Angela Black

Echoes of the River Valley kickoff on Sept. 13

Posted on September 12, 2018 Written by Angela Black

On Thursday, September 13th, at 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300B, the Ross Pendergraft Library kicks off a new series exploring, sharing and preserving the folk arts of the River Valley. Join us this Thursday as we welcome Dave Smith, old-time fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, who will share his tunes, traditions, and wealth of knowledge about the music of the Ozarks and the greater region.

Dave Smith is an accomplished folk musician from Mountain View, Arkansas. He is the host of Ozark Highlands Radio, a popular weekly radio program featuring live music, jam sessions, and interviews from the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s auditorium. Dave plays the guitar, fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, and the button accordion.

He will discuss the role of music in everyday life before and after the Civil War. From there we can follow the music into the 20th century where we can examine the impact of technology on the on the evolution of the music. Find out how this music is not only surviving, but thriving in today’s fast paced digital age.

If this is your kind of jam, you might like to join a real jam at the Gatherings–a weekly series of musical jams open to all stringed instruments and all level of musicians. The music will focus on the traditional tunes of the Ozark region. The University of Arkansas Ozark Folk Songs digital collection will be the primary resource with emphasis on fiddle tunes.

Gatherings will be held on Thursdays, September 27th, October 4th, October 11th, and October 18th from 5:30-7:30 P.M. in Doc Byran 242. Participants are encouraged to bring a recording device. All tunes will be played slowly, phrase-by-phrase, working up to greater speeds. Chords will be available for those who wish to play rhythm with their strings.

The final event in the Echoes of the River Valley series will include a two hour session on quilting and piecing using traditional Ozark methods on October 25th.

So rosin up your bow and practice your finger work by clicking Like on our Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instragram pages so you can stay in the circle on what’s happening in the library. You can also read up on the series at our website: http://libguides.atu.edu/echoes

All events are free and open to the public. See ya’ll on Thursday!

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Echoes of the River Valley, Music, Ozarks, Presentations

Another Slice of Pie on September 10

Posted on September 5, 2018 Written by Angela Black

Come get a slice of delicious writing and story-telling from Kat Robinson, the first author to present at our 2nd annual, 2nd Monday’s Local Author Series. Join us on Monday, September 10th, at 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300B for a sweet time with food historian, travel-writer, and an Arkansas Tech alumnus.

Kat will share stories from her latest book, Another Slice of Arkansas Pie: A Guide to the Best Restaurants, Bakeries, Truck Stops and Food Trucks for Delectable Slices in the Natural State. She will also be available for a book signing after what is sure to be a fun and hunger-inducing presentation. All are welcome!

Kat Robinson is the host of the AETN program, “Make Room for Pie: A Delicious Slice of the Natural State.” She has also appeared on the Food Network, and has written articles for the Forbes Travel Guide, Serious Eats, and AY Magazine. She is also the author of two works on Arkansas restaurants, including Classic Eateries of the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley and Classic Eateries of the Arkansas Delta. If you are still hungry for another book about pie, check out Arkansas Pie: A Delicious Slice of the Natural State

For more about Kat Robinson, her travels, recipes, reviews, photos, videos and articles, help yourself to a slice of her website at http://tiedyetravels.com.

Want to stay connected for the next author and other events in the library? Follow/Like/Love us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

In the meantime, we hope you will join us Monday for a little slice of Arkansas culture, food, and stories.

Filed Under: Library

On Trial

Posted on August 31, 2018 Written by Angela Black

The Ross Pendergraft Library has 2 new databases on trial for a limited time until September 22nd. This is your chance to weigh in on new products under consideration for purchase by the Library. Take these two new resources for a drive around the block, kick the tires, and look under the hood to see if it’s something we should take home.

Fold3

Fold3 is a military records archive providing access to the stories, photos, and documents of veterans of all military branches. The Fold3 name comes from a traditional flag folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans. This database includes millions of records making it a valuable resource for historians, researchers, family members, military enthusiasts, and genealogists.

Coverage includes records from the Revolutionary War up until Operation New Dawn. Search the extensive archive that includes draft registration cards, navy cruise ship records, homestead records, muster rolls, casualties, war diaries, pension records, the Pentagon Papers, and photographs from a variety of service branches and conflicts.

Users have the ability to browse records by title, time period, and geographic region. A separate section of the site includes a memorials section, featuring an interactive search for names on the Vietnam Memorial, the USS Arizona, and U.S. Hall of Honor.

This database will be on trial until September 22.

Proquest Statistical Insight

Proquest Statistical Insight contains indexed tables of data from international, federal, state and private sources made available for search and retrieval. This product includes the ability to search government reports back to 1973, includes state and private reports back to 1980, and tables for 1999 to present.

