December 2014 Book Sale

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Martha

Thanksgiving has just passed and more holidays are around the corner. Whether you’re looking for a Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, or Kwanzaa gift, or a Festivus re-gift (in which case you’ll have to read the book first before sharing) is more your style, come and find some gift-worthy books and media for your family and friends. We’ve stocked up on some particularly high quality books for the season and are letting them go for the price of just $2 a piece. There are also some VHS tapes for just $.25 each. Perfect for those people who still have a VCR!

Come on over, peruse and purchase!

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Money Mondays: International Economics

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Amanda Howell

So far this semester we’ve talked a lot about economics in terms of a single country. However, the economies of other countries have an effect on our economy, as well. One way this is obvious is by looking at exchange rates. An exchange rate tells you how much one country’s currency is worth in terms of another country’s currency. The value of a country’s currency is determined by the health of the economy; the stronger a country’s economy, the more value their currency has. To get more details about what factors affect exchange rates, check out this article from Investopedia. There are many websites you can use to check exchange rates. One resource is OANDA.

Currency Converter - OANDA

In addition to affecting your travel plans, exchange rates also affect international trade. If you travel to Germany, you’ll probably have a hard time using US dollars to buy anything. You have to exchange your money for Euros, the currency in Germany. You are essentially buying those Euros. When the US currency is strong, foreign businesses have to buy more of our dollars in order to purchase our products. This can cause demand for our products to fall (for more on supply and demand, check out the blog post from a few weeks ago). However, because our currency is strong we can buy more of other countries’ currencies to purchase their products. Over time, we drive up the cost of other currencies and ours falls. Exchange rates and trade are constantly impacting each other. For more information, check out this article from Econ Ed Link.

International trade is good for our economy (and for you!) because it increases competition and keeps prices low for consumers. Some individuals argue that the best type of international trade is fair trade. You can learn more about this type of trade by checking out some of the books below.

  • Fair Trade for All: How Trade Can Promote Development, by Joseph E. Stiglitz and Andrew Charlton. Call number: HF1413 .S85 2005, Main Collection (3rd floor)
  • Fair Trade: Market-driven Ethical Consumption, by Alex Nicholls and Charlotte Opal. Available online
  • Human Rights and the Ethics of Globalization, by Daniel E. Lee, Elizabeth J. Lee. Call number: JC571 .L373 2010, Main Collection (3rd floor)
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“Into the North” with Luis Urrea

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Barbara

Luis Alberto Urea, author of Into the beautiful north and professor in the English Department at the University of Illinois-Chicago, will provide the final Fall 2014 Contemporary Issues Lecture on Mon., Dec. 1, at 7pm in the Young Auditorium.

Andersen Library has ordered a copy of Into the beautiful north, but in the meantime UWW students and staff may request the novel from other UW libraries by using the free Universal Borrowing (UB) service. Requested items arrive in 2-5 weekdays. Other novels by Urrea are available via UB, including The devil’s highway: A true story, The hummingbird’s daughter: A novel, and Queen of America: A novel.

You also can find library resources to learn more about immigration from Mexico to the United States, including books like Gendered transitions: Mexican experiences of immigration (3rd-floor Main Collection, JV6895.M48 H66 1994) and Crossing the border: Research from the Mexican Migration Project (3rd-floor Main Collection, E184.M5 C78 2004).

Urrea won the National Hispanic Cultural Center‘s Literary Award. You can learn more about Mexican authors using library resources, including books such as Contemporary Mexican women writers: Five voices, Bordering fires: The vintage book of contemporary Mexican and Chicano/a literature, or by reading writings by individual authors like Carlos Fuentes or Octavio Paz.

Please ask a librarian if you would appreciate assistance with finding materials.

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Celebrate faculty & staff scholarship and creative achievements

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Barbara

Scholarship event graphicThe 27th annual exhibition of scholarly & creative works by UWW faculty & staff will celebrate accomplishments of the past year across a range of disciplines.

A sampling of the articles, artwork, books, music performances and conference presentations produced by many of UWW’s staff and faculty during the period July 2013-June 2014 will be displayed in the Crossman Gallery (Greenhill Center of the Arts) on Tues., Nov. 25, from 10am-5pm and 6pm-8pm. A reception will be held on Tues. from 3pm-4:30pm, with welcoming remarks by Chancellor Richard Telfer. Refreshments will be available during the reception and the Chancellor’s String Quartet will perform.

A bibliography listing the accomplishments being recognized is available online.

This event is co-sponsored by the Chancellor, Andersen Library, Crossman Gallery, and the Office of Research & Sponsored Programs.

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New Stuff Tuesday – November 25, 2014

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Martha

Pushcart Prize XXXIX: Best of the Small Presses

Pushcart Prize XXXIX:
Best of the Small Presses
Edited by Bill Henderson with the Pushcart Prize Editors
PS501 .P87
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

Yay, it’s here! The Pushcart Prize book is an especially nice one to read because it provides access to authors from presses who publications are not widely available because of their typically small print runs. This volume provides 65 selections from memoirs, poetry, essays, and short stories, from famous and not so famous authors, including Louise Gluck, Phillip Levine, Russell Banks, Rachel Zucker, and Yannick Murphy. You can find new authors to read or revel in the work of someone who you’re already familiar with. If you like it, you can find the book or periodical and read the whole thing. Some we will have here, and others will be available using UW Request or Interlibrary Loan via ILLiad for free.

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Library, Café Hours Thanksgiving Week

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Barbara

clip art of horn of plentyPlan ahead! Hours of the Andersen Library and Food for Thought Café are affected by the Thanksgiving holiday.

