Released by The Baptist College of Florida …
Even though The Baptist College of Florida (BCF) Library sustained significant damage during the hurricane last October, through the efforts and determination of the library staff, faculty, and students, the temporary location and access has been tremendous. In addition to the exceptional library services provided, the library staff has hosted several events in the new location to keep students engaged and provided with the resources they need academically.
After an enjoyable open-house where students were introduced to the new location, the next event was a Plagiarism Workshop which was a combined effort by the BCF Library staff and the Writing Center staff. BCF Librarian Ruth Slagle and Writing Center Director Melody Barney introduced the importance of students understanding the dangers of plagiarizing. During the two-day workshop, students, faculty, and staff gathered in the BCF Library now located in McRae Morrow Hall to discuss the issues and the consequences. Some of the topics during the workshop included quoting, paraphrasing, citing, credible and scholarly sources, and many different examples on the correct way to cite text. Students were reminded that additional help is available in the library holdings as well as individual appointments with the Library and Writing Center staff.
The library team also hosted their second annual “Silent Library” which is an activity planned by the staff where students form teams and undergo strange challenges, without talking, in hopes of winning the grand prize. The event was originated so students would excitedly and willingly come to the library and enjoy a fun time in addition to coming to study and do research.
At this year’s Silent Library, students were lined up in the hallway of McRae-Morrow Hall waiting for the doors to open and the challenges to begin. Upon entering, library workers were strategically placed around the room with clip boards as they observed each game. After a brief introduction from the event coordinator and library staff member Abigail Butler, the game began. Challenge after challenge, students tried to stay completely quiet while preforming the daring tasks. Some of the challenges included “Crummy Bunny” where you had to eat two huge marshmallows as fast as you could and “Color Me In” where one team member had to let the others in the group color whatever they wanted on their face.
There was a total of ten teams that participated in the event ranging from groups of three to four students. After the challenges were completed, the judges/library workers retired to a room for a final tally of points to determine the winning group. The team with the most points and champions of the 2019 Silent Library challenge was a team called “We Showed Up” which included BCF students Jessie Greenwood, Erika Smith, and Kerrie Edwards. The winning team not only took home bragging rights but also was awarded a $25 gift card to Cold Stone.