Ghost Book - or why you should always check the catalog

Check out this video on YouTube, from Georgia, which explains why you should check the online catalog to see where a book can be found.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUrfgNoPEBY

New Database Resources

A new link has been added to the Library Electronic Resources Web Page.

http://www.ndscs.nodak.edu/library/reference.jsp

Following a Free Trial, we recently added two new databases to our electronic reference materials. One is called Culture Grams, the other is the SIRS Researcher.

Culture Grams is useful for many areas, where finding out about a country and the customs of the citizens is necessary for understanding.

The SIRS Researcher is a well-respected grouping of articles on leading issues, which are often used for research papers, opinion papers, and debate questions.

Last year we purchased the AP Images database, which features materials from the Associated Press over many years. It hasn't been used extensively, but it should be useful for many types of projects. Have a look.

Do you love your librarian?

Then nominate her (or him)!

The Carnegie Corporation and The New York Times sponsor the I Love My Librarian competition. The web site is at

http://www.ilovelibraries.org/lovemylibrarian/cccu.cfm

Here is what they have to say about it:

The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public, school, college, community college, or university librarians. The awards program will demonstrate how librarians are improving the lives of the people in their communities.

Up to ten winners will be selected annually and will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York hosted by The New York Times at TheTimesCenter on December 9, 2008. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library.

The award is administered by the American Library Association with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York and The New York Times.

So if you have some nice things to say about one of the MJ Library staff, we hope you will consider filling in the nomination form and letting the world know!

The September Project

"Connecting the world one library at a time"

The September Project is a grassroots effort to encourage events about freedom and democracy in all libraries in all countries during the month of September. September Project events are free and organized locally.

The September Project was begun in 2004 to break the silence following September 11, and to invite all people into libraries to consider topics of patriotism, democracy, and citizenship.

Initially, events focused on September 11 and largely took place on September 11. As the project evolved, events spread throughout the month of September and focused on issues of freedom and democracy. Mildred Johnson Library participates in the Project in a small way by presenting information about Patriotism, Democracy, and Citizenship in relation to Constitution Day on Sept. 17; Banned Books Week from Sept. 29 - Oct 4, 2008; and the upcoming 2008 Presidential Elections.

BUS-eum 3 - German POWs in the Midwest

For the third year in a row, Mildred Johnson Library will be sponsoring a visit from the traveling TRACES exhibit, known as the BUS-eum. The TRACES museum in St. Paul focuses on events of the Second World War that relate to the MidWest region of the United States. Although far from the action on the battlefield, even this part of the country was directly impacted by Prisoners of War on both sides of the conflict.

On Tuesday, September 9, from 11-2, the BUS-eum will be back with exhibits about German POWs held in this part of the country. There were several POW camps in this region, and many local residents still remember them and the impact they had on local communities. The exhibit will also be at Leach Public Library later in the afternoon and evening.

Here is the link to the TRACES web site on this exhibit –

http://traces.org/Buseum_3_tour/buseum_3.html

It's a great opportunity see and compare what happened half a century ago with what is going on now in regard to Prisoners of War in our country.

Help in searching online - Tutorials

As we have more online sources, it gets harder to know the best ways to search each one. Have a look at the North Dakota State Library’s Instructional Tutorial Page. These tutorials are designed to instruct you in using the ODIN catalog and the Online Library Resources. If you are having trouble viewing the tutorials, you may have to adjust your computer display settings. You may need to download Adobe Flash Player, install Microsoft PowerPoint (ppt), or adjust your volume to view some tutorials.


http://ndsl.lib.state.nd.us/OnlineTutorials.html

Copyright "Slide Rule"

The legal issues of Copyright are confusing, and just about as complicated as the US tax code. Most of us want to do the right thing about getting permission, but we aren't always sure what that "right thing"might be. As an aid in determining if an item requires permission for use, the American Library Association has come up with a slide rule that gives a basic answer this question. It isn't enough by itself but should give you an idea of what needs to be done. The link is listed in the Copyright sidebar on this blog, as well as here"

http://librarycopyright.net/digitalslider/

Do you like to (or have time to) Read?

There are many new books published every year, and it is hard to keep track of all of them. The "New Books" shelves in the Library can certainly help if you are browsing, but what if you want to read a particular kind of book? Fortunately, there are social networking sites that can help so you don't have to depend on the bookstore sites to show you what you might like.

There are 3 sites to look at where you can join, share the books you read, and see what others are thinking about the books they read. Sharing titles and thoughts with others is a time honored way to find a new book you will love, and these new sites let everyone share with others who like the same things to read. Check them out:

Library Thing http://www.librarything.com
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com
Shelfari http://www.shelfari.com

One of the "laws" of Library Science is "Save the time of the Reader." These sites will definitely save time searching and help you use that time to find and read new things to treasure.

