“Of Place and Memory: The Yizkor Book as a Window into a World Destroyed” is the digital edition of the Portland State University Library’s 2011 exhibit featuring selections from its Yizkor collection. Curated by Judaic Studies Professor Natan Meir, “Of Place and Memory” explores the Yizkor or memorial book, a literary genre dedicated to remembering and memorializing Jewish communities destroyed in the Holocaust. The University Library’s Special Collections is the steward of 136 original Yizkor books, the largest collection of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

The University's new video, "Beyond the Books," takes a look at the many services offered by PSU Library, including The Sandbox, our Family Friendly Study Room, group study rooms, The Learning Center, 24/7 research help, and loaner laptops and calculators.

The Library would like to thank the more than 100 PSU students, faculty, and staff who participated in the Library Card Sort, a survey to help improve the Library website. We appreciate your time and input, which will help us improve the Library for everyone. Congratulations to Michelle Stoklosa from Geology, who won our random drawing for a $50 gift card to Powell’s Books.

In July, 1977, seven local artists of color began collaborating on a mural project in in Portland's historically African American Albina neighborhood; the five murals, which were revealed in February, 1978, depicted key points in African American history, with an emphasis on the Northwest and Portland.

That same year, PSU's Center for the Moving Image produced the documentary film Albina Murals, which features the murals as well as interviews with the artists and community members. The mural panels were removed by the artists in 1983 after deteriorating quickly in Portland's rainy weather, leaving this film as the only known footage of the Albina Mural Project panels.

Generous funding from the National Film Preservation Foundation allowed PSU Library to create a preservation copy of the original film, which was shot on Super 8. We have now digitized this film, which is available on the PSU Library website. We feel incredibly fortunate to have this historic film that captures a local example of the powerful intersection of community action, public art and public history.

Join us for the first ever PSU Library Late Night Study Break. Come for the coffee, tea, and snacks; stay for the button-making! That's right, we're bringing out the Library's brand new button-maker! (Craftiness not required.) You'll find this fun, free, stress-relieving event in Room 160 in the Library, near the elevators.

Find more information on the Library's Facebook page.

The Library will be open 24/7 during Spring 2013 Dead Week and Finals Week. On Monday, June 3, the Library will open at 7:30 am, and remain open until midnight on Thursday, June 13. Only Portland State students, faculty and staff are allowed in the Library from 11pm to 7am, so please bring your PSU ID card with you.

For complete library hours, please check our website.

College Housing NW will provide overnight shuttle service to and from the PSU Library during our 24/7 hours on this schedule:
Monday - Friday: The shuttle will leave Goose Hollow every 30 minutes from 10pm - 6:30am.
Saturday - Sunday: The shuttle will leave Goose Hollow every 30 minutes from 8pm - 6:30am.

Students can request to be picked up from other College Housing NW buildings by texting 971-998-7306.

The shuttle will bring you from the Library to other College Housing NW buildings by request; please tell the driver before you leave the Library.

If you have questions, please contact College Housing NW.

The Library will be closed on Monday, May 27, in honor of Memorial Day. We will be open regular hours on Saturday (10am to 7pm) and Sunday (Noon to Midnight). We re-open on Tuesday, May 28 at 7:30am.

The University Library is pleased to announce that all Portland State University Alumni with an alumni card are eligible for free borrowing from the University Library’s print collection, as well as online access to electronic databases when inside the Library building. Alumni will be allowed to check out up to five books at a time for up to three weeks, with one renewal.

To check out items from the Library, PSU alumni should bring their official alumni card to the Library. Alumni cards can be requested through the PSU Alumni Association. Sixty (60) credits are all that is needed to apply for free membership in the Alumni Association.

The University Library is proud of our alumni and happy to invite alumni back to the Library to use our growing research collections.

This exciting change to borrowing policies is the result of a renewed partnership with the PSU Alumni Association. (In the past, Alumni Association members received various benefits including a reduced price on a borrower card at the Library as part of their annual membership fee.)

Questions regarding this new service can be sent to Molly Blalock-Koral, Library Access Services Manager, blalockk@pdx.edu or Jyoti Roy, Alumni Association Communications Coordinator, jyotiroy@pdx.edu.

The Library would like to thank the more than 800 PSU students, faculty, and staff who participated in LibQUAL, a survey about library services at Portland State University. We appreciate your time and input, which will help us improve the library for everyone. And congratulations to student Ryan Bender from the School of Social Work, who won our random drawing for a new iPad! Ryan told us that while she wishes the Library were open 24 hours every day, she appreciates being able to access library resources from home at anytime.

Thanks to Ryan and all of our survey participants.

Portland State University Library wants to improve our website based on what you think! And one lucky participant will win a $50 gift card to Powell’s Books! We are conducting an online card-sorting exercise, which should take about 10-15 minutes to complete. You will drag and drop items to create categories, and choose the names of your categories. It's easy, and there are no wrong answers!

Get started: http://goo.gl/HndUv

The winner will be randomly selected; only current PSU students, staff and faculty are eligible to win. The survey will close May 22, 2013 at noon, so don't delay.

Contact Content and Usability Strategist Sherry Buchanan at sherryb@pdx.edu or 503-725-3877 if you have any questions. Thanks for your help!