Episode 3 – Tour of the Library, part II
Note: In 2009 the Reference Librarians’ desk was moved to the front of the Evans Library on the 1st floor next to the circulation desk. The back part of the library where they used to be has been renovated into a study area with couches and chairs. To see an updated tour of the writing center check out Episode 22: Video Tour of the Writing Center.
June 2007
MEGHAN: Good morning College Station! I’m Meghan Wall and welcome back to another exciting episode of Write Right, the University Writing Center’s student podcast. This is our second episode in our two part tour of the Evans library here on the A&M campus. Today our tour guide Selena Syntax will be taking our music class up to the second floor to learn about the writing center as well as many other great services you might not have known about. So enjoy your tour and remember, library voices only…right?
[INFINTRY CHARGE SOUND]
SELENA SYNTAX: Now onto the second floor….
MALE STUDENT: Don’t you have to be quiet all the time in the library, why is there a sign here that says not a quiet study area?
[STUDENTS LAUGHING]
SELENA SYNTAX: That’s because this is where the writing center is, and it’s always a party over here!! (Loud laughing and partying)
BORAT: What is this writing center? How can it make great success for my students?
SELENA SYNTAX: Well at the writing center you can get help on any paper from one of our highly trained, friendly consultants.
FEMALE STUDENT: Yeah won’t they edit my paper for me and fix all the mistakes?
[BUZZER FOR WRONG ANSWER]
SELENA SYNTAX: No they won’t do it for you but they will sit down with you and you can work together.
STUDENT: OAHHH!
FEMALE STUDENT: So if they can’t fix it then what can they do?
SELENA SYNTAX: Well they can help you get started by brainstorming and coming up with ideas for your paper [BELL DING], They can help you understand your assignment [BELL DING], help with research and citations as well as give you an opinion on your draft and some things to work on [BELL DING]. Plus they are super knowledgeable and can answer any of your questions about writing.
MALE STUDENT: What if I don’t have time to come to the writing center or make an appointment?
[INFINTRY CHARGE SOUND]
SELENA SYNTAX: Well they do take walk-ins or you can go to the online writing lab and send in a part of your paper you want looked at or just a question you need answered.
FEMALE STUDENT: And who’s paying for all these amenities?
[CARTOON PIANO NOISE]
SELENA SYNTAX: Actually you are, $8 a semester goes to the writing center, so you might as well try it out.
SCARED BOY: (stuttering) but I have Scriptophobia: Fear of writing in public. Doooh!
SELENA SYNTAX: Well believe me the people at the writing center are very friendly and helpful you can go in anytime and just talk with them, no pressure.
BORAT: Much success!!!
SELENA SYNTAX: Also on the second floor you’ll notice that we have current textbooks; the library purchases about 50 new textbooks a year so if you can’t afford one just come check them out here, you can have them for up to 4 hours and you can make copies.
STUDENTS: WOW!
MALE STUDENT: So what if I want a book and the library doesn’t have it?
BRITISH VOICE: If you want a new book and it’s under $150 the library has to buy it. You can save hundreds of dollars by requesting your books at the library.
MOVIE VOICE: The library website, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on textbooks.
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: Well hello my children, we also have magazines and newspapers too so you can read your fortune.
VALLEY GIRL: You have magazines? Are you serious I can get Cosmo and Glamour for free?
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: And that be not it my children, we also have newspapers online at library press display, we have 255 papers from 50 countries around the world so you can get tomorrows newspapers today, and that’s no magic don’t you know!
VALLEY GIRL: See there’s just one problem with that, I can’t read my magazine without drinking my sugar free soy no whip macchiato and the library has a totally bogus no food policy.
ARNOLD: Actually we have library approved coffee mugs for you to borrow, as long as you return them. If you do not I will smash you like I smashed taxes in California. [SMASHES CAN]
BRITISH VOICE: Hey mate, if you come back during finals we’ll give free hot chocolate and coffee all night, just are little way of helping you kids out.
STUDENTS: OOOHH!!
