Welcome to the Fall Semester

WELCOME BACK!!! With classes starting this past Monday, I'm sure your week has been eventful. I think everyone gets a little nervous the first day of classes. There are several things everyone has to deal with. Things such as fighting the traffic and getting here on time, finding classrooms and wondering what your instructors will be like. Then there are some that also have to deal with drop/add or trying to find classes that fit their schedules. We also have students that need a certain class but find that the class has been closed. This all part of the life of being a student.

We hope that you find friendly and courteous staff in ALL departments to help you with your needs. That being said, when you're having a difficult time and need to speak with someone try to keep calm even though the situation may be stressful. I know that can be easier said than done but being patient, friendly and having a smile on your face can go a long way. Faculty/staff/student interaction is also much easier if all parties involved remain cool and levelheaded.

Smile, be courteous and by all means ask for help when needed!

In Order To Serve You Better

SSCC will be closed on August 18, 2010. This is a day for a campuswide professional development day. This day will allow ALL employees of the college to learn information that will help us serve students better. While we realize this may be an inconvenience to you for this one day, we hope to learn things that will help you everyday. This is a day when the President of SSCC, Dr. Heinrich, will share information with all employees. It will also give us a chance to interact with people in other departments and learn from one another. That way the different departments can be more cohesive for our student population.

DIY In The Library

Working in the library I often hear the question, Do you have this book? While any library employee is happy to assist you, did you know you can find a book yourself? If you go to any library computer you can search the library's catalog.

How do I do this you may ask? It's simple! Click on either the internet icon or the Shelton State Libraries icon. Next, click where it says Currrent Students. A dropdown box will appear, click Library. You will then see the libraries homepage.

On the library homepage you'll find lots of useful information. You can search for books that are housed on both campuses. Remember, you can request a book from Fredd be sent to the Martin campus, if needed, and vice versa.There is also information regarding the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL),reference help, and other online info that may be beneficial to your studies.

Again, we are always happy to help but DIY is available as well! In the meantime, happy searching.

SAVE! SAVE! SAVE!

It's happened to almost all of us. You're happily typing your paper on the computer then the power goes out. You've lost 8 pages of the 10 page paper you just wrote. You begin to rant and rave and try not to put a fist through the monitor. The only answer to the problem is to save as you go.

Save! Save! Save! Save at least every 10 minutes or so. I would recommend always having a jump drive with you when using the computers here in the library. If you lose you paper there is NOTHING we can do to help you that is why we're offering this advice. There is no way for us to retrieve what you've previousy typed.

There are several things that may occur that no one has control over that may turn your computer off. First, with this being the summer the weather is unpredictable. We never know when a surprise storm will pop up and knock the power off. Second, and this has happened before, you never know when a bird may fly into a transformer, cause it to blow and off goes the power. Third, computers can sometimes just be downright unpredictable. One young man was typing a paper and his computer just shut itself off. It was the only computer in the library to turn off and he'd not saved any of his work.

So again, I recommend you bring a jumpdrive and save your work every 10 minuts or so. Also, please remember to take your jump drive with you when you leave.

Tips for Beating the Heat

The summer is here and it is HOT, HOT, HOT! While you may be in your classroom enjoying the AC, at some point and time you must go outside and enter into the heat. Here are a few tips for how to beat the heat this summer:

1. Come check out our best sellers in both campus libraries. You can enjoy them in the comfort and cool of the library or take it with you and enjoy it poolside.

2. Drink plenty of fluids but especially water. Drinking plenty of fluids will help prevent dehydration, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

3. Wear light colored clothing.

4. Carry an umbrella. An umbrella can provide protection rain or shine. It does double duty as a shield from the sun's rays and the rain. We all know the rain can come at any minute.

5.Stay in the shade, as much as possible, if you must be outdoors.

We hope these few tips will help you beat the heat. Of course, you can always come in the library and check out books pertaining to weather, health and prevention of heat related problems.

"BIG" Things Coming

The Shelton State Libraries are already planning for the fall semester. The "BIG" activity is the participation in "The Big Read". The Big Read is a set of activities based around a particular book. The book the state of Alabama chose for the 2010 year is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. Various activities centered around the book include several lunch and learns, a country fair day, movie night, poster contest and a Terrific Tuesday concert to name a few.


Please note that our library hours for the summer remain the same. Our hours for the Brook-Cork library on the Martin campus are 7:30a.m.-10 p.m. M-TH and 8a.m.-12p.m. on Friday. The Lewis library on the Fredd campus hours are 7:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. M-TH and 8a.m..-12p.m. on Friday.Come in and take a look, whether for study purposes or pleasure we have the books you need. Our collection ranges from nonfiction to bestsellers. If you need something that isn't in our collection please let one of our librarians know and he or she will see about ordering the book.

Please stayed tuned for more details on "The Big Read" and other activities that will take place during the summer and fall. "BIG" things are coming. . . you'll be surprised!

A Surprise

Some students have come to campus on Fridays and gotten a surprise. The campus was either closing or had closed. The official Friday hours for both campuses is 8 a.m. -12 p.m. This isn't just the library but ALL offices on campus. To make up for this change there are longer hours during the week. Official office hours Monday-Thursday are 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Please make note of the changes and plan accordingly. If you have a paper to type or test to take please come in by 11:00. Also, it would be wise to start saving your documents around 11:45. This way you can ensure you don't lose your work while making a mad scramble to be out by 12.