- August 11, 2008 - New Audiobooks
-
We have compiled a list of new audiobooks received in 2007 and 2008. This page can be added to your RSS feeds, so that you can be notified when we update the list.
- August 8, 2008 - Library Survey
-
To help us improve our website, please take our survey!
- August 1, 2008 - Study Guides Updated!
-
The Library's study guides have been updated to reflect the new EBSCO database interface. See the following updated study guides for a look at the new, easy-to-use search screen from EBSCO, one of our main providers of online journal content:
- July 10, 2008 - Notable Documents
These Notable Documents for 2008 Are Available at the VC/UHV Library
A Botanic Garden for the Nation
Main Collection
QK73.U62U553 2006
Women in congress, 1917-2006
Main Collection
JK1030.W66 2006
The Citizen's Almanac: Fundamental Documents, Symbols, and Anthems of the United States
Main Collection
JK1758.C58 2007
Fuel Economy Guide
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS17050
- July 2, 2008 - Holiday Hours
Wednesday, July 2nd Open 7:45 am to 9 pm Thursday, July 3rd Open 7:45 am to 9 pm Friday, July 4th CLOSED Saturday, July 5th CLOSED Sunday, July 6th CLOSED Monday, July 7th Open 7:45 am to 9 pm
- June 25, 2008 - ThinkeringSpace
-
A blog about the ThinkeringSpace project was just posted by the Shifted Librarian, Jenny Levine. The project is part of the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media, Learning and Education initiative.
The purpose of this project is to develop "preliminary criteria for the design of kids' informal, exploratory spaces situated in libraries." The project started as research at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design and is meant to take advantage of the spaces that libraries already provide to create technology-based thinking spaces.
- June 18, 2008 - High School National Debate Topic 2008/2009
-
Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.
"Alternative Energy - the National High School Debate Topic, 2008/09 - is up and running on the web at: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/debate08.html
The web site has annotated links to major global warming reports, the three fossil fuels and energy alternatives ranging from hydrogen, wind, and wave to fuel cells, plug-in electric cars, and various hybrids. There are articles, research reports, laws, and Congressional hearings in full text. The Department of Energy has a truly outstanding web site, which we analyzed and supplemented with those from think tanks, automakers, state government associations, and the OECD."--Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center, University of Michigan Library
- December 6, 2007 - Have Opinions?
-
This site may be interesting to you - Ask500People Beta: World Opinon While You Watch!
Look at the results from the question, "Do you use your local public library?" - asked by Steven Cohen on December 2, 2007.
- November 26, 2007 - Family Records
- When you get together with family members during the holidays, you might want to discuss protecting
important family records.
The Council of State Archivists is offering a manual that
"describes the records that protect a family's finances, health, civil rights, and family history. Some, such as deeds and mortgages, may be obvious to readers, but others, such as leases, proof of intellectual property, and certain tax records, are easily forgotten in the moment of crisis. The manual prompts readers to think through all the records that may help their family survive disaster and return to normal afterwards."
Here is a link to the page where you can read more about the manual and place an order.
- Nov 21 - Like to Read?
Try this Website called The Literature Map!
It is fun to watch, and you might find a new author to try.- Nov 9 - MySpace Blocked
MySpace is being temporarily blocked on Library computers due to security problems.
Here is a link to an article from Computerworld describing the threat.
- Nov 2 - Leisure Reading
The VC/UHV Library has started a book group on the UHV Connect Website. It is called Leisure Reading, and it will feature books that librarians describe and recommend. All members are welcome to discuss and recommend books as well. The group is open to anyone having access to the UHV Connect site, and the librarians' reviews will also be added to the Library's Facebook and MySpace accounts.
Check out the Leisure Reading inside the Library as well. We will display all the books reviewed by librarians on the book group. They will all be available for check-out - you can find the Leisure Reading area on the northwest corner of the Library's first floor. It is a sunny, quiet, and comfortable place for reading!
- Sept 26 - November 6th Election
-
The Texas Legislative Council provides an Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments before each election containing amendments . Here is a link to the current analyses for the Novemeber 6, 2007 election.
