BioOne

Posted on April 24, 2014 Written by

Sometimes, the search results in Academic Search Complete can seem . . . less than complete.  If you are having trouble finding full-text articles in biological sciences, switch over to the BioOne full-text database.  With more than full-text 100,000 articles from 179 journals, BioOne can be a great place to find research in Biology, Zoology, Entomology, Plant Sciences, and Environmental Sciences.

Located in our list of “Tech Databases”, BioOne allows you to search by author, title, DOI, and keywords within the full text of the article or captions from figures & charts.  Unlike many of our other databases, all results will include full-text articles—no Inter-Library Loan necessary.

You can email links to articles, download citations to a citation manager, and even track citations with RSS feeds.  For videos, tutorials, and more information about using BioOne, visit their Resource Guides page.  For more information about BioOne, biological science, or finding full-text articles, contact your friendly neighborhood librarians at askalibrarian@atu.edu.

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Film on Tuesday

Posted on April 16, 2014 Written by

Could you get on the bus?  In 1961, a group of  people, both black and white, decided to travel through the segregated South on a Greyhound bus challenging Jim Crow laws prohibiting racial mixing.  Their radical strategy?  Walk through the door of a “white’s-only” establishment and sit together.

Their fearless idealism and commitment to non-violence in the face of arrests, brutal mobs, and attempted murder challenged America to see the inhumanity of segregation and pushed the Civil Rights Movement to the forefront of national conversation.

On Tuesday, April 22nd at 7:00 p.m., join our conversation about the Civil Rights at the screening of the PBS documentary, The Freedom Riders.  Before the film, Barbara Lackey (Horace Mann HS-LittleRock ’60, ATU ’68) and Dr. V. Carole Smith (Russellville HS ’65), will also discuss their life experiences in the River Valley and beyond.

Even if you can’t stay for the film, you won’t want to miss opening panel discussion for a once in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear history from the people who lived through it right here in the River Valley.  There will be a short break after the discussion before the movie begins.  You can also find the film at the library or online for viewing at home.

The film is the last of our Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle series produced in partnership with the National Endowment for Humanities and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, created to encourage public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America.

For more information about this film, the panel discussion, or the Civil Rights Movement, give us a ring at 479-964-0569 or send us an email at askalibrarian@atu.edu.

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Swim the Stream

Posted on April 11, 2014 Written by

Fans of the library already know we have a fantastic DVD collection, but lately, we’ve been dipping our toes into the world of streaming video.  From now until April 23, we’re hosting a trial of Kanopy Streaming Video, one of the largest educational video streaming services in the world–considered the “Netflix” of the educational video world.

Our current trial consists of 366 educational films and lectures in business and the social sciences that you can watch for free from your laptop, mobile device, or iPad.  The videos are organized into four distinct collections:

1. Documentary Education Resources: New Releases 2013

This collection includes 34 full-length documentary videos exploring cultures and social science topics from the United States and all over the world.

2. Psychotherapy.net Counseling & Therapy Online

Since 1995, Psychotherapy.net has been producing videos in the fields of psychotherapy, psychology, and addiction.  Videos in this series include interviews from renowned counselors and psychologists discussing their practice, theories, and experiences.

3. Media Education Foundation (MEF) Collection

These documentary films encourage critical thinking about the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media. Faculty and students in journalism, sociology, race studies, psychology, and many other disciplines will find something worth watching and thinking about in this collection of 138 videos.

4. Standford Executive Briefings Collection

For twenty years, Stanford University has hosted a monthly business forum featuring prominent CEOs, professors, and authors who shared their expertise and research in finance, leadership, public speaking, and organization strategy.  Think of it as a collection of TED talks just for business.

The Kanopy service can be used at home or broadcast in a lecture hall or classroom for teaching purposes.  Individual videos can also be embedded into Blackboard using the “Embed in LMS” button at the top of each video.  There’s also a tool that allows you create a playlist of portions of each video, in case you just want to show a clip or several clips of videos.

Kanopy will only be available until April 23, but if you want to see this service stick around longer, give us a shout at askalibrarian@atu.edu.  In addition to these videos, the Kanopy service contains thousands of other videos in art, health, science, and teacher education—some of which we would normally purchase on DVD.  Feel free to browse their collection and recommend a title (or two or five).  Remember, it is your money, your collection, and your education–how do you want to learn?

 

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The Loving Story

Posted on April 4, 2014 Written by

Imagine living in a time when it was considered illegal to marry the person you loved.  Imagine knowing that your wedding ceremony could be followed by a trial, conviction, and imprisonment for the simple act of tying the knot.   Sixty years ago, Richard and Mildred Loving changed history when they said “I do” in defiance of the law against inter-racial marriage and faced prosecution and jail-time in a state penitentiary, culminating in the landmark Supreme Court Case, Loving v. Virginia.

