Common Knowledge

Visiting Writers Series: Susan Choi

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:25:00 +0000

The Fall 2009 portion of the annual Jack Ridl Visting Writers Series wrapped up on Thursday with a reading by novelist Susan Choi. In addition to having authored the Pulitzer Prize finalist novel American Woman, Choi has written two other full length novels, The Foreign Student and Person of Interest. She has also been published in Vogue, O, and The New York Times.

Interested in reading some of Choi's work? Van Wylen has both Person of Interest and American Woman in their collection. You can read several reviews of her novel The Foreign Student in Literature Criticism Online. Additional criticisms of other writings of hers are also available through the database OneFile PowerSearch.

Keep watching the library's blog for more information about the remaining writers in the 2009-2010 series, Melissa Delbridge, Terrance Hayes, and George Saunders.

-- BJS

FLIP Camcorders

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:20:00 +0000

Van Wylen Library recently purchased four new Flip UltraHD video cameras, which are available for checkout at the Media Services desk on the second floor. These hand-sized camcorders digitally record up to two hours of video with the push of a button. Any member of the Hope community can use one of these camcorders, though they are intended primarily for student academic projects. The camcorders can be checked out for three days at a time and have a $5 per day overdue fine for late returns. The cameras are available on a first come, first served basis, and they cannot be reserved.

Flip camcorders come with pre-installed Flip software that easily allows you to edit your video as needed after recording. For a demonstration of how to use the camera and software, check out the video below. TechLab students are also available to help during regular TechLab hours.

-- BJS

Amazon Kindle DX

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:33:00 +0000

Van Wylen Library now has an Amazon Kindle DX available for Hope students, faculty, and staff to use. It can be checked out for two weeks at the first floor circulation desk.

The Kindle DX, an e-reader designed by Amazon, can hold well over 3000 books in a device that is thinner than most magazines. Van Wylen's Kindle currently has several titles similar to what you might find in the browsing collection, such as The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Dr. Rhoda Janzen of Hope's English department.

"We want to stay abreast of new developments and be able to share them with the Hope community," said Brian Yost, Head of Technical Services and Systems at the library. "We hope to get feedback from those who use it so we can purchase things people need or want to use."

Colleen Conway, Technical Services Librarian, owns a Kindle for her personal use. She bought the Kindle for the sake of having a consolidated library.

"The idea of being able to put a lot of books on a little thing was very interesting to me," she said. "It doesn't require a computer, which is something most book readers before the Kindle required."

Unlike a computer, the Kindle is not hard on the eyes if you use it for hours on end. The Kindle is designed to seem like reading off a piece of paper, complete with page turns. Because reading on a Kindle is supposed to feel like reading a physical copy of something, the Kindle is not backlit. This makes it possible to read the Kindle easily, even if you're in bright sunlight. However, this does mean if you choose to read on a Kindle at night, you'll need some sort of light. The reasonably priced books, fast download speed, and extremely long battery life more than make up for this.

Interested in trying out a Kindle? Come to Van Wylen and check one out!

-- BJS --

Meet The Library: MeL and ILL

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Even though Van Wylen Library has 370,000 print volumes and has access to 20,000 electronic serial titles, sometimes you may need to access a book or article the library doesn't have. If this happens, the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL) and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) can help you out.

MeL is a service that lends books and media to library users throughout the state of Michigan, using materials from all sorts of libraries including public libraries, university libraries, and state libraries. To access a book using MeL, you can go to elibrary.mel.org. There, you can search the catalog for the material you're looking for, which will arrive in up to two weeks.

ILL is similar to MeL, but it connects Hope to libraries all over the country. A link on the library's home page (www.hope.edu/lib) will take you to the ILL page of the library's website. There, you simply need to fill out the appropriate form for the material you need (article, book, chapter, CRL, or Video/CD), and the library will take care of the rest. Articles can also be accessed through research databases. All articles are delivered directly to you electronically in 3-7 days, while books and other physical materials will be delivered to the library in about two weeks.

But who actually takes care of all of the things related to interlibrary loan? There has to be some person who makes sure everything works like it should. That person is Michelle Kelley.

Michelle and seven student workers staff the MEL/ILL portion of the library. Michelle actually got her start in ILL when she was a student worker at the library while she attended Hope. Now, as the Interlibrary Loan Associate, she requests all the patrons' articles and books, communicates with other libraries, and comes up with ways to run ILL more efficiently, in addition to other miscellaneous tasks. She enjoys working with the library staff and students and providing material that will help students and faculty with their projects.

