Exams are over, you may be walking in graduation on Saturday (congratulations!), and holiday planning has hit frenzy mode, but we're still here!
Yes, you can get your library fix Monday-Friday from 8 a.m-430 p.m. on the following days.
Dec 12
Dec 15-19
Dec 22-24
Jan 2
Jan 5-9
Jan 12-14
Normal hours start back on Jan 15, the first day of the Spring semester.
Confused? Check the library hours page.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Help Identify Old MTSU Photos
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?
These are just a few of the unidentified individuals posted at http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/unknownphotos.htm
From Jim Williams at the Albert Gore Research Center:
"The Albert Gore Research Center has a collection of photographs transferred from News and Public Affairs many years ago. A small portion of the collection contains photos without identities, so we are trying to identify all of the people. Judging from those we have already identified, and the clothing, hairstyles, etc., most of the photos are of faculty and staff who were here from about 1950 to 1965. (Some may be earlier or later, and there are a few that may be local politicians, prominent alumni, and perhaps students in the news at the time.)
If you'd like to take a look at the photos and see if you recognize anyone, please follow this link: http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/unknownphotos.htm
If you recognize anyone, please send an email with that person's name using the number to the lower left corner of each picture as an identifier to jhwillia@mtsu.edu."
These are just a few of the unidentified individuals posted at http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/unknownphotos.htm
From Jim Williams at the Albert Gore Research Center:
"The Albert Gore Research Center has a collection of photographs transferred from News and Public Affairs many years ago. A small portion of the collection contains photos without identities, so we are trying to identify all of the people. Judging from those we have already identified, and the clothing, hairstyles, etc., most of the photos are of faculty and staff who were here from about 1950 to 1965. (Some may be earlier or later, and there are a few that may be local politicians, prominent alumni, and perhaps students in the news at the time.)
If you'd like to take a look at the photos and see if you recognize anyone, please follow this link: http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/unknownphotos.htm
If you recognize anyone, please send an email with that person's name using the number to the lower left corner of each picture as an identifier to jhwillia@mtsu.edu."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Nobel Prize Day
The 2008 Nobel Prizes are handed out in Oslo and Stockholm today. Each of the 6 awards, given in Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Economics, Peace, and Medicine, is worth $1 million. The winners also get a nice medal and a diploma.You can view a list of all winners, for this and previous years, at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/2008.html.
Some Highlights from this year:
Search our library catalog, and you'll find that we have several books by literature prize winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio. Most are written in the author's native French, though we do have a few translations. If you do a catalog search, perform a Basic Search for Author by Le Clezio.
Interestingly, and rather sadly, the researcher whose discovery of the jellyfish luminescence gene laid the foundation for the Nobel Prize winning research in chemistry is no longer working in science. After he lost his funding for the jellyfish project, and subsequently lost a job at NASA, the researcher took the best job he could find: as a courtesy shuttle driver in Huntsville, Alabama. The three Nobel laureates split a $1.4 million prize, but Prasher, the shuttle driving former researcher who gave away his information on the gene, gets nothing from the Nobel organization. The Nobel winning researchers did, however, fly Prasher and his wife to Stockholm at their own expense and will presumably acknowledge him in their acceptance speeches. Read and hear more about Prasher's story at NPR.org.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
THE ALL NIGHTER!!!
Is an all night study session in your near future?
Maybe it is finals week and you have not even started studying for the exams you have tomorrow.
Or maybe you have a term paper due first thing in the morning and you are still searching for a research topic!!!
Either way, you're about to experience one of college’s most notorious experiences:
the all nighter!!!!
Of course, the best advice for pulling an all nighter is this: DON’T. But, if you find yourself pulling an all nighter, here are some survival tips to help:
Time management. Take a few minutes to figure out exactly what you need to accomplish. Come up with an hour-by-hour schedule. You only have limited time, so make sure you make a schedule that allows you to accomplish as much as possible.
Take the time to prioritize your studies. Study the most important things early in the evening and the less important things later.
Schedule study breaks. Short maybe five-minute break for every hour. Breaks are necessary to clear your mind and relax.
Work Space. Study in the library if that's what works, or at your desk. Switch study spaces to help you stay awake and focused. Don't get too comfortable! Studying on a bed, couch, or a cozy chair is asking for trouble.
Minimize distractions. Turn off your cell phone, no text messaging, and do not even think about Facebook.
Food and Drinks. Food and drink will help you stay awake and alert-- but you have to do it correctly or you may become sleepier. Here are some tips:
1. Limit caffeine. You may want to reach for a Red Bull, but use it in moderation. After binging on caffeine, your body will crash, maybe even during your exam!
2. Limit carbs. Like caffeine, carbohydrates will give you an energy burst-- followed by a big crash.
3. Eat protein. Protein gives energy without the crash. Try nuts, cheese, a meaty sandwich or wrap with minimal bread, or a low-sugar protein bar.
4. Drink water. When you work out, you need to drink water for stamina. Same with your study session.
Study Group. Studying with a group can be helpful; if someone in the group drifts off, the others can give a good wake-up shove. Make sure the group is not a distraction. If your group can't stay quiet and focused, it’s better to study alone.
Good Luck!!!
Maybe it is finals week and you have not even started studying for the exams you have tomorrow.
Or maybe you have a term paper due first thing in the morning and you are still searching for a research topic!!!
Either way, you're about to experience one of college’s most notorious experiences:
the all nighter!!!!
Of course, the best advice for pulling an all nighter is this: DON’T. But, if you find yourself pulling an all nighter, here are some survival tips to help:
Time management. Take a few minutes to figure out exactly what you need to accomplish. Come up with an hour-by-hour schedule. You only have limited time, so make sure you make a schedule that allows you to accomplish as much as possible.
Take the time to prioritize your studies. Study the most important things early in the evening and the less important things later.
Schedule study breaks. Short maybe five-minute break for every hour. Breaks are necessary to clear your mind and relax.
Work Space. Study in the library if that's what works, or at your desk. Switch study spaces to help you stay awake and focused. Don't get too comfortable! Studying on a bed, couch, or a cozy chair is asking for trouble.
Minimize distractions. Turn off your cell phone, no text messaging, and do not even think about Facebook.
Food and Drinks. Food and drink will help you stay awake and alert-- but you have to do it correctly or you may become sleepier. Here are some tips:
1. Limit caffeine. You may want to reach for a Red Bull, but use it in moderation. After binging on caffeine, your body will crash, maybe even during your exam!
2. Limit carbs. Like caffeine, carbohydrates will give you an energy burst-- followed by a big crash.
3. Eat protein. Protein gives energy without the crash. Try nuts, cheese, a meaty sandwich or wrap with minimal bread, or a low-sugar protein bar.
4. Drink water. When you work out, you need to drink water for stamina. Same with your study session.
Study Group. Studying with a group can be helpful; if someone in the group drifts off, the others can give a good wake-up shove. Make sure the group is not a distraction. If your group can't stay quiet and focused, it’s better to study alone.
Good Luck!!!
Study Day
Can you believe the semester is almost over??!!! The last few weeks of school always go so quick. The end of the semester is always great, especially in the fall, because a long break for the holidays are in your future.
Unfortunately, in the near future is a harsh reality: final exams week!!! This is the time of the year when it's not so fun to be a college student. As finals approach, Dec. 5-11, the day reserved for studying, Dec. 4, helps students relax, prepare for the most stressful time of the semester and, for some, actually study. Some use the day as a break, as a stress reliever and maybe a way to clear out minds and prepare ourselves for that final push of the semester. Take some time from your busy schedule to eat and relax before final exams.
Unfortunately, in the near future is a harsh reality: final exams week!!! This is the time of the year when it's not so fun to be a college student. As finals approach, Dec. 5-11, the day reserved for studying, Dec. 4, helps students relax, prepare for the most stressful time of the semester and, for some, actually study. Some use the day as a break, as a stress reliever and maybe a way to clear out minds and prepare ourselves for that final push of the semester. Take some time from your busy schedule to eat and relax before final exams.
Students’ first goal is to ace the exams, or at least get a decent grade and do as well as possible. Second, there's keeping your sanity! We want to get through exams with a minimum amount of stress and anxiety.
Here are some study tips for final exams to help you do well and stay sane!!
- Game plan. Plan, plan, plan. Before finals begin, get out your calendar and schedule as much of your finals week as possible. Stick to the schedule.
- Clear your schedule. Work fewer hours, put off family and social events.
- Sleep. Some people can do well on a few hours of sleep but most can’t. You will be able to focus and do well with a decent amount of sleep.
- Study breaks. Don't plan to study non-stop for the next few days. You will fry your brain and there goes that A-. Take a little break like going for a walk, watching a movie or some TV, or having a snack.
- Exercise. It is a great stress reliever!
- Prioritize. You only have so many hours to study and will have to choose what to spend the most time on. It's up to you.
- Study groups. Sometimes it is easier to study with other people.
- Ask your professor or Librarian for help. If you're confused about your notes or the readings, go to the expert.
- Keep it all in perspective. What's the worst thing that can happen if you don't do well on this one test? Relax much as you can.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Student Exhibit in Special Collections
Artists’ Books from the Classroom: Student work from Book Arts classes
Walker Library is pleased to announce a new exhibit featuring the work of students from MTSU’s Department of Art. This exhibition of works inaugurates an annual juried show hosted by Special Collections which will provide a public forum for Book Arts students to display their work.
Thematic variety and the use of diverse materials characterize these artists’ books, demonstrating how individual the creative process is even among a group of students working within parameters set out for the classroom setting. The goal of this show is to help those who view the exhibit appreciate what students have gained from the course as well as broaden their own concept of what a book is and can be.
The show opens November 19th and runs through January 30th. Special Collections is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30.
Walker Library is pleased to announce a new exhibit featuring the work of students from MTSU’s Department of Art. This exhibition of works inaugurates an annual juried show hosted by Special Collections which will provide a public forum for Book Arts students to display their work.
Thematic variety and the use of diverse materials characterize these artists’ books, demonstrating how individual the creative process is even among a group of students working within parameters set out for the classroom setting. The goal of this show is to help those who view the exhibit appreciate what students have gained from the course as well as broaden their own concept of what a book is and can be.
The show opens November 19th and runs through January 30th. Special Collections is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Extended Hours
If you have trouble tearing yourself away from the library when we close at midnight (can't think of anyplace I would rather be at midnight), you'll be relieved to know we're on extended hours until the end of finals.
Friday, Dec 5: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday, Dec 6: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, Dec 7: 1:00 pm - 1:00 am
Monday, Dec 8 through Wednesday, Dec 10: 7:30 am - 1:00 am.
For complete details about hours for the rest of December, see the library Web site.
Friday, Dec 5: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday, Dec 6: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sunday, Dec 7: 1:00 pm - 1:00 am
Monday, Dec 8 through Wednesday, Dec 10: 7:30 am - 1:00 am.
