The DNL Report

Looking to recharge and de-stress? Do you like to read but need a little motivation? Are you looking for book suggestions or just someone to share your top picks with? Join the 2020 Summer Reading Challenge with your fellow Stag community, brought to you by the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, Health & Wellness Committee, and the Fairfield University Bookstore.

University staff, faculty, and students just need to use the Summer Reading Challenge online document ( on Quip) to add their name, goal number of books, and then add the titles after reading each book. For every book you read you will get an entry into the raffle to win prizes (prize list below). The Challenge runs from May 26th-August 20th 2020 and winners will be selected and notified on August 21st. Listening to audio books counts as reading too by the way!

Not sure what to read or how to access books this summer? Here are some suggestions:

• Look around your home. What is on your night stand collecting dust? Do you have a bookshelf full of books you have been meaning to get to, or ones you had read before and want to reread? This is your time! No more book hording/procrastinating this summer!
• Ask friends, family, and neighbors to borrow a book! Proper social distancing encouraged during your borrowing transaction.
• Check our your Public Library's offerings. Many public libraries have an app or program for patrons to access eBooks or audio books (Hoopla, Libby, etc). If you don't have a library card for your town's library, reach out to see if they register you online or over the phone. Librarians can help with "reader's advisory". Public libraries offer a great selection of popular books and streaming films too. Some libraries may start to offer curbside pick-up for print books and films too.
• DiMenna-Nyselius Library eBooks. Search our catalog for titles such as literary classics or academic and professional development. You can search for subjects or keyword too. Filters allow you to just view results that are "available online."
• Find a Little Free Library-the world's largest book sharing movement You may have seen these little boxes around your neighborhood or while traveling. They are take-a-book leave-a-book free book exchanges. There are approximately 100,000 in 108 countries. Go to the non-profit's site and use the map locator tool to find Little Free Libraries in your area (but keep in mind that not all are registered by individuals to appear on the map). Fun fact: One of our DNL librarians helped install 4 of them in her town.
• Purchase a book through the Fairfield University Bookstore. Order online and your books will be shipped to your home address. We are also excited that Phase 1 of their reopening is scheduled for May 27th! They will be open daily from 10am-4pm.
• Sign-up for a GoodReads account, Book Riot newsletters, or another blog or site for book lovers. GoodReads is social media for readers. It has many helpful lists for book recommendations. if you make an account and log the books you have read/want to read you will see suggestions based of your interests. BookRiot is the largest independent literary site in North America, bringing you news, bookish commentary, and of course book suggestions.
• Summer Reading Challenge Quip Document and Zoom event on June 1st. See what your colleagues are reading on the Quip doc all summer long. Or pop into a special edition of Lattes with Librarians: Summer Reading Challenge Kickoff at 10am on June 1st with your morning tea or coffee. Get the Zoom link from Life@Fairfield or contact lthornell@fairfield.edu.

Summer Reading Challenge Prizes

All participants will be entered into the raffle, with multiple entries corresponding to the number of books read and logged into the Quip Summer Reading Challenge document between May 26th-August 20th. Ex: you read five books so your name is entered into the raffle drawing as five separate entries.

• Mini book lights, donated by the Office of Human Resources. 10 winners.
• Fairfield University branded swag from the Health & Wellness Committee and Office of Human Resources. 2 winners.
• Gift certificate for two complimentary tickets to the Quick Center for the Arts Live Performances in Spring 2020 or Fall 2021. 2 winners
• Selection of Advanced Reader Copies (books that haven't been published yet), curated by the Fairfield University Bookstore based on your summer reading choices that you have logged on the Quip document. 1 winner.

Happy reading everyone!

The DNL will continue offering online services and resources to support the students enrolled in Summer Sessions I & II, as well as all other members of the Fairfield community. Although the building remains closed, the librarians and library staff are working remotely to ensure that our services and resources are easily accessible.

Here's what you need to know:

Off-Campus Access to Library Resources

Our collection includes access to over 1,000,000 ebooks and 9,000 online academic journals. When searching the catalog, be sure to check off the "Available Online" filter to find what you can access remotely.

You can also find databases alphabetically or by subject. Many online resources can be found on our research guides which provide lists of relevant library resources based on a specific field or discipline. Citation Guides are also available for all the major styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, & IEEE).

Need help finding resources? Ask a Librarian or check out these tutorials that walk you through accessing our online resources:

• Using Ebooks
• Find Peer-Reviewed Articles

In most cases, you will need your NetID and password to connect to our online resources while off-campus. For those who experience access issues, please see directions and troubleshooting tips for remote access.

Research Help 

Check out our Ask a Librarian page for a complete, up-to-date list of all the ways you can reach us for research assistance. Although in-person research help is unavailable until further notice, we're now extending our research appointment hours into the summer (for the first time!). These appointments allow for a more personal and in-depth level of research assistance and can be conducted via Zoom.

