The Mabee Library Reference Blog

Need to ask a question?

2009-03-02T19:39:00.004-06:00

One way to reach a librarian at the Mabee is to send it to us on meebo, our instant message system. A librarian should be logged on while the library is open (Monday-Thursday 7:45am-11:00pm, Friday 7:45am-6pm, Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 1:00pm-11:00pm). Or give us a call at 785-670-1483 or 1-800-736-9060.

Need a book or journal that isn't at the Mabee?

2009-02-18T20:23:00.004-06:00

Use our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service to borrow books from other libraries. The form can be found on our homepage under "Services".

Videos from the Mabee Librarian Vaults...

2009-02-04T17:44:00.004-06:00

Look at these videos to learn about the research process and our databases:

http://www.youtube.com/UAinstructor

RAP Sessions for Spring

2009-02-02T19:34:00.002-06:00

Mabee Library is offering two introductory library skills instruction workshops called RAP sessions. Students may drop-in to a session that fits into their schedule. These are open workshops; no registration is required.

RAP session #1 is a very basic workshop designed to highlight services and resources the Libraries offer. It will include a basic orientation to Mabee Library and the Curriculum Resources Center, an overview of the Libraries’ Web sites, and a physical tour of the Mabee Library. This workshop is designed for students new to the University and for students just beginning to use the University Libraries. It will be offered eight times from February 2-6 in the Mabee Library electronic classroom:

Monday, February 2 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Tuesday, February 3 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Wednesday, February 4 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Thursday, February 5 8:30-9:30 pm
Friday, February 6 4-5 pm

RAP session #2 will be a basic introduction to the research process – how to find books and scholarly articles. Upon completion of this workshop, students will be able to (1) identify appropriate article databases and use them to find articles; (2) use Encore, the online catalog, to find specific books and journals; (3) identify locations in the Libraries for the books and journals they need; and (4) identify whether an article is considered scholarly or not. RAP session #2 will be offered nine times from February 9-13 in the Mabee Library electronic classroom:

Monday, February 9 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Tuesday, February 10 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Wednesday, February 11 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Thursday, February 12 4-5 pm and 8:30-9:30 pm
Friday, February 13 4-5 pm

These RAP sessions are designed to provide students with foundational library skills only. Librarians will continue to be available to provide higher level customized library instruction tailored to specific assignments and disciplines.

For more information please contact Judy Druse at 670-2507 or judy.druse@washburn.edu

Encore

2008-11-18T19:01:00.004-06:00

Encore is the new catalog interface at the Mabee Library that lets you tag and see photos! Add to the tags of your favorite books by logging in with your name and WIN number. Adding tags can help you and others find books otherwise buried in the library stacks.

LibGuides

2008-11-13T20:19:00.006-06:00

Need help figuring out how to find the databases and books you need?

LibGuides is a new tool that Washburn is using to link researchers to what they need. The guides provide links to videos, podcasts, databases, websites, and other tools. Use the guides by clicking through the tabs- tips on how to research and where to look are throughout these web 2.0 guides!

Search through the guides by subject here

Here is a guide to find information on green topics

Here is a guide to nursing research

Here is a link to a list of research guides that range from newspaper research to finding out how to determine if a journal is scholarly.

2008-10-27T16:45:00.003-06:00

Here is a site to learn about local candidates.

Look at what the Mabee Library has on voting and suffrage in the United States.

Measuring the Candidates

2008-10-20T16:23:00.007-06:00

Here are some websites to look at this election season:

-One highly regarded website is factcheck.org.
Statistics used in speeches are analyzed for accuracy and the facts are posted.

-newsmeat.com allows to you to see who has been giving money to the candidates and the details.

-More resources: more links and politifact.com

The candidate's websites:

McCain's website

Obama’s website

Third party candidate websites:

Constitution Party nominee: Chuck Baldwin

Green Party nominee: Cynthia McKinney

Libertarian Party nominee: Bob Barr

Independant:
-Jackson Kirk Grimes
-Alan Keyes
-Frank Moore
-Ralph Nader
-Kelcey Wilson

There are several other presidential nominees- above are just a few.

Register to vote

A few resources at the Mabee:

Search the catalog for politics.

-Attack politics : negativity in presidential campaigns since 1960 / Emmett H. Buell Jr. and Lee Sigelman
Buell, Emmett H
WU Mabee New Book Shelf - JK524 .B785 2008

See you on November 4th!

RAP Sessions at the Mabee

2008-08-27T18:04:00.004-06:00

The library is having RAP (Research Assistance Program) sessions to tell students about the library and resources. Sessions will be held in the electronic classroom in the Mabee Library. There are two groups of sessions:

Introduction to the Mabee Library

This session highlights the services and resources that the Mabee offers. A basic orientation to the Mabee Library and the Curriculum Resources Center, an overview of the Library's website, and a physical tour of the Mabee will be included in this session.
Sessions will be held at:

September 2, 9:30-10:30 AM
September 3, 7:00-8:00 PM
September 4, 1:00-2:00 PM

Introduction to Academic Research

This session will cover the research process, such as how to find relevant books and articles. By the end of the session students should be able to 1) identify appropriate article databases and use them to find articles; 2) use ATLAS, the online catalog, to find specific books and periodicals; 3) identify locations in the Libraries for books and periodicals; and 4) identify whether an article is considered scholarly or not.
Sessions will be held at:

September 8, 8:30-9:30 PM
September 9, 2:30-3:30 PM
September 10, 1:00-2:00 PM
September 11, 11:00-12:00 PM

The sessions are free and open to all faculty, staff, and students. No registration required.

Summer Reading

2008-07-02T16:29:00.004-06:00

There are many ways to find good summer reads.

Here are some picks:

UC Berkeley's Funny Summer Reads List
Books for Future Presidents
A Top 100 List

Check out some of the top prize winners!