For complete details about hours for the rest of December, see the library Web site.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Driving to Grandma's? Take an Audiobook.
Is it a long drive over the river and through the woods? Take along an audiobook to keep you awake and entertained.
Audiobooks are located in the IMR at the Learning Resources Center (LRC), which is between the KUC and the Business/Aerospace building (see map here), but start your search in the Voyager catalog.
You can search by title if you are looking for a specific book. Here is what the record will look like:
Audiobooks have the [sound recording] label in the title. Be sure to write down the Call Nmber and take note of the Status. Audiobooks with call numbers that begin with G are CDs, while those that begin with A are cassette tapes.
If you don't have a specific book in mind, browse the whole list by perfoming a keyword search in the catalog for "audiobooks." Sort the results by Publish Date Descending (a drop down box is above the list of results) to view the newest offerings.
Need a regular book to read while everyone else watches football? Make sure to check out the Popular Books Cart in the library atrium.
If you need help finding something, ask us.
Audiobooks are located in the IMR at the Learning Resources Center (LRC), which is between the KUC and the Business/Aerospace building (see map here), but start your search in the Voyager catalog.
You can search by title if you are looking for a specific book. Here is what the record will look like:
Audiobooks have the [sound recording] label in the title. Be sure to write down the Call Nmber and take note of the Status. Audiobooks with call numbers that begin with G are CDs, while those that begin with A are cassette tapes.
If you don't have a specific book in mind, browse the whole list by perfoming a keyword search in the catalog for "audiobooks." Sort the results by Publish Date Descending (a drop down box is above the list of results) to view the newest offerings.
Need a regular book to read while everyone else watches football? Make sure to check out the Popular Books Cart in the library atrium.
If you need help finding something, ask us.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Thanksgiving Hours
Yes, the University will be officially open on Wednesday, November 26. Walker Library will be open as well, so come on by and get in some last minute studying before you head off for a long weekend!
We'll be open Wednesday, November 26 from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm, and will then be closed until Sunday, November 30 at 1:00 pm.
By the way, extended exam hours start Sunday, November 30. Sunday through Thursday during exams, the library will stay open until 1:00 am. See the library Web site for complete details.
We'll be open Wednesday, November 26 from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm, and will then be closed until Sunday, November 30 at 1:00 pm.
By the way, extended exam hours start Sunday, November 30. Sunday through Thursday during exams, the library will stay open until 1:00 am. See the library Web site for complete details.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
We're Not Perfect
To the student asking for the book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers:
We are thrilled that you stopped this morning to look at the carts of popular reading material in the Library lobby. Since we librarians like to help people, we are also happy that you came to ask us for help when you didn't see the book on the cart next to its bookjacket (It does look like an interesting book, doesn't it?).
We faithfully consulted the library catalog and sent you off to find the book at its 3rd floor call number. But after you left we realized the problem was due to librarian error: we forgot to move the book from our desk to the cart before we put up the display! So you went to the 3rd floor in vain.
We apologize for sending you on a wild goose chase and hope you will forgive us. Please don't let our mistakes discourage you from asking us for help in the future.
BTW, Stiff is now on the popular reading cart where it belongs (or at least it's there until someone else decides to borrow it!).
---------------------
ALSO, to the person who IM'ed about articles discussing Dead Poet's Society, we neglected to tell you that the good article in Literature Resource Center is best found by searching the screenwriter's name, Tom Schulman.
We are thrilled that you stopped this morning to look at the carts of popular reading material in the Library lobby. Since we librarians like to help people, we are also happy that you came to ask us for help when you didn't see the book on the cart next to its bookjacket (It does look like an interesting book, doesn't it?).
We faithfully consulted the library catalog and sent you off to find the book at its 3rd floor call number. But after you left we realized the problem was due to librarian error: we forgot to move the book from our desk to the cart before we put up the display! So you went to the 3rd floor in vain.
We apologize for sending you on a wild goose chase and hope you will forgive us. Please don't let our mistakes discourage you from asking us for help in the future.
BTW, Stiff is now on the popular reading cart where it belongs (or at least it's there until someone else decides to borrow it!).
---------------------
ALSO, to the person who IM'ed about articles discussing Dead Poet's Society, we neglected to tell you that the good article in Literature Resource Center is best found by searching the screenwriter's name, Tom Schulman.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I Need a Break!!!!
Going home for the holidays? Take a book with you...
Did you know that the Walker Library has books by popular authors like:
Did you know that the Walker Library has books by popular authors like:
- John Grisham
- Nora Roberts
- Patricia Cornwell
- Tom Clancy
- TD Jakes
- Gary Neuman
- Danielle Steel
- Stephen King
Stop by our Popular Books Cart in the Library lobby this holiday season
or
Check the New Books Shelves (located behind the reference desk) for the latest book releases.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Bucks for Books Campaign
Help us get to a million volumes!!!
The Bucks for Books campaign at Middle Tennessee offers friends of the Library and University alumni an opportunity to directly impact the education of students we serve now and will serve in the future. Funds raised through this campaign will benefit students by strengthening the resources of the Library.
For a donation of $100 the Library can purchase approximately two volumes to add to our collection of books, magazines, journals, databases, e-books.
The beautiful James E. Walker Library is an important part of student life at Middle Tennessee State University. It serves as a place to study, find answers, seek guidance, and pursue in-depth research. It also provides access to other libraries around the world, introducing students to a rich array of resources that support learning and personal growth. In order to serve the needs of its students, the Library must continually provide an updated and expanding number of books, magazines, and research materials.
State revenues do not fully support this distinctive and progressive institution. Only through the private support of our friends can we achieve the dreams we have for MTSU and its students.
For more information please contact Kristen Keene, kkeene@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5376.
The Bucks for Books campaign at Middle Tennessee offers friends of the Library and University alumni an opportunity to directly impact the education of students we serve now and will serve in the future. Funds raised through this campaign will benefit students by strengthening the resources of the Library.
For a donation of $100 the Library can purchase approximately two volumes to add to our collection of books, magazines, journals, databases, e-books.
The beautiful James E. Walker Library is an important part of student life at Middle Tennessee State University. It serves as a place to study, find answers, seek guidance, and pursue in-depth research. It also provides access to other libraries around the world, introducing students to a rich array of resources that support learning and personal growth. In order to serve the needs of its students, the Library must continually provide an updated and expanding number of books, magazines, and research materials.
State revenues do not fully support this distinctive and progressive institution. Only through the private support of our friends can we achieve the dreams we have for MTSU and its students.
For more information please contact Kristen Keene, kkeene@mtsu.edu, 615-898-5376.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Research Coach
Do you have a big paper coming up? Do you need to find good quality sources (books, articles, websites), but don’t have a clue where to start? Or have you already tried looking but can’t find the right thing? The librarians at the MTSU Walker Library can help.
Schedule a Research Coach appointment to receive 30 minutes of one-on-one help using the library resources to locate the sources you need to ace your paper.
When: November 10 -14, & 17 - 21
Appt Times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday
Call: Gwen Williams at 904-8530 or email gwilliam@mtsu.edu
Tell Us: your name, telephone #, the course, and a little about the assignment
BTW: You don’t have to schedule an appointment to get help. Stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor next to the computers to get research help anytime.
Schedule a Research Coach appointment to receive 30 minutes of one-on-one help using the library resources to locate the sources you need to ace your paper.
When: November 10 -14, & 17 - 21Appt Times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday
Call: Gwen Williams at 904-8530 or email gwilliam@mtsu.edu
Tell Us: your name, telephone #, the course, and a little about the assignment
BTW: You don’t have to schedule an appointment to get help. Stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor next to the computers to get research help anytime.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Donate Your Election Signs to the Gore Center
From Jim Williams of the Albert Gore Research Center:
"Ready to get rid of your election-related yard signs?
The Albert Gore Research Center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-size signs (the two-feet square variety) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to donate them to our collection, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Todd 128.
Signs should be in good condition. We do not need the support posts. We reserve the right to discard signs that duplicate others in our collections (we can return them to you if you wish). Unfortunately we do not have the staff to retrieve signs from your office.We also collect bumper stickers, buttons, fans, and other political memorabilia. See the display case outside the Gore Center for examples of from our memorabilia collection."
"Ready to get rid of your election-related yard signs?
The Albert Gore Research Center collects political signs for exhibits and educational purposes. If you have regular-size signs (the two-feet square variety) for a candidate or election issue from this or previous elections and would like to donate them to our collection, please drop them off at the Gore Center in Todd 128.
Signs should be in good condition. We do not need the support posts. We reserve the right to discard signs that duplicate others in our collections (we can return them to you if you wish). Unfortunately we do not have the staff to retrieve signs from your office.We also collect bumper stickers, buttons, fans, and other political memorabilia. See the display case outside the Gore Center for examples of from our memorabilia collection."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Homecoming 2008
Homecoming 2008 is a time for current students and faculty to join with alumni and the community in celebrating the past, present, and future of MTSU.
Nov. 3 - 7 - T-shirt Swap
Trade in your team shirts at the T-Shirt Swap. Exchange a T-Shirt from another college to receive a free Homecoming 2008 T-Shirt, available in adult and children's sizes, while supplies last. All collected t-shirts will be donated to charity. Begins 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., KUC or 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m at the Alumni House.
Wednesday, Nov. 5 - Horse Shoe Competition
4:30 p.m., Campus Rec
Friday, Nov. 7 - Chili Cook-off
5:00 p.m., Murphy Center Forest
Friday, November 7 - NPHC Step Show
7:30 p.m., Murphy CenterTickets available by calling the Greek Life Office at (615) 898-5812.
Saturday, Nov. 8
HOMECOMING!!!
10:00 a.m. - Parade
The annual homecoming parade begins on Maney Avenue, following Main Street and Middle Tennessee Boulevard to Greenland Drive.
12 noon, Tent City Walnut Grove
Visit Tent City in Walnut Grove (in between Peck Hall and Cope) to tailgate or see friends and professors, take part in children's activities and activities for everyone.
12:30 p.m. - Raider Walk
Join the Band of Blue, MTSU Cheerleaders and Lightning to rally for your Blue Raider Football Team as they prepare to bring home victory at Homecoming.
2:30 p.m. - MTSU vs Louisiana- Monroe, Floyd Stadium
Students get in FREE with their i.d.
For more information go to http://mtsu.edu/~sga
Nov. 3 - 7 - T-shirt Swap
Trade in your team shirts at the T-Shirt Swap. Exchange a T-Shirt from another college to receive a free Homecoming 2008 T-Shirt, available in adult and children's sizes, while supplies last. All collected t-shirts will be donated to charity. Begins 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., KUC or 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m at the Alumni House.
Wednesday, Nov. 5 - Horse Shoe Competition
4:30 p.m., Campus Rec
Friday, Nov. 7 - Chili Cook-off
5:00 p.m., Murphy Center Forest
Friday, November 7 - NPHC Step Show
7:30 p.m., Murphy CenterTickets available by calling the Greek Life Office at (615) 898-5812.
