Saturday, July 30, 2011

Explore Michigana, a digital archive that documents Michigan history

We invite you to explore Michigana, a digital archive that documents Michigan history. Here's one of the fascinating documents you'll find inside:

Life and adventures of William Filley: who was stolen from his home in Jackson, Mich., by the Indians, August 3d, 1837, and his safe return from captivity, October 19, 1866, after an absence of 29 years.

Read a little more about what this resource has to offer:
"This archive provides access to texts that range from poetry and mining prospectuses to fire-and-brimstone sermons and war reports. They document the life course of this “beautiful peninsula” through the eyes of the long-dead frontier men and women who lived there. Thus, this archive is a treasure-trove of information. Of particular value is the ability to word search these electronic archival texts. This makes it possible to find specific facts quickly and easily, so that they can be used in research and writing. Indeed, this archive is the perfect tool for anyone from a high school student to a college professor who wants to gain knowledge on the rich and expansive history of Michigan."
Have fun exploring!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Faculty: how much would you pay per month for scholarly database access?

Photo credit: epSos.de
"How much would you pay per month for scholarly database access?"

That's the question posed in yesterday's ProfHacker column in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The question is especially relevant given that the cost of library database subscriptions has reached unsustainable heights. Your Marygrove librarians are curious - do we subscribe to databases that you've never used? Do you wish you could add a database to our offerings? If you had to take a stab at how much of the library budget goes toward database subscriptions, what would you say?

Read the whole article here: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/reader-input-how-much-per-month-for-scholarly-database-access/34949

Monday, July 25, 2011

Preview the new interface of MLA International Bibliography

Within the next few months, many of the library's ProQuest databases will switch to a new interface. This means that the look of these resources will change although their content remains the same. Since February, you've been able to preview the new look while searching databases such as the ProQuest Military Collection or ProQuest Biology Journals. Now you can preview the new look while searching MLA International Bibliography.

Jump in and do some exploring. If you run into any snags, don't hesitate to call us at 313.927.1346. We'll be sure to post here in this blog just before the new interface permanently replaces the old.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Library catalog has a new web address

As a result of this weekend's update to the library catalog, the catalog has a new web address: http://www.dalnet.lib.mi.us/marygrove. In previous semesters, you may have included a link to the catalog in your syllabus, or perhaps you created a bookmark to the catalog in your web browser. If this is the case, be sure to update those links with the new web address, and feel free to call us with any questions!

Friday, July 22, 2011

July 22 - 25: we're upgrading the catalog

Beginning today, Friday, July 22, 2011, we're preparing for this weekend's upgrade to the library catalog. Between now and Monday, you may find that you can't open the catalog. Or if the catalog opens and you try to search for books and videos, you may get a "Sorry, could not find anything" message.

If you experience any of these problems, please wait 15 minutes and try again. If the problem persists, feel free to give us a call.

Also, you may notice that we're checking books out the old-fashioned way: by manually recording your name and the titles of your books. After Monday, July 25, this will no longer be necessary, as the catalog will be upgraded and working better than ever!

Thank you for your patience this weekend. As always, if you have questions don't hesitate to call the library reference desk at 313.927.1346.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Summer 2011 issue of Tikkun is online-only

Tikkun is one of the magazines to which the Marygrove College Library subscribes. Recently the library received a postcard from Tikkun explaining that its Summer 2011 issue would be online-only. We've registered at their website, and will be happy to provide you with the username and password that gives you access to this online issue - just give us a call at 313.927.1346.

The Fall 2011 issue will be printed and mailed to the library, as usual.

"Tikkun is dedicated to healing and transforming the world... We build bridges between religious and secular progressives by delivering a forceful critique of all forms of exploitation, oppression, and domination while nurturing an interfaith vision of a caring society - one whose institutions are reconstructed on the basis of love, generosity, nonviolence, social justice, caring for nature, and awe and wonder at the grandeur of the universe."

