Library News

The final weeks of the Spring semester are upon us! Bowman Library is open for extended hours during finals and will host various de-stress activities during these last two weeks of the semester. 

Extended hours will run from Monday, May 5th to Friday, May 16th, opening 8 AM - 1 AM Monday-Wednesday, 8 AM - 9 PM Thursday, 8 AM - 5 PM on Friday, and  1 PM- 1 AM Sunday each week. The library will remain closed on Saturdays.

Take breaks from your studying and relax with activities like coloring and puzzle-solving or refreshments like coffee or tea, all of which will be available at the library during this time. Want a bigger break? Come to one of the many final weeks events sponsored by the Library, the Office of Student Affairs, and other groups across campus! Highlights include:

• 5/6 (Tues), 11:45 AM - 2:30 PM : Petting Zoo at the Quad
• 5/7 (Wed), 11 AM - 2 PM : Bubbles at the Dining Hall
• 5/7 (Wed), 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM: Student Research Colloquium Presentation by Anthony Keys at Brawner Boardroom and online (Zoom)
  • Research Colloquium event information and Zoom link here
• 5/7 (Wed), 6 PM - 7 PM : Art Reception for Untitled (L.A.) by Félix González-Torres at Bowman Library 
  • Opening night reception details here
• 5/7 (Wed), 6 PM - 8 PM: Final Study Slam of the Semester (with snacks!) at Bowman Library
  • Study Slam event details here
• 5/7 (Wed), 9 PM - 11 PM: Late Night Breakfast at the Dining Hall
• 5/8 (Thu), 9 AM - 1:30 PM: PSYCH Thesis Presentations at FLOMO
• 5/9 (Fri), 1 PM - 2 PM : Pet Therapy with Mandy, the friendly Golden Retriever/ Labrador mix at Bowman Library (with the Peninsula Humane Society)
  • Pet Therapy event details here

We hope to see you at the library or at one of these final weeks events on campus! Good luck with finals! 

Don't forget- Need help? Just ask! 

• Library hours 
• Email libraryhelp@menlo.edu
• Call (650) 543-3826
• Text (650) 529-4499 
• Make an appointment

See “Untitled” (L.A.) by Felix Gonzalez-Torres on display at Bowman Library through January 2026

Thanks to a partnership between Menlo College and the Art Bridges Foundation, Bowman Library has the extraordinary opportunity to exhibit “Untitled” (L.A.), one of twenty candy works by Cuban-born American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957- 1996).

Felix Gonzalez-Torres is known for his significant contributions to the field of conceptual art in the 1980s and 1990s. Although he started his formal art practice with a focus on photography, Gonzalez-Torres explored many mediums while building his oeuvre and became well-known for his installation works. Utilizing a minimalist visual vocabulary and everyday materials such as puzzles, candies, strings of lights, and stacks of paper, the artist created installations that subverted traditional expectations of high art and the experience of art ("Felix Gonzalez-Torres"). Gonzalez-Torres was interested in the overlap between private and public life, and his experience living as an openly gay man in New York during the height of the AIDs epidemic in America often imbued his art in works exploring themes of love and loss, sickness and rejuvenation, and gender and sexuality (Obrist 309-310).

Gonzalez-Torres believed that the participation of the viewer was essential to the power and meaning-making of his work (Obrist 315). With Gonzalez-Torres’ “Untitled” (L.A.) and other candy works, viewers are allowed to take pieces of candy from the installation, creating a dynamic installation whose evolution and interpretation is dependent upon the specific context of time, place, and audience interaction of each manifestation of the work. 

Join us as we celebrate “Untitled” (L.A.)’s debut in the library at the Opening Exhibit on May 7th, 2025 from 6-7pm and keep an eye out for additional programming in the Fall!  We invite you to take a look (and perhaps, a candy), and see how the artwork evolves with campus interaction throughout the year. 

You can find  “Untitled” (L.A.)  on display in the library lobby from now until January 31, 2026. 

REFERENCES:

"Felix Gonzalez-Torres." Guggenheim New York, https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/felix-gonzalez-torres. Accessed 30 April 2025.

Obrist, Hans-Ulrich. "Gonzalez-Torres, Felix." Hans-Ulrich Obrist: Interviews, edited by Thomas Boutoux, vol. 1, Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery, 2003,  pp. 308 – 316. 

 “Untitled” (L.A.)  is jointly owned by Art Bridges and Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art 

Congratulations on successfully wrapping up another semester at Menlo College!

For faculty members who are planning ahead, this is a friendly reminder that the library is currently processing requests for course reserves and library instruction sessions for the spring semester. Read on for more details, and submit your requests to confirm these resources for your students!

Spring Instruction Requests

We will be resuming library instruction during the spring semester! If you would like a librarian to visit your class, please complete the instruction request form so that we may begin planning. Contact Claire Drown, our Student Success Librarian, at claire.drown@menlo.edu if you have any questions. 

Spring Course Reserves

Please submit course reserve requests to the library at this time. Requests submitted through the Course Reserve Form will receive highest priority. 

