Guzheng Music Performance Thurs. Nov. 13

Please come and enjoy a Chinese Guzheng Music Performance at Walker Library Nov. 13th from 2:30-3:00 as we celebrate the International Education Week at MTSU.

The performer is Ms. Tianyi Wei, an MTSU exchange student perusing a degree in actual science.  She started learning the instrument at the age 6 and has been performing ever since.  With support from her parents she was able to focus on academics as well as her love of music.  Tianyi Wei enjoys playing the gu zheng for the peace and tranquility it brings to herself and others.  

"The guzheng or gu zheng (Chinese: 古箏, pronounced "go jin"), also simply called zheng (箏, gu 古 means "ancient"), is a Chinese plucked zither. It has 18 or more strings and movable bridges, and the modern guzheng usually has 21 strings and bridges. The picks (called "DaiMao") used by performers to play guzheng are often made out of the shells of Hawksbill.

The guzheng is the ancestor of several Asian zither instruments..."

On display in the Library atrium

On display in the Library atrium is an exhibit showcasing MTSU Veterans and Military on campus. The exhibit is up through November 22. 

Library Orientation for Grad Students

The James E. Walker Library will offer a Library Orientation for Graduate Students workshop on Thursday, August 21 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. in Meeting Place 4 (on the library's 4th floor near Special Collections). This workshop will cover library basics for graduate students in all disciplines, including information on:

• Online periodical indexes
• Circulation and interlibrary loan
• EndNote Web citation management tool
• Personal graduate student carrels
• Library assistance and help

Librarian liaisons will also be on hand to give short library tours.
No registration is necessary. Contact Jason Vance (Jason.Vance@mtsu.edu) or Kristen West (K.West@mtsu.edu) for more information.

Social Explorer Database Trial

The Library is offering a trial to Social Explorer, an online mapping application for presenting current and historical census data through custom map and reports. Social Explorer contains data from all decennial censuses, the American Community Surveys, two religion surveys, and carbon emissions data for 2002 from the Vulcan Project. Social Explorer was recently featured in an article on the National Science Foundation Web site.

Social Explorer is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate curriculums related to sociology, history, public administration, political science, education, and business, among others.

Please investigate Social Explorer before the trial ends on June 5, 2014, and tell us what you think by completing the Database Trial Evaluation form. Please direct any questions to David Nelson, Head, Collection Development and Management.

Check out books over the Summer!

Students who were enrolled in Spring 2014 may check out books over the summer, even if not enrolled for summer classes. You may have up to 50 books, each just due back by the end of the current semester.* All other regular borrowing policies apply.

Did you graduate? Alumni may check out up to 10 books at a time and have in-house use of research databases.

Also, any Tennessee resident over 18 may check out 2 books. Bring proof of residence the first time you come to borrow.

So grab some summer reading! Check out our collection of NY Times bestsellers* or grab some fiction from the 4th floor.

*The Popular Reading collection (NYT bestsellers) circulates for 2 weeks with one renewal.

⁺If someone places a hold on a book you will be unable to renew it and you are responsible for returning it promptly, even if you're back home in Alaska or vacationing in Bora Bora.

Final Exam Hours

Final Exam Hours

Fri, May 2                                              7am - 6pm

Sat, May 3                                           10am - 6pm

Sun, May 4                                           1pm – 2am

Mon, May 5 – Wed, May 7               7am – 2am

Thurs, May 8                                      7am – 10pm

Fri, May 9                                         8am—4:30pm

Sat, May 10 & Sun, May 11         Library Closed

Mon, May 12      Regular Summer Hours Begin

library.mtsu.edu/hours

On Display in the Library

On display in the Walker Library atrium is a student art installation from Erin Anfinson's two Drawing 2 classes. "Thou Doth Print Too Much"  will be on display through May 2nd.

Watch a video about the project here

In Fall of 2013, Walker Library visitors used over 4.5 million sheets of paper. For the students it was hard to conceptualize how much paper that even is. So one student figured out that the amount of paper printed was equivalent to the collective works of Shakespeare printed 3600 times! Thus the reference to Hamlet.    

100% of this installation was made out of reused paper from the library recycling bins. All materials will be recycled at the end of the exhibition. We hope the project will provide a moment of reflection for the students, faculty and administration. Think before you print!

Students:
Jayson Alexander
William Brown
Colin Copeland
Amber Dole
Tobias Ferrell
Blake-Lyn Giles
David Higdon
Jordan Kennedy
Kiki Kixmiller
Leslie Luanglath
Jared Moore
Mallory Saladino
Kristina Scott
Jimmy Smith
Annabelle Smoot
Kristina Soles
Dean Willis
Genetha Alexander
Tyler Allen
Anna Benjamin
Kira Curtis
Yessenia Hinojos
Alex Howard
Kierra Johnson
Doniqua Joyner
Jessica Mason
Levon Mkrtchyan
Hunter Mollenkopg
Andrew Myers
Aiken Pierce
Shelby Rehberger
Seth Tipps
Heather Tucker

Instructor:
Associate Professor Erin An finson

Erhu performance in the Library atrium!

