Join us for the opening celebration of Cornell University Library’s From the Brink exhibitions at Mann Library Thursday, April 16, 4:00–6:00pm Let’s celebrate the opening of Cornell University Library’s From the Brink exhibitions at Mann Library on Thursday, April 16:
At 4:00pm, in Mann 160, Cornell Lab of Ornithology researcher Jordan Boersma will deliver the talk, “Finding Hope in the Search for Lost Birds.” Boersma has more than a decade of experience in New Guinea, where he works with local communities and Indigenous knowledge keepers to better understand and conserve understudied bird taxa. A contributing scientist in the global Search for Lost Birds project, he will highlight recent insights gained from partnerships between Indigenous communities and scientists to find and protect birds previously believed to be extinct. At 5:00pm, Mann Library Gallery will host a reception with remarks by Mike Webster, a professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior in the College of Arts and Sciences, and director of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s premiere collection of media capturing the behaviors of wild birds and other animals. This event is free and open to all! This program is part of From the Brink: Contributions to a Sustainable Future from across Cornell, a series of exhibits hosted by different libraries across Cornell University Library in partnership with other departments and groups on campus. |
Author: eeh53
Art + Feminism 2026 at Cornell University Library
Cornell University Library invites the campus and local community to participate in Art + Feminism 2026, part of a global Wikimedia initiative to address information gaps on Wikipedia and Wikidata. This year, in addition to opportunities to edit Wikipedia, Cornell University Library is hosting a panel discussion about this year’s theme — We need feminist data to tell feminist stories. Help close the gender gap on Wikipedia!
Event Schedule
- Community Data Activism: Art, Feminism, & Us
Tuesday, April 7 | 6:00 PM
Tompkins County Public Library, BorgWarner East - Data Feminism Panel Discussion
Wednesday, April 15 | 4:30–6:00 PM
Olin Library, Room 107 - Drop-in Wikipedia Editing
Tuesday, April 21 | 2:30–4:30 PM
Mann Library, Room 102 - Drop-in Wikipedia Editing
Thursday, April 23 | 3:30–5:30 PM
Olin Library, Room 108
Join us to learn, collaborate, and contribute to a more equitable and representative digital knowledge landscape.
Mann Library Spring Break Hours
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
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.
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!
Create & Connect Fridays
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
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
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
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
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
Introduction to APIs (Hybrid)
Thursday, January 29, 2:00–3:30 pmBeginner’s Crash Course: CLI Basics (Hybrid)
Thursday, February 5, 2:00–3:30 pmIntroduction to GitHub (Hybrid)
Thursday, February 19, 2:00–3:30 pmIntroduction to Git (Hybrid)
Thursday, February 26, 2:00–3:30 pmJulia 101: Core Skills (Virtual only)
Thursday, March 12, 2:00–3:30 pmIntroduction to Julia for Statistics (Hybrid)
Thursday, March 19, 2:00–3:30 pm
Holiday Closure & Semester Hours at Mann Library
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:
View Mann Library’s full hours: https://mann.library.cornell.edu/full-hours
Find hours for all Cornell University Library locations: https://www.library.cornell.edu/libraries/