Read Up on UR Fall Speakers

Based on preliminary schedule – subject to change.

Jonathan Safran Foer

September 15 @ Orton Center.  ASUR Convocations and Lectures.

 

http://www.eatinganimals.com/site/foer/

 

Books by Jonathan Safran Foer at the Armacost Library

Eating Animals

Everything Is Illuminated: A Novel

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

New American Haggadah

Tree of Codes

 

Items by and about Jonathan Safran Foer via an Armacost Library database

Literature Resource Center

 

Maddalena Bearzi

September 22 @ Casa Loma Room.  Human-Animal Studies.

http://www.dolphinbiology.org/people/maddalena_bearzi.htm

Books by Maddalena Bearzi at the Armacost Library

Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins

Dolphin Confidential: Confessions of a Field Biologist

 

Items about dolphins via an Armacost Library database

GreenFILE

 

Katie Hnida

September 23 @ Orton Center.  RAINN Week.

 

 

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/hnida.jpg

Katie Hnida's book at the Armacost Library

Still Kicking: My Journey as the First Woman to Play Division I College Football

 

Items about violence against college women via an Armacost Library database

GenderWatch

 

Loretta Ross

October 1 @ Orton Center.  Women’s and Gender Studies & the Women’s Center.

 

http://www.lorettaross.com/Biography.html

 

Some books about women's reproductive rights at the Armacost Library

Women of Color and the Reproductive Rights Movement

Reproduction, Globalization, and the State

Our Bodies, Our Crimes: The Policing of Women's Reproduction in America

Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice

Items about reproductive rights via an Armacost Library database

Sociological Abstracts

Gay Bradshaw

October 20 @ Orton Center.  Human-Animal Studies.

 

http://www.kerulos.org/about-us/people/

Gay Bradshaw's book at the Armacost Library

Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us about Humanity

Items about human relationships with animals via an Armacost Library database

Philosopher's Index

Vandana Shiva

October 21 @ the Chapel.  ASUR Convocations and Lectures+.

http://www.navdanya.org/about-us/from-the-founder

Some of the books and videos by Vandana Shiva at the Armacost Library

Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge

Biopolitics: A Feminist and Ecological Reader on Biotechnology

Close to Home: Women Reconnect Ecology, Health, and Development Worldwide

Dirt!: The Movie

Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability and Peace

Ecofeminism

Stolen Harvest: The Hijacking of the Global Food Supply

 

Items about ecofeminism via an Armacost Library database

ProQuest Research Library

 

Gloria Steinem

October 23 @ the Chapel.  ASUR Convocations and Lectures.

http://jewishcurrents.org/march-25-gloria-steinem-15861

 

Some books and a film by or about Gloria Steinem at the Armacost Library

The Education of a Woman: The Life of Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem: Her Passions, Politics, and Mystique
Miss Representation
Moving Beyond Words
Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions
Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem

 

Items about Gloria Steinem via an Armacost Library database

OmniFile Full-Text Mega

 

Barbara Ehrenreich

November 5 @ the Chapel.  Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Theater Department, Women’s and Gender Studies.

 

http://barbaraehrenreich.com/

 

Some books by Barbara Ehrenreich at the Armacost Library

Bait and Switch: The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream
Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America
Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy
Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy
Living with a Wild God: A Nonbeliever's Search for the Truth about Everything
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America

Items about social inequality via an Armacost Library database

EconLit

 

Tony Silvia

November 12 @ Orton Center.  Annual Pierpoint Lecture.

http://tonysilvia.wordpress.com/

 

Books by Tony Silvia at the Armacost Library

Global News: Perspectives on the Information Age
Power Performance: Multimedia Storytelling for Journalism and Public Relations
Robert Pierpoint: A Life at CBS News

Items about news media via an Armacost Library database

America: History & Life

Library Open House

Come one, come all, to the Library Open House. Enjoy light refreshments and get oriented to all the Library has to offer. Tour this academic realm to find the ideal study space, discover useful resources in your discipline, or explore the stacks and hunt for a book to feed your intellectual cravings.

