Library News

The 100 days of summer are almost upon us. Rest, recharge and live longer* (!?) by reading a book! Join our summer reading challenge: download a reading log, and if you read 15 minutes per day, log it. 

Every 10 days earns you one entry into our raffle for awesome library swag, including this cool Carhartt cooler that keeps beverages and snacks icy cold on those hot Moraga days:

Grab a book from our popular reading collection or check out our database NoveList Plus to find your next best read to suit whatever mood you’re in. Try out NoveList’s super fun appeal generator! 

Instructions:

⬇️ Download a reading log (or pick one up in the library)

🖍 Color in a box on the log for every day you read or listened to a book for 15 minutes or more (May 24-Sept 3, 2025).

📷 Submit a photo of your log to bit.ly/smclsr2025

🏆 Get 1 prize raffle entry for every 10 days you read. Receive 5 bonus entries for reading all 100 days!

* According to Bavishi et al. (2016), adult book readers lived, on average, almost two years longer than those who didn't read books. 

Bavishi, A., Slade, M. D., & Levy, B. R. (2016). A chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevity. Social Science & Medicine, 164, 44-48. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616303689

*Behind-the-Scenes* Library Crawl

Wednesday, October 2

12–1 p.m.

How do library books get on the shelf?

What happens when you submit an interlibrary loan request?

How can you access hundreds of databases from anywhere in the world?
 

It seems like magic, but it's people power...plus technology!
 

Come on a quick behind-the-scenes crawl through the staff areas of the Library with our Access Services and Collections Management teams. You'll get a hands-on look at all the hard work that makes a library run, with tasty bites along the way!
 

Open to staff, faculty, and students. No RSVP necessary--drop by anytime during the noon hour. (If you enjoyed last year's library crawl, come on back for this new, behind-the-scenes edition!)

The Library and the MFA in Creative Writing invite you to Pause for Poetry

in (belated) celebration of National Poetry Month and Arab American Heritage Month:

Wednesday, May 8

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Library, Silent Study Zone

With SMC visiting poet Zeina Hashem Beck and student poets from the undergraduate and graduate creative writing programs

***

Zeina Hashem Beck is a Lebanese poet. Her third poetry collection, titled O, was published by Penguin Books in July 2022. It won the 2023 Arab American Book Award for poetry and was named a Best Book 2022 by Lit Hub and The New York Public Library. 

We invite you to experience Arab American poetics and to participate in the transformative process of reflection and creation. Please bring something to write with and on, as we engage in shared reading and individual writing.

Wikipedia is everywhere! But do you know what it is and how it works?

Join librarians Margot Hanson and Sarah Vital to go beyond reading Wikipedia articles and learn about the process of editing, updating, and expanding them to improve access to information. Update articles on your own, or even make them into class assignments!

Meet up for this workshop in the Library Learning Lab on Thursday, April 18, 2024 between 11:30-12:30.

Questions? Contact Margot at mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu or Sarah at svital@stmarys-ca.edu

Quiet Book Club is a time and space for us to sit quietly and read our own thing...together!

Leave your textbooks at home and bring something to read for fun: a novel, manga, magazine, Kindle...it's up to you.

Bring your friends or show up solo. We'll provide mochi ice cream and drinks (and books if you need one!). We'll read for an hour and then have the option to share what we're reading.

And we'll raffle off a clip-on book light!

Friday, March 15
2:00-3:00 p.m.
Museum of Art

Diversify your syllabi or personal "TBR" lists with new library resources!

• ProQuest Black Studies
• NoveList Plus
• New Play Exchange

Monday, March 11

1:30-2:30 p.m.

Library Learning Lab

Join the SMC Library and Honors Program on an outing to learn about the countless free resources available at the Lafayette Library! 

Thursday, February 22, 5-6 PM

• Bus: Meet at the SMC bus stop at 4:30 pm
• Driving yourself: Meet us at the Lafayette Library at 5:00 pm

We'll have you back to campus around 6:30 p.m.

**RSVP to save your spot!**

Welcome back to the Spring semester. We're going to start off the semester with some crafting love on Monday, 2/12 from 3-4 in the SMC Library with Valentine crafts.

You can use our supplies to make cards, weave friendship bracelets with embroidery thread, or other creations you imagine.

Everyone is welcome, it's free to attend and wheelchair accessible. Contact Margot Hanson (mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu) if you have questions.

Hope to see you there!

Calling all introverts! (And anybody who likes to read.)

Quiet Book Club is a time and space for us to read silently together.

Leave your textbooks at home, and bring something to read for fun: a novel, manga, magazine, Kindle...it's up to you!

We'll provide the sweets and mocktails (and books if you need one!). We'll read for an hour and then have the option to share what we're reading. And we'll raffle off a cozy SMC beanie!

Tuesday, January 23
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Library Silent Study Zone (1st floor)

Challenge your wits with a variety of mind-bending puzzles and games that will test your problem-solving skills.

Take a crack at our puzzles and games, or bring your own! 

Hot chocolate, apple cider and sweet treats will be provided.

Thursday, January 4

6:30-8:30 p.m.

