Ohrstrom Blog » Ohrstrom Library

The Library in Your Lap

Lura Sanborn — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 12:00:16 +0000

This phrase, coined by current senior, RG ’12, is such a great way of expressing the always available digital content purchased/subscribed to by Ohrstrom library.

When you are off the SPS grounds, such as during the upcoming Winter Break, simply visit vpn.sps.edu and log in with your SPS credentials. All of the library’s digital holdings will now become available, including:

Analog hungry? Stop by the library before the break to pick up a physical book(s). We will be happy to provide an extended due date.

Image courtesy of rogdorf under this Creative Common license.

Welcome Back to Ohrstrom

Lisa Laughy — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 19:05:06 +0000

Welcome to students just beginning their St. Paul’s School experience, and welcome back to those of you with familiar faces. The crisp excitement of the new school year is in the air, eagerly blowing across Lower School Pond and up the steps of Ohrstrom Library. There will be much that is reassuringly familiar when you come into the Library, but you will also discover much that is refreshingly new.

New and exciting this year is the addition of eReference to the Ohrstrom Library’s collection which will allow for online access to hundreds of dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks and guides. Several hundred new eBook titles have also been added, and a new database, NBC Learn, opens an electronic gateway to thousands of historic and current event videos, images, newsreels, and broadcasts.

Unchanged is the commitment of the Ohrstrom Library staff to providing the best academic resources possible to St. Paul’s School students, faculty and staff. Welcome back to your library.

Happy Anniversary Ohrstrom!

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 17:23:23 +0000

Leather bookmark created for the dedication of Ohrstrom Library

It was twenty years ago this week that Ohrstrom Library was officially dedicated and welcomed into the St. Paul’s School community. The Spring 1991 Alumni Horae article described the dedication ceremony this way:

With moments of high ceremony, with inspiring speeches, and with good fellowship Ohrstrom Library was dedicated over the weekend of April 20-21, 1991. Open to students at the start of the winter term, the Library represents the “love and labor of many” who contributed imagination, thought, time, effort, and financial support during some six years to make this remarkable building possible.

Fittingly, all constituencies were represented in the Chapel of SS. Peter and Paul on Sunday, April 21, during the blessing of the Library by the Right Reverend Douglas Theuner, Bishop of New Hampshire. Holding symbols of their activities —blueprints, plans, minutes of meetings, hard hats, and a full range of Dewey Decimal system volumes —were representatives of the architects and builders, the Library Review Committee, the library staff, and the Library Association.

The February 1992 issue of School Library Journal featured an article about the process of bringing the dream of Ohrstrom Library to reality. Ohrstrom’s head librarian at the time, Rosemarie Cassel-Brown, described her experiences this way:

Looking back over the years of planning and our first year in the new building, I can think of many special moments: the trustees’ meeting at which the decision to build a new library was made; the unveiling of Robert Stern’s design; the ground-breaking ceremony in the spring of 1988: the thrill of seeing the new building take shape across the pond from the old library; and, the inauguration ceremonies and celebrations in the spring of 1991.

If I were to single out one experience I would not have missed for anything, it would be the challenge and the joy of being part of a team of people dedicated to the common goal of creating this uniquely beautiful new library for a great school. The level of mutual trust and regard and the growing appreciation of one another’s perspectives, talents, and responsibilities was remarkable and, I would venture to say, quite unusual.

I think it is fair to say that the collaborative spirit that was instrumental in bringing Ohrstrom Library to St. Paul’s School continues to be part of the daily experience in the operation of the library.

Read the full Alumni Horae article HERE.

Read the full School Library Journal article HERE.

New Archives Exhibit: The Early Libraries of SPS

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:33:03 +0000

Ohrstrom Library Digital Archives is featuring a new online exhibit: The Early Libraries of St. Paul’s School. The exhibit features thirteen photos from the archives collection of the different locations that have served as libraries over the years, leading up to the construction of Ohrstrom Library.

It was twenty years ago, on April 21, 1991, that Ohrstrom Library was dedicated, and this exhibit celebrates the strong tradition of enthusiasm and support for libraries at St. Paul’s School that has continued uninterrupted from its beginning in 1873 to the present time. This online exhibit is based on a similar exhibit now on display in the upper level lobby exhibit cases. Browse the online exhibit and take a few minutes the next time you are in the library to see the display.

