Monday, November 30, 2009

Access

It's a situation you are probably familiar with: you find an article or a book that you need for your work, but it's nowhere to be found in the Grand View library.  What do you do?

One of our goals at the GV library is to make sure you have access to lots of resources and not just the ones that we have here.  In other words, if you need an article you can ask us to get it for you.  If you need a book, we can get that for you too.  Just send us an email to library[at]grandview.edu and give us the citation for your item.  If you need further help asking for an interlibrary loan, watch our videos on how to do one.

You should have as many resources as you need.  Take advantage of our interlibrary loan services as often as you need them.

Friday, November 6, 2009

New Books!

Our library is always ordering new books. We display all of our new material on the 1st floor of the building so people can peruse them as they casually walk by our low shelves. What new books have come in lately? Here's a sample of some of our new ones:


How Life Began: Evolution's Three Geneses



America's Food: What You Don't Know About What You Eat



Why History Matters



Last Great Wilderness: The Campaign to Establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge



From Colony to Superpower: U.S. Foreign Relations Since 1776

Come check them out and look for other books in our catalog.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Are You Preparing to Write?

November is just around the corner.  You probably have a number of different papers or projects to finish for your classes.  Have you started working on them yet?  If you have, great!  If you haven't, it's time to get started.

The Grand View Library can help you to get started with your work.  You will probably need books for your research, so go find some here.  Your professor mentioned something about using scholarly journals too, right?  Take your pick from any number of databases that we have.  These will help you search for everything you need.  Do you need to cite your information?  Of course you do!  Take a look at some of these resources to help you with that.

The best thing you can do, though, is come visit us at the library.  We're open until Midnight Sunday-Thursday and we're right in the middle of campus. 

Good luck!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

National Information Literacy Awareness Month

On October 1st, President Obama signed a proclamation officially making October "National Information Literacy Awareness Month."

What does that mean, exactly?

The proclamation explains it thusly,

"Though we may know how to find the information we need, we must also know how to evaluate it. Over the past decade, we have seen a crisis of authenticity emerge. We now live in a world where anyone can publish an opinion or perspective, whether true or not, and have that opinion amplified within the information marketplace. At the same time, Americans have unprecedented access to the diverse and independent sources of information, as well as institutions such as libraries and universities, that can help separate truth from fiction and signal from noise."

In a nutshell a person is information literate when they have the tools and the skills to evaluate information effectively for some purpose. We cannot simply assume everything we read is true or that all information is created equally. We need skills to determine what information has value and what we can do with that information in our daily lives.

Information literacy skills are important for students in their research projects, but they are also helpful to regular everyday citizens as well. For example, if you're about to buy a house, send a child to college, create a retirement plan, or start a small business, you're going to need quite a bit of information to get you started.

Who, what, and where do you turn for help? Slowly sift through the information you have and evaluate it carefully. Ask a librarian for help. We enjoy helping people develop the skills necessary to become life-long learners.

So the next time you read something that makes you raise an eyebrow, consider your information literacy skills and get to the bottom of the issue.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

What Did We Read?

At last week's read-in, we had a number of students, staff, and faculty share some of the books that had impacts on their lives. Here's a list of some of the books they brought last Wednesday:

  • The Color Purple by Alice Walker
  • The Diary of Anne Frank
  • The Collected Works of Immanuel Kant
  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • There's No Such Place as Far Away by Richard Bach
  • Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
Watch for emails for our next read-in this October!

Monday, September 21, 2009

September Read-In

The Grand View Library will host its first Read-In of the semester on Wednesday September 30th from 11:30-1:30 in Holy Grounds Coffee Shop.

For this event, bring a book that has had a unique impact on your life. Why is this book so important to you? How did it help you or change you? We will share passages from our books and discuss.

This is a Humanities Passport Event.

If you have not been to a read-in before, come try it. We're simply sharing our books and our thoughts on particular writings and authors. We try to have one read-in each semester and future read-ins will have particular themes, such as poetry, African-American history, and Shakespeare.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Welcome Back!

I hope all of you had a great summer. We had a good summer in the library as well. Here are a few new things for you to check out at our website, http://library.grandview.edu:

We now have video tutorials! There are nine videos available to teach you, in four minutes or less, how to find books, articles, interlibrary loan materials, and other important tasks. Check out our link and see what you think.

