Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Research over Thanksgiving Break? Yes!

No problem.  Access all of the library's databases remotely.  All of the databases provided by Hewes Library can be accessed from off campus. To do so, follow these directions:
  • From the list, select the database you wish to use off campus. (You must select it from this list instead of doing a web search for it.)
  • You will be prompted at a MC log in screen.
  • Enter your MC user name and password - which is the same one you use to access your MC email.
  • Once logged in, you can use the resource as if you were on campus.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Thanksgiving Break Hours

Hewes Library will have reduced hours over the Thanksgiving Break.  Hours are listed below or you can view our full schedule online.

Thanksgiving Break 2013 (November 26 - December 1)
  • Tuesday, November 26: 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, November 27: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  • Thursday - Saturday, November 28 - 30: Closed
  • Sunday, December 1: 6:00 p.m. - Midnight
Regular hours and the Einstein Brothers Bagel Shop will resume on Monday, December 2.  Travel safely over break and we'll see you for the final weeks of the semester!

Friday, November 22, 2013

Check out a ScotsRead Title for Thanksgiving Break!

The following titles recently arrived and are available in the ScotsRead Collection - which can be found on the main floor of the library:
  • The Good Boy by Theresa Schwegel
  • No Plan B: Payton Manning's Comeback with the Denver Broncos by Mark Kiszla
  • The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion: A Novel by Fannie Flagg
  • Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story by Diane Setterfield
  • Mirage by Clive Cussler

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Research Tip: Stable URLs

Have you ever been interrupted while researching and copied the search URL in an email with the intent to return to your search at a later time? If so, you have learned that in most cases, it does not work when you return to it.

Why? Each time you start a session in one of the library's databases, a unique session ID is attached to that search. When the window is closed, the database considers your research session over and the URL is no longer valid.

The fix: enter stable URLs. A stable URL is a short URL listed somewhere in the record for the article or periodical that you are interested in. It can also be called a permanent URL. If you bookmark, save, or copy a stable URL, you will be able to directly return to the article you selected. Look for stable and permanent URLs in our library's databases.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Thanksgiving Facts from the US Census

Hewes Library is a Federal Depository Library of the US Government.  Every year, the US Census publishes Facts for Features articles which provide statistical snapshots for major US holidays.  A few of their Thanksgiving statistics are below and you can view the full article online.  Here's to getting in the Thanksgiving spirit!

A few of this year's Thanksgiving statistics:

254 million
The number of turkeys raised in the United States in 2012. That is up 2 percent from the number raised during 2011.
 Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service,
 <http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/TurkRaisSu/TurkRaisSu-09-28-2012.pdf>

$23.1 million
The value of U.S. imports of live turkeys for 2012, with 99.8 percent of them coming from Canada. When it comes to sweet potatoes, the Dominican Republic was the source of 51.1 percent ($4.6 million) of total imports ($9.1 million). The United States ran a $17.6 million trade deficit in live turkeys during the period but had a surplus of $71.2 million in sweet potatoes.
 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Statistics
 <http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/>

768 million pounds
The forecast for U.S. cranberry production in 2012. Wisconsin was estimated to lead all states in the production of cranberries, with 450 million pounds, followed by Massachusetts (estimated at 210 million).
New Jersey, Oregon and Washington were also estimated to have substantial production, ranging from 14 to 54 million pounds.
 Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service,
 <http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/Cran/Cran-08-14-2012.pdf>

2.6 billion pounds
The total weight of sweet potatoes — another popular Thanksgiving side dish — produced by major sweet potato producing states in 2012. North Carolina (1.2 billion pounds) produced more sweet potatoes than any other state, followed by California, Mississippi and Louisiana.
 Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service,
 <http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/usda/current/CropProdSu/CropProdSu-01-11-2013.pdf>

4
Number of places in the United States named after the holiday's traditional main course. Turkey Creek, La., was the most populous in 2012, with 440 residents, followed by Turkey, Texas (415), Turkey, N.C. (295) and Turkey Creek, Ariz. (294). There are also two townships in Pennsylvania with "Turkey" in the name: Upper Turkeyfoot and Lower Turkeyfoot. (Please note that the Turkey Creek, Ariz., population total pertains to the 2010 Census).
 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Population Estimates and American FactFinder, Table DP-1, 2010 Census Summary File 1
 <http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/SUB-EST2012-3.html>
 <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/1600000US0477415>

7
Number of places and townships in the United States that are named Cranberry or some spelling variation of the acidic red berry (e.g., Cranbury, N.J.), a popular side dish at Thanksgiving. Cranberry Township (Butler County), Pa., was the most populous of these places in 2012, with 28,832 residents. Cranberry township (Venango County), Pa., was next (6,608). (Please note that population totals for the two places on the list that are census designated places — Cranbury, N.J., with a population of 2,181, and Cranberry Lake, N.Y., with a population of 200 — pertain to 2010.).
 Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 Population Estimates and 2010 Census Summary File 1
 <http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2012/index.html>
 <http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?fpt=table>

Friday, November 15, 2013

Muslim Journeys Book Discussion: Acts of Faith

As part of the Muslim Journeys NEH Bookshelf grant, Hewes Library will be hosting a book discussion on Acts of Faith: the Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation by Eboo Patel.  The book discussion will be lead by Prof. Hannah Schell, PhD, of the Department of Philosophy & Religion at Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL.  Prof. Schell is deeply interested in religious pluralism in the American context, and teaches courses on world religious traditions. Since 2001 Schell has been asked to make numerous presentations on Islam to community organizations and other groups in the area.

