Armacost Library

Upcoming Database Changes

2012-01-27T16:11:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, February 1, the following databases will experience a makeover.

Art Full-Text
Book Review Digest Plus
Education Index Retrospective
ERIC
OmniFile Full Text Mega

Resulting from a business merger, these databases will adopt characteristics of the acquiring company. While the database content will largely remain the same, item descriptions, features, and search options may differ. For example, the subject headings assigned to items appear to have been preserved for most, but not all items. Another difference can be seen in the way default searches are handled. As of 1/27/2012, entering the search term "minorities" in ERIC and immediately initiating the search will yield 12,771 results under the retired system and 41,365 results under the new system. Highlighted below are a few more changes.

Art Full-Text will provide more visual content
Book Review Digest Plus offers additional search options to find similar books and books written by the same author
iPhone and Android apps are available, and
Icons are used to help researchers distinguish between the different types of publications

For more information, please contact a librarian.

Armacost Library Registered to be a Pick-Up Location for World Book Night-USA 2012

2012-01-26T23:05:00.000-08:00

This year, World Book Night comes to the United States for the first time. Armacost Library is supporting this international effort to promote the love of reading. We signed up to be a pick-up location for community members of the University of Redlands and the City of Redlands. We hope faculty, students, staff and administrators of University of Redlands will sign-up to participate.

What is World Book Night?
WBN-USA is an international event that promotes literacy and the joys of reading among teens and adults. It is predicated on the idea of individual volunteers going out into their own communities and sharing copies of a text they had previously read and loved. Intended recipients of WBN editions are, ideally, new or light readers or individuals with limited access to books. WBN-USA book giver volunteers will receive 20 copies of a title they have selected. They will then pick up these books at a pick-up location they select and go out into their communities to distribute them on (or around) April 23rd. It will occur in the US, the UK, and Ireland on this same day.

Interested in volunteering to be a WBN giver?
Great! There is a sign-up process and terms and conditions. Application sign-ups need to be submitted to WBN by February 1st. Notifications will go out in mid-February. April 23rd, the actual date volunteers go out to distribute books, falls during May term break for CAS students at University of Redlands. Because of this, here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind.

Think about where you will be on April 23rd and plan to give out books in that city. You will be asked to provide a mailing and an email address in the online application. The mailing address will help WBN organizers optimize selecting possible pick-up locations for you to consider. The email address is needed to notify you if your application has been approved or not, which book title you will receive, and how to select your pick-up location. Of course, you can still select Armacost Library as your pick-up location and give out books in the city of Redlands before you travel.

Think about where you will go to hand out books and why. You will also be asked questions about the location/s at which you intend to distribute books, to whom, and why. WBN will use the answers to these questions to select applicants. While community centers are great places to consider, WBN also suggests distributing books at coffee shops, bus stops, commuter trains, malls, churches, and hospitals. Do select locations besides libraries. Think about where an individual person can be around new or infrequent readers.

Select books that you have personally read already. WBN has a list of 30 titles from which would-be volunteers can choose 3 books. Should WBN choose you as a book giver, they will select one of the titles you indicated in your application and mail 20 copies of that title to your designated pick-up location. The point of the program is to enable givers to say to a giftee, “I read this book and I really loved it. I think you may enjoy it, too.”

Attend the WBN party hosted by Campus Diversity & Inclusion and Armacost Library on April 16, 2012! This will be a good time for Redlands WBN givers to meet other givers, ask questions about WBN’s process, and pick up the books you have signed up to distribute on April 23rd. Exact location and time is yet to be determined. Light refreshments will be provided. Stay tuned!

Have questions? For more information, please visit the WBN-USA website or contact Melissa Cardenas-Dow at 909.748.8089.

A New Look for the New Year!

2011-12-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

To develop a consistent look & feel for the library website, we've made a few changes. To see what we've been up to, use the following and tell us what you think. Stay tuned for more!

Index List of Electronic Journals: to find journals

Citation Finder: to find full-text for a citation

Library Course and Subject Guides: research guides

Art @ Armacost Library: Introduction to Sculpture

2011-11-02T10:48:00.001-07:00

Armacost Library is very happy to have student art work showcased in our lobby's display areas! Thanks go out to Professor Renee Azenaro's fall 2011 course, Introduction to Sculpture, for loaning us their wonderful pieces. The image shown on this blog does not do the work justice.

The sculpture pieces may be viewed during the hours Armacost Library is open. The pieces will be up for viewing from now till the end of November.

The students and Professor Azenaro will also be holding an art show reception on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

Banned Books Week 2011: Winner of our raffle!

2011-11-02T09:34:00.001-07:00

Thanks and congratulations go out to Jennifer Rowlett, University of Redlands class of 2014! Jennifer is the lucky winner of Armacost Library's first BBW raffle. She suggested the book Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, which will be added to our collection in her honor.

Jennifer is a creative writing major and heard about our Banned Books Week celebration and raffle through Professor Joy Manesiotis's poetry class.

Some more words about banned books and controversial literature from Jennifer:

"Banned books are a vital part of our literary world. How would the people of our society build ideas and opinions if their ideas and opinions were already built for them? Individualism and freedom would be stifled if banned books were to stay banned. I am very happy to see that our library is preventing this by promoting banned books. I am proud to say I read banned books. Do you?"

Thank you, Jennifer!

Is Information Literacy Worth the Effort?

2011-10-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

(Note: For the rest of October 2011, National Information Literacy Awareness Month, Armacost Library blog will showcase guest and regular writers. They were all asked to respond to the question "What does information literacy mean to me?")

Like my colleagues who have written already, I think of information literacy as a set of attitudes and skills. The premise of information literacy is that information influences our choices in every area of our lives. If we understand our priorities and recognize the information need within a given situation, then we can make good decisions and feel confident in our ability to get things done.

But why do we have to stop to consider our information needs? Is too much information really a problem? What’s the danger in deciding based on the “wrong” information? Certainly it makes a difference in some situations, such as a job seeker trying to negotiate her salary, or a society trying to decide whether to go to war. But surely there's much less at stake with a student paper. What's the harm in letting Google do the work and picking the first source that seems good enough?

Lately I've been thinking about cooking as a metaphor for developing information literacy. Faster and easier alternatives to home-cooked meals exist, but many people consider the extra time and effort worthwhile when compared against the health risks and environmental costs of mass-produced fast food. Subcultures such as the slow food movement have arisen to celebrate the creation of wholesome meals from local, trustworthy ingredients, savored deliberately in the company of friends. Cooking is a communal hobby, involving recipe-sharing and informal mentoring from those with more experience. I'd argue all these factors are also implicit in information literacy.

Ultimately, I would say that information literacy is worthwhile because the subjects we are studying, like the other choices we make in everyday life, are important enough to merit our full attention and our best thinking, informed by the most relevant sources we can bring to bear on the problem at hand. An idealistic notion, perhaps, but then ideals such a love of learning or a desire for personal empowerment are part of what drew many of us to higher education, and something our society needs to remain vital.

Sanjeet Mann
Electronic Resources Librarian

Information Literacy Empowers

2011-10-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, my doctor informed me that I’d need surgery. Since I was in good health and circumstances weren’t dire, I was shocked to hear that it’d take six weeks for my body to heal and that I’d not be allowed to work during this time.

I was given a brochure explaining the procedure, but it left me with many unanswered questions ranging from the vain--How will the scar look?—to the dire—What are the risks?—to the practical—How will I lift myself out of bed? I soon learned to fire off a list of questions whenever my doctor would pause long enough to talk. In between these regularly-scheduled visits, I learned what I could in order to make the most of these rapid-fire exchanges.

I chose to use tools like Medline Plus which takes information from the largest medical library in the world, the National Library of Medicine, and explains medical terms and conditions in ways average people can understand. I also evaluated posts from online discussion forums and blogs for relevance and credibility so that I might learn from people’s personal experiences. When I wanted the latest medical research, I searched in PubMed since it has over 21 million citations taken from scholarly biomedical literature. And when full-text wasn’t freely available on the Web, I didn’t let that stop me. Knowing my options as a member of this University, I used Citation Finder to search the University’s collections, and have used interlibrary loan when I needed full-text from other libraries.

As an information literate, I empower myself by learning what I need to ask, where to find information, and how to leverage resources to get answers to my questions.

--Paige Mann, Visiting Assistant Librarian

Information Literacy = A Human Right, A Civic Duty, Something Like That

2011-10-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

(Note: For the rest of October 2011, National Information Literacy Awareness Month, Armacost Library blog will showcase guest and regular writers. They were all asked to respond to the question "What does information literacy mean to me?")

The concept of being information literate is at the center of my work as a librarian/educator in higher education, but it is also central to my life as a citizen, parent, consumer, scholar, patient, advocate, and fellow human being. The shorthand definition on which most information literacy instruction efforts in academic institutions are based is represented by the “information literate student” who knows how to find, evaluate, and use information and who understands the ways in which information is created, disseminated, and organized in our society.

I find that my own perspective in relation to definitions of “information literacy” is aligned with UNESCO’s conception of Media & Information Literacy (MIL)as empowering to the individual and the collective. MIL “lies at the core of freedom of expression and information - since it empowers citizens to understand the functions of media and other information providers, to critically evaluate their content, and to make informed decisions as users and producer of information and media content.” This definition resonates with those articulated by my colleagues. It means one knows how to discriminate, that one has choices, and that one has the knowledge and the tools to learn how to learn.

To be information literate in our information-saturated culture is to question how that information operates in our lives and others, to be critically aware of multiple and variant perspectives, to know where to search for and how to sift through all that richness of data/information/knowledge, and communicate, contribute, and produce your own understandings.

--Shana Higgins, Armacost Library Instructional Services/Reference Librarian

So much to learn, so little time

2011-10-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

(Note: For the rest of October 2011, National Information Literacy Awareness Month, Armacost Library blog will showcase guest and regular writers. They were all asked to respond to the question "What does information literacy mean to me?")

Information literacy is really not about libraries. It is not information management, library use, research – NO -- none of these. It is about learning, it is about teaching yourself what you need to know. Information literacy means developing the ability to learn how to learn, and how to keep on learning.

It is about learning your options so that you know how to solve a problem or make a decision based on information. How to know what information is valid and which is best for the purposes you have in mind and how to present your thoughts based on this reliable information and the knowledge gained from it.

In a world that changes constantly and where so much information is everywhere, being information literate means you can find, judge, and analyze, critique, use information to know what you need to know, to feel secure that you have exhausted the possibilities and will make an informed decision, that you have the information to move towards a solution to a problem: buying a car, choosing a college, identifying a symptom, diagnosing an illness, investing money, starting a business, writing a report, planning a trip... Wherever your path takes you -- have what it takes to know!