July e-book of the month

Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions, by Doniger, Wendy. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Religion is dominating today's headlines like no other time in modern history. Whether the issue is sectarian violence, stem cell research, or political elections, religion plays a critical role. But what is the story behind the headlines? The Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions gets to the heart of the matter by providing a deeper understanding of the religions that shape our world.

Prepared by the editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster, with the assistance of hundreds of scholars and experts, this authoritative, comprehensive, and up-to-date book answers your questions as well as exposes you to the concepts, movements, people, and events associated with living and ancient religions, including Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

Designed to increase awareness of online resources and highlight the value of your eBook collection, the July eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

We'll Miss Linda

One of the nice things about working at the College of Science is that so many people have been working here for years and there is a lot of loyalty to the College. Linda Hausauer has been a Library Associate for over 35 years, and this July 1 she will retire. It is hard to imagine how we will manage the services she has done over the years and we will miss her.

All the college community is invited to attend a Come and Go reception from 2-4, June 30, in the Mildred Johnson Library. We hope those of you who have worked with Linda over the years will be able to come and say good-bye as she moves on to new things in her life.

Encyclopedia Britannica

As part of the Library's Academic subscription to Britannica, we receive a monthly newsletter. This month, June 2008, the emphasis is on Native Americans. Visit this url

http://links.mkt797.com/servlet/MailView?ms=MTI2NzY1S0&r=ODk1Nzc4MzIS1&j=NTQxNzc2MQS2&mt=1

to see new and updated articles on the traditional cultures, histories, and current affairs of Native Americans.

Comments on MJ Library

In the good old days, we had suggestion boxes. Now we have e-mail for comments although we don't have comments directly to the blog. When you see this, I hope you will take a few minutes to e-mail us what new or changed services you would like to see at the library, or other improvements to our services. Within our budget, staff, and curriculum, we will do our best to see that we meet, change or correct based on what you say. So, what do you like best; what do you like least; where can we improve; what new things would you like us to have?

Summer School at the Library

This is a good summer, so far, to be in class: cold and rainy! Not much as yet to tempt students outdoors and away from school work. The Library is open for business, both for classes and beach reading. We have a great collection of Book Club recommendations as well as the audio books in the Commuter Collection. If you will be on vacation and need the books longer than the usual check-out period, be sure to mention this to the person who checks out to you. We will change the due date to allow for your trip.

Newspapers - paper or online

Newspapers have changed alot over the past few years. While the Library once had many subscriptions, nowadays we keep only a few for people to catch up on their local news. However, most newspapers are easily available via the Internet. You can check out our library resources page for several free subscriptions courtesy of the State of North Dakota:

http://www.ndscs.edu/library/resources.jsp

but one thing you won't find easily is The Fargo Forum online. The Forum makes current articles available; but for past issues you end up in their archives, and they ask you to pay for each article. The cost, it seems to me, is high. So, the Library depends on an older technology. We purchase microfilm copies of The Forum, which arrive monthly. We have done this since 1966, and until their online resource is cheaper, we will continue to do this. Check their archive for the article you want, then come make your copy from the microfilm. It's easy!

Faxing to Brazil

Who says nothing exciting ever happens in a library? Today we received a request for a copy of an article to be sent to the Ministry of Science and Technology in Brasilia. Piece of cake, right? After all, with phone lines and Internet, every place is just as close as any place else. Right....

By the time I was finished trying, I had talked to Viv in the President's Office, 3 guys in IT, and the fax machine vendor. Technology sometimes isn't as great as we expect it to be. But, like the post office, Document Delivery must go through and the article merrily beeped its way along the phone lines. I hope they don't call to say it didn't print well and can I please do it again!

Library Summer Hours

MJ Library has several different schedules over the summer, allowing for breaks between sessions, summer school, and the start of the new school year. Here's a quick summary, but call the library at 671-2618 to be sure.

May 12 - May 30: 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
June 2 - July 25: 7:45 am - 4:45 pm
July 28 - August 15: 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
August 18 - August 22: 7:45 am - 4:45 pm.

We also are closed for Memorial Day and Independence Day, and close at 3:00 pm on Fridays.

Auto Repair Reference Center

The North Dakota State Library is adding a new database to the Online Library Resources that are funded by the state of North Dakota. On July 1 the Ebsco database, Auto Repair Reference Center, will be available through connections from the MJ Library Webpage or through the state library web page.

This database contains information on most domestic and imported vehicles from 1945 to the present, with wiring diagrams, videos, bulletins and recalls, and even a labor cost estimator. It is designed to be user friendly, and most things can be printed and taken to the work site for convenient reference.

Beginning to Blog the Library

This is the start of the Mildred Johnson Library blog. For those of you who have never seen the library building, this is how we look when the flowers are blooming.