On Display: Nature Writing

Largely begun in the nineteenth century, nature writing was established as a discourse that translated the glories of nature and global exploration in words.  On display in the east entrance display cases, you will find a selection of materials related to the beginnings of nature writing and environmental writing as is happens today.

Familiar authors such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John James Audobon are available to check out - alongside newer writings on environmental stewdardship and other issues in the news today.  Please see a member of the library staff at the circulation desk if you would like to check out any of the items.

Last Opportunity for Govt. Info. Survey!

Please help us celebrate 150 years as a Federal Depository Library! We need your responses to this FDLP survey in order to promote and understand the use of our Government Document Collection. The 16-question survey focuses on depository access, services, and collections. Results of the survey will contribute to the extensive efforts by GPO to address the value of FDLP membership.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey!

Hewes Library, Monmouth College
United States Federal Depository Since 1860

New ScotsRead Titles

A few more ScotsRead titles have arrived recently.  You can check out the full collection on the mail floor of the library - near the New Books display.  Recently added include:

• Batman: The return of Bruce Wayne by Grant Morrison
• Stuntman! My car-crashing, plane-jumping, bone-breaking, death-defying Hollywood Life by Hal Needham
• True Whit: Designing a life of style, beauty, and fun by Whitney Port
• The Winter Ghosts by Kate Mosse
• The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

Title Highlight: The Encyclopedia of World War I

The Encyclopedia of World War I

5 volumes: Maps, charts, illustrations, photos
List of Maps (specialized ones in each volume)
General maps (at the beginning of vol. 1-4)
Medals of Honor/Victoria Cross (vol. 4)
Army and Navy Ranks (vol. 4)
Chronology (vol.4)
Glossary (vol.4)
Historiography of World War I (vol.4)
Bibliography (vol.4)
Documents (vol. 5)

As the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the war rapidly approaches (August 2014), this 5 volume set is a good place to begin research on the global conflict that became known as World War I. It covers not only the major battles and military/political figures of the war, but also such topics as cavalry (World War I was actually the last war where cavalry was widely used, particularly in the Middle Eastern theater of war), the machine gun, trench warfare, and the submarine and aircraft (both new weapons first used in the conflict). It also covers the role of little known participants such as Brazil and the effects the war had on non-participants in the conflict. Beside the campaigns and battles of the war it gives information on pacifists, (ex., Jane Adams, Vera Britten, Rosa Luxemburg), anarchists (ex., Alexander Berkman, Emma Goldman), spies both real and fanciful (Mata Hari, Edith Cavell) and groups (The American Union Against Militarism) that opposed the war. It also covers topics such as the use of censorship, the home front in different countries, actions taken against German-Americans, intelligence and counter intelligence and many other areas related to the war. There are many charts and illustrations along with suggestions for further readings at the end of most entries.

The fifth volume contains copies of original documents connected with the war translated into English (if English was not the original language of the document). Included are the pre-war treaties between England and France, Austria and Germany, France and Russia, Great Britain and Japan and others that led to the participation of many countries in the war. It also includes diplomatic and military documents from both sides of the conflict and the peace treaties following the end of the war.

Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of African American Society

Encyclopedia of African American Society

2 volumes: Illustrations, List of Entries, Reader’s Guide
African Americans in Halls of Fame (vol. 2)
Colleges and Universities with Majors in African American Studies (vol. 2)
Selected African American Heritage Sites (vol. 2)
Index (at the end of vol. 2)

This two volume set is a good starting point for finding information on African American people, places, issues and culture. The essays found in this book are short and the author does not recommend using them as a source for term papers, but it is a good place to find initial information and suggestions for further research. In this set one can find the answers to such questions as “Who was the first African American awarded a Ph.D”, “When was the Congressional Black Caucus founded”, “Are there conservative African Americans and what do they believe?” The Reader’s Guide is especially useful for finding the encyclopedia entries on various topics, for example: History and Heritage, Literature, Movements and Events, and Entertainment are all topics with lists of articles relating to that subject. The listing of African Americans in Halls of Fame contains not only the usual sports and entertainment lists, but also those listed in the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame, the National Museum of Dance Hall of Fame and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Another list which has regional interest is the Selected African American Heritage Sites list which mentions 3 places in Illinois that are important in African American history, all located in Chicago; the Eighth Regiment Armory, Ida B. Wells-Barnett House, and the Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Homesite. The encyclopedia contains articles on each of these places and as well as all of the people found in the lists.