Pulitzer Prize
Nobel Prize Winners

Also, LibraryThing and Goodreads are great sites to catalog books you've read and to find more that you will like.

Podcasts

2008-05-14T10:02:00.006-06:00

Get news, radio, and music shows that you can listen to on your iPod!
ITunes can be used to download podcasts. Then new episodes automatically
download when iTunes starts. And almost all podcasts are free!

Here is a link to mediafly that has directories of NPR, ABC, Wallstreet
Journal, and numerous other news podcasts:

http://www.mediafly.com/Areas/npr/

Caddy Stacks

2008-03-31T18:45:00.010-06:00

The Mabee Library held a successful fundraiser this past weekend. Photos from the event can be seen here.

See the flyer for the event here.

Women's History Month

2008-03-05T17:43:00.003-06:00

March is Women’s History Month! The library has a number of books that cover women’s history and issues, including:
Reference Books:
●The timetables of women's history : a chronology of the most important people and events in women's Greenspan, KarenNew York : Simon & Schuster, c1994
Call Number: HQ1121 .G75 1994
●Chronology of women's history / Kirstin Olsen Olsen, KirstinWestport, Conn. : Greenwood Press, 1994Call Number: HQ1121 .O47 1994
●Timelines of American women's history / Sue Heinemann Heinemann, Sue, 1948-New York : Berkley Pub. Group, c1996
Call Number: HQ1410 .H45 1996
Books you can check out:
●Feminism and suffrage : the emergence of an independent women's movement in America, 1848-1869 / Ell DuBois, Ellen Carol, 1947-Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1978
Call Number: HQ1423 .D8
●Natural allies : women's associations in American history / Anne Firor Scott Scott, Anne Firor, 1921-Urbana : University of Illinois Press, c1991
Call Number: HQ1904 .S28 1991
●Milestones : the Women's Bureau celebrates 65 years of women's labor history [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Dept. of Labor, Women's Bureau, [1985?]
Call Number: HD6095 .M52 1985

Resources on the Web:
Women’s History Month:
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/womenshistorymonth/a/whm_history.htm?nl=1

Ten best books about women and art history from about.com:
http://arthistory.about.com/od/womenartists/tp/womenahbooks.htm?nl=1

Mabee RAP Sessions

2008-02-11T18:39:00.000-06:00

The Library is having RAP (Research Assistance Program) sessions to tell students about the library and resources! There are three groups of sessions:

Introduction to the Mabee Library

This session highlights the services and resources that the Mabee offers. A basic orientation to the Mabee Library and the Curriculum Resources Center, an overview of the Library's website, and a physical tour of the Mabee will be included in this session.

Sessions will be held at:

February 4 4:15pm to 5:15pm

February 5 9:30am to 10:30pm

February 6 7:00pm to 8:00pm

February 7 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Introduction to Academic Research

This session will cover the research process, such as how to find relevant books and articles. By the end of the session students should be able to 1) identify appropriate article databases and use them to find articles; 2) use ATLAS, the online catalog, to find specific books and periodicals; 3) identify locations in the Libraries for books and periodicals; and 4) identify whether an article is considered scholarly or not.

Sessions will be held at:

February 11 8:30pm to 9:30pm

February 12 2:30pm to 3:30pm

February 13 1:00pm to 2:00pm

February 14 11:00am to 12:00pm

Finding Scholarly Internet Resources

This RAP session will introduce students to visual and clustering search engines, as well as strategies for finding scholarly Internet resources.

Sessions will be held at:

February 19 5:00pm to 6:00pm

February 20 7:00pm to 8:00pm

Hope that you are able to make it to one or more of the sessions!

Changes at The Mabee

2008-01-28T18:26:00.000-06:00

A number of things are changing at Mabee Library! The new Interim Dean, Alan Bearman, has been working to declutter and modernize the library. Student artwork is now being displayed in cases, and there are plans to add student artwork to the walls. Laptops for students to checkout and use in the library are being ordered. To declutter the library, some of the reference books have been moved to the basement or second floor. In place of some of these reference books are a number of chairs and tables. Additionally, the library now has a display of new books.

To see more pictures of changes at The Mabee click here

October is National Reading Group Month

2007-10-10T19:54:00.000-06:00

Get involved with Washburn's iRead program, which has selected Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier as its common text. You can find more information here. In addition to the iRead program, there's the new Quoffee Twak Book Club. The club's next meeting will be November 7 at 8 pm outside the Corner Store in the union. The club will discuss Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. You can find more information on the club's Facebook page.

Welcome Back!

2007-08-22T18:55:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to another semester at Washburn University! I'd like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the many ways in which to contact a reference librarian here at Mabee Library. You can give us a call at (785) 670-1483 or toll free at (800) 736-9060.You can send us an email from the Ask a Question page. If instant messaging is your thing, click on the homepage's meebo icon and chat with us on the IM Reference page. We also have accounts with MSN, AIM, ICQ, and Google if you'd rather use one of those. Our screennames are listed in the IM Reference page's guidelines. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and see us! Our hours are listed on the Reference and Instruction page. I hope everyone has a great semester!

Finals Week at the Library

2007-05-09T19:35:00.000-06:00

Greetings from The Mabee Library Fortress of Knowledge

Once again, the library is open continuously during finals week. Here are a few items to remember if you plan on using the library this week:

Students, faculty and staff using the Library during extended late-night hours will be required to show a current university ID to remain in or enter the building.

During the extended hours, access to photocopy machines, computers and printers will be available. However, no other services (checkout of library materials, reserves or video checkout, cash or change, technology support, and research assistance) will be guaranteed. Services during extended hours have been severely curtailed to control costs.

Library policies regarding use of computers, meals and/or delivery of food to the library, quiet study floors, etc. are still in force during extended hours. Library policies are posted online here.
The library will close at 6PM on Friday, May 11.