MeL and ILL services are both free to Hope students and staff, so don't hesitate to take advantage of it!

Drop-In Writing Center

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:09:00 +0000

Van Wylen Library and the Academic Support Center have started a new program through the writing center. Between 8 and 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, students can come to the project room on the first floor of the library (room 113) and have a tutor from the writing center help them with a paper.

The drop-in sessions, which began earlier this month, give you the chance to have your paper looked over by a student tutor without making an appointment through the Academic Support Center. While appointment sessions are still available Monday through Friday, drop-in sessions give you another option in case you can't find an appointment time that works with your schedule. The drop-in sessions also add to similar options the Academic Support Center already offers, such as drop-in help sessions for math courses.

The student tutors at the drop-in sessions come from all sorts of majors, ranging from Chemistry to English. That way, if your tutor doesn't know much about the subject of your paper, they can get you in touch with someone who does. These tutors can help you at any stage of your writing, from getting started to polishing your final draft.

"We're trying to not just focus on grammar, but on how to make a paper look better," said Erin Eddy ('10), one of the student tutors.

Amy Alvine ('12), used the drop-in sessions for Dr. Beard's Intro to Global Politics class because the writing session's one-hour appointments were all booked before her paper was due.

"It was nice having someone who knew what the teachers wanted and the flaws they would look for to proofread my paper," she said. "The one-on-one with a fellow peer was a laid back and relaxing environment and made me feel very comfortable. It was so much easier to ask questions about things I was unsure of. I would definitely go back and use the drop-in sessions again."

If you need help on a paper that's due soon and aren't able to schedule an appointment through the writing center, check out the drop-in writing sessions in the library!

-- BJS

Citation Conversations

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:46:00 +0000

Participate in a campus discussion about citation rules and formats. We welcome input from students and faculty.

Students have expressed confusion and frustration about creating "correct" citations. Directions given to students in class are not always consistent with what is stated in the most up-to-date version of the particular style guidelines; nor are all faculty within a discipline telling students the same thing.

Information about citations in 2009, including where on the library website to get the most up-to-date official versions of various styles, are provided in this article. Please go to the comment box at the end of the post to share your thoughts on the matter!

How do I correctly cite an article that I read full text online?

Answers to this question vary from instructor to instructor.

This year, both MLA and APA have changed their guidelines. The most up-to-date information the library has access to is Research and Documentation Online, by Diana Hacker.

An example of a recent change: MLA, which until Summer 2009 required the URL of the publisher for fulltext articles (found online), now only requires that the name of the database and the word "Web" be used to indicate that an article was found online rather than in paper (or microform).

Johnson, Kirk. "The Mountain Lions of Michigan." Endangered Species Update 19.2 (2002): 27-31. Expanded Academic Index. Web. 26 Nov. 2008.

Note: The URL of an article (or a database) is not the same as the name of the database. In general, including the name of the database is cleaner looking than including the URL. In the sample above, Expanded Academic Index is the name of the database.

Students Confused by the Wide Range of Citation Styles They are Expected to Know

From what librarians have heard, the instructions given in class varies from instructor to instructor. For instance, the Chicago Manual of Style currently includes the URL of the source database (for an online article) as a required element in their citation guidelines. Some faculty are asking students to omit this information.

The fact that two different versions of the most recent Hacker manual (print) are roaming about hasn't helped matters. Also, the most recent APA manual in print includes some errors in the sample paper section.

Recommendation

Although some faculty say they do not care where the students find the article, whether electronically or in print, saying they just want the "basics" - author, article title, journal title, pages, date, etc. - these directions are not consistent with the citation manuals or with what students are asked to do in other classes.

For now, directing students to Research and Documentation Online, the first choice on the Citing Sources link from the library hopepage, is the most consistent advice.

Colleague and student friends, please share your thoughts on the matter in the Comments box! (note: comments are moderated to prevent spam)

-- KJ and PA --

Library Book Sale Begins Oct. 28

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Van Wylen Library's fall book sale will begin on Wednesday, October 28 and last for approximately two weeks. The sale will include books that have become outdated, duplicates of what the library already has, and material that is now accessible online.

Materials at the sale are very affordable. Hardcover books will cost $2, while paperbacks will be $1. Items for sale will be located on the north end of the first floor where the study tables and newspapers are. The book sale follows the same hours as the library, which are 8 a.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. to midnight Sunday. Proceeds will be used to help purchase books and update resources in the library, so be sure to stop by the library and check out the selection!