Become information literate and continue to learn so that you will know!

-- Gabriela Sonntag, Armacost Library Director

Choose Your Own...

2011-10-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

(Note: For the rest of October 2011, National Information Literacy Awareness Month, Armacost Library blog will showcase guest and regular writers. They were all asked to respond to the question "What does information literacy mean to me?")

Agency. In a word, that's what information literacy means to me. Before information retrieval skills, before the ability to critically evaluate information sources, before the competence to use information accurately and ethically, an information seeker must be aware of herself as an actor, someone who has the ability to choose and the freedom to act.

The knowledge that one has the ability to choose and the free will to exercise that choice is a very basic, fundamental concept. It is so beyond obvious that many feel it's not worth examining or even mentioning. But without this hyper level of self-awareness, we can't take the step to examine our own positions and the reasons for our actions, much else the positions of others who make efforts to convince us to agree (or go along) with their points of view.

From this sense of self-awareness springs the knowledge and ability to choose. In a big way, the agency I write about here is more a disposition or habit of mind than a skill, strategy, or tool. I'm talking about the mental framework that enables a person to choose and understand her choices.

This hyper-awareness is, I believe, part of what makes information literacy so exhausting. Underneath the hounding down of facts using different tools and resources and developing the skills to discern which sources will work for which information problem, an information seeker needs to know that there's a need for information in the first place and that she can do something about it.

Research and information seeking, when done well, takes time, persistence, and care. In a way, information seeking is very much like embarking on a big adventure. And like most journeys worth the effort, preparation can mean the difference between success and failure, life and death. Exercising one's self-reflective capacities, one's inclination towards and discernment of varying courses of action, is very much like the equipment check before the trip.

Be sure to choose wisely.

-- Melissa Cardenas-Dow, Armacost Library Outreach/Reference Librarian

Discovering Reality

2011-10-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

(Note: For the rest of October 2011, National Information Literacy Awareness Month, Armacost Library blog will showcase guest writers. They were asked to respond to the writing prompt, "What does information literacy mean to me?")

Information literacy is exhausting for someone who cares about reality.

But reality is worth it! I believe everything in the universe is knowable—and all knowledge is worth having. Everything we humans know, we know by gathering data, finding patterns, making predictions, and testing those predictions.

I love learning about what’s been discovered, proven, calculated, disproven, and what’s still unknown. And since human understanding and knowledge is always changing, it can all be difficult to keep track of. That’s where information literacy comes in.

“Information literacy” refers to the skills needed to discriminate between good information, bad information, and everything in between. Since I care about reality, I care about facts. If you’re like me, you know tracking down facts can be hard. It can also be expensive.

Opinions are easier to come by than facts. Opinions informed by facts are more useful, but you have to sort through a pile of opinions to find one. Then you have to go through those to find the opinions formed by a careful evaluation of a variety of facts. Luckily, once you find a trustworthy source such as a journalist, scientist, or publisher, you can safely rely on them—but even then you have to be careful of overreliance on authority.

You could evaluate the facts yourself. Again, finding a reliable source can be difficult and costly. If the source is free, can you figure out why it’s free and adjust your evaluation accordingly? If the source isn’t free, can you afford to access it? Perhaps more importantly: have you looked at your local library’s resources to see what’s already been paid for? News articles are always being published about the latest corporately-funded research; have you checked scientific and scholarly resources to compare findings?

Reality isn’t always easy to come by, but it is a joy. Luckily, libraries have the discovery tools ready for you.

-- Emily Croft, Armacost Library Acquisitions Assistant

Banned Books Week: hype or not?

2011-10-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

With Banned Books Week 2011 over, that's it for censorship and book challenges, right? No. If anything, it's the time for us to think more deeply about the act of challenging information and excluding materials.

This is why Armacost Library decided to extend the conversation wall question till this Friday, October 15. And to ask the question we did--is Banned Books Week hype or not?

Early in September 2011, columnist Jonah Goldberg wrote an opinion piece that stated that various reasons why he thinks Banned Books Week is hype. What's more, he politicizes the concern over book challenges, censorship and intellectual freedom as something championed by "the American left" and is therefore "propaganda." Goldberg does bring up some significant points, such as the differences between challenging books for age appropriateness and outright banning books from schools and libraries.

A response from Elaine Magliaro, school teacher and librarian, came not too long after. Then, Jonah Goldberg's rebuttal after that.

As we march on to October, and celebrate Information Literacy Awareness month, Armacost Library invites the University of Redlands community to continue to think, write and speak about the issues raised by Banned Books Week--limitations placed on access to information and our collective intellectual and academic freedoms.

Banned Books Week 2011: BBW Conversation Wall

2011-09-22T21:13:00.000-07:00

Photo by Marc Wathieu via Flickr

From Saturday, September 24 to Saturday, October 15, Armacost Library will have a pin corkboard up in the Library lobby, asking the questions, "Is Banned Books Week exaggerated hype or not? Why/why not?"

Library visitors are welcome to post answers to the questions and responses to other posts.

Some posting guidelines:
1) Posts should be on-topic.

2) Posts that provide personal information (telephone numbers, email addresses, names and other identifying information) will be taken down.

3) Posts that advertise other events, whether on campus or not, will also be taken down.

Questions and comments? Please contact Melissa Cardenas-Dow at Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu or 909.748.8089.

Conversation wall design, organization and set-up led by Armacost Library Technical Services Supervisor, Trisha Aurelio.

Banned Books Week 2011: Suggest a Banned or Challenged Book Raffle!

2011-09-22T20:52:00.000-07:00


Photo by Howard Lake via Flickr

Use the Armacost Library online catalog to suggest a banned or challenged book for inclusion to our collection. From now till October 15, 2011.

To get to the Armacost Library online catalog, go to: http://library.uor.edu/ . Click on the Suggest a Purchase link on the right-most column.

Suggestions can be made by current students, faculty and staff members of the University of Redlands community only. Single, individual suggestions will be considered single, individual entries to the raffle.

Submission rules:

1) Suggestions must be for a book that has been challenged or banned and not already in Armacost Library’s collection.

2) One unique title suggestion that meets rule #1 from one person will be considered as one eligible entry. No limits will be placed on the number of entries one person can submit.

3) Submissions can be made now until October 15, 2011. On Monday October 17, Armacost Library will randomly draw the winning submission and notify the individual who made the winning entry. The winner of the drawing will be announced on this blog. The winning submission will also be added to Armacost Library's collections.

Prize: $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble.

For questions and comments, please contact Melissa Cardenas-Dow at Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu or 909.748.8089.

Banned Books Week 2011: BBW Virtual Read-Out

2011-09-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out 2011 is the first global virtual read-out event sponsored by the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom (ALA-OIF).

From now until Saturday, October 1, 2011, readers from across the globe are invited to video-record themselves reading from a banned or challenged book.

To view what has been submitted by other readers, take a look at the BBW Virtual Read-Out YouTube channel.

Banned Books Week 2011: BBW Retrospective

2011-09-22T19:35:00.000-07:00

BBW Retrospective celebrates the freedom to read and express by showcasing poster from past American Library Association Graphics Banned Books Week events. Armacost Library has been celebrating Banned Books Week since 1993, so we have a number of posters to show!

In addition, display areas will feature banned and challenged books that are part of Armacost Library's current collections.

The posters and displays will be up starting Saturday, September 24 till Saturday, October 1.

Bookmarks and buttons from the 2011 Banned Books Week ALA campaign will also be available as free giveaways.

Display organization, design, set-up and tear-down are led by Armacost Library's Technical Services Supervisor, Trisha Aurelio.

JSTOR's read-only period: Fri.-Sat. 9/9-9/10/11

2011-09-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Due to a scheduled site maintenance, some of JSTOR's MyJSTOR services will be offline for a little while. According to JSTOR support, "users will be able to search, browse, and access and download PDF files for content in JSTOR. They will not be able to save citations, reset passwords, create or update MyJSTOR accounts, or purchase articles."

Welcome to Fall 2011!

2011-09-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

Our Southern California weather would have us believe we are still in the midst of summer, but Armacost Library is ready for fall. We start the new fall semester with a hearty greeting to all UofR students, new and returning!

Dorothy Inghram Honored

2011-07-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Inghram, a 105-year-old pioneer in education received the University of Redlands Center for Educational Justice “Lifetime Achievement in Educational Justice Award.”

"Inghram became California’s first black school district superintendent in 1953 when she assumed leadership of the Mill Creek School District. She also was the first African-American teacher in San Bernardino County and its first black principal.

Inghram, an alumna of the classes of 1936 and 1958, studied music at the University on a scholarship and earned a master’s degree in education. She is the author of several books and has been widely recognized for her success in opening doors to area black educators. A public library branch in San Bernardino is named in her honor, as is an elementary school in the city."

Full text of article available at http://www.redlands.edu/10312.aspx.

Visit an exhibit dedicated to Dorothy Inghram in the Armacost Library lobby (designed by Denise Cline).

Au revoir, Lua!

2011-07-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Please join the faculty and staff of Armacost Library in wishing a fond farewell to Lua Gregory, Off-Campus Services Librarian. Lua is taking a leave of absence to explore the world of school librarianship at an independent school in the Boston, MA area. Over the past five years Lua has held several positions. First as an intern while finishing her MLIS at UCLA, then joining us as a visiting librarian when Les Canterbury stepped into the Interim Library Director position, and finally we were very fortunate to hire her as the Off-Campus Services Librarian. In addition to her core responsibilities to the Schools of Business and Education, Lua has brought wonderful programs to Armacost Library, such as the weeks of events related to Harry Potter’s World exhibit; taught a first-year seminar on Free Speech and Censorship in the United States; and served as Armacost Library’s resident copyright & fair use expert, plus so much more.

We will miss you, Lua! We’ll look forward to your return.

Nuclear awareness in Japan and beyond

2011-05-16T10:17:00.000-07:00

Kamanaka Hitomi, a Japanese documentary filmmaker, will visit the University of Redlands campus on Tuesday, May 17th for the screening of her most recent film, Ashes to Honey: Toward a Sustainable Future (2010). As an active participant in Japan’s nuclear awareness movement, Kamanaka continues to record footage of anti-nuclear protesters in Japan that receive little media coverage. You can read more about her work here, here, and here. The screening begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Orton Center followed by a talk and Q&A with the director.

