Author Archives: Becky Butler

Scholastic Self-Care and Research Help

We know how it is. Your spring break is unexpectedly extended, you may have to deal with housing issues, and you STILL have homework due?!  That big research project you’ve been avoiding thinking about is probably due in less than a month. Enter full panic mode!

via GIPHY

Never fear — the Consortium Library Research Help Desk is here! Our reference librarians are available at the desk on the first floor of the library Monday-Thursday 9 am – 8 pm, Friday 9 am – 5 pm, and Saturday-Sunday 1 pm – 6 pm. Still looking for sources? Worried about how much information you have to wade through? Confused about how to use all the information you’ve found? And how in the world do you cite things? No matter what stage of research you’re on, we can help.

On that note, DO chunk your project up into bite-sized pieces. It’s easy to feel paralyzed by stress and anxiety, so set attainable daily goals for yourself. Identify 5 articles you could use one day, skim them the next, then write a paragraph summarizing what you learn from them on the third day. It may mean breaking a college-career-long habit of writing things at the last minute, but why make things harder for yourself right now? Give yourself some scholastic self-care.

If you’re working on some super specialized research, try reaching out to one of our subject librarians. They’ve specialized their research help based on discipline, and appointments with them could completely change the scope of your research (and hey, maybe bump you up a letter grade!).

We get it — sometimes it’s hard to leave your house or the coffee shop when you’re in the zone (or quarantined). You can also reach out to the reference librarians by email, chat, and phone. Click here to find out how. 

We’re all in this together. Take care of yourselves and each other. Go Seawolves!

Celebrate National Women’s History Month!

March is National Women’s History Month! There are lots of ways to celebrate with the UAA/APU Consortium Library.

You can start by picking up books on the women who shaped our nation. Here are some suggestions:

E185.97.T8 G55 1993Narrative of Sojourner Truth by Margaret Washington
E99.T6 B66 2019Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Native Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich by Annie Boochever
PN4874.H478 M39 1983Witness to War: A Biography of Marguerite Higgins by Antionette May
HV569.B3 P3 1941Clara Barton by Mildred Mastin Pace

Is the book you want to read not at the UAA/APU Consortium Library? Place a hold on it and have it delivered to the Consortium Library. It takes a little time, but you may check out most of the books you see from any library in the catalog (reference books and archival materials excluded).

Too busy to read? No problem! Download an audiobook from the Alaska Digital Library.

If you want to research women’s history, check out this guide of sources your trusty librarians put together.

You could also look at some of the papers of historic Alaskan women in the UAA/APU Archives and Special Collections. They have papers of Lanie Fleischer (the woman largely responsible for Anchorage’s network of trails), Arliss Sturgulewski (the first female candidate for Alaska’s Governor). and Fran Ulmer (the first woman elected to state-wide office in Alaska). Take a look at the Archives and Special Collections’ guide on women’s history or contact the Archives and Special Collections directly.

Let’s celebrate some amazing humans!

Arliss Sturgulewski points a stern finger in Art Hackney's face

Pictured: Arliss Sturgulewski and Art Hackney in stern discussion in the Alaska Senate chambers. UAA-HMC-0467-B39-F5-5, Arliss Sturgulewski papers, UAA/APU Consortium Library, Archives and Special Collections

Textbooks on Reserve at the Library

Looking for a textbook? Your professors may have placed their course books on reserve at the Consortium Library! These books are available free of charge for either check out or in-library use (meaning you may only use them in the library). 

To see if your books are available on reserve, go to the UAA/APU Consortium Library’s home page and click on “Course Reserves” under “Services.”

You can search by Course ID, Course Name, or Instructor Name. Once you find your class or professor, click on the name to pull up the list of materials on reserve. Visit the Circulation Desk to pick up your books.

If you’d like more information about finding textbooks, check out this guide: https://libguides.consortiumlibrary.org/textbooks

Happy studying!