Saturday, Nov. 8
HOMECOMING!!!
10:00 a.m. - Parade
The annual homecoming parade begins on Maney Avenue, following Main Street and Middle Tennessee Boulevard to Greenland Drive.
12 noon, Tent City Walnut Grove
Visit Tent City in Walnut Grove (in between Peck Hall and Cope) to tailgate or see friends and professors, take part in children's activities and activities for everyone.
12:30 p.m. - Raider Walk
Join the Band of Blue, MTSU Cheerleaders and Lightning to rally for your Blue Raider Football Team as they prepare to bring home victory at Homecoming.
2:30 p.m. - MTSU vs Louisiana- Monroe, Floyd Stadium
Students get in FREE with their i.d.
For more information go to http://mtsu.edu/~sga
VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today is the day. Exercising your right as an American. Each vote can make a difference.
Tennessee county precincts are open until 7:00 p.m.
To find out where you vote click http://maps.google.com/vote
To find out if you can vote visit http://www.canivote.org/
For more information please visit http://www.rutherfordcountytn.gov/election/
Tennessee county precincts are open until 7:00 p.m.
To find out where you vote click http://maps.google.com/vote
To find out if you can vote visit http://www.canivote.org/
For more information please visit http://www.rutherfordcountytn.gov/election/
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Election 2008: USA Today Seeks Student Opinions
Jim Williams of the MTSU American Democracy Project says,
"USA TODAY encourages MTSU students to voice their opinions to the editor of the newspaper for a special edition that will appear NEXT WEEK, the first week of November."
So hurry up! Time is running out. See more details here: http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/voices/gen_next.html
"USA TODAY encourages MTSU students to voice their opinions to the editor of the newspaper for a special edition that will appear NEXT WEEK, the first week of November."
So hurry up! Time is running out. See more details here: http://www.usatoday.com/educate/college/voices/gen_next.html
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Electoral College -- Pass or Fail?
Michael White, Archivist of the United States, explains his role in "administering the Electoral College process on behalf of the states and the Congress," as well as the history of the electoral college in this article from Prologue Magazine.
You know how it's a common joke that our electoral system is complicated and confusing? Remember the 2000 election? Here are some quotes from the above article, designed to further strike fear into the heart of the voter:
"... the incoming officials may not be well prepared to grapple with the stylized procedural language of the 19th century and some of the more arcane aspects of federalism."
"Too often, Federal Register attorneys would later have to track down bewildered bureaucrats who were surprised to learn that they had been given this task."
"There are more than a few things that can go wrong."
"It was not unusual for as many as half of the electoral votes intended for the Senate to be misdirected, which raised the stakes for the Federal Register to obtain the reserve set of votes for the Congress to act upon. "
The National Archives has created a guide to the U.S. Electoral College, which is designed to educate both the public and election officials on proper procedures. Keep your fingers crossed.
You know how it's a common joke that our electoral system is complicated and confusing? Remember the 2000 election? Here are some quotes from the above article, designed to further strike fear into the heart of the voter:
"... the incoming officials may not be well prepared to grapple with the stylized procedural language of the 19th century and some of the more arcane aspects of federalism."
"Too often, Federal Register attorneys would later have to track down bewildered bureaucrats who were surprised to learn that they had been given this task."
"There are more than a few things that can go wrong."
"It was not unusual for as many as half of the electoral votes intended for the Senate to be misdirected, which raised the stakes for the Federal Register to obtain the reserve set of votes for the Congress to act upon. "
The National Archives has created a guide to the U.S. Electoral College, which is designed to educate both the public and election officials on proper procedures. Keep your fingers crossed.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Free shuttle to early voting
MTSU employees and students are invited to hop on the Raider Voter Express bus for a free ride to the Rutherford County early voting location at the election commission on the courthouse square. Early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 15, and continues through Thursday, Oct. 30.
Shuttle departures will be:
Thur, Oct 16--7:30 am
Fri, Oct 17--2:30 pm
Tues, Oct 21--5:00 pm
Wed, Oct 22--8:30 am
Mon, Oct 27--10:00 am
Thur, Oct 30--3:00 pm
All buses return 1 hour, 15 minutes after departure from campus. Buses depart from in front of the James Union Building and return to the same location. There is no need to make a reservation; just show up a few minutes before the scheduled departure time.Thanks to the Division of Business and Finance and the Office of Transportation and Parking for making this shuttle service available for this election. For a flyer with this information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem/shuttle.pdf.
Shuttle departures will be:
Thur, Oct 16--7:30 am
Fri, Oct 17--2:30 pm
Tues, Oct 21--5:00 pm
Wed, Oct 22--8:30 am
Mon, Oct 27--10:00 am
Thur, Oct 30--3:00 pm
All buses return 1 hour, 15 minutes after departure from campus. Buses depart from in front of the James Union Building and return to the same location. There is no need to make a reservation; just show up a few minutes before the scheduled departure time.Thanks to the Division of Business and Finance and the Office of Transportation and Parking for making this shuttle service available for this election. For a flyer with this information, visit www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem/shuttle.pdf.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Emergency closing, fall break library hours
Due to email threats to the campus, classes are cancelled as of noon on Thursday, October 9, and will resume after fall break on Wednesday, October 15. The library will close today, Thursday, at 4:30 p.m. Library hours for Friday, October 10 will be 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Fall break hours are as follow:
Saturday and Sunday -- closed
Monday, Oct 13: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct 14: 8 a.m. to midnight.
Fall break hours are as follow:
Saturday and Sunday -- closed
Monday, Oct 13: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct 14: 8 a.m. to midnight.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Need Help? Get a Research Coach!
Do you have a big paper coming up? Do you need to find good quality sources (books, articles, websites), but don’t have a clue where to start? Or have you already tried looking but can’t find the right thing? The librarians at the MTSU Walker Library can help.
Schedule a Research Coach appointment to receive 30 minutes of one-on-one help using the library resources to locate the sources you need to ace your paper.
When: October 6-10, 15-17
Appt Times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday
Call: Gwen Williams at 904-8530 or email gwilliam@mtsu.edu
Tell Us: your name, telephone #, the course, and a little about the assignment
BTW: You don’t have to schedule an appointment to get help. Stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor next to the computers to get research help anytime.
Schedule a Research Coach appointment to receive 30 minutes of one-on-one help using the library resources to locate the sources you need to ace your paper.
When: October 6-10, 15-17Appt Times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday
Call: Gwen Williams at 904-8530 or email gwilliam@mtsu.edu
Tell Us: your name, telephone #, the course, and a little about the assignment
BTW: You don’t have to schedule an appointment to get help. Stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor next to the computers to get research help anytime.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Voter Registration and Early Voting
The deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 6.
If you didn't get to stop by the library's voter registration table last week, you still have a chance to register on campus. The American Democracy Project will have a voter registration table outside Todd Hall on Thursday, Friday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Voter registration forms are also available from the American Democracy Project at the Albert Gore Research Center in Todd Hall 128 during the center's normal hours (9 to 4). The ADP will deliver or mail your form by Monday's deadline. Answers to most questions about voter registration and voting (including a complete list of Rutherford County early voting locations and hours) can be found at www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem/mtsu_info.shtml.
Early voting is October 15-30. If you recently registered to vote, you should get your card by the beginning of the early voting period. This election is expected to draw large crowds, so it would be in your best interest to cast your ballot before Election Day on November 4. If you participate in early voting in Rutherford County, you must do so at one of the specified locations. To find out early voting locations in other counties, contact your county election commission. If you wait until November 4, you must vote at the location listed on your voter registration card.
If you didn't get to stop by the library's voter registration table last week, you still have a chance to register on campus. The American Democracy Project will have a voter registration table outside Todd Hall on Thursday, Friday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Voter registration forms are also available from the American Democracy Project at the Albert Gore Research Center in Todd Hall 128 during the center's normal hours (9 to 4). The ADP will deliver or mail your form by Monday's deadline. Answers to most questions about voter registration and voting (including a complete list of Rutherford County early voting locations and hours) can be found at www.mtsu.edu/~amerdem/mtsu_info.shtml.
Early voting is October 15-30. If you recently registered to vote, you should get your card by the beginning of the early voting period. This election is expected to draw large crowds, so it would be in your best interest to cast your ballot before Election Day on November 4. If you participate in early voting in Rutherford County, you must do so at one of the specified locations. To find out early voting locations in other counties, contact your county election commission. If you wait until November 4, you must vote at the location listed on your voter registration card.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Visiting Artist Lectures in MTSU Walker Library
Los Angeles-based artist Tucker Neel is the Fall 2008 Visiting Artist working on the replica 18th century printing press in the James E. Walker Library. He will hold a lecture open to students and faculty, Thursday, October 2, 2008 at 11:30a.m., room 475 here in the Library.
Neel’s work from the printing press will be part of an exhibition at a Nashville art gallery. In a nod to the political season, Snow Gallery is presenting Monuments to the Pres(id)ent, an exhibition of new work Friday, October 3, 2008, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
As an artist concerned with questions of how memory and memorialization influence subjective and national identity, Neel reflects on the current political landscape with new work questioning notions of choice, nationalist symbolism, allegiance, ideology, and, specifically, the iconography associated with political debate and electioneering.
This exhibition is purposefully situated in a very specific political and social context, occurring in the heart of the 2008 Presidential election. With one of the presidential debates just around the corner from Snow Gallery, 1517 Dallas Avenue, Nashville, http://www.snowgallery.net/, this exhibition exists as a complimentary open-ended forum, a place to reflect not just on the current political climate, but on how our present-day actions and beliefs are tied up in objects, images, and memories from the past.
The replica 18th century printing press is located on the fourth floor of the Library, room 462. For more information call 615-898-5376.
Neel’s work from the printing press will be part of an exhibition at a Nashville art gallery. In a nod to the political season, Snow Gallery is presenting Monuments to the Pres(id)ent, an exhibition of new work Friday, October 3, 2008, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
As an artist concerned with questions of how memory and memorialization influence subjective and national identity, Neel reflects on the current political landscape with new work questioning notions of choice, nationalist symbolism, allegiance, ideology, and, specifically, the iconography associated with political debate and electioneering.
This exhibition is purposefully situated in a very specific political and social context, occurring in the heart of the 2008 Presidential election. With one of the presidential debates just around the corner from Snow Gallery, 1517 Dallas Avenue, Nashville, http://www.snowgallery.net/, this exhibition exists as a complimentary open-ended forum, a place to reflect not just on the current political climate, but on how our present-day actions and beliefs are tied up in objects, images, and memories from the past.
The replica 18th century printing press is located on the fourth floor of the Library, room 462. For more information call 615-898-5376.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Register to Vote at the Library
Update 9/26/08: On Wednesday and Thursday, over 200 students registered to vote for the first time or updated their registrations. Way to go MTSU! Now make sure you actually get out to vote! Participate in early voting, October 15-30, to avoid long lines. See locations in Rutherford County or contact your county election commission. If you miss early voting, vote on Election Day, November 4, at your assigned precinct.
