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Mann Library

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Mann Library Spring Break Hours

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Spring Break is a great chance to rest, recharge, and take a well-deserved pause in the semester. For those who plan to spend some time at the library studying, working on projects, or just enjoying some free time, Mann Library will remain open with reduced hours beginning Friday, March 27.

 

Spring Break hours will be:

  • Friday, March 27: 8am – 5pm
  • Saturday, March 28: 1 – 5pm
  • Sunday, March 29: CLOSED
  • Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3: 8am – 5pm
  • Saturday, April 4: 1 – 5pm
  • Sunday, April 5: 12 – 6pm

You can find the most up-to-date Mann Library hours here: https://mann.library.cornell.edu/full-hours

 

Looking for another library location on campus? View hours for all Cornell libraries here: https://www.library.cornell.edu/libraries/

 

If you’re traveling during the break, you can use many library resources online. Learn more about off-campus access: https://www.library.cornell.edu/collections/off-campus-access/

 

However you spend your break, we hope it’s a good one, and we’ll be here if you need a place to study, focus, or get a little work done before the semester picks back up. 📚

New Stacks Signage at Mann Library Makes Browsing Easier

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Patrons exploring the stacks at Mann Library may have noticed something new recently: updated signage designed to make navigating the library’s physical collections easier and more intuitive.

 

The new signs highlight subject areas, call number ranges, and unique images from Mann Library’s collections. Together, these elements help users quickly see what kinds of topics are in each section of the stacks, making it easier to browse and discover materials they might not have searched for online.

 

For many students, navigating the stacks can feel unfamiliar at first. Library books are organized using call numbers, which function like an address for each item. A call number tells you exactly where a book lives on the shelf, and books with similar call numbers are grouped together by subject. This system allows related materials to be shelved near each other, supporting browsing and discovery, but it can take a little practice to understand and navigate the library shelves with confidence.

 

The new signage helps make subject areas more visible. In addition to listing call number ranges, the signs include plain-language subject keywords, such as sustainable agriculture, fashion design, or rural sociology, so that users can quickly understand what topics they’ll find in each aisle. The signage also incorporates images drawn from Mann Library’s collections, adding visual interest while highlighting the breadth of subjects located in the stacks.

The project grew out of a simple observation: the previous stacks signage had been in place for many years and was no longer serving users as effectively as it could. What began as an effort to improve old range labels soon turned into a broader rethinking of how improved stacks signage could assist the people navigating them.

 

The new system was a collaborative effort between Marty Cain (now a Reference Assistant at Olin Library), Carson Williams (Collection Development Librarian), and Wendy Thompson (Public Services Assistant). The team combined data analysis, design work, and subject expertise to rethink how information about the collections is presented in our stacks.

 

The project also reflects a thoughtful approach to the language used in library classification systems. Some traditional Library of Congress subject terms are outdated or use harmful language. By supplementing those terms with clearer subject descriptions, the signage helps bridge the gap between technical classification systems and the way users naturally think about topics. The result is a signage system that transforms the stacks from a maze of call numbers into a more navigable and engaging environment – one that invites exploration and discovery.

End panel of a library book stack with older yellow call number range signs, surrounded by shelves of books in Mann Library.
Previous stacks signage at Mann Library used simple call number range labels that offered little subject context for users.

The impact of this project has been recognized by Cornell University Library. Cain, Williams, and Thompson received the 2025 Library Innovation Award for their work developing the new subject-based stacks signage at Mann Library.

 

Today, the new signs help guide users through the physical collections while also encouraging a key part of the library experience: browsing. Because books on related subjects are shelved together, following a call number range can often lead to serendipitous discoveries.

 

Mann visitors are encouraged to use the new signs as a starting point to explore our collections. You might come in looking for one book and leave with a few new ideas!

New stacks signage at Mann Library showing call number ranges, subject keywords, and a poster reading “Food & Agriculture Statistics, Livestock,” mounted on the end of a book stack between shelves of books.
The redesigned stacks signage highlights subject areas alongside call number ranges, making it easier to see what topics are located in each aisle.

Create & Connect Fridays

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Need a creative break? Cornell University Library is pleased to announce a new Create & Connect Friday series hosted by Mann Library for the Cornell campus community.

 

On the third Friday of every month for the rest of the semester, from 2:00-4:00pm, you’ll find us in the CALS Zone. We’ll have supplies on hand for a variety of crafts and media (e.g. drawing, watercolors, felting and other textile arts, zine making, and more). For those who might be interested in a little how-to guidance, we’ll also have different kinds of expertise present at different sessions. Open to all Cornellians and all skill levels — from beginner to the seasoned artisan. Start a new project or bring your own!

