Winter Break Hours

As much as we’d love to see you all every day, the UGL will operate on shortened hours during Winter Break. Just like you, we’ve got to regroup, re-energize and refresh before spring semester.

We love you in the snow, we love you everywhere.
And while we will be closed between Dec. 22 and New Year’s, we will be open most of the rest of break for those of you staying in town or coming back early. We get it. You love us too much to stay away for long.

A full schedule of all campus library hours over break can be seen here (*Main Library is open a few days while the UGL is closed). Otherwise, here’s a day-by-day breakdown for the UGL:

  • Thursday, Dec. 20: closes at 7pm
  • Friday, Dec. 21: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Saturday, Dec. 22: closed
  • Sunday, Dec. 23: closed
  • Monday, Dec. 24: closed
  • Tuesday, Dec. 25: closed
  • Wednesday, Dec. 26: closed
  • Thursday, Dec. 27: closed*
  • Friday, Dec. 28: closed*
  • Saturday, Dec. 29: closed
  • Sunday, Dec. 30: closed
  • Monday, Dec. 31: closed*
  • Tuesday, Jan. 1: closed (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)
  • Wednesday, Jan. 2: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Thursday, Jan. 3: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Friday, Jan. 4: closed
  • Saturday, Jan. 5: closed
  • Sunday, Jan. 6: closed
  • Monday, Jan 7: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Tuesday, Jan. 8: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Wednesday, Jan. 9: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Thursday, Jan. 10: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Friday, Jan. 11: open 8:30am – 5pm
  • Saturday, Jan. 12: closed
  • Sunday, Jan. 13: closed
We’ll resume our normal hours on Monday, Jan. 14 at 8am. Have a happy, healthy, safe break, and we’ll see you when we see you!

 

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IRL @ the UGL

We at the UGL like to think of ourselves as being pretty comfortable with technology. This Web 2.0 thing? We’ve got it down. But we also understand that sometimes, even the most tech-savvy person gets a hankering for the old-fashioned. Sometimes it’s nice to see a pin-board with actual, physical pins in it. The opportunity to take a break from the seemingly endless computer screens in your life and spend time gazing at cheery paper snowmen is one you may be glad to take.

A paper snowman greets you from a glass display case.

“Well hello! Welcome to the UGL!”

To fill this occasional craving for the traditional, and to make the physical space of the library more visually interesting and informative, there are several displays in different parts of the library for you to enjoy. The themes change every month to keep things fresh and appropriate to the season – this month, the staff and student workers/elves have put together some holiday-focused displays to help boost your spirit during finals. We’ll give you a preview here on the blog, but you should really come in and check them out in person!

DVD cases surrounded by beautiful paper snowflakes.

UGL employees bust out their mad snowflake-makin’ skills, just for you.

Right when you enter the UGL from the plaza, this happy little case is ready to suggest some seasonal movies for you. If you’re interested in a title you see inside this mini-winter wonderland, just ask at the circulation desk, and we can fetch it for you! Then you can take it home and get just as cozy as you wanna.

Cookbooks with glorious pictures of baked goods await you.

We completely understand, but do try not to drool on the glass.

There are tons of food-themed ‘holidays’ in December. We’re not really sure how official ‘National Chocolate-Covered-Anything Day’ is, but that’s not going to stop us from celebrating it! To help you get in the culinary groove, we’ve got some cookbooks lined up in the display upstairs near the circulation desk, full of delicious holiday treats for you to make and share (or hoard). Come gaze upon these tasty cakes and be inspired.

Downstairs are where to find the suggestion binders.

We made a concerted effort to find books that are qualified to be suggested, and now we’ve got whole binders full of suggestions.

The food theme continues in the lower level! Just beyond the media collection, we’ve got more cookbooks picked out in our Y-shaped display. These aren’t necessarily holiday-specific; we’ve pulled together a wide range of cuisines and food types for you to choose from. Moroccan food? Totally covered. Any and every kind of soup? Right here. In addition to the cookbooks, you’ll find binders of suggested titles from a variety of different genres on top of the display. Pick ’em up, leaf through them, carry them around to help you locate the books on the shelf – just please return them when you’re done, so someone else can find a good read after you!

Diversity Bulletin Board with information about lots of different holiday traditions.

Celebrate ALL the traditions!

The bulletin board in the lower lobby of the UGL is sponsored by the Library’s Diversity Committee, and each month it showcases diversity in a different area. For the month of December, we’ve got a festive round-up of winter holiday traditions from around the world. Curious about Wren’s Day, or Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year? You can learn all about them, right here!

That’s what’s going on IRL at the UGL – we’re happy that you’re reading our blog, but we’d also be happy to see your faces in the library checking out our displays. Come on down and scope ’em out!

