Thursday, August 14, 2008

I Want You to Know...

the Paul Bechtold Library is going green. Going green is the responsible thing to do; even the Pope says so. Paul Bechtold Library staff have been looking at ways to save natural resources. Effective immediately, we will stop printing due date slips—patrons can check their own record easily in the online catalog by clicking on the “My Account” tab at the top of the page. We will be happy to demonstrate this if you do not know how to find it! Also, we will no longer be providing printed lists of items on reserve for specific courses. This information is also easily available by clicking the tab, “Course Reserves” in the online catalog. Reserves can be searched by Instructor, Department, or Course.

Other paper forms (Interlibrary Loan requests, meeting room and AV equipment requests) will be transferred to electronic format over the next few months. We have already made substantial reductions in paper waste in the Cataloging Department by discontinuing printouts of cataloging information and cards for the shelf-list. The library responsibly discards its unused books by furnishing them to third world seminaries, as well as working with Better World Books, which sells and donates books for literacy programs.

The photocopier in the library is being reconfigured so that patrons may scan and email rather than print articles and books. We encourage users to use the blue recycling bins that are located in the Copy Room and near the computers in the back of the library.

Please see Melody McMahon, Library Director, if you have questions, comments or other suggestions for preserving resources.