 

For those interested in gaining new skills, expertise in various techniques will be offered as follows:

  • 20 Feltuary (err, February!): Needle felting, with Carson Williams
  • 20 March: Collages & zines, with Diana Hackett
  • 17 April: Textile arts for telling stories, with Gabby Evergreen

Drop in for some informal tips and guidance or bring your project ideas to make progress in a relaxed, convivial setting. We look forward to sharing some creative Friday afternoons with you this semester!

February Break Hours at Mann Library

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We’re sharing a little library love this February break 💛 Whether you’re spending the break catching up, getting ahead, or giving yourself a well-deserved pause, we hope you find time to rest and recharge.

 

If you choose to spend part of your break at the library, please note that Mann will have adjusted hours on the following days:

  • Friday, February 13: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Saturday, February 14: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

  • Sunday, February 15: Closed

  • Monday, February 16 & Tuesday, February 17: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

We’ll return to regular semester hours (8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.) on Wednesday, February 18.

 

However you spend the break, we’re here when you need us — and our online resources and research support are available 24/7. Information about off-campus access to library resources can be found here: https://www.library.cornell.edu/collections/off-campus-access/.

 

Wishing you a restful (and maybe even a little cozy) February break!

Love Data Week 2026

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February 9-13 is Love Data Week, an international celebration of all things data! The Library and Cornell Data Services will be hosting campus-wide informational events focused on data discovery, access, management, analysis, sharing, and preservation. This year’s Love Data Week theme is “Where’s the Data?” – a way to get people thinking about data’s journey from collection through storage and preservation.

 

Panel Event: Where’s the Data? Navigating the Data Sharing and Repository Landscape

February 11, 12:00pm – 1:30pm | Mann Library Room 102
Join us for a discussion about sharing open and reproducible data in celebration of Love Data Week. Funders and publishers require data to be publicly accessible, but researchers often face challenges in finding appropriate places to share data and prepare it for long-term access and reuse. To help you navigate these challenges, panelists from different scientific fields will present on their research and experiences with publishing data in public repositories. The panel will also discuss data sharing and reproducibility, data sharing mandates, the role of data curation, and FAIR data and open science. Register here.

 

Information Tabling

Consultants from Cornell Data Services and representatives from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research will be tabling and distributing data swag, resources, and information. Find us on the following days and locations:

  • February 9, 12:00pm – 2:00pm | Mann Library Lobby | Featuring free ORCID tune-ups!
  • February 10, 12:00pm – 2:00pm | Fine Arts Library (Rand Hall) | Featuring interactive data visualizations!
  • February 12, 12:00pm – 2:00pm | Clark Hall | Featuring consultants and swag from Cornell Center for Social Sciences!

For full event descriptions see the Love Data Week 2026 page.

Spring 2026 Chats in the Stacks

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Our Chats in the Stacks book talk series returns this spring with a new line-up of Cornell authors whose work spans psychology, food systems, and the natural world. All our book talks start at 4:30pm and are held in-person in Mann Library Room 160 as well as livestreamed.

 

You can find all recordings of our past Chats in the Stacks on our YouTube channel. All events are free and open to the public. Registration details and additional information are available through the individual event listings linked below.

 

Thursday, March 5

Critical Thinking Across Disciplines

Critical thinking is essential for understanding and addressing serious challenges of our world – from tackling poverty and climate change to grappling with the ethical uses of generative AI. But critical thinking, as a learned skill and practice, also needs to be better studied and understood. Join us for this Chats in the Stacks book talk with Robert Sternberg, professor of psychology in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, who co-edited the two-volume work Critical Thinking Across Disciplines (Palgrave Press, 2025) with Weihua Niu, professor of psychology at Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Sciences. Sternberg will discuss a multidisciplinary approach to teaching critical thinking in classroom settings and the importance of bringing together experts from fields such as psychology, philosophy, education, and creativity studies to better understand the theoretical foundations of critical thinking and promote its application in everyday life.

 

Thursday, March 26
Wasted Potential: Tackling Food Loss and Waste Across Transforming Food Systems
Wasted Potential: Tackling Food Loss and Waste Across Transforming Food Systems provides an evidence-based framework for addressing food loss and waste as a means to improve access to healthy diets. This open access book examines how food systems reforms can support progress toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 – “responsible consumption and production” – by reducing food loss and waste in support of sustainable, safe, and nutritious diets across countries at different stages of structural transformation. Authors Dr. Jocelyn Boiteau (Tata-Cornell Institute) and Dr. Prahbu Pingali (Tata-Cornell Institute / Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management / Global Development) outline a policy agenda that builds demand for diverse, nutritious foods to incentivize food loss and waste reduction while balancing food security, environmental sustainability, and socioeconomic welfare.