The Library Open House will be held on the 2nd floor of the Library from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. on Friday, August 29th.



Lua Gregory
First Year Experience Librarian
University of Redlands

Upcoming Changes to the Website & Downtimes

As part of our commitment to provide you with the best research and library experience, we're upgrading the framework upon which our website rests. (For you curious techies, we're moving to the Twitter Bootstrap framework.)

The Short

• Around 9:30am on 8/11/2014, the Library website will be down for a few hours as we upgrade our website
• Rather than being mobile-friendly, the upgraded website will be responsive to the width of your device's browser
• You may need to update your bookmarks
• The navigation menu will change
• You'll see a slight change in the home page

The Long

On the morning of August 11, the Armacost Library website will be down for a few hours. Our new website will reflect several distinct changes. For starters, it will be responsive meaning it adjusts to the width of your browser, independent of the desktop or mobile device you're using to access the library website. It also means that you may need to update bookmarks to library web pages. For example, if you've bookmarked a URL that looks like

http://library.redlands.edu/content.php?pid=327607&sid=2716274 (before upgrade)

you'll need to change it to look like

http://library.redlands.edu/c.php?g=327607&p=2716274 (after upgrade).

We've redesigned a more usable website navigation that emphasizes the crux of what library users need and do at the library:  access information, learn, teach, and seek assistance. Here's a sneak peek of the main navigation

and a partial view of the expanded navigation menu.

Lastly, most of the home page will remain the same, but we've removed the Quick Links and Information For (different audiences) pages. In their place will be avenues to find quick answers to your questions.

If you have any questions, please contact us at (909) 748-8022 or email library@redlands.edu.

Annual Summer Book Sale

Come one, come all, to the Armacost Library Annual Summer Book Sale!

This year the book sale will be held on Thursday, June 19th and Friday, June 20th from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. You will find us on the Library's North Patio, Garden Level.

Prices are as follows:

Ex-library books, 25 cents

Unmarked, “new” books, 50 cents

“Fancy” books and large sets, prices vary

Magazines/Journals, 5 for $1

Maps of all sizes, prices vary

Posters, 25 cents

Sheet Music, 4 for $1

Compact Discs, $1

DVDs, $1

VHS tapes, 50 cents

Audio cassettes, 25 cents

Recycled Book Art, prices vary

Please, no dealers.

See you there!

Summer at the Armacost Library

My goodness, summer is here, and I don’t have a thing to read.

Actually, that’s not true—there’s no end to the list of books I want to read. 

If you don’t have that kind of optimistic reading list, I invite you to check out a few of my favorites among the Armacost library’s books (and a few movies).  They are all science fiction—give the genre a try if you haven’t already!

Her smoke rose up forever is a collection of stories and novellas by James Tiptree, Jr.  The author has a way of making the world seem more dangerous, even as you’re sitting in your comfy reading chair.

Handmaid’s Tale tells a dystopian story which, frankly, terrified me.

If you prefer to laugh while you read, try Ultimate Hitchhiker, which contains five novels from Douglas Adams’ series.  It begins with the destruction of the earth in order to make way for an interstellar highway, and if you think the destruction of an entire planet isn’t very funny, this book might change your mind.

On the other hand, there’s Ender’s Game, in which children are trained to wage war.

When you get tired of space battles, or if you want to read something with more pictures, try a bit of alternate history in Watchmen.

Finally, some movies!  In Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, a young woman tries to keep peace between her people and her planet.

Pan’s Labyrinth is a creepy fairytale with an excellent villain.

Finally, obviously, Star Wars.

If you read and watch all that this summer, you’ll be better prepared for the future.

We’ll be open Monday through Thursday from 9-6, and Sundays from 1-5.  Come visit—we're air-conditioned!

Firefly Exhibit in the Library

It is rare to come across a Western set in space that is as perfectly executed as Joss Whedon's science fiction series, Firefly. The series title refers to a type of space ship, specifically a Firefly-class transport ship. The nine characters featured in the series are crew members on just such a vessel, called Serenity.

