Continued Coverage of Holiday Reading Cheer!

So, it’s still the holiday season, and guess what? More holidays! More traditions! More awkward small talk with your extended family you  only see once a year! Today, we discuss a number of classic holidays, from religious to cultural to just plain fun; it’s amazing how many ways people celebrate during this season! Hey, it beats talking about finals again so let’s take a look!

Hanukkah! [ BM695.H3 F685 1999]

  It’s a pop-up book! About Hanukkah! Alright, so it’s a kids book, and it’s informative and tells the story of Hanukkah, but look at the pictures! They`re so pretty and they pop up! So ok, the actual book tells the story of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Here’s the CliffsNotes version: Basically, around 2000 years ago, the Jewish homeland was being occupied by the Greek army, and even worse, the Greek army vandalized the sacred Jewish temples, threw out the Jewish worshippers, and sacrificed pigs on their altar. Which, to me, sounds pretty gross no matter your culture, but to the Jewish faith, it’s an especially big insult. So, tired of being oppressed, a guy named Judah Maccabee and a small group decided to fight back. Long story short, they kicked the Greeks out, and held a celebration in their temple. In this book, this story has a lot more details, and, more importantly, it’s full of great pictures! But the big moment is when they try to light the Menorah, and realize they only have enough oil for one day! And it will take days to run to ancient Walmart to get more! Luckily, a miracle happens, and the candle burned for eight days straight, until the Walmart run could come back with more oil. So yeah, the whole story is much cooler than a quick summary, so check it out- in pop-up form!

 

Its Kwanzaa Time! [GT4403 .G67 1995]

For some reason, it seems like if you want any good information on holidays, the best place to look is children’s literature with exclamation points in their titles. I guess they just work better with pretty pictures, I don’t know. Like in this book, which is talking about the many traditions of the African American holiday of Kwanzaa. It takes the reader step by step through the multiple-day celebration of African American culture and African heritage, complete with sayings, games, and pictures. Each chapter takes you through one of the 7 days of Kwanzaa, telling about each one's meaning (unity, purpose, faith, creativity, etc.) and what everything they do symbolizes (candles, African sayings and songs, handmade gifts and books). This book also has a number of stories in it, both old African folk tales, and more modern real-life stories of great African Americans, along with lots of pictures. And at the end, it shows a number of Kwanzaa games, foods, and other fun things for kids to do. If you’re interested in learning more about the history of how Kwanzaa came to be, with its ties to the black power movement in the 1960s, this book sort of skips over a lot of the political stuff that came with the creation of this holiday, so it might not be for you. But if you’re interested more in the actual traditions and cultural ties to Africa and African American culture, this seems like a good place to start!

 

The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Daily Life [GT31 .G74 2004]
 

  Dear lord does that sound like an exciting read! But honestly, as something of a history dork, I love learning about the lives of average people living in the past, or people living in different places. That includes how people celebrate their holidays! Unlike the previously mentioned kids’ books, this is pretty dry information about various holidays, but it’s still good reading. You can learn about the winter holidays of everyone from the ancient Norwegians, to the colonial Americans to the South Americans' Moon Pie Festival. There are lots of discussions of traditions, histories, and cultures, which, while not super exciting, will give you lots of good information if you’re looking to learn more ways to celebrate! Not to mention this is a pretty nifty encyclopedia for that multicultural speech in CMST 101!

 Well, looks like I'm signing off for 2012. It’s been a blast being your blogger, and I can’t wait to continue next year! Have a good break, and be sure to stop by the library (and my blog) when you get back! See you guys!

 

CP

 

Christmas Time Reading

It's Holiday season! Gifts, decorating, family, friends, music- it’s a great time of year! And what better way to celebrate than at the library! There are lots of things right here full of stories, information, and history of just about every holiday you can find. In order to continue spreading that holiday cheer, I’m here to show you some great reads for your holiday season. Whether you want to learn more about the history of certain holidays, get some yummy recipes, or just chill with a good holiday story, there are tons of places to look for that festive read. May I offer you some Christmas hors d'oeuvres?

