Officer Eric Bard (left) and Sergeant Jason Hyland man the Babbidge Library Substation, which aims to improve communication between students and the police. (Photo by Sarah Levine)

Level B at the Homer Babbidge library is now home to the Babbidge Library Substation of the UConn Police Department, a new office to help connect students to their campus police officers.

“We wanted to give the community more access by being in a centrally located area with a high presence of students,” said Officer Eric Bard, who works with the Community Outreach Unit of the police department.

The substation is located on Level B of the library, next to the Laura & Walter Broughton Leisure Reading Room and has been open for about a month.

The goals of the new office are centered on one main theme: communication.  The officers are hoping that the new library substation will encourage students to come in, whether it’s to ask them “what if?” questions, inquire about an issue they’re not sure about – basically any police-related issue.

Sometimes, students need to ask about a crime in a dorm or other area and have questions that can more easily be answered by the police than by someone like their hall director, said Sergeant Jason Hyland.

Beyond police-related matters, the officers really want the community to “sit down and get to know [them] as people,” said Hyland.

“If the door is open, come on in,” added Bard.

Both Bard and Hyland encouraged students to stop by and talk, even if it was just to say hello and have a simple conversation.

The officers are working to establish set office hours for student visits, but you can usually find them in the library from eight to noon or contact them to set up an appointment.  Right now, they are trying to balance management of the new substation with their other Community Outreach efforts, which include conducting safety presentations for various student organizations and participating in campus activities such as the health and wellness fair Fresh Check Day (This year, they will be running a DUI simulator. Stop by Fairfield Way April 23 from 1-4 p.m. to check it out!).

The office is also home to many brochures and information- ranging from the latest bus schedules to resources for sexual assault victims.  Students may enter and take any materials they need, no questions asked (although Bard and Hyland are happy to offer any help they can).

If your student organization is interested in a presentation by the UConn Police Community Outreach Unit, email pdstartteam@uconn.edu.  They are also open to any new suggestions of interesting and unique ways for students and the police department to interact.

Once again, the library is bringing students the only positive aspect of finals week: dogs in the library!

Afternoons Monday through Friday, don’t be surprised if you hear the pitter patter of paws in Homer Babbidge, as humans will proudly accompany their dogs to the first floor to provide students some much needed stress release during finals week.

Therapy dog Andy plays with students at the library.

The program, aptly named “Paws to Relax,” originated in spring of 2010, when a library staff member suggested bringing in therapy dogs for students during finals week.

Jo Ann Reynolds, the library’s Reserve Services Coordinator and self-proclaimed “dog person,” made a few calls in the canine community to help get the ball rolling, or in this case, the tail wagging.

Soon enough, registered therapy dogs from multiple organizations including Cold Noses, Warm Hearts, Allen’s Angels, and Tails of Joy were headed to Homer to help students de-stress during their exams.

On the first day of the program, Reynolds and the Laurel Rabschutz, owner of the first therapy dog Dooley, a Newfoundland, were worried about how students would know about Paws to Relax and whether it would be popular.

They soon found out that they need not worry. According to Reynolds, within minutes at least 30 to 40 students were surrounding Dooley and texting their friends to alert them to the dog’s presence.

Therapy dog Luke getting tons of attention during finals week.

After the first semester of the program, UConn got a lot of publicity.  Newspapers, radio and television stations were all stopping by to document the dogs. Reynolds even had to institute a lottery system because so many therapy dog owners wanted the chance to visit.

The library staff is happy to offer this beneficial service for students.

“The dogs help them relax.  People tend to think of therapy dogs in nursing homes or other places, and don’t think of students as much. But they are also in an institutional situation away from their family and their pets,” said Reynolds.

Apparently, even science can back up how much we love dogs.

Reynolds continued, “Research has shown that petting an animal, even if it’s not your own, lowers blood pressure and heart rate and improves the general sense of well-being.”