Wear layers! The fortress gives no quarter to the T-shirt and shorts crowd.

Thanks to all the staff and students who once again made this week a success!

(in case you missed the Superman reference from above)

Extended Hours at Mabee Library

2007-05-02T18:17:00.000-06:00

Mabee Library will be open extended hours the week before finals and remain open 24 hours a day during finals week to give students a safe, convenient place to study for finals. Students, faculty and staff using the Library during extended late-night hours will be required to show a current university ID to remain in or enter the building. During the extended hours, access to photocopy machines, computers and printers will be available. However, no other services (checkout of library materials, reserves or video checkout, cash or change, technology support, and research assistance) will be guaranteed. Library staff from all departments has volunteered to work late-night hours, but a volunteer from technical services may have no training to check out materials or provide research assistance. Services during extended hours have been severely curtailed to control costs. Library policies regarding use of computers, meals and/or delivery of food to the library, quiet study floors, etc. are still in force during extended hours. Library policies are posted online here.

Mabee Library hours from Monday, April 30 through Friday, May 11

Monday, April 30 through Thursday, May 3 - 7:45 am to 2 am
Friday, May 4 – 7:45 am to 12 midnight
Saturday, May 5 – 10 am to 12 midnight
Sunday, May 6, from 1 pm to Friday, May 11, 6 pm - open 24 hours

Poetry Resources at Mabee Library

2007-04-25T17:16:00.000-06:00

April is National Poetry Month. Here are some items available from Mabee Library's collection.

Kansas

The Kansas Experience in Poetry
WU Mabee Stacks PS595.K35 K3

Sunflowers: A Book of Kansas Poems
WU Mabee Stacks PS595.K35 S8

Classics

Collected Poems, 1909-1962 / T.S. Eliot
WU Mabee Stacks PS3509.L43 A17 1963

Leaves of Grass / Walt Whitman
WU Mabee Stacks PS3201

The Bell Jar / Sylvia Plath
WU Mabee Stacks PS3566.L27 B4

Collected poems, 1947-1997 / Allen Ginsberg
WU Mabee Stacks PS3513.I74 A17 2006

Reference

The Poet's Dictionary: A Handbook of Prosody and Poetic Devices / William Packard
WU Mabee Reference PN1021 .P23 1989

The Columbia Granger's Index to Poetry
WU Mabee Reference PN1021 .G7 1990

World Poets / Ron Padgett, editor in chief
WU Mabee Reference PN1021 .W67 2000

Periodicals

Parnassus: Poetry in Review
Full text available from Humanities Full Text: 01/01/1995 to present
Full text available from ProQuest Research Library: 01/01/1998 to present
Full text available from Wilson OmniFile: 01/01/1995 to present

Poet's Market
WU Mabee Reference PN1059.M3 P59 2007

Browse more results HERE.

So it goes...

2007-04-11T22:21:00.000-06:00

Kurt Vonnegut passed away late in the evening on April 11th. He was 84. Check out the following links for more information about his life and work:

His Obituary in The New York Times

The Official Web Site of Kurt Vonnegut

Resources from Mabee Library's Collection

A Great Blog Entry from The Onion

National Poetry Month

2007-04-04T20:27:00.000-06:00

April is National Poetry Month

National Poetry Month FAQ's

History and Highlights

Kansas on poets.org

Poetry-A-Day
poets.org will send one new poem to your inbox each day to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Life Lines
We each carry lines of poetry with us. Words that others have written float back to us and stay with us, indelibly. We clutch these "Life Lines" like totems, repeat them as mantras, and summon them for comfort and laughter.

Against National Poetry Month As Such
by Charles Bernstein

Rejected Marketing Slogans for National Poetry Month
from McSweeney's

RAP Session: Web 2.0 for Students

2007-03-28T20:49:00.000-06:00

In today's academic environment, social software exists in a wide range of forms and flavors. The next Research Assistance Program (RAP) Session, which I will lead, will explore Web 2.0 technologies like wikis, blogs, social bookmarking, online photo sharing, RSS and how students can apply them in an academic setting. These sessions are free, and registration isn't required. Paper certificates will be distributed at the end of each session as proof of attendance. The dates and times of the sessions are as follows:

Tuesday April 3
2:30 - 3:30
Mabee Library Electronic Classroom - Room 206

Wednesday April 4
2:30 - 3:30
Mabee Library Electronic Classroom - Room 206

I hope to see you there!

Mabee Library's IM Reference Service

2007-03-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

At the beginning of the spring semester, Mabee Library launched an IM Reference Service. There are a couple ways for you to send us an instant message if you have a reference question:

Use your preferred instant messenger to send us a message. We have the following accounts:

AIM: mabeereference
Yahoo!: mabeereference
MSN: mabeereference@hotmail.com
ICQ: 308298625
Google Talk: mabeereference@gmail.com

Go to the library's new IM Reference page and use our meebo widget, which is an instant messenger embedded in the Web page. In fact, the widget is shown below. If you have a reference question, give it a try!

The hours for this service are the same as the reference desk hours. Go to the IM Reference page for a list of other FAQ's.

More RAP Sessions at Mabee Library

2007-03-07T19:20:00.000-06:00

Due to the high turnout for Mabee Library's first round of RAP sessions, the library has plans for more sessions in March and April. Here's the current schedule:

Using APA Style

Tuesday, March 13, 2007 9:30 – 10:30 am
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Location: Deay Lab - Carnegie 108

What and when to cite? It’s not always easy for students to figure out. The next Mabee Library RAP session will help students learn how to format research papers according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. These are open workshops; no registration is required. Paper certificates will be distributed at the end of each session to serve as proof of attendance.