Encyclopedia of Christmas [ REF GT4985 .G79 2000] 

 
Ever had a desire to know why we write letters to Santa, use holly and ivy to decorate, or why Christmas in America was at first condemned by the early church? Then check this book out, which gives tons of information about the holiday season, and all the wackiness that seems to follow it. It talks about how we have gotten most of our Christmas traditions, as well as traditions from other times and places. For example, did you know that the mistletoe as a Christmas sign comes from Norse mythology, but kissing under it comes from Britain? Did you know that when “The Nutcracker” debuted in 1892, audiences hated it, and the ballet was almost closed down? The only reason we know about it today is because Tsar Alexander III happened to like it and insisted it continue. Did you know that pretty much everything we know about Christmas tree decorating comes from Germany? Flip through this book to learn even more little-known facts to amaze your friends during awkward pauses at your Christmas party!

Plum Pudding Murder-Joanne Fluke  [available in Popular Reading, 1st floor]

 Looking for a nice light read to take a look at in between wrapping presents and drinking that third thing of eggnog? This paperback, part of Fluke's Hannah Swensen mystery series, is the tale of said Hannah, a small town baker who almost always seems to stumble into mysteries, in between baking cookies, dealing with her wacky town, and looking for love. In this story, a Yuletide murder takes place in the middle of her town's Christmas carnival, and Hannah has to figure out who the killer is before the 12 days of Christmas ends! It's light and breezy and cozy, a perfect little book to read when you just want to unwind. It also has several Christmas recipes in it, that sound quite tasty and a lot easier than most of what I have attempted off of Pinterest! And more festive!
 

The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued his Career and Revived our Holiday Spirits- Les Stanford  [ebrary Academic Complete Online Access]
 

You’ve read A Christmas Carol right? The timeless, much adapted, much parodied tale of a grumpy old rich guy who is shown the true meaning of Christmas by three spirits, and then vows to change his ways. It’s an archetypal Christmas story, and has shaped not only what we know about Christmas, but also what we know about the time period it's set in, The Victorian Era, a time of street urchins, top hats, and endless emotional and sexual repression. But what’s really interesting is the story behind A Christmas Carol, and how much of an impact it really had. In this e-book, it discusses more about how Dickens began his career as a writer, his early life, and how he came to write his classic novel. Dickens' novel wasn’t just huge, it changed Christmas and how we celebrate it forever. It’s an interesting read if you like Dickens, history, or are interested in how Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and the rest of the gang changed culture forever.  

 

 CP

Temporarily turn off your left brain and turn on your right

  

Looking for a way to unwind a little before finals? Tired of my constant blog posts that are turning quickly into a metaphor about my increasingly stressful schedule?  Well, the library can help! Again! Starting today, Thursday, the library will be having its Unplug and Unwind program, dedicated to helping students release stress, and have a little fun in between studying, papers, and coffee breaks. First off, there is the Wall of Frustration! The library has put up big sheets of paper in Labs A and B, that are basically big Facebook Walls, totally dedicated to complaining about finals and how much they rot.  Grab a pen and rant, rave, and vent about the many horrors and pains of finals season. Or, if you feel like being more positive, just write your name, draw a picture of a puppy, start a game of tic-tac-toe, or wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Show everyone that finals won't get you down! Or at least, you're going to try not to let them get you down. Read what other students are feeling, and agree or disagree with them. It’s nice to know that as the finals week madness descends, at least we aren’t alone.

Done writing “Finals are LAME” and drawing pictures of your professor with horns on his head? Grab a coloring book and get creative! The library is offering coloring books, crayons, and puzzles to play around and release your inner child, who has never even heard of finals! You can come and color with books featuring Christmas, Disney, and Sesame Street! That’s just hard to beat! Then grab a puzzle book and play some games, fun puzzle game that have absolutely nothing to do with finals. While just little things, it’s great to just do something fun and silly to get your mind off the most stressful time of the year. Play with a puzzle, color some pictures, and vent out some frustration. All these goodies are on the map cases in Popular Materials on the first floor.