To begin searching, type in a couple of keywords and view results by report abstracts or tables.

Search results can be further limited by dates, source, local area, and “Data Breakdowns.” Click Tables to view statistical information arranged in popular tables. Most tables can be downloaded as PDFs or XLS files.

For more information about using Proquest Statistical Insight, see this handy guide: https://proquest.libguides.com/statistical_insight. This trial will also expire on September 22nd.

If you like these databases and want to access them well after September, send us an email, a message, a text, or a tweet! Or come see us the old fashioned way at the RPL Reference Desk. We’d love to hear your feedback on these databases or any of our other databases and services.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Military, Statistics, Trial Database

Frosh News

Posted on August 22, 2018 Written by Angela Black

Are you new to campus? Are you just new to the library? At the RPL, we believe in fast, accurate, and reliable information, so here’s a quick rundown of all the top 5 facts you need to be successful that first day on campus.

1. Find computers, even late at night.

The Library holds the largest general computer lab on campus 119 computers, and the only computer lab open late at night. As long as the library is open, our computer labs are open. Each machine has all the software you need to succeed, including Minesweeper.

2. Find printers, scanners, copiers, and yes, even a fax machine.

You can find printers on all floors in the library, including color printers. Printing is done on ‘release stations” where you login with your TechID or pass your TechID near the scanner.

Just print your document to the “Universal Print Queue” printer and release at any of the stations scattered throughout the library. Black and white copies are $0.10 a page, but if you release the job at a color printer, that’s $0.30. Every Tech Student Starts with a $20 balance every semester. If you run out of money, just add more (cash only) to your TechID using the PHIL station on the first floor.

We also have traditional copy machines for making copies at $.10 a page. Or save money by scanning for free! The library has recently purchased a KIC scanner on the first floor where scanning documents and books is as easy as the press of the SCAN button.

If you need to fax materials (ancient technology still used by doctors, scholarship offices, and utility companies), we have a publicly available fax machine located on the first floor, near the Reference Desk.

Read more about our policies here: http://libguides.atu.edu/services/students

3. Find (Some) Textbooks, Calculators, Headphones….for Free!

If you are enrolled in a Gen Ed course this semester and you don’t have the textbook, check our online course reserves and search for “Textbooks”.

Remember, we do NOT have ALL Textbooks! We have a limited collection of textbooks for General Education courses ONLY. You can also search by course name, title, or ISBN. If your professor has specifically added a book to their course, it might be here, too—just try searching for their name.

Textbooks are available for a limited 2 hour check-out, and you cannot remove them from the building. But if you need to get some reading done before class or photocopy a few pages, these are available to any student with a Tech ID at the Circulation Desk.

We also checkout graphing calculators, headphones, whiteboards, and all other course reserves materials at the Circulation Desk. It’s as simple as walking up and asking.

4. Find Almost Everything Using Find It

Imagine Amazon.com but for library materials like articles, books, videos, ebooks, calculators, headphones, streaming videos, and more—all for free to you, the Tech student. That’s Find It—the library’s search engine. Anything we have available to check-out, watch, print, or download, you can find it here. Try typing in a keyword, and use the facets on the left to limit by type, location, online, or more. Get started by going to http://findit.atu.edu

5. Find Help with Librarians

Probably the best-kept secret in campus support, we are trained professionals whose main job duty is to help you succeed by finding accurate, reliable, and authoritative information. No question is too small or too large. We want to help, and we do it better than Google.

Text at 479-802-4876
Call us at 479-964-0570
Email at askus@atu.libanswers.com
Do all the social media stuff at Twitter, Facebook, & Instagram
Live Chat with us here: http://libguides.atu.edu/research/help/askus
Come by Reference or Circulation Desks to ask us anything, like “Where’s the bathroom?”, “How do I find peer-reviewed articles,” or “What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?”

Find us so you can find everything else.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Find it, General, Hours, Welcome

New Databases

Posted on April 10, 2018 Written by Angela Black

The Ross Pendergraft Library is pleased to announce 40 new databases from Gale accessible right now from our list of A-to-Z Databases: http://libguides.atu.edu/az.php

The full list can be seen by visiting our A-to-Z Databases page and scanning all the titles to the right marked “NEW”.

These new databases cover a little bit of everything: business, literature, U.S. history, culinary arts, gardening, criminal justice, and even car maintenance. While there’s not enough space here to talk about all of them, here’s the highlights for subjects that weren’t previously covered by our older databases:

Chiltonlibrary.com

This database represents the most authoritative automotive repair information available to car owners. If you or someone you know is a gearhead, a Chilton’s manual would have been a required accessory in the garage. With access to Chiltonlibrary, say goodbye to grease-stained manuals (though, perhaps hello to grease-stained laptops and ipads). Includes (for some vehicles) labor estimating, maintenance schedules, repair, and recalls. Some sections include video tutorials. ASE Test prep quizzes are also available.