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On Wednesday, September 24 and Thursday, September 25, the James E. Walker Library at MTSU will host a voter registration drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Weather permitting, the table will be located under the portico directly outside the library main entrance. If the weather does not cooperate, the table will be located inside the library on the 1st floor.
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On Wednesday, September 24 and Thursday, September 25, the James E. Walker Library at MTSU will host a voter registration drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Weather permitting, the table will be located under the portico directly outside the library main entrance. If the weather does not cooperate, the table will be located inside the library on the 1st floor. Table volunteers will assist students in filling out Tennessee voter registration forms and will mail the forms to the registrants' county election commission. Students who currently live in Rutherford County but have a permanent residence in another county or state may choose to register to vote in Rutherford County for the upcoming election. According to the MTSU office for the American Democracy Project, students who are already registered in another county may change their registration to Rutherford County without negatively impacting their parents' ability to claim them for tax purposes or their financial aid options (see the AMD voter FAQs). So if you are not planning to go home from October 15-30 for early voting, or on election Day, November 4, please consider re-registering in Rutherford County.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage
New Business Database Training Session, Friday, September 26, 1:00pm , BAS-S328
**OPEN TO ALL FACULTY, STAFF, and STUDENTS**
Session led by John Quealy, Director Government and University Division Standard & Poor's, For more info contact Christy Groves, Walker Library, 8530, cgroves@mtsu.edu
Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage, a new database for business, company, and industry research is now available. Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage is comprehensive, professional source of proprietary analysis with tools to better understand the structure and dynamics of industries, companies and financial market trends. It is available on Databases A-Z, and the Business Communication & Entrepreneurship, Business, Management, & Marketing, and Economics & Finance subject guides.
Available publications include: Company Profiles, Bond Reports, Compustat Excel Analytics, Compustat International Fundamental Reports, Corporation Records, Fund Reports, Industry Survey, Outlook, Register Executives, Register Private Co., Register Public Co., Security Dealers, Stock Reports, SubIndustry Review.
Learn more about Standard & Poors NetAdvantage today by viewing the following guides:
NetAdvantage User Guide
Stock Report Features Guide
Mutual Fund Guide
Guided Tour
**OPEN TO ALL FACULTY, STAFF, and STUDENTS**
Session led by John Quealy, Director Government and University Division Standard & Poor's, For more info contact Christy Groves, Walker Library, 8530, cgroves@mtsu.edu
Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage, a new database for business, company, and industry research is now available. Standard & Poor’s NetAdvantage is comprehensive, professional source of proprietary analysis with tools to better understand the structure and dynamics of industries, companies and financial market trends. It is available on Databases A-Z, and the Business Communication & Entrepreneurship, Business, Management, & Marketing, and Economics & Finance subject guides.
Available publications include: Company Profiles, Bond Reports, Compustat Excel Analytics, Compustat International Fundamental Reports, Corporation Records, Fund Reports, Industry Survey, Outlook, Register Executives, Register Private Co., Register Public Co., Security Dealers, Stock Reports, SubIndustry Review.
Learn more about Standard & Poors NetAdvantage today by viewing the following guides:
NetAdvantage User Guide
Stock Report Features Guide
Mutual Fund Guide
Guided Tour
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
UPDATED : Constitution Day Activities
UPDATED: Over 200 students came by the Walker Library on Wednesday, September 17th to "pull the bar" and print copies of The Preamble to the Constitution (you know... We the People...). The Preamble was printed on the replica 18th century printing press in recognition of Constitution Day. The event was co-sponsored by the American Democracy project.
**********************************************************************************
Students will be able to print their own copies of the Preamble to the United States Constitution from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, right outside of the Library in celebration of Constitution Day.
The James E. Walker Library will transport their handcrafted replica of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th century printing press from its home on the fourth floor down to the library portico. Passersby may manipulate the device themselves or allow library personnel to help them.
Constitution Day 2008 will mark the 221st anniversary of the signing of the nation’s founding document. A law passed by Congress in 2004 requires all federally funded educational institutions to distribute information about the Constitution each Sept. 17.
The Preamble reads,
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The Constitution Day distribution of free copies of the Preamble is co-sponsored by the library and the American Democracy Project.
Other activities on campus surrounding Constitution Day:
Tuesday, September 16:
· Sign the Constitution! Near the KUC Knoll from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
· Voter registration also available.
· Foldout Constitutions distributed.
Wednesday, September 17—CONSTITUTION DAY:
Sign the Constitution! Near the James Buchanan marker on the west side of the Library/Business/Mass Comm quadrangle. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Voter registration also available.
READ THE CONSTITUTION! Join 100 members of the MTSU community as we read aloud the U.S. Constitution from start to finish. Reading begins at 12:30 p.m. on the west side of the quadrangle. Honors College bells will toll at the conclusion of the reading.
Meet James Madison! Keep your eyes open for a visit from our very own James (“Dean Vile”) Madison.
The James E. Walker Library will transport their handcrafted replica of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th century printing press from its home on the fourth floor down to the library portico. Passersby may manipulate the device themselves or allow library personnel to help them.
Constitution Day 2008 will mark the 221st anniversary of the signing of the nation’s founding document. A law passed by Congress in 2004 requires all federally funded educational institutions to distribute information about the Constitution each Sept. 17.
The Preamble reads,
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
The Constitution Day distribution of free copies of the Preamble is co-sponsored by the library and the American Democracy Project.
Other activities on campus surrounding Constitution Day:
Tuesday, September 16:
· Sign the Constitution! Near the KUC Knoll from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
· Voter registration also available.
· Foldout Constitutions distributed.
Wednesday, September 17—CONSTITUTION DAY:
Sign the Constitution! Near the James Buchanan marker on the west side of the Library/Business/Mass Comm quadrangle. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Voter registration also available.
READ THE CONSTITUTION! Join 100 members of the MTSU community as we read aloud the U.S. Constitution from start to finish. Reading begins at 12:30 p.m. on the west side of the quadrangle. Honors College bells will toll at the conclusion of the reading.
Meet James Madison! Keep your eyes open for a visit from our very own James (“Dean Vile”) Madison.
Monday, September 8, 2008
18-29? Not white? You're not a "likely voter."
So I was listening to the radio this morning and heard the latest Gallup poll results for the presidential candidates. There were two sets of numbers: total respondents and "likely voters." The commentator went on to define "likely voters" as white, older, and voting in the last election. People of color and young people are not really expected to go to the ballot box. Hmm, could that be true? Even this time, when there has been so much enthusiasm among people of all ages and backgrounds? Are you going to stand for that? Nah, I didn't think so.
So if you haven't already registered to vote, here is some info on doing that. Registered in another county or state? It's not too late to switch your registration to somewhere closer by:
In Tennessee
Register to Vote or Check your Precinct Location
Anywhere else
Project Vote/Rock the Vote
Also, the MTSU Library will host a voter registration table on September 24 and 25. We'll remind you later.
Not sure who you're voting for? Check out these sites to see where the candidates stand on the issues.
CNN Election Center 2008
NPR 2008 Election Issues: Candidate Positions
On the Issues
So if you haven't already registered to vote, here is some info on doing that. Registered in another county or state? It's not too late to switch your registration to somewhere closer by:
In Tennessee
Register to Vote or Check your Precinct Location
Anywhere else
Project Vote/Rock the Vote
Also, the MTSU Library will host a voter registration table on September 24 and 25. We'll remind you later.
Not sure who you're voting for? Check out these sites to see where the candidates stand on the issues.
CNN Election Center 2008
NPR 2008 Election Issues: Candidate Positions
On the Issues
Friday, September 5, 2008
UPDATED: 4 Women 4 Views with Text: a Special Collections Exhibit
***EXHIBIT ENDS NOVEMBER 13, 2008***
Special Collections on the fourth floor of the Walker Library opens the fall 2008 semester with a new exhibition featuring the work of four talented local artists. Three of the women, Kim Dummons, Janet Higgins, and Noel Lorson teach in MTSU’s Department of Art, and the fourth, Nance Cooley is a local artist in Nashville and MTSU alumna.
All four artists share an interest in paper, letterpress, and the book arts but the diversity evident in their use of materials and forms creates a lively and stimulating show.
As the title suggests, text might be considered the theme of the show. Letters, words and narrative appear as the traditional lines marching across a page but they also dance playfully with colorful forms, line up on blocks and flow across the undulating surface of accordion folded paper.
In some pieces, text is the undercurrent, not the main event; prompting viewers to reconsider how they interpret the interplay of text and form.
Letters and text play a prominent role here but this compilation of woks also demonstrates how the interactions between the women fed their individual creative expression.
The show can be seen in Special Collections from August 25, 2008 – November 13, 2008 with an opening reception September 10, 2008 at 11:30am.
Come, see and share in these artists’ engagement with text, paper, and print.
Special Collections on the fourth floor of the Walker Library opens the fall 2008 semester with a new exhibition featuring the work of four talented local artists. Three of the women, Kim Dummons, Janet Higgins, and Noel Lorson teach in MTSU’s Department of Art, and the fourth, Nance Cooley is a local artist in Nashville and MTSU alumna.
All four artists share an interest in paper, letterpress, and the book arts but the diversity evident in their use of materials and forms creates a lively and stimulating show.
As the title suggests, text might be considered the theme of the show. Letters, words and narrative appear as the traditional lines marching across a page but they also dance playfully with colorful forms, line up on blocks and flow across the undulating surface of accordion folded paper.
In some pieces, text is the undercurrent, not the main event; prompting viewers to reconsider how they interpret the interplay of text and form.
Letters and text play a prominent role here but this compilation of woks also demonstrates how the interactions between the women fed their individual creative expression.
The show can be seen in Special Collections from August 25, 2008 – November 13, 2008 with an opening reception September 10, 2008 at 11:30am.
Come, see and share in these artists’ engagement with text, paper, and print.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Bee Bee and Boo Boo?
Gram and Gramps?
Nana and Papa?Nai Nai and Yeh Yeh?
Tita and Tito?
This Sunday, September 7, is a day to honor your grandparents, whether you call them one of the above combos or something else (my daughter calls hers Nonna and Papaw).
Think Grandparents Day is just another Hallmark Holiday? Think again, my friend. We celebrate Grandparents Day thanks to a West Virginia housewife, Marian McQuade. After 5 years of grassroots lobbying led by McQuade, then-president Jimmy Carter declared the first Sunday after Labor Day of each year National Grandparents Day.
Not convinced? Will the statement from Hallmark themselves do the trick?
Didn't think so, but you might want to read it anyway. First of all, I love that there is an official Hallmark rebuttal to the whole "Hallmark Holidays" thing. Plus, it employs a humble, "aw-shucks" tone that amuses me.
