New Stuff Tuesday – December 20

Posted on December 20, 2011 by kyle

Reality Bites Back

Reality Bites Back
The Troubling Truth about Guilty Pleasure TV
by Jennifer Pozner
PN1992.8 .R43 P69 2010
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

With finals taking over your life and the semester coming to an end by Friday, we are coming up with ways to de-stress prepare ourselves for the holiday season. The television has always been a dependable manner frequently utilized to take a break from reality. Of course, that break from reality might be spent watching reality TV, which, as this week’s featured title shows, couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Pozner, a media critic and founder of Women in Media & News, takes aim at the television industry and doesn’t hold back. She targets reality television, unmasking the ulterior motives of financial gain and political agendas. The author primarily attacks the portrayal of gender and race, bringing up examples of the Bachelor and Temptation Island as the downfall of society. Writing in a biting and and engaging style, Pozner presents a solid case for becoming more critical of your entertainment choices.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Friday fun: Cats

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Barbara

A co-worker passed along a couple of cute cat stories. One is about a cat in the Milwaukee area with 26 toes (that’s 2 extra per paw!) that’s helping raise money for a new facility ($26 dollars at a time), and the other is about a cat in Rome with a large inheritance. Awwww. Yes, the little furry faces tug at my heartstrings. I also am pleased to know that Dr. Oz says cats help reduce a person’s blood pressure (and thus help to prevent strokes and heart attacks). Don’t take just his word for it…read “The therapeutic value of pets” (The Western Journal Of Medicine, vol.144:no.1, pp.103-105) and “Companion animals and human health: Benefits, challenges, and the road ahead” (Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, vol.5:no., pp.226-234).

Dewey coverInterested in cat tails? I mean, tales? Andersen Library has some that might be the purr-fect read for you, and the next best thing to having a real kitty at home! This one is even a true story: Dewey: The small-town library cat who touched the world (3rd-floor Main Collection, SF445.5 .M97 2008). And it inspired another book: Dewey’s nine lives: The legacy of the small-town library cat who inspired millions (2nd-floor Browsing Books, SF445.5 .M974 2010). There are many fiction titles featuring felines; find the ones Andersen Library has by searching HALCAT, e.g., Cat telling tales: A Joe Grey mystery (2nd-floor Browsing Books, PS3563.U7619 C359 2011), The nine lives of Christmas (2nd-floor Browsing Books, PS3618.O31625 N56 2011), and Cat of the century: A Mrs. Murphy mystery (2nd-floor Browsing Books, PS3552.R698 C37 2010). Something to keep in mind for the days off before Spring semester. Enjoy.

Thanks for the news stories, Carol!

Posted in around the library, around the world | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New Stuff Tuesday – December 13

Posted on December 13, 2011 by kyle

Proofiness

Proofiness
How You’re Being Fooled by the Numbers
by Charles Seife
QA99 .S45 2011
New Arrivals, 2nd floor

When it comes to math and statistics, I don’t remember much from those courses in high school and college. I may have even tried to block it out like a bad memory. However, I do remember the instructors’ warning about the power of numbers. Those little digits possess the ability to sway public opinion, whether they reflect the truth or not. This week’s featured title rhymes with a former Word of the Year and describes a similar concept.

Seife, professor at New York University, takes Stephen Colbert’s famous term and applies it to the numbers game. He defines proofiness as the “art of using bogus mathematical arguments to prove something that you know in your heart is true—even when it’s not.” The author contends that the media and government utilize the practice of proofiness to persuade the American people of their political viewpoints. Seife blinds the reader with real mathematics to shed light on the increased deception, and provides plenty of sources for further research.

Posted in new stuff tuesdays | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on New Stuff Tuesday – December 13

UWSAC MEETING

Posted on December 12, 2011 by goldsmid

Special Collections hosted the annual UW-System Archives Council meeting on Thursday, Nov 10th, 2011. 

The Wisconsin Historical Society is in the process of barcoding all their collections to make borrowing between the various Area Research Centers easier.  