SELENA SYNTAX: Anyway on to the third floor….
FEMALE STUDENT: It says here in your pamphlet that 75% of students face library anxiety is this true?
[BIRD WHISTLE FALLING DOWN]
VALLEY GIRL: This place is so huge, it’s like major intimidating?
[A BONG ON BIG DRUM]
MS. HOFFMAN: The reason there is a lot of library anxiety is just the sheer size of the library. Most students don’t even know who to ask for help, they think when they first walk into Evans library they see two or three desks there but if you wanted particular research help you’d have to walk all the way to the back of the library to ask a reference librarian.
STUDENTS: OOHH!!
DEEP STUDENT VOICE: How many books does the library have?
[COUGHING TO CLEAR VOICE]
[INFINTRY CHARGE SOUND]
DEEP LIBRARIAN VOICE: Did you know that?
HELIUM IN VOICE: Current university library holdings include 3.6 million volumes.
[BUZZER]
FEMALE STUDENT: Whoa that’s a lot of books!
BRITISH VOICE: They say the library is going to blow if we put ANY more books in it. [EXPLOSION SOUND]. So we have a solution, EBOOKS, you can read them online from anywhere you can access the internet. We have up to 300,000 now, and growing.
STUDENTS: WOW! OHH!
FEMALE STUDENT: Wow! What else does the library have for me?
[WHISTLE SLIDING UP]
MS. HOFFMAN: We have a great DVD collection.
BORAT: Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo DVD’s! Great American success!
MS. HOFFMAN: We have the academy award collection.
STUDENTS: WOAH!
MS. HOFFMAN: And we have a great comedy collection too, so for instance we have things like the “Wedding Crashers” [LAUGHING] Or “LOST,” some series like that and CD’s.
STUDENTS: WOW!
BORAT: Ah students you can listen to music from all the decades for you project. BING-BONG-BING-BONG-BING-BIDDLY-BING-DING-DONG-DING!
[AWKWARD LAUGH]
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: And remember my children the annex is right next door to the library.
VALLEY GIRL: How about some electronics?
[BELL DING]
MS. HOFFMAN: We also have laptops too, and the coolest thing too is now we’re checking out Ipods, we have some 60 gigabyte video Ipods and you check them out for two weeks at a time.
VALLEY GIRL: Wow! That’s hot! Do you have any pink iPods? I love pink!
[BUZZER FOR WRONG ANSWER, DRUMROLE, WHISTLE, AND HORN]
SELENA SYNTAX: Well that was you tour guys, thank you come again.
BORAT: What did you think of Evans most glorious book building on campus? [STUDENTS CHEERING] Is everyone ready to make their papers?
MALE STUDENT: I guess so, we don’t have any excuses now, and the library makes it so easy to get started.
PHOBIC STUDENT: I think my didaskaleinophobia might be cured, I know longer fear going to school, or at least the library!
VALLEY GIRL: I can’t believe my daddy has been paying for all this and I had no idea about all the cool stuff, I’ll definitely be back.
ARNOLD: Hasta La Vista Baby! [SMASHES ANOTHER CAN]
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: Don’t forget, call me now!
BRITISH VOICE: So come back to the library where you could save hundreds of bucks on your books for the semester. Ta Ta.
THE COUNT: Goodbye AH AH AH! [THUNDEROUS NOISE]
BORAT: Ah students, let’s go, I’d like to make a class time now!
MEGHAN: If you are a student excited about the topics discussed in today’s podcast then do yourself a favor and come to the library! You’ve heard those librarians, they want to help you succeed with your research and writing. But it’s not all work here in the library. You can watch a movie or listen to some music, we’ve got it all! Couches, TV’s, iPods, laptops, music and DVDs not to mention all the reading material! Make the library your new favorite hangout and remember to stop by the writing center here on the 2nd floor of Evans for all of your writing needs. Thank you for listening to Write Right our vocal talent included John Port, Megan Guerra, Chelsea McGill, Jennifer Jaynes, Mark Kohutek and several anonymous contributors. I’m Meghan Wall hoping you’ll join us next time for another exciting episode of Write Right!