Armacost Library would like to share both current and historical resources on nuclear developments in Japan as well as some examples of pop-culture that feature the realities and anxieties of nuclear warfare and radiation. Please check out some items below to further your own awareness:

Books
Atomic bomb cinema : the apocalyptic imagination on film
Barefoot Gen : a cartoon story of Hiroshima
Black rain; a novel
Constructing civil society in Japan : voices of environmental movements
Filling the hole in the nuclear future : art and popular culture respond to the bomb
A world destroyed : Hiroshima and its legacies
Writing ground zero : Japanese literature and the atomic bomb

DVDs
The Atomic cafe
Barefoot Gen: the movies 1 & 2
Gojira/Godzilla
The Nuclear comeback
Radiation, a slow death: a new generation of Hibakusha

Online Coverage of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident
International Atomic Energy Agency
Nuclear Data Files from Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
Safecast A map of radiation levels in Japan aggregated from government, nonprofit, and other sources.

And the winner is...

2011-04-05T09:52:00.001-07:00

The 3rd Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award reception took place on Friday, April 1, 2011. A joint reception with Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, brought together librarians, disciplinary faculty, administrators and students to recognize outstanding student research and writing, and excellence in teaching writing.

This year our submissions more than doubled in number and the quality of the essays was truly impressive. Therefore we awarded three submissions with an honorable mention in addition to our ALURA winner.

2011 ALURA Recipient

(Danielle Wetmore with her faculty sponsor Dr. Kathleen Feeley)

This year’s Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award goes to a paper that demonstrated impressive work with primary sources from Armacost and AK Smiley Libraries, as well as incorporated a broad variety of primary and secondary, popular and scholarly resources. Danielle Wetmore’s paper titled, “Making Makeup Respectable: Cosmetics Advertising During the Great Depression” synthesized all this material into an insightful essay on the gendered discourse of cosmetic advertisements during the 1930s. Congratulations!

Three additional papers made the Selection Committee's decision that much more difficult to make.

(Danielle Wetmore and Emily Harris)

Emily Harris for her paper titled, “Institutional Comparative Advantage in International Duopolies: A Game Theoretical Analysis of the Fuji-Kodak Dispute Settlement DS44.” One Selection Committee member described her paper as demonstrating “analytical and conceptual sophistication...deftly synthesiz[ing] her sources, [and] capturing her argument with concision.” Well done.

(Ashley Johnson and her faculty sponsor Dr. Bryce Ryan)

Ashley Johnson for her paper titled, “A Review of Mouse Models of Autistic-like Behavior.” The Selection Committee agreed that her research sources were “well integrated, interpreted and synthesized.” Excellent and valuable work.

Tavi Steinhardt for his essay, “Good Without God: Atheism as Affirmation.” Tavi’s essay was described as “brilliantly argued and beautifully written.”

(Professors Alisa Slaughter and Dr. Anne Shea)

Sigma Tau Delta honored two professors for their dedication to student learning in writing, literary analysis, and critical thinking/awareness: Alisa Slaughter, Creative Writing, and Anne Shea, Writing Across the Curriculum.

Many thanks for another successful ALURA.

Celebrate Cesar Chavez Day

2011-03-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

"Cesar Chavez gave our nation and each of us a unique example to live our lives by. His selfless dedication for farm worker and worker rights, economic justice, civil rights, environmental justice, peace, nonviolence, empowerment of the poor and disenfranchised, is a monumental legacy that will inspire all and the generations to come. The winning of national recognition for Cesar Chavez with holidays, service, learning and community action events, is a fitting tribute and significant way to share his life’s work as the founder and leader of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW)." ~Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday

The Armacost Library has many resources on Cesar Chavez and the rights of agricultural laborers. Check out some of these books to ease your curiosity:
Beyond the fields : Cesar Chavez, the UFW, and the struggle for justice in the 21st century
Cesar Chavez : a brief biography with documents
César Chávez, the Catholic bishops, and the farmworkers' struggle for social justice
Delano : the story of the California Grape Strike
The Human cost of food : farmworkers' lives, labor, and advocacy
The Migrant project : contemporary California farm workers
Sal si puedes = (Escape if you can) : Cesar Chavez and the new American revolution
The Union of their dreams : power, hope, and struggle in Cesar Chavez's farm worker movement
Why David sometimes wins : leadership, organization, and strategy in the California farm worker movement
The Words of César Chávez

*The video clip above is from the documentary The Fight in the Fields, available for check out from the Armacost Library.

African American poetry at Armacost Library

2011-03-24T10:55:00.000-07:00

Are you ready to take up Maya Angelou's challenge to learn more about the rich tradition of African American poetry? Stop by the new book table on the second floor in Armacost Library to browse works selected by library staff from poets such as Audre Lorde, Amiri Baraka, Robert Hayden and Nikki Giovanni.

Harry Potter's World Exhibit: Opening Week

2011-02-24T15:19:00.001-08:00

The Harry Potter's World Opening Speaker and Reception was a great success. Over fifty people from the University of Redlands and greater Redlands community attended to eat cupcakes and listen to Heather King's brilliant lecture!Event attendees also had the opportunity to visit the Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center for a tour of the garden, animals and critters. Our tour guide, Lauren Bergh, was kind enough to introduce us to a snake, but unfortunately none of us were fluent in parseltongue!

Cochrane Review in the LA Times

2011-02-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

If you take zinc supplements when you start to come down with a cold, will you feel better sooner? The LA Times reported Tuesday on a newly published Cochrane Library review that addressed this question.

The researchers, Meenu Singh and Rashmi Das of the Postgraduate Institution of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, examined 15 studies that were conducted on zinc's ability to prevent or shorten the symptoms of the common cold. They found that test subjects who took zinc at the onset of their cold tended to recover a day earlier and report milder symptoms than people who took a placebo.

Several other researchers interviewed for the LA Times article were skeptical, noting that the studies with the most rigorous methodologies were inconclusive.

Interested? Read the original review article here, courtesy of Armacost Library's Cochrane Library subscription:
http://0-www.thecochranelibrary.com.library.uor.edu/details/file/1017735/CD001364.html

Registration now open for ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods in Social Research

2011-02-14T11:06:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in learning about quantitative methods for social science research?

Did you know that the University's ICPSR membership allows you to register for the annual Summer Program in Quantitative Methods in Social Research at the University of Michigan? The summer program's four-week sessions can help you sharpen your data analysis skills and give you time to study methodologies pertaining to your research topics in depth. Registration has just opened and you can save $200 on application fees if you apply before May 1, 2011.

This year the Summer Program offers two sessions, from June 20-July 15, 2011 and from July 18-August 12, 2011.

For more information, including the fee schedule, syllabus and application instructions, visit http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/sumprog/

If Ann Arbor is too far to travel, consider one of the smaller three- to five-day workshops on focused topics, offered on a first-come, first-served basis at locations throughout the country. This year, a couple workshops will be hosted at UC Berkeley.

New Resource – Credo Reference

2011-02-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

Armacost Library is pleased to introduce Credo Reference, an online library of reference books that you can use as the starting point for your next research paper.

Credo contains over 530 reference books, including specialized dictionaries, encyclopedias and atlases. Its Topic Pages are miniature information portals bringing together definitions, images and book and journal sources for a given topic. And the Concept Map helps you develop your research topic by exploring related concepts.

Taken together, the tools in Credo Reference are designed to help you get started on a research assignment, saving your time by delivering authoritative definitions and steering you to book and journal sources for further reading. Give it a try!

New Resource – ICPSR

2011-02-07T19:18:00.001-08:00

Armacost Library has joined the Interuniversity Consortium of Political and Social Research (ICPSR), an organization dedicated to training scholars for social science research and providing access to their data. As a benefit of membership, we’re pleased to announce we now have access to their data archive of over half a million research studies!

The ICPSR data archive contains several features that could help you with your research:

You can search or browse the archive to find research on your specific topic. If you find something interesting, you can create a MyData account while logged in from on campus to download the data file and analyze it in your analysis tool of choice (SAS, SPSS, STATA and text formats are supported).

You can use the Bibliography of Data-Related Literature to see if a previous study has already treated your topic. This can help you jumpstart your literature review.

Each study collects numerous items of data, or variables such as respondents’ age, gender, level of education, and so forth. Searching the Variables Database allows you to compare the findings of multiple studies investigating the same variables.

Finally, while most of the data in the ICPSR archive requires a statistical analysis tool such as STATA, you can analyze some data online using the built-in Survey Documentation Analysis (SDA) tool.

In addition to access to all of the above through the ICPSR website, our membership also makes University of Redlands students and faculty eligible for discounted tuition to the Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Research, a research paper competition, and more.

Faculty may be interested in the Online Learning Center and the Teaching With Data portal. Both sites will give you ideas on how to bring ICPSR data into the classroom and (hopefully) spark your students’ interest in quantitative research and data analysis.

For more information about ICPSR, contact the reference desk or sign up for one of ICPSR’s many online webinars. We’re excited about the potential of this new resource to enrich research and teaching at the University of Redlands.

New Resource – Cochrane Library

2011-02-07T19:11:00.001-08:00

We are pleased to announce we have started a subscription for the Cochrane Library, a database of full text review articles and research studies in evidence-based medicine. This database fills an important role in our growing online collections, and will be of particular interest to students in Communicative Disorders and others pursuing research topics related to medical research.

The Cochrane Library contains six collections covering different areas of medical research:

Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews – the core collection of the Cochrane Library, containing full text review articles summarizing research studies on a particular condition

Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, containing abstracts of clinical trials published elsewhere

Cochrane Methodology Register, an annotated bibliography of books, conference papers and articles about the methodologies used to conduct clinical trials

Health Technology Assessment Database, compiling research about the social, economic and ethical implications of healthcare interventions worldwide

NHS Economic Evaluation Database, designed to help you identify the most informative and authoritative studies of the cost-effectiveness of various health care interventions

Cochrane Collaborations Database, disclosing information about the groups and reviewers who have contributed content to the Cochrane Library

You can access the Cochrane Library from on or off campus by visiting http://0-www.thecochranelibrary.com.library.uor.edu/view/0/index.html or following the links from Armacost Library’s lists of Databases by title or subject.

For more information about content and functionality of the Cochrane Library, check out Wiley’s user support page here. You’ll find online tutorials, a PDF quick start guide and a sign-up list for free monthly webinars.

Also, we encourage you to consult with a librarian by phone, email, IM or in person. We can help you integrate this versatile resource into your overall research strategy.

Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine

2011-02-01T17:03:00.000-08:00

The University of Redlands, Armacost Library, is pleased to announce we will be hosting a traveling exhibition developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, titled Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science, Magic, and Medicine. Armacost Library will host the exhibition from February 13th - March 26th and is open to the public during library hours.