Students have outwardly expressed their enjoyment of Paws to Relax. When staff put up a white board where students could write their opinions of the program, the responses were overwhelmingly positive.

“I just got out of a tough exam and seeing the dogs was the highlight of my day,” “Best idea ever!” and “I love coming here in between exams” were just a few of the many comments.

The staff also does their best to minimize the footprint of the dogs so that students who need to avoid dogs because of allergies or other issues can do so with ease.

If you want to take a study break with someone practically yelling “Pet me! Pet me!” check out this year’s schedule below.

The Spring 2016 Paws to Relax schedule is as follows:

Monday

1 p.m.: Cooper the German Shepherd and his human Nancy Benway
2 p.m.: Sophia the Goldendoodle and her human Layla Berger
3 p.m.: Iggy the Portuguese Water Dog and his human Laurel Rabschutz
3:30 p.m.: Dooley the New Foundland and his human Laurel Rabschutz

Tuesday

1 p.m.: Bella the Pug and her human Judith Pepin
2 p.m.: Tegan the Welsh Spring Spanish and human Claudia Eberly
3 p.m.: Dante or Virgil the Mini Australian Shepherds and human Linda Robinson

Wednesday

1 p.m.: Fenway the Labradoodle and human Jean Woods
2 p.m.: Suzie the German Shepherd and human Gery Bakaj
3 p.m.: Chase the Golden Retriver and his human Michelle Volz

Thursday

1 p.m.: Sebbi the American Cocker Spaniel and his human Karen Tuccitto
2 p.m.: Penn the Labradoodle and human Susan Stewart
3 p.m.: Mia the Shetland Sheepdog and her human Terrie Carpenter

Friday

1 p.m.: Meka the Keeshond and humans Diane & Ted Baricak
2 p.m.: Bo the Lab Mix and human Christine Anderson
3 p.m.: Spumoni the Great Dane and human Tracy Powell

You may be checking out a million articles on Buzzfeed about adorable dogs this finals week, but what is better for easing stress than getting to play with ACTUAL, REAL LIFE DOGS?

Paws to Relax understands your struggle, and to help you out they will be on Level 1 of Homer Babbidge Library every day during finals week!  The dogs are registered with national organizations dedicated to improving human health through the use of service and therapy.

Here’s the schedule, so you can visit your doggie of choice (or just go see them all):

Monday, December 14th
1:00 – 2:00  Gerri & Suzie (German Shepherd)
2:00 – 3:00  Michelle & Vinny (English Mastiff)
3:00 – 4:00  Nancy & Cooper (German Shepherd)

Tuesday, December 15th
1:00 – 2:00  Paula & Bella (Schnoodle)
2:00 – 3:00  Devon & Rosie (Corgie Mix)
3:00 – 3:30  Laurel & Dooley (Newfoundland)
3:30 – 4:00  Laurel & Iggy (Portuguese Water Dog)

Wednesday, December 16th
1:00 – 2:00  Sandra & Ginger, Nutmeg or Andy (Golden Retrievers)
2:00 – 3:00  michelle & Chase (Golden Retriever)
3:00 – 4:00  Betsy & Barney (Golden Retriever)

Thursday, December 17th
1:00 – 2:00  Michelle & Chase (Golden Retriever)
2:00 – 3:00  Karen & Sebbi (American Cocker Spaniel)
3:00 – 4:00  Laura & Penny (Pomeranian Chihuahua Mix)

Friday, December 18th
1:00 – 2:00  Katherine, Pat & Kammi or Chumai & BamBam (Keeshond & Coton de Tulear)
2:00 – 2:30  Laurel & Dooley (Newfoundland)
2:30 – 3:30  Laurel & Iggy (Portuguese Water Dog)
3:30 – 4:00  Kristine & Duncan (Labrador Retriever)

Sick of doing group studying and projects all huddling around a small laptop screen? Head over to the library!