Episode 3: Tour of the Library, part 2
June 2007
MEGHAN: Good morning College Station! I’m Meghan Wall and welcome back to another exciting episode of Write Right, the University Writing Center’s student podcast. This is our second episode in our two part tour of the Evans library here on the A&M campus. Today our tour guide Selena Syntax will be taking our music class up to the second floor to learn about the writing center as well as many other great services you might not have known about. So enjoy your tour and remember, library voices only…right?
[INFINTRY CHARGE SOUND]
SELENA SYNTAX: Now onto the second floor….
MALE STUDENT: don’t you have to be quiet all the time in the library, why is there a sign here that says not a quiet study area?
[STUDENTS LAUGHING]
SELENA SYNTAX: That’s because this is where the writing center is, and it’s always a party over here!! (Loud laughing and partying)
BORAT: What is writing center? How can it make great success for my students?
SELENA SYNTAX: Well at the writing center you can get help on any paper from one of our highly trained, friendly consultants.
FEMALE STUDENT: Yeah won’t they edit my paper for me and fix all the mistakes?
[BUZZER FOR WRONG ANSWER]
SELENA SYNTAX: No they won’t do it for you but they will sit down with you and you can work together.
STUDENT: OAHHH!
FEMALE STUDENT: So if they can’t fix it then what can they do?
SELENA SYNTAX: Well they can help you get started by brainstorming and coming up with ideas for your paper [BELL DING], They can help you understand your assignment [BELL DING], help with research and citations as well as give you an opinion on your draft and some things to work on [BELL DING]. Plus they are super knowledgeable and can answer any of your questions about writing.
MALE STUDENT: What if I don’t have time to come to the writing center or make an appointment?
[INFINTRY CHARGE SOUND]
SELENA SYNTAX: Well they do take walk-ins or you can go to the online writing lab and send in a part of your paper you want looked at or just a question you need answered.
FEMALE STUDENT: And who’s paying for all these amenities?
[CARTOON PIANO NOISE]
SELENA SYNTAX: Actually you are, $8 a semester goes to the writing center, so you might as well try it out.
SCARED BOY: (stuttering) but I have Scriptophobia: Fear of writing in public. Doooh!
SELENA SYNTAX: Well believe me the people at the writing center are very friendly and helpful you can go in anytime and just talk with them, no pressure.
BORAT: Much success!!!
SELENA SYNTAX: Also on the second floor you’ll notice that we have current textbooks; the library purchases about 50 new textbooks a year so if you can’t afford one just come check them out here, you can have them for up to 4 hours and you can make copies.
STUDENTS: WOW!
MALE STUDENT: So what if I want a book and the library doesn’t have it?
BRITISH VOICE: If you want a new book and it’s under $150 the library has to buy it. You can save hundreds of dollars by requesting your books at the library.
MOVIE VOICE: The library website, 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on textbooks.
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: Well hello my children, we also have magazines and newspapers too so you can read your fortune.
VALLEY GIRL: You have magazines? Are you serious I can get Cosmo and Glamour for free?
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: And that be not my children, we also have newspapers online at library press display, we have 255 papers from 50 countries around the world so you can get tomorrows newspapers today, and that’s no magic don’t you know!
VALLEY GIRL: See there’s just one problem with that, I can’t read my magazine without drinking my sugar free soy no whip macchiato and the library has a totally bogus no food policy.
ARNOLD: Actually we have library approved coffee mugs for you to borrow, as long as you return them. If you do not I will smash you like I smashed taxes in California. [SMASHES CAN]
BRITISH VOICE: Hey mate, if you come back during finals we’ll give free hot chocolate and coffee all night, just are little way of helping you kids out.
STUDENTS: OOOHH!!
SELENA SYNTAX: Anyway on to the third floor….
FEMALE STUDENT: It says here in your pamphlet that 75% of students face library anxiety is this true?