The Wall Street Journal is now available, online and in full-text, through the Grand View Library! Even if you're not a Business major this newspaper is still one of the best sources of news in the country.

Also, if you ever need to know when the library computer lab is booked, check out our online calendar. This will tell you when a class will be in there so you can plan ahead.

We'll post again soon.

Good luck this semester!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Summer Hiatus

We're going to take a summer break here on the blog.  We'll see you again in August when everyone returns to campus.

Enjoy your summer!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Finals!

The school year is almost over, but there's still one thing standing between you and the summer:

FINALS!

Do you need a quiet place to study?
Do you need a computer to finish working on that last paper?
Do you have nagging questions about that bibliography you almost finished?

Come over to the Grand View Library and we'll help you out.  Remember, this is one of the most important times of the year to focus on your work, so make sure you have a quiet place to go to.  If you need help, call us at 263.2877.

Good luck!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Earthquakes & Volcanoes
















Have you been following the news of the Italian earthquake?  A 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit central Italy and people are still searching for survivors.  The quake destroyed over 10,000 homes and left over 28,000 people homeless.

With the digital technology that we have today, we can learn more about these events as they happen.  The most recent newspaper articles are available through our NewsBank database as they are published.  One of the most recent articles noted that the Vatican has sent in its fire brigade to help out the other Italian emergency services.  People pull together in times like this.

There's also a scientific side to this story as well.  The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been monitoring the quake as well as the aftershocks.  Of course the USGS has also been paying very close attention to another geological event here in the U.S.: the earthquakes and ash eruptions from Alaska's Mount Redoubt.  You might think that Alaska is mainly wilderness, but Mt. Redoubt is very close to Anchorage, one of the largest cities in Alaska.

Remember that the next time an event like this happens, you have many resources to draw upon.  They will give you up to the minute information when you need it.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Finding Articles

It's the beginning of April.  Our last month of the term is here.  You know what that means.

Everything will be due soon!

Finals will be approaching, papers will be assigned, and projects will look like gargantuan tasks.  Where to begin?

Remember: the library's website is one of the best places to start your research.  One of the best places to start looking is in one of our electronic databases.  So get started right now and use some journals!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Staff & Faculty Party

All staff and faculty are invited to our Spring Party today at the Grand View Library.  We'll have plenty of food and drinks for everyone.

Come eat, chat, and enjoy the beginning of spring!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Twilight Discussion Tomorrow

This is a friendly reminder that we will be discussing the Stephanie Meyer book Twilight tomorrow at 3:00 in Holy Grounds Coffee Shop.  This is open to all students.  Even if you haven't finished the book, you should consider stopping by to listen to the discussion.

If you plan to attend, make sure you bring a couple of discussion questions to get us started.

See you tomorrow!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Today in History

159 years ago today, Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic The Scarlet Letter was published.

Hawthorne was in financial straits when he took a job at a customs house.  It was during this time that he started writing the book.  When it was published, the book made him famous.  Hawthorne went on to write other books as well, including The House of the Seven Gables.

However, one of Hawthorne's most famous short stories, the tale of Young Goodman Brown, was published before Letter.  It is perhaps his most chilling tale.  You can read it online here.

If you're interested in reading The Scarlet Letter, stop by the library and pick up a copy.  Or try it online first and, if you like, come pick up a copy after that.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Women's History Read-In

Join us this Thursday, March 12th at 11:30 in Holy Grounds Coffee Shop for our March Read-In.  We will be celebrating Women's History Month.  In the past, people have brought essays, poems, short excerpts from novels & plays, as well as letters from famous women authors.  If you choose to share your text with us, that would be great!  If you just want to come and listen, that's fine too.

If you don't know what to bring, contact us and we'll help you find something here in the library.

See you on Thursday!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Finance & Photos

Happy Friday, everyone.

Have you been trying to make sense of the entire financial crisis?  It's a twisted system and money seems to be flying left and right.  Thankfully the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis has put together a timeline of the financial crisis.  It's an engaging website with documents and other information pertaining to the nation's continuing efforts to control the economic swings.

Also, do you like old photographs?  Do you need old photographs for a project in one of your classes?  If so, the Library of Congress now has a huge archive of photos on its Flickr account online.  You can see color photos from the Great Depression in one of their collections.