Carey Meyer, the production designer for Firefly, was instrumental in bringing the vision of Serenity to life. To learn more about the production process, the Armacost Library is currently exhibiting set design drawings and a model of the space ship Serenity.

In addition, on Thursday, May 29th at 3:30 p.m., a reception will be held in the Library to celebrate the exhibit. Carey Meyer will be present to answer questions.


Lua Gregory
First Year Experience and Humanities Librarian
University of Redlands

All That Jazz in the Armacost Library (Part 2)

Photo by Tom Palumbo

Are you interested in jazz? Did you know that the Armacost Library has an impressive music collection, encompassing many genres, including jazz? Whether you are new to jazz, or a long-time fan, you are sure to find many recordings that will enhance your enjoyment of this swinging, emotive, and unique form of musical expression in our library.

In my last blog post, I wrote about the beginnings of jazz and some of its innovators and pioneers, including Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker. One of the preeminent figures of jazz, who bridged the wide span of developments in the genre during the 20th century, was the renowned trumpeter, bandleader, and composer, Miles Davis. Davis, who was born in 1926, was known for his distinctive, clear, and haunting tone, and his phrasing and sense of space. He would say “I always listen to what I can leave out.” At the start of his musical career, he worked with many of the early innovators of jazz, including Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. Some of his first recordings can be found on Birth of the Cool (from 1949-50) and Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants (from the mid-1950s) with Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Milt Jackson, Red Garland and other prominent musicians. His most popular recording, and the biggest-selling jazz album of all time, Kind of Blue, was recorded in 1959 with the influential pianist Bill Evans, and the participation of John Coltrane, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. In the late 1950s through the early 1960s, Davis frequently collaborated with the arranger Gil Evans. Among their recordings, the first is Miles Ahead from 1957, Porgy and Bess from 1958, is a jazz interpretation of the George Gershwin opera, and Sketches of Spain, which was recorded a few years later and became one of their most popular albums. An overview of the Davis/Evans recordings can be found on The Best of Miles Davis and Gil Evans.

Davis’s music continued to evolve throughout the 1960s, and he frequently collaborated with up and coming musicians, such as Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Wayne Shorter, and Chick Corea. The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel is a concert recording from 1965 that features Hancock and Shorter, and Miles Smiles is a studio album from 1967 with the same musicians. As the decade progressed, Davis was influenced by the rock and funk genres of popular music, and this combination of different musical styles that incorporated more electrical instruments became known as jazz fusion. In a Silent Way, recorded in 1969, and Bitches Brew, which was recorded later in the same year, are two of the earliest examples of jazz fusion. A series of live recordings from the end of 1970 are collected on The Cellar Door Sessions, and it features the musicians Keith Jarrett and John McLaughlin. A collection of recordings that Davis made between 1969 and 1981 can be found on the compilation, Miles Davis Electric.            

In the mid-1970s, Davis withdrew from recording and performing, partly because of exhaustion and health problems. Davis eventually returned to recording at the end of the 1970s and performing in the early 1980s, although at a more intermittent pace than in the past. His last significant recordings were Tutu from 1986 and Miles and Quincy Live at Montreux, which was recorded in 1991. Miles Davis died on September 28, 1991, thus ending one of the most illustrious careers in jazz, although his recorded legacy and influence will live on forever. A broad overview of his musical output can be found on the collection The Columbia years, 1955-1985.

The library also has several books about Miles Davis and his music, including his own autobiography Miles, the Autobiography, Milestones by Jack Chambers, The Miles Davis Companion: Four Decades of Commentary edited by Gary Carner, and The Blue Moment: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue and the Remaking of Modern Music by Richard Williams.

If you are interested in further resources, including more recordings and books, consult the library’s catalog or ask a librarian for assistance. If you wish to check-out CDs or DVDs, simply bring a list with the Call Numbers of the titles to the Help Desk; the Student Assistant will retrieve the CDs or DVDs for you. Also, many recordings are available online via the Naxos Music Library Jazz collection.