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24 Hour Study People

It’s official. The UGL will not close between now and Thursday, Dec. 20 at 7pm. Adding to our already study-friendly 24/5 schedule (open 24 hours a day, Sunday thru Thursday), in honor of finals week, the UGL will remain open 24 hours this weekend, too.

Su nup to sun down and back to sun up, the UGL will be here for you.

What does this mean for you? You’ve got one more place to add to your study location list. For the most part, all services will be available. Group rooms? Check. Loanable technology? Check. Friendly, capable employees that can help with any of your research questions or library needs? Check, check, check.

The lower level will also remain open 24-hours for quiet study (during the week, it usually closes at 2am) and the media collection (DVDs, etc.) will close at midnight both Friday and Saturday nights (DVD retrieval will still be available by request). Per usual, group study is more than welcome on the upper level. A few other things to remember:

  • If you’re planning to be in the library late, make sure you’ve got a friend to walk you home! (You can also use MTD’s SafeRides between 5pm and 6:30am, and check out other campus safety tips.)
  • Stay hydrated! Beverages (with lids) are welcome in the library, and there are drinking fountains located in the upper level lobby and near rest rooms.
  • No food is allowed in the library. We know this kinda stinks, but dems da rules. We encourage you to bring snacks to eat in the Espresso area (those tables remain available even if Espresso is closed). It’s good to get up and stretch, anyway! And if you don’t want to move all of your stuff, we have laptop locks & lockers to keep your stuff safe while you take a snack break.
  • Printing out a bunch of stuff? Here’s a reminder on how to do it.
  • The Lower Level is for quiet study. Please be respectful of this rule—everyone’s a bit stressed and working under deadlines, so a quiet environment is important. If you need to chat with your group members, talk on your phone or LOL at something funny on the interwebs, please go into one of the lobbies, the courtyard or the Upper Level.
  • Congratulations! You totally knocked out that final paper or studied so hard for your exam your eyeballs almost fell out. Now, you get to leave the UGL. Hooray! Make sure you take all of your stuff and throw away any of your trash. Lots of people will be using this space this weekend, so please help us keep it as tidy as possible.

Good luck on finals, Club UGL. We know you’ve got this!

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Ho-Ho-Holiday Flicks

We know you’ve got about zero free time with finals looming (and it’s a bit tough to get in the holiday spirit when the grass is still green and temps are hovering well above freezing), but we would still like to call your attention to some holiday films in the library in case you need a little cheer during a well-deserved study break.

(Click on the image to see location/availability)
If you need a laugh…
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation movie in library catalog   Elf movie in library catalog   Bad Santa movie in library catalog   Trading Place movie in library catalog
Or…
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas, Home Alone

If you’re feeling like a kid…
A Christmas Story movie in library catalog
   A Charlie Brown Christmas movie in library catalog  The Muppet Christmas Carol in library catalog   Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in library catalog

Or…The Polar Express

If you’re feeling nostalgic…
White Christmas movie in library catalog   Christmas in Connecticut movie in library catalog  It's a Wonderful Life movie in library catalog  Miracle on 34th Street movie in library catalog

If you’re celebrating Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Festivus…
Twas the Night movie in library catalog  Eight Crazy Nights movie in library catalog  Seinfeld season 9 tv show in library catalog  Boyish Man movie in library catalog

If you’re in the mood for something darker…
Hercule Poirot's Christmas movie in library catalog   The Nightmare Before Christmas movie in library catalog

Or… Gremlins, Edward Scissorhands

If you’re feeling romantic…
Love Actually movie in library catalog   The Holiday movie in library catalog
Or…
The Family Stone, Four Christmases

If you’re in the mood for TV celebrations…
Doctor Who: a Christmas Carol tv show in library catalog   The Office complete series tv show in library catalog   the OC tv show in library catalog  South Park First Season tv show in library catalog
Or… Community season 2, 30 Rock season 3

What are your favorite holiday movies? Tell us in the comments!

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UGL 101: Self-Checkout Machines

If you’ve been studying (oh so quietly) on the lower level of the UGL recently, you may have noticed some new hardware on your way in or out.

Self-check machines are next to the lower level lobby doors.

Those shiny new machines are self-checkout machines where you can check out books or media. Long gone are the days of waiting in line to borrow season three of Lost. Now, armed with your iCard, you can easily check them out yourself.

The machines are super easy to use. Just follow a few simple steps.

1. Scan your I-Card.

Make sure your i-Card is pressed flat against the scanner bed.

Your iCard is your ticket to the UGL’s entertainment options.

2. Scan your books or media, with the spine of the item sitting in the dip of the scanning area. When you hear a “thump” your item is ready.

