Ramadan Mubarak! From Palestine

Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranoush/2800065826/

By rana ossama

“Happy Ramadan”

We are currently in the month of Ramadan, one of the holiest months in the Islamic calendar. This year, Ramadan started in the evening of Monday, July 8 and will last until sundown of Wednesday, August 7. Ramadan is a month of fasting, prayer, and great introspection among followers of Islam. Marking this solemn occasion, community members from Redlands Peace Academy have put together a special exhibit of cultural artifacts from Palestine.

Shaheen Zackaria, Sabreen Mohammad, Najoa Bouzidi, and Sarah Kazmi brought and arranged beautiful items loaned to Armacost Library from the Baker Mohammed family, the Al-Ardah family, and the Hasaniya family, all members of Redlands Peace Academy. The pieces on display are different kinds of traditional headwear and dresses, a decorative jewelry box, replicas of the Dome of the Rock, the well-known mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem, a prayer rug, and olive oil from Palestine. Information about some of the items on display are provided in the exhibit.

The Palestinian cultural exhibit will be on display at University of Redlands Armacost Library’s lobby until Thursday, August 8, 2013. The Redlands Peace Academy display is part of the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys activities at University of Redlands, a program that serves to highlight Islam and the cultures, histories, and stories of Muslim-majority societies. Bridging Cultures Bookshelf:Muslim Journeys is made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in cooperation with the American Library Association (ALA). All are welcome to visit and enjoy the beautiful cultural exhibit.

Melissa I. Cardenas-Dow
Outreach/Behavioral Sciences Librarian
Armacost Library, University of Redlands
909.748.8089
Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu

Senior Art in the Library

I am very pleased to announce the first student artwork acquired by the Armacost Library for a permanent display. Stop by the Office of the Librarian and delight in this beautiful piece. 

“Hyperbole”  

Candice Broersma, Class of 2013

Acrylic, Graphite, White Charcoal Pencil, Colored Pencil, on Watercolor Paper.

Dimensions: 18 in. x 24 in.

More information in the artist's own words:

"This work began as an assignment for a painting class, but became more of personal piece over time. The open-ended nature of the assignment gave me freedom to paint several subjects I had been itching to paint: fluffy clouds, oversized flowers, and someone reading a book in profile, which I afterwards discovered was “Parrish-esque” in flavor. The flowers that had inspired me with their beauty were the multi-colored poppies planted around campus, so I sought out my reference photos from my accessible surroundings. As for a model, I asked the talented and stylish Emily Praetorius to pose for me. Emily was and is a friend, fellow clarinet player, and composer, so I knew I could not go wrong. We shot at two different locations, but the location at the planter between Watchorn hall and the chapel was the winner. Some things inevitably changed from photo to painting, most notably the color of the poppies. This was more a result of technical difficulties than a deliberate artistic choice, although I would not have made the change if it compromised the composition. Most of the painting uses washes of acrylic to establish a base color and then pencil on top to add depth. This was proving difficult for the nuances of shadow in the flowers, so I decided to use the acrylic paint opaquely in wet-in-wet washes. The resulting combination of media is one that I am incredibly happy with. The whimsy of content and texture reminds me of illustrations you might find in children’s books--an appropriate connection considering the narrative of my piece. It is my hope that “Hyperbole” will inspire people to sit back, observe the beauty of the outdoors, and pick up a good book."

Emily Praetorius is a graduate of the University of Redlands with a B.M. in Composition and a B.M. in Clarinet Performance. She is currently studying at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, New York for a M.M. in Composition. 

Candice Broersma is a graduate of the University of Redlands with a B.A. in Studio Art and a B.A. in Music. She is currently studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design for a M.F.A. in Illustration. 

Artist's website: http://beyondthevanishingpoint.blogspot.com

For more information on the Student Art in the Library program contact me at:

Gabriela_Sonntag@redlands.edu or 909.748.8096

Mobilized: The Library Website (Beta)

It's a party, and not just because we're approaching July 4th! We've just released a beta version of the library's mobile website.

"Beta? What does that mean?"

That means we made something we think you'll like, but we need to hear from you so visit the library website on your mobile device!

You can now do the following in mobile-friendly ways:

• View Library hours & events
• Shoot us a question
• Browse mobile-friendly databases
• Find books in our collection
• View electronic books
• Find course reserves
• See subject-specific research guides
• Renew books
• Recommend book purchases
• View saved book lists
• Access Moodle, and more!

Questions, suggestions, concerns, etc? Tell us

Coming Soon! Mobile Library Website (Beta)

The Armacost Library will soon unveil a mobile (beta) version of the library website! Easily check if the library's open, find a course reserve, renew a book, and more.

To get the announcement, follow us by email or subscribe to the RSS feed.

New resource for industry research!