Finding Scholarly Internet Resources

Tuesday, March 27, 2007 1:00 – 2:00 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Thursday, March 29, 2007 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Web 2.0 Technology for Students

Tuesday, April 3, 2007 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Wednesday, April 4, 2007 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

RAP #2 Repeat – Basic Research Process

Monday, April 16, 2007 4:15 – 5:15 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Tuesday, April 17, 2007 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Using APA Style

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 11:00 – 12:00 pm
Location: Mabee Library Electronic Classroom

Wednesday, April 25, 2007 2:00 – 3:00 pm
Location: Deay Lab – Carnegie 108

Featured Resources from Mabee Library: Grove Music Reference Works

2007-02-28T20:33:00.000-06:00

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrell, was published simultaneously in print and online as Grove Music Online in January 2001. Grove Music Online began to develop independently immediately; regular revisions and additions to the content began in Spring of 2001 and continue today through an ambitious editorial program. In addition to the regular program of revisions and new articles, Grove Music Online has grown to include The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (published in print in 1992 and online in 1999) and The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, second edition (2001). Through a partnership with Sibelius notation software, over 500 of Grove's musical examples are now available in sound as well as notated examples. (via)

Click HERE for reviews for the above items. Mabee Library also owns titles from The Grove Music series, The Grove Musical Instruments series, The New Grove Dictionary of American Music, and The Composer Biography series.

Copyright Issues in a Digital Age

2007-02-21T15:02:00.000-06:00

Here are three Web sites that illustrate different ways of dealing with copyright:

Internet Archive: Feature Films

The Internet Archive hosts movies from the public domain.

UbuWeb

I've seen this site referred to as "YouTube for the avant-garde." Read the FAQ from below listed "What is your policy concerning posting copyrighted material?" (click the image to enlarge it)

Sites like this have the luxury of remaining lax about copyright issues because avant-garde cinema is not exactly a moneymaker for Hollywood. If it should ever become one, then sites dealing with unconventional content will be targeted for copyright infringement.

EZ Movies

Then there are sites like this one, which includes one of the more original disclaimers that I've ever read. Evidently, talking about how people can illegally download movies is an issue of free speech. Providing people with the necessary tools is also not a problem because EZ Movies believes in the power of personal responsibility (WINK!).

Here are Some Interesting Articles About Copyright Issues in a Digital Age:

Digital Copyright Law in a YouTube World

Copyright Dot Com: The Digital Millennium in Copyright

A History of Online Gatekeeping

The Ecstasy of Influence: A Plagiarism

An Informed Debate on the Middle East Requires Information

2007-02-14T21:10:00.000-06:00

Here are a few sources of information about the Middle East available from Mabee Library or online. Feel free to leave the names of other recommended resources in the comments.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the Middle East and North Africa
WU Mabee Reference
DS44 .C37 1988

Middle East Patterns: Places, Peoples, and Politics
WU Mabee Stacks
DS44 .H418 2000

Understanding the Contemporary Middle East
WU Mabee Stacks
DS44 .U473 2004

From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting the Middle East
WU Mabee Stacks
DS44 .L48 2004

Through Middle Eastern Eyes
WU Mabee Stacks
DS42.4 .T48 2002

Middle East - World Book entry

The University of Texas-Austin Libraries' Online Collection of Iraq maps and Afghanistan maps.

The Partisans of Ali: A History of Shia Faith and Politics (from npr.org)
The United States is immersed more deeply than ever in the Muslim world's sectarian divide. A five-part series explores the split between Shia and Sunnis, from its origins shortly after the death of Muhammed in the seventh century to the modern-day upheaval in Iraq.

RAP Sessions @ Mabee Library

2007-02-07T19:48:00.000-06:00

Be sure to attend one of the RAP Sessions at Mabee Library!

Judy Druse, Mabee's Acting Assistant Director for Public Services, is conducting Research Assistance Program (RAP) Sessions at the library during the next two weeks. There are two types of sessions from which to choose based on your knowledge of the library.

RAP session #1 is a very basic workshop designed to highlight services and resources the Libraries offer. It will include a basic orientation to Mabee Library and the Curriculum Resources Center, an overview of the Libraries’ Web sites, and a physical tour of the Mabee Library. This workshop is designed for new students to the University and for students just beginning to use the University Libraries. It will be offered four times from February 5-8 in the Mabee Library electronic classroom:

February 5 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm
February 6 9:30 am – 10:30 am
February 7 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
February 8 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

RAP session #2 will be a basic introduction to the research process – how to find books and articles. Upon completion of this workshop, students will be able to (1) identify appropriate article databases and use them to find articles; (2) use ATLAS, the online catalog, to find specific books and periodicals; (3) identify locations in the Libraries for the books and periodicals they need; and (4) identify whether an article is considered scholarly or not. RAP session #2 will be offered four times from February 12-15 in the Mabee Library electronic classroom:

February 12 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
February 13 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
February 14 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
February 15 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

For more information, contact the reference desk:
Phone: 670-2485
E-mail: refemail@washburn.edu
IM: Mabee's IM Reference Service

Resources for Black History Month

2007-01-31T22:14:00.000-06:00

Online:

Encyclopaedia Britannica's Guide to Black History Month

Black History Month Resources from Gale

Librarians' Internet Index Black History Month Web Sites

Black History Month Resources at Infoplease.com

Nicodemus, Kansas
Learn more about the only remaining all-Black town west of the Mississippi River.

Mabee Library:

The latest selection from Oprah's Book Club:
The measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography
Sidney Poitier
PN2287.P57 A3 2000

The Autobiography of Malcolm X
with the assistance of Alex Haley; introduction by M.S. Handler; epilogue by Alex Haley; afterword by Ossie Davis
BP223.Z8 X1385 1992b

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr.
edited by Clayborne Carson
E185.97.K5 A52 1998

Black Boy: A Record of Childhood and Youth
Richard Wright
PS3545.R815 Z5

Best Literature by and about Blacks
Phillip M. Richards, Neil Schlager
Mabee Reference Z1229.N39 R53 2000

Washburn University:

Lee Mun Wah, filmmaker and lecturer, will facilitate a discussion on racial diversity after the film screening of his internationally reknowned documentary The Color of Fear on Tuesday, Feb. 6. The film will begin at 6 p.m. in the Washburn Room, Memorial Union, followed by the discussion. The multicultural affairs office in Morgan 110 has a limited number of tickets available to Washburn students for $5 each and faculty and staff for $10 each. The price includes a boxed dinner.