The bottom of the case should face towards the machine.

Make sure it’s facing this way, so the machine can desensitize your items.

3. The screen will prompt you to select whether or not you’d like a receipt.

'Print receipt' is the first option.

It doesn’t matter what you choose, but you do have to make a choice.

4. If you have DVDs or video games, finally, you’ll want to insert them into the unlocker next to the machine. Make sure you hold it with the front of the case facing up, and top of the case going into the machine first. Check to make sure the case will open once the machine gives the case back to you.

The locked side of the case should be to your right.

The unlocker will eat your dvd and spit it back out, ready for you to use!

5. You’re all done! Wasn’t that easy?

If you have problems with using the machines, or just have questions in general, look for the staff member on the lower level to help you. You can ring the bell on the cafe table near the media area for help. And you can always look for our friendly librarians, making the rounds in their “Ask a Librarian” vests.

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DIY Gifting

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the calendars have been flipped to show that most gift-laden of months – December. You know what this means: the holiday season is undeniably in full swing, and there’s about to be some wild present-swapping happening! It’s time to start thinking about how you want to show your friends and family that you care about them.

Buying all your gifts may seem like the simplest answer, but that can be a huge drain on your wallet, and braving the hectic retail environment in search of the perfect stocking-stuffer may well result in lots of bruises and general crankiness. The alternative of making gifts yourself can save you from both overspending and taking terrible trips to the mall, and – not to get all sappy or anything – adds a little bit of extra meaning to your offering. Who wouldn’t feel special after receiving something made by hand, just for them? If that sounds like something  you’d like to have a go at, here are some handy library resources we’ve rounded up to help you give it your best!

book cover: variations on handmade holiday cards

book cover: playful cowgirl theme

Greeting Cards
by Sharon McSwiney
If you want to keep things simple, you can try making holiday cards for all your loved ones. You can make them very basic, or, using the techniques in this book, make them quite elaborate and fancy. The best part is how easy it is to send them through the mail, helping you let even your most far-away friends and family know you’re thinking of them.

 

The Happy Hooker: Stitch n’ Bitch Crochet
by Debbie Stoller
The art of crochet enables you to use a small hook to transform shapeless hunks of yarn into fantastic offerings for your more stylish friends and family members. This book will introduce you to the basic techniques and materials of the craft and provide you with over 40 project ideas to choose from. Think beyond potholders!

book cover: stylish people, including babies and dogs, in knitwear SimpleChic: Designer Knits, SuperQuick!
by Jil Eaton
Those of you already initiated into the yarn-based arts may prefer to knit items rather than crochet. If pointy sticks thrill you more than dull hooks, this book has plenty of gift ideas for you to choose from, including adorable elf hats for the babies in your life, or tiny sweaters for your dog, if that’s your thing. We won’t judge you if it is, and your canine pal is sure to love you anyway (and look very sharp!).

 

book cover: a very tiny felt owl next to a spool of thread Microcrafts: Tiny Treasures to Make and Share
Compiled by Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz and friends
When travelling over the holidays, luggage restrictions can sometimes lead to huge bummers. One way to make sure you’re able to carry home all your painstakingly handcrafted gifts is to make them all itty-bitty. Miniature projects abound in this book, and they’re designed to use up crafting scraps left over from your other projects, so you hopefully won’t have to buy lots of new stuff! It’s a win-win, really.

 

book cover: froufrou bottles surrounded by flowers Perfumes, Scented Gifts, and Other Fragrances: Make Beautiful Gifts to Give (Or Keep)
by Kelly Reno
Smell is closely connected to memory, so if you present someone with a made-from-scratch perfume or scented oil, your generosity is not likely to be forgotten. Or, you can make season-specific smells like pine and cinnamon for yourself, and keep the holidays in your heart all year round.

 

book cover: piles of muffins in a festive basket

Christmas Gifts of Good Taste
Edited by Ann Van Wagner Childs
Gifts are one part of what makes the winter holidays such an exciting time; food is another. Why not combine the two and give food as gifts? The books in this series combine tasty recipes with charming ideas for presenting them to their recipients. You can also make some extra for yourself, obviously, to reward yourself for your hard gift-making work.

 

 

Remember – these are just starting points! Use these books to get some ideas, then adjust them to fit your own style (and the styles of the people you’re making them for!). The most important thing about a hand-made gift is the thought and care that goes into it, and that comes straight from you, not any book.  We wish you the best of luck!

(If you decide, for whatever reason, that you don’t want to make gifts yourself, you can check out a certain Pinterest board made by a certain underground library for book-buying suggestions! Your UGL librarians fully endorse books as great holiday gifts – but we may be a little biased.)

 

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