This week, two “Mobile Collaboration Stations” where introduced to Level 1 of Homer Babbidge.  These stations, paid for through the student technology fee, consist of a large computer touch screen on a rolling stand that can be transported to anywhere on the first floor.

The stations are made to encourage collaboration and convenience.  The touch screen is ideal for using the station like a white board or going through presentations or charts with a group so that everyone can see and participate in whatever is being reviewed.  Student groups can already be seen rolling one over to their own little corner, or testing out the touch screen white board in their spare time.

If they do not want to utilize the touch screen, students can check out a mouse and keyboard from the iDesk on the Plaza Level.

At this point, the stations are only available on the first floor and must be returned to their dock by the Q center after use. However, if people find them useful for academics, library staff will consider adding more to other floors.

Stop by Level 1 and check them out today- they have arrived just in time for all of your group studying sessions for finals!

Subject Specialist Kathy Labadorf assists a student with his assignment.

As the semester starts to wind down, that scary due date on your syllabus for that final research paper, presentation or other big assignment gets closer and closer. But don’t worry- you don’t have to go through this alone. The library employs “subject specialists” in over 60 subject areas. They can help you with multiple stages of your paper, from choosing a topic to managing your citations. I sat down with Kathy Labadorf, Reference Librarian and the subject specialist for Women, Gender and Sexuality studies, and she informed me of all that she and her colleagues have to offer students.

1. Come in as soon as you get the assignment.

Kathy’s most important piece of advice? Don’t wait until the last minute. As soon as you have the specifications for the assignment, come see a librarian. They can conduct what is called a “reference interview” with you where they can ask questions to help you specify or narrow down your topic.

“We want to get you to a place where you have something to start with,” she said.

2. Find out where to look.

Kathy’s rule of thumb is, “If you can’t find what you’re looking for in 20 minutes, come see us.”

Since the librarians hand pick a lot of the databases and sources that the university offers, they can easily make connections between different information sources to help you find research to support your topic. They know which databases will be good for you and can help you with keywords and search tips. They are constantly searching for new information and are happy to share their findings with you.

According to Kathy, “everything is interesting to a librarian.”

3. Find out which sources you should trust.

The subject specialists can also help you to evaluate the sources you find. They teach “information literacy” to students to help them learn how to identify things like bias, timeliness and authority that can distinguish a good reference from a bad reference.

Kathy and the other specialists also recognize that you may need some non-scholarly sources as well.

“These can bring in different perspectives. For example, a lot of information and statistics about women come from data from different NGO’s,” she said. The librarians can help you evaluate the legitimacy and value of sources like these.

4. Make a plan.

Kathy will often do exercises with students like “mind maps” to strategize the organization of research papers.

“We want to make sure you walk out of the door with a plan,” she said. “We want to open the door for you and give you a starting point to continue on.”

5. Ask from home.

Did you know that you can chat online with a librarian? If you have a quick question, or don’t want to trudge through the snow in the winter to the library, UConn librarians are available to chat on the library website to discuss any questions you may have. If the chat is offline, you can also consult the searchable FAQ, call the library, or send an email.

So if you have a big assignment and don’t know where to start, the subject specialists can help. They are located on the first floor of the library- stop by today!

Have you ever seen a husky wearing a firefighter costume? How about running shoes? What about painted with binary code?

Stop by Homer Babbidge Library and you just might. Last week, it debuted its winter exhibit: a collection of husky dog statues painted by various organizations and individuals on campus.

The dogs give a visual to the diversity of student organizations here on campus and have allowed some extremely talented individuals to showcase their art. Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite husky with slips located next to the exhibit. Both the artists and those casting ballots have a chance to win gift cards to the Adventure Park at Storrs or Insomnia cookies.

Viewers can check out the creative designs, including the Nursing School Class of 2017’s “Jonathan Goodnurse,” UCMB’s “Marching Husky,” and even “Jonathan the RA” by the Residence Hall Association.