We also offer a 24/7 online chat service that you can use to get help when you need it immediately.

Research Guides and Citation Guides are always available to help you start your research on a wide range of subjects and disciplines. In addition, some classes may have their own library Course Guide.

Instructional Support 

For faculty migrating courses to online instruction, the DiMenna-Nyselius Library has information to assist with incorporating library resources. The two primary ways to connect to these resources is through either our Continuity Plan or Library Resources for Instructional Continuity wiki.

Please contact research@fairfield.edu for any questions regarding online instructional support.

Accessing Physical Materials 

Since the library building is currently closed and staff are working remotely, we will try to purchase books you need as eBooks. Not every book is available as an eBook though, so you can use our Interlibrary Loan service to request the chapters you need. If no eBook is available and we cannot get the materials via Interlibrary Loan, contact a research librarian to help you find alternative sources.

If you need help locating an eBook or additional sources please contact research@fairfield.edu. If you have questions about Interlibrary Loan refer to this page or contact ils@fairfield.edu.

If you have questions or concerns please contact us at research@fairfield.edu so we can best answer or direct your inquiry.

Please note: The library's ability to provide these services is subject to change. Any changes will be updated on this blog post and broadly disseminated to the campus community.

Our student workers breathe life into the Library. They help provide many services- some visible and many behind the scenes. They staff the building until midnight, pull stats, label books for the shelves, market services and resources during orientations, use their talents like Excel wizardry, graphic design, customer service, and so on and so on. Each department in the Library relies on these unique individual's hard work and dedication: Archives, Cataloging, Circulation, Collection Development, and Research & Instruction. The following students will be missed and we congratulate them for completing their degrees! Their supervisors and colleagues shared a few words about each of the accomplished scholars:

• Rathin Kumar Agarwal, M.S. Electrical & Computer Engineering "No more shifting book stacks for this shining star! Rathin is always ready to roll up his sleeves and dive into whatever job is in need of action. Congratulations, Rathin, with your kind thoughtful nature, your obvious intelligence, and your amazing work ethic you have a brilliant future awaiting you."
• Mary Conlon, Finance "Mary began working with the Collection Development team for licensed resources in the summer of 2017. We had embarked on a very ambition print journal and microform weeding project and Mary

*Student Library Advisory Board

We would like to thank the members of the Student Library Advisory Board (SLAB) for serving their term (Sept. 2019-May 2020) and providing vital feedback on library services, resources, and programming.

• Samuel Alofsin '21, Economics
• Jillian Cafasso '22, Finance
• Lily Fenton '22, DSB
• Ashley Halmans '20, Engineering
• Aaron Marks '20, M.A. Educational Technology
• Lucy Milauskas '21, Nursing
• Emily Miller '23, Communication
• Hazel Nguyen '23, Marketing
• Zachary Olszewski '23, Public Relations
• Hayley Ramge '20, Politics
• Edward Ordway '22, Finance
• Krystal Shaw '22, Communication

Thanks to the board member's ideas and advice we:

• Received vital feedback regarding research services, such as how to organize and promote research tutorials, and language for the website about the 24/7 chat service.
• Added directional signage to the Peer Tutoring/Testing room.
• Have new best practices for posting content to social media.
• Organized a Life@Fairfield training event with the Office of Student Engagement in February 2020.
• Planned a student Quip workshop (which had to be postponed due to COVID-19). The Library plans to run the event in the fall semester.
• Worked with Student Affairs to extend library caf

The DiMenna-Nyselius Library invites all members of the Fairfield University community to add their voices to the Fairfield University Archives & Special Collections by contributing to our Documenting the Fairfield University Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic Project.

The past month has forced significant changes upon the way we work, study, communicate, shop, and think about our surroundings. Without a doubt, this is an unprecedented moment in our own, our family's, our country's, and our university's histories and you've probably been recording or documenting your experience during the pandemic in various ways. Perhaps you've taken photos of the empty aisles at the grocery store or the long line leading up the drive-thru. Maybe you took a screenshot of the Zoom call you had with your extended family on Easter Sunday or have been posting your thoughts to Instagram Stories.

We're interested in genuine expressions of experience, not necessarily perfect grammar or style and because this is new to all of us, we're open to what you're willing to share. We also haven't set a deadline for this project, so if you are interested in participating and not sure what to share, we invite you to start keeping a diary of thoughts, images, videos, documents that you think accurately captures how you're feeling during this time. Historians of the future will want to know how we adapted our lives to the changes brought about by this pandemic and this is the best way to ensure that your voice is heard now, and in the future.

Click the image below to learn more:

Have questions? Visit the FAQ page.