Penfield Library Blog: News & Highlights

Busy! Get All Your Questions Answered at the Success Fair -- March 27, 1pm - 4pm

Busy and don't have time to get to all the places to get help? Stop by the Success Fair in Penfield Library on Thursday, March 27 anytime between 1pm and 4pm. You'll have a chance to talk with representatives from offices around campus all under one roof. Speak with reps from the Writing Center, the Office of Learning Services (Tutoring),Campus Technology Services (CTS), Career Services, the Advisement Center, Campus Recreation, Experiential Learning (EXCEL), Students Helping Oz (SHOP), and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Bring all your questions and find helpful answers from people who care deeply about your academic and personal success. PLUS, grab giveaways and refreshments.

Penfield Library Success Fair
Thursday, March 27, 2025
1pm - 4pm
Penfield Library Lobby

Sponsored by Penfield Library and the Office of the Dean of Students

Penfield Library Celebrates STEAM at International Women’s Day Event

Every year in early March, a crowd of students, faculty, staff, and community members both young and old descend on Penfield Library. They come to participate in Maker Madness, a free event celebrating science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics (STEAM) and the joy of making things themselves. The event is held on or near International Women’s Day, to highlight women’s contributions in those areas. While much of the audience consists of families with young children, anyone interested in trying their hand at making something for fun is welcome and encouraged to attend.

At Maker Madness 2024, attendees could make their own lava lamps and electrical greeting cards, learn to knit, or experiment with how well structures made of blocks could withstand an earthquake. The crew from WTOP’s first ever all-women-run sports broadcast was there showing how the tv magic works, alongside makers from ARISE, a central New York group that works with volunteers to create custom accessibility hardware for people with disabilities.

This year’s event on Saturday, March 8, already has local makers signed up to share a cardboard marble maze activity, fashion upcycling, geometric structures made from soap bubbles, and more. Christina Vasquez, director of SUNY Oswego’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), says she’s been organizing CSTEP students to run a table at Maker Madness for several years now. She loves the way Maker Madness lets CSTEP Scholars connect with and inspire young children. 

“We typically do a fun station with some kind of hands-on activity that is focused on STEM. Examples over the years include making bouncy balls (polymer science), DNA bracelets (genetics), famous women scientist coloring pages, etc.,” Vasquez said. “It's pretty cool to think that these kids are sitting down with future scientists, researchers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and everything in between. A lot of [CSTEP Scholars] come from big families and miss that connection so this is a great chance for them to have fun in a way that reminds them of home. We always get a positive response from volunteer students who participate.”

Penfield Library Director Sarah Weisman emphasized how important it is to bring K12 students onto campus and into Penfield Library. “This is a positive early exposure to a hub of learning and rich information resources on our campus,” she said, explaining that while local young folks may have been on campus for a summer camp or athletic event, they may not have visited the library before. “Participating in fun, hands-on educational activities in the library can inspire kids to envision themselves as creators, scholars, and as future college students.”

Maker Madness is organized by the local Zonta Club in collaboration with SUNY Oswego’s Penfield Library. Jennifer Joyce, who heads Zonta’s work on the event, says that Maker Madness is a perfect match for Zonta’s goals of promoting education, empowering women and girls, and engaging with the community. Zonta Club and the library have been collaborating on this annual event since 2016.

“My favorite part about Maker Madness is watching the youth of the community visit each of the maker tables, creating trinkets, and learning about STEAM activities,” Joyce said. She also expressed her appreciation for the Maker Madness scavenger hunt, which features different historical women each year. 

Weisman spotlighted the effort Penfield’s librarians put into creating a thoughtful scavenger hunt incorporating women from all sorts of backgrounds and disciplines, and hiding information about them around Maker Madness. Participants are entered in a drawing to win a Chromebook if they complete the scavenger hunt.

“Librarians spend time developing the scavenger hunt in an intentional way, in order to highlight women from all walks of life and time periods, expanding awareness of women’s amazing accomplishments beyond just the most well-known ones,” Weisman said. Last year’s scavenger hunt featured composer Florence Price, biochemist Katalin Karikó, engineer Mary Golda Ross, and more. 

“It is my hope that bringing kids and their parents into the library helps to increase students’ overall comfort with libraries and see libraries as welcoming places of discovery and support,” said Weisman. “Academic libraries are collaborative and dynamic places for learning, chock full of resources and friendly and knowledgeable staff, which they’ll get to see firsthand when they visit.” Maker Madness underscores Penfield Library’s efforts to connect students, faculty, staff, and the local community with information, learning, and each other. 

“This event is exciting for all those who attend,” said Joyce, regardless of whether they’re makers or attendees. “There is a place for everyone at Maker Madness.” 

Joyce said that it is very rewarding for makers to share their talents with young attendees, and Vasquez agreed, encouraging others to join in and run a station at Maker Madness. “Do it!,” Vasquez said. “Anyone can participate as we all have some kind of skill or talent we can share. It doesn't have to be big, but if you have a group of people here that want to learn, why not share your knowledge?”

Maker Madness will take place from 1 - 4 pm on Saturday, March 8 in Penfield Library. 

Individuals or clubs who are interested in becoming makers at this year’s Maker Madness should sign up here by Wednesday, February 26. In keeping with libraries’ core mission of providing equitable access to resources for their communities, nothing may be sold at Maker Madness. This keeps the event completely free and open for every attendee to participate in fully. Limited reimbursements for activity supplies are available on a first-come, first-served basis if makers include that need on the signup form. 

The library and Zonta Club would like to thank event sponsors Novelis and Bluum Technology.

Celebrate Penfield Loves You Day with us!