They also have a new collection of photos of Abraham Lincoln, from when he was a young lawyer all the way up to the days before his assassination.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

March: Women's History Month

March is Women's History Month.  Pictured on the left is Susan B. Anthony, one of the most famous women in American History.  Why is she so famous?  She worked for decades to ensure women had the same rights as men, especially the right to vote.  

Her work eventually led to the adoption of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote.  Amazingly, it was adopted in 1920, over 130 years since the founding of the Republic.

If you care to know more about Ms. Anthony or any of the other famous American women we celebrate this month, check out one of our books, American Women Activists' Writings: An Anthology, 1637-2002, in the GV library.

Also, take a look at this interesting article Anthony's niece wrote about the women's rights movement in the late 1940's.

Monday, February 23, 2009

What Are You Reading?

Winter is a great season for reading.  It's hard to stay outside for too long with the cold blasts of arctic air and the thick snow and ice, so staying inside by a warm fire with a book can be a great experience.

So what have the library staff been reading lately?

I (Dan) have been reading The Best American Short Stories, 2007.  Yes, I know I'm a little behind, but I'm almost finished with it.  It's an excellent collection of short stories and I attribute part of that to the guest editor, Stephen King.  He picked out a few real gems for this edition.  I thoroughly enjoy having a collection of short stories or essays around at all times.  They give you a variety of ideas and narratives to think about, but they are also helpful for when you only have 30 minutes to read something.  Collections of stories and essays are also a great way to discover new authors too.  I've picked up many new books by fresh authors after finishing a short story.

Megan, our Access and Instruction Librarian, has been reading A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.  She has this to say about it:

"I picked it up because I enjoyed his other novel, The Kite Runner, and my friends and family have been bugging me to read this one too so we can talk about it. So far, I’m liking it even more than The Kite Runner because it focuses on a female perspective of life in Afghanistan. The novel made me curious about the state of women’s rights in Afghanistan, so I learned more here. So far in my reading, nothing too terrible has happened yet, but there’s a definite sense of impending doom…"

So now that we've shared something with you, what can you share with us?  What have you been reading lately?  Leave us a comment to let us know.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Student Book Club

Are you interested in reading a book or two outside of class?  Would you like to meet once a month and discuss books with fellow students?

If so, plan on coming to the March 24th meeting of the Student Book Club.  We’ll be meeting at Holy Grounds in the library to discuss the popular book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.

At that time, we can discuss a possible book to read for April as well.

I hope to see you on March 24th at 3:00 in Holy Grounds.  Contact the library if you have any questions.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Tracking Information: Our National Stimulus

Have you been following the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act?  Well, you probably are but you know it by a different name: the stimulus.

Yes, we are in rough economic times, and that means colleges and universities all across the nation will feel the pinch as well.  

How will the new stimulus affect colleges and universities?  Well, you could read a news article about it from our database Access World News.

Or you could follow the money by visiting the government's new website, Recovery.gov.

You can also find out how the stimulus package is going to directly affect Iowa.  The Democratic Policy Committee has put together fact sheets for each state in the Union, showing how the money will impact our state.  Check it out.

So test out your research skills and follow that money!  Find out how it will impact you, your friends, your family, your school, and your community.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Darwin & Lincoln


Today we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln.  

These two men impacted history in unique ways.  Without their efforts, we would certainly be living in a very different world with different perceptions of the people around us.

Lincoln and Darwin helped us to see ourselves in a new way.  Darwin's theory of evolution gave us a glimpse of ourselves as being part of nature and the product of millions of years of evolution.  No one human being is genetically superior or inferior to another.  We are all alike.

Lincoln changed the United States like no one before or after him.  His efforts as the 16th president of our republic helped secure the freedom that American slaves had wished for.  He was a man of his time with faults and failings, but he was also ahead of his time, especially in his writing ability.  His ultimate goal was to preserve the union, but in the process he helped lay the foundation for a multicultural America in which people are treated equally.

Lincoln and Darwin helped us to see that we are all equal.  Let's remember that on this day in history.

For more information about Darwin and Lincoln, check out some of the many books we have here at the Grand View library.  Also, take a look at some of these excellent websites devoted to the lives of these men:

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Almost Time!

Remember, tomorrow is the last day to participate in the trivia contest.  Submit your answers, even if you don't have all of them.

Also, stay tuned for our upcoming post on February 12th in honor of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

"Lost" Books


Are you a fan of the television show Lost on ABC?  Have you ever noticed that some of the characters show up from time to time reading different books?

