Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical & Paranormal Experience
REF: PN56. E65 E64 1994
1 volume, Illustrations
An entertaining book that gives brief introductions to such modern mysticisms as A Course in Miracles, UFO encounters and Neo-Paganism as well as older forms of mystic or paranormal phenomena including Alchemy, Voodoo, The Egyptian Book of the Dead and Mystery Cults. Arranged alphabetically, the entries cover topics drawing from a world-wide range of religious traditions including familiar religious traditions such as Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam as well as unusual ones including the I AM, Rosicrucian, Pagan and New Age movements. The number of topics covered ranges from those claiming scientific foundations (ESP, Teleportation and Hauntings) to those with mystical foundations such as faith healing, chakras and clairvoyance. A very useful aspect of the book is that each article has a number of sources listed immediately after it that will assist in finding out more on a given topic. The book confines itself to mystic and paranormal topics, so items like the Loch Ness Monster, vampires and werewolves are not covered by this book, although zombies do get an entry.
The academic research center for Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of traditional epics
Encyclopedia of traditional epics
REF: PN56. E65 E64 1994, 1 volume
Illustrations, Photos
Appendices: Epics Listed by Geographical Region, Epics Listed Chronologically, Epics Listed by Subgenre, Bibliography, Index
Epics are long tales of heroes and villains developed from the oral folklore of a people or nation, although there are exceptions. Some examples of familiar epics are Greece’s Iliad, Ancient Sumeria’s Tales of Gilgamesh and the Germanic nations’ Ring of the Niebelungen. This book contains summaries of over 300 epics from all continents. It covers epics from a time span beginning around 3,000 B.C until the 20th century.
The author explains in her preface that the selection and retelling of the traditional epics included in the encyclopedia is subjective and based on the author’s opinions as to the significance of the epic. She has also standardized spelling variations or indicated alternate spelling of the names of characters or works that cross languages and cultures, such as Siegfried and the Mahabharata.
Both the titles of works and famous characters are given an entry. For instance, both the Song of Roland and Roland have articles devoted to them. Each entry includes a short synopsis of the epic or character. The appendixes are very useful for finding the various epics of given regions or time eras, since the names of many of them are unfamiliar to the average reader.
The author’s introductory essay gives a good overview of the Epic and the important role it plays in a country’s culture. However the introduction also mentions that many heroic tales depict the mistreatment of women and children, something that is not considered acceptable in many present day cultures but which reflects the culture prevalent at the time many epics were composed.
REF: PN56. E65 E64 1994, 1 volume
Illustrations, Photos
Appendices: Epics Listed by Geographical Region, Epics Listed Chronologically, Epics Listed by Subgenre, Bibliography, Index
Epics are long tales of heroes and villains developed from the oral folklore of a people or nation, although there are exceptions. Some examples of familiar epics are Greece’s Iliad, Ancient Sumeria’s Tales of Gilgamesh and the Germanic nations’ Ring of the Niebelungen. This book contains summaries of over 300 epics from all continents. It covers epics from a time span beginning around 3,000 B.C until the 20th century.
The author explains in her preface that the selection and retelling of the traditional epics included in the encyclopedia is subjective and based on the author’s opinions as to the significance of the epic. She has also standardized spelling variations or indicated alternate spelling of the names of characters or works that cross languages and cultures, such as Siegfried and the Mahabharata.
Both the titles of works and famous characters are given an entry. For instance, both the Song of Roland and Roland have articles devoted to them. Each entry includes a short synopsis of the epic or character. The appendixes are very useful for finding the various epics of given regions or time eras, since the names of many of them are unfamiliar to the average reader.
The author’s introductory essay gives a good overview of the Epic and the important role it plays in a country’s culture. However the introduction also mentions that many heroic tales depict the mistreatment of women and children, something that is not considered acceptable in many present day cultures but which reflects the culture prevalent at the time many epics were composed.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
October: Fine Arts Month
Monmouth College is celebrating October's Fine Arts Month with a variety of events across campus. To continue the celebration, Hewes Library has a collection of fine arts books on display in the cases located in the East Entry of the library.
Titles pertaining to the upcoming theater productions, art exhibits, and fine arts here at the college are included. Please see a library staff member if you are interested in checking any of the titles out. Be sure to attend one of the Fine Arts events on campus this month!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009
Continuing with Banned Books Week, below you will find the 10 most frequently challenged books of 2009 as tracked by the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom. The OIF reported 460 challenges in the 2009 calendar year.
The Top 10 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 2009:
- ttyl; ttfn; l8r, g8r (series) by Lauren Myracle
- And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
- The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer
- Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
- The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
- The Color Purple by Alice Walker
- The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of Gambling
Encyclopedia of Gambling
Located in Reference: REF: HV6710.S54 1990
Illustrations, charts (B & W), Glossary, Bibliography, Index
Covering the history, lore and rules of gambling from its beginnings in pre-history to the slots of Las Vegas, this book gives out much useful information on one of mankind’s favorite ways to spend time (and money). Beginning with the introduction, which claims that loaded dice have been found in ancient graves in places as far apart as Egypt and South America, the book offers an in-depth look at both legitimate gambling and ways of cheating at the games it describes.