Recent Award Winners:

The 2007 BCALA (The Black Caucus of the American Library Association) Literary Awards:

Fiction Winner
After, A Novel by Marita Golden

Fiction Honor Book Winners
Fortunate Son by Walter Mosley (WU Mabee Stacks PS3563.O88456 F67 2006)
Jump at the Sun by Kim McLarin

Nonfiction Winner
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barack Obama (WU Law Main Stacks E901.1.O23 A3 2006)

Nonfiction Honor Book Winners
A Piece Of Cake by Cupcake Brown
Medical Apartheid: the Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington

Coretta Scott King Awards:

Copper Sun Sharon Draper, author (WU Curric. Prev. PRE D)
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom Kadir Nelson, illustrator (WU Curric. Prev. PRE W)
Standing Against the Wind Traci L. Jones, author (1 copy ordered for WU Curric. Lib.)

Kansas Day and the One Book Project

2007-01-24T20:39:00.001-06:00

Kansas Day

Kansas Day, a "birthday" celebration held the date Kansas became a state, will take place on January 29, 2007. Here are a few links to Web pages with additional Kansas Day information and activities:

Kansas Day Links from the Kansas State Library

Kansas Day at the Museum and Kansas Day at the Capitol

Events Highlight State's Birth (registration at cjonline.com required)

Kansas State Symbols and Facts

Here at Washburn, British journalist Paul Harris will discuss "What's the Matter with Everyone Else?": A Foreign Perspective on Kansas" at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, in Henderson Living Resources Center Room 208. Read the press release HERE.

Kansas Center for the Book's One Book Project

Also on Kansas Day, the first One Book project from the State Library's Kansas Center for the Book will begin and continue through April 30. The inaugural One Book is The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks.

Items Available at Mabee Library

The Learning Tree
PS3566.A73 L4

The Learning Tree [videorecording]
PS3566.A73 L42 1987

Browse through other Gordon Parks-related materials HERE.

The Works of Mozart Online

2006-12-13T13:41:00.000-06:00

The complete works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are now available online. In an attempt "to make Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's musical compositions widely and conveniently accessible to the public, for personal study, scholarly and educational use," the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum now provides access to the digitized version of the musical text and the critical commentary of the entire New Mozart Edition. With its 125 volumes, the New Mozart Edition contains the complete text of Mozart’s works based on the critical examination of all available sources. This monumental venture was begun in 1954 by the Internationale Stiftung Mozarteum in cooperation with the Austrian cities of Augsburg, Salzburg and Vienna. The project documents Mozart’s productivity in some 24,000 pages of music. Also included are 8,000 pages of critical reports with commentary on the state of the sources and giving detailed information on the variants found in the main sources.

P.S. This is the last post of the semester. See you in January...

Library Information for Patrons Who Speak Spanish

2006-12-06T13:40:00.000-06:00

Percent of People 5 Years and Over Who Speak Spanish at Home: 2005

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are over 32 million people in this country who speak Spanish in their homes. Over 150,000 Kansans speak Spanish in their homes. It might be difficult for those people to utilize available public services, including services offered by libraries. While Mabee Library isn't a "Public Library," Washburn University has a culturally-diverse student population, and the library's services are available to all Kansans. The following Web sites can assist both patrons and librarians with translating library vernacular to and from Spanish.

Library Jargon in Spanish

Basic Library Terminology in Spanish and English

Conversational Spanish for Use in Libraries

General Spanish / English Translation with an Emphasis on Library Terminology

Here are some Web sites that assist with learning technology:

Learn the Net en Espanol

Microsoft Digital Literacy Curriculum

Discover's 25 Greatest Science Books

2006-11-30T13:39:00.000-06:00

The magazine Discover recently published a list of what it considers to be "The 25 Greatest Science Books of All-Time" and Mabee Library owns 22 of them. The library has a subscription and electronic access to the magazine, but I'll go ahead and list the Top-Ten books and their respective call numbers.

1. [tie] The Voyage of the Beagle (1845) / The Origin of Species (1859)

Charles Darwin
AC1 .A4 vol. 29 / AC1 .A4 vol. 11

3. Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1687)

Isaac Newton
AC1 .G72 vol. 34

4. Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (1632)

Galileo Galilei
QB41 .G1356 1967

5. On the Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres (1543)

Nicolaus Copernicus
AC1 .G72 vol. 16

6. Physics (circa 330 B.C.)

Aristotle
Q151.A7 H6

7. On the Fabric of the Human Body (1543)

Andreas Vesalius
QM21 .V426 1969 - Includes facsimile of Latin text

8. Relativity: The Special and General Theory (1916)

Albert Einstein
QC173.55 .E384513 1920

9. The Selfish Gene (1976)

Richard Dawkins
QH437 .D38 1976b

10. One Two Three...Infinity (1947)

George Gamow
Q162 .G23 1947

The article includes an introduction, brief reviews for all of the books, a list of honorable mentions, and an online poll for readers to vote for their favorites.

Online Tools for Cataloging Collections

2006-11-15T13:38:00.000-06:00

The following sites assist with cataloging a personal collection of books online:

LibraryThing

LibraryThing is an online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone—. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth. A free account allows you to catalog up to 200 books. A paid account allows you to catalog any number of books. Paid personal accounts cost $10 for a year or $25 for a lifetime.

GuruLib

GuruLib is a free web service to organize your home library. In addition to cataloging your books, you can catalog your DVDs, CDs, games and software online using a book shelf metaphor.