Several exciting events will be held throughout the duration of the exhibit. This blog post will be updated frequently to address any changes in the event schedule. Events are as follows:

Opening Speaker and Reception, Heather King, PhD
Tuesday, February 15th, 6:00 – 7:45 p.m. in Armacost Library’s Redlands Room, 3rd floor of the Library
Heather King, Associate Professor of English at the University of Redlands, learned much of what she knows about Harry Potter through a seminar on the series she was able to co-teach with a student. Using the (perhaps) unlikely framework of economic structures, she will endeavor to tease out how the redoubtable Weasley twins provide insight into shifting paradigms of individual development and agency from the Renaissance to the present in her talk, “Harry Potter and the Invisible Hand.” The reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. followed by Heather King at 7:00 p.m.

Environmental Learning Center and Rooftop Garden Tour
Thursday, February 17th, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center
Strange creatures, beasts, and flora are common elements in J. K. Rowling's masterpiece. On a tour of the Environmental Learning Center, view a collection of 200 animals from 40 different species! Explore the scents of local plants as you wander about a rooftop garden...

Frugal Frigate, a Children's Bookstore
Thursday, March 3rd, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., outside the Armacost Library
Now that you've finished the Harry Potter series, what will you read next? The Frugal Frigate, a Redlands community bookstore for children, will be visiting campus to recommend books for your reading pleasure. Great works of fantasy with similar Potter elements will be available for purchase.

The Magic of Chemistry, Teri Longin, PhD
Wednesday, March 9th, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Gregory Hall, Room 272
Chemistry developed out of the alchemist movement mentioned in the Harry Potter series and deals with the mysterious changes undergone by matter. Dr. Teri Longin, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Redlands, will demonstrate how chemical reactions and temperature can change the colors of certain liquids and will also teach the audience how to create slime!

Frugal Frigate, a Children's Bookstore
Thursday, March 10th, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., outside the Armacost Library
Frugal Frigate will be joining the University of Redlands one more time to recommend exciting fantasy titles!

Botany and Herbology
Thursday, March 17th, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. at the Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center
The Master Gardeners will discuss native plants as well as the usefulness of certain herbs in the pleasant atmosphere of the library's rooftop garden.

Observing Celestial Objects, Tyler Nordgren, PhD
Tuesday, March 22nd, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m., outside between Gregory and Lewis Halls
Astronomy is an ancient discipline studied by many including students at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling was inspired to name several of her characters after stars and galaxies, such as Draco, Sirius, Bellatrix and Andromeda. In the exhibit’s last event, Dr. Tyler Nordgren, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Redlands, will point telescopes to these distant objects.

JFK Presidential Library Goes Online

2011-01-14T06:20:00.000-08:00

Access to a Legacy

"Access to a Legacy" is a public-private partnership between the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. The objectives are to digitize, index and retain permanently millions of presidential documents, photographs and audiovisual recordings; provide online accessibility to a worldwide audience...Library staff have digitized, described, and made available three entire textual collections or subcollections, which included photographic and audio components (the President's Office Files, the White House Central Chronological Files, and the John F. Kennedy Personal Papers); one collection of audio files (the White House Audio collection); one moving image collection (the White House Film collection); one collection of museum artifacts (the State Gifts); and a portion of the White House Photograph collection, which consists of over 35,000 photographs."

Photograph, Argentina (1941)

2010 Census Data

2010-12-31T17:28:00.000-08:00

On December 21, 2010 the United States Census Bureau began releasing data from the 2010 decennial (ten year) census. This data included total national and state resident populations, and the new apportionment (allocation of seats) to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Detailed local and demographic census data will be released throughout 2011, 2012 and 2013. A list of data products and planned release dates is available from the Census Bureau here.

Check United States Census 2010 or the U.S. Census Bureau Home Page for the latest news, information, maps, data sets and data tools relating to this historic census.

Library proxy server maintenance scheduled for 12/21 to 12/23

2010-12-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

Armacost Library will be conducting needed systems maintenance between Tuesday, December 21 and Thursday, December 23, 2010. Specifically, we will be updating our proxy server settings to allow access to additional electronic journals from off campus, and ensure that our existing on campus access meets the entitlements we have secured for you through our license agreements with database vendors.

If you are conducting research from off campus on these days, there is a possibility that you may encounter error messages when you try to log in with your MyRedlands username and password to a database whose settings are currently being updated. Access from on campus should be unaffected by the maintenance. Our goal is to have all electronic resources updated and fully functional from off campus by the start of the new year.

If you have questions or wish to report problems accessing electronic resources during this time, please contact Sanjeet Mann, Electronic Resources Librarian, at sanjeet_mann@redlands.edu or (909) 748-8051.

Federal Depository Library Survey

2010-12-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the Armacost Library is a Federal Depository Library? This means that the library collects, organizes and provides access to United States government documents as part of the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Most of the 4th floor of the Armacost Library is devoted to these items, and many recent U.S. government documents are listed in the library catalog and available in electronic form.

Administrators from the FDLP would like input from library users on their perceptions of the value and performance of libraries participating in this program. If you have a few minutes, they would appreciate your answers to their 16-question survey available here. Your confidential responses will help the FDLP and the Armacost Library make decisions about the future direction of the program.

Newly updated Oxford English Dictionary now available

2010-11-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

The Oxford English Dictionary has released a significant upgrade to its online interface, including a new design and integration with the Historical Thesaurus of the English Language. Take a look at http://0-www.oed.com.library.uor.edu/. If you've bookmarked the old URL in your browser, don't forget to update your Favorites!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T11:08:00.001-07:00

Here is a treat from Armacost Library's collection! It is a cartoon from the October 31, 1949 issue of the Redlands Daily Facts, our local newspaper. Enjoy, and have a spooky Halloween!

Open Access week in review

2010-10-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who attended Kevin Driscoll's talk last Monday night at the Casa Loma Room, stopped by one of our information tables, attended the Ubuntu Launch Party, or otherwise participated in our celebration of Open Access Week 2010.

For a look at what other universities did to commemorate the occasion, here's Heather Joseph and Jennifer McClennan's letter reposted from their blog on Open Access:

http://www.openaccessweek.org/profiles/blogs/the-conclusion-of-open-access

<<
The largest, most successful International Open Access Week yet has just come to a close. With just under 900 participants in 94 countries, this year’s event was no less than three times larger than it was just a year ago. Hundreds of videos, photos, blog posts, and more were released to promote and highlight the benefits of Open Access to research and take the conversation even more deeply into the research community – and they absolutely did.

We could celebrate the week as a success in numbers like these alone, but the numbers really only tell part of the story.

The increase in diversity of participants is even more telling. Started as a student-driven event in 2007 with support from SPARC and the library community, Open Access Day was at first a library-centric affair. Having grown in recognition and participation every year since, in 2010 we truly began to make deep inroads into the academy.

The student stake in the conversation on access continues to grow more firm, but this year participants from the academy – including humanists, climate change scientists, provosts, research funders, Nobelists, and lawyers – really took advantage of the occasion to share their insights on how Open Access has had an impact on their work and lives.

Nobel prize-winning scientist and director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute Dr. Harold Varmus participated in the official OA Week kick-off event, saying, with respect to where open-access publishing has reached and what’s now possible: “All of these adventures are tremendously exciting because they markedly enrich the experience of being a scientist, of reading the work of others, and of exchanging views with others in the scientific community.” Dr. Varmus’s comments are online at http://vimeo.com/15881200.

In his video, Dr. Nico Sommerdijk, associate professor of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry at the Dutch Eindhoven University of Technology, expresses a need for moving beyond traditional publishing approaches to share data. He made his research data openly available so that now, “Everybody can access [the data set] directly with one click of your computer mouse. People may use the same data set for things that we were not looking for and so generate new science with the same scientific data set.” (http://www.openaccessweek.org/video/open-access-of-data-generates)

The stories that were shared are inspiring, but so was the creativity of the delivery.

In Portugal, the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém held a portion of their Open Access Week program in Second Life. (http://www.openaccessweek.org/xn/detail/5385115:Event:9662?xg_source=activity)

Students at Boston University made a video to illustrate that studying without access to the resources you need is like having half a sock to wear, half a hotdog to eat, or half a book to read (http://www.openaccessweek.org/video/open-access).

And, in Open Families (http://www.arl.org/sparc/openaccess/openfamilies), scientists relate in personal and compelling terms how Open Access to the research and data they produce, as well as that produced by others, is not just a professional cause for them but a family affair.

All these contributions to the conversation – in writing, photo, and video – are a fantastic resource that will help us all to continue the conversation over the course of the year and beyond, and are a sure sign of the growing momentum behind Open Access Week. Of course, the growing size and power of the global network also continues to impress.

Open Access Week 2010 was also a great reminder to us of the work and opportunities that lie ahead. We’ve isolated a need to dig deeper into the academy and find ways to meet faculty on their own terms – to find ways to bring Open Access Week, so to speak, to campus every day of the year. While we’ve made crucial advances, we’ve only just started to make the inroads needed to engage the community of scholars and researchers.

We’ve made fantastic progress, with awareness-raising around Week and with advancing Open Access as a new norm in scholarship. Congratulations to every single person who worked so hard to ensure the success of the event – locally, regionally, nationally, and globally. And, thank you.

SPARC also extends special thanks to the members of the 2010 Open Access Week program advisers (http://www.openaccessweek.org/group/programadvisers), SPARC members (http://www.arl.org/sparc/member), and everyone we’ve had the pleasure in working with this year. Thank you.

Naturally, there’s more to come. Watch for more OA Week round-up materials from SPARC, including more videos, throughout the week. And, course, there’s Open Access Week 2011 to look forward to! We'll look forward to seeing you at www.openaccessweek.org then.

Warm wishes,

Heather Joseph, Executive Director
Jennifer McLennan, Program Director for Open Access Week
>>

Database tip - advanced searching in EbscoHost databases

2010-10-25T09:22:00.001-07:00

Did you know you can use advanced search commands in the library's EbscoHost databases, including Business Source Elite, ATLA, and Education Research Complete?

Each type of search (author, title, subject headings, company name, etc.) has a two letter "search tag" that allows you to search the database through that particular type of access. To run a search, type the search tag in ALL CAPS, followed by the equals sign and your search phrase in quotations.

Each database offers a slightly different set of search tags. They are listed in that database's help file and in the drop down menu in Advanced Search (see picture above). For example, the tag to search by author in Business Source Elite is AU, by title is TI, by subject is SU, etc.

The search tags could be useful when you want to use Boolean searching (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow or expand your result set.

For example, suppose you are looking at the impact of technology on outsourcing from a managerial perspective, and have identified several search terms relevant to your topic. To find articles at the intersection of these subject headings, you could try:

SU="business process outsourcing" AND SU="information technology" AND SU="management"

To run a search for articles on the Pepsi or Coca-Cola soft drink companies published in the Wall Street Journal, you could try:

(CO="Pepsico Inc" OR CO="COCA-Cola Enterprises Inc.") AND SO="Wall Street Journal"

The parentheses here are important - they ensure that the AND operator is applied to both Coke and Pepsi, instead of just to Coke.

