USMA Library

The 50 Most Impressive College Museums Whether a stunning piece of art or a priceless artifact, some of America's best finds are housed at these impressive college museums.

Most of the cadets have already arrived at their Winter Break destinations. There are, however, a couple of cadets who will stay at West Point over the break. What would happen if one of them accidentally got left in the library?? 😱 Tell us what you think they’d do!

This week’s Film Friday is “Home Alone.” Search “Home Alone” in our library search engine, Scout and click on Feature Films for Education.

**You need a library account to access our digital resources including streaming movies BUT this means you can watch movies like this even if you’re not currently at West Point!**

Go Army! Beat Navy!

From the youngest to the oldest here at West Point, we all can’t wait for the Black Knights to win!

Image from the USMA Library Archives and Special Collections. “Junior Black Knights” ca. 1906

In support of the Army-Navy Game, the Library will be CLOSED today, Saturday, December 9th. We’ll reopen on Sunday with our normal Sunday hours 1300-2315.

🏈 We know that the Black Knights have all the right moves to win tomorrow's game!

🍿 To watch this movie, search "All The Right Moves" in our Library search engine, Scout, and click on Feature Films for Education.

*You need a library account to access our digital resources, including streaming movies.*

Army-Navy Shenanigans in the Library! Earlier this week, a Midshipman took to the stacks to play a prank on several Cadets. Luckily, Librarians were around to help figure out where the caps were. Go Army! Beat Navy!

The USMA Library recently received a collection of over 600 books and other materials that focus on West Point in fiction. This collection was generously donated by Mr. Ed Blomstedt in honor of his son's class, the Class of 1998. This collection is aptly named The Class of 1998 Collection of West Point Fiction. Last week, we were able to highlight Mr. Blomstedt's work and collection during an event in the Haig Room that coincided with the Class of 1998's reunion weekend. In addition to remarks by Mr. Blomstedt and Mr. Christopher Barth, the Librarian and director of the USMA Library, LTC Benjamin Griffin from the Department of History also spoke. LTC Griffin recently published a book on the importance of fiction in shaping popular opinion and policy and gave some great incite into the importance of this collection. Additional thanks to the USMA parachute team for providing an impressive backdrop to the talk!

A selection of materials from the collection will remain on display on the 2nd floor of Jefferson Hall until the end of the year.

We couldn’t celebrate Army Libraries Week without bragging about our patrons! It’s an honor and a pleasure to help our cadets, faculty, and staff in their pursuit of academic excellence. Without all of you, we wouldn’t be here!

We are committed to ensuring that our cadets, faculty, & staff have access to the best possible resources for their research. Whether it’s one of our thousands of physical books or millions of electronic resources, we take our stewardship of these resources seriously. While the soul of the library might be our staff, the heart of the library is the resources we provide.

Jefferson Hall is certainly a beautiful building, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a place where cadets can study or self-reflect. It’s a place where cadets can meet and collaborate with their peers. It’s a place faculty can teach. It’s a place that encourages seeking knowledge, without restrictions or judgement.

The USMA Library has several programs that are meant to support and build relationships with our cadets, faculty, & staff. Every single plebe is assigned a librarian through our Personal Librarian Program. This program offers plebes direct contact with a librarian who can help them with their research.

Our Library Liaison Program assigns librarians to specific academic departments. Liaison librarians are uniquely positioned to teach research skills at all levels, and to identify disciplinary resources to assist cadets and faculty.

Many of our librarians are both Personal Librarians and Library Liaisons, which offers them the benefit of being able to see the perspectives and experiences of both the cadets and the academic departments.

Happy Army Libraries Week! This week we'll highlight the positive impacts and the significant contributions that Army libraries make every day, providing essential support to Cadets, Soldiers, Families, Civilians, and the Army mission.

🍿Halloween is next week and we’ve got a multitude of horror movies if you want a scary movie night. We recommend Predator, a 1980’s classic.

To watch it, search "Predator" in our library search engine, Scout and click on Feature Film for Education.

*You need a library account to access our digital resources including streaming movies*

With Halloween just around the corner check out "Nosferatu" for this week's Film Friday.

