Since it’s Friday (woo hoo!), I’d like to share another fun video that I got from a librarian friend. This is a trailer for an upcoming documentary entitled The Hollywood Librarian – check out the film’s website!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8kd4fC1bwo[/youtube]
According to the History Channel’s This Day in History website, on May 18, 1908 putting the phrase “In God We Trust” on some U.S. coins was mandated by the U.S. Congress. Seems strange given the separation of church and state, no? I’ve often wondered about that!
I toured the U.S. Mint in Denver this spring and it didn’t come up on the tour. But the Government must get asked about it all the time, because the U.S. Treasury’s website has a factsheet on the history of the phrase and our money.
Anybody looking for a controversial topic for a paper might look further into this! The Library’s collection of books and journal articles should be able to help. For example, the Library has a book about Madalyn Murray O’Hair called The Athiest, which is available online. There are pages talking about her 1977 lawsuit against the Secretary of the Treasury and the Director of Engraving and Printing to stop the printing of the phrase on U.S. currency.
Just a Friday thought, even though Spring Semester is ending already, for those casting about for paper topics–and if this one doesn’t grab you, you can always check out the significant events of other dates using the History Channel’s website for inspiration.
The University Library is a federal depository with many federal, state, local, and international documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and electronically. Come check out your government at the University Library!
The University Library Blog needs a new name. It’s… a little on the bland side. Although some may argue that it’s perfectly fitting for the Library, I disagree. On the other hand, I could use some help in choosing a better one. There’s library blogs out there like The Shifted Librarian, Research Buzz and On the Shelf. I think the name should convey that we are a multi-faceted organization that is utilizing this blog as a way to communicate with its users and publicize our resources and services. How do you fit that in just a few words?
Any suggestions?
Here at the Library, we’re all about research. We have books, journals, magazines, online databases, guides and much more to help you with your research. On the other hand, sometimes you just need a quick definition or an encyclopedia article and you don’t feel like going to the Library’s site and logging in. Where do you turn? I’m guessing you either go straight to Wikipedia or you get there from a Google search. There are alternatives to Wikipedia – well, one serious contender and the other is more of a wannabe.
Citizendium
I don’t think I can pronounce it – even with the pronounciation guide – but Citizendium has a similar purpose to Wikipedia – to provide a credible and reliable source of information that is free to the public. Citizendium adds the factor of gentle expert oversight, something that Wikipedia currently lacks. Furthermore, they do not allow aliases and include author/expert (auto)biographies as well. Since the project is relatively new, it doesn’t have the amount of content as the more established contemporary. I’d keep Citizendium on your radar screen for the future – it’s a serious contender.
Uncyclopedia
At first glance, this site appears deceivingly similar to Wikipedia. It’s not until you read the content of the pages before you realize it’s an imposter. It’s like the editors at the Onion took over the encyclopedia – either that or an estranger former admin. This site demonstrates the need to use web sources with caution – not all sites are as obviously misleading as this. For fun, check out the featured article from 15 May. Sounds like something that’s happened here on campus, no?
This week, I’ve chosen two unrelated titles, just that they had somewhat catchy covers. I know, I know, don’t judge a book by its cover.
Relationship Sabotage:
Unconscious Factors That Destroy Couples, Marriages and Families
William Matta
HM1106 .R45 2006
New Book Island, 2nd floor
Although I was initially drawn to this book by the cover art with the couple standing on a seemingly self-suspended rock, the book raises the interesting topic of break-ups and the factors for their demise. Matta, listed as one of the top therapists according to Psychology Today, contends that the unconscious mind plays a pivotal role in the failure of relationships, memories as far back as childhood that continue to haunt individuals. In his review of book, WP Anderson, emeritus faculty from the University of Missouri-Columbia, indicated the its usefulness both as a self-help text and as a guide for students because of its depiction of real-life client interactions.
