Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library

iPods are on reserve in the Ritz Library!

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:11:00 +0000

Have you ever wanted to experience music outside the realm of popular music? Perhaps listen to a classical or jazz piece? Well, here is your opportunity. The Ritz Library has two Apple iPod Nanos (portable multi-media devices) on reserve at the front desk that you can borrow for up to four hours for use in the library. Loaded with over 400 classical and jazz music selections, you can review this list and see if a piece you are looking for is available. If not, please let us know. We'd like to expand our selection in the future. If you enjoy using the iPods, please let us know that also. We welcome feedback! Any questions or concerns, please email tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu.

Gearing up for Translations!

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Do you enjoy art? Being creative? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", then you may want to learn more about Translations 2010 at DCC.

The purpose of Translations 2010 is to give students an opportunity to explore social issues of the past, present and/or future. So what's involved? Students will complete research through methods learned at DCC, whether it be in an academic discipline such as Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science, Sociology or through a professional program such as Education, Nursing or Paralegal Studies. They will create a research notebook which will then be interpreted through an artistic medium such as (but not limited to) film, performing arts, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry and play writing. A spring 2010 festival competition will be held where students can present their work.

In case you are wondering, you can work either individually or as a team! A sample application for submission can be found by clicking here.

Three categories of awards for artistic expression will be awarded: Performance Art, Visual Art, and Reading of Literature. ALL participants (students, staff and faculty) will be recognized.

Please contact Pete Phipps for more information or to ask any questions about the festival and how you can be involved. The deadline to enter the contest is April 9, 2010. Faculty and staff are encouraged to be involved as project advisors, mentors, and as judges for the competition.

Pete’s office is located on the 4th floor of Hudson Hall (H- 403-L) and his office phone number is 431-8341. You can also contact him via email at mailto:phipps@sunydutchess.edu.

Playaways are in the Ritz Library!

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:02:00 +0000

The genesis of books on tape has been cassettes to CDs to downloads, but what is next? What appears to be next are Playaways - portable audio devices that can be hand-held or plugged into an audio jack (with an additional cable) for easy, convenient listening. The entire contents of a book are found in a case about the size of a traditional cassette.

The Ritz Library at Dutchess Community College is pleased to announce the addition of Playaways to our book collection. Located at the beginning of the McNaughton and New Books reading collections next to the periodicals, you can browse the Playaways for titles that might interest you. If you find a title you'd like to listen to, bring it to the Circulation desk at the front of the library and the staff will check it out to you for two weeks. If you need additional listening time, you may renew your titles once. Confused about how to operate the Playaway? The instructions are included on the inside cover of the box, but we have more detailed handouts, if desired. Hit the power button, hit the play button and you are good to go.

So what titles does the library currently have?

Walk Away the Pounds

Hamlet - John Gielgud's Classic 1948 Recording

NPR Driveway Moments - Baseball

The Sonnets

Elegance of the Hedgehog (NYT Bestseller)

100 Poems

Audacity of Hope, The

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Interpreter of Maladies

7 Habits of Highly Effective People & 8th Habit, The

Way We Eat, The

Billionaire Who Wasn't, The

Wave, The

Armageddon in Retrospect

Life and Works - Frederic Chopin

Voice of the Violin

9 to 5 Window

Louis L'Amour Collection

Father Knows Less, or: "Can I Cook My Sister?"

Credit Repair Kit for Dummies

Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell

Starship Troopers

Assassination Vacation

America's Great Depression

First 30 Days, The

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

Dead Witch Walking

K'wan Presents Bullet Proof Love

Joker One

Valley of Silence

The question has come up, "what if I want to listen in my car?" If you have a new vehicle, you can check out an audio cable at the front desk. If you have an older vehicle that has an iPod adapter already set up; for example, a cassette with an iPod wire attached, or an iPod speaker system at home, the audio cable will work with that also.

If you enjoy listening to Playaways, please let us know! We are looking to know what you think about this collection!

