As summer speeds along with hot days, warm evenings and the ever present threat of thunderstorms, a new game has people wandering around our beautiful campus.

Pokémon Go

This interactive game that everyone has probably heard of (but might not know a lot about) has been downloaded  millions of times, and has the world out and about finding Pokestops, Gyms, and of course, Pokémon.  There are several Pokestops scattered around campus, including one at the T-Rex just outside of our library doors.  What, you may ask, is a Pokestop?  A Pokestop is a designated place, usually around buildings, artifacts, art pieces and areas of interest that attracts Pokémon, and allows you to spin the photo attributed to the stop to get items to help you in the game.  You can also put a “lure” at a Pokestop to attract even more Pokémon, and that is generally when you see large groups of people converging at one stop, much like our T-Rex.  There are many notable stops on campus, including the Lesya Ukrainka Statue just outside of Murray Library’s doors.

Pokemon Players Playing Pokemon

As for the Science Library, we are all hard at work with summer projects and preparing for the new term, which is quickly coming upon us.  In the works are a couple of handouts for the students new to our branch, and cleaned up signage throughout the library.  We have also recently completed the duplicates project and those items involved will be out for people to take home with them for a few more weeks.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Leaves on the trees, new sprinklers, and dandelions.  Children running, jumping and enjoying their lunch.  Students throwing Frisbees, kicking soccer balls, and suntanning (remember your sunscreen everyone!) The Bowl has been alive with life since the weather turned nice and we at the Science Library have been reaping the benefits of easy access to the outdoors!  We have noticed other staff heading out to take walks in the sunshine – wave as you pass our windows — we can see you even if you can’t see us!

As for what’s happening inside the branch, we are happy to say…a lot!  We had a Hawaiian themed birthday party last week, as well as a picnic for an Un-Birthday the week before!  We have several projects on the go, including a new display (Why does it smell so good after it rains?) that will be going up the first week of June; we are also working on archiving past displays.  And, of course, our students are enjoying their short&sweet&warm&relaxed summer classes, and show us their dedication by studying until 4:29:59 most days.

Enjoy the sunshine everyone, and we hope to see more of you enjoying it over the coming summer!

Another wonderful display is being showcased this month at the Science Library. The theme is the Solvay Conference of 1927, the fifth in a series of conferences still held to this day.  Sponsored by Ernest Solvay, the conference brought together the greatest scientific minds of the time to discuss scientific theories; in 1927, the list of attendees included familiar names such as Marie Curie, Einstein and Schrödinger. The theme that year was Protons and Electrons, and the main discussion was centred on the newly formulated quantum theory. Over a dozen Nobel Prize winners are highlighted in the new display.

Along with the new display is the new grass that is just peeking out around the building.  The staff have all spent a minute or two laughing at the ground squirrels and birds running, jumping and fighting each other on the grounds.  We are all eagerly awaiting the budding of the trees and the blooming of the flowers, if for no other reason than to shade us from the noon sun that streams almost blindingly into our office.  Poor us.