The School of Music, the Walker Library and the Confucius Institute have partnered to host Ms. Xiaojun Huo, in a Chinese Music Event of an Erhu performance in the Walker Library Atrium, Tuesday, April 22nd, at 2pm. Please join us! 

The performer, Ms. Xiaojun Huo, is a well known musician and has appeared on stages all over the world. She will be playing the Erhu. The erhu is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and large orchestras. It is the most popular of the huqin family of traditional bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. 

A very versatile instrument, the erhu is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as in pop, rock, jazz, etc. The erhu can be traced back to instruments introduced into China more than a thousand years ago. It is believed to have evolved from the xiqin. The xiqin is believed to have originated from the Xi people of Central Asia, and have come to China in the 10th century.

You can see one of her performance here:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9BuakCyZ-Q 

This event is free and open to the public. Please Call 615-898-5376 if you have questions or need more information. 

Engineering Case Studies Online

The Library is offering a trial to Engineering Case Studies Online, an online resource from Alexander Street Press that includes 250 hours of video and other resources that provide analysis of key engineering failures. It provides in-depth coverage for the most frequently taught and seminal engineering case studies and failures—from the Titanic to the Challenger space shuttle explosion.

Because Engineering Case Studies Online addresses cases from a variety of angles, including their legal and ethical implications, the collection has broad applications for fields including architecture, business, law, urban planning, health and safety, environmental studies, science, sociology, media, and technology. Materials in the collection include:

•          Feature-length video documentaries of major failures.
•          Monographs explaining cases in detail and describing key engineering concepts and issues.
•          Simulations depicting precisely what went wrong.
•          Primary footage of accidents, including related news segments.
•          Event timelines and maps.
•          Audio footage and transcripts.
•          Testimonies from participants, victims, and witnesses.
•          Images, accident reports, blueprints, and other key archival content whenever available.
•          Bibliographies of authoritative materials from newspapers, Web sites, and journals.
•          Specially written cases that explore engineering ethics.

Investigate Engineering Case Studies Online before the trial ends in February 2015, and tell us what you think by completing the Database Trial Evaluation form. Please direct any questions to David Nelson, Head, Collection Development and Management.

Image courtesy Encyclopaedia Britannica ImageQuest

PolicyMap -- Database Trial

The Library is offering a trial to PolicyMap, an online mapping application for presenting data through custom maps, tables and reports. PolicyMap contains over 15,000 US data indicators related to demographics, neighborhood conditions, real estate markets, federal programs, money and income, jobs and economy, education, crime, health, and more.

PolicyMap is  appropriate for undergraduate and graduate curriculums related to sociology, urban studies, community and economic development, public administration, public health, policy and political science, education, business (real estate and marketing), and geography, among others.

Investigate PolicyMap before the trial ends on April 15, 2014, and tell us what you think by completing the Database Trial Evaluation form. Please direct any questions to David Nelson, Head, Collection Development and Management.

On Display in the Library...

This Cruel War: Rutherford County Experiences the Civil War 

This exhibit was developed by MTSU graduate students and faculty in the department of History commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. 

A Working under the direction of Dr. Bren Martin, the graduate students in Essentials of Museum Management developed the 
exhibition, which interprets civilian life in Rutherford County during the war. 

Nine panels cover the following themes: Prelude to War, War Comes to Rutherford County, Occupation, Divided Loyalties, Mapping the War, Emancipation, and the Legacies of the War. 

The exhibit will be on display now thru February 14th and is free and open to the public. 

Academic Success Series -- Spring 2014

Academic Success Series
Spring 2014
Tuesdays at 4:30 pm
Walker Library, room 446

January 21 
How to get started at MTSU
Vincent Windrow

January 28 
How to study and prepare for tests      
Gia Jones

February 4 
How to use your time wisely      
Vincent Windrow

February 11 
How to use the Walker Library      
Kristen West

February 18 
How to give a winning presentation      
Vincent Windrow

February 25 
How to think critically      
Hilary Stallings

March 4      
How to relax, chill and still be a successful student  
Vincent Windrow

March 25      
How to choose the right major              
Vincent Windrow

April 1  
How to use your academic advisor      
Travis Tipton

April 22 & 23 (Repeated for finals!)
How to prepare for finals
Eric Miller

For more information call Vincent Windrow at Vincent.Windrow@mtsu.edu or (615) 898-2338 or visit http://www.mtsu.edu/advising/AcademicSuccessSeries.php