ScotsRead Titles Arriving

The following titles have arrived and are now available in the ScotsRead Collection on the main level:

• Flight Behavior: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver
• Looking for Yesterday by Marcia Muller
• The Trial of Fallen Angels by James Kimmel, Jr.
• Collateral: A Novel by Ellen Hopkins
• My Year in Meals by Rachel Ray
• The Black Box by Michael Connelly
• Not Dead Yet by Peter James
• The Forgotten by David Baldacci

Pre-finals Extra Hours begin this weekend!

Hewes Library will begin its extra hours this Friday, November 30, as finals approach.  Hewes will be open until 9pm on Friday and Saturday and open early on Sunday.  Our full extended hours schedule is below and you can always view this information on the library Hours page.

Pre-Finals & Finals Week, Fall 2012 (November 30 - December 14)

Friday	November 30	7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Saturday	December 1	9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Sunday	December 2	9:00 a.m. - Midnight
Monday - Friday	December 3 - 7	7:30 a.m. - Midnight
Saturday - Sunday	December 8 - 9	9:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Monday - Thursday	December 10 - 13	7:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Friday	December 14	7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Reopening after Thanksgiving Break

Hewes Library will be open tonight from 6pm - Midnight for students wishing to study as they return from Thanksgiving Break.  Regular hours will resume tomorrow morning, Monday, November 26. 

Einstein Brothers Bagels will return to their regular hours on Monday, November, 26.

Thanksgiving Break Hours

Hewes Library will be closed for part of the Thanksgiving break holiday.  The full regular schedule resumes on Monday, November 26.  Our schedule is:

Thanksgiving Break 2012 (November 20 - 25)

Tuesday	November 20	7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday	November 21	8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Thursday - Saturday	November 22 - 24	Closed
Sunday	November 25	6:00 p.m. - Midnight

Database Highlight: Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets via JSTOR

Nineteenth Century British Pamphlets via JSTOR

In the days before the instant communication offered by the email, texting, tweeting and other messaging applications, how did politically active people communicate their point or promote their causes to the public?  The answer in the 19^th Century (1800-1899) at least in English-speaking countries was the pamphlet, a small printed tract taking one side of an issue or urging the reader to action.  Most activists of that time period used the printed word or public speeches as a way to influence public opinion, mobilize people to action or to inform the public of a problem.  Since the printed word could reach more people than speaking, often speeches by popular activists were printed and sold to the wider public.  The database 19^th Century British Pamphlets contains the full text and images for over 20,000 pamphlets published in Great Britain during the 19^th century. 

These pamphlets are a sub-collection found in another historical database that you may be familiar with, JSTOR. The pamphlets are organized by the source of the collection, such as the Bristol papers, Foreign and Commonwealth Office collection, etc.  Collections have descriptions of the general contents on the home page of the collection, for example:

Wilson Anti-Slavery Collection: Description

A collection of 19th-century anti-slavery pamphlets received in 1923 from the executors of Henry Joseph Wilson (1833-1914), the distinguished Liberal Member of Parliament for Sheffield. The collection is of particular importance for the study of the activities of the provincial philanthropic societies, such as the Birmingham and Midland Freedmen's Aid Association, the Birmingham and West Bromwich Ladies' Negro's Friend Society, the Glasgow Emancipation Society, the Manchester Union and Emancipation Society, and the Sheffield Ladies Female Anti-Slavery Society. Of interest is the prominent role of women in the movement, who formed themselves into societies which lobbied MPs and printed pamphlets on the conditions of slaves. Here we have details of what was sold at their bazaars to raise funds and lists of names of subscribers, the minutiae which bring alive the history of the movement.

Within these larger collections the pamphlets are broken down for browsing by year of publication.  When searching for a pamphlet do not use the search box found at the top of the main collection list, this searches the entire JSTOR database.  Instead, click on a collection and use the “search this collection” box to limit your search to one of the pamphlet collections. 