At this point, you may be wondering, how did I know what terms to search for in quotes? In part two of this post, I'll share some tips on how to use a database to identify the "authoritative" term to use when searching for a company, subject heading, person, etc.

Open Access week continues...

2010-10-21T10:44:00.001-07:00

Stop by the Open Access table during lunch hour today to pick up pins, pens, stickers and CDs from UOR Open Sound, and get your questions answered about Open Access!

Thursday, October 21
Naslund Study Lounge, inside Jones Computing Center
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Librarians: Bill Kennedy and Melissa Cardenas-Dow

Take a look at our slideshow on Openaccessweek.org:

Find more photos like this on Open Access Week

Open access resources at the University of Redlands

2010-10-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

On this second day of Open Access Week we're turning the spotlight on a couple tools you can use to tap into the universe of open access scholarly publishing.

Open access is commonly considered to have two "roads" for you to take as a researcher looking for a way to access the literature.

The "green road" of institutional repositories contains texts and other resources that scholars post themselves, often on a website or in an institutional repository.

The "gold road" of open access journals mimics the for-profit journals that Armacost Library subscribes to, often including rigorous peer review. Funding mechanisms vary, including - but NOT limited to - fees paid by authors or their home campus.

With that in mind, here are the tools:

The Directory of Open Access Journals (http://www.doaj.org/) lists over 5,000 open access journals. You can browse the journals across 17 subject areas to find a journal covering the field you are studying, or search the articles by keyword. This resource is useful when you are looking for open access journals to publish in, or to browse through, and you don't know the journal by name already.

DOAJ is also part of the library's Index List of Full Text Journals, available from the right side of the library home page. If you search for a journal by title and it happens to be an open access journal, chances are that access will be listed through the Directory of Open Access Journals or Freely Available Journals collections.

The Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE) will soon make its appearance in our list of databases by title. This resource is hosted by a European research library and allows you to search at the item level through over 1700 content providers, including open access journals as well as institutional repositories and digital collections. Several content providers index non-textual materials as well. Preliminary testing shows it is even useful at retrieving those elusive theses and dissertations hosted in campus repositories. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Open Access Week at University of Redlands

2010-10-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

This week the University of Redlands joins many academic institutions around the world in celebrating Open Access Week from October 18-22. This event brings together a diverse coalition of students, faculty, researchers and other global citizens interested in promoting equitable access to scholarly information.

Access to scholarly journals and articles is a major focus of Open Access Week, and rightly so. But Open Access, and the innovation it makes possible, has broader implications for our society beyond the halls of academia, as the events we've scheduled this week make clear.

At tonight's keynote lecture, DJ, activist, Students for Free Culture board member and USC Annenberg School graduate student Kevin Driscoll spoke to the UoR community in the Casa Loma Room about intersections between the Free Culture movement and Open Access. We'll post more information about the event here for those who had to miss it.

SPARC, a Washington-based international library alliance, has put together a short video introduction to Open Access Week and the Open Access (OA) movement, featuring several renowned scientists including Dr. Harold Varmus. Take a look!

Open Access Week 2010 from SPARC on Vimeo.

Are you curious about the OA movement now? Want to know how you can put the power of Open Access to work in your own research, scholarship or everyday information-seeking? Stop by the Open Access Week booth during lunch hour and talk with our librarians.

Wondering how open source software fits in with all of this? Attend the Ubuntu 10.10 Launch Party hosted by Mark Holmquist in CLS 99, Jones Computing Center this Thursday, October 21 from 12-6 pm to find out.

Keep watching this blog for more information on the Open Access movement throughout the week!

Omnifile access restored

2010-10-14T15:56:00.001-07:00

UPDATE: As of Monday, October 18, our Omnifile access appears to be working normally.

We discovered a problem with our Wilson Omnifile database preventing access from off campus. The link from the library lists of databases by subject and title (http://80-hwwilsonweb.com.library.uor.edu/) took a long time to resolve. Finally, it returned a "Bad Gateway" error message.

We're sorry for any inconvenience this caused you.

Thanks,
Sanjeet Mann
Electronic Resources Librarian
Armacost Library

UoR Open Sound 2010: Votes Are In!

2010-10-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

The UoR Open Sound 2010 poll has closed. See below for results.

A big “thank you” to all those who participated! We will now burn the selections made onto CDs that we will be distributing during Open Access Week, starting Monday, October 18th. Look for them at Armacost Library’s circulation desk, the Fletcher Jones Foundation Computer Center main lab, the Campus Diversity and Inclusion main offices, and the information tables Armacost Library will have around Hunsaker Plaza during Open Access Week. CDs will be available only while supplies last, of course.

And...on Monday, October 18th, 7-9 p.m. at the Casa Loma Room, CDI, Armacost Library and ITS will be hosting a talk by Kevin Driscoll. Kevin is a board member of Students For Free Culture. He will speak about Open Access, Free Culture and why these issues matter to us all, especially undergrads. We hope to see you there!

So…where did they go?

2010-10-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

Maybe you noticed. Or maybe you didn’t. The tracks provided to us by UoR student band Overeasy were withdrawn last week. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons.

1) Creative Commons, Free Culture and Open Access are newer concepts of understanding ownership and authorship, so can be difficult to grasp.
2) Free Culture and Open Access is all about creators having control over their creations. Not someone else.

Armacost Library realizes and honors both of these points.

And chief among the rights artists and creators should retain, we believe, is the right to decide what they want to happen with their work. Overeasy made the brave and honorable decision to take the time necessary to understand Creative Commons copyright before committing them to Open Access.

California Library Snapshot Day 2010

2010-10-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

This week the library will be participating in a state-wide event, the California Library Snapshot Day. Academic, public, and special libraries all over California will be collecting photos and feedback from their patrons to capture life at the library.

Please come in to Armacost Library anytime this week to let us know what the library means to you, and we will welcome your digital photographs expressing the same. Click!

New University website includes library tweaks

2010-09-30T15:54:00.001-07:00

The University of Redlands unveiled a new website this morning. While the library URL is unchanged (http://www.redlands.edu/library), the library website does benefit from a new visual style. You can now navigate through the site using the left hand navigation bar and "breadcrumb" trail at the top of each page. Tables and text are more readable, and pages have been resized to fit modern monitors.

One difference involves the home page links to the library catalog and electronic journals. These links have moved to the right side of the page, and are joined by the links to Course and Subject Guides and the login page to our new ILLIAD interlibrary loan system.

While the structure of library's web pages has not changed, this is a good opportunity to look over the site and make sure you know how to get to the resources you use regularly. If you have questions about the design, ideas for improvements, or just want to find out how to do something, contact our reference desk at (909) 748-8878 or reference@redlands.edu and one of our reference librarians will gladly work with you.

What is that thing anyway?

2010-09-27T09:50:00.001-07:00

We hope you’ve seen the following image around.

It’s a QR Code. QR stands for “Quick Response” and the image is, really, a two-dimensional bar code. You might have seen these already in other contexts, such as postage you’ve received or sent from the Post Office or products you’ve purchased from stores.

Some mobile phones have QR readers that decipher the embedded information. To download a free QR reader to your phone, go to http://reader.kaywa.com/.

Scan the image above using your mobile phone and you’ll be taken to the UoR Open Sound 2010 poll on Armacost Library’s blog. Snap, click, vote!

Snap, Click, Vote!

2010-09-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Vote in UoR Open Sound 2010!

2010-09-13T03:59:00.000-07:00

To mark International Open Access Week 2010, Armacost Library is holding a poll to select which freely available music tracks will be included in the first ever UoR Open Sound 2010 compilation CD.

The entire university community is encouraged to participate! UoR students, faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends are welcome. Vote as many times as you want, for as many tracks as you want. Music tracks that receive at least 50 votes will be included in the compilation CD. We'll also include some bonus tracks from the artists whose music tracks make the 50-vote cut.

UoR Open Sound 2010 CDs will be distributed at various locations during Open Access Week, starting Monday, October 18th till Sunday, October 24th. Look for them at Armacost Library’s circulation desk, the Fletcher Jones Foundation Computer Center main lab, the Campus Diversity and Inclusion main offices, and the information tables Armacost Library will have around Hunsaker Plaza during Open Access Week.

Voting will close on Sunday, October 10th at 11:59 p.m. Cast your vote below.

Sample each music track by clicking on the big orange Play button that each track has. If you like what you hear or think a track should be part of UoR Open Sound 2010, click on the little box at the left of the track title to select it. Select as many as you deem worthy. One vote can have many selections. When you are finished making your selections, click the Vote! button at the bottom of the poll. Doing this will submit your vote to us.

We want to know what you think. Post a comment to this blog post. Post a comment using Polldaddy, our poll site. Email or call us. Come visit us at Armacost Library. Leave a post on our Facebook wall. We want to hear from you!

To E-Book or Not E-Book?

2010-09-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Considering whether or not to buy a e-book reader? The Wall Street Journal has a great article weighing the pros and cons. Their main points are spelled out below.

Casual readers probably shouldn't bother.
The books aren't as cheap as they should be.
Savvy readers read the classics anyway.
Be aware of the potential costs of buying a Kindle.
Be aware of the costs of the rivals.
And if you're thinking of buying a book reader–wait!

Read the full article "Are E-Books Worth the Money?" by Brett Arends.

Tutorials: PsycINFO changes

2010-08-31T16:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you already familiar with PsycINFO, you might be surprised to see how different it looks. That's because we've changed from the FirstSearch platform to ProQuest's CSA platform.

What used to look like something like this:

Now looks like this: (advanced search)

To familiarize yourself with a few of the enhancements, check out these PsycINFO video tutorials.

Free Textbooks

2010-08-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Open Culture blog posts a growing list of freely available textbooks on the web. If it has the textbook you need, great! If it doesn't, browse the list for titles that could help support your learning in other classes. Need to brush up your algebra skills? Want help understanding the main points of international finance? Topics covered include mathematics, business and management, physics, history, computer science, and biology.

You may also want to check out the blog's listing of free online courses, free language lessons, and more.

Mobile Apps

2010-08-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a list of mobile apps and websites you may be interested in.