Two Civil War sites were discussed.  UW-River Falls shared a blog they have been working on in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War.  They are using their own manuscripts to share what was happening each year as time unfolds.  The Wisconsin Historical Society has put together “Wisconsin in the Civil War”, a digital collection.

Posted in around the library, around wisconsin, uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on UWSAC MEETING

International Year of Forests (2011)

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Barbara

cover of State of the World's Forests 20112011 is the International Year of Forests, designated by the United Nations to draw attention to sustainable forest management and the relationship between people and forests (they aren’t just habitats for flora and fauna, although that’s critical too, but they support peoples’ livelihoods and reduce poverty, if used in a sustainable way).

Among the resources linked from the UN site is a publication from the Food and Agriculture Organization, State of the World’s Forests 2011. It discusses sustainable forest industries, the role of forests in climate change, and their local value.

Forests matter to Wisconsin, too, which has 16 million acres of forest. The state Dept. of Natural Resources’s Division of Forestry protects our forest land and manages it sustainably. From its web site you can read about the Statewide Forest Strategy and the latest assessment of our forest resources. Wisconsin has worked hard to manage its forest resources for more than 100 years. Read the history from the web site, as well as descriptions of the eight state forests and the experimental state forest near La Crosse that is used for long-term research studies. Here in Whitewater we enjoy the benefits of proximity to the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit.

Forest Ecosystems coverAndersen Library has additional materials, if you’d like to learn more. Search HALCAT for titles such as Forest ecosystems (3rd-floor OVERSIZE Main Collection, QK938.F6 P46 2008), Human health and forests: A global overview of issues, practice, and policy (3rd-floor Main Collection, RA566 .H86 2008), and Wisconsin’s forests, 2004 (2nd-floor U.S. Documents, A 13.80:NRS-23 or online). Search article databases to find articles such as “Forested Landscapes Promote Richness and Abundance of Native Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in Wisconsin Apple Orchards” (Environmental Entomology, 2011, vol:40:no.3, pp:621-632), “Parcelization: Forest Change Agent in Northern Wisconsin” (Journal Of Forestry, 2011, vol.109:no.2, pp.101-108), “Lifelong Love Affair with Trees” (American Forests, vol.112:no.4, pp.30-33), “A National Assessment of Physical Activity in US National Forests” (Journal Of Forestry, 2011, vol.109:no.6, pp.343-351), and “What Is a Healthy Forest?: Definitions, Rationales, and the Lifeworld” (Society & Natural Resources, 2007, vol.20:no.2, pp.99-117).

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials if needed.

FDLP logoUWW’s Andersen Library is a federal and Wisconsin depository with many federal and state documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and online. Come check out your government at Andersen Library!

Posted in around the world, around wisconsin, info.gov | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on International Year of Forests (2011)

Can it talk to me yet? Chat/email, texting, or voice?

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Barbara

The Library has been considering the future of its “Ask a Librarian” chat reference service because the grant funding that makes it very affordable for a consortium of libraries all over the state runs out soon. It’s safe until until the end of January. Libraries in the state have been discussing options, including a couple of text reference services. Now, I don’t really grok the advantage of texting over sending an email or using the chat service. Frankly, I’d like to wait for the Next Big Leap, which in my opinion will be voice interface! You see, I never learned to type–correctly, that is, although I am a fairly adept incorrect typist!

So I was interested in an item in Library Hotline about an 8 year old who got frustrated with the voice recognition software on an iPhone 4S and called it stupid. The same item tells me that I can expect students who come here in a few years to be those who are leaving blogs for options that provide more immediate results, like texting (see Pew research findings summarized).

So, would it be useful to you if the Library could offer reference help via texting?

Posted in around the world | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Can it talk to me yet? Chat/email, texting, or voice?