Some of the topics covered are things that were large issues during the 19^th Century such as slavery, home rule for Ireland and Scotland and relations between the Confederate States of America and Britain. Others concern political struggles of the time and still others have echoes in the present day in topics such as genocide, socialism versus individualism, capital punishment and compulsory vaccinations.  Many of the pamphlets discuss religious issues ranging from the nature of the human soul, to anti-Catholicism, universal education for children (something that did not become common until the late 19^th century), drinking, and the opium trade.

NOTE: The above articles are only a sample of pamphlets available.

When should I use this database? If you are enrolled in any of the courses leading to a minor in Victorian studies, this database offers a unique view at some of the topics and opinions held by the pamphlet writers of 19^th century Britain.  It can also offer an historic perspective on topics still in the news.

 

Access to databases is limited to the current students, staff, and faculty of Monmouth College.

Research Tip: Locating the Full Text of Articles

Found the perfect article, but can’t find the full-text anywhere?  Sometimes a search in a database like Academic Search Premier shows you an article that looks like it would be perfect for your research only the complete article isn’t found in the database.  If this happens to you the first thing to do is click on the Article linker button found at the bottom of the listing. 

This will tell you if the article can be found in either another database or in one of the journals found in Hewes Library.   

If the clicking the “Article Linker” button returns the words “no holdings found for this title”, don’t despair, you can still request the article by logging on to your ILLiad account and filling out an Article Request Form.  The circulation staff will find a library that has the journal and request them to send a copy to Monmouth.  Please be sure to fill in as much information as possible on the request and you will be notified by the library when the article has arrived.  This process can take up to a week, so do your research early!

New Items at Hewes Library

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

• Steroids by Rob Beamish
• Allies at Odds  by Eugenie M. Blang
• Jews and Booze: Becoming American in the Age of Prohibition by Marni Davis
• Baby With the Bathwater by Christopher Durang
• History of the Birth Control Movement in America by Peter C. Engelman
• Papist Patriots by Maura Jane Farrelly
• Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall
• Ripples of Battle by Victor Davis Hanson
• American Menswear by Daniel Delis Hill
• Writing for Others, Writing for Ourselves by Jerry Lanson

Database Highlight: American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Datapages

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Datapages

Although one would think that this database contains only information for people working in the oil and gas industry, this is untrue.  The database contains information on many more topics of interest to the specialist and non-specialist alike.

The AAPG datapages were a gift to Monmouth College, given “.. through the AAPG Foundation Digital Products Fund, by an endowment established by Lee and Robert Ardell (B.A. 1962) in memory of Donald L. Wills, Department of Geology, 1951-1984.”  Although Monmouth College has not a Department of Geology for a number of years, this database contains information on other topics appealing to people interested in environmental science, fossils and general geological information.   

For example, a search on “fossils” turns up over 12,000 documents relating to fossils.  The first result returned is the book “Drawings and Descriptions of Outstanding Fossils of the United States” that contains detailed descriptions and drawings of fossils of many different plants and animals sketched throughout a lifetime of fossil hunting by the author.

One can also find information on the status of the oil and gas industry in the United States.  For instance, this statement appeared in a recent column by the President of the AAPG:
“Five years ago, the United States imported approximately 65 percent of the oil it consumed. Today, the United States imports approximately 45 percent of the oil it consumes – a difference of 20 percent. That 20 percent is more than $125 billion per year that stays in the U.S. economy (assuming $100/BO and 12 MM BOPD imported in 2007, EIA, 2012).”

Most items returned by the database are available full-text with images, maps and sketches.  Here are some other articles that would be of interest to environmentalists as well as people interested in the oil and gas industry:

-A Power Point presentation on what the oil and gas industry is doing today to enhance the discovery of natural resources.

-Treatise Handbook 2: The Business of Petroleum Exploration.  Allows those interested to familiarize themselves with the concerns, strategies, terminology and research efforts used by the oil and gas industry. 

-a presentation on building local trust and protecting ground water during a fracking operation. (Fracking is a somewhat controversial method of obtaining trapped oil and natural gas)

When should I use this database?  If you are looking for information on the energy industry from the inside or if you have ever been curious as to what goes into producing the gasoline you use in your automobile this is a good place to start.  Much of the information presented is very technical, but there are documents that explain the oil and gas industry and related topics in a non-technical way.