Open Access Week

noreply@blogger.com (Van Wylen Library) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:26:00 +0000

Van Wylen Library is participating in Open Access Week, which runs from October 19-23. Previously just a national day of action, the week is now an international "opportunity to broaden awareness and understanding of open access issues and express support for free, immediate, online access to the results of scholarly research," according to the movement's website, http://www.openaccessweek.org/.

Proponents of Open Access believe that scholarly research, particularly research that has been publicly funded, should be freely available online. Currently, many scholarly articles--the type of articles you use to write your research papers--are only available by subscription. If you've ever tried to access one of Hope's databases while you're off campus, you've noticed that the library website has prompted you to enter your 1Hope username and password. That's because the library has paid a subscription fee to the journal so students can have access to it. Once you graduate, though, you lose your access to this research. These costly subscriptions also limit what else the library can do with its budget.

Open access is a complicated issue and Van Wylen Library is getting involved in a number of different ways:

The Library Committee is studying open access so that it can better understand the issues and make recommendations to faculty and the library.

Hope subscribes to two Open Access databases, BioMed Central and the Public Library of Science (PLoS) and will help pay for the author's fees that are often associated with publishing in Open Access journals, if faculty choose to publish there.

President Bultman signed an open letter from over 57 Presidents of liberal arts colleges supporting the Federal Research Public Access Act (S. 1373). The FRPAA would be a major step forward in ensuring equitable online access to research literature that is paid for by taxpayers. The federal government funds over $60 billion in research annually. Research supported by the National Institutes of Health, which accounts for approximately one-third of federally funded research, produces an estimated 80,000 peer-reviewed journal articles each year, according to the letter.

There are two displays with information about Open Access located on the first floor by the Cup and Chaucer and by the circulation desk.

-- BJS

The Center for Research Libraries

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Jacobsma) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Hope College is now a member of the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), a partnership of more than 240 university, college, and independent research libraries. The consortium acquires and preserves newspapers, journals, documents, archives and other traditional and digital resources for research and teaching. These resources are then made available to member institutions cooperatively, through interlibrary loan and electronic delivery. The Center’s mission is to support advanced research and teaching in the humanities, sciences and social, sciences by ensuring the survival and availability of the knowledge resources vital to these disciplines.

This new membership is a big deal. CRL collections are diverse and highly developed, including:

6,500 international newspapers
2,500 U.S. newspapers, many dating to the colonial era
2,000 U.S. ethnic titles
More than 38,000 foreign journals that are rarely held in U.S. Libraries
More than 800,000 foreign dissertations - mostly from European institutions
Major microform and paper collections from Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Europe, Asia, Southeast Asia, and more

For researchers at member institutions CRL functions as an axillary library of extraordinary resources with user-focused policies including project-length loan privileges and three-day delivery on most interlibrary loans. Faculty also are eligible to participate in a demand purchase program whereby purchases of up to $2,000 annually for foreign dissertations, newspapers, and archival material may be requested.

Access to the CRL collections is available immediately. The library staff will be working on adding links and other access points to the CRL collections. If you are interested in learning more about how CRL may support your research, contact your librarian.

Finals Week at Hope - How Students Work

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Jacobsma) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:06:00 +0000

At lunch today I came across some statistics in a publication called NextSpace (By the Numbers: statistics to think ab out).

278 photo uploads per second to Facebook
10 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute
2,000,000 e-mails sent per second
100,000,000,000 clicks per day on the web
1,000,000 instant messages sent per second
55,000,000,000,000 links between all web pages

Then, I did a walk around the library to see what was happening during finals week. The photos tell an interesting story.

Why the Library?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly Jacobsma) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:33:00 +0000

The Library recently finished a light and informative video aimed at first-year students. The purpose of the video is to introduce you to an academic library, to show you how using the library can positively influence your academic experience. We know that for many of you entering Hope College this fall, using a library is not part of your past experience. And in the age of Google, Yahoo, Del.icio.us, and facebook we have a pretty good idea why this is so. So what can we offer you when you ask "Why the Library?"

When you find yourself finally settled into some corner of a library, as you begin to engage with the ideas flowing from a book, a journal, or from your own pen, you will find that your mind clears. Surrounded by quiet, you find that the atmosphere in a library gives you permission to shut out worries and demands of your daily life, and that you can think. You find that you are able to concentrate in a way that you cannot in other places. You have permission to engage fully with the ideas in front of you and you find more clarity in your own thoughts.

