Read Across America Day

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Barbara

Every year many libraries and schools celebrate reading on Read Across America Day, usually held on Dr. Seuss‘s birthday (Mar. 2), except that’s Sunday this year, so we’re celebrating on March 3! But why wait until Monday? Read some good books this weekend, either to yourself or to some kids!

Harold Andersen Library (HAL) has good books for everybody!

You can read them inside HAL.
You can read them with a pal.

You can read them to your kiddies.
You can read them to your kitties!

You can read whilst snowflakes blow.
You can read at twelve below.

You can read of places you’ve not traveled.
You can read as mysteries are unraveled.

Oh, the pleasures of good books!
Most are worth much more than brief looks.

My apologies to Dr. Seuss. If you’d like to find titles by Dr. Seuss in Andersen Library. check HALCat. You can search for other authors, or titles, or topics too! Or peruse the Browsing Books collection near the Circulation Desk for science fiction, westerns, mysteries, and other recent fiction or non-fiction.

Please ask a librarian for assistance with using the catalog.

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Book Sale – March 2014

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Martha

Spring is nearly upon us, or at least it should be here this month, and I’m ready for change. Particulary quarters. This month’s book sale is a last chance discount sale of books that we weren’t able to sell at a previous month’s sale. Each book is a bargain at a mere $.25 each. If you’re a bulk buyer you can get them for $1 per bag (plastic grocery sized).

Shop early, shop often. I hope you get some great deals!

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BioOne database down Mar 1

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Barbara

The BioOne database will be down for maintenance on Sat., Mar. 1, beginning at 10 a.m. The duration of the downtime is not fixed, but could range from 4-16 hours.

BioOne logo

If you are conducting research in subjects covered by this database during its downtime, you could try databases such as Biological Abstracts, Environment Complete, or Science Citation Index.

Please ask a librarian for assistance with searching these resources.

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Internet Broadway Database

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Barbara

Did you know that there are free sources on the Internet for information about theatre productions?

The Internet Broadway Database is an archive of Broadway theatre information, with “records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre until today.” You can look for information about particular shows, people, theatres, characters, awards, songs, and grosses. Most of the information is taken from theatre programs, with additional information from “newspaper and magazine reports, theatrical text books, interviews with theatre professionals, and [The Broadway] League archives.”

For example, did you know that Paul Newman played the Stage Manager in a production of Our Town (my favorite play) in 2002? That part was played by others, including Henry Fonda, through time. Don’t know how to spell someone’s last name? The first name will get you into a list you can browse. What are the songs, and what characters sing them, in Cats? Who got the Tony award for choreography in 2010, and who were the other nominees? These and other questions may be answered by using this resource.

See also the The Lortel Archives, the Internet Off-Broadway Database, which currently has information going back to 1958 for productions in Manhattan theatres with a seating capacity of 100-499.

Enjoy.

cover of ShowtimeAnd if you’d like to learn more about all different aspects of Broadway theatre, Andersen Library has resources. Search HALCat for books such as Showtime: A history of the Broadway musical theater (3rd-floor Main Collection, ML1711.8.N3 S73 2010), The performing set: The Broadway designs of William and Jean Eckart (3rd-floor Main OVERSIZE, PN2096.E23 H37 2006), and The Broadway musical: A critical and musical survey (3rd-floor Main Collection, ML1711 .S95 1990). There is music for various voices, such as Broadway repertoire for mezzo-soprano: A selection of Broadway’s best in their original keys for mezzo-soprano voice (3rd-floor Main OVERSIZE, M1507 .B762 1979). You also can find original Broadway cast recordings, including Sunday in the park with George: Original Broadway cast recording (2nd-floor Browsing CDs, SOU Son Son). Search article databases for articles such as “A Theatre Historian’s Perspective” (TDR: The Drama Review, 2001, vol.45:no.4, pp.125-128), “The history of the Broadway costume business” (TD&T: Theatre Design & Technology, 2011, vol.47:no.1, pp.10-19), “Megamusicals, spectacle and the postdramatic aesthetics of late capitalism” (Studies in Musical Theatre, 2011, vol.5:no.1, pp.13-34), and ‘Is this what it takes just to make it to Broadway?!’: Marketing In the Heights in the twenty-first century (Studies in Musical Theatre, 2011, vol.5:no.1, pp. 49-69).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding additional materials.

