The Point: Labor Loves Libraries
2/15/2024
This week’s Point was written by our colleagues in the Healey Library, Jessica Holden (Reference Archivist) and Mary Moser (Engagement and Advancement Librarian).
Greetings, faculty colleagues!
This week some of us celebrated Valentine’s Day - which may or may not be a made-up capitalist holiday, but definitely got us thinking of the things we’re grateful for at work. Partly as a result of FSU’s sustained advocacy and support on our behalf (thank you!), Healey Library has benefited from budget increases and reinvestments that are allowing us to grow into an academic library that can truly serve the needs of our community. We want to highlight some of those services here, plus remind you to follow us on social media (here are our Instagram and Facebook pages) where you might catch glimpses of things like our staff enjoying their vacations, or even our mysterious Nicolas Cage pillows from the 4th floor!
NEW THIS YEAR!
Please join us in celebrating some good news from Healey Library:
- NEW Liaison Librarian position: J Troy joined Healey Library in August 2023 after a decade working with Milton Public Schools. J is already serving in a critical liaison capacity to UMass Boston’s new university-assisted community schools program.
- NEW Scholarly Communications, Data, and Affordable Learning Librarian: Christine Moynihan joined Healey Library in September 2023, coming to us from Salem State University. Christine supports faculty in open access publishing, including ScholarWorks, offers guidance on research data management, and assists faculty who are interested in looking for affordable alternatives for their course materials.
- NEW Library newsletter: This semester, with the invaluable partnership of our English Graduate Assistant, Grace Ottesen, Healey Library was able to launch our weekly newsletter to faculty, Healey Headlines. Watch your inbox for these issues! If you don’t receive these emails and would like to be added to the mailing list, please let us know.
The “Old Faithfuls”
A lot of things about UMass Boston may change, but some things remain the same, like our commitment to making sure you and your colleagues have the resources you and your students need for your teaching, learning, and research!
Do you need access to materials (such as books or films) that are not currently held by the library? Submit a request form and we will look into purchasing or licensing them for you. We encourage faculty to ask for what they need as we work to build a library collection that is as robust and diverse as the community it supports!
Would you like to reserve library materials for your students to use? We can place print books, films, DVDs, and ebooks on reserve for you.
InterLibrary Loan (ILL) and Document Delivery
Submit requests for books, journal articles, and films that are unavailable at Healey Library, and we will borrow copies from other libraries for you to use. We can also digitize and deliver Healey Library materials to you electronically.
Submit a request for a library instruction session and our librarians will teach your students critical thinking and information-seeking skills with library resources.
Would you like a librarian to assist you with your research and scholarship? Explore our library FAQs or schedule an appointment to meet with a reference librarian. We are here to help you!
Our librarians have created many online research guides to support student learning. Explore our existing guides or contact us to request a new subject or course-specific guide.
Curriculum Resource Collection
We are actively investing in updating our collection of curriculum materials, so stop by the 4th floor (near the Reference Desk) and take home some books for the young readers in your lives!
University Archives and Special Collections
The UMass Boston Archives collects original materials documenting the history of the university, as well as a number of topics relating to the history of the Greater Boston area and various social issues. Like our librarians, the Healey Library’s archivists offer instruction sessions and research assistance for students and faculty. We are also pleased to house and provide access to the historical records of the FSU, many of which are now available online. If you have your own FSU materials that you would like to contribute to this important collection about the history of our union, please contact our archivists at library.archives@umb.edu.
While we are not formally affiliated with the Boston Public Library (one of only two public research libraries in the country–the other is the New York Public Library), we would have to turn in our librarian badges if we didn’t remind folks that anyone who lives, works, attends school, or owns property in the state of Massachusetts is eligible for a BPL eCard. Your BPL eCard gives you access to extensive online research resources as well as a variety of materials for all ages, such as e-books, audiobooks, streaming videos, magazines, and music.
Celebrating Black History Month
February is Black History Month. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) has designated the theme for 2024 Black History Month as “African Americans and the Arts.” Check out Healey Library’s physical displays on the 2nd and 4th floors, as well as our website highlighting some of our titles celebrating this theme!
We hope that you have a wonderful spring semester, and please reach out if we can help you in any way. Just as “this is your union,” we hope you know that “this is your library.” We are here to support you and your students with any and all of your library needs!
Your friends in the library,
Jessica Holden, Reference Archivist
Mary Moser, Engagement and Advancement Librarian
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