(sap alert)
Here's the thing about the so-called "Hallmark Holidays." While many of them are undeniably overblown and exploited for commercial purposes, they also have an effect that is very real (and very important) . They're a gentle reminder to recognize and honor all that your loved ones are and do. We're not talking expensive gifts or elaborate surprises here. We're talking a card and a visit (or a phone call).
Please excuse me while I step down from my soapbox...
What I'm getting at here is, call your grandparents this Sunday. It doesn't much matter what you call them (may I suggest the Esperanto, Avino and Avo?), just call them!
If you happen to already have kids, our Curriculum Collection has some great children's books about grandparents. Here are just a few examples:
- Grandparents! / Roser Capdevila, Anne-Laure Fournier le Ray., ages 3-5
- Grandpa has a great big face / by Warren Hanson ; illustrated by Mark Elliott, ages 3-5
- What Grandmas can’t do / by Douglas Wood ; pictures by Doug Cushman., ages 4-8
- What! cried Granny : an almost bedtime story / by Kate Lum ; pictures by Adrian Johnson, ages 4-8
- Grandpa for sale / written by Dotti Enderle and Vicki Sansum ; illustrated by T. Kyle Gentry, ages 4-8
- April foolishness / by Teresa Bateman ; illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott., ages 5-7
- Halmoni’s day / Edna Coe Bercaw ; pictures by Robert Hunt., ages 6-8
- Remembering Grandma / by Teresa Armas ; illustrations by Pauline Rodriguez Howard ; Spanish translation by Gabriela Baeza Ventura = Recordando a Abuela / por Teresa Armas ; ilustraciones de Pauline Rodriguez Howard ; traducción al español por Gabriela Baeza Ventura., ages 6-8
- In my grandmother’s house : award-winning authors tell stories about their grandmothers / edited & illustrated by Bonnie Christensen., ages 9-12
Last but not least, here a couple of grandparent-y links you may enjoy.
Official web site of the National Grandparents Day Council - http://www.grandparents-day.com/
Lyrics, .wav file, and diagram of the very silly song "I'm My Own Grandpaw" - http://gean.wwco.com/grandpa/
List of Grandparent nicknames from around the world - http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/grannyworld.html
Lyrics, .wav file, and diagram of the very silly song "I'm My Own Grandpaw" - http://gean.wwco.com/grandpa/
List of Grandparent nicknames from around the world - http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/grannyworld.html
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Where is Room 387?
Ah, yes... the elusive room 387, more difficult to find than Harry Potter's Room of Requirement. Room 387 is a classroom in the library that is utilized by many departments on campus. It's location is on the third floor inside the Curriculum area, which is just to the right of the stairs. Once inside the Curriculum area, proceed to the back left corner (you will pass the information desk and the book shelves), turn down a narrow corridor, and wish really hard for a classroom with desks and a whiteboard.
You may also find the library floorplans useful. Room 387 is labeled on the 3rd floor image.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Textbook rentals: a new option
Many textbooks are very expensive, and we at the library feel your pain. The library works hard to support MTSU classes with supplemental materials, but we cannot purchase all courses’ textbooks for placement on Walker Library course reserve. It is always disheartening to send away a desperate student “empty-handed” when we know you have a tight budget and possibly an exam the next day requiring access to a textbook.
Recognizing the dilemma that many students face with textbook purchases, new businesses have found a niche in textbook rentals. MyBookHead.com was started by a former MTSU student and offers students an alternative to purchasing expensive textbooks that may only be utilized by faculty a time or two throughout the course of a semester. MyBookHead.com has partnered with numerous college/campus bookstores throughout the country. Locally, it is partnered with the Blue Raider Bookstore. Rental fees are 5% per day of the book’s selling price. For a book that sells for $100.00, its rental fee is $5.00 per day, or $15.00 for three days, plus a 10% service charge.
Other textbook rental options include Chegg.com, which mails books directly to a student rather than working through a bookstore and offers discounted semester-long rentals, as does Bookrenter.com.
Angry about high textbook prices? Worried that it's only going to get worse? Feel like it's time for a change? So do governmental groups, university systems, and public interest research groups. Tell someone what you think. Try university administration and your state and federal legislators.
Recognizing the dilemma that many students face with textbook purchases, new businesses have found a niche in textbook rentals. MyBookHead.com was started by a former MTSU student and offers students an alternative to purchasing expensive textbooks that may only be utilized by faculty a time or two throughout the course of a semester. MyBookHead.com has partnered with numerous college/campus bookstores throughout the country. Locally, it is partnered with the Blue Raider Bookstore. Rental fees are 5% per day of the book’s selling price. For a book that sells for $100.00, its rental fee is $5.00 per day, or $15.00 for three days, plus a 10% service charge.
Other textbook rental options include Chegg.com, which mails books directly to a student rather than working through a bookstore and offers discounted semester-long rentals, as does Bookrenter.com.
Angry about high textbook prices? Worried that it's only going to get worse? Feel like it's time for a change? So do governmental groups, university systems, and public interest research groups. Tell someone what you think. Try university administration and your state and federal legislators.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Does the Library Have my Textbooks?
This is one of the top questions we get during the first week of classes, and we understand why: textbooks are ridiculously expensive. Why wouldn't you check them out for free if you have the option?
So here is the answer: maybe. So here is what you should do.
1. Search the library catalog by the book title or the author. We do not make a habit of ordering textbooks for our main collection, so it is unlikely that you will find one that you can check out for four weeks. Textbooks are updated too often and we prefer ordering books that will stand the test of time and support the ongoing research and study needs of the university. But occasionally a textbook accidentally makes it into our collection, so you should search the library catalog. Make sure you take note of the current call number and location. Some books used for classes are temporarily placed at the Reserves desk, which is option #2.
2. Search the course reserve system by instructor or course. Although we rarely order textbooks, a professor may have placed her or his personal copy at the Reserves desk on the first floor of the library. Items on Reserve may be used for a limited period of time -- usually only a few hours and usually only in the library -- to allow you to read a chapter, take notes, or make a few copies. Items on reserve can also be found in the library catalog by title or author, but if you don't know this information, the course reserves system is useful.
3. While we often don't have textbooks in our collection, we do have many of your supplemental readings, such as novels, plays, and non-fiction books. Check the catalog and take note of location information. Some of these materials are also placed temporarily at the Reserves desk.
Note: Although we're telling you how to find out for yourself, feel free to ask for help at the Reference Desk or through our IM, email, or phone service.
So here is the answer: maybe. So here is what you should do.
1. Search the library catalog by the book title or the author. We do not make a habit of ordering textbooks for our main collection, so it is unlikely that you will find one that you can check out for four weeks. Textbooks are updated too often and we prefer ordering books that will stand the test of time and support the ongoing research and study needs of the university. But occasionally a textbook accidentally makes it into our collection, so you should search the library catalog. Make sure you take note of the current call number and location. Some books used for classes are temporarily placed at the Reserves desk, which is option #2.
2. Search the course reserve system by instructor or course. Although we rarely order textbooks, a professor may have placed her or his personal copy at the Reserves desk on the first floor of the library. Items on Reserve may be used for a limited period of time -- usually only a few hours and usually only in the library -- to allow you to read a chapter, take notes, or make a few copies. Items on reserve can also be found in the library catalog by title or author, but if you don't know this information, the course reserves system is useful.
3. While we often don't have textbooks in our collection, we do have many of your supplemental readings, such as novels, plays, and non-fiction books. Check the catalog and take note of location information. Some of these materials are also placed temporarily at the Reserves desk.
Note: Although we're telling you how to find out for yourself, feel free to ask for help at the Reference Desk or through our IM, email, or phone service.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Between semester hours
Class may be out for the next two weeks, but you can still get your intellectual fix (or check Facebook or play online chess, or whatever) at the library.
We will be open 8-430, Monday through Friday and closed on weekends until August 25, when we return to regular hours.
We will be open 8-430, Monday through Friday and closed on weekends until August 25, when we return to regular hours.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Wikipedia as required reading, and a challenge
We're all pretty up to speed on the perils of using Wikipedia for research: the entries could be written by anyone, expert or doofus; entries are frequently hacked, punked, and jumbled (thank you, Stephen Colbert); and because entries are open and editable, the information you cite today may not exist tomorrow.
Blah, blah, blah. We know the dangers, but we still use it, because under the right circumstances -- like getting a basic grounding on a topic you know nothing about -- it's pretty useful. Besides, most Wikipedia contributors are pretty passionate about ensuring its quality.
Still, you wouldn't use it for course work, right? Not unless you're in this professor's class. He makes some fairly decent points about how a project of this size would be unfeasible under a traditional publishing model, and the idea of having grad students contribute articles on specialized topics is a good one.
Blah, blah, blah. We know the dangers, but we still use it, because under the right circumstances -- like getting a basic grounding on a topic you know nothing about -- it's pretty useful. Besides, most Wikipedia contributors are pretty passionate about ensuring its quality.
Still, you wouldn't use it for course work, right? Not unless you're in this professor's class. He makes some fairly decent points about how a project of this size would be unfeasible under a traditional publishing model, and the idea of having grad students contribute articles on specialized topics is a good one.
So here's your assignment: create a Wikipedia article for the James E. Walker Library.
There is an entry for MTSU, and the library is mentioned under Campus Information. If you create a library article, make sure you link to it there. Learn about creating a new Wikipedia article first.
Here is some background information on the library to get you started.
I'd like to see something by Monday. You didn't have any weekend plans, right?
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Updated 8-3-08: The beneficent Sage accepted the challenge and created a Wikipedia entry on the James E. Walker Library, but there is room for elaboration if anyone wishes to take part. What resources, services, or features of the building should be highlighted? Are there any other historical tidbits to include? Does anyone know where the original library was on campus?
The licensing has also been changed on a few of the Flickr photos to allow use in Wikipedia.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Road tripping? Take an audiobook
Hitting the beach one last time before school starts? That's quite a drive. At least 8 hours from here. And there are certain uncivilized pockets of Alabama where you simply can't pick up an NPR station. Shocking, I know. Why not take along a few audiobooks to keep you entertained and mentally stimulated? It's either that or the license plate game.
Audiobooks are located in the IMR at the Learning Resources Center (LRC), which is between the KUC and the Business/Aerospace building (see map here), but start your search in the Voyager catalog.
You can search by title if you are looking for a specific book. Here is what the record will look like:
Audiobooks have the [sound recording] label in the title. Be sure to write down the Call Nmber and take note of the Status. Audiobooks with call numbers that begin with G are CDs, while those that begin with A are cassette tapes.
If you don't have a specific book in mind, browse the whole list by perfoming a keyword search in the catalog for "audiobooks." Sort the results by Publish Date Descending (a drop down box is above the list of results) to view the newest offerings.
If you need help finding something, ask us.
Audiobooks are located in the IMR at the Learning Resources Center (LRC), which is between the KUC and the Business/Aerospace building (see map here), but start your search in the Voyager catalog.