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T3: More Library Mobile Apps

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Diana

Carrying on with our T3 theme of mobile apps for library resources this week, here are two more apps in addition to the EBSCOhost mobile app I already posted (see this T3 post).

First up, Naxos Music Library has apps for both the iPhone (works on the iPod Touch and iPad as well) and Android. You can stream music from your phone/tablet and take advantage of the library’s subscription to this resource even when you are off-campus.
NML

  • Visit the Naxos Music Library database on a computer (either on- or off-campus).
  • Make sure you see Welcome University of Wisconsin Whitewater in the upper left of your screen.
  • Click on Playlists in the middle of the grey bar under the banner at the top of your screen.
  • Click on Sign Up on the right side of the grey band titled Student/Member Playlists.
  • Fill in your name, email address, and choose a password. Click Register New Account Now.
  • Check the email account you used to sign up. Click on the authentication email from Naxos and click on the activation link.
  • Download the app from either the iTunes Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android).
  • Open the app and use the same email address and password that you just used to create the Student/Member Playlist on the database’s website.
  • You can now stream music from this database through your mobile device!

SpringerLink, a scholarly journal publisher and database provider similar to EBSCOhost, also has apps for iOS and Android. SpringerLink provides access to many science and social science journals including disciplines such as psychology, mathematics, public health, earth sciences, and education.
SpringerLink

  • Download the app from either the iTunes Store (iOS) or the Google Play Store (Android).
  • From anywhere, using any internet connection on your device, you are able to freely access the PDFs of articles in Open Access journals  and read abstracts and previews for all content in any type of journal.
  • If you are connected to UW-Whitewater’s wifi network, you will be able to read and download PDFs of articles from any journal to which we subscribe. (Connect your device to UW-Whitewater’s wifi network.)
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New Stuff Tuesday – February 25, 2014

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Amanda Howell

Humans of New York

Humans of New York
by Brandon Stanton
F128.37 .S733 2013
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

Let’s face it. You already read a ton for your classes. This week, why don’t you take a break and enjoy a book that requires next to no reading? Humans of New York, by Brandon Stanton, is full of photographs of New Yorkers, ranging from school children to the homeless and from business people to costumed characters. Some of the photos are accompanied by a short quote from the model, while others simply give the location or a brief explanation of what the reader is seeing. Stanton shows the reader how beautiful diversity is and emphasizes that everyone has a story to tell.

Stanton is a photographer who climbed to fame as his blog, holding the same name as his book, gained popularity. You can see more of his photos by visiting www.humansofnewyork.com.

If you’re interested in checking out other art books, try Banksy’s Wall and Piece (N6797.B3 W3 2005) or Annie Leibovitz’s Dancers: Photographs (GV1785 .A1 L38 1992), available in Andersen Library’s Main Collection.

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Money Mondays: Student Loans

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Amanda Howell

A few weeks ago we talked about saving money for things we want in the future. This week we’re going to discuss one of the expenses that makes saving difficult: Student Loans. Below is a graph that describes the situation of UW-Whitewater students who graduated in 2012, according to Institute for College Access and Success:

UWW Student Loans

Using the Federal Student Aid Repayment Estimator, we can determine how long it will take you to pay back your loan of $25,147. For loans first disbursed between the beginning of July 2008 and the end of June 2009, the interest rate is 6.0%. You file using the tax filing status of single. According to the NACE Salary Survey, the average starting salary for class of 2012 graduates was $44,259. If you get a job as soon as you graduate with the average salary, your repayments, using a standard repayment plan, will be $279 per month for 10 years. Over that period, you will have paid $8,355 in interest.

Now let’s say you don’t get a job right after graduation. Instead you work part time as a bartender earning the 2012 median pay of $18,900 per year, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. You probably won’t be able to afford $279 per month under the standard repayment plan. Instead, you apply for Income-Based Repayment. Your payments may be as low as $21, but you’ll be paying off your loan for 25 years and you’ll accrue more than $37,000 in interest. Even after all that, you’ll still have to rely on loan forgiveness.