Susan LaRose

Electronic Resources Department

Armacost Library

Preservation Week

In the world of libraries, we often think about the preservation of materials we hold in our collections. We want to ensure that special and unique materials are handled carefully, stored properly and are available for many years to come.

But how often do you think about preserving your own memories for future generations? From prom tickets and postcards to grandmother’s quilt and handwritten letters to boxes of photographs taken decades ago, all of these items have a special place in our hearts. While we can scan a letter and save a photo online, there’s something precious about holding the “real thing” in our hands.

April 27 thru May 3, 2014 marks National Preservation Week, sponsored by The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (a division of the American Library Association). Preservation Week highlights ways “to connect our communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

For more information check out the Preservation Toolkit which includes: Caring for Your Documents and Works of Art on Paper, Caring for Your Photographic Collections, Resources in Other Languages, and Resources for Military Families.

Additionally, these free webinars are available to everyone. No prior preservation experience is needed:

Tuesday, April 29, 2014, 11 am, Low Cost Ways to Preserve Family Archives

Thursday, May 1, 2014, 11 am Preserving Scrapbooks

Previous National Preservation Week webcasts also available include:

The Preservation of Family Photographs

Taking Care, Family Textiles

Accidents Happen: Protecting & Saving Family Treasures

Posted for Trisha Aurelio, Technical Services Supervisor at Armacost Library.

2014 Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award

Photo by Tommi Cahill

The Sixth Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award Reception was held on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 in the Library.  This year's award was split between two recipients. We celebrated the student scholarship of Michelle Hahn, a History major completing her junior year and Mounika Parimi, a double major in Biology and Music, graduating this year. 

Michelle Hahn with faculty advisor Dr. John Glover (History)

Michelle Hahn received the award for her essay, "The Usage and Remembrance of History: Pseudohistory and its Damaging Effects in Apartheid South Africa."  Her essay demonstrated a clear convergence of evidence and argument, and addressed significant historical questions.  Michelle's research strategy essay traced a particular research interest by making connections between several courses, from multiple disciplines.  Additionally her research strategy essay indicated a strong understanding of historiography, and of mining the secondary literature for references to primary sources.  Well done!  

Mounika Parimi with faculty advisor Dr. Katherine Baber

Mounika Parimi received the award for her essay, "Musical Mixes of 'Classical India and the West: Exploring Novel Styles."  In her research strategy essay, Mounika describes research as an "opportunity to learn" and as an iterative process of developing a focus, finding and winnowing source material, managing disappointment, and seeking help.  Mounika collected and made use of a rich variety of primary and secondary sources in her wide-ranging project. Bravo!  

2014 ALURA selection committee and awardees. Bill Kennedy, Lua Gregory, Dr. Scott Randolph, Dr. Scott Stevens; Mounika Parimi, Shana Higgins, Tommi Cahill, Dr. Joanna Bieri, and Michelle Hahn

Many thanks are due to all the people that made this year's ALURA possible: the students who submitted their work; the selection committee; Director of Armacost Library, Gabriela Sonntag; amazing faculty across the curriculum encouraging their students to independent thought and exploration; and our talented Armacost Library faculty and staff.


Learn more about the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award.  

Using mobile devices for library research, part 2

With finals and the end of the spring semester in sight, now is a good time to consider how you can get the most out of your research time at Armacost Library. In the first part of my blog post on how you could use mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets in your research process, I offered some general tips about finding sources, managing sources and citations, and developing your thinking. In subsequent posts, I will be sharing more specific advice about four tools particularly helpful for mobile research:

• Mobile-friendly library databases based on responsive design principles
• Evernote for developing research projects
• Zotero or Mendeley for managing citations

So let's get started by looking at mobile-friendly databases!

Finding articles in an Ebsco database

Most of Armacost Library's article databases are now mobile friendly by default. You don't need to download a special app to use them; just click the link from our Article Databases web page!
In the early days of mobile computing, software developers argued whether it was better to create a new app for each mobile device, or design one website that would look good and work well regardless of which device was used to display it. The latter strategy is winning out, thanks to the development of responsive web design principles. [1]
For example, here is a sample search conducted in one of Armacost Library's databases. The interface changes its appearance depending on whether you are viewing it on a phone or a tablet. You can revise your search results and download PDF files to your device just as if you were using a desktop computer.