Contained in the book are the rules for many card games including such modern games as Blackjack, Pinochle and Poker as well as older games like Faro and Pochen (the forerunner of Poker). Dog and horse racing are covered along with games requiring devices that can be modified to change the odds such as craps (dice) and roulette (wheel) and games where one must choose a number or a winner to get a payoff (Keno, the Lottery and Sporting events). Among the interesting bits of information are pictures showing a sleeve hold out machine (a device for cheating in cards) and one illustrating how to run a shell game.
The gambling traditions of many countries are explained so that one learns that one has a good chance of finding illegal Fan Tan games in Hong Kong, but will find the casinos of neighboring Macao unfriendly and possibly dangerous and that Germans spend more money than most other Europeans on gambling activities, while Denmark has very few opportunities to lose ones money. Also included are short biographical descriptions of famous gamblers where interesting trivia is found such as the poker hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was gunned down in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876 contained pairs of aces and eights, a hand now known as the “dead man’s hand”.
The glossary is helpful for learning the meaning of various gambling terms and when to use them. Included are terms such as “Little Joe from Kokomo” (rolling a 4 in craps), “check and raise” (a somewhat unscrupulous method of faking in poker) and “kibitzer” (a person who watches but does not participate in a game) The bibliography contains further references for more detailed reading on all of the topics covered in the book except racing.
Located in Reference: REF: HV6710.S54 1990
Illustrations, charts (B & W), Glossary, Bibliography, Index
Covering the history, lore and rules of gambling from its beginnings in pre-history to the slots of Las Vegas, this book gives out much useful information on one of mankind’s favorite ways to spend time (and money). Beginning with the introduction, which claims that loaded dice have been found in ancient graves in places as far apart as Egypt and South America, the book offers an in-depth look at both legitimate gambling and ways of cheating at the games it describes.
Contained in the book are the rules for many card games including such modern games as Blackjack, Pinochle and Poker as well as older games like Faro and Pochen (the forerunner of Poker). Dog and horse racing are covered along with games requiring devices that can be modified to change the odds such as craps (dice) and roulette (wheel) and games where one must choose a number or a winner to get a payoff (Keno, the Lottery and Sporting events). Among the interesting bits of information are pictures showing a sleeve hold out machine (a device for cheating in cards) and one illustrating how to run a shell game.
The gambling traditions of many countries are explained so that one learns that one has a good chance of finding illegal Fan Tan games in Hong Kong, but will find the casinos of neighboring Macao unfriendly and possibly dangerous and that Germans spend more money than most other Europeans on gambling activities, while Denmark has very few opportunities to lose ones money. Also included are short biographical descriptions of famous gamblers where interesting trivia is found such as the poker hand Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was gunned down in Deadwood, South Dakota in 1876 contained pairs of aces and eights, a hand now known as the “dead man’s hand”.
The glossary is helpful for learning the meaning of various gambling terms and when to use them. Included are terms such as “Little Joe from Kokomo” (rolling a 4 in craps), “check and raise” (a somewhat unscrupulous method of faking in poker) and “kibitzer” (a person who watches but does not participate in a game) The bibliography contains further references for more detailed reading on all of the topics covered in the book except racing.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Banned Book Week 2010
Banned Book Week 2010
Think for Yourself and Let Others Do the Same
Every year, libraries celebrate Banned Books Week. It is a time to celebrate the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Sponsored and organized by the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Book Week is central to libraries and their belief in intellectual freedom - where patrons can access any type (unorthodox or mainstream) information freely and without censorship. At Hewes Library, we currently have titles on display in the East Lobby display cases that have been the subjects of attempted bannings across the United States.
Challenge VS. Banning:
According to parameters set in place by the American Library Association, challenges and bannings are defined as:
"A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those
materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of
view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or
library, thereby restricting the access of others." (Definition from ALA.)
More information on Banned and Challenged Books:
- ALA's Banned Book Week
- ALA's lists of Frequently Challenged Books
- ALA's Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2009
Graphics complimentary from the American Library Association.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature
Encyclopedia of Allegorical Literature
Located in Reference, REF PN 56.A5 L 44 1996
1 volume with illustrations/photos
Appendices: Titles featured in the text, Titles featured in the text, listed by date
Bibliography and Index
This short encyclopedia (fewer than 300 pages) serves to introduce how allegory has been used by authors throughout the ages to comment on human foibles and virtues. Although the work contains short sections on other art forms such as music and painting, it concentrates on works of literature and their authors. Some of the choices appear to be unusual (Alice in Wonderland as an allegory on the Church of England, Huckleberry Finn as an allegory on the development of America); but others are more traditionally viewed as allegories (Animal Farm, Gulliver’s Travels) The book gives insights and alternate ways of looking at a number of literary works and authors and contains a useful list of the titles covered in the work at Appendix A, which will let you know if the title you are interested in is covered by the book.
