Archives for November 2018

End of Semester Wrap-up

A Christmas tree with big eyes and presents underneathThis holiday season, the Ross Pendergraft Library has your next book or DVD check-out all wrapped up.   Come to the first floor to check-out our latest display featuring several mystery “Christmas-themed” library resources waiting for you to check out.

Our first-floor display with books, DVDs, and some wrapped DVDs which remain a mystery

Find these wrapped objects in our display, take them to the Circulation desk for check-out, and feel the thrill of Christmas morning a few weeks early as you get to rip off the paper to reveal your surprise.  Is it Christmas Vacation or Miracle on 34th Street?  Take a chance and embrace the unpredictable!

A fake fireplace created out of books with a little Christmas village on top.

Since we’re feeling generous, the library is also giving away the best present of all—extended hours during the week of finals!  Beginning Reading Day, Dec. 5th, 7:00 A.M., the library will keep its doors open and lights on until Friday, Dec. 7th at 9:00 P.M.  Twenty-four-seven is BACK!   You’re welcome!

John Travolta from Pulp Fiction wondering where to find a computer in the library

Come by in the late, late hours for free coffee and moderately-priced printing.    We also have all the friendly services you’ve come to know and love:

You can also stay up and on top of all the news in the library by following us on Twitter (#ATUFinals)/ Facebook / Instagram.  Good luck on finals!   You got this!

A magical cat granting you special powers to pass your exams

Check out a book at the Human Library

A photograph advertising the Human Library--pictures of people on a book shelf.

This Thursday, Nov. 15th, check out more than a book from the library—check out a human book.  From 6:30 until 9:00, the Library will host its 3rd annual Human Library in RPL 300B.  This event is free and open to the public—all are welcome.

The Human Library project is a national program promoting dialogue and understanding between people.  Each ‘book’ his a person sharing their experiences with prejudice, discrimination, or hardships beyond their control in an environment that allows for candid conversations within a smaller group. The purpose is to promote understanding within a diverse community.

“Readers,” the people coming to the event, will browse the shelves and choose a book to sit down with. The book will tell their story allowing for the reader to ask questions.

This year the library will feature 10 books for readers to choose from.  Titles include:

  • Naturalization: Becoming a Citizen of the United States.
  • Librarian in Blue: Chicago police officer becomes a librarian
  • My Past is Part of Me But Not All of Me: A non-traditional student overcomes abusive childhood in a strict religious home.
  • 30 and Still Nerdy: He speaks fluent nerd and owns a 13 volume encyclopedia of Middle Earth—capable of adulting yet hasn’t grown out of these nerdy things.
  • International Student: A student from the Middle East shares his experiences studying in Arkansas.
  • Sick Chase: A story of the survival of a religious crisis.
  • Not Your Average “Duke”: The story of a small-town moonshiner’s grandson and how he broke free from the social norm surrounding him.
  • Graditutde & Gears: A first generation Latina engineering major shares her experiences cultivating a postive network in college.
  • Invisible: A seemingly happy-go-lucky college student struggles with anxiety and depression complicated by the feelings of shame associated with the stigma of mental illness.
  • Unexpected: A first generation college student and her unexpected journey into parenthood.

For more information on the Human Library, including a list of past speakers, other Human Libraries, and videos, visit our website about the project: http://libguides.atu.edu/humanlibrary/home.  If you are interested in becoming a book yourself for next year, consider signing up.  No dust jacket required.

Stay in touch with all our books and programs by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  We hope you will come Thursday night and check out some books!

Hidden Gems on Monday, Nov. 12th

Photograph of Nancy DaneJoin us at the Ross Pendergraft Library on November 12th, 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300B,  for a special presentation from local author, Nancy Dane where she will discuss the “Hidden Gems of History”—the unique, local, and strange events of the River Valley that help inspire her children’s books and novels.  This event is free and open to the public.