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Free temporary access to Cambridge Journals Online

"In order to reach out to new readers . . . all 2009 and 2010 content on Cambridge Journals Online (CJO) will be made free to access between 15th July and 30th August 2011."

To access this content, visit http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displaySpecialPage?pageId=2964 and use the 'Browse Journals' or 'Search' options at the top of the page. Please send your feedback to Christy at 313.927.1378 or cmalmsten [at] marygrove [dot] edu.

Thanks to Dr. Karen Davis for the head's up!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Fabulous new titles in Gale Virtual Reference Library

The Gale Virtual Reference Library is available to all Michigan residents via the Michigan eLibrary, which is made possible by grant funds from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the State of Michigan through the Library of Michigan.

The Gale Virtual Reference Library can be accessed here and, after October 1, 2011, will be updated to include the following titles:
  • Africa: An Encyclopedia for Students, 4 volumes, 2003
  • African-American Years: Chronologies of American History and Experience, 1 volume, 2003
  • American Civil War Reference Library, 5 volumes, 2003
  • American Home Front in World War II, 4 volumes, 2004
  • American Inaugurals: The Speeches, The Presidents and Their Times, 1 volume, 2004
  • American Women Writers: A Critical Reference Guide from Colonial Times to the Present, 4 volumes, 2003
  • Ancient Civilizations Reference Library, 3 volumes, 2006
  • Ancient Greece and Rome: An Encyclopedia for Students, 4 volumes, 2007
  • Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 6 volumes, 2007
  • Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Popular Musicians Since 1990, 2 volumes, 2004
  • Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America, 6 volumes, 2001
  • Biology, 4 volumes, 2002
  • CDs, Super Glue and Salsa: How Everyday Products Are Made, Series 3, 2 volumes, 2004
  • Chemical Elements: From Carbon to Krypton, 3 volumes, 2006
  • Chemistry: Foundations and Applications, 4 volumes, 2004
  • Child Development, 1 volumes, 2003
  • Complete Life Science Resource, 3 volumes, 2004
  • Contemporary American Religion, 2 volumes, 2003
  • Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 1-46, 2007
  • Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 48, 2005
  • Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 49, 2005
  • Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 50, 2005
  • Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 51, 2005
  • Contemporary Hispanic Biography, Vol. 1, 2004
  • Contemporary Hispanic Biography, Vol. 2, 2004
  • Contemporary Hispanic Biography, Vol. 3, 2004
  • Contemporary Hispanic Biography, Vol. 4, 2004
  • Countries and Their Cultures, 4 volumes, 2001
  • Countries of the World and Their Leaders Yearbook 2010, 2 volumes, 2009
  • Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco: Learning about Addictive Behavior, 3 volumes, 2003
  • Encyclopedia of Aging, 4 volumes, 2003
  • Encyclopedia of Drugs and Addictive Substances, 5 volumes, 2005
  • Encyclopedia of European Social History, 6 volumes, 2005
  • Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, 3 volumes, 2004
  • Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 2 volumes, 2004
  • Encyclopedia of Management, 1 volumes, 2005
  • Encyclopedia of Modern Asia, 6 volumes, 2004
  • Encyclopedia of Religion, 15 volumes, 2005
  • Encyclopedia of Russian History, 4 volumes, 2003
  • Encyclopedia of Science, 10 volumes, 2004
  • Encyclopedia of Small Business, 2 volumes, 2007
  • Encyclopedia of the Great Depression, 2 volumes, 2003
  • Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa, 4 volumes, 2004
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, 4 volumes, 2009
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Cancer, 2 volumes, 2010
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health: Infancy through Adolescence, 4 volumes, 2005
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, 2 volumes, 2010
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, 3 volumes, 2000
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, 3 volumes, 2000
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes, 4 volumes, 2009
  • Gale Encyclopedia of Psychology, 1 volumes, 2003
  • Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. Economic History, 2 volumes, 1999
  • Governments of the World: A Global Guide to Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities, 4 volumes, 2005
  • Great Depression and the New Deal Reference Library, 4 volumes, 2004
  • Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia, 17 volumes, 2004
  • Grizimek's Student Animal Life Resource, 21 volumes, 2005
  • Learning about the Holocaust, 4 volumes, 2007
  • Major Acts of Congress, 3 volumes, 2003
  • Middle Ages Reference Library, 5 volumes, 2004
  • National Survey of State Laws, 1 volumes, 2005
  • Psychologists and their Theories for Students, 2 volumes, 2005
  • Real-Life Math, 2 volumes, 2006
  • Renaissance and Reformation Reference Library, 6 volumes, 2004
  • St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 5  volumes, 2000
  • Supreme Court Drama: Cases that Changed America, 4 volumes, 2005
  • Terrorism: Essential Primary Sources, 1 volumes, 2005
  • The Crusades Reference Library, 4 volumes, 2005
  • The Sixties in America Reference Library, 4 volumes, 2005
  • Vietnam War Reference Library, 5 volumes, 2004
  • Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia, 17 volumes, 2007
  • World of Earth Science, 2 volumes, 2003
  • World Education Encyclopedia, 3 volumes, 2003
  • World War 1 Reference Library, 4 volumes, 2004
  • World War 2 Reference Library, 5 volumes, 2003
  • World of Microbiology and Immunology, 2 volumes, 2003