Sounds pretty good right? But wait, there’s more! Hanging out at the library, and suddenly in need of some holiday cheer? Well, our buddy Archie the Eagle will be flying around the library, handing out candy canes to students who look like they could use some cheer! So come hang with Archie, eat some candy canes, play games, color pictures, or vent about finals. Oh, and let’s not forget to be nice and respectful to your fellow students at the library this week. It’s cool to try to lighten up the mood, but don’t be too loud with talking or music, no one needs the extra distractions this week as they try to stare a hole into their anatomy book. If you find yourself stuck by someone who doesn’t really get this, you can pick up some earplugs from the front desk! Or if you just want complete quiet in the library, whatever helps you most. Just remember, while normally I am sure everyone on the third floor would love to hear your weekend plans, or that awesome "Jingle Bells - Call Me Maybe" remix, save those 'til after finals. Don’t be that guy/girl.

 CP

 

A Continued Guide to Fighting Finals

So I don't know if I have mentioned this yet, but it's finals season. Finals season is not very pleasent. I have already written two blogs here about ways to make this week and a half just a little less like one giant emotional break down, but I can't lie, it's going to be tough, no matter what you do. However, there are ways to get through it. I have already talked about movies to watch, and music to listen to, now it's time to talk about some other easy ways to relax, relieve a little stress, and at least take a few calming breaths.

Aromatherapy

You may or may not have heard about Aromatherapy, which is basically the science of using scents to solve problems. Well, that’s the shortened version. But certain scents have been known to make people really feel better, calmer, or even healthier. There are a lot of different places to look if you want try Aromatherapy, including right here! One place to look is the internet, which has lots of sites to find directions on using Aromatherapy in the best way possible.
 http://oxford-consultants.tripod.com/Aromatherapy50ways.htm is a newsletter that has an excellent list of different oils and scents and how to specifically use them to cure anything from stress to headaches to memory problems. These scents can be found anywhere, even Wal-Mart, so go ahead and check it out. Worst case scenario, you walk into finals smelling like vanilla. Maybe your professor will appreciate the smell as you turn your test in.
 
Yoga

 

You might not think about it very much, but exercise actually is very important when you’re trying to get a lot of school work done. Exercise can reduce stress chemically, with the sweat and motion relieving your body of negative energy. At least, according to the internet. This is what led me to yoga, a relaxing exercise routine that combines stretching, meditation, and movement to be both a workout, and a stress reliever. If you don’t have time to take one of the classes offered at the REC, here are a few books we have here to help you get started on your own!

15 Minute Gentle Yoga- Louise Grime: [e-book from Safari Online]

Yoga: A Gateway to Curb Social Evils-Ramesh Kumar [e-book from ebrary]   p.s. the title alone should make you want to bend yourself like a pretzel!

 

Alternative Medicine

 

 If you are interested in learning more about Aromatherapy, yoga, or any other ways to calm yourself before you start banging your head against the nearest hard surface, there are many places to go to get more information. Check out Complementary and Alternative Medicine ( REF R735 .C66 2010) by Amy L. Sutton. It’s filled with information on meditation, music therapy, dietary therepy, and herbal remedies. It’s a pretty clinical book, so if you wanted to learn how to actually practice a lot of these things, you might want to look around a bit more for information, but this is a very good place to start! Now you might be rolling your eyes a bit at all the “New Age” stuff, but it’s not a bunch of just pointless techniques that hipsters like to throw around, this is all pretty legit. At least give some of them a try. Again, better than damaging your wall as you smash your head against it.

CP

 

Music for your Mind

So, music. It can range from soothing lotion for your senses, or a truly horrifying rash your doctor can’t explain. Around this time of year, we could all use some of that nice music for the soundtrack of Finals Week. So if you don’t have time right now to sit down for a whole movie for a pick-me-up, here are some musical choices you can find in the library right now to soothe your inner savage student!  CDs are on the main floor, around the corner from the copiers.