Shelfari

This free service allows you to catalog your book collection, discover new books, see what other people are reading, get or give book recommendations, and talk about your favorite books.

Reader²

This site allows you to keep a social list of the books you read and/or recommend. After you sign up you can add books to your unique list. You can view anyone else's books and they can view yours. Extra user-defined data can be added to each book entry to organize and describe the book further such as descriptions, link, and tags. You can use tags to categorize (and thus organize) books so that you and others using this site will have an easier time finding new and interesting books.

Here are some other sites that help catalog a variety of items:

Bank of Ideas

Use this site to keep a social list of your ideas. You can view anyone else's ideas and they can view yours. Extra user-defined data can be added to each idea entry to organize and describe the idea further such as descriptions, link, and tags. You can use tags to categorize ideas so that you and others using this site will have an easier time finding them.

TagFacts

Use this site to keep a social list of your notes. Extra user-defined data can be added to each note entry to organize and describe the note further such as descriptions, link, and tags. You can use tags to categorize notes so that you and others using this site will have an easier time finding them.

MyProgs

Use this site to keep a social list of the programs you use. Extra user-defined data can be added to each program entry to organize and describe the program further such as program descriptions, a link to the program's homepage, and tags. You can use tags to categorize programs so that you and others using this site will have an easier time finding new and interesting programs.

MyFilmz

With this site, you can keep a social list of the movies you see and/or recommend. Extra user-defined data can be added to each movie entry to organize and describe the movie further such as descriptions, link, and tags. You can use tags to categorize movies so that you and others using this site will have an easier time finding new and interesting movies.

National American Indian Heritage Month

2006-11-09T13:38:00.000-06:00

National American Indian Heritage Month

2006 Official Proclamation from the President
Read President George W. Bush's proclamation of November 2006 as National American Indian Heritage Month.

Brief History on the Creation of National American Indian Heritage Month
This is a short article about the creation of National American Indian Heritage Month.

National Museum of the American Indian
The National Museum of the American Indian is the sixteenth museum of the Smithsonian Institution. It is the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans.

Native American Technology and Art
This site focuses on the arts of Eastern Woodland Indians. It provides historical and contemporary background, instructional information and references.

Native Americans in the United States Military
Learn about Native Americans' involvement in the U.S. military throughout history.

The National Register of Historic Places
This site showcases American Indian and Alaska Native historic properties listed in the National Register, National Register publications, and National Park units.

American Indian Tribal Directory
Search the American Indian Resource Directory for Indian tribes among seven regions of the country.

Facts and Features about American Indians and Alaska Natives
This is a press release from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Statistical Data about the American Indian and Alaska Native Population
This site from the U.S. Census Bureau presents data from the 2000 census.

The Differences Between Copyright and Public Domain

2006-11-01T13:37:00.000-06:00

If you need to know whether a work qualifies for the public domain, Cornell University's excellent Web site is as clear as copyright can get. It is located here.

This page from Stanford University provides detailed information about copyright, fair use, public domain, releases, and permissions.

Check out Washburn's copyright information page and student copyright information page. Washburn also has a page specifically about the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Learn about issues facing law, art, property and an increasingly digital world in a comic book from Duke University's Center for the Study of the Public Domain: Tales from the Public Domain: Bound by Law?

Here is an interesting article from the National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage that discusses the value of the public domain.

You can learn about copyright directly from the U.S. Copyright Office.

Nonpartisan Information About Candidates in the Next Election

2006-10-26T13:37:00.000-06:00

In preparation for Election Day on November 7, here are some nonpartisan Web sites with information about candidates and campaign issues.

Compiling a Congressmember's Voting Record
This site from The Library of Congress shows you how to compile a congressmember's voting record.

Kansas Judicial Branch
This site lists the published opinions of the Kansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, rules adopted by the supreme court, and information about each of the justices. Although each justice is appointed by the governor, a justice is subject to a retention vote in the general election following the justice's first year in office. If a majority of electors votes to retain the justice, he or she remains in office for a term of six years. Justices are subject to a similar retention vote at the conclusion of each term.

Kansas Politicians on the Issues
See how current members of Congress and the governor voted, read quotes from the politicians, and learn about their background on issues like education, health care, and the environment.

Open Secrets
This is the Web site of the Center for Responsible Politics. The center creates an itemized list of campaign contributions for each congressional candidate. The list includes summary data, geographic data, and contributions from interest groups.

Project Vote Smart
Get biographical information, campaign finances, issue positions, interest group ratings, voting records, and public statements for congressional and gubernatorial candidates.

Vote Kansas
This site has a guide to voting, accessibility requirements for polling places, complaint procedures, and a voting machine demonstration among other information.

Accessing Materials from the National Libraries in Europe

2006-10-18T13:36:00.000-06:00

The European Library

The European Library web service offers access to the combined resources of the 45 national libraries of Europe. It offers free searching and delivers digital objects - some free, some priced. Full Participants are the national libraries of Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and United Kingdom along with ICCU (the national central cataloguing institute from Italy) and CENL (the Conference of European National Librarians). The collections of the Full Participants are the first to be searchable on the European Library website. Basic Participants include the other 26 European national libraries. Their collections will be included at a later stage. The European Library has taken steps to ensure that all EU national libraries become full participants by the end of 2007.

Fiction Book Lists and Titles Available from Mabee Library

2006-10-11T13:35:00.000-06:00

Here are some fiction suggestions from the experts(!), with call numbers next to listed books that Mabee Library owns:

Modern Library

Board's List

1. ULYSSES by James Joyce (PR6019.O9 U4)
2. THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald (PS3511.I9 G8)
3. A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce (PR6019.O9 P6)
4. LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov (PS3527.A15 L6)
5. BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley (PR6015.U9 B7)

Reader's List

1. ATLAS SHRUGGED by Ayn Rand (PS3535.A547 A94)
2. THE FOUNTAINHEAD by Ayn Rand (PS3535.A547 F6)
3. BATTLEFIELD EARTH by L. Ron Hubbard (PS3558.U23 B3)
4. THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien (PR6039.O32 L6)
5. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee (PS3562.E353 T6)

Time Magazine's Top 100 English-language Novels Since 1923

This list is in alphabetical order.

