"Mother" LibGuide
Midterm Marathon Welcome!
Join the Sundberg Library & Learning Commons for Midterm Marathon!
We have a week full of activities planned to help you be successful in your midterms, and throughout your college career. Come by each day to meet some of the many people working at Kirkwood just to support you in your classes. We will have counselors, librarians, learning assistants, and, of course, therapy dogs! We will finish out the week with a game day, because it's important to relax and have fun too!
Fall 2024 schedule
We will have events at two locations: the Library in Benton Hall, and the Learning Commons in Cedar Hall.
Each day at the Library we will have (while supplies last):
- Coffee, tea, and hot cocoa
- Snacks to-go for quick fuel
- Jigsaw puzzles to work on between study sessions
Each day at the Library and at the Learning Commons we will have:
- Coloring pages to help you relax
- Daily entries for prize drawing
| Library, 1st floor Benton | Learning Commons, 2nd floor Cedar | |
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| Monday: Library Resources Day |
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| Tuesday: Student Support Showcase |
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| Wednesday: Writing Center Help |
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| Thursday: Mental Health Day |
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| Friday: Game Day! |
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Online:
Browse this site for activities, videos, music and activities to help you de-stress and unwind, or focus and study, as you get ready for finals.
Yoga & Physical Exercise to Unwind
Meditation & Relaxation
Pets/Animals
This is Ryan's cat Buster (so named because he is a Mother Boy [Arrested Development fans know what I mean!]).
And yes, he is just as crazy as he looks in this picture!
Kate's work-at-home tortie cat, Caramel, warms up with a cup of tea.
Basil(isk), Kate's Ball Python, lounges on on a log.
Ivy belongs to Shelley or is it the other way around? Ivy came to Shelley as a feral foster and after many weeks of hard work and lots of love she became the sweetest little girl. Her mom continues to foster little brats that she pretends to hate for a few days before being caught grooming and playing with them. Her favorite thing to do is leave her hair everywhere especially clothing. Her least favorite thing is being brushed. Two strokes with the brush and she is gone.
Catalina - or as she is better known - Cat, lives with Julie.
Say hello to Cindy's dog, Trader! He is about 7 pounds and loves early morning walks and watching the neighborhood from the back porch.
April keeps a sharp eye on those pesky birds for her person, Sarah Y.
Reading
Do you need a short break to take your mind off studying for just a little while? (Not too long!) Here are a few books under 200 pages that are available in the Kirkwood Library. They may also be available from your local library.
Click the title for more information
We Should All Be Feminists by Call Number: 305.42 A235wISBN: 9781101911761Publication Date: 2015-02-0352 p. In this personal, eloquently-argued essay--adapted from the much-admired TEDx talk of the same name--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness.
Between the World and Me by Call Number: 305.896 S982bISBN: 9780812993547Publication Date: 2015-07-14152 p. In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of "race," a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men--bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion.
March: Book One by Call Number: 328.73 L674m Bk.1ISBN: 9781603093002Publication Date: 2013-08-13121 p. We also have books 2 & 3 March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.
The Great Gatsby by Call Number: 813.52 F553g 2004ISBN: 9780743273565Publication Date: 2004-09-30180 p. Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald's third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. First published in 1925, this quintessential novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the mysteriously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.
The Call of the Wild by Call Number: 813.52 L847caISBN: 9780486264721Publication Date: 1990-07-0162 p. A classic novel of adventure, drawn from London's own experiences as a Klondike adventurer, relating the story of a heroic dog, who, caught in the brutal life of the Alaska Gold Rush, ultimately faces a choice between living in man's world and returning to nature.
The House on Mango Street by Call Number: 813.54 C579hISBN: 9780679734772Publication Date: 1991-04-03110 p. The House on Mango Street is the remarkable story of Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago, inventing for herself who and what she will become. Told in a series of vignettes-sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes deeply joyous-Sandra Cisneros' masterpiece is a classic story of childhood and self-discovery.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Call Number: 823.8 D754hoISBN: 9780812966060Publication Date: 2002-10-08181 p. For generations the curse had hung over the Baskerville family. Now another life had been claimed by the mysterious and terrifying beast. Was it a demon or an animal lurking on the desolate moor? Would the new master of the Baskerville home be its next victim? Sherlock Holmes and Watson set out to solve the most bewildering and bloodcurdling case of their careers in this world-famous classic of mystery and suspense.
The Alchemist by Call Number: 869.342 C672aISBN: 9780062315007Publication Date: 2014-04-15182 p. Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different--and far more satisfying--than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.