Sarah McLachlan-  Surfacing   [M1630.18.M335 S8 1997]

I swear, Sarah McLachlan really does do other things besides make sad shelter doggie commercials that can ruin your whole day. Her voice, which is often rather sad and haunting, can also be pretty calming given the right mood. Her 1997 album Surfacing is pretty much the ultimate “chill” CD. It`s songs are not always super happy, but they have a very analgesic effect, especially when you're just sitting there, trying to make yourself get up to go grab your books. Plug in some Sarah, and just let it flow. Just don’t watch anything with sad puppies while it`s on.

Janis Joplin-  Super Hits [M1630.18.J656 S8 2000]
Well, sometimes you don’t need your music to be mellow. Sometimes you need it to be angry. Or at least loud. And that’s where Janis Joplin comes in. Janis has one of the most emotional, soulful voices you're going to hear, or at least one of the most well known. This CD has many of her biggest hits, like Cry Baby, One Good Man, and my personal favorite, Piece of My Heart. If you're already a big Joplin fan, this CD might seem a little repetitive, especially if you like her more obscure stuff. However, if you want her biggest hits all together, or are just getting into her music, check it out. It's filled with anger and pain and emotion, and is just the kind of music you can scream along to in your car when finals stress is threatening to explode your head.

A Celtic Tapestry   [M1744.C452 1997] 

Maybe it's just me, but there is something about Celtic music that just takes me to my happy place. Maybe it’s the quick changes in pace, maybe it’s the way it can be infused with so many other genres I love, like blues, rock, or ska. Or maybe I just love a good flute solo, I don’t know. But the point is, the whole genre just makes my worries go away, at least for the 3-ish minutes the song lasts. Luckily, the library has a really big collection of Celtic music. Maybe not the most recent collection (most of it recorded in the 90s,) but it's hard to call any Celtic tunes dated when they're based on music that's maybe thousands of years old, going back to the days of oral tradition! If you're interested in going Celtic, this CD, with a good mix of sounds and instrumentals, is a good place to start. Especially if you want to try to find that happy place.

CP

Fight Finals with Film!

Ah, finals season. Projects due, papers to be written, endless study guides to memorize. And to make matters worse, there’s already holiday shopping to do and it’s dark at 4:30 in the afternoon! Yes, it’s a gloomy, depressing time of year when teachers and stores and even NATURE ITSELF have all teamed up to make the next few weeks aggressively unpleasant. But never fear! There is relief! In those rare moments of free time, here are some movies for you to pick up right here at the library to cure those finals blues! Or at least make you feel better about that paper you were supposed to do yesterday.

The Muppet Movie [DVD PN1997 .M877 2005] 

Remember The Muppets, which came out last year? With the dynamic duo of Jason Segal and Kermit the Frog? Well here’s the movie that started it all! The Muppet Movie was released in 1979, and was the first time the Muppets were ever seen on the big screen! The movie shows (approximately) how Kermit left his home in the swamp, with dreams of making it in the film business. As he travels across the country, he picks up other Muppets who have similar dreams, including Fozzie Bear, (The Great) Gonzo, and the ever-ambitious Miss Piggy. Basically, it’s a road trip movie. With songs (like its most famous, “Rainbow Connection”), an evil frog hunter, a crooked fast food entrepreneur, and celebrity cameos. And by celebrity cameos, I mean people like Steve Martin, Bob Hope, Mel Brooks, and Orson freaking Welles! That’s enough reason to pick up the DVD on its own- but really what makes this movie are its endless laughs, and its endless optimism. No matter what, Kermit and friends never give up on their dreams, and it all pays off in the end. Just like we will, hopefully, make it through these finals and get to see the rainbow (and good holidays) on the other side.