The Big Read

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:54:00 +0000

This year Poughkeepsie's Big Read selection is Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. What is the Big Read? The "Big Read" is an annual event sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts whose purpose is to "restore reading to the center of American culture". A collaboration of local community organizations such as colleges, bookstores and public libraries join together to promote a particular book. Last year the book discussed was F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and this year it is Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Dutchess Community College has lead a compare/contrast discussion of the film adaptation of the book earlier this week and is also planning on hosting a discussion on "how Harlem grew to be considered the capital of Black America" on Thursday evening, October 15th at 7pm. George Stevens, Professor of History and Department Chair, is leading this talk on the history of New York City's African American community, so come and participate. The discussion will be held in Hudson Hall, room 406.

The reader's guide for Their Eyes Were Watching God can be found here as well as a hard copy may be picked up at the Circulation desk in the Ritz Library.

October is Fire Safety Month

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Come and visit the display case in the front lobby of the Ritz Library on the 3rd floor of Hudson Hall and view the various fire safety items provided by the Emergency Services Club.

Their message to us this month is:

Change your smoke detector battery twice a year!

Banners along the Hudson

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:30:00 +0000

The Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library is pleased to host Banners along the Hudson!

This exhibit contains reproductions of prints, paintings, and drawing selected from more than 250 prints and over 100 paintings and drawings from the private collection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt a renowned collector of books, ship models, and stamps, President Roosevelt also enjoyed collecting art, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and artifacts related to the history and people of the Hudson River Valley.

Join us now through October 26th below the mobile on the second floor of the Library.

Banners Along the Hudson is jointly presented by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Home of the FDR National Historic Site with support from the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial federal funds.

The text of this posting was taken from Campus email, dated 10/6/2009.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:53:00 +0000

Would you like to view the Gods and Goddesses of the Hispanic World?

OR

Read about the Sun Stone and Aztec Calendar?

You can do all this by visiting the display case in the
Francis U. & Mary F. Ritz Library
located on the 3rd floor - Hudson Hall

Trouble printing from Angel?

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Have you been experiencing difficulties printing from Angel? If so, check out this document provided by Chrissie Mitchell in the Teaching Learning Center on how to print from Angel.

Looking for the taxonomy of an Animal??

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:15:00 +0000

Use the links below to get information on the full taxonomy of an animal and the origins of its scientific name:

NCBI Taxonomy Browser
National Center for Biotechnology Information Web site. HINT! Look at the "lineage" section to trace the taxonomy.

A Mammalian Lexicon
Michigan State University site which gives the meanings of the roots of taxonomic terms

Greek & Latin Roots
Meanings of Greek and Latin wordroots with the focus on their use in taxonomy

Ritz Library offers new streaming video service

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:17:00 +0000

DCC’s Ritz Library is pleased to provide staff
and students with a new way to watch videos on academic topics. Films on Demand, a Web based streaming video service, includes over 5,000 individual titles that can be accessed 24/7. Best of all, the videos can be viewed both on and off campus.
Some of the subject areas covered are business, health, humanities and the sciences.

All programs are broken down into short segments, which make them perfect for showing to a class. Special features allow the user to organize and bookmark clips and to create and share playlists of programs.

To use Films Demand, logon to MyDCC. Then click on the “Library” tab. From the Library screen, click on the link for Films on Demand in the “How do I find information for research projects?” channel.

Questions? Comments? Contact Ron Crovisier or Tom Trinchera at 431-8634 or email refdesk@sunydutchess.edu

BNET: business resources at your fingertips

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:43:00 +0000

Gale Cengage Learning and CBS Interactive have joined forces in producing website, BNET which provides free articles and information for business and business related issues. Used as a research tool, you are able to look up various topics relating to business, management, communications, strategy, technology and even free video links are provided. There are also links to their paid services and plenty of advertisements, but basically because the content is provided by Gale Cengage Learning, there is a level of accountability associated with the material that is not necessarily found on other websites. No logons are necessary although you can create one and customize your experience if you are so inclined.

Reminder: if you are working on a research paper, use the Ritz Library electronic resources which can be found by going through myDCC, Library tab, Search our Electronic Resources and then selecting the databases you wish to search through.

View the library!

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Take a few minutes to log onto your myDCC account and check out the new channel located in the upper right hand corner of the Library tab. Click on the link and go on a virtual tour of the Ritz Library and when you have a chance, stop on in and visit us in person! A librarian will be happy to help you with all of your research needs!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Thu, 14 May 2009 15:45:00 +0000

Spring 2009 begins the 80th birthday commemoration of Anne Frank. On display at the DCC Library is an Anne Frank exhibit sponsored by PVAC. The material on display is from Steve Press's private collection. You can pick up a free copy of the article written by Steve Press for the Actors' Equity Association commemorating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Broadway play, The Diary of Anne Frank . There are also free brochures available from the Anne Frank Center of New York.