Once placed on reserve, course reserve materials appear here for students. 

Textbook affordability and equity is a real issue for students:

• Please donate a copy of any required textbook to the library for inclusion in course reserves, whenever possible.
• The library cannot provide passcodes or authorization keys to electronic textbooks sold as single user access (e.g. McGraw Hill)
• eBooks: The library can acquire some texts in digital format. Some are available to multiple simultaneous users, and some may be limited to one user at a time

Please reach out to libraryhelp@menlo.edu if you have any additional questions or would like further assistance with library services. Thank you, and happy holidays!

Congratulations, you've made it to the end of the semester!

As the fall semester winds down, we are sending out this reminder to return your Chromebooks and library materials before embarking on your winter break plans.

Need some time to celebrate (or recuperate from) the end of finals? Bowman Library will be open next week from 10am-2pm on Monday and Tuesday (December 16th-17th), providing some extra time to return library materials before closing for the winter holiday from December 18th to January 5th. 

Visit our Hours page for more details on our opening hours, and don't forget to return your library items before enjoying your well-earned holiday break!

Please join us in welcoming Claire Drown, our new Student Success Librarian! 

Here is a quick introduction from Claire: 

“Hi, I'm Claire (she/her)! I have worked as an academic librarian for the past two years, and I love working with students to help them succeed in their college careers. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, writing, and exploring the outdoors. I'm very excited to join Menlo as the newest librarian, and start to get to know the community.”

Stop by at Bowman this week to meet Claire and stay for the extended study hours and de-stress activities available for finals!

Need a change of place to study? Looking for activities to let off some steam? Bowman Library has both, and we're open with extended hours for finals from December 2nd to 13th!

During this time, the Library will have coffee & tea, as well as cards, coloring, & puzzles available for relaxation on your study breaks. We'll also be hosting pet therapy with the Peninsula Humane Society on Monday, December 9th from 12pm-1pm.

Check out the schedule for final weeks hours and events at Bowman Library below (featuring de-stress events from other groups on campus) and come visit the Library for your studying and relaxation needs.

Best of luck on your finals everyone!

Bowman Library will have special hours due to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and finals.

Up first is the adjusted schedule for Thanksgiving Week, November 24th (Sunday) - December 1st (Sunday).

The library will be open from 1pm-10pm as usual on Sunday, November 24th and open with limited hours on Monday and Tuesday, November 25th-26th from 10am-2pm. 

The library will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from Wednesday-Sunday, November 27th- December 1st.

Then we're back with extended hours for finals (including Saturday!) from December 2nd (Monday) - December 13th (Friday).

We'll be open Monday-Wednesday 9am-1am, Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday 9am - 5pm, Saturday 12pm- 5pm, and Sunday 1pm-1am. 

In addition to extended hours during finals, Bowman Library will also be hosting activities to help with de-stressing during this busy time.  We'll be posting a finalized schedule for finals week activities soon, so please keep an eye out. We hope to see you in the library!

Add this event to your calendar by using our library calendar event link.

Text from the Open Mic Night event poster: 

Calling all performers, poets, musicians, and comedians! Menlo College is hosting it’s second Open Mic Night for anyone who wants to share their talent. Whether you’re itching to recite a poem, belt out a song, perform a quick skit, or simply make us laugh with a funny story or joke, this is your stage. The possibilities are endless, and all forms of creativity are welcomed and celebrated!

When: Thursday, November 7, 2024

Where: Bowman Library, Menlo College Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

This night promises to be a fun gathering of creativity and community spirit, right here on campus. Expect an atmosphere filled with laughter, inspiration, and support as we enjoy the unique talents that Menlo College has to offer. Everyone is encouraged to join or simply come along to enjoy the show. Snacks will be provided, and performers and attendees alike will receive special gifts as a token of appreciation for making the night memorable. Don't miss out on this opportunity to showcase your creativity or support your friends and fellow students. Mark your calendar, spread the word, and come ready to be inspired!

July is Disability Pride Month! Celebrated in July to commemorate the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26th, 1990, Disability Pride Month is a time to lift the voices, lived experiences, struggles, and achievements of the disability community. Check out our reading recommendations below to join the library in celebrating disability pride and learning how to foster a more inclusive culture for all on campus. 

As a careful steward of the budget, Bowman Library has a responsibility to maximize the use of its resources to best serve the campus, especially when those resources are limited. 

Because we have access to Financial Times content through ABI/INFORM database, Bowman Library will be canceling our direct subscription to Financial Times effective 7/30/2024.

As of 7/31, please use the steps below to access Financial Times articles. Note that we will no longer have access to content published within the last 30 days.

1. Click this link, or look for “Financial Times” on our A-Z databases list
   1. Like most of our other databases, you will be asked to log in if you are off campus. Use your Menlo ID (firstname.lastname) and Menlo password.
2. Read the most current issue available, or search for an article title or keyword. We have access to content published from 05/31/1996 to the present (with a 30 Day delay). Search options are shown in the screenshot below

Please reach out to libraryhelp@menlo.edu with any questions regarding access to the Financial Times, or for help finding other resources.