The Observer

1. DON QUIXOTE by Miguel De Cervantes (PQ6329 .A2)
2. PILGRIM'S PROGRESS by John Bunyan (PR3330 .A1)
3. ROBINSON CRUSOE by Daniel Defoe (PR3403 .A1)
4. GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Jonathan Swift (PR3724 .G7)
5. TOM JONES by Henry Fielding (PR3454 .H5)

The BBC's Big Read

1. THE LORD OF THE RINGS by JRR Tolkien (PR6039.O32 L6)
2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen (PR4034 .P7)
3. HIS DARK MATERIALS by Philip Pullman (YA PUL Curric. Lib.)
4. THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams (PR6051.D3352 H57)
5. HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE by JK Rowling (ROW Curric. Lib.)

Guardian Unlimited's Top 100 Books of All Time

This list is alphbetical by author, but the judges named Don Quixote (PQ6329 .A2) as the top novel in history.

The Albeit Unscientific but Pretension-Free Powell's Top 25 (A Rebuttal to the Modern Library's Top 100)

1. THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston (PS3515.U789 T639)
2. BELOVED by Toni Morrison (PS3563.O8749 B4)
3. BLOOD MERIDIAN by Cormac McCarthy
4. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee (PS3562.E353 T6)
5. THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker (PS3573.A425 C6)

The Waterboro Library's Booklists and Bibliographies

The Waterboro Library in East Waterboro, Maine has an interesting page on its Web site that catalogues an extensive collection of booklists and biographies. The booklists and bibliographies are separated by genre and include: Chick Lit, Classics and Great Books, Crime Novels and Mysteries, Graphic Novels, Sports Fiction, Westerns, Young Adult, and Children. With each genre are links to Web sites with "Best-of" lists or lists with representative titles from the genre.

Locating Historical Information

2006-10-04T13:34:00.000-06:00

One source for historical information, especially first-hand accounts of events, is a newspaper article. There are a variety of ways for locating newspaper articles, but here are a few worthwhile resources:

1. National Newspaper Index provides citations and abstracts from 1977 in one search to America's top five newspapers: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post in one search. It is updated daily.

2. Newspaper Abstracts provides citations and abstracts from 1989 from over 50 American newspapers and is updated weekly.

3. Custom Newspapers is a full-text database of over 160 U.S. newspapers and English-language foreign papers. It is updated daily.

4. The State Library of Kansas has clipped newspaper articles pertaining to the Kansas state government. The library is offering an online index to the 2006 newspaper clippings. You can view the index by its various subject groupings by clicking here. The different subject indexes vary from a few pages to hundreds of pages. The library will photocopy--within reason--articles requested from the index. Some of these articles are online at newspaper web sites.

5. The Kansas State Historical Society was established by the state's newspaper editors in 1875. A virtually complete collection of all Kansas newspapers published from 1875 to the present is available on microfilm or in original form. The Society also acquired copies of Kansas newspapers published before 1875. Selected out-of-state newspapers in our collections include the New York Times (on microfilm up to 1991 only) and the Kansas City Star, Times, and Star and Times (selected dates only.) All newspaper microfilm circulates through interlibrary loan, and some may be purchased from the society.

6. Google News Archive provides an easy way to search and explore historical archives. Users can search for events, people, ideas and see how they have been described over time. In addition to searching for the most relevant articles for their query, users can get an historical overview of the results by browsing an automatically created timeline. Search results include both content that is accessible to all users and content that requires a fee. Articles related to a single story within a given time period are grouped together to allow users to see a broad perspective on the events. For more information, consult the News Archive Search Help Page.

7. The Richmond Daily Dispatch is available online for scholars researching the Civil War. There are currently 1,384 issues of the paper available, ranging in date from November 1860 through December 1865. There are also links to historical and chronological information about the Civil War written by historian Dr. Robert Kenzer and detailed background and technical information about the project.

Finally, here are two guides to assist you with locating newspaper articles:

A Guide to Locating Newspaper Articles

Locating Articles From Kansas Newspapers

The Kansas Book Festival

2006-09-27T13:34:00.000-06:00

http://www.kansasbookfestival.ks.gov/

2006 Kansas Book Festival
September 29-30, 2006, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium and Exploration Place, Wichita

The Kansas Book Festival is a statewide event produced in cooperation with state and local organizations that offers programs to inspire, engage and enrich Kansans. By encouraging literacy and providing opportunities to personally experience literature, art, music, and history through recreation and reflection, we strengthen our communities.

More information about this year's Kansas Book Festival:

Free and open to the public.

Kansas Notable Authors event Â– The Black, White and READ All Over Ball is Friday night at Exploration Place in Wichita from 8-11 pm

Variety of programs for all ages, interests and tastes.

Friday Kids Special Â– Adventurers, Inventors and Entrepreneurs

Readings, discussions, book signings, music, films, poetry slam

In addition, a special screening of the new Truman Capote film Infamous will take place Saturday night! HereÂ’s more information:

Advanced screening of the new Truman Capote film Infamous

Special Guest, Director Douglas McGrath

Hosted by the Kansas Film Commission

Saturday, September 30th

Warren Theatre, 1611 E. 13th Street

VIP Reception 7:00

Screening 8:00 followed by a Q & A with Director Douglas McGrath

General Admission Tickets are $15.00 and include popcorn & soft drink

VIP tickets are $40.00 and include a balcony seat, wine & hors dÂ’oeuvres

To purchase tickets contact Erin Schroeder at (785) 296-4927 or eschroeder@kansascommerce.com

Banned Books Week

2006-09-20T13:33:00.000-06:00

Banned Books Week is September 23–30, 2006
This is from the American Library Association:

Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

For the first time, Americans can log onto the Banned Books Week Web site (www.ala.org/bbooks) and vote for their favorite challenged book - from "Captain Underpants" to "Of Mice and Men." Organized by age group, the books all have faced expulsion from U.S. schools and libraries in the last 25 years. Votes will be tallied and announced Monday, October 2.