 

8 ½   [DVD PN1997 .O886 2010]

 Brain feeling drained? Want to feel smart and sophisticated and artsy? Then try this classic 1963 art house film directed by Federico Fellini, a movie basically about how crazy it is to be Federico Fellini. Part of a film movement going on in the 60s that loved experimenting in tones, visual style, and narrative -oh boy does this movie seem experimental. It’s basically a story about an Italian director named Guido Anselmi, who is clearly a stand in for Fellini, trying to get past his writers block and get his increasingly out-of-control life in order(sound familiar?) Anselmi/Fellini is attempting to finish his latest project, a big budget sci-fi epic, despite the fact that he has no idea what he wants to do with the movie. To make matters worse, his wife and his mistress both end up staying at the same spa/resort where he is shooting his film. To escape all this, the film starts going slightly bonkers, flashing between Anselmi’s imagination and his memories. It’s a strange, surreal movie, sometimes more like a dreamy musical than an actual story. It’s pure, bizarre escapism. While it does seem rather 60s at times, it’s aged well, mainly due to its surreal nature, and its basic plot, something that I think we can all relate to right now: inability to keep your entire schedule (and maybe your life) from spinning out of control.

It’s a Wonderful Life   [DVD PN1997 .I8722 2006]

Well, we needed at least one holiday flick here, and what better movie to erase the Finals blues than one about overcoming adversity just in time for Christmas! While most people remember the big happy ending, the first parts of the movie are filled with almost shifting genres, starting with angels in the heavens chatting amongst themselves, and going from there to a coming of age story to romance to comedy to drama to crushing tragedy to overwhelming happiness at the end. Lead actor Jimmy Stewart is great from beginning to end, playing a nice guy who’s pushed to the breaking point, but with divine help comes back from the brink. So many Christmas movies just seem to be a combo of wacky misunderstandings, “heartwarming” children, and everyone coming together at the end to learn some phoned-in message about the “True Meaning of Christmas”. This movie actually has all those things, but they’re played with such heart, and such pathos, you totally believe all of it. As George Bailey [Stewart] is put through the ringer, you really feel for him, so when he realizes how wonderful his life really is, and that with the help of the people he loves, he can make it through all the hard times, it does feel like you have learned the True Meaning of Christmas, whatever that is to you. It’s basically about the light at the end of the tunnel, the light many of us are hoping to see very soon. 

 

Happy viewing-  and here’s a good thing: the library’s DVDs may be checked out over the winter break!

CP 

 

The Life, Times, and Library Blog of Clare

Hi there, library public! Interested in learning more about what USI’s library can do for you? Want to find new books and movies to enjoy right in your very own backyard (quad)? Did you just randomly stumble upon this page looking for Blackboard again? Well either way, you’re here now, so welcome! My name is Clare Pratt and I am the new Rice Library Blogger! I’ll be using this blog to tell you all about what’s going on in the library, all the things offered here, and more or less whatever pops into my mind that I can somehow make relevant to the library. But first, let me tell you a little bit about me!  I am a (super) senior from Greensburg, Indiana. I am an English major with an emphasis in rhetoric and composition, and I love reading. A lot.  It tends to come up in conversation if you hang out with me for a while.  I also love movies, music, TV, internet comics, pretty much anything. But to make a long profile short, here are a few quick facts about me:

 

    1.       I partially run on coffee

    2.       I spend way too much time on Pinterest these days

    3.       My favorite stress relievers are tennis, Mumford and Sons, and videos of cats on the internet

    4.     If you tell me you hate movies that are in black and white, be warned: I will waste a ton of your time listing movies that I am sure will change your mind

    5.       I love mint chocolate ice cream. Nothing else really. I just really like mint chocolate ice cream. Thought you might want to know.

 

Well that’s me, more or less. But what am I actually doing here? Well, the library has recently created a brand new job in which a student writer is a major contributor to the library blog. I will share information about what’s going on in the library, and about how recent events, whether they be local, national, or global, can be tied back to resources we have here in the library. We will look at books, movies, music, services, library programs, digital collections from University Archives, and basically anything else that will increase my word count. I have a lot of ideas for using this blog to interest you in the library, so I hope you like reading it as much as I’ll like writing it.  Feel free to make comments or suggestions if you think of something you might be interested in!   

 

CP

But the Book is Better!