MedlinePlus--downloads an app
PubMed--mobile web
U.S. Gov't mobile apps & websites--18 mobile tools to help you with travel, the environment, government information, and more.
Library of Congress tour--app for the iPhone
Museum of Modern Art in NY for the iPhone for the iPhone
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction for the iPhone

Interruption in Service: EconLit, Alternative Press Index, ATLA Religion Databases

2010-08-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Some may have noticed the interruption in service to Alternative Press Index, ATLA Religion, and EconLit databases. The extended interruption in service is due to a change in database vendors. Formerly hosted by OCLC, these three databases will soon be hosted by EBSCO. We greatly appreciate your patience as we work out licensing and set up access.

Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.

Questions can be directed to Sanjeet Mann, Electronic Resources Librarian and our other librarians.

Library catalog and circulation system downtime on Monday, August 9

2010-08-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

We have one last upgrade/outage to announce. The library catalog will be unavailable for up to two hours starting at approximately 5:30 PM on the evening of Monday, August 9, 2010 as our library systems receive an upgrade. During this time we will also be unable to check out books or interact with patron records. As soon as the upgrade is complete, you should be able to search the catalog and view your record as usual.

New LexisNexis interface debuts tomorrow!

2010-08-06T16:24:00.000-07:00

In addition to the new Wiley Online Library reported earlier, we can also announce that Lexis-Nexis is completing their migration to a new interface this weekend. Lexis-Nexis will be unavailable for up to three hours, beginning Saturday, August 7 at 9 AM PST, as part of the migration.

The new LexisNexis interface makes it easier to pick particular sources and search for data on businesses, individuals, legal cases, and much more. Try the new interface out by visiting http://0-www.lexisnexis.com.library.uor.edu/hottopics/lnacademic!

New Wiley Online Library debuts this weekend

2010-08-05T14:49:00.000-07:00

Wiley Interscience, home to over 1,000 of Armacost Library's electronic journals, will be unavailable this weekend between 1 AM on Saturday, August 7 and 9 AM on Sunday, August 8. The downtime will allow Wiley to implement their new e-journal platform, the Wiley Online Library.

On Saturday, you will be unable to access Wiley journals from the "Wiley Interscience" links on our lists of databases by title and subject, the Index List of Full Text Journals, Citation Finder, or Article Linker. Once the upgrade is completed Sunday morning, you should have normal access to all Wiley journals.

For more information about the upgrade, visit http://info.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/view/0/index.html.

World Bank data now freely available

2010-07-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

For several years, Armacost Library has held a subscription to the World Bank's Global Development Finance and World Development Indicators databases. We are pleased to announce that the World Bank has now added these two datasets to their growing library of data freely available to the public!

Visit http://data.worldbank.org/ to view the wealth of World Bank-gathered statistics for countries around the world. Topics covered include agriculture, debt service, public- and private-sector economic data, scientific and technological capacity, health and education indicators, energy and environmental impact, and much more.

Data can be downloaded in Excel or CSV format and visualized through "Change Indicator" maps. World Bank statistics are a valuable resource for anyone researching economic or social issues of international scope, or simply curious to find hard data to better understand the international news we read in newspapers or online everyday. Check them out!

Why The Next Big Pop-Culture Wave After Cupcakes Might Be Libraries

2010-07-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

The cultural rise of the geek, in this story from NPR's Monkey See blogger Linda Holmes.

Government Statistics

2010-07-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Find your way around government statistics with this pathfinder created by the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association.

Google Scholar: Make it work better for you

2010-07-05T09:41:00.000-07:00

Set your preferences to better connect with Armacost Library resources, search more efficiently, stay current, and follow the research trail with Google Scholar.

University of California v. Nature Publishing Group

2010-06-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

The University of California system has said "enough" to the Nature Publishing Group, one of the leading commercial scientific publishers, over a big proposed jump in the cost of the group's journals. Read more in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

2nd Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award Reception

2010-04-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

The 2nd Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award Reception was a wonderful success. College of Arts & Sciences students, staff, and faculty members gathered to honor the ambitious research and writing efforts of the award finalists. The faculty mentors of each finalist introduced the students and their work.

ALURA Finalists:
Jaclyn Cooperrider, “Role of Progesterone Receptor on Ripening of the Cervix and Parturition.”
Kelly Lecko, “Wildlife Sanctuaries as Potential Migratory Routes and Dispersal Areas in the Tsavo-Amboseli Ecosystem.”
Ruby Secrist, “Local Foreign Policy in the 1930s: FDR the Eternal Pragmatist.”
Laura Tolle, “Manifestations of Male Depression: Theories of (Under)Diagnosis.”
Fiona Wilhelm, “Reading John the Baptist as Messiah.”
Caitlin Wolf, “To Be or Not to Be: What is a Screwball Comedy?”

ALURA Recipient:
Sommer DiSante, "From Hell, With Love: An Analysis of the Literary Biographical Tradition of Delogs in Tantric Buddhism."

Professor Bryce Ryan (Biology) introduced the advanced research his student Jaclyn Cooperrider, a finalist for the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award, performed for her paper.

Student finalist Jaclyn Cooperrider listening to praise from her professor, Professor Bryce Ryan.

Students, staff, and faculty listen to Professor Kathleen Feeley (History) introduce one of her two students recognized as finalists for the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award.

Ruby Secrist (standing) and Caitlin Wolf (sitting), both honored for their research papers, and both History majors mentored by Professor Kathleen Feeley.

Fiona Wilhelm, another ALURA finalist, mentored by Professor Lillian Larsen (Religious Studies) and introduced at the reception by Professor Bill Huntley (Religious Studies).

Sommer DiSante, the 2nd Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award recipient, and her faculty mentor Professor Karen Derris (Religious Studies).

Sommer DiSante posing with Interim Library Director Les Canterbury and Instructional Services Librarian Shana Higgins.

Laura Tolle, a student finalist mentored by Professors Celine Ko and Fred Rabinowitz (Psychology), chatting with ALURA selection committee member Amy Wilms (Assistant Dean, Student Life).

Former Armacost Library intern, Janelle Julagay and Technical Services Librarian, Melissa Cardenas-Dow.

Students and friends of finalists.

Stella Rivera (Religious Studies) chats with Denise Cline (Library).

Professors Kathleen Feeley (History) and Bill Huntley (Religious Studies).

Electronic Services Librarian, Sanjeet Mann talks with Professor Pete Sherman (Environmental Studies).

National Library Week 2010 (April 11-17)

2010-04-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

This year's Honorary Chair of National Library Week, author Neil Gaiman, will be holding a live internet. Mr. Gaiman will be speaking about libraries on Monday, April 12, from 6-8 p.m. EDT. For more info, please visit: http://www.atyourlibrary.org/join-neil-gaiman-live-internet-event

Want $500? Submit for the Undergraduate Research Award!

2010-01-22T10:49:00.000-08:00

Dear students,

February 8, 2010 is the deadline for submitting your work for consideration for the Armacost Library Undergraduate Summer Research Award.

If you have a research paper from Spring, May or Fall 2009 you're proud of, consider applying for the award. You could win $500 and be honored at a reception in the library in March!

All you need to do is get a letter/email of support from your instructor, write a short 500-750 word essay describing how you approached your library research, and submit the final version of your paper.

For complete details, including information on how the faculty selection committee will evaluate your work, see http://libguides.redlands.edu/ALURA.

January: National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

2010-01-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

On January 4, 2010 President Barack Obama proclaimed January 2010 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in the annual celebration of National Freedom Day on February 1.

To learn more about still existing modern forms of slavery and human trafficking, take a look at some of these resources.

Siddharth, Kara. Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery. New York: Columbia University Press, 2009.
HQ281 .K37 2009 (3rd Floor)

Bales, Kevin. Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.
HT867 .B35 1999 (3rd Floor)

Cameron, Sally and Edward Newman, eds. Trafficking in Humans: Social, Cultural and Political Dimensions. New York: United Nations University Press, 2008.
HQ281 .T717 2008

U.S. Department of State, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/

UN.GIFT: Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking
http://www.ungift.org/

Human Trafficking Awareness / Video PSA by Emma Thompson, rosaryfilms @ YouTube

Welcome Back!

2010-01-11T10:28:00.000-08:00

A few reminders as we start the new term.

You can look up course reserves for your classes through the library catalog:
http://library.uor.edu/screens/course.html

Need help finding an book? An article? Maps of the Jewish diaspora? Ask a librarian:
http://www.redlands.edu/x31116.asp

Not sure which database is best for your research question? Try our course and subject research guides:
http://libguides.redlands.edu/index.php

Let us know what you think. Talk to us in the library, or leave a comment here:
http://library.uor.edu/suggest

Good luck with your semester!

Skeleton man

2009-12-17T01:21:00.000-08:00

With the coffee gone and his last final turned in, Mr. Bones finally has time to relax with his favorite book...

Stop by the library booksale before you leave for break and see if there's anything you like!

Coffee break in Armacost Library

2009-12-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

It's a little before 11 PM at Armacost Library and many students are still hard at work! Time for a coffee break...

Gerry Collins, Marisa Aguilar and Sanjeet Mann of Armacost Library enjoy free coffee courtesy of Stell Coffee in Redlands.

Late Night Library Hours during Finals Week

2009-12-04T15:13:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce Armacost Library will be open from 8 AM to 2 AM each weeknight during the week of Monday, December 14 through Friday, December 18, in honor of finals week.

The reference desk will also be open from 9 AM to 2 AM as well, with a reference librarian on duty to help you with any questions you have. Good luck preparing for finals, and best wishes from your friends at Armacost Library!

Serials Solutions outage this Saturday

2009-10-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

We have been notified that our Serials Solutions e-resource knowledgebase will be down for maintenance for up to 6 hours early Saturday morning.

This means that the Citation Linker and Index List to Full Text Journals may be unavailable between midnight and 6 AM on Saturday, October 24. Also the Article Linker service that automatically links you to articles in our databases may be nonfunctional.

Serials Solutions has planned the outage to cause as little inconvenience as possible and estimates that all services will be up and running again by 6 AM. Nevertheless, those of you who are late night researchers may want to make other plans Friday night.

Information Wants to be Free!

2009-10-20T15:39:00.001-07:00

Have you seen the flyers around campus and the posters hung in the Library? Open Access Week has begun!
Open Access (OA) is a movement toward more freely available information for users, largely made possible by the use of online platforms. The goal is for scholars to access the research and writing resources you need without having to pay inflated publishing costs. Publishing or archiving in online OA journals and disciplinary repositories removes the need for expensive print publication, and is within the reach of anyone with web access.
Please check out the LibGuides created for students and faculty on this topic.

October 2009 Information Literacy Awareness Month

2009-10-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama has declared October 2009 NATIONAL INFORMATION LITERACY AWARENESS MONTH.

"Though we may know how to find the information we need, we must also know how to evaluate it. Over the past decade, we have seen a crisis of authenticity emerge...The ability to seek, find, and decipher information can be applied to countless life decisions, whether financial, medical, educational, or technical."

