NMU Lydia M. Olson Library

Last month, six of our library student assistants graduated. We would like to congratulate them on their accomplishments and wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Thank you all for your hard work, we truly appreciate it!

Here are four of our students with their favorite books.

We are about a month into our summer reading challenge with Michigan Tech and LSSU. In the last month, we've had folks submit almost 600 titles! So far, NMU is in the lead with approximately 50% of the points. Soon we will share the titles that everyone has read so you can check them out!

Access the trackingform here: https://bit.ly/up-challenge-form

The Lydia M. Olson Library has teamed up with the LSSU Library and the Michigan Tech Van Pelt and Opie Library to host a friendly, yet competitive, summer reading challenge. Which campus can read (or listen) to the most books this summer?

Each book is one point, but each month there will be opportunities to earn extra points if you read books from within certain genres or categories. All books except children's picture books are eligible, including e-books, audiobooks, and graphic novels.

The campus with the most points by August 31 wins! The winning campus will be announced September 7, and will receive the Pasty Trophy.

You can begin to track books read on the Challenge Submission Form (https://libguides.lib.mtu.edu/upsummerreading). The only people who will see your name in connection with your book submissions are the three librarians who are facilitating the challenge--Emera Bridger Wilson at NMU, Ali VanDoren at LSSU, and Dory Shaffer at MTU . We anonymize the submissions before sharing people's read books and reviews. There is absolutely no shame or judgement from us about what you like to read, so please submit your steamy romance novels, your incredibly niche nerdy picks, or any other "guilty pleasure" reads!

This is a great opportunity to come into Olson Library to grab a book, or utilize one of our ebook resources. We also have Libby!

Happy Reading!!

Drop in and take a break for crafting, coloring, and collaging with Marna Franson, NMU's Spiritual Wellbeing Consultant.

Saturday 4/25, 7:30pm -9:30pm
Sunday 4/26, 7:30pm -9:30pm
Monday 4/27, 7:30pm -9:30pm
Tuesday 4/28, 7:30pm -9:30pm

She will be set up in the Tech Den, across from the Information Services desk on the main floor of the Library.

We are continuing to celebrate our Librarians for National Library Week by introducing Rebecca Daly. Rebecca is our Cataloging and Metadata Librarian, who helps to make sure our catalog records are accurate and complete.

We asked her a few questions about being a librarian:

1. What is your favorite book of all time and why?
Having a favorite book is like having a favorite child or pet, it's impossible to pick because we love them all equally ! I enjoy re-reading the following every few years: The Shell Collector by Anthony Doerr (best for summer reading), Mrs. Frisby and the rats of NIMH, and the His Dark Materials trilogy.

2. Tell us about your favorite part of being a librarian?
Being surrounded by books and information, constantly seeing newly published research and literature. Helping connect students with the resources they need. One of the highlights of being an academic librarian is seeing the amazing research, art, and creative writing that Northern students create.

3. What is your earliest memory of a library?
Not my earliest memory, but most memorable- going to the library in 5th grade or so and asking if there were any real books, non-fiction, about witches or witchcraft. The librarian recommended The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but I had already read the series and knew it was fiction. Went to the public library and found books (in the adult section) about witchcraft, loved that the librarians there didn't try to persuade me about what to read!

4. What is your preferred mode of reading these days--book, audiobook or ebook? And why?
Real book, I can skip ahead, browse, use the index, really enjoy any pictures, and read in any position I want!

8. What is your favorite citation style and why?
Chicago Style RULES! Love having footnotes and endnotes to discover more information, context, and go off on nerdy tangents!

9. What is one thing you wish faculty and students knew about Olson Library?
The librarians are part of the students' academic success team. We welcome questions and want to help with research questions.

Happy Library Workers Day!

The next Librarian we'd like to highlight is Jenn Donner. Jenn served as Director of the Library from August 2023 to December 2025. She is now a public services librarian, who works with in reference and instruction as well as with the Central Upper Peninsula and NMU Archives.

Jenn prefers physical books, and is currently reading "We're Not Safe Here" by Rin Chupeco.

Olson Library will be open for extended hours during Exam Week:

Friday, April 24 7:30am until 2:00am on Saturday, April 25
Saturday, April 25 9:00am until 2:00am on Sunday, April 26
Sunday, April 26 9:00am until 2:00am on Monday, April 27
Monday, April 27 7:30am until 2:00am on Tuesday, April 28
Tuesday, April 28 7:30am until 2:00am on Wednesday, April 29

Please note that Library staffing will end at 5 pm on Friday, 4 pm on Saturday, 9 pm on Sunday, and 11 pm on Monday and Tuesday. After these times, printing help and circulation assistance will not be available. However, study rooms and public areas will be available.

Regular scheduled hours resume on Wednesday, April 29

Wednesday, April 29 7:30am - 11:00pm
Thursday, April 30 7:30am - 11:00pm
Friday, May 1 7:30am - 5:00pm

Across the U.S., librarians find themselves uniting against censorship of race-related and LGBTQIA+ stories.

Come together for a screening + community-driven conversation of ’ The Librarians on Thursday, April 23 at 6 pm in 1100 Jamrich Hall on the campus of Northern Michigan University.

Olson Library will be observing National Library Week, which runs from Sunday, April 19 to Saturday, April 25, with a few fun events.

Monday, April 20: Notes of Gratitude
Send a note of thanks to the libraries, librarians, and library workers in your life, including Olson Library faculty and staff.
8 am - 5 pm
Olson Library, Harden Hall

Wednesday, April 22: Color a Bookmark
8 am - 5 pm
Olson Library, Harden Hall

Thursday, April 23:
Documentary Screening of The Librarians
6 - 8 pm
1100 Jamrich Hall

In observing National Librarian Day (April 16) and National Library Week, which begins on Sunday, April 19, we are spotlighting the Librarians who make Olson Library fabulous. Bruce Sarjeant is a Reference, Maps and Government Document Librarian.

We asked him some questions about being librarian.

What is your favorite book of all time and why? The Last Place on Earth: Scott and Amundsen's Race to the South Pole, by Roland Huntford. It's a well-researched, iconoclastic true story of adventure as well as a lesson in leadership.

Tell us about your favorite part of being a librarian? Helping people.

What is your preferred mode of reading these days--book, audiobook or ebook? And why? A real, paper book. Because it's a real, paper book.

Tell us about your favorite library (other than Olson Library). Peter White Public Library.

What is one thing you wish faculty and students knew about Olson Library? How much the resources available cost the school.

What are you reading right now? No Ordinary Landmark: How New York City Saved Grand Central Terminal and Preserved Urban Spaces