The Outsiders by Call Number: Children's Literature 813.54 H666oISBN: 9780670532575Publication Date: 1967-04-24188 p. When it was first published in 1967, The Outsiders defied convention with its immediate, deeply sympathetic portrayal of Ponyboy and his struggle to find a place for himself in a difficult world. Thirty years later, it speaks to teenagers as powerfully as ever.
The Little Prince by Call Number: Children's Literature 843.912 S137LISBN: 9780152048044Publication Date: 2003-04-0183 p. Since 1943, the wise little boy from Asteroid B-612 has led children and their adults to deeper understandings of love, friendship, and responsibility. The Little Prince is a cherished story, read by millions of people in more than a hundred languages.
Cabin, Clearing, Forest by Call Number: ebookISBN: 9781602232761Publication Date: 2015-10-15"People break my heart. Every single one of them does." In settings that range from rural fishing communities to the urban capital, the stories of Cabin, Clearing, Forest are a lyrical road map to the human landscape of contemporary Alaska. In "Blue Ticket," a stranger finds solace in a Juneau homeless encampment. Old friends argue over the pleasures and perils of small-town life in "A Beginner's Guide to Leaving Your Hometown," and in "Every Island Longs for the Continent," a young family falls apart after moving to Kodiak. In these thirteen stories, Zach Falcon explores the burdens of familiarity and the pains of estrangement through characters struggling with their place in the world.
When Are You Coming Home? by Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780803284784Publication Date: 2015-09-01Humans have always connected deeply to the idea of home. In Bryn Chancellor's nine stories, home means, in part, the physical spaces: the buildings, cities and towns, the fragile, imperious landscapes of the region. But home is also profoundly rooted in intangibles. Set in urban and rural Arizona, home, for the characters in these stories, is love--familial, romantic, and unrequited. It is loss and grief. It is the memories that surface late at night. It is mystery and longing and a shining flicker of hope. In the title story, a locksmith prowls empty houses and befriends a young mother as he and his wife grapple with a tragedy perpetrated by their son. During an overseas trip, a daughter grieving for her father struggles with her mother's altered appearance; an irrigation worker meets a troubled teenage girl in the darkness of her flooded yard; and a daughter and her estranged, ailing mother stay in a dilapidated cabin while a mountain lion stalks the woods. Through chance meetings between strangers, collisions within families, and confrontations with the self, characters leave and return, time and again, trying desperately to find their way home.
Reality by Other Means by Call Number: ebookISBN: 9780819575753Publication Date: 2015-11-03Join the Abominable Snowman as, determined to transcend his cannibalistic past, he studies Tibetan Buddhism under the Dalai Lama. Pace the walls of Ilium with fair Helen as she tries to convince both sides to abandon their absurd Trojan War. Visit the nursery of Zenobia Garber, born to a Pennsylvania farm couple who accept her for the uncanny little biosphere she is. Scramble aboard the raft built by the passengers and crew of the sinking Titanic--and don't be surprised when the vessel transmutes into a world even more astonishing than the original Ship of Dreams. Reality by Other Means offers readers the most celebrated results from James Morrow's thirty-five-year career designing fictive thought experiments. Anchored by seven previously uncollected stories, this omnibus ranges from social satire to theological hijinks, steampunk escapades to philosophical antics.
Welcome to the New World: A Graphic Novel by Call Number: Popular Books HALISBN: 9781250305596Publication Date: 2020-09-22179 p. Now in a full-length book, theNew York Times Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic story of a refugee family who fled the civil war in Syria to make a new life in America
Annihilation by Call Number: Popular Books VANISBN: 9780374537159Publication Date: 2018-02-13195 p. Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide; the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition.
Brain Food Survey
Brain Food
Your brain runs on the fuel you feed it, so feed it well as you finish up those final projects and study for your tests.
Check out these 17 Power Snacks for Studying: quick and easy recipes for snacks with protein + carbs + fiber to keep up your energy and focus without the crash of caffeine and sugar!
Learning Commons
The Learning Commons offers FREE study support to any Kirkwood student enrolled in credit classes. See the Learning Commons website to explore the wide array of free services and study spaces they provide every day!
Study Tips
The best way to contact Tutoring Services is to email tutor.services@kirkwood.edu with your Kirkwood student email with any questions or inquiries or call us at 319-398-5425.
In addition to contacting Tutoring Services, here are some helpful tips to consider when considering seeking help from a tutor.
When to Get a Tutor
- You need help understanding the ideas, concepts, or homework.
- You need help preparing for a test.
- You are falling behind in a class.
Before Meeting With Your Tutor
- Read your syllabus and course schedule. This will help you schedule your tutoring appointments to properly prepare for tests and quizzes without cramming.
