Tag Archives: Paley Library

TSG discusses library and related programs at weekly meeting

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The Temple Student Government general assembly convened in the Student Center on Monday afternoon to discuss additions to academic resources on Main Campus.

Steven Bell, an associate university librarian, discussed the new library that is scheduled to open in 2018.

“I do see that it can be a challenge for students to find good study space [and] good computing space,” Bell said. “We lack many of the amenities that allow students to be successful in the 21st century.”

Bell also mentioned the Alternative Textbook Project, which provides grants to 10 faculty members per semester to replace textbooks with alternative material for their courses. The goal is to save students money on textbooks.

“The amount of open material is increasing and [there is] leverage in library content and other open material,” Bell said.

Bell also emphasized the current resources the Paley Library offers such as one-on-one research assistance from librarians and the reservation system for study rooms.

“The library is not just books on shelves and chairs to study in,” Bell said.

The Paley Library will have a gaming room on the third floor, which is in coordination with the gaming club at Temple.

A Digital Scholarship Program System will also be available on Paley’s lower level in the Spring 2015 semester.

“[The system] is an intersection of computerization and humanities,” Bell said. “It teaches undergraduates how to do research in humanities and the social sciences.”

Trustees will vote on the design of the new library next month.

Bell also discussed a quad to be built near the Bell Tower after the demolition of Barton and Beury halls. He said that all the academic services will be around the one quad space.

“I think the design will be amazing for our campus,” Bell said. “I believe there will be nothing else quite like it.”

The TUnity release event will be at 7 p.m. tonight at the Bell Tower. Students will be able to endorse the statement with the laptops and iPads that will be provided.

The Student Organization of the Week was Delta Phi Epsilon. The sorority raised around $16,000 through the fundraiser D for Dude, which benefitted the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

TSG discusses new library

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Temple Student Government hosted committee meetings at its general assembly meeting Monday afternoon in the Student Center.

The Student Affairs committee discussed the new library that will be opening in Fall 2018. For this project, Barton and Beury halls will be deconstructed, beginning with Beury this summer.  Barton Hall will become the new library and Beury Hall will become green space as an extension of Beury Beach.

Classes located in Barton and Beury halls are relocating to the new SERC building.

Sally Abbas, committee director for student affairs, asked students at the meeting for potential ideas or improvements for the new library. Students made suggestions that included having a “quiet zone,” investing in inviting decor and cozy furniture, having more printers and electrical outlets for laptops, opening a cafe in the building and having 24-hour availability.

Abbas said the Paley Library building will still be used, but instead of being a library, it may become additional classroom space.

Erika Firestone, director of grounds and sustainability, outlined the upcoming activities for Campus Sustainability Week, which is this week. Upcoming events include a presentation by Community Energy, the company that installed solar panels at the Edberg-Olson practice facility.

The Student Organization of the Week was Her Campus Temple, which ran an all-male pageant for the title of “Mr. Temple.”

A preliminary version of the TUnity Statement, which is about diversity and inclusion of all students regardless of their characteristics, has been on TSG’s website for about two weeks, Jalen Blot, director of campus life and diversity, said.  Blot said this Friday he will conduct a final review of the statement before its launch event on Oct. 28.

Another upcoming TSG event is the “Adopt-a-Block” Day this Saturday.

Lian Parsons can be reached at lian.parsons@temple.edu or on Twitter @Lian_Parsons.

Sorority pledges announced on steps of Bell Tower

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Sorority rushes became pledges tonight after officially receiving their bids during an event held in front of the Bell Tower.

Hundreds of sisters, clad in the pinks, blues, and greens representing their respective sororities crowded in front of the Bell Tower while the pledges, who had been informed whether they received a bid earlier in the afternoon, lined up on the steps of Paley Library dressed mostly in sweatshirts.

As their names were announced through a megaphone above cheering crowds, the new pledges were led around the back of the Bell Tower and onto the steps where they presented their lettered T-shirts before rushing into the awaiting arms of the sisters of their sororities.

Afterwards, each sorority held a different event where pledges were told of the next steps in the process to become sisters.