You can search by title if you are looking for a specific book. Here is what the record will look like:
Audiobooks have the [sound recording] label in the title. Be sure to write down the Call Nmber and take note of the Status. Audiobooks with call numbers that begin with G are CDs, while those that begin with A are cassette tapes.
If you don't have a specific book in mind, browse the whole list by perfoming a keyword search in the catalog for "audiobooks." Sort the results by Publish Date Descending (a drop down box is above the list of results) to view the newest offerings.
If you need help finding something, ask us.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
What not to tell your librarian
Guess what? Those people who sit at that desk near the computers on the 1st floor, those friendly men and women under that sign that says "REFERENCE" ... they want to help you. They want for you to come ask them questions about how to find a book or locate an article for your research paper, or even how to email an attachment or find a good recipe site. That is truly how they get their kicks.
But please, please, please, don't start your question this way: "I'm writing a paper for my girlfriend, and I need to find...."
This causes our helper circuits to cross with our academic integrity circuits, creating a system meltdown.
Cheating is so not cool. You know that. But if you're going to do it, anyway, please don't tell your librarian.
But please, please, please, don't start your question this way: "I'm writing a paper for my girlfriend, and I need to find...."
This causes our helper circuits to cross with our academic integrity circuits, creating a system meltdown.Cheating is so not cool. You know that. But if you're going to do it, anyway, please don't tell your librarian.
Facebook app for finding articles
Now you can search for scholarly journal articles from your Facebook page. The JSTOR search application allows you to search for the full text of articles, primarily in the social sciences and humanities, although there is some science content. Coverage dates extend from the late 1800s to the early 2000s.
Access to the full text of JSTOR articles requires a subscription, but lucky for you, the MTSU Library has one! To tap into it, when you add the application to your page, you will need to add this to the "Set Proxy" line: http://ezproxy.mtsu.edu/login?url=
You may also be prompted to login with your Pipeline account before receiving the full text of an article.
Happy hunting, and if you need help finding something, contact us.
If you don't have a Facebook account, you can still use the library subscription to JSTOR.
Access to the full text of JSTOR articles requires a subscription, but lucky for you, the MTSU Library has one! To tap into it, when you add the application to your page, you will need to add this to the "Set Proxy" line: http://ezproxy.mtsu.edu/login?url=
You may also be prompted to login with your Pipeline account before receiving the full text of an article.
Happy hunting, and if you need help finding something, contact us.
If you don't have a Facebook account, you can still use the library subscription to JSTOR.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Economy impacts college enrollment
Historically, a down economy equals college enrollment increases, as laid-off workers seek to boost their resumes with new skills. Community colleges and tech schools, with their short, skills-focused programs and lower tuitions see the biggest enrollment boosts.
However, high gas prices are adding a new twist to this down cycle. Students are still looking to higher education to improve their earning potential, but getting to class is often a financial hardship, especially for students who live many miles from campus. Because of this, online classes are more popular than ever, and schools are finding other creative ways to help students conserve fuel, such as offering one long day of on-campus classes.
By the way, the library feels your gas pains (Ha ha, very funny. You know what I mean.), so we offer you a huge collection of online articles and books. If you are a currently enrolled student, you can access our resources from anywhere with your Pipeline username and password. And if you need help, you can IM, email, or call us: http://library.mtsu.edu/help/needhelp.php.
However, high gas prices are adding a new twist to this down cycle. Students are still looking to higher education to improve their earning potential, but getting to class is often a financial hardship, especially for students who live many miles from campus. Because of this, online classes are more popular than ever, and schools are finding other creative ways to help students conserve fuel, such as offering one long day of on-campus classes.
By the way, the library feels your gas pains (Ha ha, very funny. You know what I mean.), so we offer you a huge collection of online articles and books. If you are a currently enrolled student, you can access our resources from anywhere with your Pipeline username and password. And if you need help, you can IM, email, or call us: http://library.mtsu.edu/help/needhelp.php.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Have you registered to vote?
If the abundance of yard signs and television commercials hasn’t clued you in, election season is upon us. Tennessee’s state primary and county general election will be held on August 7, 2008.
The state’s general election will be held on November 4, 2008. The general election is for the following offices: President and Vice President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representative, Tennessee Senate, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. The registration deadline is October 6.
Tennessee voter register information is available online: http://www.state.tn.us/sos/election/
You can also view results and turnout from previous elections on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s web site: http://www.state.tn.us/sos/election/results.htm
The state’s general election will be held on November 4, 2008. The general election is for the following offices: President and Vice President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representative, Tennessee Senate, and the Tennessee House of Representatives. The registration deadline is October 6.
Tennessee voter register information is available online: http://www.state.tn.us/sos/election/
You can also view results and turnout from previous elections on the Tennessee Secretary of State’s web site: http://www.state.tn.us/sos/election/results.htm
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
New Instant Messaging Service
How do I find LexisNexis? Where can I get headphones? Does the library have a copy of the latest Danielle Steel novel? (Actually, we do. I think. Honor Thyself was published in 2008, and we have that, but did you know that she publishes three books a year? Madness.) You could always ask these questions by calling us (615-898-2817), visiting the Reference desk (on the 1st floor by the computers, or sending an email, but now you have another option. Send us an IM or use our handy anonymous chat box.It's all here. Hey! Some of it's over there on the right, too!
Look for 
this icon throughout the library website.
this icon throughout the library website. Facebook application for citing books
WorldCat, a worldwide joint library catalog, has a released a Facebook app that automatically formats a book citation in MLA, APA, Turabian, and other citation styles. You just search by author, title, subject, or isbn, and the app pulls up a list of properly formatted book titles. You can also do this directly at the WorldCat website, but having it on your Facebook profile might come in handy.
New blog home
As you can see, we've moved the library blog. The details are long and boring and will make us look silly to the more technically adroit among you, so let's just leave it alone. On the bright side, commenting will be easier, because Blogger has nice spam blockers, and, hey! Look at all the pretty widgets!---------------->
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Stupid, or just multi-tasking?
Nicholas Carr, in his article for the Atlantic Monthly, argues that the amount of time that we all spend reading on the web has turned many of us into chronic skimmers. Even those of us who were literature majors in college find it difficult to stick with a narrative for long periods of time. Web content, with all it’s linky sidetrips, makes it difficult to finish a lengthy article, and all this hopping around impacts not only how we interact with media, but also how we think. Carr quotes a pathologist who refers to the “staccato” nature of his thoughts, and I, for one, can relate to that feeling. It’s a good thing I am not a surgeon because I would get sidetracked watering my plants on the way to an emergency appendectomy. Honestly, I’m amazed that I made it through this blog post. It’s going to be short, because I need to get back to the four other things I was doing before I ran across this article and decided to blog about it.
Here it is. If you passed unscathed through my gauntlet of links and made it to this point, I dare you to read the whole thing. I didn’t. It’s kind of long.
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
——————
HT: Rob Sica, who commented here
Here it is. If you passed unscathed through my gauntlet of links and made it to this point, I dare you to read the whole thing. I didn’t. It’s kind of long.
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
——————
HT: Rob Sica, who commented here
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Juneteenth–Today in History
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, abolishing slavery, on January 1, 1863. Two and half years later, on June 19, 1865, slaves in Texas finally heard of their emancipation when federal troops landed in Galveston, Texas. Out of this event grew the annual observation of Juneteenth. Juneteenth celebrations spread to neighboring states as African Americans moved from Texas. Today, 29 states acknowledge Juneteenth with some type of observance or recognition (Juneteenth is a legal state holiday in Texas). Cities across the country, including Memphis TN, San Jose CA, and Minneapolis MN, host large festivals.Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Rutherford County Alumnae Chapter sponsored its sixth annual Juneteenth celebration last weekend. This Saturday, June 21, Bradley Academy Cultural Museum and Cultural Center will hold its annual Juneteenth celebration at 415 S. Academy Street. Food and craft vendor booths open at 10 a.m., with live music and entertainment from noon to 4 p.m.
Read more about the history of Juneteenth in this
Time article or in one of these books at Walker Library.
Patriotic Holidays of the United States / H. Henderson
1st floor – Reference: 394.26973 H38p
Juneteenth: A Day to Celebrate Freedom From Slavery / A. Leeper
3rd floor - Curriculum Collection: 394.263 LEEj
Juneteenth: Freedom Day / M. M. Branch
3rd floor - Curriculum Collection: 394.263 BRA
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Dear Old Dad
Is it us, or is it publishers? Because we don’t have nearly as much in our collection on fathers as we do on mothers. Take it as a compliment, dads. Afer all, most of those books about moms are — deservedly or not — about how darned difficult they are. Here’s some of the best (or at least, most current) of what we do have about male parents. Happy Father’s Day.
My father before me : how fathers and sons influence each other throughout their lives / Michael J. Diamond. New York : W. W. Norton, c2007. 2nd Floor - Main Collection: 306.8742 D54
Wisdom of our fathers : lessons and letters from daughters and sons / [collected] by Tim Russert. New York : Random House, c2006
2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 W75r
Reshaping fatherhood : the social construction of shared parenting / Anna Dienhart. Thousand Oaks, Calif. : Sage Publications, c1998.
2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 D56r
Faithful travelers : a father, a daughter, a fly-fishing journey of the heart / James Dodson. Publisher: New York : Bantam Books, c1998.
2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 D66f
Gay men choosing parenthood / Gerald P. Mallon. Publisher: New York : Columbia University Press, c2004. 2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 M29g
2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 W75r
2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 D56r
2nd Floor - Main Collection Call Number: 306.8742 D66f
Monday, June 2, 2008
Browse our new books.
Books that have just been received and processed by the library will be available on our New Books browsing shelves for several weeks before they are shelved in the regular stacks. The New Books shelves are located behind the reference desk at the start of the reference collection. If you find something you want to read just take it across the atrium to the circulation desk to check out. You may also discover new books when searching in Voyager, where their status is indicated by a location note that reads “Currently Shelved on New Book Shelf.”
We hope you’ll enjoy this new service.
We hope you’ll enjoy this new service.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Library cafe summer hours
Starting Monday, June 2nd, the cafe on the first floor will be open the following hours:
Monday through Thursday, 9am-9pm
Friday and Saturday, 9am-3pm
Sunday, 3pm-9pm.
The library cafe will be the only venue open on campus past 6pm.
Monday through Thursday, 9am-9pm
Friday and Saturday, 9am-3pm
Sunday, 3pm-9pm.
The library cafe will be the only venue open on campus past 6pm.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
New Music Databases
The library has added four new online music reference collections. These resources will continue to grow as the publisher adds more content.
African American Music Reference
Contains over 2,000 essays coveraging blues, jazz, spirituals, civil rights songs, slave songs, minstrelsy, rhythm and blues, gospel, and other forms of black American musical expression. Content is added on a regular basis. Browse by works, people, subjects, genres, instruments, ensembles, and by material type.