To watch it, search "Nosferatu" in our library search engine, Scout and click on Kanopy

*You need a library account to access our digital resources including streaming movies*

Tomorrow, SOSH librarian, Doug Litts, will be holding a workshop for SS307 cadets. This workshop will be held in TH341 starting at 2000. Cadets who attend this workshop will learn some key tips to help with their research for their upcoming SS307 assignment. Doug will also answer any questions and provide additional support to any cadets that attend.

You can find additional help by visiting our SS307 research guide on our website.

Next week is Banned Books Week, when libraries across the country work to spread awareness of the dangers of censorship by banning books and other materials from our collections. For this occasion, our featured Film Friday is Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Originally a play, Arthur Miller's The Crucible was published in 1953 and was banned in some places for its subject of witchcraft and pro-communist undertones.

To watch it, search "The Crucible" in our library search engine, Scout, and click on Academic Video Online.

*You need a library account to access our digital resources, including streaming movies*

Last Thursday, the USMA library was buzzing with creativity as cadets took part in a Tiny Art Drop-In/Open Studio event, which was a collaboration between the Library and the Studio Arts Forum. Cadets picked up free kits filled with painting or sculpting supplies that were provided by the Library. For two hours, our talented cadets immersed themselves in their artistic worlds, bringing their visions to life on canvas and in three dimensions. Their excitement was palpable and we were truly inspired by the cadets’ artistic efforts. We can’t wait to show you all of their work, which will be displayed in an exhibit in October.

Kits are still available for cadets to pick up at the Front Desk of the Library, while supplies last.
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Faculty have been taking advantage of great weather to hold classes outside. We love being part of this academic institution!

Happy Friday! If you want to watch a movie this weekend, but don't know what- we've got you covered. Check out the 1988 classic "Big" starring Tom Hanks.

To watch it, search "Big" in our library search engine, Scout, and click on Feature Films for Education.

*You need a USMA Library account to access our digital resources, including streaming movies*

Don’t forget that tonight is the Studio Arts Forum and USMA Library’s drop-in event. Tiny paint kits and tiny sculpture kits will be issued and you can start working on it. This event will be in JH 514 in the Library, starting at 1930. All cadets are welcome!
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Our hours have changed this weekend due to the holiday. We hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! Check out our streaming platforms to view a movie to start your holiday weekend. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a quirky movie that we think you'll enjoy.

To watch it, search "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" in our library search engine, Scout, and click on Feature Films for Education.

*You need a library account to access our digital resources, including streaming movies.*

This week we have several evening workshops scheduled to help with research for assignments in both SS202 American Politics and SS307 International Politics. These popular workshops will help you become more familiar with some of our specialized resources that are particularly useful for your assignments in these classes. We'll answer any questions you may have, and make sure you leave feeling more confident in your research skills. The information you will learn at these workshops are tailored to ensure it'll save you time and frustration. Check out these images or visit our website to find out more details.

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While all of the other parent advice we’ve shared this summer has been specifically for new plebe parents, this final point is for all cadet parents. We’re often considered a “third space” for the cadets. A place to relax, study without distractions, meet with friends, collaborate with teammates, have a cup of coffee while enjoying the view, get research support, or even just connect with an empathetic library staff member. We do not grade, but simply encourage and support. We deeply care for the cadets and we work hard to make sure that the library is a safe and welcoming place for every cadet, regardless of what they need or want from us or the space.

Cadets, we hope your first day of class is going great! We're here if you need some support, or even just a place to sit and relax in between classes.

Yuks, we’ve got handouts for you to use when you’re taking your Plebe around the library. You can use it to make sure you don’t miss any important highlights. Pick one up at the Front Desk and the Help Desk. While you’re in the library, stop and say high to the staff. We’d love to meet you!

New Cadet Parents, Marchback is complete for the Class of 2027, Acceptance Day is in just a few days, and classes start on Monday! Time to start thinking about academics. Don't worry; we're here to help. As part of our First Year Experience Program, every plebe is assigned a Personal Librarian. Your cadet will receive personal emails from their Personal Librarian several times throughout their first year. They'II remind your cadet of relevant resources and services available to them. While cadets are welcome to reach out to any of our library staff both in-person and online, we know that library anxiety is real and that it can sometimes feel intimidating or embarrassing for people to ask for help. Our hope is that by reaching out, we can break down some of those barriers that might prevent a cadet from asking for help.

Visit our website to find the Personal Librarian for your cadet.