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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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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.

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