She will also be signing copies of her latest historical fiction book, Secrets, which is set Arkansas and Indian Territory in the 1870s and features real-life figures like the Judge Isaac Parker (a.k.a. the Hanging Judge) and Bass Reeves, the first black lawman west of the Mississippi.  A copy of this book is also available for check-out in the library.Bookjacket of Nancy Dane's Novel "Secrets"

Nancy Dane has published several books including Tattered Glory, a non-fiction documentary history of the Civil War in the Arkansas River Valley.  She is also the author of children’s books such as Sarah Campbell: Tale of a Civil War Orphan which received the 2016 DeBlack Award, presented by the Arkansas Historical Society for best book in Arkansas History for young readers. This novel also received the Amazon Readers Favorite Award.

She has written other historical fiction novels such as A Reasonable Doubt, a novel of reconstruction in Arkansas, and Where the Road Begins, a historical fiction of the Civil War set on the Little Piney Creek.

For more information, you can call us at (479) 964-0546 or email Luke Heffley at lheffley@atu.edu.  Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more events and presentations from the library.

 

 

 

Gross Anatomy and Pretty Statistics

This November, test drive more database trials to dive deeper into the human body and the body of statistics.

Visible Body

Right now until Novemer 16th, explore the human body—inside and out—through the Visible Body databases.  These visual tools allow nursing, health, and art students peel back the layers of skin to navigate the human skeleton, muscles, organ systems, and more.

A screenshot from Visible Body showing a skinless human skull displaying the Tracheal cartilaginous rings

Each interface includes clear labels of each body part, descriptions, and the ability to download images, add notes, and draw. Rotate, move, flip, zoom in, and click on different pieces to explore further.  The Visible Body offers animations for many of the systems of the body, including muscle contractions, joint movements and more.

The current trials at ATU Library include 4 separate interfaces:

  1. Anatomy & Physiology: This includes 12 body systems in 50 chapters, designed for core concepts of an undergraduate course in Anatomy and Physiology.
  2. Human Anatomy Atlas: This is a 3D anatomy reference app for healthcare professionals, students, and professors. Includes dental anatomy, lab activities, dissection tools, and the Gross Anatomy Lab that mirrors what you would experience in a cadaver lab (without the smell).
  3. Muscle Premium: Ideal for orthopedic specialists, kinesiologists, practitioners of sports medicine, physical therapists, and other professionals and students of muscle and skeletal function. Includes muscle index, muscle movement videos, and a pathologies section.
  4. Physiology Animations: A video reference atlas with 3D animations that communicate core physiology and common conditions.

A screenshot of the Visual Body database showing a mandible movement

Hurry and dissect these databases before the trial ends on November 16th!

Sage Stats

Need some statistics to shore that research paper?  Test drive Sage Stats—a data download and visualization tool focused on statistical information in the United States.  Includes social science data on U.S. states, counties, cities, and metropolitan statistical areas from more than 150 different government and non-government sources. It spans topics like employment, crime, religion, and education, and includes over 400,000 datasets from sources like Woods & Poole Economics, U.S. Census, American Medical Association, and more.

Screenshot of Russellville, AR location in Sage Stats showing population and data series

Search by Topic or Location.  Compare two or more data series using charts.  This database includes tools for citing, exporting, downloading, and sharing.  There are also guides for using Sage Stats in the classroom as well as video tutorials.

Screenshot of Sage Stats showing active SNAP participants by county in Arkansas

The trial for this resource ends on November 30th.

Statistical Abstract of the United States

The go-to source for the most common statistics on the American economy, demographics, education, prices, and more is the Statistical Abstract of the United States.  While the Ross Pendergraft Library has this bulky tome in print at the Reference Desk, from now until November 25th, you can browse key statistics for the United States from anywhere with an internet connection.

Screenshot of Statistical Abstract topics and tables

This online version is a compilation of social, political and economic statistics. The focus is on national data, but some tables cover regions, states, cities, and comparative international statistics. It is divided into broad sections such as Population, Health and Nutrition, Education, Foreign Commerce and Aid, Prices and many others.

Screenshot of Statistical Abstract table 437 : Voting-Age population

Each table identifies the source of the data and the citation.  Tables can be downloaded in .xls or .pdf format.

These databases will only stick around for a short while UNLESS you speak up via Ask Us.  If you like these, hate these, or want to test something else, let us know!  Stay tuned to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more news and database trials in the future.