Join us this Thursday, April 10th, for the screening of the documentary film, The Loving Story, at 7:00 p.m. in Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center, room 300 south.  Following the film, Dr. James Moses, professor of history at Arkansas Tech University, will lead a discussion about this pivotal Supreme Court decision.  Admission is free and open to the public.

This film is presented as part of the Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle series, which represents a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities to mark the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.  The Loving Story represents the third part of a four-film series documenting the Civil Rights struggle in America, ending with the screening of The Freedom Riders on April 22nd at 7:00 p.m.

If you can’t make it to Thursday’s event, never fear—you can always come by the library and check out the film for home viewing.

For more information about this film or the film series, give us a call at 479-964-0569 or email us at askalibrarian@atu.edu.

 

 

 

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There’s Still Time

Posted on April 2, 2014 Written by

If you haven’t flipped over to the survey, you still have until this Friday, April 4, to let us know what you think of the library, its collections, services, and people.  In 5-10 minutes, you have the power to shape what books we buy, what formats we buy them in, what services we should offer, and what policies we should adopt to improve the library as a place to study, relax, and check Facebook learn important things about the world.

When we hosted the spring survey last year, over 500 students, faculty, and staff took the survey and gave us their suggestions, complaints, and praises for Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center.  We highlighted the most common suggestions earlier last year, and have worked hard ever since to enhance the library in those areas where we could.

Because of your responses, we have made progress in updating our book collection, increasing the number of full-text journals, creating new research guides, and adding new databases (like Mango Languages, Library PressDisplay, and Statistical Abstract of the U.S.).  We even put together a new online course reserve form for faculty, and a new library and research guide specifically for online-only students.

Factors like temperature, study space, and 24 hour service are still out of our control, however.  Additionally, we had to scrap some of the more creative suggestions for how to improve the library, such as:

  • A sugar-daddy to leave a million or so to grow the collection.
  • Have a nap room.
  • Play some classical music throughout the public areas of the building and in the elevators.
  • Move it closer to my dorm.
  • Get rid of the apple computers.
  • Get some more MACs.

While we cannot implement all of your great ideas, we’ll do our best to make sure your research-related needs are met.  Keep the feedback coming by taking the survey or by emailing your strongly agreeable librarians at askalibrarian@atu.edu.  Remember, it is YOUR library–help us make it  a better place for YOU.

http://techlibrarysurvey2014.questionpro.com/

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New Trials

Posted on March 19, 2014 Written by

For a limited time only, test drive some of our new trial databases and collections in business, humanities, social sciences, and statistics.  The Library has four trials this spring of new products, including ebook collections, online encyclopedias, and a new GIS database.

International Historical Statistics

While 93% of all statistics reported in this article are false, you can be accurate in your research papers and persuasive essays using this ebook of historical statistics.  Access 260 years of international economic and social indicators from the comfort of your own office/dorm room/Starbucks table.  Chapters are organized by region, and include tables for population, agriculture, education, prices, labor, communications, and more.  The ebook includes a user guide, as well as an easy-to-use search tab to find specific data within this comprehensive work.  Trial ends 4/30/14.

Palgrave Connect (ebooks)

Explore this collection of over 12,500 ebooks in the humanities, social sciences, and business.  Search for specific titles or browse by subject, most-accessed titles, or the 2014 collection highlights.  Users have the option of viewing books within a web-browser, sending them to a Kindle, or downloading books to their computer or mobile device.  This trial ends on 4/30/14.

The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Strategic Management

This online encyclopedia includes over 700 entries written by leading academics and practitioners in the field of marketing, with new entries added once a month until 2015.  Users can browse a list of all entries or search for specific words, concepts, and people.  Trial ends on 4/30/14.

PolicyMap

PolicyMap database is a new Geographic Information System of maps, tables, and reports.  Find demographic data, health data, mortgage trends, school performance, crime statistics, and more using a simple, map-based interface.  Switch from a map-based view to tables, reports, and more by navigating through easy-to-use tabs.  Upload your own data and see it mapped out along with other indicators already in PolicyMap.  If you have an interest in market studies, business planning, site selection, or other research using maps and statistical data, give this system a whirl.  Trial ends 5/24/14.

Hate them?  Love them?  Confused about your feelings for these resources?  We want to know about it: askalibrarian@atu.edu.  Your feedback impacts our purchasing decisions, so if you want to use any of these next semester and beyond, let us know.

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Slavery By Another Name

Posted on March 12, 2014 Written by

On Tuesday, March 18th, at 7:00 P.M. in RPL room 300, join us for a screening of the PBS documentary, Slavery by Another Name.

