ENG 292 now ENG 278

Are you interested in the Alternative Literature course? It has received final approval status and is now listed as ENG 278 for registration. We need a couple more students to sign up for the class to take place. Think of the fun of reading and discussing the kinds of books you like to read for your own, and getting a chance to learn about some areas of literature that are not mainstream literary works! Deb Dusek and Karen Chobot will lead the class into discoveries about new books and genres. We think you'll love it!

ENGL 292: Alternative Literature

Announcing a NEW literature course, a humanities elective, for Spring Semester 2010. Deborah Dusek and Karen Chobot will be teaching a class that centers on literature that falls outside the established, mainstream literature. We'll look at genres such as Detective Fiction, Science Fiction, regional literature, graphic novels of many forms, and others. We'll examine short stories, plays, poems, non-fiction and others. And there will be some interesting projects for groups and individuals.

The class meets Tuesday and Thursday from 8:30 - 9:50 am.

Censorship, Intellectual Freedom, and Fahrenheit 451

The book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is more than science fiction. It is a comment on how Bradbury sees possibilities in the future. He says, "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them."

This issue will be discussed at a forum in the Fireside Lounge at the MSCTC campus in Fergus Falls, 7:30 pm on Tuesday, Oct. 6. It is an event of The NEA Big Read and Fergus Reads, that the Mildred Johnson Library is participating with.

Join a panel of experts who discuss the issues presented in the book, join in the discussion or just listen. There will be a drawing for free books and refreshments.

The September Project

In 2005, two librarians, David Silver and Sarah Washburn, established The September Project for libraries across the country to commemorate the events of September 11 by celebrating and exploring the thems of democracy, citizenship, and patriotism. Around the world, libraries have been joining the project every year with a variety of September events that highlight the library's place in their community.

Mildred Johnson Library has participated in this every year by focusing on the First Amendment to the US Constitution and setting up events and displays that discuss censorship and the citizen's place in a democracy. We focus on Constitution Day, September 17, and Banned Books Week, the last week in September. The past two years we have enjoyed visits from the Traces Museum bus and its exhibits about prisoners of war, as well. This year we will be participating with the Twin Towns One Book Project in The Big Read.

You can see what other communities are doing at

http://www.theseptemberproject.org/

Labor Day weekend

Just to remind you that we are closed on Holiday weekends. We'll be open again as usual, Tuesday morning at 7:30.

Also, there will be some systems work on Sunday morning so the library systems may not be available. Try again after 1:00 pm.

Theodore Roosevelt - Family Man in the Arena

Dickinson State University presents several programs about Theodore Roosevelt on Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16, with a field trip to the site of the Elkhorn Ranch on Sat. Oct. 17. Scholars Kathleen Dalton, Stacy Cordery, Betty Boyd Caroli and Clay Jenkinson will be presenting at the symposium.

This symposium will carefully examine the adventure and challenge of family life among the Roosevelts. Unlike most presidents, this Roosevelt did not shelter his family from the American public. For more info visit http://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.com or call 1-866-496-8797.

New Library Staff

With the new academic year, the library has been able to add 2 new part-time staff members. Georgia Vosberg has joined as a Library Clerk. She will be working mornings, handling customer service and projects that will help the student find the right material and the right time. Georgia has previously worked in other departments at NDSCS.

Marylin Vertin joins the library through the auspices of Experience Works. She will be working part-time in the mornings, mostly handling materials processing and ordering. This is the behind the scenes work that makes the books and materials available for student and staff use.

Several new work study students will also begin working afternoons and evenings, supporting the work of the regular staff and keeping the library open into the evening. We are happy to welcome the new workers, both students and staff, and look forward to a productive year.

Fritz Scholder Collection

The NDSCS Alumni/Foundation has recently loaned 5 selections of art by the Native American artist Fritz Scholder to the Mildred Johnson Library. This showing is an effort to bring Scholder's art to more students on campus and create awareness of his heritage and works. His art is still shown throughout the world. Most recently is a featured exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian, documented at http://www.nmai.si.edu

In the process of being rehung, the works can be seen on the second floor of the Library along with a case of artifacts from Scholder's art and books owned by the Library on his extensive body of material. Take a minute to see what is in the Library or another set of pieces still on display at the Stern Cultural Center on the NDSCS campus.

New Library Staff members

Two new staff members have recently joined the Mildred Johnson Library.

Shelly Hart has joined as the Associate who works primarily with the cataloging and processing areas. She orders books, pays bills, gets things ready for students and staff to take out. If you have questions about orders or requests for new materials, Shelly is the person to start with.

Deb Zachmann is the new Associate at the Service Desk. She works with Reserves and helping people who come to the desk looking for the items they need. DEb is also the person to start with for questions about renewals, overdues, fines and so on.

Both Shelly and Deb also work with the IVN classes afternoons and evenings.

Access World News

Access World News: Research Collection - Free Trial

Research unique current and archived news content for information on topics, events, issues, people, businesses, and more through this in-depth resource. Easy online access to local, in-state, national and international news sources, including newspapers, broadcast transcripts, newswires, news blogs, news web-only content and video. Alerts and "my personal" functionality helps students and faculty track and manage their research projects.

Available on campus from:

http://infoweb.newsbank.com/?db=AWNB&s_sources=location&d_place=United%20States

NewsBank topics for papers

Are you familiar with NewsBank, the library news subscription? This can be a very useful resource for current events and Hot Topics in the news. All articles are full text and feature length, so there is a wealth of knowledge here to tap into. You can have a look at

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

to see their pre-searched topics on topics of current interest.

NetLibrary March Book of the Month

In Two Billion Cars, transportation experts Daniel Sperling and Deborah Gordon provide a concise history of America's love affair with cars and an overview of the global oil and auto industries. America is still the leading emissions culprit, and what is especially worrying is that developing nations are becoming car-centric cultures as well. The authors explain how we arrived in this dangerous state, and also what we can do about it. Sperling and Gordon expose the roots of the problem-- the resistant auto-industry, dysfunctional oil markets, short-sighted government policies, and unmotivated consumers. They zero in on reforming our gas-guzzling culture, expanding the search for low-carbon fuels, environment-friendly innovations in transportation planning, and more. Promising advances in both transportation technology and fuel efficiency together with shifts in travel behavior, they suggest, offer us a realistic way out of our predicament.

http://whatcounts.com/dm?id=1C2C896D163870C0BCD828AC9AD47C17AB211475F9D6EDD4

Trials on Databases

Along with books, MJ Library purchases databases for articles and other information that are useful for all subjects we teach at NDSCS. On the library main web page, there is a link to NEW resources and any trials we may be carrying out. This has been changed several times lately as we look for new things to add. We invite you to look at the new links and make comments to the library staff, as this helps us determine if these are worth purchasing for our college community.

Facebook Page

Here is a Facebook page I am starting for the library, just to keep adding new ways of connecting with new and old students. Have a look and write on the Wall if you are a Facebook member. I am looking for was to keep it new and interesting.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wahpeton-ND/Mildred-Johnson-Library-NDSCS/23634125026#