When you walk between the book stacks in the library, you are walking among conversations handed down over centuries. Conversations of great men and women, and also those of misguided purpose, sit together on shelves in constant discussion. Conversations of those with whom you agree and those with whom you disagree await your examination. Sitting amongst this noisy conversation, you have the opportunity to discern your own truth, perhaps a truth that did not previously exist for you. Creative expression, that which makes us most human, is preserved among the shelves; literature, poetry, dance, visual arts and music are there to be experienced and explored. The greatest scientific discoveries, emerging from the sweat of years of research, building upon trial and error of those who have gone before them, live in the texts of scholarly journals.

We all recognize that libraries now exist in two realms, the physical and the virtual. The virtual library - electronic books, journals, reference sources, and databases of digital print, audio and image files - make library research efficient, convenient and, in some ways, easier than in the past. The materials found in virtual libraries, however, are just beginning to become visible through search engines like Google. Most virtual library material is concealed within library electronic collections. Research shows that young adults "do not find library-sponsored resources intuitive and therefore prefer to use Google and Yahoo instead: these offer a familiar, if simplistic solution, for their study needs." What the library can offer then, is a guiding hand through the maze. Research also shows that users of digital libraries spend more time "clicking around," figuring out how to navigate the site, and bouncing from one link to another as they "skim" for information. Librarians teach people which electronic resources will be best for a particular need, how to navigate the interface, how to think about search results, and how to get to the content.

Just as the technology of finding information has changed, so have the ways in which students learn. We now know that learning happens in community. In addition to reading, students spend much of their time creating, exploring, communicating and collaborating. Libraries are responding to these shifts by providing a supportive environment that nurtures these activities, integrating content with technology and services. Going beyond what is learned in a classroom by further exploring, internalizing and challenging, requires curiosity, a thirst to know more. The best library cannot instill that in our students alone. But we hope when that thirst appears, what we provide will satisfy.
Over time the ways in which scholarly information is communicated and how and where it is accessed will evolve. Libraries will adapt and provide new tools, methods and services for our users. Perhaps some day soon everything truly will be available on Google. Until that time however, we need to continue to explain to our students, "why the library."

-- Kelly Jacobsma
Director of Libraries

Music in the Catalog

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:00:00 +0000

It's Sir George Grove's 188th birthday! This English music historian lends his name to one of the premier reference sources in music: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Even better, we have online access to Grove Music Online, a compilation of several music dictionaries. Not only can you read about music from your college computer, or when logged into your library account, you can now listen to music directly from the catalog using one of our music databases. Next time you find a music title followed by the words "electronic resource" click through to the sample. Sir George would be thrilled, I'm sure.

The Olympics

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:00:00 +0000

For the next few days world attention will be turned to the business of the Olympic games. They are not only a series of sporting events, they are also political and historical in nature. To supplement your television viewing I recommend the following: Triumph: The Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler's Olympics by Jeremy Schaap; Munich on dvd, and When the Girls Came Out to Play: The Birth of American Sportswear by Patricia Warner. When it comes to sports, we have something for everyone.

The Pope

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Pope Benedict I died on this date in 579. Today's Pope Benedict XVI is not only a much studied Pope, he is a prolific author himself. Co-Workers for the Truth is a book of his daily meditations, God and the World is a more theological discussion of Catholicism. Between the collections of the college and the seminary we can learn much about today's Benedict.

Connection: CIS 2007 meets CIS 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Currie) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Last week, the United States Senate passed the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, part of which lifts current restrictions that prevent HIV-positive individuals from immigrating to the United States. Read about this developing news story in a July 21st Africa News Service article. Curious to know more about connections between global health and immigration? Visit the Reference Desk for more reading ideas.

Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:00:00 +0000

On this date in 1903 the Ford Motor Company sold its first car. 105 years ago tomorrow some dad somewhere said "road trip!" and 30 minutes later the phrase "don't make me stop this car" was uttered for the first time. We have some travel guides available electronically which might help you start planning your own road trip. They cover Wisconsin, Michigan, and at least 14 other states. We acquired them as part of a large package of electronic titles and they are readable from a campus computer or from home if you use your library account. I'm not saying they are the ultimate source for travel planning, but they might provide a starting point if you are still dreaming of a family vacation.

