Monthly Newsletter

November 2025

🧊 Upcoming Acquisitions Freeze

We have exciting news! The library will be upgrading to a new Integrated Library System this December. This upgrade will provide patrons with a more seamless and easy way to search for resources, request materials, renew loans, and more. We will share additional details about this change in the near future.

Part of this migration means we will need to temporarily halt processing of all new materials beginning November 14, 2025. From this date until the end of December, we will be unable to add new physical materials to the library's collection.

But have no fear! If you need resources we do not currently own, you can still place requests through Interlibrary Loan!

✍️ New Mobile Whiteboards

Need to collaborate with a study group or visualize a project? The library now has a rolling, double-sided whiteboard! Patrons are free to use it anywhere within the library. It includes several multi-colored dry erase markers and magnets. A new whiteboard is also now available for use inside the 4th floor student lounge. Please remember to clean after use with the provided eraser.

📔 Free Student Planners

We have a limited number of 2025-2026 student planners leftover from Library Card Sign-Up Month that are still up for grabs. Stop by the library and pick one up for free soon, before they run out!

📚 New professional development, study guide, and curriculum-focused titles:

• Sustainable Success: Performing at High Levels Without Burning Out by Melinda Cohan
• Quality Measurement in Healthcare edited by Jesse M. Pines, et al.
• Education: The Basics by Kay Wood
• Storytelling With Data: Before & After by Cole Knaflic, et al.

📚 Featured new additions to our popular fiction and non-fiction:

• Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America by Beth Macy
• The People's Project: Poems, Essays, and Art for Looking Forward curated by Saeed Jones & Maggie Smith
• A Guardian and a Thief: A Novel by Megha Majumdar
• The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake: A Novel by Rachel Linden

♟️ Casual Gaming Night

Friday, November 7, 2025 | 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Room 418

Join our community program all about tabletop gaming! Several popular board games will be provided, as well as beverages and snacks. Players are encouraged to bring along their favorite board game.

More info and registration.

🎨 Peaceful Paint Night

Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. | Room 418

This monthly art program is free and open to the community. Set your creativity free and paint whatever your heart desires. All supplies will be provided as well as drinks and snacks!

More info and registration.

☕ Coffee, Tea, & Poetry

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 pm. | Library (Suite 216)

Attendees are invited to share their work (or work they admire) in a safe, judgment-free space. Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be provided.

More info and registration.

☃️ Winter Craft Project

Friday, December 12, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 pm. | Room 418

Join us as we create an adorable snowman! All supplies will be provided, as well as free hot chocolate and snacks. Families are welcome to attend!

More info and registration.

Ebook Central is an electronic book collection spanning all academic subject areas, including Nursing, Anesthesiology, Culinary Arts & Hospitality, Pharmacy, Education, Social Work, Leadership, and much more. RHEC Library's access includes over 260,000 titles. Users can search for ebooks by title, author, ISBN, or browse by subject. Using your Ebook Central account, you can manage a virtual bookshelf where you can store titles, highlight passages, take notes, create folders, and even share ebooks with others.

Quick Guides for Getting Started:

• Using the Ebook Central Online Reader
• Using the Ebook Central Bookshelf

How to access: New users must create a free Ebook Central account to begin using the platform. Please click the 'Create Account' button on the login page. If you are not connected to the RHEC network, off-campus access is available by entering your RHEC Library Card number. (Need a card? Apply here!)

Have you come across that elusive "perfect" source? An article, book, or even just a paragraph that matches your research topic exactly? That's when citation mining can be a real game-changer!

Citation mining is when you find new, relevant resources by examining the references of a source you already have. This can be accomplished two ways:

Looking backward: Take a moment to look at the sources an article or book has cited. This reveals who they based their research on, and it's a great way to find key foundational studies on the topic. Works cited pages and bibliographies are your friend!

Looking forward: Find out who cited your resource. By looking at books and articles that have cited your "perfect" source, you can identify what the latest developments have been on research on this topic. Did your source add new insights to the field, or has it been challenged by others?

How can you find who cited your resource?

Most research databases will provide a "Cited By" link for their materials. These links will direct you to the other resources within the database that have cited that particular work. Another option is to search for your resource in Google Scholar.

Here's an example of this feature in an EBSCO database:

And here's the same feature demonstrated in Google Scholar:

Next time you're working on research, try out citation mining! ⛏️

It doesn't have to be all about research and school work! Practice self-care during this busy time by settling in with a warm, inviting read. This month, the library is displaying new releases featuring cozy fall vibes. Whether it's inspiring stories about friendship and family, or charming small-town romances with a hint of magic and whimsy, these new releases are packed with comfort and enchantment.

Roanoke Higher Education Center Library

www.education.edu/library

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