There are two major shifting projects at O’Neill library that may impact how you locate items in the stacks on levels 4 and 5. Staff is hard at work making room for more items in the collection and for study spaces on level 5.
If you’ve been on O’Neill Library’s 4th or 5th floors lately, you might have noticed a few things out of place. Or a few thousand things.
An O’Neill Library staff member shifting books, as seen through empty rows of shelves on O’Neill level 5.
Can’t find a book? Until the shifting projects are finished later this year, follow the temporary call number ranges on the ends of the shelving units. (Also note: for now, the usually helpful shelf number provided by the catalog’s “locate” function may be inaccurate.)
Staff at O’Neill Library are working on two major projects to shift books in the collection, both to open space on the fifth floor for study areas, and to reduce the density of books to allow for more acquisitions. The empty ranges of shelves are temporary. On the fourth floor a dozen paces from the stairwell, the empty shelves mark one front in the library’s battle against overcrowding. The project on that floor has paused for several months to allow work on a more pressing front: space on the fifth floor needs to be cleared in time for construction crews arriving after this semester’s exam period.
The photo exhibit “Trapped in the Middle” illustrates the impact of growing wealth disparities on the middle class. It’s on display until the end of February in the Social Work Library and through March in the O’Neill Library reading room.
On display until the end of February in the Social Work Library and through March in the O’Neill Library reading room, the photo exhibit “Trapped in the Middle: The Effect of Income Inequality on the Middle Class in America” illustrates the impact of growing wealth disparities on the people we rarely expect to be struggling: the middle class.
Image of a family reconstructing a house in Julian Fisher’s Trapped in the Middle exhibit
Check out all the exciting services, collections, and spaces on the lowest Level of O’Neill Library!
Level Three may be the Main Level, but there’s so much excitement and lighthearted novelty on Level One of O’Neill Library… . It didn’t used to be this way. Before University Librarian Tom Wall arrived 11 years ago, it was a far less vibrant space: a microfilm room, some terrifying compressible shelving units, a tiny windowless classroom for staff training, and no way out. With the addition of a new exit providing easy access to Maloney Hall and the Commonwealth Garage, fun diner booths with flat screen monitors for casual group study, and an art gallery, Level One was on its way to becoming the most exciting level in O’Neill.
Even in 2020, sometimes the content you need is only available on microfiche or microfilm. If you don’t have x-ray vision, you’ll be happy to know that the equipment you need to read them is located in the same fluorescent-lit room, which incidentally gives you a small taste of what the basement used to look like (with less lighting).
If you need a cold drink, coffee, or some chips or gummy worms, you probably know that there are vending machines on Level One to satisfy the sweet and salty cravings that go with studying, but did you know there is also a machine that dispenses Wite-Out and Pepto-Bismol (for whatever ails you)? If it’s your phone that’s been up too many hours, there’s a phone charging station (with locking compartments) near the exit.
How do you make a group of frantically studying chemistry students or math students really happy? Give them an entire study room where they are allowed–even encouraged–to write on the walls. Right in the heart of Level One, this room is the ideal space for chemical reactions, formulae, or even getting a sonnet out to the world. Special markers are necessary; these can be borrowed from the Level One desk
A view of the collaborative study space on Level One of O’Neill Library, through the window in the shelves holding graphic novels.
When it’s time for a study break, head over to the graphic novel section. There are a wide variety of topics covering all areas of interest. Or check out the newest books in the collection–they’re displayed on cases around the level.
Is it a law of nature (regarding the call of nature) that the hardest restroom to find will necessarily be the cleanest? If you’re looking for a less stressed women’s room, Level One has you covered. It does suffer a bit from poor soap dispenser placement, but that’s a minor point. How do you find it? Go to the elevators and pass between them to the other side. There’s also a single stall accessible bathroom immediately before the elevators.
The seismograph on O’Neill Level one and the display screen of the last major quake and 24 hours of readings.
If that’s not earthshaking enough, you know what is? The earth. And we are measuring the shaking right here, right now on Level One. O’Neill Library is proud to be one of a number of libraries and other educational facilities that has its own working seismograph, courtesy of the Boston College Educational Seismology Program. The live feed from the seismograph is also available online.
And sometimes Level Three is just too much like Times Square. Bypass the crowds, and do your studying, book checking out, printing, and scanning down on Level One.
Got issues? If you’re faculty or staff, Level One has the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program. Visit their site for more information and to set up an appointment.
Need to drop your possessions off for a little while? Please don’t leave them unattended! BC’s a bit of a bubble, but bad things sometimes happen, even in the library. It’s awful to come back from a quick walk and find your computer or wallet is gone. Tucked in right next to the stairs is a bank of short-term lockers to protect your stuff. There are even dedicated laptop lockers with electrical outlets.
Remember, too, that Level One has extended hours on most Friday and Saturday nights. When the rest of O’Neill shuts down at 10pm, Level One is open for studying night-owls until 2am.
Take a little while to explore next time you need a study break. There’s something for everyone on Level One.
Reserve the Faculty Preview Room now in order to use the new microphones for your audio projects or to make use of a quiet group meeting space.
New recording setup with multiple microphones and headphones in the Digital Studio’s Faculty Preview Room
The Digital Studio offers a variety of software and resources to students within O’Neill library. Whether making use of the multi-touch table, the various applications hosted on the the 25 Macs in the room, or the 38” HDMI screen that is great for group projects, the Digital Studio hopes to create a modern space for changing assignments using media. As part of adapting, the small conference room connected to the Digital Studio known as the Faculty Preview Room has been outfitted with six acoustic panels and a new recording area.