We are very happy to share with our academic community a new electronic resource for your use. Euromonitor International’s Passport GMID (“gee-mid” standing for: Global Market Information Database) allows users to perform industry level research across countries worldwide. With access to statistics, surveys, and expert analysis, researchers seeking out data on markets, industries, and consumers both domestically and abroad, should find tools to assist them in their process here. 

You may access it from any computer using your myRedlands ID and password. It is discoverable from our exhaustive list of databases, as well as the research guide for business studies. As you have time, please have a look round this resource, and do let us know what you think! 

Read This! Barbara Fister's "Decode Academy"

The text of Barbara Fister's talk presented at the annual LOEX conference, held in Nashville, TN, on May 3, 2013.  

Fister asks some big questions and makes some provocative claims in relation to student learning, libraries, and information literacy.  It's worth a read, and not just for librarians.

A teaser:

"Since I work at a small college with an undergraduate focus, my answer to “what are libraries for” tends to focus on student learning. In what ways does my library contribute to what our graduates learn? When we talk about information literacy, what we really mean by it is preparing students to keep learning, to participate in society, and to have the skills and habits that will help them make the most of their lives and contribute something valuable to society. This means helping them not only to decode how to find and use information – that’s the easy part – but helping them discover within themselves the ability to create new knowledge; to develop the skills that will not only help them recognize authority, but to become, themselves, authors of the world they’re stepping into when they graduate. We have a tendency to respond to the needs that present themselves, and those tend to focus on helping students be successful students. But we need to keep our eye on the ultimate purpose of

information literacy: to be able to use critical skills for inquiry wherever our students land, knowing that for most of them, it will be in a very different place."

Read the full text here: "Decode Academy."

World Book Night 2013: The Gift of Books

Yesterday, Tuesday, April 16, 2013, Armacost Library held a reception for WBN 2013 book givers who chose our library as a pick-up location for their books. We shared our book-giving plans and locations. WBN is about spreading the love of reading, person to person. This year, WBN wants to hear more from book recipients. Book givers are encouraged to include a contact sheet in each book that will help recipients tell their stories. We want to hear about the experiences of both book givers and book recipients. Please contact me or any of the other librarians at Armacost Library about publishing your stories on Armacost Library’s blog.

Melissa I. Cardenas-Dow

Outreach/Behavioral Sciences Librarian
Armacost Library, University of Redlands
909.748.8089
Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu

World Book Night 2013 display at Armacost Library, courtesy of Denise Cline

World Book Night 2013 books

Commencement by Zack

Around this time last year, I was a high school senior who was so excited to graduate and move on to the next chapter of my life. Now we have reached the same time of the year this year and our Bulldog seniors are finishing off their school year. They have countless projects and papers but are still excited before they too, move on to their next chapter of life as they enter the real world.


Some of us are experiencing headaches because of living arrangements for next year, how we are going to pack everything before we go home for summer, or because of the lack of sleep we are all getting due to our chaotic schedules. Nonetheless, the end of the school year is approaching fast and that means commencement is just around the corner. Don't fall behind as this school year comes to an end, come to the Armacost Library for any assistance that you may need with your research papers and projects. If you are looking for a quiet and comfortable place to get your work done or to just take a load off, the library is the place to be.
- Zack '16

How do Bulldogs Read?

Photo adapted from http://flic.kr/p/7cDUMC

Do you read print books and e-books? A 2012 Pew Research Center study shows that 72% of adults in the United States read print books in the last year and 17% read electronic books. Do book reading practices of University of Redlands students match those national findings? To find out, students at the University of Redlands are invited to take a brief (really!) survey to help the Armacost Library provide access to more books – both electronic and print.  Please help us by answering a few questions about your book use.

Thank you in advance for giving us useful feedback via this short survey. As always, feel free to contact any of us at the Armacost Library regarding your information and research needs.

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

5th Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award Reception

5th Annual Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award Reception

Tuesday, April 2nd, 5-6pm

Library Conference Room

Armacost Library (3rd floor)

(refreshments served)

Alexandra Bollella with her advisor Dr. Pat Wasielewski (Sociology & Anthropology)

The 2013 recipient of the Armacost Library Undergraduate Research Award (ALURA) is Alexandra Bollella for her paper titled "Bridging the Divide: A Comparative Analysis of Feminist Movements in Turkey and the United States.”

Alexandra Bollella and her faculty sponsor, Dr. Pat Wasielewski will join us to talk about their research processes. 

Please join us to celebrate undergraduate information literacy and library research skills!  We congratulate Alexandra and all of the students who submitted their work for consideration. The Selection Committee reviewed some impressive and varied research projects. 