- Start your homework. This will help identify problem areas to focus on during your tutoring appointment.
- Do your best to understand as much of the material as possible.
What to Bring With You
- Textbook
- Course Material (syllabus, course schedule, etc.)
- Previous homework assignments, quizzes and tests
- Notes, study guides, flash cards and other study tools
- Homework, similar problems or challenging problems
- Specific questions for your tutor
Following the above guidelines will help ensure that you get the most from your tutoring session. For additional tips for working with your tutor and general advice on improving your performance in the class see the Tips for Tutoring section of the Tutoring Services page.
Animals & COVID-19
Although we can't have our emotional support dogs in the library this semester due to Coronavirus,
we all understand the importance of animals in our lives to help us feel better. To that end
please enjoy this assortment of animal pictures and videos.
Coloring Sheets
One of our most popular activities for Exam Cram is our coloring station. Here is some coloring you can do at home!
- Color Our CollectionsAs an on-going project museums and libraries all over the world have searched their archives for things that would be fun for you to color. Find a collection of links in this article from the Smithsonian.
- Simple Coloring PagesThis page is a directory of coloring pages. They are all large and simple outlines in case you don't want to do small and detailed.
- Just ColorColoring pages for adults. Discover 1,500+ Free Adult Coloring pages to download in PDF or to print : various themes, artists, difficulty levels and styles.
- Online Coloring GamesThis page lists a few webpages where you can color or draw by clicking a mouse.
Word Searches
Here are some fun, themed, Word Searches. Who doesn't love to relax with a good Word Search? These pdf puzzles have to be printed to complete. These, and many more are available from from: https://www.puzzles.ca/word-search
Sudoku
Websudoku - This Sudoku website includes Easy, Medium, Hard, and Evil level puzzles that can be worked online or printed for working on paper.
Paper Crafts
Paper Fortune Tellers - These can be used to tell fortunes, answer questions, or to make a player perform an activity or answer a question. It all depends on what you choose to include as messages on YOUR fortune teller. This is all
just for fun of course! There are many sites and videos online with tutorials for creating paper fortune tellers (or as I saw some places you may know them as chatterboxes) Included here is a link to a website with instructions and pictures, and a link to a video tutorial from YouTube
- How to Make Paper Fortune Tellers (from Instructables.com)
- How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller or Chatterbox (from Kidspot/Youtube)
Traditional Origami Crane
The simple instructions below demonstrate how to fold a traditional origami crane. The second link has alternate instructions as well as some background information on the paper crane.
- Easy Origami Crane Instructions (from the spruceCrafts)
- How to Fold a Traditional Origami Crane (from Origami.me)
Danish Braided Hearts - Braided Christmas Hearts or 'julehjerter' were invented by the famous
Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen in the 1860's. These paper ornaments are shaped like hearts and can be opened to serve as little baskets or pouches. This is a popular craft among children in Denmark. They can be simple or intricate.
Here is a link to one site with pretty good instructions.
- https://bitsofivory.com/2016/12/21/danish-heart-baskets/ (from Bits of Ivory)
Brain Food Survey Responses
Exam Strategies
These strategies for taking exams come from the library eBook: Study Skills Strategies: Get the Most From Every Minute of Learning, available to all Kirkwood students with a k number and password.
For objective tests:
- Answer easiest questions first.
- Underline key words in each question.
- Cross out answers you’ve eliminated.
- Be alert for words such as always and never.
- Ensure that the grammatical structure of the answer is consistent with the question.
- If there’s no penalty for guessing, answer every question.
For essay exams:
- Anticipate questions the instructor might ask.
- Sketch a variety of outline responses to model questions.
- Practice writing sample essays.
- Analyze the entire test, and budget your time before beginning to write.
- Read each question carefully, and underline key words.
- Create an informal cluster outline of your response before starting to write. If you choose, you can simply number your main points.
- Strive for a focused essay, tightly organized and supported with facts.
- Make sure your paragraphs have main ideas (topic sentences) and a thesis (central idea). Be sure your topic sentences relate to the thesis in your introductory paragraph in an organized way that parallels the ideas in the thesis statement.
- Use a paragraph structure that goes with the essay test question. Use the key words in the question as your guide.
- Add a conclusion to your essay or paragraph. The conclusion should relate to the essay test question.
Lengefeld, Uelaine A. Study Skills Strategies : Get the Most From Every Minute of Learning. 4th ed, Axzo Press, 2009.
from the chapter "Exam Strategies"
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Cedar Rapids Campus Library |
If you need disability-related accommodations in order to use the Library, our website, or our resources, please contact the library at library@kirkwood.edu or 319-398-5697. |