New on OLDA: Form Plaque Photos

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 18:47:17 +0000

The Ohrstrom Library Digital Archive – OLDA for short – has some new images available from the SPS Archives for online viewing. A series of photographs have been digitized featuring forty-two of the Form plaques on display in the Coit Upper Dining Hall. The first nine plaques from the Forms of 1859 through 1867 have been added to the website this week and include descriptions of the symbols present in the designs as described by the carver, John Gregory Wiggins.

Click HERE to see the images.

Wiggins was a teacher at St. Paul’s School from 1912 -1916, until he left to pursue a full-time carving career. Counted among his many ecclesiastical commissions are the carvings he created for the New Chapel – including the allegorical animals that adorn the pews in the choir room. Wiggins began carving Form plaques in 1921 and over the years he designed and carved the plaques for the Forms of 1858 through 1953. These include all the plaques on display in the Coit Upper Dining Hall and the colorful heraldic shield plaques in the Upper Cloister.

More images will become available on OLDA over the next few weeks, and a selection of the images will be collected into an online exhibit with more detail on the history and tradition of the plaques. Over time, images will be added of plaques carved by other artists that continued the tradition after Wiggins.

In addition, you can follow the process of the creation of the Form plaque for the Form of 2011, as documented in the SPS Form Plaque Project blog and SPS Form Plaque Project Facebook page. This project is the result of the Form of 1973 Mentor Fellowship awarded to me last spring, and I will be carving the plaque over the summer that will be displayed in the Coit Middle Dining Hall when completed. Over the next few years I will be carving additional Form plaques for the missing years going back to 1991 so that a cherished school tradition begun ninety years ago by John Gregory Wiggins can continue into the future.

From the Archives: The Cradle of American Hockey

David Levesque — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:10:16 +0000

In celebration of Matthews Family Hockey Day on Saturday, January 8th, as well as the arrival of black ice and a beautiful outdoor hockey rink on Lower School Pond, Ohrstrom Library has on display in the Upper Level display cases an exhibit of historic photographs and materials from the SPS Archives entitled “St. Paul’s School : the Cradle of American Hockey.”

In St. Paul’s : the Life of a New England School, August Heckscher writes this of hockey at SPS:

At first it had been an informal scrimmage on the ice, gradually settling into a more organized contest with eleven men to a side, playing with a square piece of wood for a puck. In 1896, the Canadian version of the game, with seven players on each side, was adopted. That same year the School team played for the first time on the fabled St. Nicholas Rink in New York against a group of alumni. The alumni won 3-1. But the encounter was a spectacular event, and the School was off upon a long career of hockey playing, which was to make it known in the sports world and to fill many of the places on the top college teams with skaters trained upon the Millville ice.

You are invited to take a moment upon your next visit to Ohrstrom Library to view this exhibit created with materials from the SPS Archives, in celebration of the long and illustrious history of hockey at SPS.

Ohrstrom Library Web Services Makeover

Lisa Laughy — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 18:33:28 +0000

Ohrstrom Blog was spruced up over the summer and now Ohrstrom Library’s main website has followed suit. The result is a seamless navigational experience for all of Ohrstrom Library’s web services.

The top-level navigational menu provides key access points to some of the more frequent destinations. The navigational menu in the sidebar, now conveniently located on the right hand side of the window, connects users to all the online offerings from Ohrstrom Library. This menu provides full access from any page, whether you are reading the most recent blog post, accessing databases, locating the latest research guide, or discovering School history through an Archives exhibit.

Take time to browse and re-familiarize yourself with all of the interesting and useful information that resides among the pages of Ohrstrom Library’s web services.

A Gentle Reminder

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 12:00:20 +0000

The SPS Community received an All-School e-mail at the beginning of the fall term outlining an important change in Ohrstrom Library’s circulation policy:

Ohrstrom Library is asking that its users show their SPS ID cards when checking out materials in order to make all circulation transactions even more efficient, accurate and secure.