Poet Elizabeth Barret Browning asked, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways." In honor of Penfield Loves You Day on February 14, here are 6 ways the people who make up Penfield Library show our love for the SUNY Oswego community:

1. Join us to party at the library!  We'll have snacks and activities on the main library floor from 11am - 3pm on Friday, February 14, 2025 in honor of Penfield Loves You Day. Keep an eye on the campus events calendar for other library events throughout the year, too--we showcase faculty research, offer pizza and support for students at our regular Research Parties, celebrate our freedom to read during Banned Books Week, and more.  
2. We want you to read something for fun. Sure, the library has lots of materials to support your research, but we also have a Leisure Reading collection that's just for fun. Pick up a good book when you need a break from adulting. 
3. We’ll help you to avoid paying for your information sources. If Penfield doesn't have what you need, we'll order it from another library. It's included in student tuition, so why not take advantage and request something by that obscure poet you love, or a book about medieval book curses? (You know you want to.)
4. We support you keeping up with the news (and your Wordle streak). The New York Times is included in the library resources available to you as a member of the SUNY Oswego community–all you have to do is create your account through the library. Yes, we mean the whole New York Times, including the games, the recipes, and the historical articles, like this one from almost exactly 120 years ago: “500 to Drink Tea Under Big Dinosaur.”
5. We want to help you learn something awesome. Sure, the readings and research you’re supposed to be working on are great and all. But why not dig into a topic that you’re actually excited about? Whether that’s spooky action at a distance, the bouba-kiki effect, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, or anything in between, we’ve got you covered.
6. We offer library / research help, when and where you want it. We know there’s a lot going on in the library, and even more going on in the world of things you might end up wanting information about. That’s why Penfield Library offers assistance from real, live humans who have master’s degrees in finding, evaluating, and organizing information. Drop in with no appointment needed at the Research Help Desk in Penfield, use our 24/7 chat support, or take a look at all the other ways you can reach us. We love it when we can help; you love not beating your head against a metaphorical wall. We’re a perfect match!

Study carrel registration now open

Registration for Penfield Library's free, private study carrels for the Spring 2025 semester is now open! Study carrels provide students, faculty, and professional staff with space in the library for their study and research and are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Visit our study carrels page for more information and to sign up. Registration continues until they're gone.

We also invite you to explore the numerous other spaces available for individual study and collaborative group work. We look forward to seeing you in the library!

By the Numbers: Annual Report 2023-2024

Have you ever wondered:

• How many questions do Penfield Library employees answer in an academic year?
• How many items got borrowed from the library last year?
• How many library searches did the SUNY Oswego community run?
• What projects has the Archives and Special Collections unit of the library been working on?
• How many U.S. states were represented in library visitors on the day of the total solar eclipse?
• What happened last year with the library’s Multi-Year Collection Review Project?

You can find answers to all this and more in the 2023-2024 Library Department Annual Report, now available as a PDF file or text document.

Extended hours for Last Week of Classes and Finals Week

Penfield Library is offering extended hours for the last week of classes and finals week for your research and study needs:

• Monday, December 2 through Thursday, December 5: 8am - 2am
• Friday, December 6: 8am - 7pm
• Saturday, December 7: 11am - 7pm
• Sunday, December 8: 11am - 2am
• Monday, December 9 through Wednesday, December 11: 8am - 2am
• Thursday, December 12: 8am - 11pm
• Friday, December 13: 8am - 4:30pm

Need the library even later? Our 24 Hour Room and computer lab are open overnight with your student ID, and you can always get research help using our 24/7 chat option.

Harmony Room at Penfield Library now open

We're pleased to announce the Harmony Room at Penfield Library is now open. Located on the second floor and equipped with bean bag chairs, soft lighting, yoga mats, a sound/light machine, and a TV preloaded with meditation videos, the Harmony Room gives you a space to meditate, pray, or destress. Stop by the Check Out & Reserves desk on the first floor to borrow the room key.

Hear our Podcasting Room in Action

Did you know we opened a new podcasting room this fall? Students, faculty, and staff can reserve the room through the library’s website.

But what is this room like, how does it work, and who finds it useful? Assistant Library Director Emily Mitchell set out to learn more by creating her own interview podcast. She talked to:

• The person who put the room together: Technology Support Professional Dustin O’Neil
• A student who runs a podcast: Eason Lee (Human Resource Management)
• A professor who assigns podcasting in class: Dr. Celinet Duran-Jimenez (Criminal Justice)

Listen to the full story or read the transcript.

Announcing our new Music Listening Station

We're pleased to announce that our CDs and vinyl records are now fully browsable. Visit these collections in their new home on the second floor to find some old favorites and discover something new. Stay awhile and relax at our brand new music listening station, equipped with headphones and comfy chairs, or check a few out to enjoy later. 

While you're here, visit the first floor for selections from our CD collection in our "What's a CD?" display, available through the end of October.

Get Your Questions Answered at Penfield Library's Success Fair

Come out to the Penfield Library Success Fair on Thursday, October 24 from 1pm to 4pm. Students will have a chance to talk with representatives from the Writing Center, the Office of Learning Services (Tutoring), Extended Learning (Testing Services), Campus Technology Services (CTS), Career Services, Student Engagement & Leadership, the Advisement Center, Campus Recreation, Experiential Courses and Engaged Learning (EXCEL), EOP,  and the Office of the Dean of Students.

Bring all your questions and find helpful answers from people who care deeply about your academic and personal success. PLUS, grab giveaways and refreshments. See you here in the library lobby.

Penfield Library Success Fair
Thursday, October 24, 2024
1pm - 4pm
Penfield Library Lobby

Sponsored by Penfield Library and the Office of the Dean of Students