Have you ever wondered, "Hmmm, why are they reading that book?  Could it have something to do with the overall story of the show?"

Well, there's one way to find out.  Read those books and make the connections!  We have a number of the books here in our library that have appeared on the show.

Come over to the library, take a look, and see what you can learn.  Plus, there are some excellent books on this list.  

Here are a few of them that we have:

Dune by Frank Herbert
The Epic of Gilgamesh by author unknown
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Island by Aldous Huxley
The Odyssey by Homer
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle


Monday, February 2, 2009

Happy Groundhog Day!


Happy Groundhog Day! Why do we rely on a little mammal like this to tell us what our weather is going to be like? Well, that's a story that's about 110-years old.

There is an old tradition from Europe, called Candlemas, which some historians believe is the root of Groundhog Day. Candlemas falls roughly halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Vernal Equinox. In other words, it's the mid-point of winter. According to ancient German stories, this was the day that animals like badgers, bears, and, oh yes, groundhogs, came out of their little dens to see if it was warm enough to come out permanently.

In the United States, the tradition has been going on for about 110 years. Punxsutawney Phil, the modern groundhog who we celebrate, saw his shadow today, which means another 6 weeks of winter. In the past 110 years, the ancestors of Phil have seen their shadows 96 times and not seen it 14 times.

If you're interested in an article from one of our databases on the history of it, check out this link.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Last Week for Trivia Contest!

This is the last week for our trivia contest.  Make sure to finish up your answer keys and submit them to us by the end of next week!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Winter Read-In Tomorrow

Do you like to share what you read?  Each semester the library hosts a small gathering of students, staff, or faculty at the Holy Grounds Coffee Shop to discuss what we like to read.  We call them "read-ins" and we share poems, essays, paragraphs from favorite stories, etc.  Basically, if you enjoy it, come share it with us.

This month's theme is winter.  Do you embrace winter?  Do you love running around in the snow?  Or are you yearning for spring and summer?  Either way, bring a text that shows how much you love or loathe winter.  You could bring a poem about how beautiful spring is, or perhaps a character's recollection of the beauty of a snowfall.  It's your choice.

Come on over tomorrow, January 27th, at 11:30 and share your text.  Grab a coffee while you're at it.  We'll be there until 1:00.  Also, it's a Humanities Passport event, so you can get extra credit.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Need More News?

There are more sources for news now than ever before in human history. We receive information from radio, television, newspapers, and the web, just to name a few. How do you organize all of that stuff? Do you feel overwhelmed?

Use our database Access World News to follow news without feeling overwhelmed. It's free for you to use and allows you access to over 2,000 newspapers worldwide. What else makes it special?

*Full-text for almost all the articles
*Ability to create a personal account to save articles for later
*Interactive world map to choose the location of your news
*Access to archives of newspapers
*Easy ability to limit your search to a particular date, newspaper, or location

So if you've been looking for a new perspective or you just want to start reading the news again, start with Access World News. It's easy to use and can be quite fun once you get the hang of it.

Plus, where else can you find articles for that paper you're writing on the volatility of gas prices? We've got them from the United States, England, India, Japan, and many more places around the globe.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Week 3 Trivia

The new trivia questions are up! Find the link on the right side of this page. Remember to download an answer sheet and fill in your answers. Turn that in to us at the library after the last week of questions.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

MLK Display



Come over to the library and check out our book display on Martin Luther King, Jr. Taylor Branch's Pillar of Fire is an especially good book.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

How Will You Remember Inauguration Day 2009?

President Barack Obama was sworn-in today as the 44th President of the United States of America. The Library of Congress permitted President Obama to be sworn in on the same bible President Lincoln used. After taking the oath, the President delivered his inaugural address and promising a new era of change for our country. The President declared that government can only do so much and that we, as citizens, must be responsible and help others.

On this historic day, where were you when the President was sworn-in? Did you watch it on campus? What will you remember most about today? Will you answer the President's call to service? We would like to hear from you on this important occasion. Feel free to leave us a comment below.