The Selection Committee included:
Shana Higgins, Education, Interdisciplinary & Area Studes Librarian
Janelle Julagay, Business Librarian
Sanjeet Mann, Arts Librarian
Liesder Mayea, Assistant Professor, Spanish
Scott Stevens, Seiter Endowed Chair, Director of Writing
Vanessa Wilkie, Assistant Professor, History
Amy Wilms, Assistant Dean of Academics & Student Life

Muslim Journeys Tea & Discussion: Know Your Muslim Neighbor

University of Redlands Armacost Library will host the second Tea & Discussion event for Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys entitled "Know Your Muslim Neighbor," a free program for public and university audiences. "Know Your Muslim Neighbor" will cover topics that will facilitate understanding of who our Muslim neighbors are. What makes them different? What do we have in common? The discussion will highlight the five goals and objectives of Sharia Law: the preservation, protection and progression of Life, Family, Wealth, Intellect, and Faith.  We will come to realize that we have more in common than we thought.

The discussion will be facilitated by Malek Bendelhoum, who is the Coordinator for Programs and Outreach at the Islamic Shura Council. He graduated from UC Riverside with a degree in political science. He was born and has been living in Inland Empire all his life. He has volunteered at the Islamic Center of Riverside and other community organizations, such as CAIR-Los Angeles and Muslim American Society. He also served as the Youth Director of the Islamic Center of Riverside and as the Vice President of the First Islamic Healing and Wellness Center, dedicated to helping all Californians with drug dependency and other addictions. The program will be held on Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at Redlands Peace Academy, from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Limited seating is available. Please send RSVPs to Melissa Cardenas-Dow, Outreach Librarian, by Monday, April 1, 2013. The program aims to familiarize public audiences in the United States with the people, places, history, faith, and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world.

For information about the materials and associated programs of the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys, please visit http://library.redlands.edu/muslimjourneys or contact Melissa Cardenas-Dow, Outreach Librarian, at 909-748-8089 or Melissa_Cardenasdow@redlands.edu.

The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys is a project of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) conducted in cooperation with the American LibraryAssociation (ALA), the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University, Oxford University Press, and Twin Cities Public Television. Major support for the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf was provided by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Local support is provided by University of Redlands Campus Diversity & Inclusion and Redlands Peace Academy.

Information Literacy: Faculty Showcase 2013

This year's Information Literacy Showcase highlighted several diverse methods of integrating information and library research literacy into courses and programs:  a semester-long information literacy and research lab, a two-workshop introduction to research toward clinical practice, and a quick & adaptable literature review activity. 

Dr. Michael Groher (Communicative Disorders) and Melissa Cardenas-Dow (Behavioral Sciences Librarian) discussed the learning goals of CDIS 310: Junior Seminar, a course which orients students toward research practice that will support clinical practice through:

• learning to critically read research literature
• practicing research summaries 
•  and critical analysis of research

Two library workshops attached to this methodology course enable students to begin to acquire the language of their discipline and of the research databases in their field.

Dr. Scott Randolph (Business Administration) and Janelle Julagay (Business Librarian) described their development of and the outcomes of a semester-long research lab on which they have collaborated and co-taught for Randolph's BUS 226: The Rise of American Capitalism course.  Over the past two years their collaboration has grown from two library workshops during the BUS 226 lab to a weekly collaboration for the entire semester. Students are introduced to the practices of historical research, from deciphering and following footnotes to producing bibliographies to learning to ask questions of primary sources. In the process students also learn to recognize librarians as co-teachers in the shared education mission of the university. 

Finally, Gabriela Sonntag, Library Director, walked us through a literature review activity that provides an active learning opportunity for students to understand the purpose of literature reviews; how to read an abstract to quickly determine methodology, hypotheses, results, and gaps in the research; as well as learn to effectively read database records. 

Look for the products (sample assignments, activity prompts, worksheets) of this showcase in a soon to-be-announced Information Literacy Repository.  

We'll see you at next year's showcase!

WEST and the future of print

Librarians are not alone in their concern for the future of print materials. As the online environment becomes an expectation, rather than an exception, libraries are purchasing materials in electronic formats and tossing their print materials.

But what will happen in the future if the electronic wears out or becomes outdated like LP records or 8mm films? Will society lose all the intellectual content that was published electronically? That question keeps many of us awake at night.

The Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST) is part of the solution. It is a distributed retrospective print journal repository program serving college and University libraries.  There are similar programs in different parts of the United States. 

Under the WEST program, participating libraries send their print journals to an archiving library. The resulting shared print archives ensure access to the scholarly print record. Member libraries can request the print materials whenever they need them while enjoying the extra space previously occupied by these print journals. 

Armacost Library has become a member of WEST so that Bulldogs current and future will always have access to print journals while at the same time enjoying plenty of open study space with comfortable seating. Soon we will begin sending print materials to the archiving libraries but ONLY for those materials that we already have available electronically.  There will be no loss of content as we eliminate the duplication and build a better library for you!

Read more about WEST at: http://www.cdlib.org/west/

Contact Gabriela Sonntag, Library Director at (909) 748-8096 or Gabriela_Sonntag@redlands.edu