Like the sun rising, and the summer turning into fall, some things are inevitable. They have happened for eons, and they will surely continue. Another inevitable part of life is that when a book is fairly popular, there will be an adaptation. There are various ways to adapt a book to a different medium, and some are done better than others. Every time you watch a movie, play, or TV show based on a book, one of the first things you will hear from many people is how the book is “SO much better than that silly adaptation.”  But is that always true? Well, you won’t know until you actually try the books! Here are three books in Rice Library that have been adapted into film, TV, or theater. Check them out and see how they match up!

      

1.       A Walk to Remember- Nicholas Sparks  [PS3569.P363 W35 1999]

       You might remember this movie from around 2002, it’s one of the first Nick Sparks movies I remember people being into. It’s a typical Sparks love story. Boy meets girl. They don’t much care for each other, but eventually fall in love, despite their differences in class and personality. Then tragic death. The movie follows the book loosely, with the major plot being the same, while the plot details and the time period are different. But the shameless tear jerking is the same. If you liked the movie, pure sweet Mandy Moore and all, you will probably like the book as well. It’s sweet and nostalgic and tragically romantic, thus everything you would expect from Nicholas Sparks.

           2.      Bag of Bones- Stephen King  [PS3561.I483 B34 1998]
                              One of the less famous of Stephen King’s books, Bag of Bones is a novel about two of King’s favorite things: writers and ghosts. It is also filled with betrayal, towns in Maine with dark secrets, family relationships, and lost love. More of Stephen King’s favorite things! But it really is a good read, especially if you’re interested in history, the writing process, or just like a good ghost story. It’s not always the happiest story, and takes some pretty disturbing turns, but it is Stephen King after all. It’s sort of expected. There was, of course, a mini-series based on it made just last year in 2011. I remember being excited, as a fan of the book, to check it out. As far as adaptations go, it’s not bad, but if you have only seen the TV movie, definitely check out the book. It’s similar, but goes far deeper into the history of the characters, and gives the story a lot more atmosphere than the movie does. If you’re still missing Halloween and looking for something creepy, check it out.

3. Wicked- Gregory Maguire  [PS3563.A3535 W5 1996]

         Now here’s one you have probably heard of. The play, with its epic musical numbers and lavish production and endless run on Broadway, has become a major theatrical piece, and probably one of the more famous modern musicals. It tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, back when she was just Elphaba, a socially awkward green skinned girl, meeting and eventually befriending Glinda the good witch, back in their college days. But, did you know it was a book first? It’s not only a book, its actually part of a big series, expanding the story of The Wizard of Oz, told from multiple points of view. So how does the play stand up next to the books? Well, the book is darker. A lot darker. While the play is hardly all rainbows and butterflies, it is much more family friendly then the book, which deals more with politics and the nature of good and evil, and is just generally a darker story. But does that make it better? Or worse? You should check out the book (and the play) to find out!

 

CP

Research 101 LibGuide: Rice Library’s “User Manual”

Rice Library’s Reference Librarians would like to spread the word about one of the most helpful and informative of our 220-plus LibGuides – Research 101.  This comprehensive guide covers the “what” and the “how” of the resources available to USI students and faculty, both in and outside of the library.  Many of the tabs, which focus on a more general topic, will include a drop-down menu directing users to pages covering more specialized areas.  Many of the tabs include embedded tutorials, plus links to the resource pages themselves.

Here are just some of the questions users may have for which Research 101 has the answer…

Question: Where can I go for a refresher on using the Rice Library Catalog?

 

Answer: Research 101 LibGuide,Library Catalog Tab – Choose a tutorial from Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Catalog, Library Call Numbers, Library Account, or Renewing Items.

Question: We learned about “Journal Finder" in library instruction, but is there a place I can review how to use it for my research?

Answer: Research 101LibGuide, Journal Finder tab – Watch the tutorial and link to the Journal Finder online resource.

Question: There is so much information out there on the web; is there a strategy I can use to quickly and effectively evaluate websites?

Answer: Research 101 LibGuide, Evaluating Resources tab, “Evaluating Websites” link from the drop-down menu.

Question: I don’t want to plagiarize!  Does the library have an online resource to help me avoid committing plagiarism?