Library Learning Lab

Our 8th annual High School Libraries Workshop is January 31, 2024 from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM in the Claeys Lounge, SODA Center.

Registration is open: https://bit.ly/HighSchoolLibrariesWorkshopSMC

This one-day event promises a relaxing day away for area middle and high school library workers to engage, connect and share innovative ideas to enhance their library's impact. Participants will enjoy ample time to catch up during the continental breakfast and falafel bar lunch, as well as time to share and learn about today's library trends and best practices over coffee and snacks. 

Presentations

• A.I.: Time to Learn and Play
• California State Library K-12 Online Resource Program Showcase
• University Librarians Speak Up About College Research Skills

Potential breakout sessions

• New Books on a Budget
• TLC for Books: Book Covering and Repair
• Innovative Library Organization Systems
• Passive Library Programming
• Collaboration over Collections: Renovating a High School Library
• Tour of the Saint Mary’s College Library

 ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST REGISTER, even if they’ve already filled out the interest form earlier. The registration fee is $45 and covers the cost of food and beverages. Parking on campus costs $5 for the day; our campus is also accessible from BART via public transit or bike. More information will be shared in advance of the workshop date.

For the most up-to-date information visit: https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/hslw/2024/

Questions? Contact Julie McPherson at JLM51@stmarys-ca.edu or (925) 631-8632.

Scan below to register:

Workshop Committee

• Swetta Abeyta, sba2@stmarys-ca.edu
• Margot Hanson, mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu
• Sarah Vital, svital@stmarys-ca.edu
• Gina Kessler Lee, gkl2@stmarys-ca.edu
• Monica Axelrode, mca6@stmarys-ca.edu
• Julie McPherson, jlm51@stmarys-ca.edu

Let's celebrate a semester of Crafternoons! Show off your crafting or upcycling skills and bring a small handcrafted, free, or found gift, wrapped and ready to swap. 

We'll also have some material to make holiday ornaments if you'd like something to work on, maybe even to create for another gift exchange. 

Arrive at 3pm sharp! Bring it wrapped! Bring a friend!

• Monday, December 4
• 3-4 pm
• Library Learning Lab (1st floor)

All SMC students, faculty, and staff are welcome.

Questions? Contact Margot Hanson (mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu)

Join us for some hand sewing! You can come up with your own project or try one of our suggestions: passport holders, small pouches, and triangle bookmarks. We have a variety of fabric remnants for you to choose from for your projects, as well as sewing needles and thread (but we don't have sewing machines).

• Monday, November 27
• 2:30pm - 4:30pm
• Library Learning Lab

Collaboration with Campus Activities Board (CAB).

All SMC students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Free, wheelchair accessible, and open to all.

Questions? Contact Margot Hanson (mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu) or Katherine Legrama (kbl8@stmarys-ca.edu)

As the weather cools and the sweaters, hats, and scarves come out, join us at this week's Crafternoon on the Library balcony (2nd floor, quad side) to work on a knit or crochet project, or learn how to knit or crochet.

We'll have extra needles and yarn, as well as experienced fiber crafters to get you started no matter your skill level.

As always, you can also bring any other crafting or maker project you have and work on it in community.

• Monday, November 13
• 3-4 pm
• Library balcony (2nd floor, quad side)

All SMC students, faculty, and staff are welcome.

Free, wheelchair accessible, and open to all.

Questions? Contact Margot Hanson, mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu

Come participate in a special Veterans Week-themed Crafternoon on the lawn outside the Library and make cards and posters for our SMC Veterans. Once we finish our crafting, the completed cards and banners will go up in the SMC Veterans Lounge.

• Monday, November 6
• 2-4 pm
• Library lawn

This is a collaboration with Kindra Stewart, Veterans Support Services. We'll supply all the paper and decorating supplies your hearts desire!

All SMC students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Free, wheelchair accessible, and open to all.

Questions? Contact Kindra Stewart (kcs14@stmarys-ca.edu) or Margot Hanson (mdh15@stmarys-ca.edu)

We have a special Crafternoon planned for this coming Monday, 10/23, in collaboration with the Mission & Ministry Center - Our Lady of Guadalupe program. Join us in the Library Learning Lab on the first floor between 3-4:30 (an extra half hour!) to do crafting in preparation for Dia de los Muertos.

We'll make papel picado & paper cempasúchil crafts and paint foam skulls to decorate campus ofrendas.

Thanks to Stephanie Ramirez and America Lopez for this collaboration!

All SMC students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Free, wheelchair accessible, and open to all.

Want to learn about the many library perks for SMC staff? Pop by our staff library crawl!

We'll have stations set up throughout the library where you can snack on bites, learn about library services, and meet our staff.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

12:00-1:30 p.m.

RSVP

Monday, October 2, 3-4pm on the Library balcony!

Get Halloween month started off with some creepy crafts. We'll have supplies for mini pumpkin painting, making your own paper masks, pipe cleaner spiders, yarn spiderwebs, and more.

We'll also have a Cricut Cuttlebug manual die cut machine, if you want to cut some paper to make garlands or other paper decorations.

And it's officially pumpkin flavor season, so come eat some mini pumpkin muffins!