Listening to music in the Naxos Music Library

As a pianist, composer and general classical music fan, the Naxos Music Library is one of my favorite library databases. I've been a longtime user of their free app (see the iPhone and Android versions). The iPhone app is a little awkward to use on a tablet, but all the functionality is there.
This year, Naxos upgraded its player to use responsive design principles. Simply follow the link from the Armacost Library website, search the Naxos catalog of over 95,000 classical and jazz CDs, and you will be able to listen to the streaming audio over your phone or tablet. Up to 15 students can listen to recordings simultaneously.

In the next post in this series on mobile devices and library research, I'll share how you can use Evernote to help you organize your thoughts during longer-term research projects. Until then,
Sanjeet Mann
Electronic Resources Librarian
University of Redlands

Notes

1. Many authors have offered basic definitions of responsive web design. For example, see web developer John Polacek's visual introduction to responsive design, or library consultant Aaron Schmidt's article introducing the concept to a general librarian audience.

Student Sculpture Exhibit - Plaster and Rope

This Spring, the Introduction to Sculpture class has prepared two different types of artwork, one using rope and one using plaster.

An exhibit of the students' work is on display in the Armacost Library through April 16th.  A Reception for the Artists, open to all, will be held on April 2, 2014 from 10:00-10:45 a.m. in the second floor library lobby.

Repetition, Rhythm, & Rope

Students, working with partners, worked together to create a sculpture that uses the principles of repetition and rhythm as a focus. Additionally, the use of rope as their main material created special problems, which needed to be solved according to the ideas and developed forms.  Each group encountered problems that were structural and aesthetic, coming to solutions and decisions along the way. The resulting pieces reflect patience, innovation, perseverance, problem solving and excellent craftsmanship.

Rope Sculpture by: Carrie Jo Caffrey and Daniel De la Torre

Planar Sculpture Artwork

Students cast and carved plaster sculptures with several goals in mind; to learn to cast plaster keeping the integrity of the material so as to be able to carve a blank form and create a single sculpture of well developed planes, to make a piece considering the relationship of forms as they develop around the sculpture, and to work towards excellent craftsmanship. This is the first piece of the semester and represents students that are both non-art majors and art majors in an Art Studio Foundation Class.

ART 145 Introduction to Sculpture
Professor Renée Azenaro
Spring 2014

Libraries Going Green

There are many ways nowadays that libraries are improving upon their sustainability methods, from reducing unnecessary waste to bringing indoor plants into the picture to improve indoor air quality. In the Armacost Library we have been making an effort toward a more green environment. Taking a look at other academic libraries has been a helpful way of doing so. Here are some of the ways other libraries have been making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint and improve other aspects of their library with environmentally friendly features.

photograph by Nicole Loughan, 2013

Natural Light:  Skylights and a larger amount of windows have been common additions to new libraries being built. This helps to conserve both energy and money as the lights have to be turned on less often. Recent studies have also shown that students feel less tension and anxiety when spending long periods of time next to windows and with natural light as opposed to solid walls and indoor lighting.

photograph by Alice Dubin, 2013

Indoor Plants:  Plants are being used indoors more and more commonly to reduce carbon dioxide and other common harmful compounds in closed buildings. Plants indoors can also help people inside to feel less stressed and more productive.

Reducing the Use of Unneeded Resources:

• Printing is often a necessity in academic libraries. Many schools, including our own, have made efforts to reduce the amount of paper we use by turning in papers electronically or assigning homework online.
• Energy efficient lighting and motion sensors for both lighting fixtures and water faucets have been popular installations to conserve common resources.
• Many academic libraries have cafes for students. One way that has been very successful for reducing the use of plastic cups around schools is asking them to bring their own reusable mugs.

For more information, please visit these resources:

Benefits of Green Plants

Western Libraries Sustainability Evaluation

Other Green Library Pages

- posted by Sara Frank