Reminder: our ebooks will soon have a new look

On July 18, you'll notice that the Marygrove Library's ebooks look different from what you're used to. Their content won't change, but their interface will. This includes the colors on your screen, and the location of links and tools for turning pages and searching content. At the same time, the name that we give this collection will change from "NetLibrary eBooks" to "eBooks on EBSCOhost."

See below for a screenshot of the changed interface (click image to enlarge). You still have a few days to preview the change before it goes live. Be sure to let us know what you think by calling your librarian Christy at 313.927.1378. For tutorials and other support, visit http://support.ebsco.com/ebooks/.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

New tutorials: Computer & Internet Basics

The Michigan eLibrary has recently added a new LearningCenter to LearningExpress Library.  It's called Computer & Internet Basics and it helps library users who are new to computers. It includes:
  1. Getting Started with Computers
  2. Introduction to Windows and The Computer in Action
  3. Introduction to the Internet; Email and Chat; Social Networks and Online Communities; and Web Applications and Internet Security
Access LearningExpress Library from our full list of databases (scroll down to the Ls): http://research.marygrove.edu/articles-a-databases/search-for-articles. You'll need to set up a free account to watch the tutorials.

Catalog may be briefly unavailable Thurs, July 14

The library catalog may be briefly unavailable during the afternoon of Thursday, July 14. If you run into any problems searching for Marygrove books, ebooks, or videos, just call the library reference desk at 313.927.1346 - we'd be happy to help you (and we apologize for any inconvenience)!

Keep in mind that you can also use WorldCat or MeLCat to search for Marygrove materials.

Many of our Gale databases now have a new look

Recently, you may have noticed a new look to many of our Gale databases. Gale has switched to a new version of the PowerSearch interface which is "crisp and uncluttered and offers some very nice changes and enhancements," including:
  • Greater discoverability through content type limiters - no more tabs
  • Sophisticated search assist with Did You Mean? functionality
  • Trending topics, suggested phrases and publication recommendations
  • New sidebar with recommendations and limiters for every search
  • Additional interface language translation options (Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese)
  • Read Speaker will read non-English documents
  • Translation of foreign language documents to English
  • More intuitive advanced searching with search assist on the most used indexes
For tutorials and other materials, visit http://www.gale.cengage.com/powersearch/enhanced/index.htm?grid=powersearch.