There are 16 amendments being offered on the ballot for the coming election. In the Legilative Council's analyses the text of each amendment is given as well as the history of the proposed amendment and statements supporting and opposing the amendment.
- Sept 24 - LIBRARY COMPUTERS
Responding to increasing student concerns about the lack of available computers in the Library, library staff this week is installing software that requires login and enforces session time limits.
Over the years, increasing use of the Library by non-student computer users and recreational use of the computers by students has sometimes made available computers a bit short in supply. The new software will place time limits on non-student users (the main users of recreational computing). Library staff hopes that those time limits, in addition to requiring a library borrower’s card for use, will make more computing time available to students.
All computer users in the Library, VC and UHV students included, will now be required to login to Library computers using the barcode from their campus ID/Library card. They will also be required to set up a pin number with the Library Circulation Department before use. In anticipation of the new software, those receiving new ID/Library cards this semester have set up pin numbers at the time they received their new cards.
- Aug 29 - Library and Facebook
-
The VC/UHV Library is part of Facebook! Our Facebook presence has just been updated. (search for vcuhv librarian to find us). We belong to the following groups:
- University of Houston-Victoria
- Librarians and Facebook
- American Library Association Members
- Library 2.0 Interest Group
- Facebook Apps For Libraries
- LibGuides / In Facebook
We couldn't find a group for Victoria College - if anyone knows about a group for VC, please let us know!
- Aug 20 - Newly Cataloged Web Sites Yesterday, we cataloged some more Websites - here is a list of some: (search our catalog to find these)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Infoplease
- National League for Nursing
- NoodleTools -
- "NoodleTools combines NoodleBib, an interactive MLA-style bibliography composer, and NoodleQuest, a multiple-choice template of questions to develop appropriate search strategies for a research project. Another section, called NoodleLinks, is a 'database of academic bibliographies' that appears to be in the formative stage and NoodleBoard is a group of forums where users can ask questions and share ideas. NoodleBib has an extensive list of citation types (31 items) including electronic formats. The NoodleQuest form asks the user questions that address the type of information sought and the level of the user's expertise. The user chooses the options and obtains guidance as to where to start in a search for information on the internet. NoodleQuest is a great tool for the novice or younger user who needs help getting started on research and NoodleBib certainly simplifies the process of creating a MLA-style bibliography"--"Best Free Reference Web Sites 2001." RUSA Quarterly, Fall 2001; reviewed Mar. 26, 2001.
- Healthfinder
- Clinical Practice Guidelines -
- Offers access to online publications by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Topics include Asthma, Cholesterol, Hypertension and Obesity. This site has the new Clinical Practice Guidelines for Asthma - just announced August 29, 2007.
- Aug 16 - Loved the movie? - Want to read the book? - We have it!
-
Beautiful Mind
Because of Winn Dixie
Cannery Row
Children of Men
Chronicles of Narnia
Cold Mountain
Devil Wears Prada, The
Eragon
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Human Stain, The
I, Robot
In Her Shoes
Jarhead
Kite Runner, The
Little Children
Neighbors
Out of Africa
Painted Veil, The
Princess Bride, The
River Runs Through It, A
Scanner Darkly, A
Smilla's Sense of Snow
Talented Mr. Ripley, The
War of the Worlds
- July 16 - Digital Preservation
- Visit the Library of Congress and view its page dedicated to digital preservation. In the lower right-hand corner of the page is a link to digital preservation tips for individuals!
Another digital preservation Web page of interest is at the University of North Texas, which is partnering with the Library of Congress in the National Digital Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIPP). Part of the NDIPP is the Web-At-Risk program defined by UNT as "... a 3-year collaborative effort of the California Digital Library, the University of North Texas, and New York University. The project will develop a Web Archiving Service that enables curators to build collections of web-published materials. The content will be collected largely from US federal and state government agencies, but will also include political policy documents, campaign literature, and information surrounding political movements."
- July 3 - Library Careers Can Be Exciting!
- See the latest blog posting by Lesa Holstein and you will realize that a career in libraries can be exciting!
While you are at Lesa's blog, check out her posting titled, "The Modern Librarian." It has a link to the Hollywood Librarian Trailer at YouTube.
- June 29 - Try Web Sites!