Read the entire proclamation by following the link above.

Open Access Week 2009: October 19-23

2009-10-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

The University of Redlands will be participating in Open Access Week this year! Armacost Library will be working with students and faculty to promote awareness for the cause.

Check this spot for more information on what the Open Access Movement is and why you should be involved. Read up for yourself at http://www.righttoresearch.org/ and let us know what you think.

Scholarly Journals drop-in workshop

2009-09-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

Do you need to use scholarly journals in your research? Do you have questions about why these sources are so important, or where this knowledge comes from?

Come to Jones Center room 116 this Thursday, October 1 from 11:00 AM to noon for a drop-in workshop on journals and scholarly communication led by Armacost librarian Sanjeet Mann.

No reservations required - just bring your curiosity and interest in learning!

Sparky Awards

2009-09-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

The Sparky Awards, a contest to promote the open exchange of information, is calling for entries.

The Sparky Awards are organized by SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, who promote the universal benefits of sharing ideas of all kinds. SPARC

Jimi Hendrix

2009-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

On September 18, 1970, the famed rock guitarist Jimi Hendrix died in London of "unknown causes," according to the New York Times obituary that ran the following day. As one account relates his final days:

"His final concerts were largely frustrating, as the aims of the artist and the expectations of his audience grew increasingly separate. His final UK appearance, at the Isle of Wight festival, encapsulated this dilemma, yet still drew an enthralling performance. The guitarist returned to London following a short European tour. On 18 September 1970, his girlfriend, Monika Danneman, became alarmed when she was unable to rouse him from sleep. An ambulance was called, but Hendrix was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. The inquest recorded an open verdict, with death caused by suffocation [...] Eric Burdon claimed at the time to possess a suicide note, but this has never been confirmed."

Source: "Hendrix, Jimi" in Encyclopedia of Popular Music, ed. Colin Larkin (London: Muze, 1998), 3:2489-2491.

New York Times, "Jimi Hendrix, Rock Star, is Dead in London at 27," September 19, 1970.

Armacost Library holds old New York Times articles on microfilm. If you already know what year you are looking for, just ask for it at the periodicals desk. If you're not sure what date your article was printed, try looking up the name of the person or topic you are researching in the New York Times Print Index, shelved on the study carrels by the reference desk.

Mexican Independence Day

2009-09-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, September 16, was Mexican Independence Day. On September 16, 1810, the creole priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla led a revolt against Spanish rule in Guanajuato province. Hidalgo's force quickly swelled to 80,000 creoles, Indians and mestizos, but was defeated by a small Spanish force in November before they could reach the capital. The following year Hidalgo was captured and executed, but the revolt continued under the leadership of Jose Maria Morelos and led to the formal declaration of Mexican independence from Spain on November 6, 1813.

Source: Langer, William E. The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of World History, vol. 2. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1972:792.

For more information about the struggle for Mexican independence try subject searches in the catalog for Mexico -- history or Latin America -- history.

National Day of Service and Remembrance

2009-09-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday President Barack Obama proclaimed September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance as per Public Law 111-13 ("Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act"). This morning he spoke at a Pentagon wreath-laying ceremony honoring armed forces members killed on September 11, 2001:

"Let us renew the true spirit of that day. Not the human capacity for evil, but the human capacity for good. Not the desire to destroy, but the impulse to save, and to serve, and to build. On this first National Day of Service and Remembrance, we can summon once more that ordinary goodness of America -- to serve our communities, to strengthen our country, and to better our world."

Proclamations are preserved as official Presidential documents. You can find transcripts of these statements for 1945-present in print in the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

You can also find Presidential documents for the years 1991-present available online via GPO Access.

Older Presidential proclamations can be found in a variety of sources. Our librarians will gladly help you find anything you need!

The Old Man and the Sea

2009-09-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Fifty-seven years ago today Ernest Hemingway published his seventh novel The Old Man and the Sea. This was the last novel Hemingway published during his lifetime, and it won him the 1953 Pulitzer prize for literature. Kurt J. Krueger writes that "the story of Santiago, an old Gulf Stream fisherman, depicts a world filled with struggle, pain and loss but also shows how a human being may find meaning in such a tragic world."

Two years later, Hemingway accepted the Nobel prize for literature with the following words: "For a true writer each book should be a new beginning where he tries again for something that is beyond attainment. He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed. Then, sometimes, with great luck, he will succeed."

Sources: Kurt J. Krueger. "Ernest Hemingway." Encyclopedia of the Novel, Ed. Paul Schneider. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998. 535-537.

World Almanac and Book of Facts. New York: World Almanac Books, 2008.

Calling all Students, Faculty, and Staff with an interest in Open Access publishing.

2009-09-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Don’t know what Open Access means?

Open Access is the basic assumption that all research should be freely accessible online, immediately after publication (See About the OA Movement @ http://www.openaccessweek.org/about-the-oa-movement/). According to the Budapest Open Access Initiative, “[r]emoving access barriers to this literature will accelerate research, enrich education, share the learning of the rich with the poor and the poor with the rich, make this literature as useful as it can be, and lay the foundation for uniting humanity in a common intellectual conversation and quest for knowledge” (http://www.soros.org/openaccess/read.shtml).

Interested in participating in Open Access Week, October 19-23, 2009? The Armacost Library wants you! Please contact one of your friendly librarians if you are an author that publishes in open access journals, that serves as a reviewer or editor for an open access journal, or uses Creative Commons licensing for your creative/scholarly input. Please also contact us if you simply have a passion for the Open Access movement or have a related project you would like to share.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks,

The Armacost Library

Celebrating Labor Day

2009-09-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

Today, Monday, September 7, the United States and Canada celebrate Labor Day. According to Robert E. Weir, the holiday originated from rallies and protests held by late nineteenth-century workers. In 1882, Knights of Labor members helped organize a large rally in Providence, Rhode Island. A few weeks later, the New York Central Labor Union (a consortium of local unions related to the Knights of Labor) planned an even larger event for Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in which approximately 30,000 to 40,000 laborers marched. Over the next ten years, workers in other states began to celebrate on the first Monday in September, and state legislatures began to recognize the day as a holiday. On June 28, 1894, Congress declared Labor Day a federal holiday. Weir concludes that "since the mid-1950s, the holiday has moved from a day of protest to a more commemorative event. Ideologues hold that Labor Day wraps America's bloody labor history in a false cloak of respectability, while its defenders see it as an important affirmation of working-class heritage and culture."

Source: Robert E. Weir, "Labor Day." Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor, v.1. Westport: Greenwood, 2004: 267-268.
Call number: REF HD 8066.H57 2004
Library subject heading: Labor -- United States -- History -- Encyclopedias

While most federal and state offices are closed to observe Labor Day, Armacost Library is open today from 8 am to 5 pm. Stop by and take a moment to learn more about the history of the American labor movement!

Welcome back!

2009-09-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's been an eventful summer at Armacost, filled with the noise of construction on the new front entrance and ground floor offices for student services, University Human Resources and the new computing center. Several new librarians have arrived and settled in to life on campus, and our whole staff has been busy preparing for the new school year.

For those of you who are new to campus, we encourage you to take a moment to stop by the library, say hello, and ask any questions you have. We offer a full range of services, including remote access to electronic journals and databases, interlibrary loans, and print and electronic course reserves. Our helpful librarians can be found at the reference desk by the second-floor library entrance, online via IM and Facebook, and even visiting your class to provide instruction specific to your course. This semester we're offering new drop-in workshops to make it easier than ever to get help when you need it. And keep checking this blog for more information about library events, cool research tools and helpful tips to learn more about events on campus and in the news.

This semester our regular hours will be:
Monday-Thursday 8 am - midnight
Friday 8 am - 9 pm
Saturday 10 am - 9 pm
Sunday 1 pm - midnight

Good luck with the start of the semester. We look forward to seeing you around the library!

Meet the New Librarians

2009-08-17T07:51:00.000-07:00

Please join the Armacost Library in welcoming our two new permanent hires, Melissa-Cardenas-Dow, Technical Services/Reference Librarian and Sanjeet Mann, Electronic Services/Reference Librarian and visiting Reference/Instruction Librarian, Paige Mann.

Their self-penned introductions, below, will help you get to know them a bit better.

Melissa Cardenas-Dow
Melissa came to Armacost Library in January 2009 as a
Visiting Assistant Librarian. During that time, she participated in
selecting library materials, staffing the reference desk, visiting
classes during library instruction sessions, developing course guides
and investigating access issues to library electronic resources. Over
the summer, Melissa transitioned into the Technical Services Librarian
position. She will continue the roles and tasks she had assumed while
still a Visiting Librarian and will assume new ones that primarily deal
with how library materials get acquired, processed, stored and shelved,
and into patrons' hands.

Fun Facts: Melissa grew up in the Philippines. She nurses gamer's guilt
and strives to juggle time spent in World of Warcraft's Azeroth with her
real-life responsibilities.

Sanjeet Mann
After a whirlwind year in which he graduated from library school, moved
twice, was baptized, got married and made plans to buy a house, Sanjeet was delighted to plant his feet at the University of Redlands,
where he began work as Electronic Resources/Reference Librarian in July
2009. His responsibilities include managing electronic journals and
databases, coordinating development of the library website, and serving
students and faculty through reference, instruction, and collection
development for the English, Music and French departments. In his free
time Sanjeet enjoys playing piano and composing.

Fun fact: One of Sanjeet's favorite composers, Erik Satie, not only
shares Sanjeet's middle name (Eric) but also gained notoriety through
his eccentric compositions (one supposedly short piece requires the
performer to repeat it 840 times in succession), eclectic wardrobe
(featuring seven identical gray velvet suits) and unconventional
housekeeping habits (after his death, friends found his tiny one-room
apartment filled with papers and two pianos, one atop the other, the top
one apparently functioning as a mail sorter). Sanjeet assures us he is
not that strange... yet.

Paige Mann
Paige is a Visiting Librarian and passionate about equipping and empowering people to live life to the fullest. She finds life more rewarding when approached as a learner and has taken opportunities to work as an AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteer, live in foreign countries, study serial killers, lead an online symposium, and play with (and harass) children during story time. Curious by nature, she learns by traveling, socializing, reading, observing, etc. and finds the library perfect for inquiring minds. In her spare time she is spoiled by her husband, antagonized by her mom, and blessed by God.

Fun Fact: She and her husband are easing into a car-lite lifestyle by relocating within walking distance of work, the gym, and other essentials. They aim to be a one-car family in the future.