Based on the Pulitzer prize-winning novel by Douglas Blackmon, this documentary explores the period from the end of the Civil War until World War II, when tens of thousands of African Americans in the South were incarcerated, often arbitrarily, from laws enacted specifically to intimidate blacks.  As prisoners, they were then sold as forced laborers to coal mines, lumber camps, brickyards, railroads, quarries, and farm plantations. Thousands of other African Americans were simply seized and compelled into years of involuntary servitude.

Immediately following the movie, Dr. Pete Dykema, professor of history at ATU, will lead a discussion of this overlooked and sinister history of the American South.  The film and lecture are free and open to the public.

If you can’t make it to the movie, you can always check out the film from the Library, or watch online through PBS.org.  For more information about this film or the screening, contact us at 479-964-0569 or askalibrarian@atu.edu.

 

 

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LION of a Database

Posted on February 28, 2014 Written by

One of our featured databases this month is ProQuest’s Literature Online, or, as it is sometimes known,“LION”.  If you’ve seen Literature Online in the past, you may want to look again.  The database has undergone a substantial face-lift, shedding years off its dated appearance and looking nothing like its 18 years as one of the leading resources in the study of English literature.

If you are going anywhere near an English class, be sure to bookmark this database as a go-to for literary criticism, author information, and full-text for over 350,000 works of poetry,  drama, and other prose in English language.

But wait—there’s more!  Literature Online also includes 880 video clips of poets reading their own works, 38 fully dramatized, unabridged audio recordings of Shakespeare plays, and 921 links to historic video and audio recordings of poetry readings at The Poetry Archive.  So if you ever find yourself feeling low, head to Literature Online and take a listen to The Wasteland, as read by T.S. Eliot in his own peppy, upbeat voice.

Navigation in Literature Online is nearly effortless with one “Google-esque” search box for quick keyword searching.  Boolean operators like AND, OR, NOT will still work in this search, but you can find more advanced search boxes once you choose from one of the large resource categories of Authors, Texts, Criticism, or Reference.

screenshot of LION

In addition to the simplified structure, more emphasis has been added to browsing available texts, author profiles, full text journals, and reference works.  This can be helpful if you can’t quite remember how to spell someone’s name or just want to browse the lists for interesting topics.

If you have more questions about this database, literature, or why T.S. Eliot sounds so dog-gone cheerful, contact your upbeat librarians at askalibrarian@atu.edu.

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This Thursday

Posted on February 26, 2014 Written by

Radicals.  Agitators.  Troublemakers.  Liberators.  These are just some of the words used to describe abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, William Lloyd Garrison, and others who led the fight against slavery during one of the most important Civil Rights crusade in American history.

On Thursday at 2:30 P.M. in RPL room 300, we kick off the Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle film series with a screening of the film, The Abolitionists.  Produced as part of the PBS series, The American Experience, this documentary explores the Abolitionist movement from the 1820’s through 1865 through the lives of its most notable figures.

Immediately following the movie,  Dr. Jeff Pearson, Assistant Professor of History at Arkansas Tech University, will lead a discussion.   Admission is free and open to the public.

Can’t make it to the screening?  Check out the film for yourself at the library or watch online through PBS online.

For more information about this film, the film series, or famous abolitionists, contact your librarians at askalibrarian@atu.edu or call us at (479) 964-0569.

 

 

 

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New Film Series

Posted on February 17, 2014 Written by

During the next few weeks, the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center at Arkansas Tech University will host a film series entitled “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle,” featuring films and lectures about the beginnings, struggles, and triumphs of the Civil Rights movement in America.

“Created Equal” is part of the Bridging Cultures Initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities, produced in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to encourage public conversations about the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America.

Below is the full schedule and listing for the films in the series:

“The Abolitionists,”
Thursday, Feb. 27, 2:30 p.m.
Discussion led by Dr. Jeff Pearson, Assistant Professor of History.

 

“Slavery By Another Name,”
Tuesday, March 18, 2:30 p.m.
Discussion led by Dr. Pete Dykema, Professor of History.

 

“The Loving Story,”
Tuesday, April 8, 2:30 p.m.
Discussion led by Dr. James Moses, Professor of History.

 

“Freedom Riders,”
Tuesday, April 22, 2:30 p.m.
Followed by a panel discussion with Dr. V. Carole Smith, Associate Professor of Middle Level Education, and other invited panelists.

Each film screening will take place in Pendergraft Library and Technology Center, third floor, room 300 and will include a lecture or discussion to follow.  Admission to all screenings in the “Created Equal” series will be free and open to the public.

If you can’t make it to the screenings, a copy of each film is also available for check-out from the library.  Simply search for the film titles in our online catalog, or click this link for a complete list.  You can also learn more about each film through our special research guide containing summaries, teaching guides, transcripts, and video.

For more information about this film series, Civil Rights, or anything research-related, give us a ring at 479-964-0569 or email us at askalibrarian@atu.edu.

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