By now you have likely been asked to show your ID when checking out items from the library. If you have lost your SPS ID, or have never received one please use the contact form HERE to find out how to get a new/replacement card. You can also call Circulation Librarian Sandra Chauvin at 4865 with any questions.

The Library staff greatly appreciate your cooperation as we transition to this new policy.

An Ohrstrom Library Welcome

Lisa Laughy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:06:59 +0000

The first thing you may notice is that Ohrstrom Blog now has a new look – this clean and open design paves the way for the future integration of the growing number of Library web services into one seamless navigational experience. Stay tuned to Ohrstrom Blog for the release of the updated Library Website later this term, and the launch of an exciting new Archives online resource later in the school year.

Also new this year is the addition of eBooks to Ohrstrom Library’s collection. Look for a blog post next week explaining all the details of this exciting new Humanities resource. A future blog post will also detail our soon-to-be-available eBook reader.

Unchanged is the commitment of the Ohrstrom Library staff to providing the best academic resources possible to St. Paul’s School students, faculty and staff. Welcome back to your library.

Seeking Ohrstrom Library Prefects: 2010-2011

Kevin Barry — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:47:15 +0000

Applications are now available for a student leadership opportunity at Ohrstrom Library. A team of 12 students in the current 4th or 5th forms will be selected this spring to serve as Ohrstrom Library Prefects from September 2010 through May 2011. Below is a description of the program and information about the application process.

How Will a Library Prefect Serve?

Will set a positive tone and example by exhibiting respect for the Library’s physical plant, patrons and staff; facilitating a quiet and harmonious study environment for all; and being helpful to students in need of direction.
Will meet with the Library Director and staff. Will offer advice and suggestions associated with the collections and operation of the library and its services. Will serve as a liaison between the student body and the library.
Will be visible, approachable and available to students; reaching out to those who appear to need guidance or assistance with locating library resources, and referring students to library staff for help with research and resource questions. Will serve as a peer resource for students who would like to discuss the topic of academic integrity in the library.
Will promote the development of library and research skill sets by learning how to confidently navigate the Ohrstrom Library website; locate cataloged materials in the stacks; and operate library equipment such as film readers, copiers and scanners.
Will possess an understanding of Ohrstrom Library’s expectations and discourage all behaviors that undermine the success, academic potential, or well-being of students using the library for research, study, writing, or reflection. Will discourage all abuse or misuse of library property, and report questionable or potentially dangerous behaviors to the library staff.
Will behave in an objective manner should conflicts with patrons arise, always honoring personal boundaries. Will refer or report students with policy questions, concerns or special needs to the Library Director or library staff on duty.

What Kind of Time Commitment is Involved?

If you are selected as a Library Prefect, you must fully commit to covering one weekly 1.5 hour shift in Ohrstrom Library on a mutually agreed upon evening.
Library Prefects will be on duty in Ohrstrom Library, Sunday through Friday evenings 7:30pm to 9:00pm.
Library Prefects will work in teams of two, one evening each week.
Swaps will be allowed but all shifts must be covered.

What Might A Typical Evening Involve?

Working out of a space adjacent to the Library Director’s office on the second floor of Ohrstrom Library, Library Prefects will make regular “rounds” throughout the building. During this time they might assist students who are having difficulty either locating materials or navigating their way around the building; discover routine problems that can be quickly solved or referred to the Library staff; cover the Circulation Desk for very brief periods if the Library staff are called away. They may shelve current periodicals, books and newspapers; assist with shelf reading; and as liaisons between the student body and the library, bring suggestions to the Library Director and staff regarding the operation, services, and best practices of the library.

How Do I Apply for Consideration and What Happens Next?

Access a PDF version on the application by clicking HERE, OR pick one up at the Circulation Desk in Ohrstrom Library.
Turn in the completed application at the Library Circulation Desk no later than Monday May 10 at 5:00pm.
Mr. Barry will acknowledge receipt by e-mail of all applications received.
All applications will be reviewed by Library staff and current 6th Form Library Prefects.
With applicant’s permission, applicant’s adviser will be consulted.
All applicants will be notified as to whether or not they have been selected by Friday Monday May 17 at 5:00pm.
Training and duty schedules will be completed by mid-September 2010.

Please see or contact Mr. Barry if you have any questions about the position or application process.