Farewells

2009-06-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Armacost Library is saying goodbye to our two Visiting Assistant Librarians, Allison Fox and Eugene Owens. Allison has been "visiting" since the fall term of 2006. You may have met her at the Reference Desk or leading a library research session for your class. Allison has also spent substantial time working on the Barney Childs Collection, curating and creating a finding aid for the collection. Allison, and former University of Redlands librarian Verletta Kern, co-presented on the Barney Childs collection at the Music Library Association Annual Meeting, 2008. The Walter Martin Sheet Music Collection is another curatorial project Allison has worked on, in relation to which she has created a bibliography. Allison has been actively involved in surveying and making decisions regarding the Armacost Library's music collection. She has also sorted through a whole lot of donated books over the past few years.

Eugene Owens started his tenure at Armacost Library in November 2008, ready to make a lasting impression on the University of Redlands community. Eugene led the Library's move to Meebo for our IM Reference services and took on responsibility for updating the Library's web pages. Eugene is an enthusiastic reference librarian, and has enjoyed evaluating and making recommendations on our reference and religious studies collections, amongst others.

Please join us in wishing the best of luck to Allison and Eugene in their future endeavors.

Library Plastic

2009-04-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that many of our bookstacks are wrapped in plastic. This is due to sprinklers being installed throughout the library. If you need any books, library staff will be very happy to assist you in retrieving them. This work began on April 20th and will continue for 6-8 weeks. There will be intermittent noisy drilling. Thank you for your patience and your continued support during our "transition period."

~Eugene Owens

Sierra Powell, first recipient of the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award

2009-04-16T09:15:00.001-07:00

Congratulations, Sierra Powell! Sierra is a graduating senior double-majoring in Government and Philosophy. She received the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award for her paper, "A Depth Study of Buck v. Bell, 274. U.S. 200," in which she traces a case from its origins in Virginia to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1927. The decision of the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Virginia statute that provided for the eugenic sterilization for people considered genetically unfit, leading the way for other states to enact similar laws.

In the process of researching and writing her paper, Sierra had to develop an understanding of complex legal concepts related to due process, cruel and unusual punishment, and equal protection.

The selection committee for the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award included (from left to right): Shana Higgins, Reference/Instructional Services Librarian; Jen Ostermiller, Director of Academic Support & Disabled Student Services; Anne Shea, Associate Professor of English and Director of Writing Across the Curriculum; and Lua Gregory, Reference/Off-Campus Services Librarian.

Extended Library Hours for Finals Week

2009-04-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Library will again be extending its hours of operation during finals week this semester. From Sunday, April 12 through Friday, April 17 we will remain open until 2:00am.

Back by popular demand will be late night coffee provided by Stell Coffee & Tea, locally roasted and brewed in Redlands.

Authors' Reception 2009

2009-03-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Please join the Armacost Library staff and librarians as we announce our first annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award winner at an Authors' Reception on Friday, April 3, 2009, from 4:00-5:30pm.

The Authors' Reception also honors our faculty's publications of 2008. The main floor, directly in front of the Circulation Desk (the former main entrance) will be host to an Authors Exhibit.

Refreshments will be served. Please join us!

What book would you keep forever? What book would you censor?

2009-03-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

Participate in The Big Read by sharing your thoughts to the above questions. We have mounted two blank mural-sized pieces of paper to our main and third floor walls. Please drop by the Armacost Library to write your opinions on the designated wall space!

What is The Big Read?
"An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture."* The University of Redlands and the A. K. Smiley Public Library have been selected as grantees. From March 15 to April 25, 2009, events will be held within the community to highlight the importance of reading and books.

What are we reading?
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in which books are burned to ashes by firemen, media and drugs foster indifference in the general public, and learning is suppressed by the government.

How else can I participate?
Check the calendar detailing Redlands events at http://www.neabigread.org/events.php. You will need to refine your search with the various pull down menus. First, select "Fahrenheit 451", then "California" and finally "CA - University of Redlands".

Where can I get a copy of the book?
You can pick up a free copy of Fahrenheit 451 at Armacost Library, the Multicultural Center, or A. K. Smiley Public library while supplies last!

What else does Armacost Library have that I might be interested in?
At the Circulation Desk, we have a DVD and CD of an interview with Ray Bradbury! Just ask the front desk if you may check out the items listed under "Big Read".

If you want more information and fun, visit The Big Read - Redlands blog or The Big Read Redlands Facebook page.

*Arts Midwest. (2009). About the Big Read. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www.neabigread.org/about.php.

Survey: Extended Library Hours During Finals Week

2009-03-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

The library would like to extend hours during finals week again this semester. Please let us know what you think and respond to the survey!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=shy5lpbb8htk5aXFJEzkuw_3d_3d

Library Closed for the Weekend

2009-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Armacost Library will be closed Saturday and Sunday (February 21 & 22) due to a planned power outage related to the current construction project. We apologize for the short notice.

We will be open during Spring Break:

Monday-Thursday, February 23-26: 8 a.m. -6 p.m.
Friday, February 27: 8 a.m. -5 p.m.
Saturday, February 28: 10 a.m. -5 p.m.

Open Access Movement Takes a Step (for Mankind)

2009-02-17T13:56:00.000-08:00

UC libraries and Springer sign pilot agreement for open access journal publishing

OAKLAND -- The University of California libraries and Springer Science+Business Media (Springer) have concluded a groundbreaking experimental agreement to support open access publishing by UC authors. The arrangement is part of the journals license negotiated by the California Digital Library on behalf of the 10 campuses of the University of California.

Under the terms of the agreement, articles by UC-affiliated authors accepted for publication in a Springer journal beginning in 2009 will be published using Springer Open Choice with full and immediate open access. There will be no separate per-article charges, since costs have been factored into the overall license. Articles will be released under a license compatible with the Creative Commons (by-nc: Attribution, Non-commercial) license. In addition to access via the Springer platform, final published articles will also be deposited in the California Digital Library's eScholarship Repository.

The University of California-Springer agreement is the first large-scale open access experiment of its type undertaken with a major commercial publisher in North America.

Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award

2009-01-29T15:56:00.000-08:00

Purpose
The proliferation of electronic information has made research a much more complex process than in the past. At the University of Redlands, students have available to them sources in paper and microfilm, electronically available through subscription databases and journals, as well as freely available on the open Web. Because so much information is available, evaluating sources of information takes increasingly more time and effort. This award was established to reward those students who demonstrate thoughtfulness and creativity in their approach to research and whose work exhibits excellence in critical thinking.

Eligibility

@Be a current University of Redlands undergraduate student (in any class or discipline).

@Eligible projects must have been completed for a University of Redlands credit course during the prior calendar year (e.g. for the 2009 award, eligible projects are those completed during Spring term 2008, May term 2008, or Fall term 2008).

@Projects must be accompanied by a letter of support from the faculty member who taught the course for which the paper/project was produced.

@All application materials will remain the property of the Library. Winning papers/projects will become a part of the Library collection.

Application Requirements and Procedure

Application will consist of:

@Application cover sheet

@Letter/email of support from supervising instructor.

@Research strategy essay (500-750 words) describing research process (including changes in the way student approached searching for information, new tools and resources discovered, interaction with reference librarians, use of interlibrary loan, and how sources were evaluated for credibility and relevance).

@Final version of research paper/project, including bibliography/reference list/ works cited.

Evaluation Criteria

@Make substantial and creative use of library resources in any format.

@Demonstrate effective application of information literacy principles:

@Determining information needs

@Evaluating and analyzing information

@Managing, organizing, and synthesizing information

@Applying information in the context of the research project

@Making responsible use of information by providing appropriate and accurate citations.

@Show evidence of significant personal growth in the methods of research and inquiry.

Award and Deadlines

@A monetary prize of $500.00 will awarded to the most outstanding undergraduate research project.

@Complete application packets must be received by 5:00pm, Friday, March 6.

@Mail or deliver complete application package to:
Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award Committee
c/o Shana Higgins
1249 E. Colton Ave.
Redlands, CA 92374

@The winner will be notified no later than April 10, 2009. Award recipient and faculty will be honored at a reception near the end of the Spring term.

For forms and guidelines, go to: http://libguides.redlands.edu/UndergradAward.

Welcome Back and a Welcome!

2009-01-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

We are happy for the return of the hum of students, faculty, and staff back in the Library as the semester begins. Welcome back! (Unfortunately, we still have the bumps, scrapes, and shrill noises from the construction on the first floor during the day.)

We also welcome a new face to the library, Melissa Cardenas-Dow, a Visiting Reference Librarian. You will see Melissa at the reference desk and visiting your classes, eager to help students in the research process. Melissa has a bachelor's degree in anthropology from San Francisco State University, graduate studies at Claremont in cultural studies, and an MLIS from San Jose State University. She has particular interests in Asian diasporas, cultural anthropology, sociology, games in libraries, web/library 2.0, and the study of popular culture. Melissa is fluent in Tagalog, the native dialect of the Philippines, where she was raised until arriving in the U.S. as a teenager. Some of Melissa's guilty pleasures include World of Warcraft (she is a level 77 female night elf hunter named Linnar in the Sen’Jin realm), Hayao Miyazaki films, William Gibson's cyberpunk Neuromancer trilogy, and Sanrio characters. Come in and ask her some questions!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-19T08:41:00.001-08:00

See you in January.

Extended Library Hours During Finals Week

2008-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Library will extend its open hours during final exams.

Our extended hours are the following:

Tuesday, December 9, 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Wednesday, December 10, 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Thursday, December 11, 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Friday, December 12, 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Saturday, December 13, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Coffee and refreshments will be served at midnight, to get you through the long night.

*Image by solja, found on Flickr.

Library Photography and Digital Art Contest is Up!

2008-11-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to all participants in the Library Photography and Digital Art Contest!

The results for the contest are as follows:
1st place: Embrace It by Michelle Deyden
2nd place: Light Dance by Chelsea Crowl and Untitled by Laura Conner

Please come by the Library to view the creative work of our artistic community!

Image credit: Chapel Against the Hills by Kevin Keller

Welcome Eugene Owens to the Armacost Library

2008-11-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

Eugene is a Visiting Assistant Librarian, looking forward to helping students at the reference desk and meeting new people. He will collect books for the library on Psychology, Religious Studies and Philosophy. He is excited about buying some new books for the popular fiction area near the circulation desk. Eugene will be providing library research instruction in the Spring term, so look for him in your class.

Having just flown in from Boston, he is still getting used to the sun, wearing shorts in November and all the cars. Eugene enjoys seeing loud music in small venues, such as The Mars Volta and Deerhoof. He is looking forward to seeing the Melvins over the Thanksgiving break at the Troubadour. Moreover Eugene wants to be part of the intelligentsia someday, but is afraid he reads too much trashy fiction.