Visit the Francis U. & Mary F. Ritz Library on the 3rd Floor of Hudson Hall.

World Digital Library Up and Running

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:25:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I mentioned an exciting new resource that was to debut on April 21st for scholars and interested persons - the World Digital Library. Located online at http://www.wdl.org/en/ the WDL taps into international library and university primary source content from around the world. Materials have been digitized from such prestigious institutions as the Central Library, Qatar Foundation, Library of Congress, National Diet Library (Japan), and the Center for the Study of the History of Mexico (CARSO), among others.

The interface is simple and easy to use allowing for searching via 5 different methods:

place; for example, China, Brazil, and Australia
time line; for example, 8000 BC - 499 AD, etc.
specific topic: philosophy, religion and social sciences, among others
type of item: maps, manuscripts, motion pictures, for example
institution: Bibliotecha Alexandrina, Iraqi National Library and Archives, for instance

There is a high powered zoom function associated with each item so that you can enhance the image you are looking at. Digitization quality is excellent on the books and photographs which makes for an enjoyable experience. The high level description enables you to understand what you are looking at, and if you chose you can read about the item in 7 different languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic and Russian. All in all, the WDL helps make the world a smaller place and enables unique and rare content to be shared internationally.

Translations, part 2

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Back in October, the Ritz Library posted information pertaining to Translations, the annual competition whose purpose is to "explore social concerns through art". As a result of this festival competition, some of the artwork and literature submitted will be on display in the Ritz Library display case from Monday, April 27th through Friday, May 8th.

This year, Translations judged three categories: Visual Art, Reading of Literature and a special category for Social Concerns about the Hudson River. 32 entries were submitted by DCC students .

The Visual Winner was an impressive piece by Nathan Garcia. It was ceramic fishes symbolically representing how cell phone technology interferes with genuine human communication. Honorable mention in the Visual category went to Marykate Monroe’s painting “Welcome to the city that never sleeps.”

The Written winner was JonnaLynn Rouse’s moving poem “What does my future hold?” Honorable mention goes to John Zamierowski’s untitled short story about a milk jug floating in the Hudson.

The Social Concerns about the Hudson River winner was John’s story about the milk jug followed very closely by MaryKate’s painting, "Welcome to the city that never sleeps".

Congratulations to all the festival competition winners and to all the students who chose to participate in this year's event!

Stop by the Ritz Library on the 3rd floor of Hudson Hall to view some of this year's entries! To view some photos of the entries, click here.

Special thanks to Dr. Peter Phipps for putting together the bulk of this blog entry.

Try Credo for quick access to facts

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:25:00 +0000

The Ritz is testing a new service that provides fast access to accurate and up to date factual information. Called Credo Reference, this service brings together the the full text of hundreds of encyclopedias and reference books on every subject from astronomy to zoology.

To see how Credo works, logon to MyDcc. From the "Library" tab, go to "Search our Electronic Resources". Credo Reference is the first choice on the page.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:15:00 +0000

On April 21st, the World Digital Library (WDL) will be unveiled through a collaborative effort of the Library of Congress, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and 32 partner organizations world-wide.

The WDL will present primary sources in multiple languages from countries around the world, and the interface will allow for searching in 7 different languages.

For anyone looking for primary source material, this should be a good source of original items. For further information on primary sources, check out this blog entry from April 11, 2007.

HIV/STI AWARENESS

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:31:00 +0000

WHEN YOU GIVE THE GIFT OF LOVE, MAKE SURE IT IS WRAPPED PROPERLY!

The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society is sponsoring the Library Display Case for the month of April in conjunction with HIV/STI Awareness. They have provided a supply of informative pamphlets regarding HIV and Aids along with several complimentary handouts.

Visit the Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library Display Case, 3rd Floor, Hudson Hall, and get the information you need to give the proper gift of love.

