at the University of Montevallo Library in Alabama; as Copy Cataloger at the Tennessee State Library and Archives; and as Circulation Assistant at the Arlington (Texas) Public Library. Stephany is a native of Louisiana and studied English at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

When she’s not at work, you can find her hiking in the woods with her husband and two dogs, attending concerts all over Atlanta, or trying out new recipes at her home in Decatur.

Book Lovers’ Fair – Thursday, August 25 – 3:00pm-5:00pm

We are so excited to welcome all the new and returning students to campus that we are throwing a Book Lovers’ Fair just so we can see each and everyone of you in person!

We will have stations to test your knowledge of book trivia, provide you with tips for finding inexpensive textbooks, and share with you information on how to access other libraries.

Plus we will provide tours of our literature collection to help you find your favorite works of fiction.

Charis Books and Decatur Public Library will be on site to tell you about their resources too! Decatur Public Library will be ready to sign up Agnes Scott students for a public library card so you have access to even more books and databases, including test prep materials and audiobooks!

Best of all we will have cookies from Insomnia Cookies.  Mmmmh, cookies! We can’t wait to see you!

Library Hours

Welcome, new and returning students!  McCain Library will offer the following hours until classes begin and then resume longer service times on the first day of classes, Wednesday, August 24.

Pre-Fall Semester Hours – August 19-August 23, 2016

Friday, August 19         8:30 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday, August 20    10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Sunday, August 21       CLOSED

Monday, August 22     8:30 am – 6:00 pm

Tuesday, August 23     8:30 am – 6:00 pm

Fall Semester Hours (Wed., August 24 – Sun., Dec. 11, 2016)

Monday – Thursday     8:00 am – 2:00 am**

Friday                               8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday                          9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Sunday                            1:00 pm – 2:00 am**

** Research guidance until 9:00 pm. Circulation services until 10:30 pm.

Students may study in G 11 (use your ID to unlock the door from the Educational Technology Center (ETC) Hallway or side entrance facing Alston) when the main library is closed.

Note: for safety reasons, the ground floor door coming into the main library space from the ETC locks at 10:15pm.

Exceptions

Mon., Sept. 5, Labor Day        CLOSED

Fall Break, October 6-8 (Thurs.-Sat.)

Wed., Oct. 5                8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Thurs., Oct. 6              8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Fri., Oct. 7 (Campus Holiday)    CLOSED

Sat., Oct. 8                  10:00 am – 5: 00 pm

Thanksgiving Break, November 23–Nov.26 (Wed.-Sat.)

Tues., Nov. 22            8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Wed. Nov. 23              8:30 am – 12:00 noon

Thurs., Nov. 24-Sat., Nov. 26    CLOSED

Additional Exam Time Hours (for ASC Students, not Visitors)

Fri., Dec. 2 (with services)     8:00 am – 2:00 am

Sat., Dec. 3 (with services)    9:00 am – 2:00 am

Fri., Dec. 9 (study only, 6pm+)          8:00 am – 10:30 pm

Sun., Dec. 11 (Circ/study, 10a-1p)    10:00 am – 2:00 am

 Last Day of Exams

Mon., Dec. 12                         8:00 am – 6:00 pm

After Exams & For Winter Holidays  (Dec. 13, 2016-Jan. 9, 2017)

Tues., Dec. 13-Fri., Dec. 16   8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Sat., Dec. 17- Sun. Dec 18     CLOSED

Mon., Dec. 19- Thurs., Dec 22   8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Fri., Dec. 23- Mon., Jan 2      CLOSED

Tues., Jan. 3- Fri., Jan 6         8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Sat., Jan. 7- Sun., Jan. 8         CLOSED

Mon., Jan. 9                            8:30 am – 6:00 pm

New Databases and Primary Sources!

DATABASE at Postmasters, March 2009 by Michael Mandiberg / CC BY-SA

McCain Library is excited to announce the addition of 10 new databases specifically selected by the library for the Agnes Scott community, plus a campus-wide subscription to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Listed below is a brief description of each of our new resources.

Access World News Research Collection: A collection of over 5,000 news sources that provides insight into global issues through local newspapers around the globe.

African-American Communities: An extensive collection of primary sources that provide an in-depth look at the lives and experiences of African-Americans in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, and parts of North Carolina. Includes material from the Atlanta History Center.

Archives of Human Sexuality, LGBTQ History and Culture since 1940 (part 1): Brings together approximately 1.5 million pages of primary sources on social, political, health, and legal issues impacting LGBTQ communities around the world.

Chronicle of Higher Education: The premier publication for keeping track of the latest trends and issues in academia. Agnes Scott College faculty, students, and staff now have access to subscriber-only content on the Chronicle of Higher Education website.

Defining Gender, 1450 – 1910: A collection of primary sources that define the gender norms of British society across five centuries.  Topics include domesticity, family, consumption, leisure, education, the body, conduct, and politeness.

Photography: The World Through the Lens (Nineteenth Century Collections Online): Roughly 2 million photographs from Britain, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas taken during the 19th century. Individuals studying travel, trade, science, medicine, criminology, art, photography, and daily life in the 19th century will enjoy exploring this collection of images.

Political Science Complete: An article database that focuses on comparative politics, humanitarian issues, international relations, law and legislation, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and political theory. Provides access to more than 520 full-text journals, most of which are not available on other platforms. Also includes books and conference papers. 

Polling the Nations: Contains over 600,000 questions and responses to polls and surveys about a range of issues in the United States and around the world. Excellent source for understanding public opinion.

Punch Historical Archive: The most prominent British satire magazine from 1841 to 1992. Provides a unique perspective into to political and social issues in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Taylor & Francis Social Sciences & Humanities Library Collection includes 1,400 journal titles indexed from 1997-present, with requested Public Health journal coverage.

Web of Science (with a 10-year backfile): An extensive online citation analysis tool that helps researchers find articles that cited a specific article of significance or a work by a particular author. An excellent tool for identifying the most impactive journals within a discipline. Since it indexes the articles in the most important journals in over 250 disciplines, it also serves as a fairly comprehensive search tool for any researcher who understands how to track down the full text of an article with a citation.

In addition to these resources hand-selected by McCain Library, GALILEO has added the following databases: Arts & Humanities Database, Australia & New Zealand Database, Business Market Research Collection, Continental Europe Database, East & South Asia Database, East Europe, Central Europe Database, India Database, International Newsstream, Latin America & Iberian Database, Library Science Database (1970-Current), Linguistics Database, Middle East & Africa Database, Public Health Database, Turkey Database, UK & Ireland Database, and U.S. Newsstream.