Classical Music Reference Library
Reference materials covering the entire history of Western classical music. Classical Music Reference Library offers comprehensive coverage of all classical genres, spanning music from the Medieval period to the 21st century, including definitions of musical terms and biographical information on the major classical composers and artists. The first release includes the Baker’s resources, as well as biographies, chronologies, primary source readings, and critical texts.
Classical Scores Library
Musical scores of major composers as well as many lesser known composers and works. Content in the database includes in-copyright material from Boosey and Hawkes and selected material from the University Music Editions microfilm series.
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online
Ten volume reference set covering music of the world’s peoples. Each volume contains an overview of the region, a survey of its musical heritage, traditions and themes; and a description of specific musical genres, practices, and performances. Articles include detailed photographs that show musicians, musical instrument, and the cultural context of dances, rituals, and ceremonies. Other images include drawings, maps, and musical examples for further study.
This database has recently been upgraded to allow more simultaneous users:
African American Music Reference
Contains over 2,000 essays coveraging blues, jazz, spirituals, civil rights songs, slave songs, minstrelsy, rhythm and blues, gospel, and other forms of black American musical expression. Content is added on a regular basis. Browse by works, people, subjects, genres, instruments, ensembles, and by material type.
Classical Music Reference Library
Reference materials covering the entire history of Western classical music. Classical Music Reference Library offers comprehensive coverage of all classical genres, spanning music from the Medieval period to the 21st century, including definitions of musical terms and biographical information on the major classical composers and artists. The first release includes the Baker’s resources, as well as biographies, chronologies, primary source readings, and critical texts.
Classical Scores Library
Musical scores of major composers as well as many lesser known composers and works. Content in the database includes in-copyright material from Boosey and Hawkes and selected material from the University Music Editions microfilm series.
Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Online
Ten volume reference set covering music of the world’s peoples. Each volume contains an overview of the region, a survey of its musical heritage, traditions and themes; and a description of specific musical genres, practices, and performances. Articles include detailed photographs that show musicians, musical instrument, and the cultural context of dances, rituals, and ceremonies. Other images include drawings, maps, and musical examples for further study.
This database has recently been upgraded to allow more simultaneous users:
Classical Music Library
More than 20,000 musical selections from a wide range of genres are available through streaming audio.
Thesis students and summer library use
If you are a grad student in the thesis/dissertation stage but not enrolled in a summer course, you may be able to maintain off-campus library database access and the ability to obtain through interlibrary loan materials not held at Walker Library.
If you are not enrolled for the summer but would like to maintain off-campus library access and interlibrary loan privileges, check out books, or use a graduate student carrel, please use this form: http://library.mtsu.edu/circulation/nonenrolled.pdf .
If you are not enrolled for the summer but would like to maintain off-campus library access and interlibrary loan privileges, check out books, or use a graduate student carrel, please use this form: http://library.mtsu.edu/circulation/nonenrolled.pdf .
How to Read Mom
Celebrate Mother’s Day by learning more about a mother’s inner conflicts and the ties that bind us to her. We’re not talking Chicken Soup here. Take a look at these books in the library collection, and give your mom a break.
You’re wearing that? : understanding mothers and daughters in conversation by Deborah Tannen. Tannen explains why a remark that would be harmless coming from anyone else can cause an explosion when it comes from your mother or your daughter. –From publisher description.
Location: 2nd Floor, 306.8743 T15y
Mother-daughter wisdom : creating a legacy of physical and emotional health by Christiane Northrup
The mother-daughter relationship sets the stage for our state of health and well-being for our entire lives. Because our mothers are our first and most powerful female role models, our most deeply ingrained beliefs about ourselves as women come from them. — from publisher description.
Location: 3rd Floor, 613.0424 N82m
A potent spell : mother love and the power of fear / Janna Malamud Smith.
Bearing the brunt of responsibility for keeping children safe and healthy, mothers constantly accommodate to the need to be vigilant. Their fears make them vulnerable in many ways, affecting their daily lives in the workplace, at home, and within the social hierarchy. Smith takes the long view of this phenomenon, uncovering a buried message to mothers in advice books from the days of the Puritans to the present, in medicine and psychology, in art and literature — from publisher description
Location: 2nd floor: 306.8743 Sm51p
Motherless mothers : how mother loss shapes the parents we become / Hope Edelman
Edelman investigates the effects of early mother loss–whether through death or abandonment–on how women raise their own children. Drawing upon her own personal experience as well as information gathered from a survey of more than 1,000 women, she identifies eight distinct parenting traits they all share. — ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Location: 2nd floor, 155.937 Ed2mo
The cultural contradictions of motherhood / Sharon Hays.
Hays, a professor of sociology and women’s studies at the University of Virginia, examines the differing views of mothers about their parenting roles and how these views have been shaped by society’s view of working women. Her thesis is that society’s concept of “socially appropriate mothering” revolves around “intensity,” which translates into mothers who “expend a tremendous amount of time, energy, and money in raising their children.” — from Publisher’s Weekly review
Location: 2nd floor, 306.8743 H33c
Check availablity by searching Voyager catalog by the title of these books. Find more books on mothers and motherhood by searching Voyager catalog by subjects such as Mothers; Mothers — psychology; Motherhood; Mothers and Daughters; Mothers — United States.
You’re wearing that? : understanding mothers and daughters in conversation by Deborah Tannen. Tannen explains why a remark that would be harmless coming from anyone else can cause an explosion when it comes from your mother or your daughter. –From publisher description.
Location: 2nd Floor, 306.8743 T15y
Mother-daughter wisdom : creating a legacy of physical and emotional health by Christiane Northrup
The mother-daughter relationship sets the stage for our state of health and well-being for our entire lives. Because our mothers are our first and most powerful female role models, our most deeply ingrained beliefs about ourselves as women come from them. — from publisher description.
Location: 3rd Floor, 613.0424 N82m
A potent spell : mother love and the power of fear / Janna Malamud Smith.
Bearing the brunt of responsibility for keeping children safe and healthy, mothers constantly accommodate to the need to be vigilant. Their fears make them vulnerable in many ways, affecting their daily lives in the workplace, at home, and within the social hierarchy. Smith takes the long view of this phenomenon, uncovering a buried message to mothers in advice books from the days of the Puritans to the present, in medicine and psychology, in art and literature — from publisher description
Location: 2nd floor: 306.8743 Sm51p
Motherless mothers : how mother loss shapes the parents we become / Hope Edelman
Edelman investigates the effects of early mother loss–whether through death or abandonment–on how women raise their own children. Drawing upon her own personal experience as well as information gathered from a survey of more than 1,000 women, she identifies eight distinct parenting traits they all share. — ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Location: 2nd floor, 155.937 Ed2mo
The cultural contradictions of motherhood / Sharon Hays.
Hays, a professor of sociology and women’s studies at the University of Virginia, examines the differing views of mothers about their parenting roles and how these views have been shaped by society’s view of working women. Her thesis is that society’s concept of “socially appropriate mothering” revolves around “intensity,” which translates into mothers who “expend a tremendous amount of time, energy, and money in raising their children.” — from Publisher’s Weekly review
Location: 2nd floor, 306.8743 H33c
Check availablity by searching Voyager catalog by the title of these books. Find more books on mothers and motherhood by searching Voyager catalog by subjects such as Mothers; Mothers — psychology; Motherhood; Mothers and Daughters; Mothers — United States.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Library adds more Scanners
Five additional scanners have been added to the Library. To locate them, go to the second floor, walk past the elevators toward the book stacks. Turn right down the first row of computers. Walk all the way down past the printer and you will see the scanners on the right. They face the old, brown Microtext readers. Instructions on how to use the scanning software is typed up and will be taped to the top of the scanners within the next day or two. If you have any questions please check with the EIC student worker or ask for help at the Service Desk.
Buy some library art
The paper figures created by MTSU Art students to raise awareness about printer waste in the library will be for sale until May 7. Well, technically, they are not for sale. They are free with strongly suggested donation amounts attached to them. Get it? Money raised will go into a fund to support future art installations and waste reduction campaigns. Pieces will be sold on a first come, first served basis.
You can view the items for sale, their locations, and suggested donation amounts at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtsulibrary/sets/72157604799539729/ . Click on a photo to view details.
Some items will available for immediate acquisition, while others will not be available until May 7. Send inquiries, with a link to the photo of the item you’re interested in, to Amy York at ayork@mtsu.edu or Kristen West at kwest@mtsu.edu. Items not spoken for will be recycled after May 7.
You can view the items for sale, their locations, and suggested donation amounts at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtsulibrary/sets/72157604799539729/ . Click on a photo to view details.
Some items will available for immediate acquisition, while others will not be available until May 7. Send inquiries, with a link to the photo of the item you’re interested in, to Amy York at ayork@mtsu.edu or Kristen West at kwest@mtsu.edu. Items not spoken for will be recycled after May 7.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Library Hours: Exams, Intersession
You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here all night. However, you can stay here one extra hour, until 1:00 a.m., through this Wednesday.
We will then be on shortened hours for intersession. See all library hours here.
We will then be on shortened hours for intersession. See all library hours here.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Got Books?
An MTSU student recently posed the question, “Does the library have anything besides ’smarty’ books?” Well, this author happens to enjoy reading “smarty” books. But if you don’t, or if you need a break from the mental toil of exam week, never fear. We do have some “non smarty” books.
A look at the list of top 15 fiction and top 15 non-fiction books borrowed in U.S. libraries (as reported in Library Journal, April 15, 2008) reveals that Walker Library owns 28 of the 30. Several are already checked out, but below are some of the titles available (as of this posting). Not sure how to get your hands on one of these? Use the Voyager library catalog to search by book title to determine the book’s location and status, or ask for help at the 1st floor Reference Desk (615-898-2817 option 2).
And don’t forget, if you do want to borrow a book that is already checked out, all you need to do is place a hold on the book, and we will e-mail you when the book is available.
A Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini.
Beverly Hills Dead. Stuart Woods.
The Senator’s Wife. Sue Miller.
Duma Key. Stephen King.
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. Steve Martin.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism…One School at a Time. Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin.
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. Andrew Morton.
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Michael Pollan.
Into the Wild. Jon Krakauer.
A look at the list of top 15 fiction and top 15 non-fiction books borrowed in U.S. libraries (as reported in Library Journal, April 15, 2008) reveals that Walker Library owns 28 of the 30. Several are already checked out, but below are some of the titles available (as of this posting). Not sure how to get your hands on one of these? Use the Voyager library catalog to search by book title to determine the book’s location and status, or ask for help at the 1st floor Reference Desk (615-898-2817 option 2).
And don’t forget, if you do want to borrow a book that is already checked out, all you need to do is place a hold on the book, and we will e-mail you when the book is available.
A Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini.
Beverly Hills Dead. Stuart Woods.
The Senator’s Wife. Sue Miller.