Located in Reference, REF PN 56.A5 L 44 1996
1 volume with illustrations/photos
Appendices: Titles featured in the text, Titles featured in the text, listed by date
Bibliography and Index
This short encyclopedia (fewer than 300 pages) serves to introduce how allegory has been used by authors throughout the ages to comment on human foibles and virtues. Although the work contains short sections on other art forms such as music and painting, it concentrates on works of literature and their authors. Some of the choices appear to be unusual (Alice in Wonderland as an allegory on the Church of England, Huckleberry Finn as an allegory on the development of America); but others are more traditionally viewed as allegories (Animal Farm, Gulliver’s Travels) The book gives insights and alternate ways of looking at a number of literary works and authors and contains a useful list of the titles covered in the work at Appendix A, which will let you know if the title you are interested in is covered by the book.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Hewes Library To Go Workshops - September
Hewes Library is offering a few more To Go! workshops before the end of the month. Both workshops will take place in Hewes Library 124 - the instructional area on the main floor of the library.
Additional workshops for October will be announced soon here on the blog, the campus message boards, and via campus flyers.
- Requesting off-campus Materials will be offered on Wednesday, September 22 from 3 - 3:15pm.
- Searching the Library Catalog will be offered on Thursday, September 23 from 3 - 3:15pm.
Additional workshops for October will be announced soon here on the blog, the campus message boards, and via campus flyers.
Einstein Brothers Bagels
Over the summer, the coffee shop of Hewes Library was renovated into an Einstein Brothers Bagels location. Einstein Brothers Bagels, along with the library, is now opening earlier in the morning. The store's hours are:
- Monday - Thursday: 7:30am - 8:00pm
- Friday: 7:30am - 2:00pm
- Saturday: 11:00am - 3:00pm
- Sunday: 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Friday, September 17, 2010
Title Highlight: Encyclopedia of Aesthetics
Encyclopedia of aesthetics
Located in Reference, Main Floor REF: BH65 E53 1998
4 volumes, no illustrations, index at the end of the 4th volume.
People often hear the word “aesthetics” but have little idea what this philosophical concept means. The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics fills that gap with over 600 entries written by scholars across a broad spectrum of thought, from philosophers and art historians to anthropologists and legal theorists. The definition of aesthetics used by encyclopedia is that it is a: “…critical reflection on art, culture and nature…” In case this isn’t clear, the book helpfully opens with a history of the development of aesthetics. It is an 18th century concept developed in Western Europe, although its concepts apply to any art anywhere. The first work to fully describe this new field of philosophical endeavor was Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment (1790).
Although aesthetics is linked to art, that term is broadly defined by the authors and entries include not just visual arts, but also written works, music and dance. Included are short biographies of aesthetic philosophers such as Plato, Kant and Heidegger; some artists, writers and musicians like Louis Armstrong, John Cage, Edgar Allan Poe and Thornton Wilder; cultural topics such as Feminist aesthetics and Queer Theory, as well as the historical aesthetics of eras including Byzantium, Ancient Greece, the Harlem Renaissance, Roman Empire and Post-World War II America and the geographical aesthetics in places like the Caribbean, China, India, the Islamic world and Latin America. This work is a useful introduction to an unusual topic.
Located in Reference, Main Floor REF: BH65 E53 1998
4 volumes, no illustrations, index at the end of the 4th volume.
People often hear the word “aesthetics” but have little idea what this philosophical concept means. The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics fills that gap with over 600 entries written by scholars across a broad spectrum of thought, from philosophers and art historians to anthropologists and legal theorists. The definition of aesthetics used by encyclopedia is that it is a: “…critical reflection on art, culture and nature…” In case this isn’t clear, the book helpfully opens with a history of the development of aesthetics. It is an 18th century concept developed in Western Europe, although its concepts apply to any art anywhere. The first work to fully describe this new field of philosophical endeavor was Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Judgment (1790).
Although aesthetics is linked to art, that term is broadly defined by the authors and entries include not just visual arts, but also written works, music and dance. Included are short biographies of aesthetic philosophers such as Plato, Kant and Heidegger; some artists, writers and musicians like Louis Armstrong, John Cage, Edgar Allan Poe and Thornton Wilder; cultural topics such as Feminist aesthetics and Queer Theory, as well as the historical aesthetics of eras including Byzantium, Ancient Greece, the Harlem Renaissance, Roman Empire and Post-World War II America and the geographical aesthetics in places like the Caribbean, China, India, the Islamic world and Latin America. This work is a useful introduction to an unusual topic.
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