Adding YouTube videos to Powerpoint presentations

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Adding images from the Web to a Powerpoint presentation is as easy as cut 'n' paste. Incorporating video is different story. The best way to add media is to use the "Movie" option on Powerpoint's Insert menu, but you need to have downloaded the videoin a movie file format like .wmd or .avi for it to work right.

That's not an option if you want to use a YouTube video. Of course, you can always put a link to the YouTube URL on a slide. It means extra loading time, though, as your computer brings up the browser and the playback can look awfully messy. Here's a better way.

Download the Powerpoint add-in, "YouTube Video Wizard". Install the add-in and a new tab under "Insert" called "YouTube Video"will appear on Powerpoint. Click on it, and a series of screens will take you through the process of inserting a YouTube Video into your presentation. Interested? the add-in is available to download at YouTube Video Wizard

Microsoft Works, Microsoft Word

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:05:00 +0000

Ever face a document saved in a .wps format instead of a .doc format and wonder how you are going to open it? Most of the time when you go to open a file, the computer will automatically pick up the extension and open the file with the correct application. In some cases, this does not occur. This was the situation I encountered this morning.

Typically, .wps files are created using MS-Works. If you forget to save the file with the .doc extension, you may encounter a problem trying to open the file on another computer. Double clicking a file with an extension that the computer does not recognize will give you a list of possible applications you can use. In this case, MS-Word, the application I was looking for, was not in the list and all other "open" options led to gibberish in the file. After searching online, I found MS-Office online help which rectified the problem. Click here for the link. No one had ever attempted to open a Works file from the computer I was on this morning, so the MS-Works to Word converter had not been enabled. Enabling the converter took less than a minute and now when trying to open a .wps file, MS-Word is recommended program in the list of programs to choose.

Looking for health information?

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:15:00 +0000

Have you ever been faced with a medical issue you've wanted to research? If so, be aware that The Ritz Library at DCC offers several databases covering health related information. In myDCC, click on the Library tab, then click on "Search Our Electronic Resources", Health. The Health and Wellness Center database provides consumer health information, including alternative medicine. The Nursing link provides access to clinical information through the CINAHL database or through Medline.
Speaking of Medline, according to the brochure published by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the MedlinePlus.gov website was "created for consumers ... and offers free, high quality health information." Other websites touted are: ClinicalTrials.gov, DailyMed, Dietary Supplements Labels, Genetics Home Reference and NIHSeniorHealth.gov. Check out these websites for information on FDA approved drugs, testing information on new drugs, vitamin and mineral supplement contents and more.

Women's History Month

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:38:00 +0000

Visit the Ritz Library today and view the display sponsored by the Women's Activities Committee featuring Women Taking a Lead to Save Our Planet.
When you visit, test your knowledge of women's history.

Kris Carr is an award-winning actress, best-selling author and film-maker.
Her book, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, can be found in the New Book Section of the DCC Library.

Internet Public Library

tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu (Tina Kiernan) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Have you ever heard of the Internet Public Library? It is a great online resource for information: basically, it was the first library created specifically to support the internet community. It began in 1995 as a project for the University of Michigan School of Information and over time became a well-established entity on the internet for research. ipl.org connects you to a world of librarian-approved online resources. For instance, ipl.org links directly to the Librarians' Internet Index whose tag line is "websites you can trust". Broken down into subject areas, the IPL connects you to a variety of digital sources, including websites, podcasts and other information. They have a special section for Kids and Teens Resources, Reading Rooms, Ready Reference materials such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, FAQs, Special Collections and other helpful tools. The IPL helps bring a level of comfort for website integrity when conducting research. Check it out!

BLACK HISTORY ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9TH

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Black History Month activities continue the week of February 9th. See attached schedule for activities available this week.

Check out the display at the Ritz Library, Hudson Hall, 3rd Floor presented by the Black History Committee. View the online exhibit entitled The Missing Chapter: Untold Stories of the African American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley presented by SENYLRC.

Black History activity sheets and calendars are available in the Library while supplies last.

BLACK HISTORY ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2nd

noreply@blogger.com (Johann) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Come celebrate Black History month at DCC!
See attached schedule for activities available the week of February 2nd.

Check out the display at the Ritz Library, Hudson Hall, 3rd Floor presented by the Black History Committee.

Black History activity sheets and calendars are available while supplies last.