Culinary Arts Collection

Culinary Arts Collection provides access to academic journals and magazines on all aspects of cooking and nutrition. The database includes thousands of searchable recipes, restaurant reviews, and industry information.

Fine Arts and Music Collection

This database provides access to scholarly journals and magazines that support research in areas including drama, music, art history, and film-making. The database emphasizes full-text content for publications included in the Wilson Art Index and RILM bibliography.

Gardening, Landscape and Horticulture Collection

Gardening, Landscape & Horticulture Collection serves horticultural enthusiasts of all levels with more than 3.6 million articles from more than 100 journals, as well as more than 20 reference titles from Delmar, including Handbook of Flowers; Foliage and Creative Design; Computer Graphics for Landscape Architects; and more.

Gender Studies Collection

Gender Studies Collection provides balanced coverage of this significant aspect of culture and society. The database offers access to scholarly journals and magazines covering topics including gender studies, family and marital issues, and more.

Student Resources in Context

While primarily geared towards high school students, this resource is rich in curriculum resources for students in secondary education programs. Browse curriculum standards at the state and federal level and find educator resources including lesson plans and worksheets for high school students conducting research and writing papers.

This list makes up only a small fraction of the resources and databases now available online at our website. For more information on these databases and how to search them to find what you need, ask us! Keep checking us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more updates as we continue to bulk up our collections and services.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Library Collection, Tech Database

Redgunk Tales this Monday, April 9th

Posted on April 5, 2018 Written by Angela Black

Join us on Monday, April 9th in RPL 300B at 7:00 P.M. for a presentation from Dr. Bill Eakin, professor of philosophy and German from the University of the Ozarks, on his book entitled, Redgunk Tales : Apocalypse and Kudzu from Redgunk, Mississippi. Dr. Eakins will discuss his book as well as tips for publishing short stories.

Redgunk Tales features 13 interwoven stories set in the fictional town of Redgunk, Mississippi, where “the predictable lives of the smothering backwater’s residents are touched by shadowy supernatural events” (Publisher’s Weekly).

Critics have said Dr. Eakin’s stories are like “Thomas Wolfe on acid and James Joyce on moonshine,” and “simultaneously a place of prosaic horror and absolute beauty.” His most recent literary work has been labeled “a stunning masterpiece” by Andre Dubus, III (House of Sand and Fog).

Dr. Eakins currently lives in Arkansas on a cliff above Piney Bay outside of Russellville. Over one hundred of his short works have appeared in most of the big genre zines, as well as in numerous literary journals. Many of his stories were recommended by Science Fiction Writers of America for the Nebula Award, and have been reprinted in five book collections, which can be found on Amazon.

Monday’s lecture is part of an ongoing local author series presented by the Ross Pendergraft Library every second Monday of each month. For more information about this event or the series, contact Luke Heffley at lheffley@atu.edu.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: NEW!, Presentations

Jonestown Survivor to Speak April 5th

Posted on April 2, 2018 Written by Angela Black

This Thursday, April 5th, join us for a very special presentation from a survivor of the Jonestown massacre, Laura Johnston. Her lecture, “Don’t Drink the Kool Aid: Advice from a Jonestown Survivor” will take place in RPL 300. A reception will be held at 5:30, with the talk scheduled to begin at 6:00 P.M. She will also sign copies of her book, Jonestown Survivor: An Insider’s Look, following the presentation.

Admission is free and open to the public. The event is hosted by the ATU Department of Behavioral Sciences, the ATU Department of History and Political Science, and the ATU College of Arts and Humanities.

Kohl was one of 87 members of the Peoples Temple who survived the Jonestown massacre in Guyana on Nov. 18, 1978. A total of 918 individuals perished in what was the single largest loss of American civilian life by a deliberate act until Sept. 11, 2001.

“I was a member of Peoples Temple for seven years in California before moving to Guyana,” writes Kohl in her bio. “I lived in Georgetown and Jonestown, Guyana, for another nearly two years. I happened to be in Georgetown with about 80 other survivors when my wonderful friends and adopted family were murdered in Jonestown. It took me 20 years to accept my survival and rebuild my life.”

Now a bilingual middle school teacher in California, Kohl’s speaking engagements focus on such topics as surviving tragedy, survivors’ guilt, sociology, political science, psychology and the red flags associated with cult dynamics.