Here's a list of the affected databases (all are available from this library webpage):
  • Academic OneFile
  • Agriculture Collection
  • Communications & Mass Media Collection
  • Computer Database
  • Criminal Justice Collection
  • Culinary Arts Collection
  • Diversity Studies Collection
  • Educators' Reference Complete
  • Environmental Studies & Policy Collection
  • Expanded Academic ASAP
  • Fine Arts & Music Collection
  • Gardening Landscape & Horticulture Collection
  • GLBT Issues Collection
  • General OneFile
  • General Reference Center Gold
  • General Science Collection
  • Health Reference Center Academic
  • Home Improvement Collection
  • Hospitality Tourism & Leisure Collection
  • Info Science & Library Issues Collection
  • Informe, Insurance & Liability Collection
  • Junior Edition
  • LegalTrac
  • Military & Intelligence Database
  • Newsstand
  • New York Times
  • Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Collection
  • Pop Culture Collection
  • Psychology Collection
  • Religion & Philosophy Collection
  • Small Business Collection
  • Student Edition
  • US History Collection
  • War & Terrorism Collection
  • World History Collection
Enjoy the new look, and (as always) if you have any questions, don't hesitate to call the library reference desk at 313.927.1346.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Who doesn't love horses?

Here's some impromptu white-board art from two of our visitors in the library this afternoon. We love it! Reminds us of some of our favorite stories, some of which are available for checkout:

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Guess who just won a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card?

Karen Berry, that's who!

Karen generously took the time to read the inaugural issue of the library 'zine, and then answered a few questions about her use of the library. She was one of 61 Marygrove College students, staff and faculty members who took the survey and were entered to win the gift card.

Congratulations, and thank you, Karen, for helping us measure how we can best serve our community!

We no longer need your permission (so there!)

One of the mini-themes at the ALA conference in New Orleans was how the internet has eliminated the need to ask for permission. This theme surfaced in at least two sessions: the first was the General Opening Session featuring Dan Savage, and the second was the ACRL/SPARC forum.



Mr. Savage is editorial director of the Seattle newspaper, The Stranger, and writes an advice column for that publication called "Savage Love." His presentation at ALA focused on the It Gets Better Project, a collection of user-created videos that help lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender teenagers imagine a positive future. The project was founded in 2001 in response to the suicides of LGBT teens who had been bullied.

Mr. Savage's attempt to give hope to LGBT teens is not welcomed by all. Speaking in the voice of a parent (or a bully, a school, an entire culture) Mr. Savage said, "You [LGBT teens] are ours to torture until you're 18. After that you can move wherever you want, be with whomever you want, do whatever you want - except come back to talk to the kids we're still torturing." The beauty of the It Gets Better videos is that they're accessible to anyone with an internet connection. Mr. Savage frequently gets emails from kids in their teens (and younger) who watch the videos on their phone, at night, in bed, with the covers pulled up so no one can see what they're doing. By using internet as his medium, he eliminated the need to ask for permission to reach these bullied youth.



The ACRL/SPARC forum was perhaps less entertaining than Mr. Savage, but just as thought-provoking. Its three speakers were:
  • Dr. Dieter Stein, Professor of English Language and Linguistics at Heinrich Heine University in Germany and organizer of the Berlin 6 conference
  • Lorraine Haricombe, Dean of Libraries at the University of Kansas
  • Jennifer McLennan, Director of Programs and Operations for SPARC and moderator of the Berlin 9 organizing coalition
Each speaker focused on emerging issues in scholarly communication and specifically on expanding support for the Berlin Declaration, which encourages "researchers and cultural heritage custodians to make all kinds of materials openly available."
    Dr. Stein touched on three points in particular that sparked my imagination. One, the concept of "open access" probably wouldn't exist were it not for the internet. Two, the internet heralded not just a shift from print to electronic resources within the publishing world, but also a shift from easily commodified writing (as with a printed book or article, for example) to less easily commodified writing (as with a blog or wiki or e-article). And three, we writers, librarians, researchers, and teachers no longer need to ask permission from commercial publishers in order to spread our ideas - the open access movement has liberated (or is liberating) us from that need.