[BIRD WHISTLE FALLING DOWN]
VALLEY GIRL: This place is so huge, it’s like major intimidating?
[A BONG ON BIG DRUM]
MS. HOFFMAN: The reason there is a lot of library anxiety is just the sheer size of the library. Most students don’t even know who to ask for help, they think when they first walk into Evans library they see two or three desks there but if you wanted particular research help you’d have to walk all the way to the back of the library to ask a reference librarian.
STUDENTS: OOHH!!
DEEP STUDENT VOICE: How many books does the library have?
[COUGHING TO CLEAR VOICE]
[INFINTRY CHARGE SOUND]
DEEP LIBRARIAN VOICE: Did you know that?
HELIUM IN VOICE: Current university library holdings include 3.6 million volumes.
[BUZZER]
FEMALE STUDENT: Whoa that’s a lot of books!
BRITISH VOICE: They say the library is going to blow if we put ANY more books in it. [EXPLOSION SOUND]. So we have a solution, EBOOKS, you can read them online from anywhere you can access the internet. We have up to 300,000 now, and growing.
STUDENTS: WOW! OHH!
FEMALE STUDENT: Wow! What else does the library have for me?
[WHISTLE SLIDING UP]
MRS. HOFFMAN: We have a great DVD collection.
BORAT: Wo-Wo-Wo-Wo DVD’s! Great American success!
MRS. HOFFMAN: We have the academy award collection.
STUDENTS: WOAH!
MS. HOFFMAN: And we have a great comedy collection too, so for instance we have things like the “Wedding Crashers” [LAUGHING] Or “LOST,” some series like that and CD’s.
STUDENTS: WOW!
BORAT: Ah students you can listen to music from all the decades for you project. BING-BONG-BING-BONG-BING-BIDDLY-BING-DING-DONG-DING!
[AWKWARD LAUGH]
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: And remember my children the annex is right next door to the library.
VALLEY GIRL: How about some electronics?
[BELL DING]
MS. HOFFMAN: We also have laptops too, and the coolest thing too is now we’re checking out Ipods, we have some 60 gigabyte video Ipods and you check them out for two weeks at a time.
VALLEY GIRL: Wow! That’s hot! Do you have any pink iPods? I love pink!
[BUZZER FOR WRONG ANSWER, DRUMROLE, WHISTLE, AND HORN]
SELENA SYNTAX: Well that was you tour guys, thank you come again.
BORAT: What did you think of Evans most glorious book building on campus? [STUDENTS CHEERING] Is everyone ready to make their papers?
MALE STUDENT: I guess so, we don’t have any excuses now, and the library makes it so easy to get started.
PHOBIC STUDENT: I think my didaskaleinophobia might be cured, I know longer fear going to school, or at least the library!
VALLEY GIRL: I can’t believe my daddy has been paying for all this and I had no idea about all the cool stuff, I’ll definitely be back.
ARNOLD: Hasta La Vista Baby! [SMASHES ANOTHER CAN]
[MAGICAL MUSIC]
MS. CLEO: Don’t forget, call me now!
BRITISH VOICE: So come back to the library where you could save hundreds of bucks on your books for the semester. Ta Ta.
THE COUNT: Goodbye AH AH AH! [THUNDEROUS NOISE]
BORAT: Ah students, let’s go, I’d like to make a class time now!
MEGHAN: If you are a student excited about the topics discussed in today’s podcast then do yourself a favor and come to the library! You’ve heard those librarians, they want to help you succeed with your research and writing. But it’s not all work here in the library. You can watch a movie or listen to some music, we’ve got it all! Couches, TV’s, iPods, laptops, music and DVDs not to mention all the reading material! Make the library your new favorite hangout and remember to stop by the writing center here on the 2nd floor of Evans for all of your writing needs. Thank you for listening to Write Right our vocal talent included John Port, Megan Guerra, Chelsea McGill, Jennifer Jaynes, Mark Kohutek and several anonymous contributors. I’m Meghan Wall hoping you’ll join us next time for another exciting episode of Write Right!