The mind behind the creative project was Agata Harabasz, a UConn senior and president of the Bean Team, a group that works with the Benton Museum of Art to promote the arts on campus through campus projects, museum trips and art demonstrations.

Harabasz stands by the Husky statues. (Photo credit: Suzanne Zack)

She got the idea from the “CowParade,” where local artists and businesses paint cow statues that are displayed around town.   The event occurred in West Hartford in 2007 and has been held in cities around the world. Since UConn already had larger painted dogs in the Co-Op and Student Union, she decided it would be a great idea to bring back the activity as a competition.

In September, student organizations submitted designs for their dog, which were then voted on by the Bean Team. The winning groups were given the statues to paint, which were bought from Cowpainters, a company based in Chicago, and funded by USG.

The event was a great opportunity for organizations to bond while advertising themselves on campus.

“As a club, we decided that participating in this contest would allow for team camaraderie and increase the scope of awareness in the UConn community of Club Track and Field,” said Christina Cotte, who designed and painted the group’s statue along with two other students, Harry Walton and Adam Gagnon.

Club Track and Field’s painted husky statue, on the left.

Chris Browne designed and painted the statue for WHUS, and was happy to be able to demonstrate his passion for the organization.

“I wanted to represent WHUS because of how much fun being a member of the radio station is,” he said. “I’ve been a DJ with the station since my sophomore year and its just full of really cool people and a lot of different opportunities for folk to express themselves.”

Harabasz also got in on the action- she painted the husky representing the Benton, the Beanery and the Bean Team.

Besides that, her favorite submission is the “Four Seasons” husky, painted by Patty Guardiani, a member of the library staff.

“My inspiration for my design comes from my drive into work everyday and enjoying the beautiful grounds at UConn,” said Guardiani about her design.   Guardiani is an art lover with two dogs, so she couldn’t resist getting involved in a competition that combined the two.

Guardini shared this photo of her two dogs “wondering who the new dog in town is” before she painted it. (Photo credit: Patty Guardini)

Although the future of the dogs after the exhibit is not set in stone, the Bean Team and USG think it would be best if they were made part of the campus in some way.

“We’re going to ask each member or club which location on campus is favorable to them and try and get it in there,” said Harabasz.

Although she is a biology and psychology major, she joined the Bean Team to stay involved in the art community.

“I just wanted to share art with different people instead of just keeping it to myself,” she said.

Harabasz was happy to bring art, something she is very passionate about, to the broader campus community.

“Sometimes students neglect the power that art can have,” she said. “It can actually help with stress relief, and can be a way to express your creativity in a healthy way.”

Guardiani would agree.

“I can get lost for hours with my art projects and it is when I am my happiest,” she said.

Harabasz hopes that this exhibit will make students more aware of the Benton, what she calls a “cultural hub” where you can always come back and see something new.

The exhibition will be on display until February 19^th– and this week will be the last week you can vote for your favorite with slips located near the display cases (Both the artists and those who vote have a chance to win prizes!) Make sure you don’t miss your chance to see it- and perhaps be inspired to check out the Benton Museum’s current exhibits or get involved in upcoming events!

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah, a student blogger for the library. I am a senior studying communication and journalism. Like many of you, I have spent countless nights holed up in Homer Babbidge Library, subsisting solely on snacks and coffee from Bookworms Café. However, the library is way more than just a study spot, and I think many students don’t realize everything the library has to offer.

Library staff members work to put together many programs that can help you succeed in your academics and improve your experience on campus. There are resources that can help you in every step of the academic process. From research specialists dedicated to helping you find sources in your subject area, to the diverse exhibits adorning different areas of the building, a lot of thought goes into every aspect of good ol’ Homer.

This blog serves to let UConn students know about all the technology, programs, events and assistance available to them at the library. Check out my “Hints from Homer” posts on this site to see what you may have missed!

Enjoy the last couple of weeks before finals!

Sarah