    I love the thought that Mr. Savage and Dr. Stein planted in my brain: we no longer need permission to share our ideas, to touch the world, to set off an avalanche of positive change. I think it's a liberating, powerful, inspiring idea. What are your thoughts? Can you think of other circumstances in which we no longer need to ask for permission? What about circumstances in which we *should* ask for permission?

    Wednesday, July 6, 2011

    Email outage = blessing in disguise?

    This morning the campus community received a phone message explaining that our email system was down and our provider was working to find a solution as quickly as possible. My first reaction, I admit, was something along the lines of,
    "NOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo!"
    I despaired of getting anything done today. But then, on second thought, it occurred to me that this might be a blessing in disguise. Let me explain...

    Yesterday I returned to Marygrove after my delicious summer vacation, during which I visited New Orleans for the first time, accompanied my niece on a few college visits, and waged war against the squirrel who uproots my pepper plants and throws them over the porch wall. And then laughs at me.

    During my vacation I did a little work from home so as to minimize the work I'd have to tackle upon returning. Still, it took me all day to sort through my email. If you're anything like me, you use email for so much more than communicating with others. I use email as my to-do list, my calendar, a way to store passwords and documents I'm working on. (I know, I know, that's what a flash drive is for. But sometimes I don't have easy access to my flash drive. Sometimes I'm not logged onto a computer as myself and so can't get to the My Documents folder. Sometimes - well, you get the point.) At times my email even serves as a memory-nudger; recently I searched my email for a price quote I received last year from a database vendor.

    As essential as email is, I don't believe that spending all day sorting, tagging, deleting and responding is a productive use of my (or your) time. As I frantically plugged away yesterday, wondering when I'd be able to move on to other work, another 50 or so emails arrived. Many had no direct relevance to the work I do.

    So, no, I'm not horribly upset that our email is down. I get a day's reprieve!

    In the meantime, given that email outages on campus are very rare, I'm trying some new techniques to reduce feelings of despair and distraction:
    • reading and responding to email during a strict half hour in the morning, mid-day, and late afternoon (as a non-administrator, I have the luxury of spending the rest of my time *logged out*)
    • using websites like BaseCamp and Google Docs to manage my projects and collaborations
    • picking up the phone or visiting someone's office rather than sending an email and waiting for a response
    • using social media such as Facebook and Google Reader to share interesting headlines with my colleagues
    • using the library's zine or blog to communicate our news to the campus community
    Here are links to others who've weighed in on The Email Problem:
    I'd love to hear how you handle this problem. Share your ideas in the comment section below.

      Tuesday, July 5, 2011

      Marygrove Library resources go viral!

      Well, almost viral...

      On June 22, a librarian from Kaplan University Hagerstown sent the Marygrove librarians this question via our Email-A-Librarian service. He wrote:
      I would like permission to link to your APA website on our library research page. This page is a great help to our students. Thank you.
      Specifically, he wanted to link to the document created by librarian Jennifer Meacham, titled "Microsoft Word 2007: Formatting Your Research Paper using APA Style." What's unique about this document, as opposed to most other APA guides, is that it includes detailed instructions for students using Microsoft Word. Here's a screenshot:


       Of course we were happy to give him permission. But guess what? It turns out Kaplan isn't the only university to recognize the value of Jennifer's work. Here are a few other places that link to us:
      University of Kentucky School of Education
      University of Florida School of Nursing
      McKinney Independent School District (Texas)
      eHow.com
      answerbag.com
      To view the full APA guide, as well as guides for MLA and Turabian styles, visit this Marygrove Library webpage: http://research.marygrove.edu/research-help-a-guides/apa-mla-a-turabian-styles.

      As always, if you have questions don't hesitate to leave a comment below, or give us a call at 313.927.1346.