Answer: Research 101 LibGuide, Information Ethics tab, “Plagiarism” link from the drop-down menu (note: a funny YouTube video is included on this page).

Question: What are those totally “old school” looking machines past the bathrooms on the first floor of the library and what do they do?

Answer: Research 101LibGuide, Microfilm/fiche tab – These machines read microfilm and microfiche - storage media on which a large portion of our journal holdings are stored.

Question: My history class visited a beautiful room on the third floor of the library called University Archives and Special Collections.  I would like to show some of my friends what it looks like.  Do you have a video that features this part of the library?

Answer: Research 101 LibGuide, Archives/Special Collections tab – Watch the video and use the links to access the University Archives and Special Collections web pages.

Question: I am just beginning my research and haven’t a clue how to get started; do you have any place where I can get some tips on choosing or narrowing my topic?

Answer: Research 101LibGuide, Beginning Your Research tab – Choose from the sub-pages: Choosing a Topic, Narrowing a Topic, Creating a Thesis Statement, and Starting Your Research

Question: Can you help me find a list of web sites where I can locate images for my presentation?

Answer: Research 101LibGuide, Finding Images tab

Question: I signed up for an ILLiad account, but I am still unclear how linking from article or book records to make an Interlibrary Loan request works.  Is there a place I can learn more about this?

Answer: Research 101LibGuide, Interlibrary Loan tab – Watch the tutorial which explains open URL linking from Rice Library databases.

Question: I am still not quite sure what is meant by a library “database.”  Is there somewhere I can go to get a better idea what that means?

Answer:  Research 101 LibGuide, Databases tab, “What is a Database?” link from the drop-down menu – Watch the tutorial titled “What is a database and how do I access it?”  The databases tab also has several tutorials provided directly from our database vendors - e.g. EBSCOHost databases.

Question: What does the library have in the way of popular materials?

Answer: Research 101 LibGuide, Knowing What’s Available tab, “Popular Materials” link from the drop-down menu.

Question: My professor placed an item on electronic reserve; how and where do I go to retrieve it?

Answer: Research 101 LibGuide, Course Reserves tab – Watch the tutorial and link to the Rice Library Course Reserves tab in the Online Catalog.

We hope that you will have an opportunity to visit Research 101 soon to see all that it has to offer.

 

BR

Supporting Survivors of Domestic Violence

In an e-mail dated 10/2, Dr. Amy Cavanaugh, a staff therapist in the university’s Counseling Center, invited the university community to join them in observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month and to show support for “those who have survived domestic violence” by participating in the Purple Ribbon Campaign.  Purple ribbons are available at the Counseling Center, Multicultural Center, International Programs and Services Office, Recreation Center, and Housing and Residence Life Office.

Amy’s e-mail prompted me to investigate Rice Library’s resources related to this important topic.  When I did, I discovered that we have several items on domestic violence, including books, reference books, videos, and journals.  When searching Rice Library’s catalog, users may want to try the keyword phrase domestic violence or one of the official Library of Congress subject headings:  Family violence, Child abuse, Intimate partner violence, Marital violence, or Victims of family violence.  Among the titles discovered from such searches are:
               A Troubled Marriage:  Domestic Violence and theLegal System by Leigh Goodmark

               PreventingFamily Violence:  A MultidisciplinaryApproach edited by Ko-Ling Chan

               Push:  A Novel by Sapphire

The library also has several reference books related to the topic, including the Domestic Violence Sourcebook (2009) and the Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence (2007).  Within its audiovisual collections, one can find both non-fictional treatments of the topic in videos like Family Violence:  Breaking the Chain (2003) and dramatic presentations as well, like The Color Purple (1997).

Lastly, those interested in researching domestic violence and related topics, will be pleased to know that Rice Library makes available at least a dozen periodical publications on the topic, including both professional trade publications and scholarly journals.  Among these are Domestic Violence Report, Family & Intimate Partner ViolenceQuarterly, and Journal of FamilyViolence.

If you need assistance locating these or other resources related to “domestic violence,” please contact Rice Library’s Reference Desk (812/464-1907, 800/246-6173, libref@usi.edu).

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