The book discussion will take place on Tuesday, November 19, 2013. It will be held in the Barnes Electronic Classroom, Hewes Library Room 03, on the lower level of the library.

The Let's Talk About It and the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Funded with a grant from National Endowment for the Humanities, in cooperation with the American Library Association. Our local partners include the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Monmouth Chapter of the American Association of University Women.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

New ScotsRead Titles

Recently arrived and added to the ScotsRead Collection, you will find:
  • Winners: A Novel by Danielle Steel
  • Fifteen Minutes: A Novel by Karen Kingsbury
  • Provence, 1970: M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child, James Beard, and the Reinvention of American Taste by Luke Barr
  • Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking 150 delicious and simple recipes anyone can master by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali
  • The Wolves of Midwinter: the Wolf Gift Chronicles by Anne Rice

Monday, November 11, 2013

Journal of the Month: The Humanist

The Humanist: “A Magazine of Critical Inquiry and Social Concern”

Published by the American Humanist Association (AHA), The Humanist is a bi-monthly magazine which Hewes Library subscribes to in print only.  The AHA is a non-profit, educational corporation; North America's oldest and largest Humanist membership organization.

The Humanist applies humanism—a natural and democratic outlook informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion—to broad areas of social and personal concern.  With a distinguished cadre of writers covering everything from science and religion to media and technology to politics and popular culture, the Humanist continues to challenge readers with insightful ethical critique and commentary on the central issues of our time. Regular columns include “Church & State” and “Secular Humorism.”  Past interviews include the Humanist of the Year (Dan Savage 2013), Greg Lukianoff, A.C. Grayling, Sanal Edamaruku, and Leon F. Seltzer.

See more at: www.thehumanist.org or find it on the Main Level of Hewes Library in the Print Periodicals section.

Friday, November 8, 2013

New Items at Hewes Library

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

  • Battle for God by Karen Armstrong
  • Winds of Change by Frank L. Battisti
  • Knocking on Heaven's Door by Katy Butler
  • Average is Over by Tyler Cowen
  • Illinois Gardner's Guide by James A Fizzell
  • Cracking the MCAT by James L. Flowers and Theodore Silver
  • Helen Taft: Our Musical First Lady by Lewis L. Gould
  • Art of the Poetic Line by James Longenbach
  • Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
  • Orr: My Story by Bobby Orr

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Research Help

Are you struggling with a research paper? Are you unsure where to find scholarly journal articles on your topic? Stop by the Reference Desk or email the Reference staff to step up an appointment.


The Hewes Library librarians can help you locate scholarly articles for your paper, statistics for your speeches, and more! Librarians are available at the following times or by appointment:
  • Monday - Thursday: 9am - noon, 1:30pm - 4:30pm, and 6pm-9pm
  • Friday: 9am - noon and 1:30pm - 4:30pm
  • Saturday: No librarians are available
  • Sunday: 1:30pm - 4:30pm and 6pm-9pm

Monday, November 4, 2013

Muslim Journeys Lecture: The Veil

As part of the Muslim Journeys NEH Bookshelf grant, Hewes Library will be hosting a lecture entitled The Veil by Prof. Farhat Haq of Monmouth College.  Prof. Farhat Haq, PhD, is a Professor of Political Science at Monmouth College, Monmouth, IL.  As a Pakistani immigrant, Prof. Haq has worked on issues of religion and politics in the context of modernization, with an emphasis on constructions of gender.

The lecture is open to members of the public and will take place on Thursday, November 7, 2013.  It will be held in the Barnes Electronic Classroom, Hewes Library Room 03, on the lower level of the library. 

The Let's Talk About It and the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Funded with a grant from National Endowment for the Humanities, in cooperation with the American Library Association. Our local partners include the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Monmouth Chapter of the American Association of University Women.

Friday, November 1, 2013

Database of the Month: Access World News

For the month of November, Hewes Library is featuring Access World News as the database of the month.  Access World News is provided by NewBank, Inc. and contains a large collection of local news sources in addition to the regional and national level.  NewsBank describes it product as containing:
"Its diverse source types include print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts and videos. Use it to explore a specific event or to compare a wide variety of viewpoints on topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people. Content is easily searched and sorted through an intuitive, map-based interface."
Among Monmouth College's resources, it is one of the richest for local papers in the State of Illinois.  If you are from the Chicagoland area, you can continue to read newspapers from your hometown in addition to the Daily Review Atlas, which is Monmouth's daily paper.

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