The Stevenson library will sponsor a series of events for students throughout the month of November. All student writers and non-library users alike are encouraged to attend these events.
PUBLISH YOURSELF WORKSHOP
Becoming a published author takes a lot of time, effort and money…or does it? To kick-start the month of November, also known as National Novel Writing Month, Stephanie Verni, professor of business communication, and the library staff are hosting a book-writing and self-publishing workshop.
“I’m going to talk about how you actually upload your book to Amazon,” Verni said. Anyone can get himself or herself published online — all it takes is hard work, dedication, and about $100, she added. The self-publishing workshop will be held in the Claire Moore room of Garrison Hall at 6 p.m. on Nov. 1.
NaNoWriMo
The idea of NaNoWriMo is to write about 2,000 words a day, and at the end of the month participants will have written an entire 60,000-word novel. An entire novel in a month may seem like a daunting task for college students, which is why Verni and librarian Bria Sinnott have modified it slightly.
“We’re really big on prompts because you never know where it could take you,” said Verni. The idea is to just get started. Two to three times a week, the library blog ‘Stevenson Write Now’ will upload an original prompt to which students and faculty can comment their responses. This allows for a network of like-minded individuals to share their work and offer help. There are prompts for those interested in writing either non-fiction or fiction pieces. No experience is needed.
LIBRARY HYPE SQUAD
For those who want their voice to be heard about what’s happenings on campus, but just can’t seem to find the time, the Library Hype Squad, a student advisory group, could be perfect. Any student can attend.
“The students are our patrons, our customers, you know, our main community, and we just want an opportunity to hear exactly from the student body what they want in their library,” said Sinnott.
Even for those who do not use the library, this is a perfect opportunity to drop in and make suggestions. There are plans to eventually create a new library on the Owings Mills North site, and student involvement can help make the library the best it can be. The Library Hype Squad meets in the Brown School of Business library the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m.
LATE NIGHT AGAINST PROCRASTINATION
Late Night Against Procrastination, LNAP, can help students who feel overwhelmed with assignments. During this event, the Claire Moore room in Garrison Hall will transform into a place for students to get work done and be rewarded for it. The library staff advises that students make sure to bring some work they’ve been putting off. The room will be set up as a study hall with librarians, motivators, student success coaches, and tutors on site to help with any problems you might have.
“Every hour we take a study break. For 15 minutes there will be a little event, a raffle, and a lot of fun giveaways,” Sinnott said. At the end of the night, all of the hard work is celebrated with a pizza party. All of the help students need is there waiting; it is just up to them to participate. LNAP will be happening on Nov. 8 from 7-10:30 p.m.