Extended Hours start 12/15!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Rebecca
The Andersen Library will extend its hours beginning Thursday, Dec. 15.
All three floors will remain open until 2:00am and popcorn will be served at 9:00pm and 12:00am (* on dates indicated below).  Coffee will also be served on nights and weekends.
Hours
Thursday, Dec.15     7:00am – 2:00am*
Friday, Dec. 16         7:00am – 10:00pm
Saturday, Dec. 17     9:00am – 10:00pm
Sunday, Dec. 18        9:00am – 2:00am*
Monday, Dec. 19       7:00am – 2:00am*
Tuesday, Dec. 20      7:00am – 2:00am*
Wednesday, Dec. 21 7:00am – 2:00am*
Thursday, Dec. 22    7:00am – 4:30pm
Friday, Dec. 23         8:00am – 4:30pm
Closed December 24-26, 2011
Tuesday, Dec. 27      8:00am – 4:30pm
Study hard and remember to get here early! Doors are locked 15 minutes before closing.
Posted in around the library | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Extended Hours start 12/15!

Deck the Mitten Tree

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Barbara

clip art of mittensThe Gamma Alpha Omega sorority’s annual Mitten Tree is up now through Dec. 16th. Please donate new and/or gently used winter hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves for the tree, which is located just inside Andersen Library, near the Food for Thought cafe and the Circulation Desk. Donations will go to the Whitewater Food Pantry.

Thank you for your generosity!

Posted in around the library | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

70th anniversary of “a date which will live in infamy”

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Barbara

December 7 is “a date which will live in infamy.” Do you recognize this quote? 70 years ago President Franklin D. Roosevelt said that about the day of Japan’s bombing of the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor in his speech to Congress on December 8. Congress then passed a declaration of war against Japan, bringing the U.S. into World War II. Italy and Germany declared war on the U.S. on December 11.

2 photos, one FDR addressing Congress Dec 8 and one UWW Arizona on fire after attackRoosevelt’s speech is provided online by the National Archives. You can find additional materials related to the air raid on Pearl Harbor at the Library of Congress American Memory web site, including a link to recorded “man on the street” interviews about the raid. The National Park Service maintains the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument in Oahu, and also provides an online gallery of photos of the attack, and a YouTube channel of videos including Pearl Harbor survivor stories and underwater footage of the USS Arizona (sunk in the attack).

Looking for more? Search HALCAT, Harold Andersen Library’s catalog, for books such as Pearl Harbor and the coming of the Pacific War: A brief history with documents and essays (3rd-floor Main Collection, D742.J3 I76 1999), Pearl Harbor: Roosevelt and the coming of the war (3rd-floor Main Collection, E183.8 .J3 W24 1976), and Remembering Pearl Harbor: Eyewitness accounts by U.S. military men and women (3rd-floor Main Collection, D767.92 .R38 1991).

Images of newspaper articles about Pearl Harbor and US entry into WWIISearch the Library’s article databases to find articles–both historical and modern–in magazines, journals, and newspapers. Articles you could find include “Al Brick: The Forgotten Newsreel Man at Pearl Harbor” (Moving Image, 2010, vol.10:no.2, pp.30-59) and “The Pearl Harbor Attack and the Origins of the Pacific War: Contested Memories in the United States and Japan” (Nanzan Review Of American Studies, vol.32, pp.21-31).

Video about the attack can be found by searching either FedFlix or Films on Demand.

Please ask a librarian for assistance with finding materials if needed.

FDLP logoUWW’s Andersen Library is a federal depository with many federal and state documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and online. Come check out your government at Andersen Library!

Posted in around the world, info.gov, online @ the library | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 70th anniversary of “a date which will live in infamy”

Deck the Suggestion Tree

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Barbara

image of evergreen treeIt’s back! The “Suggestion Tree” is waiting for you to decorate it with ornaments that list the books, graphic novels, audio books, videos, video games, CDs, etc., that you wish Andersen Library would consider acquiring! It’s located near the Circulation Desk, so please stop by!

Thanks.

Posted in around the library | Tagged | Comments Off on Deck the Suggestion Tree