Want to learn more about Jonestown before the lecture? The Ross Pendergraft Library had additional resources on this historical tragedy:

The Road to Jonestown : Jim Jones and Peoples Temple / by Jeff Guinn (2017, BOOK)
Seductive poison : a Jonestown Survivor’s Story of Life and Death in the Peoples Temple / by Deborah Layton (1998, BOOK)
A Thousand Lives : the Untold Story of Jonestown / by Julie Scheeres (2012, BOOK)
Jonestown : the Life and Death of the Peoples Temple (2007, DVD)
Salvation and Suicide : Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and Jonestown / by David Chidester (2003, EBOOK)

For more information about Kohl’s appearance at Arkansas Tech, contact Dr. Joshua Lockyer, associate professor of anthropology, at jlockyer@atu.edu.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Presentations

The Path of an Indie Author

Posted on March 8, 2018 Written by Angela Black

Have you ever dreamed about writing your own book? Learn how to make your dream a reality by joining us this Monday, March 12th at 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300B for a special presentation about the writing and publishing process from Brandi Collins, author of the recently published book, Caroline’s Lighthouse.

Brandi will discuss her inspiration for writing, her path to independent publishing, and her current and future projects. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

This event, sponsored by the Ross Pendergraft Library, is the latest in our “Second Monday” local author series where we invite authors from Tech to share their books with the community. All of these events are free and open to the public.

Caroline’s Lighthouse, published by Archway Publishing from Simon & Schuster, is a mystery/thriller novel centered on a young woman who has inherited a Virginia lighthouse—the sight of a century-old lovers’ suicide and rumored to be the most haunted place in town.

Aside from being a published author, Brandi Collins is also the licensing, branding, and editorial manager in the University Relations department at Arkansas Tech. Caroline’s Lighthouse is her first novel.

For more information about the event or the Second Monday series, contact Luke Heffley at 479-964-0569 or lheffley@atu.edu.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Local Authors, Presentations, Second Monday

International Film Festival

Posted on February 26, 2018 Written by Angela Black

The 3rd Annual International Film Festival kicks this Wednesday, Feb. 28th, with a showing of the Nueve Reinas at 7:00 P.M. in Doc Bryan Lecture Hall. Nueve Reinas (Nine Queesn) is a 2000 Argentine crime drama centering on two con artists who decide to pull off a major scam in stamp collecting. The film won 21 awards and is considered a classic of Argentina’s film history.

The screening Wednesday night is the first in a month-long celebration of films from around the globe. The purpose of the festival is to foster an open-minded global cultural identity.

The film festival is sponsored by the Ross Pendergraft Library and the department of English & World Languages. Principle organizers include Dr. Nelson Ramìrez, associate professor of Spanish, Coordinator of World Languages; Dr. Lowell Lybarger, multimedia librarian and instructor of music; and Philippe Van Houtte, systems librarian and instructor of French.

Each film is registered as an OnTrack event. For a full schedule of showtimes, visit our website at http://filmfest.atu.edu. Each film begins at 7:00 P.M. in Doc Bryan Hall and is free to all. For more information about the film festival, contact Philippe Van Houtte at pvanhoutte@atu.edu.

Filed Under: Library Tagged: Film Festival, Foreign Languages

Textbooks in the Library

Posted on January 12, 2018 Written by Angela Black

Every year, at the beginning of every semester, it happens: students approach the Ross Pendergraft Library service desks asking if we have their textbooks. And every year, it’s usually the same response:

This year, it will be different. At the request of the Arkansas Tech administration, the library purchased 27 general education textbooks for a new initiative to provide textbook access for general education courses. The purpose of this program is to help students in dire financial straits or those students whose textbooks are late in arriving for the start of classes.

They are available at the Circulation desk for 2 hour check-out within the library ONLY–they cannot leave the building.

To see our current selection, search our online catalog Find It and select the drop-down “Course Reserves”

Then type “Textbooks”.

This will display textbooks available in the course reserves available for checkout. You can also limit selections by course information using the left filter “Course Information”

If a professor has arranged for a specific book to be placed on course reserve at the library, you can also search by instructor’s name, course code, or course name.

Book checked out? No worries. Sign-in to Find It and use your your Tech ID and password, and place a Request:

Once signed in, use the Request feature to place a hold request on items checked out. When the item returns, you will get an email to let you know the book is available at the circulation desk.

If you are a professor and wish to place an extra faculty copy on course reserve for the benefit of students who may be strapped for cash or unable to acquire the book in time for class, consider lending it to the library. Faculty personal copies are always returned at the end of the semester, and it is a great way to guarantee student access to required course materials. Learn more about this program by visiting our website http://libguides.atu.edu/services/faculty#course or contact us for more questions about the program and how you can help us.

Remember–not every class will have a textbook available at the library! However, this new initiative will help make obtaining a college degree slightly more affordable and easier. If the program is a success, we will purchase more. So if you need a textbook, come check us out!

Filed Under: Library Tagged: NEW!, Textbooks