Also, for more information about the inauguration and the history of the inauguration, scroll down the page and see our post on that topic.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


Today we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King worked tirelessly throughout his life seeking social justice for African-Americans and the impoverished in the United States.
Dr. King did much of his early work in the American South, but moved on into Northern states and the nation's capital to preach his message. His "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most famous speeches of the past 50 years and is often quoted by freedom fighters and civil disobedience groups today.
Sadly, Dr. King's life came to a shocking end in Memphis, TN when he was assassinated. However, his work continues to this day, all over the globe. If you want to learn more about his work and how you can be a part of it, visit the King Center's website.
If you wish to learn more about the man and his life's work, visit the Grand View Library. We have a number of books on the life of Dr. King, including At Canaan's Edge and God and human dignity : the personalism, theology, and ethics of Martin Luther King, Jr.
There is also an excellent newspaper archive in which you can relive Dr. King's life, day by day.
Finally, if you're interested in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, check out some of the resources available at the website of the Library of Congress.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Week 2: Trivia!

The next three questions in our trivia contest are up!  Click on the link at the right to download the next three questions.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Inauguration Day 2009


It's been four years and another inauguration is just around the corner.  One week from today President-Elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office at noon, making him the 44th president of the United States of America.  Huge crowds of people are expected in Washington, D.C. and people from all over the world will tune in to see the new president.

But why January 20th?  And what else is going to happen that day?  It's time to answer a few questions with some excellent websites.

Inauguration Day is an American tradition dating back to George Washington's inauguration on April 30th, 1789.  It was then that President Washington added the words "so help me god" to the end of his oath, and kissed the Bible afterwards.

President Lincoln's 2nd inaugural (pictured here) gave the country one of the finest speeches and a time to heal after the Civil War.

The 20th amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1933, stipulated that the President would take office on January 20th.  Before that, almost all inaugurations took place on March 4th.  Imagine all that time between the election and the inauguration! 

If you want to read more about the inauguration, check out the Library of Congress' special digital collection.  It's filled with documents from Washington to Bush.

If you want to learn more about the schedule of events for inauguration day or more about the new first family, check out the government's USA.gov site.  They have a one-stop-shop for everything you need to know, from all the musical acts, to when the speeches will be given.

We'll have more posts in the future on current events and library resources and/or websites that feature those topics.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Trivia Contest

Would you like to take part in our University Trivia Contest?  The grand prize is a $50 gift card to the GVU bookstore.  If you're interested, here's what you need to do:

1. Keep reading the blog.  Each week until February 6th we will post three new questions in a document linked over on the right-hand side of the page (Trivia Questions: Week 1).

2. Download the questions and an answer sheet by clicking on the links.

3. Answer the questions each week.  When all the questions have been answered, turn in your answer sheet to our director via email, campus mail, or in person.

Remember, the questions will only be up for one week at a time, so you won't be able to see Week 1's questions once Week 2 begins.  

Good luck!  Email us if you have questions.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Grand View Library's blog!  Before you continue reading, make sure you bookmark our site or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Why do we have a blog for our library? There are a multitude of reasons, but the most important one of all is to communicate with you, our users. We want you to know what we are working on, what we offer, and how you can use our resources for all of your needs. We also started our blog as a means to get feedback from you. We have comments on the bottom of every post, so when you have something to say about a topic, leave a note or start a discussion.

We will update our blog frequently, so make sure to visit us often. What kinds of things can you expect to see? Here's a list of just a few future post topics:

*Ask the Director Q & A
*What books are you reading?
*New books in the library
*How-to guides for our resources
*New websites to assist you with research or work
*Events & displays in the library
*Book recommendations
*Lists of materials we have related to current events

Plus, we'll take your suggestions for future post topics. 

Check back with us soon. Remember, bookmark us or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Monday, January 5, 2009

New Databases!

Happy New Year.  It's 2009 and the Grand View Library has some exciting news to share.

We have three new databases to offer you!

These databases will give you access to more journals and more full-text so you can complete whatever project, assignment, or paper you are working on.  Here's what we have:

CINAHL Full-Text gives you the same friendly interface you are used to seeing, but now with more journals, more articles, and more full-text.  There are over 600 journals in this database with full-text going back to 1981 for some of them.

PsycARTICLES provides you with access to over 137,000 articles from 66 journals, most of which are published by the American Psychological Association.

SocINDEX features over 700 journals going back as far as 1908.  Plus, this database has almost 2 million records, which means you will never run out of things to read or search for.

Try out our new databases and let us know what you think.  We'll feature them again at a future date and talk about some of their more intricate details.