Library resources to cram for exams

By Grace Carlo, Digital Communications Manager

As finals week quickly approaches, the McDonald Library supplies students with all the necessary tools to succeed during the most stressful week of the year.  

For a quiet place to study, students can visit buildings across campus during Study Weekend. There are spaces in Conaton Learning Commons (CLC), the Health United Building (HUB), Cintas Center and Gallagher Student Center (GSC).

McDonald Library can also help students find study spaces, as Muskies can reserve study rooms in CLC and Alter Hall through the library calendar (LibCal).

The Connection Center on the third floor of the library has laptops available for students to rent for 24 hours.  These laptops have internet accessibility and Microsoft Office applications. 

On the library’s website, students can browse databases using Search@XU. This resource is useful for finding scholarly articles for final research papers and argumentative essays.

McDonald continues to add to their available databases, too. Recently, the library added a new resource called the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press Direct, which provides access to more than 3,000 electronic books on a wide range of subjects, including economic and environmental studies.

In addition, the library recently acquired the e-book collection of Ancient Commentators on Aristotle, which provides translations of ancient philosophical texts. It also contains the Mirror Historical Archive, which includes full-text access of the Daily Mirror newspaper from 1903-2000, and JoVE Clinical Skills, which includes videos on patient care protocols which could be helpful to medical studies students.

Though providing academic resources is an important task for the library’s staff, Head of Access Services Megan Kickbush noted that it is important for all members of the Xavier community to focus on mental health during finals week.

“We want to support students’ morale as well as their academics,” Kickbush said.

In order to promote mental health, the library plans to give away goody bags filled with snacks and candy, in addition to some random prizes like Amazon gift cards on a first-come, first-serve basis. These care packages will be given on Monday and Tuesday of exam week, and students can find more information via the Current Students page on Xavier’s website.

Among the many other services offered in the library, the Office of Academic Support provides free tutors throughout the year to all undergraduate students in many subject areas taught at Xavier. Students are able to request tutoring for any Xavier course. 

Librarians can be a vital resource for assisting students with their academic endeavors, according to Instruction and Reference Librarian Christine Mueller. She noted that librarians are always ready to help students find sources for their papers and projects. 

“When in doubt, always ask a librarian,” Mueller said. 

To reach out directly to a librarian, students can visit the library’s website or use its messaging service by texting (513)773-3263 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.