The day after Thanksgiving has become recognized by retailers and shoppers alike as the official start of the Christmas shopping season, but why is it referred to as "Black Friday"?

One explanation offered frequently is that the expression refers to the day many retailers finally move out of the red, indicating losses, and into the black, representing profits. However, according to researchers at the American Dialect Society, the expression originated in Philadelphia and was first seen in print in the mid-1960s to describe the crush of pedestrians and bumper-to-bumper traffic that would descend on downtown to shop the day after Thanksgiving. This follows a long tradition of labeling any day of infamy or crisis as "black". It's only in the past few decades that a more positive, business-oriented connotation has been implied.

Often billed as the biggest shopping day of the year, in fact, Black Friday is not necessarily the day American retailers see the most dollars spent. According to the International Council on Shopping Centers, that title is usually claimed by the Saturday before Christmas.

Sources:  http://holiday.icsc.org
 http://www.americandialect.org

Every student who goes to DePaul has probably grumbled about the CTA’s current Brown Line Expansion Project, but what they might not know is that the project actually started five years ago. In 2003, the Hayes-Healy Athletic Center, which was located at 940 W. Belden, was razed to make room for the expanded Fullerton station that is now in its final phase.

Hayes-Healy was originally built by the McCormick Theological Seminary in 1929. Under McCormick, it was known was Waterman Gymnasium and it was used for basketball and handball, as well as office space. When DePaul purchased the Seminary’s buildings in 1976, the Gymnasium was re-named for two benefactors of DePaul, John and Ramona (nee Hayes) Healy. It was built in the “collegiate gothic” style which was most popular in the 1920’s. Hayes-Healy was used for many different purposes by DePaul, though mainly for athletic offices and storage; when Hayes-Healy was purchased, DePaul already played sports matches in The Barn and Alumni Hall.

Stay tuned for more fun facts and photos of long-lost DePaul buildings!

Hurrah! Finals week is drawing to a close, and a hearty congratulations to all Fall graduates! For those of you who need to return books before skipping town, the Loop Library and the Richardson Library will both close at 6:00pm on Wednesday. We will be closed Thursday through Sunday for the Thanksgiving holiday, and then reopen on Monday with our Winter Intercession hours:

December 1 - 19

Richardson Library

Monday thru Thursday: 8:00am - 8:00pm

Friday: 8:00am - 6:00pm

Saturday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Sunday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Loop Library

Monday thru Thursday: 8:00am - 8:00pm

Friday: 8:00am - 6:00pm

Saturday: 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Sunday: Closed

To see a complete list of our hours here and at our suburban campuses, check out: http://library.depaul.edu/About/hours.aspx

Even as snowflakes fall and the roads ice over this winter, biking remains an all-weather method of transportation for prepared Chicagoans. Here are a few insider tips from library staff members who brave the cold on two wheels:

* Exchange your road bike tires for mountain bike tires or other tires with more tread.
* Invest in a balaclava, windproof jacket, and protective glasses.
* Grease your chain and gears to avoid icing.
* Keep your tires fully inflated.
* Watch for frost bite on your fingers and toes.
* Attach fenders over your tires to catch the road salt and dirt.

For more information, check out Winter Biking: Go For It and Chicago Bike Winter.

The Writing Center Library Outposts will be closed during exam week, but students can take advantage of evening and weekend hours at the main Writing Center locations:

Lincoln Park Office, 250 McGaw Hall
Wednesday, November 19: 10:00 – 5:00
Thursday, November 20: 10:00 – 8:00  
Friday, November 21: 10:00 – 6:00 
Saturday, November 22: 10:00 – 6:00
Monday, November 24:  10:00 - 6:00  

Loop Office, 1620 Lewis Center
Wednesday, November 19: 10:00 – 4:00
Thursday, November 20: 10:00 – 6:00  
Friday, November 21: 10:00 – 6:00 
Monday, November 24:  10:00 - 3:00  
 

Due to approaching final exams at Loyola, access to the Lewis Library on the Water Tower Campus will be resistricted to Loyola students, faculty, and staff only from November 17th through December 16th. Once finals are over, the normal access policy will resume.

If you go to DePaul University, you probably do! The University has taken its name from St. Vincent DePaul who in 1654 founded the Congregation of the Mission, an order of Catholic Priests who minister and evangelize the poor. The abbreviation C.M. ornaments the end of many faculty and staff priests at DePaul and means that they are members of the Congregation of the Mission. So next time you see President Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider's name on a newsletter or e-mail, you can recognize his relationship to the University's namesake and to its mission of service. 

  The seal of the Congregation of the Mission with the inscription, translated as “He has sent me to evangelize the poor”

Veterans Day, held annualy on November 11, was designated to honor America's veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the United States. The law making Veterans Day official was passed on June 1, 1954.  For more about the history of Veterans Day, go to http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp .

Dooley, Kevin. "World War II Memorial, Washington DC." <http://www.flickr.com/photos/12836528@N00/2911347207/>.

You're in luck!  You can now get both research and writing help in the library.  The Center for Writing-Based Learning, commonly referred to as "the writing center," has set up an outpost in the DePaul University Loop and Lincoln Park Libraries where students can get writing assistance.  You can find them next to the reference desk Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 5:00pm at the Lincoln Park Library and at the Loop Library Monday from noon to 6:00pm.  Unlike the Center for Writing-Based Learning's main offices, you do not have to make an appointment at the library outpost.  Just come on in!!!

In addition to the research help you receive at the Reference Desk, DePaul librarians also offer research consultations. Consultations are available for people who are working on an extensive research topic and are held away from the reference desk to avoid interruptions.  Consultations should be scheduled in advance; call the library reference desk of your choice to make an appointment.  The telephone numbers of each DePaul Library can be found under "Locations & Phone Numbers" on the libraries' homepage. Click here for more on Research Consultations.

We look forward to seeing you soon!