The Food for Thought Café will be open from 8am until 2pm on Mon. Nov. 24 and Tues. Nov. 25, and then closes for the rest of the week. You can see other Thanksgiving Break hours of service for campus dining online.

Andersen Library also adjusts its hours for the holiday this week:

  • Wed., Nov. 26th: 7:30am-4:30pm
  • Thurs., Nov. 27th: CLOSED
  • Fri., Nov. 28th: 8am-4:30pm
  • Sat., Nov. 29th: CLOSED
  • Sun., Nov. 30th: 3pm-2am

Please remember that even when the physical Library is closed, you can:

    • Search the article databases (login when prompted with your campus Net-ID, same as for your campus email or D2L) or Research@UWW (sign in to access all possible full text),
    • Search the Library holdings of Books, Media and more and use links to online titles
    • Renew checked-out books, government documents, etc. through My Account (unless you’ve already used up your allowed renewals),
    • Consult online guides for help, including citation guides for APA, MLA, and Turabian format, and class assignment guides, and
    • Ask a librarian for help using email or chat (UWW librarians respond to the emails when the Library is open, but chat is covered 24/7 by non-UWW staff).

 

Happy Thanksgiving! If you’re traveling, please be safe.

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Money Mondays: Gross Domestic Product

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Amanda Howell

The Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, is probably one of those acronyms that you’ve heard a lot but don’t really understand unless you’ve taken an economics course. According to Investopedia, GDP is “the monetary value of all the finished goods and services produced within a country’s borders in a specific time period.” The figure, which is released every four months by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, indicates how healthy the economy is and is calculated by using the following equation:

GDP = C + I + G + (Ex – Im)

This equation tells us that GDP is figured by looking at:
C = Total consumer spending
I = Total investment (or spending) on goods and services by businesses
G = Total government spending at local, state, and federal levels
Ex = Total exports (what we sell to other countries)
Im = Total imports (what we buy from other countries)

Sometimes you may hear someone distinguish between nominal GDP and real GDP. Nominal GDP does not account for inflation, but real GDP does. The latter gives us a more accurate view of the health of the economy over time because it accounts for price increases.

If you’re interested in learning more about GDP and what it tells us about our economy, listen to the St. Louis Federal Reserve’s podcast or check out the book GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History by Diane Coyle, available in Andersen Library’s Main Collection (3rd floor): HC79.I5 C725 2014.

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Relaxathon @ HAL, Dec. 1-19

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Rebecca Jones

December may be one of the coldest months of the year, but it is also the start of the Andersen Library’s largest event of the semester – Relexathon! Every semester, the library aims to provide stress-relieving activities for the finals-pressured college student. Our library is not just a place to study for finals, but also a spot to take a break from them as well.

Starting December 1st, the library will offer several interactive events. One of the most popular, pet therapy, will have several recurring dates throughout Relaxathon. Along with this, UWW students will be able to paint piggy banks, draw on a graffiti board, color a picture, and make silly putty, stress balls, holiday cards, and bookmarks. All events will be located on the main library floor near the circulation desk.

The dates for the Fall 2014 Relaxathon are:

Create your own piggy bank, FREE

  • Tuesday, Dec. 2, 1-4p

Create your own silly putty, FREE

  • Wednesday, Dec. 3, 1-4pm

Create your own stress balls, FREE

  • Thursday, Dec. 4, 1-4pm

Create your own laminated bookmark or luggage tag, FREE

  • Thursday, Dec. 11, 1-4pm

Pet Therapy, FREE

  • Monday, Dec. 1, 12-2pm
  • Monday, Dec. 8, 12-2pm
  • Tuesday, Dec. 9, 12-2pm
  • Wednesday, Dec. 10, 12-2pm
  • Friday, Dec.12, 12-2pm
  • Monday, Dec. 15, 12-2pm
  • Tuesday, Dec. 16, 12-2pm
  • Wednesday, Dec. 17, 12-2pm
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New Stuff Tuesday – November 18, 2014

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Diana

Science & Pseudoscience

Science and Pseudoscience in Clinical Psychology
Edited by Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven Jay Lynn, and Jeffrey M. Lohr
RC467 .S432 2015
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

This book is essential for anyone evaluating the effectiveness of therapies and interventions for a range of mental health conditions. The editors and authors of the chapters demonstrate how to think critically as a student and practitioner of clinical psychology and allied fields. In an era when most therapies claim to be “evidence-based,” this book helps the reader understand the latest research and separate the good science from pseudoscience.

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Money Mondays: Unemployment

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Amanda Howell

One often-discussed economic topic is that of unemployment. If you ever listen to the news, you’ve probably heard someone mention the unemployment rate. “This is the number of unemployed persons divided by the number of people in the labor force” (Investopedia). Someone is considered to be unemployed only when he or she is actively seeking a job but is unable to find one. When individuals lose hope and stop looking for a job, they are no longer factored into the unemployment rate calculation.

Looking for a Job

The Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly releases new unemployment rate data for both the national and state levels. In July 2014, the national unemployment rate was 6.2%. To put this in perspective, the average unemployment rate between 1948 and 2004 was 5.6%. This indicates that the economy has started to normalize following the recent recession, when unemployment reached 10%.

If you’re interested in learning more, you can listen to podcasts on the labor market and unemployment or you can watch a video on how monetary policy relates to unemployment. All these were produced by the St. Louis Federal Reserve.

Also, check out this book available in Andersen Library:

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