New Exhibit

Exhibit Runs: November-December 2013

FSU Archives and Special Collections

By: Laura Stagliola – Archives Student Assistant

Have you ever thought about the graphics and illustrations within the Dial and The Gatepost? We mostly think about clip-art or candids, but students designed elaborate, or simplistic, cartoons and drawings as space holders throughout the college’s yearbooks and newspapers. The Archives and Special Collections of Framingham State University is exhibiting “Retrospective Exhibit: Illustrations from the Dial Yearbooks and Early Gateposts” from November through December 2013 as a comprehensive overview of the graphics within the Dial and the headers of The Gatepost. Spanning from the first floor to the mezzanine (“The Pit”), this exhibit contains a variety of yearbooks, newspapers, graphics, and graphic artists dating from 1915 to 2005.

Special attention has been given to the early years of the Dial, before the age of clip-art, due to the yearbook club members who put so much hard work into their designs and cartoons to make the yearbooks unique. Artists are highlighted with red backgrounds and are generally featured next to their artwork. One piece viewers should not overlook is the border of the bulletin board. There the headers of The Gatepost are displayed showcasing the changes the design underwent over the years from 1932 to the Hatepost (1969), to the 75^th (2007) and 80^th (2012) anniversaries. The exhibit is in chronological order starting on the bulletin board covering years 1915-1932, and then continues over to the first floor display cases with the years ranging from 1933-1958, and finally to the main floor lower reading room (the pit) carrying you from the 1960s through 2000s.  Don’t miss the special section from 1974-1978 when “April Fools” Special Editions were printed.  The last Dial yearbook was printed in 2005.

iPad’s for use now at Framingham State

iPad’s for use now at Framingham State
By: Shelby Wood, library social media intern

Over the past weekend I got to personally take-out an iPad that the Whitimore Library lent me. It was one of the most entertaining weekends ever. I literally could not be separated from the device for more than an hour. When I went to dinner I took it with me to show my parents (but also to play with it). The thing was so addicting.

One reason why I really liked it was because the screen was so big and in my face that I could see everything up close and personal. I loved that because I have bad vision. Another reason why I thought it was so useful was because it had every app that I usually used with a computer on the iPad. I barely touched my computer all weekend. Using this iPad I could take it everywhere with me instead of lugging around my laptop. I just used the iPad.

The most common apps that I think students would use are Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pandora. But not only does it have a great variety of social media to use; it also has a HUGE variety of games that you can play. At my family dinner, my cousins and I took turns playing Temple Run and Angry Birds. Another addiction that kids have these days is with the game Candy Crush. No worries because you can spend days on the iPad playing that game as well.
The battery life is amazing on the IPad. I was playing around with it for 3 days before it got to 50% and I thought I might have needed to charge it. As long as you use the screen lock so that it doesn’t drain the battery I’m sure the battery life could have lasted me a week.

But not only does it come with media and games, the iPad has dictionaries, a Shakespeare app to help with English classes, and apps for eBooks like if you have accounts. If you need to check your email, Gmail is already installed. You can use Safari, which is a browser to the Internet.
The iPad is fully loaded with activities, homework helpers and communication suppliers. I would highly recommend renting this out from our very own Whitmore Library. The iPad is on loan for use for 7 days. They have you read and sign an agreement saying that if broken, it has to be paid for by the user. “You break it, you buy it” is a very fair rule, considering they are letting us borrow and use a $500 electronic device. The iPad was a lot of fun to use for the week. It kept me very entertained and I highly suggest students use this awesome opportunity to use this free device.

Gettysburg Address Read by FSU Librarians