Talking in the Library

Psychology Study Break

For all of those poor souls still studying hard for psychology, use your mnemonics!

Or, the Animaniacs

Ah, Phineas Gage! Fond memories....

And finally, let's test your awareness (no worries, you will not be graded on this test):

Taking a study break from the maths...belatedly

Mea culpa. Someone over in Cardwell was anxiously awaiting a math study break, and I didn't get this posted in time.  However, if you want a good ole fit of nostalgia over pi and other math stuff, here you go!

Trying to remember pi? Give a listen to Mathematical Pi. If you are a visual learner, there's a video, too.

Trying to figure out the base-12 system? School House Rocks and Chavez are here for you:

Little 12 Toes - Chavez

Bart Simpson, however, is of no use:

Fortunately, we always have xkcd:

Donde esta la biblioteca? Espanol rotura del estudio

Buena suerte!

Let us have cake to celebrate!

If Jane Austen were alive today, she would be celebrating her 234th birthday--or a zombie. Either way, I'd go to her birthday party.

I might even bake a cake. My favorite is boca negra, but if Miss Jane is a zombie, we might want to be sure to have brain cupcakes on hand.

We could even invite Steven Colbert (the Jane Austen bit is 1:45 in, past the Pope.)

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Tip/Wag - Marvel Comics
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor U.S. Speedskating

Image credit: Brain cake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nerdabout/ / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Talk to the author of "Fourth Star"

Need a study break? Too cold to go out? Gregg Jaffee, military reporter for the Washington Post and co-author of the recently-released book “The Fourth Star” will be appearing via teleconference at the meeting of the K-State Libraries / Ft. Riley Professional Reading Group. The meeting begins at 6:30 PM, Monday December 14th in Room 123 Hale Library, and everyone is welcome.

Short Cuts: Tips for Finals

Finals are here! I don't know about you, but I learn best when things are put to music. Here are a few things that may earn you a few extra points.

Always important to know your states and capitals:

Been having troubles with that quadratic formula?

Bad grammar suxz

Have trouble remembering what that dude Macbeth did? (FYI-this was so awesome I looked for my book of Shakespeare. Sadly, I realized I never owned one)

How many elements are there again?

Hope this helps. Good luck on finals!

-T.L. Coleman

Short Cuts is a series from K-State Libraries' Instruction Team providing library and research tips and tricks for undergraduates. Please feel free to share our articles and ideas with classes and colleagues - just give us credit!

Chemistry Study Break

For everyone studying for tonight's chem final: good luck, and a study break:

Free Coffee at Hale Library Sun-Tue night

We know you've been working hard, studying for finals. If you are studying in Hale Library Sunday through Tuesday 10 pm - 12 am, be sure to stop by the 5th floor for some coffee. If you're not a coffee fan, we'll also have tea, cinder, and chocolate. If you need a break, feel free to play a little Wii. Sometimes that helps your brain retain information better. I'm sure I read that somewhere...

Don't worry about forgetting, we'll make an announcement when we're ready to serve it up.

Good luck on finals!

Basically, we're here until it's all over

Maybe you haven't heard, but finals are happening next week.  

Understanding that you might need a little extra time and space to prepare, we've worked up a few things for you at Hale Library. 

First, we're open 24 hours a day from now until you're done.  So, if 3am on Saturday seems like a great time to prepare for your biochem final, we've got a table with your name on it.  Stuck with the 4:10 Friday final time?  You won't have a lot of company, but we're open for last minute cramming.  You're welcome for as much of the time as you need, although we do hope you'll head home for a shower or two at some point.

Second, we'll start expanded Quiet Zones at 1pm on Sunday when the Help Desk opens.  It will be Quiet (but not necessarily Silent) on all of 1st, 3rd, and 4th floors. When on these floors, please keep your cell phones on vibrate, avoid loud conversations and group work, and keep your headphones turned down. On 2nd floor and in the 24 Hour Study Area group work & conversations are okay, cell phones are okay, but disruptive disorderly behavior is not okay.  It’s not Quiet, but not a Party, either.  We'll leave handy little table-toppers and signs around to help you remember what space you're in.

So, don't be overwhelmed, you have time left, and you can spend it here, quiet or not.

Short Cuts: Windy Enough For Ya?

Walking across campus the other day – while carrying a bag, purse, and a Venti Pike Roast with extra cream from Starbucks – I was practically blown over. Seriously. If there’s one thing you can count on in Kansas, it’s the wind.

As I swore under my breath about the wind, my now-messed up hair, and the frigid temperature of the wind, I wondered where the heck “wind” and “windy” came from anyway. I don’t mean like in the “you should have learned that in grade school science class” way, but rather – where does the word “windy” come from? In other words, what is the etymology (origins) of the word “windy”?

Well, I have the answer for you – and an awesome library tool called The Oxford English Dictionary (OED). The OED is the end-all, be-all, absolute best dictionary ever. It lists every English word recognized. Seriously, all of them. The dictionary contains 20 volumes (don’t worry you don’t have to dig through all the volumes - you can access it for free online through the K-State Libraries’ website). 
It does so much more than just list definitions though. Here is a quote from the OED website about the dictionary:

As the OED is a historical dictionary, its entry structure is very different from that of a dictionary of current English, in which only present-day senses are covered, and in which the most common meanings or senses are described first. For each word in the OED, the various groupings of senses are dealt with in chronological order according to the quotation evidence, i.e. the senses with the earliest quotations appear first, and the senses which have developed more recently appear further down the entry. In a complex entry with many strands, the development over time can be seen in a structure with several 'branches'.
                                -"About the OED"

Okay, so what does that mean? Well, it means that you can look up a word to not only see what its definition is, but you can also learn about its history and origin (or etymology) since its first use in print. What does that look like? Here is an excerpt from the OED online about windy:

Cool, right? You can see what the definition of the word “windy” is – plus learn that the earliest record of it being used in print dates from the year 1000!!! I like using the OED because I can learn where words came from and how they have been used in the past and present day. 

But the OED can do so much more – I could write four more blog entries about it. Instead, I am going to recommend you go check it out yourself. You can access it online from our databases. First click on the letter "O" and select Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and click on it. Then you’re good to go.
So that’s it. Now you know where the word “windy” comes from and another cool resource available at K-State Libraries. Just be prepared when you start to use it that it might blow you away (Ha Ha).

-m.e. fritch

Short Cuts is a series from K-State Libraries' Instruction Team providing library and research tips and tricks for undergraduates. Please feel free to share our articles and ideas with classes and colleagues - just give us credit!