New ScotsRead Titles

The following new titles have been added to the ScotsRead Collection on the main floor:

• The Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell
• Block 11 by Piero Degli Antoni
• The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chaverini
• The Racketeer by John Grisham
• The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman
• The Sins of the Mother: A Novel by Danielle Steel
• The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker

Hurricane Season: Facts from the US Census Bureau

The north Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and lasts through November 30.  With a few weeks left, we thought we would highlight some interesting statistics compiled by the US Census Bureau. 

37.3 million
Population as of July 1, 2011, of the coastal portion of states stretching from North Carolina to Texas — the areas most threatened by Atlantic hurricanes. Approximately 12 percent of the nation’s population live in these areas.
Source: 2011 Population Estimates http://factfinder2.census.gov

179,034
Collective land area in square miles of the coastal areas from North Carolina to Texas.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html

7
The number of hurricanes during the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, four of them Category 3-strength or higher. Irene was the only hurricane to make landfall in the U.S., though Subtropical Storm Lee and Tropical Storm Don both made landfall on the Gulf Coast.
Source: National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2011atlan.shtml

1950
The year the Weather Bureau officially began naming hurricanes.
Source: Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

Alberto
The name of the first Atlantic storm of 2012. Hurricane names rotate in a six-year cycle with the 2012 list being a repeat of the 2006 names.
Source: National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutnames.shtml

2005
In one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, 28 named storms formed, forcing use of the alternate Greek alphabet scheme for the first time. When the National Hurricane Center’s list of 21 approved names runs out for the year, hurricanes are named after Greek letters. Of the 28 named storms in 2005, 15 were hurricanes, with four storms reaching Category 5 status (Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma) and three more being considered major.
Source: Atlantic Oceanography and Meteorological Laboratory  http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/J6.html

Statistics from the US Census Bureau.

Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition

The Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition is currently on display in Gallery 204.  The exhibition will run through Friday, December 7, 2012.  Gallery 204 is part of the Len G. Everett Galleries located on the Upper Level of Hewes Library.  Stop by to view these amazing pieces!

Database Highlight: Biographical Research, Part 2

Current Biography Illustrated 

As mentioned in Part 1 of this article, if you are looking for information on an historical person, American National Biography is a good place to start.  But many people are seeking information on individuals currently in the news like Barack Obama, Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga.  If you need information on people currently in the news, Current Biography Illustrated is a good place to start your research.

The format of this database will look familiar to those of you who have used any EBSCO database such as Academic Search Premier as its search screen and features are similar to other EBSCO databases.  Unlike American National Biography, this database allows you to put in a person’s name in any format (last name first or first name first) and you will get the same results.  When you want to view the results be sure to click on the links where the words “Biography” and “HTML Full Text” are found as these will take you directly to information on the person.  (These are usually the results without the photo of the person).

The database has some unusual features including: a listen feature which will read the article aloud at either a slow, medium or fast rate using a computer-generated voice.  If you are used to listening to your Garmin or other devices that “talk” to you, you will be familiar with that type of voice.  It also has a translate feature which will translate the article into a number of languages.  So, if you are more comfortable reading in Spanish, Chinese or any number of other languages, you can use this feature to translate the biographical articles.  Use of this feature may not result in a grammatically correct article, as it is done on the fly using software.

As the word Illustrated indicates, there are photos for nearly all of the people whose biographies are found in the database.  The will be a main image illustrating the biographical articles, but found on the right hand side of the page are other images you can use.  The right hand column also offers a number of options for dealing with an article once you’ve found one including printing, emailing, saving and exporting.

When should I use this database? Start here when you need information on people who are still alive and are or were in the current news.  It is a good place to obtain a starting biography of a person, but for the latest information on someone in the news, Academic Search Premier can be used to update information on the latest film, album or election involving the person you are researching.

On Display: US Elections

Currently on display in the East Lobby display cases is a collection of books relating to the history of US elections, historical voter statistics, and background material on how campaigns are run.  To check out these titles, please see a staff member at the Circulation Desk.