Fun Films

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:05:00 +0000

Disneyland Park opened 53 years ago today. You might be surprised to discover that we have many animated and children's films in the Van Wylen collection, including favorites from the Disney Studios. If summer is getting a little long and boredom is setting in, check out our free rentals!

Connection: How much does Google know?

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Currie) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:47:00 +0000

Advocates of privacy rights are leery of Google's presence in our lives. Lots of news sources are covering this topic; national news outlets, sources in the information industry, business news analysts, politicians, academics, health professionals, and many, many more. PC Magazine Online published a summary article in 2007 that continues to encapsulate issues of concern. The launch of a Google project to help patients archive their medical records has unearthed another wave of concern as expressed in this USA Today article. Curious to learn more? Ask for sources at the Reference Desk and consider setting a search alert to maintain your awareness of this leading news story.

Political History

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:00:00 +0000

On July 9, 1850, Zachary Taylor died and Millard Fillmore became the 13th president of the United States. Beyond the books we have acquired on current politics, we continue to purchase material on the history of our country. New to our collection are two titles by Cokie Roberts: Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty. Both take a look at the role of women in political history. Very popular is the HBO production John Adams on dvd. If you want to see this one you might want to place a hold!

Connection: The Big Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Currie) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:36:00 +0000

The Hope College Jazz Chamber Ensemble performed and taught at The Big Hope at Hope Liverpool University last month. Read more about the event and then listen to a performance recording available at The Big Hope web site.

Food Controversial Food

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Food is a hot topic this summer. Thomas Pawlick wrote The End of Food in 2006 and described the adulteration of the food supply. This month Paul Roberts uses the same title for a book about the food industry. In In Defense of Food Michael Pollan asks if what we are eating is really food at all. Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood illustrates the toll we take on the oceans. Stuffed and Starved is an analysis of why both famine and feast exist in the world. Most of these books are brand new to Van Wylen, and might inspire you to visit the local farmers market after you visit the library.

Armchair History

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:00:00 +0000

George Armstrong Custer died 132 years ago on this date during the Battle of the Little Bighorn, called the Battle of the Greasy Grass by the Lakota and Northern Cheyenne. Two years ago, when gasoline was less than $2.00 per gallon, I stood on the battle site and marveled at how little was actually there. A river, some low hills, and heat. A lot of heat. I imagined being on those hills in a woolen uniform, far from home, and wished I could remember more of what I had read about the battle. If you want to do some armchair traveling to the west this summer, you might want to start with Custer. We can even save you gas money to the library. Many of our sources on this subject are electronic books you can read from home.

Connection: Assessing Teach for America

noreply@blogger.com (Jane Currie) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:25:00 +0000

Teach for America is a popular program among recent Hope College graduates and students thinking about "what next" as they reach their senior year. Critics and proponents of the programs have shared an interest in seeing Teach for America's teachers assessed. The Urban Institute has done just that through a comparison of standardized test results in classes taught by Teach for America instructors and classes taught by instructors not involved in the program. Curious about what they learned? See the Urban Institute report or a summary published by The Atlantic Monthly. To learn more about Teach for America, visit the Reference Desk.

A Classic

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:55:00 +0000

John T. Quinn was a good friend to the Hope College Libraries. He generously donated many wonderful and well-chosen resources from his own collection, helped me make decisions about some of our other donations, and served enthusiastically as liaison from his department. Recently, after discussing the reviews with John, I purchased the HBO series Rome on dvd for the library collection. He was thrilled that ancient Rome was part of modern culture, a little worried that the content was too risque for some Hope students, but glad that we could provide such a resource to enhance a Hope education. As far as I know, he never got to watch it. Check it out this summer and think of John when you watch it.

One Hundred Years and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (Colleen M. Conway) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:00:00 +0000

On June 19, 1865 Union soldiers landed at Galveston,Texas with the news that the war had ended and the slaves were now free. This date became Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or just Juneteenth: a day now recognized by 26 states, including Michigan, as a holiday. Almost one hundred years later people who would come to be called "freedom riders" risked their lives to protest segregation in public transportation in the south by riding buses. We recently acquired Raymond Arsenault's book "Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice", considered to be the first full length history of this movement. Even newer is "Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders" in which Eric Etheridge remembers the riders. He uses their mug shots, current portaits and their own words to tell the stories of these brave citizens. The book has been called "breathtaking" by reviewers. What are you doing this summer?