January 2012 Update: Catalogue, Carpet, and Books for You

It’s January.  It’s 2012.  It’s really winter now.  It’s a little sad that the holidays are over but as snow blankets the town we get another fresh start this school year.  Some fresh and new items in the LRC are listed below.

Polaris Catalogue Updated

Our catalogue, Polaris, was upgraded from version 3 to 4.  Polaris is where you go to search the availability of books in the LRC and renew books you’ve checked out.  Users familiar with Polaris might notice that keyword searching is easier now that autocomplete is available and you now have a few options when sorting through your reading history.

New Carpet

From the moment you step off the elevator, you’re bound to notice the new carpet.  Red carpet no longer floods the second floor but there’s still some around if you’re a fan.

Giveaway Books

Outside the LRC is a table of old textbooks, novels, and magazines we’re giving away.  Take a look and you might find something right for you.

Hours Reminder

We’re now on Winter Semester Hours.  Monday-Thursday 8am-9pm, Friday 8am-7pm, Saturday/Sunday 12-5pm.  We’re closed long weekends and hours will be reduced during Reading Week,  but we’re open every day for the rest of January.

End of Year Hours

The final exams of the semester will come to an end at 5pm today.  Then there’s the marking, waiting for marks, flights to catch, presents to wrap, and some sleep to fit in before the end of the year.  Whatever you’re up to, enjoy your break! We’ll see you bright and early on Monday, January 2, 2012 – the Learning Resource Centre will open at 8am.

Michener LRC – End of Year Hours

Dec 16  Fri	7:30am—6pm
Dec 17-18  Sat & Sun	Closed
Dec 19  Mon	8am—5pm
Dec 20  Tues	8am—12pm
Dec 21-Jan 1	Closed

Extended hours on now

We’ve extended LRC and A&P hours as we move into the final days of class.  Hours were determined by classes, exams, and past usage, so they are a little nonsensical at first glance.  Check them twice before planning your day around them.

Hours are always available online: http://www.michener.ca/lrc/lrchours.php

Exam Schedule Posted

Login to myMichener, the link is on the front page after you login: http://my.michener.ca/forms/Final%20Exams%20-%20Fall%202011.pdf

LRC Closed Oct 8-10

The Michener Learning Resource Centre (Library) will be closed October 8, 9, 10 for the Thanksgiving long weekend.  We all deserve a break and maybe some pumpkin pie!

The Anatomy and Physiology Resource Centre will be closed on Monday, October 10.  We will add an hour on Thursday, October 13th, when the lab will open for independent study from 6 to 8pm.

Anatomy & Physiology Resource Centre Open Evenings October – December

It’s that time of year again – time to spend evenings reviewing human tissues, bones, and organs.  To help with that, LRC staff will be opening the 7th floor Anatomy & Physiology Resource Centre evenings for independent study throughout October/November and into December.

Monday-Wednesday
5pm-7pm

Thursday
6pm-7pm

New Year, New Hours

It’s a new school year and the Michener LRC has new hours!

For the fall semester:
Monday to Thursday → 8am to 9pm
Friday → 8am to 7pm
Saturday/Sunday → 12 to 5pm

With a fire alarm and elevators running on manual to start the first day of the new school year, we’ re almost guaranteed that things will run a little smoother as the days progress.  Enjoy the fresh start even if it is a little bumpy!

Citronella, Dill Pickle, Delightful Golden and a Brand New Wall

What does it take to paint a library and put up a new wall?
Will, people, a lot of movement, a fair bit of noise, and a really reliable feather duster.

Thanks to everyone who has been handling disruptions from the LRC maintenance and renovations throughout the past month!

We’re not quite ready for the “after” photo yet but we have plenty of in-progress shots. Ultimately, we’re looking for a brighter space that can handle lunchtime crowds and accommodate both silent individual study and group work.

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Looking Ahead: Michener Life 2011-2012

With the end of the 2011 summer semester at Michener, it’s time to look ahead at the next academic year.  To view the schedule of important dates for next semester, see Academic Calendar Dates 2011-2012.

September Highlights:

• We begin welcoming new students on August 31 with Orientation running until September 2.
• You’ll see LRC staff on Wednesday during the Welcome Assembly and Friday during the LRC/Blackboard/Computers session.
• Labour Day Long Weekend will follow, Sept 3-5.  Staff will not be available during this time.
• The new semester officially begins September 6.
• The first Common Time of the new year is September 7.  Common Time is weekly on Wednesdays between 12-2pm, when everyone has the same break since no classes are scheduled.  Enjoy this downtime because Common Time gets busier as the year progresses (for club meetings, group projects, research, etc).
• The end of September will bring about a flurry of colds, headaches, bouts of exhaustion, and great anticipation for Thanksgiving on October 10

Michener Textbooks

It’s textbook buying time of year again!  The booklist for Michener courses is posted on our website.  A fresh start, a wealth of knowledge – it’ll be a lot of work but also a little exciting… just don’t think about the total cost.

• Book are officially stocked at the U of T Bookstore – the St George Campus location 10 minutes away from Michener – and our book list is posted on their site.  They have extended hours at the beginning of the school year.  U of T classes don’t begin until September 12th this year so it won’t be as busy during Michener’s first week.  Michener does not have its own bookstore.
• The Discount Textbooks Store typically carries some of the books at a cost slightly lower than the U of T Bookstore.  It’s located at 229 College Street, lower level (enter at the side of the building, head down a flight of stairs).  They do not answer questions via phone or email [source].
• Upper year students have books for sale: check the bulletin boards at Michener, myMichener (requires login), the Student Success Network facebook page, or the Toronto University Student Book Exchange.
• You can shop around online at places like Chapters/Indigo or Amazon.  Sometimes you can score a deal on amazon.com even after you factor in shipping/duties.
• If you buy second-hand (i.e. it’s non-refundable) take note of the edition before you purchase.