Google Book Search (http://books.google.com) and MAGPI have collaborated with the ALA to offer a new book search site and a virtual panel discussion with high school students around the country. Starting today, readers can visit http://www.google.com/bannedbooks, a new site created by Google Book Search that lets users explore 42 of the banned or challenged books that appear on the Radcliffe Publishing Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century. Interested readers can search or see basic information about these books and can then check for them in their local library or buy them online.

Other resources from the ALA:

Why Banned Books Week?

The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000

The Top 10 List of Most Frequently Challenged Books

History of Banned Books Week

Online Collections of Images

2006-09-13T13:32:00.000-06:00

There are a number of Web sites that have collections of images, but here are a few notable examples:

The New York Public Library's Digital Gallery

The New York Public Library's Digital Gallery provides access to over 450,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of the NYPL, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more.

The Kansas University Insight Image Collection

The KU Insight Image Collection is now accessible online. Some of the collection is available only to KU faculty, staff, and students. However, images from the following collections are available for everyone to enjoy: Spencer Museum of Art, Kansas City Aerial Photographs, Kansas City Hopewell Collection, Kansas Collection Photographs, and Kansas Wildflowers.

Smithsonian Photography Initiative

The Smithsonian Photography Initiative has launched an electronic portal to a portion of the vast image collections residing in its 18 museums and galleries, nine research centers, and the National Zoo. Its search engine offers access to a cross-section of the work of more than 100 photographers, who used 50 different photographic and image-making processes and technologies.

University of California Calisphere Web site

The University of California launched on August 21 a free website that offers educators, students, and the public access to more than 150,000 images, documents, and other primary source materials from the libraries and museums of the UC campuses and cultural heritage organizations across California. Calisphere'’s primary sources include photographs, documents, newspapers, political cartoons, and other cultural artifacts that reveal the diverse history and culture of the state.

The Web Gallery of Art

The Web Gallery of Art is a virtual museum and searchable database of European painting and sculpture from 12th to mid-19th centuries. It was started in 1996 as a topical site of the Renaissance art, originated in the Italian city-states of the 14th century and spread to other countries in the 15th and 16th centuries. Intending to present Renaissance art as comprehensively as possible, the scope of the collection was later extended to show its Medieval roots as well as its evolution to Baroque and Rococo via Mannerism. More recently the periods of Neoclassicism and Romanticism were also included.

Online Tutoring Services

2006-09-06T15:06:00.000-06:00

www.homeworkkansas.org

HomeworkKansas is an online tutoring service that is primarily for students in grades 4 through 12 but is also used by many freshman and sophomore college students. Adult learners are also welcome to use the service.

Students connect to tutors for one-to-one homework help sessions in an online classroom. The service is free for all Kansas residents with a Kansas Library Card.

The tutors are certified teachers, university professors, graduate school students, students at accredited colleges, and professionals who are experts in their fields. All of the Live Homework Help tutors have received a third party background check and have been certified through the Tutor.com Training Program.

Students can connect to online tutors for free seven days a week, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. The service is available in Spanish Sunday through Thursday, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Help is available in the following subjects:

Math: elementary, algebra I, algebra II, geometry, trigonometry and calculus
Science: elementary, earth science, biology, chemistry, physics
Social Studies: American History, World History, Political Science and more
English: spelling, grammar, book reports, essay writing and more

For more information, visit the HomeworkKansas blog at: http://homeworkkansashelp.blogspot.com/

Downloading Items Instead of Checking Them Out from Libraries

2006-08-23T15:04:00.000-06:00

Audio Books, Music, and More!
The Kansas State Library now offers audio books and music on its Web site. It only takes three steps to get started:
1) Download & Install Free Software
2) Register Your Free Software
3) Check Out, Download, and Enjoy
Please note: A Kansas Library Card is needed to check out materials. If you need a card, click here.

OverDrive has compiled lists of devices that are compatible and incompatible with their digital resources:
http://www.overdrive.com/DeviceResourceCenter/Compatible.asp http://www.overdrive.com/DeviceResourceCenter/Incompatible.asp
Please note that not all devices labeled "Plays for Sure" appear on the compatible list. If a device which you are considering purchasing, or one that a patron is using, doesn't appear on either list, it means that OverDrive has not tested it for compatibility with its service.

LibriVox - Free Ebooks and Audiobooks
The LibriVox catalog includes completed books, short works, and works-in-progress that are available as Ebooks or audiobooks. Only the completed works are available for download. The catalog is just a static html page - but LibriVox is in the process of building a searchable catalog system.

Encyclopodia: An Encyclopedia on Your iPod
Encyclopodia is a free software project that transfers the Wikipedia, which is one of the largest encyclopedias in the world, to an iPod. It has been successfully tested on a third-generation iPod and on an iPod mini, but it should also work on other iPod generations.

manybooks.net
This site contains almost 1000 titles, many of which are from a Project Gutenberg DVD that contains the entire Project Gutenberg archives except for the Human Genome Project, audio eBooks, and the Project Gutenberg of Australia eBooks. Incidentally, this site also contains books that adult-literacy pioneer Mary Godolphin (1723-1764) rewrote using words with one syllable. These books--which include Robinson Crusoe, The Pilgrim's Progress, and The Swiss Family Robinson--are available here.