On Display: President's Day

On Monday, February 21, the nation will be celebrating Presidents Day.  It was originally designated Washington's Day after President George Washington's birthday.  Today, states throughout the United States celebrate it differently.

Selection of items on display for: The Presidents.

On display in the east entrance display area is a collection of books and films relating to the US Presidents.  All materials are available to check out - just see a staff member at the library's circulation desk to assist you.

Writing a research paper? Working on a project?

If so, the Reference staff at Hewes Library can help.  Stop by and we can help you narrow your search topics or point you in the path towards resources.  You can either stop by the reference desk at the times below or email referenceATmonmDOTedu to schedule a time to meet with a librarian.  Be sure to bring a copy of your assignment with you!

The reference staff is available:

• Monday - Thursday: 9am-noon, 1:30-4:30pm, and 6-9pm
• Friday: 9am-noon and 1:30-4:30pm
• Saturday: No reference service
• Sunday: 1:30-4:30pm and 6-9pm

Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture

Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture

1 volume: Maps, charts, illustrations, abbreviations and technical terminology
Phonetic Definitions
Thematic list of entries
Language Index
General Index

This encyclopedia is not what you would think. It is not an encyclopedia about modern popular cultures, but is primarily an encyclopedia of word and language origins and relationships in the Indo-European family of languages, which includes Celtic, English, German, Greek, Persian and the Romance languages. However, the book does contain articles on ancient Neolithic cultures such as the Beaker and Dnieper-Donets culture, the Bronze Age Phrygians and others. It also has articles on various topics including clothing, comparative mythology, medicine, pigs, the trickster and the underworld. The many illustrations and maps clearly show where different cultures were active and what sort of artifacts they left behind and the further reading section after each entry refers one to more information on each topic. If one likes to study the origins of words and concepts in Indo-European languages, this book would be a good place to start. It is also a good introduction to many of the more shadowy ancient cultures sometimes referred to in ancient writings.

New Items at Hewes Library

New items are added to the Hewes Library Collection on a continual basis. Recent titles have included:

• Academically Adrift by Richard Arum & Josipa Roksa
• Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History by Thomas Barfield
• Civil War Wives by Carol Berkin
• How to Succeed in College Mathematics by Richard M. Dahlke
• Made in America by Claude S. Fischer
• High on the Hog by Jessica B. Harris
• Rifle Musket in Civil War Combat by Earl J. Hess
• Free Trade Under Fire by Douglas A. Irwin
• Colonial Justice in British India by Elizabeth Kolsky
• What is Posthumanism by Cary Wolfe

Government Information Survey Reminder!

Please help us celebrate 150 years as a Federal Depository Library! We need your responses to this FDLP survey in order to promote and understand the use of our Government Document Collection. The 16-question survey focuses on depository access, services, and collections. Results of the survey will contribute to the extensive efforts by GPO to address the value of FDLP membership.

Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete the survey!

Hewes Library, Monmouth College
United States Federal Depository Since 1860

New ScotsRead Titles

The latest ScotsRead titles to be added are:

• A Cup of Friendship by Deborah Rodriguez
• And the rest is history: The famous (and infamous) first meetings of the world's most passionate couples by Marlene Wagman-Geller
• The Cypress House by Michael Koryta
•  William and Kate: the love story by Christopher Andersen
• I beat the odds: from homelessness, to the blind side, and beyond by Michael Oher

Check them out in the ScotsRead section on the main floor of the library!

Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of gods

Encyclopedia of gods : over 2,500 deities of the world

1 volume
Chronology of the Principal Religions and Cultures covered in the book
Civilization Index
Subject Index

This small volume introduces many of the various gods and goddesses found in cultures both ancient and modern. Most of the entries are very short, detailing the culture that the deity belongs to and his/her attributes. The major gods of any culture are listed in BOLD letters and the listing contains information on the deity’s origin, period of worship, other names, cult center, art reference and literary sources. The civilization index at the back is useful for finding lists of gods and goddesses associated with a given culture or religion. Some of the lists are quite long, the entries on Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Hindu gods each contain over 100 names. The subject index is useful for finding the names of gods and goddesses in different cultures associated with a given trait (creator, fertility, harvest etc.) There are no references to other sources for further reading, but the introduction gives a good background and overview of the topic.