Duma Key. Stephen King.
Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. Steve Martin.
Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Fight Terrorism…One School at a Time. Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin.
Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography. Andrew Morton.
In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Michael Pollan.
Into the Wild. Jon Krakauer.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Save a Tree’s Life!
“Free” printing in the library for MTSU students is a great resource. Printing isn’t actually free, however, because it is funded by the Technology Access Fee (TAF) students pay every semester and by the Library budget.
So here are some ways to conserve paper (and toner, electricity, etc.) at the library. Readers, feel free to chime in with a comment on how you conserve paper.
1) Proofread and use spell checker before you print an original document.
2) Use the library’s default double-sided printing when possible (you can turn it off if necessary).
3) E-mail documents instead of printing everything.
4) For those of you with young eyes, print two or more pages to one sheet of paper. You can do this in both MS Word and Adobe Acrobat (for PDF files).
Any other ideas?
So here are some ways to conserve paper (and toner, electricity, etc.) at the library. Readers, feel free to chime in with a comment on how you conserve paper.
1) Proofread and use spell checker before you print an original document.
2) Use the library’s default double-sided printing when possible (you can turn it off if necessary).
3) E-mail documents instead of printing everything.
4) For those of you with young eyes, print two or more pages to one sheet of paper. You can do this in both MS Word and Adobe Acrobat (for PDF files).
Any other ideas?
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
What’s With the Animals?
So, why an art installation made of waste paper?
1) This week we celebrate Earth Day, first celebrated in the United States in 1970 as a way to show support for the environmental movement.
2) The creative, talented students in Prof. Thomas Sturgill’s 3-D Design class proposed the installation as a class project. They did an awesome job, from planning to proposing to executing the project. Read more about the process at www.paperrewind.com
3) Have you seen how much paper is left by the library printers every day? Students print 6.5 million pages a year in the library. That’s the equivalent of more than 700 trees, or 11,284 miles if the paper is spread end-to-end. Unfortunately, a lot of printing ends up abandoned on the printers or in the recycling bins. The purpose of Paper Rewind is to raise awareness of the library’s paper consumption and to encourage people to think before they print.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Paper Rewind
No, the library has not been overrun by dogs, cats, and paper-airplane-launching hooligans.
Yes, the library and the students in Professor Thomas Sturgill’s 3-D Design classes do want you to think before you print.
Paper Rewind, recyclable art created by the 3-D Design students, is on display in the library through May 7. The people, animals, and trees placed throughout the building were each made of pressed and laminated paper collected from the library’s recycling bins. The art students collected waste paper for a month to create the project. That’s a lot of trips back and forth between Walker Library and Todd Hall!
Read more about the installation at www.paperrewind.com or see more photos on the library’s Flickr account.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Index Islamicus is now online
Index Islamicus is an international bibliography of publications in European languages covering all aspects of Islam and the Muslim world, including history, beliefs, societies, cultures, languages, and literature. The database includes material published by Western orientalists, social scientists and Muslims and contains indexing for 3,470 titles with coverage dating back to 1906. Index Islamicus is produced by Brill Academic Publishers.
We previously had this index only on CD. This database is listed on the Middle Eastern Studies, Country Studies, and Databases A-Z pages.
We previously had this index only on CD. This database is listed on the Middle Eastern Studies, Country Studies, and Databases A-Z pages.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Science & Spirituality Symposium
There are few familiar words that can describe the universe as a whole. Those who study the universe use physics and mathematics, but what are their equations about? And what is our place in the universe?
What It Means to be Human: Science, Consciousness and Our Place in the Universe is the topic of the MTSU Science and Spirituality Symposium at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The event is free and open to the university and the public.
The lecturers will be Dr. Joel R. Primack, a professor of physics and one of the world’s leading cosmologists, and Nancy Ellen Abrams, attorney and former Fulbright Scholar. Primack is a renowned lecturer, author and researcher. Abrams is an author and frequent speaker with a long-term interest in the history, philosophy and politics of science.
Primack and Abrams jointly teach the prize-winning course “Cosmology and Culture” at the University of California-Santa Cruz. They coauthored the groundbreaking book The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos.
Dr. Gary Wulfsberg, a professor of chemistry at MTSU, says he appreciates the open-minded approach Primack and Abrams take to their subject.
“They realize that we don’t know what 95 percent of the universe consists of,” Wulfsberg says. “It sort of takes one away from the earlier scientific view that we’ve got things under control, (that) we’re the path to all truth in the universe, and the religions and humanities are just sweeping up the dust.”
“At the heart of humanity’s problems on this planet is a terrible alienation from nature, both planetary and cosmic,” says Rami Shapiro, an adjunct religious studies professor at MTSU and an ordained rabbi. “We see ourselves as essentially unnatural; we imagine this world as an antechamber to the more important world to come. The true hope that dialogue between science and spirituality holds out is this: to reawaken our capacity for wonder; to help us realize that we are the way the universe looks at itself and says ‘Wow!’ This is what our guest speakers are going to help us do: look and wonder.”
Primack and Abrams’ visit to MTSU is co-sponsored by the James E. Walker Library, the Colleges of Basic & Applied Sciences, Liberal Arts and Honors, the Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
For more information, contact the Walker Library at 615-898-2772.
What It Means to be Human: Science, Consciousness and Our Place in the Universe is the topic of the MTSU Science and Spirituality Symposium at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 27, in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building. The event is free and open to the university and the public.
The lecturers will be Dr. Joel R. Primack, a professor of physics and one of the world’s leading cosmologists, and Nancy Ellen Abrams, attorney and former Fulbright Scholar. Primack is a renowned lecturer, author and researcher. Abrams is an author and frequent speaker with a long-term interest in the history, philosophy and politics of science.
Primack and Abrams jointly teach the prize-winning course “Cosmology and Culture” at the University of California-Santa Cruz. They coauthored the groundbreaking book The View from the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos.
Dr. Gary Wulfsberg, a professor of chemistry at MTSU, says he appreciates the open-minded approach Primack and Abrams take to their subject.
“They realize that we don’t know what 95 percent of the universe consists of,” Wulfsberg says. “It sort of takes one away from the earlier scientific view that we’ve got things under control, (that) we’re the path to all truth in the universe, and the religions and humanities are just sweeping up the dust.”
“At the heart of humanity’s problems on this planet is a terrible alienation from nature, both planetary and cosmic,” says Rami Shapiro, an adjunct religious studies professor at MTSU and an ordained rabbi. “We see ourselves as essentially unnatural; we imagine this world as an antechamber to the more important world to come. The true hope that dialogue between science and spirituality holds out is this: to reawaken our capacity for wonder; to help us realize that we are the way the universe looks at itself and says ‘Wow!’ This is what our guest speakers are going to help us do: look and wonder.”
Primack and Abrams’ visit to MTSU is co-sponsored by the James E. Walker Library, the Colleges of Basic & Applied Sciences, Liberal Arts and Honors, the Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
For more information, contact the Walker Library at 615-898-2772.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Get a Research Coach
Do you have a big paper coming up? Do you need to find good quality sources (books, articles, websites), but don’t have a clue where to start? Or have you already tried looking but can’t find the right thing? The librarians at the MTSU Walker Library can help.
Schedule a Research Coach appointment to receive 30 minutes of one-on-one help using the library resources to locate the sources you need to ace your paper.
When: March 24-28, 31; April 1-4
Appt Times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday
Call: Gwen Williams at 904-8530 or email gwilliam@mtsu.edu
Tell Us: your name, telephone #, the course, and a little about the assignment
BTW: You don’t have to schedule an appointment to get help. Stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor next to the computers to get research help anytime.
Schedule a Research Coach appointment to receive 30 minutes of one-on-one help using the library resources to locate the sources you need to ace your paper.
When: March 24-28, 31; April 1-4Appt Times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday-Thursday; 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday
Call: Gwen Williams at 904-8530 or email gwilliam@mtsu.edu
Tell Us: your name, telephone #, the course, and a little about the assignment
BTW: You don’t have to schedule an appointment to get help. Stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor next to the computers to get research help anytime.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Looking for something to read?
Check out Fiction Connection, a new resource provided by the Walker Library. Use Fiction Connection to discover titles similar to books you already enjoy. Search by topic, genre, setting, character, location, timeframe, and more.
Use the Aqua Browser word cloud to discover related terms. Use the ‘Find Similar’ button and menu tab to select specific search criteria.
Use the Aqua Browser word cloud to discover related terms. Use the ‘Find Similar’ button and menu tab to select specific search criteria.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Science & Spirituality Brown Bag
The Walker Library will be hosting the second Science and Spirituality Brown Bag at 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18, in the fourth floor library conference room (475). Reservations can be made by contacting Gary Wulfsberg (gwulfsbe@mtsu.edu ; 898-2070) or William Black (wblack@mtsu.edu ; 898-2772).
The March 18th discussion will be a facilitated conversation lead by Rami Shapiro, adjunct in Philosophy. We will be discussing the potential impact of the new cosmology on our sense of what it is to be human. The conversation will be based on the work ”Discovering our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos: The View from the Center of the Universe,” by Joel Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams.
This brown bag will be a prelude to the Science & Spirituality Symposium to be held on campus March 27 featuring Primack and Abrams.
We hope you will be able to bring your lunch and join us on the 18th.
The March 18th discussion will be a facilitated conversation lead by Rami Shapiro, adjunct in Philosophy. We will be discussing the potential impact of the new cosmology on our sense of what it is to be human. The conversation will be based on the work ”Discovering our Extraordinary Place in the Cosmos: The View from the Center of the Universe,” by Joel Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams.
This brown bag will be a prelude to the Science & Spirituality Symposium to be held on campus March 27 featuring Primack and Abrams.
We hope you will be able to bring your lunch and join us on the 18th.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Printing issues (16 Jan 08) revisited
The problem with the print jobs not showing up on all kiosks (touch screens) has been fixed. Systems was able to install an update/fix from the vender today. Please report any problems or issues to the reference desk personnel.
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Does the library have your textbook?
The library does not buy a copy of every required textbook used at MTSU. We may have a copy of your textbook, either by chance or because your instructor has made a copy available at the reserves desk. To check on the availability of a book, use the Voyager catalog to search for your book by title, or you may see a list of reserve items by instructor or course by using the “Course Reserves” link on the Library’s Web site.
Also, the Reserves collection includes over 300 supplemental texts for General Education courses. Search for these books by title in the Voyager Catalog, or to scan the list of all supplemental textbooks, use the “Course Reserves” link on the Library’s Web site and choose “Textbook Supplementals” from the list of instructor names. For more help, please consult the library reference desk.
Also, the Reserves collection includes over 300 supplemental texts for General Education courses. Search for these books by title in the Voyager Catalog, or to scan the list of all supplemental textbooks, use the “Course Reserves” link on the Library’s Web site and choose “Textbook Supplementals” from the list of instructor names. For more help, please consult the library reference desk.
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