 

Thursday, April 9

Near the Forest, By the Lake: Discovering Nature Close to Home

Near the Forest, By the Lake (Cornell University Press) is a personal exploration of the wonders of the natural world close to home. In this collection of essays, Angela E. Douglas (Entomology) reflects on the lives and habits of plants, birds, insects, and other creatures inhabiting the landscapes of upstate New York. Some essays focus on individual species – from salamanders migrating in early spring and butterflies of summer to goldenrods in the fall and ducks gathering on winter lakes – while others explore enduring natural mysteries, such as why certain birds sing in autumn or how turtles survive winter in ice-sealed ponds. Throughout the book, Douglas weaves in the inescapable imprint of human activity on the natural world, reminding readers that even the most familiar environments can offer moments of discovery and wonder.

Data Den: Data Skills Workshop Series

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Data Skills Workshops Spring 2026

Research Data and Open Scholarship (RDOS) is excited to host the Data Den, a series of hands-on data skills workshops offered this semester.

 

Each workshop introduces participants to a different tool or skill used in data collection, analysis, and sharing. All sessions are open to learners at any level, and no prior experience is required.

 

Workshops will be offered in a hybrid format (in Mann Library 102 and on Zoom), with one session held virtually only. Find more information and register via the Library Workshops: Data Den page.

Workshop schedule

Holiday Closure & Semester Hours at Mann Library

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As we head into the start of a new semester, here’s a quick update on Mann Library hours for the holiday weekend and the week ahead.

Closed for MLK Holiday Weekend

Mann Library will be closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. We will reopen next Tuesday, January 20.

Regular Semester Hours Begin Tuesday

Starting Tuesday, with the first day of classes, Mann Library will return to its regular semester operating hours:

  • Monday–Thursday: 8:00am–10:00pm

  • Friday: 8:00am–6:00pm

  • Saturday: 12:00pm–6:00pm

  • Sunday: 12:00pm–10:00pm

We’re excited to welcome you back to the library and support your studying, teaching, and research throughout the semester!

 

For the most up-to-date building hours information:

Know Before You Go: Library Hours & Services for Winter Break

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Important End-of-Semester Information

As the semester winds down and winter break approaches, here’s everything you need to know about library hours, off-campus access, and returning materials.

🕰️ Building Hours

We’re almost at the finish line! For planning purposes, please note the following upcoming changes to library hours:

  • Extended hours end tomorrow, Tuesday, December 16

  • Regular semester hours resume Wednesday, December 17 through Saturday, December 20

  • Winter intersession hours begin Sunday, December 21:

    • Monday–Friday: 8:00am–5:00pm

    • Saturday & Sunday: Closed

Please note that the library will close early on Wednesday, December 24, at 3:00pm. We will then be closed for the winter holiday break from December 25 through January 2, reopening on Monday, January 5.

 

Our 24/7 spaces, including the contactless pickup area in the CALS Zone, will also be closed during this time. Be sure to collect any items you have on hold before 3:00pm on December 24.

🌍 Off-Campus Access: Take the Library With You

Heading out of town for winter break? The library can travel with you!

 

Whether you’re catching up on research from home or prepping spring courses from somewhere warmer, Cornell University Library resources are always within reach – wherever you are.

 

Two easy ways to access library resources off campus:

1. Start at the Cornell University Library website
Search and browse as usual. When you select a subscription-only article, journal, or database, you’ll be prompted to log in with your NetID for full access.

 

2. Install the Access Anywhere bookmarklet
Before leaving campus, add this handy browser tool (available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari). When you encounter a paywalled resource off campus, click the bookmarklet, log in once, and you’ll be recognized as part of the Cornell community, just like being on campus.

 

If something doesn’t load, it may not be part of Cornell’s subscriptions. A quick catalog search or a message to library staff can usually help point you in the right direction.

 

Stay cozy, stay productive, and bring the library along wherever winter break takes you!

 

📚 Library Returns

Before you head out for winter break, don’t forget to return any library materials you’ve checked out!

  • Most books can be returned to any campus library

  • Course reserves, laptops, and other equipment must be returned to the library where they were borrowed

For details on returns, locations, and hours, visit the Cornell University Library website: https://www.library.cornell.edu/

 

Wishing you a restful, refreshing winter break. We look forward to welcoming you back in the new year! ❄️

Finals Focus: Settle In & Study @ Mann Library

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Looking for a structured, supportive space to power through your final projects? Join us at Mann Library for Finals Focus: Settle In & Study, a three-hour study session built to help you stay on track during the busiest week of the semester. Using the Pomodoro technique, we’ll alternate focused work time with intentional breaks so you can keep your momentum without burning out.

 

Tutors from the Learning Strategies Center and the Knight Writing Centers—along with librarians—will be available for on-the-spot writing advice, research help, and study strategies. We’ll also have snacks and beverages to keep you energized.

 

The event takes place Thursday, December 11, 1–4 p.m., in Mann Room 160. Registration is required and limited to 50 students. You can register here: spaces.library.cornell.edu/event/15768653