What happens if you absolutely cannot make a loan payment? You risk defaulting on your loans, which is a less than great situation. If you are delinquent on your loans, it can negatively affect your credit score. We’ll go more in depth in a few weeks, but having a poor credit score makes it more difficult for you to: get a mortgage; get a car loan; rent an apartment; sign up for utilities; etc. If you think you will miss a payment, contact your loan service provider immediately. They may be able to help you change your payment due date or modify your repayment plan.

It’s clear that student loans can become a huge burden, especially if your plan to become a scientist doesn’t pan out. It’s important to understand your financial situation and to make loan payments on time. It’s even more important to make sure you don’t borrow more than you really need while in school. You may be stretched thin for a few years, but you’ll pay less in interest in the long run. Make your loan payments part of your budget so you don’t risk default. If possible, you can also pay more than the minimum amount to pay off your loan more quickly.

Below are a few resources to help you manage your loans and choose a repayment plan. You can also check out the book Aiding Students, Buying Students: Financial Aid in America, by Rupert Wilkinson, at Andersen Library.

Note: This blog post is for informational purposes only. No content should be construed as financial advice.

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International Education Week – Feb. 24-28

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Rebecca

Hola! Bonjour! Sawubona! Dumela! Hallo!  It’s International Education Week at UW-Whitewater!

Celebrate with one of the many activities taking place on campus.  Visit http://www.uww.edu/international/news-and-events/international-ed-week for a full schedule.  The library will be hosting the Global Cafe Series on Feb. 26, from 5-6pm.  Event will be located near the big screen TV.

Are you an International Student or have you studied abroad?  Stop by the Library and pin your home country or country you studied in on our giant world map!  Map is located near the big screen TV, straight back from the cafe.

IntEdWeekPoster

 

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New Stuff Tuesday – February 18, 2014

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Ellen Latorraca

November's Fury

Frog Trouble
by Sandra Boynton & Mike Ford
E Boy
Curriculum Collection, Juv Easy Books, 2nd floor

Being privy to the back forty of Andersen Library, I have the opportunity to stumble upon and over carts of new items in their last stages of processing. I am always glad to see a cart of items destined for the Children’s Collections. Since these items bypass the New Arrivals island, it’s easy to miss these treats, which, like this item are not exclusively for kids; as the cover of this Tuesday feature proclaims, “For ages one to older than dirt.”

Frog Trouble and Eleven Other Pretty Serious Songs is one of those treasures. You may be familiar with Sandra Boynton the illustrator and author. Along with Mike Ford, Canadian educator and musician, she is also the songwriter of this fine collection of cowboy-inspired songs that accompany the picture book. If you have ever been caught in a Conestoga wagon with a three-year-old and her currently favorite children’s music CD, you are aware of the importance of cultivating an appreciation for adult-friendly performers. For this collection, Boynton called on the collaboration of artists from Brad Paisley to Kacey Musgraves, and Mike Ford performs on the title track along with his appropriately named group for the project, the Falls Mountain Cowboys. The accompanying picture book includes everything from song lyrics, to line dance steps, to origami frog instructions and mini-biographies of the performers – plenty to keep an ornery chickabiddy from becoming cross-grained on a long road trip. (If you need to brush up on your Western slang, follow those links to the Legends of America lexicon.)

If you just happen to be looking for more children’s music and picture books that are based on children’s songs, try out the live searches on the LibGuide for Elementary School Music Methods or browse our Children’s CD collection on the 2nd floor of the library.

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Can you pass the citizenship test?

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Barbara

Today, Monday February 17, is President’s Day. Did you know that it was moved from February 22 (George Washington’s birthday) to the 3rd Monday of February as part of an effort to make more 3-day weekends for workers? Hmmm. Since I’m working today, that didn’t help me!

But we can honor our Presidents (and our government) today anyway. How many of you could pass the citizenship test, which asks basic questions about our government and history? Prospective citizens are asked 10 questions from a pool of 100 questions, and they must get six correct. Try the sample multiple choice self-test! (The real test is not multiple choice, however.)

Cover of Learn About the United StatesThe U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web site offers study materials for the English, Reading, Writing, and Civics tests, including the 29-page Learn about the United States: Quick civics lessons for the naturalization test.

FDLP logo Andersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository library with federal and state government documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in various formats (print, DVD/CD-ROM, online). Check out your government at Andersen Library!

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