Almost there! Start of Holiday Shopping Season Signals Final Weeks of Fall Semester.

Whether you braved the craze of Black Friday or divided your online time between facebook, studying, and Cyber Monday shopping…chances are you’ve got a wee bit of shopping left to do in the next few weeks. And you’re not alone.

“Trade group National Retail Federation said Sunday that while 195 million shoppers–13% more than last year–visited stores and Web sites over the Black Friday weekend, the average spending over the weekend declined 7.9% to $343.31.” (Wall Street Journal Business)  It’s assumed that many of those missing dollars will be made up in the online shopping market, as many retailers are luring customers to their websites with hard to beat deals. 

So, what’s popular this year? According to a survey from the Consumer Electronics Association, “notebooks, portable mp3 players and flat-panel TVs would be the most purchased CE products this holiday and new and emerging product categories, such as eBook readers, Blu-ray players and smartphones, would also be popular” (WSJ).

Of course, topping the wish list for many MUH students may be TIME. More time for writing final papers and studying for finals. The good news is that in just a few more weeks you can cross THOSE off your list for good, leaving you with a wee bit more time to attend to your holiday plans.

Books on Retail/Shopping

• Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture (Shell 2009)
• Inside the Mind of the Shopper: The Science of Retailing.(Sorensen 2009)
• Ad Women: How They Impact what We Need, Want, and Buy (Sivulka 2009)
• Wal-smart: What it really takes to Profit in a Wal-Mart World (Marguard 2007)
• Greentailing and other Revolutions in Retail: Hot Ideas that are Grabbing Customer’s Attention and Raising Profits (Stern 2008)

Image courtesy of:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmarty/ / CC BY 2.0

Jacob or Edward? Oh, cruel world…

If you were in Bella’s shoes, who would YOU pick? You may find it a bit odd for Rentschler Library to be talking about the movie New Moon, but we actually carry Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series right here.  The BOOK version, that is! So maybe you don’t have time to read (or reread) right now some of the most talked-about fiction, but keep in mind that the holidays are coming up & you may find yourself with a wee bit of spare time.   If you’ve only seen the movies, you’ll love being ahead of your friends by reading the last two novels! Warning–these are pretty popular so they may be checked out already, but be sure that YOU check out Rentschler Library’s other Popular Fiction.

Have a little bit of HOPE that you can CHANGE things–get INVOLVED!

Human Rights & Social Justice–the words can be a bit overwhelming when you think about all of the sadness in the world today. Poverty. Slavery. Abuse. Discrimination. Malnourishment. Genocide. Civil War. We see so much of this on the news & on TV that we seem to only have 2 choices–become immune to it all or just be depressed about the situation.

Well, there are more options. You can get INVOLVED and spread HOPE not just to others, but to also empower yourself. You can learn more by participating in a variety of events around campus this week–see our Human Rights & Social Justice page for a full calendar. You can even join your peers in a discussion group on Friday, November 20th at Miami Hamilton Downtown, as MU student Rachael Herrle leads a discussion on Somaly Mam’s book, The Road of Lost Innocence .

RESOURCES

List of selected Rentschler Library Human Rights/Social Justice Titles
Somaly Mam Organization Website
STAND: Student led division of the Genocide Intervention Network

Need Help? Ask a Ninja! Or, Ask a Librarian!

Warning–this youtube video may have content that some find offensive and others find outrageously funny.  Our apologies to anyone offended! OK, so the college tips from “Ask a Ninja” are really just for a fun little break from studying, but if you need some REAL help–try “Ask a Librarian“!

Whether you’re trying to figure out what a scholarly article is (hey, you have to figure out WHAT it is before you figure out WHERE to find them!), how to find a variety or resources on that topic that seemed like such a great idea when you committed to it (now that you’re doubting your choice), or just wondering how you can get a book from Ohio State without driving to Columbus, we’re here to help.

You can instant message us (IM) from our library’s website or right from this page, email us your research question, or call us at 785-3235. You can also just stop by and we’ll find time to help you get what you need–just check our Hours before you drive all the way here. We really want to help!

The best things in life are free…so why miss out?

Monopoly MoneyTo celebrate Brad Ricca’s screening of his independent film, “Only Son” here on the Hamilton campus, Rentschler Library is featuring the stars of its illustrated collections. From cartoon strips to graphic novels, we have everything your eyes may crave. Whether you’re a die-hard comic collector, a fan of graphic novels, or a skeptic about literature with illustrations, you’ll want to see what’s waiting for you at Rentschler Library.

The display will only run from November 2nd through 13th, so don’t miss out! And, don’t forget to make it to the free screening of Brad Ricca’s “Only Son” on Thursday, November 5th at 7:00 pm in Wilks. You can view the Media Guide (pdf/388KB) for more information about the film.

Click the link to browse Rentschler’s collection of graphic novels.
FIND GRAPHIC NOVELS
View or Download the “Last Son” Media Guide