Wikinomics:
How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything
Don Tapscott & Anthony Williams
HD69 .S8 T37 2006
New Book Island, 2nd floor
How many times have you searched for something on Google and retrieved an article from Wikipedia, probably 8 times out of 10, right? Everyone knows about sites like Wikipedia, Youtube, Flickr, the “Web 2.0,” but Tapscott and Williams delve into the larger idea of “mass collaboration” and its impact on the way businesses interact with consumers. No longer must users rely on private industry for innovation because of open source technologies like Mozilla Firefox and the Linux operating system. This book outlines where companies fit into the scheme and how they can tap into the collaboration of the masses.
A digital library of more than 300 World War II documents is now available, thanks to a partnership between the U.S. Government Printing Office and Southern Methodist University’s libraries, at http://digitalcollections.smu.edu/all/cul/hgp/.
Here you’ll find images of informational pamphlets, government reports, regulations, and pocket guides to foreign countries prepared for servicemen. Also linked from the site is the Melvin C. Shaffer Collection of photographs depicting North Africa (1943), Germany (1945), and Italy and Southern France (1944 – 1945).
The University Library is a federal depository with many federal, state, local, and international documents on a variety of current and relevant issues available to you in print, microfiche, CD-ROM, and electronically. Come check out your government at the University Library!
If you have ideas for books or movies you think the Library should own, try the Suggest a Book form. A librarian will review your suggestion and let you know our decision. If we order the book, we will give you the option of being the first to check it out. How’s that for service?
Whatcha reading?, our new category, is all about you. We want to know what you’re reading. Think of this as a chance to let other people know about a good book (or a bad one) that you’re reading. It’s kind of like an informal virtual book club, except we’re not all reading the same book. Use the comments section to voice your opinions on your latest read.
OK, I’ll go first. I’m currently in the process of reading a book in Spanish entitled “La Sombra del Viento” (The Shadow of the Wind), written by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The book takes place in Barcelona in the 1940s, a very difficult era in Spain’s history due to the recent end of the Spanish Civil War and the start of Franco’s dictatorship. The protagonist, Daniel, finds this secret ‘Library of Forgotten Books’ and becomes enthralled with a particular book. Zafon’s novel follows Daniel’s ten-year obsession with the fictitious book and its author. As I said, I haven’t finished the book, but I’ll let you know my thoughts when I’m all done – and don’t worry, there’s an English translation.
With the surge of web 2.0 (what’s web 2.0) technologies like blogs, wikis, social networking sites, comes the development of services that make life easier. RSS feeds fall into that category by allowing you to quickly view new additions to your favorite websites without visiting each one individually. You can subscribe to our blog’s RSS feed, or any other feed for that matter, in a number of ways.
One way to maximize your time with RSS feeds is to use an RSS aggregrator. Bloglines and Google Reader are examples of web-based applications that I use – you can create a free account and easily add feeds. The feeds will display any new items in a similar fashion to an e-mail account. There are also for-fee services, desktop applications and e-mail-based agregators as well. DMOZ Open Directory Project provides a listing of such services.
If you don’t feel like paying money or creating yet another online account, newer web browsers have the RSS readers built right in. Here’s how to subscribe to feeds with Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox:
Do you use this option in your broswer? Or do you use a web-based aggregator? Which one do you use? Like I said, I know of Bloglines and Google Reader, but I’m sure there’s more out there.
The Library is pleased to announce our newest electronic resource, SRDS Media Solutions! If you’ve taken a marketing or advertising class, you may already be somewhat familiar with SRDS. The company publishes titles critical to advertising and marketing, containing information about circulation, media profiles, advertising rates and much more. We previously received these titles in print, but the electronic subscription will replace those copies.
The online version greatly resembles the print edition. Through our subscription, you’ll have access to the following titles: Business Publication Advertising Source®, Consumer Magazine Advertising Source®, Direct Marketing List Source®, Newspaper Advertising Source®, Radio Advertising Source® and TV and Cable Source®.
Have you used SRDS publications before? What information did you get from them? Try the online version and let us know what you think!