- Try some of these great Web sites that we have recently added to our Library catalog -
- American Jouneys
- Copyright Crash Course
- Global Change Master Directory
- Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program
Check our Library catalog search box on our homepage for more interesting Web sites.
- June 20 - Virginia Tech Tragedy
- The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has issued a report titled Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech
Tragedy. This report just became available on June 19th. There is also a link to the report from the VC/UHV Library Catalog.
The main parts of this report are:- Key Findings
- Convassing the Nation
- Common Themes and Observations
- Findings and Recommendations:
- Critical Information Sharing Faces Substantial Obstacles
- Accurate and Complete Information on Individuals Prohibited from Possessing Firearms is Essential to Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands
- Improved Awareness and Communication are Key to Prevention
- It is Critical to Get People with Mental Illness Services They Need
- Where We Know What to Do, We Have to be Better at Doing It
- Conclusion
- June 12 - High School Debate Topic for 2007/08
- The high school debate topic for 2007/08 is whether the United States should raise its public health assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa.
The University of Michigan Documents Department has created a Web page for use in preparing for the debate topic. The address is http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/debate07.html . A section of the Web site connects to previous debate topics going back to 1995/96.
- June 11 - Current Newspapers and Magazines Move!
- As part of the reorganization of the Library's second floor, current newspapers and magazines have moved to the Northwest corner of the first floor with the Leisure Reading books. This is a light area with comfortable seating. It is a perfect place to relax between classes.
- Catch up on what's new in the Wall Street Journal, the Yoakum-Herald Times, or the Texas Monthly!
- May 29 - West Parking Lot
- Victoria College has started construction on an expanded parking lot space on the West side of the Library. Plans are to have the new parking space completed by the beginning of the Fall semester. The lower level West side doors should be used for emergency exit only!
- May 23 - Watch Movies!
- Between semesters? How about checking out a movie from the Media Library?
From the American Film Institute's List of 100 Best Movies, we have these (and many more) movies on VHS:
- Some Like It Hot
- Psycho
- Taxi Driver
For those who no longer have a VHS player, we have these (and many more) movies on DVD:
- The Princess Bride
- Easy Rider
- Monsoon Wedding
- Lonestar
- Do the Right Thing
- May 18 - Between Semesters?
- How about some fiction from our Leisure Reading area?
- The Best American Nonrequired Reading - edited by Dave Eggers
- Anansi Boys - by Neil Gaiman
- Water for Elephants - by Sara Gruen
- The Road - by Cormac McCarthy
- A Dirty Job - by Christopher Moore
- Diary, a novel - by Chuck Palahniuk
- The Dirty Girls Social Club - by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
- In Her Shoes - by Jennifer Weiner
- May 2 - Trivia Contest
- To go along with the current display featuring the history of the VC/UHV Library, the Library is
sponsoring a trivia contest. Pick up your entry at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor.
The contest ends at 12:00 noon on Thursday, May 10th.
Prizes include a $15.00 gift card from Hastings; $15.00 gift card from the VC Bookstore; a $10.00 gift card from Subway and a VC Student Nurses Association Diamond Card that will allows the winner continuous and reusable savings from various businesses around town. We also have some Subway tokens for a free fresh baked cookie and a Cove token for a free 21 oz. fountain drink.
- April 26 - Wikipedia
- Here is a survey profiling Wikipedia users. The survey is from the PEW Internet and American Life Project.
It contains a list of the top twenty educational and reference Web sites as of March as of March 17, 2007.
- April 24 - The State of American Libraries
- Here is a link to the American Library Association's press release announcing the 2007 State
of America's Libraries report - http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/april2007/salpr07.htm .
According to the report, "In the case of academic libraries, the number of visits exceeded more than one billion for the first time in 2004, up more than 14 percent in just the previous two years."
- March 7 - New Leisure Books
-
Spring Break is approaching - take time to read one of our new leisure books from the Library's 1st floor reading area.
We have the following new fiction titles and more:
-
- Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
- When the Light Goes by Larry McMurtry
- The Texicans by Nina Vida
- Next by Michael Crichton
- Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
- The Castle in the Forest, a novel by Norman Mailer
- You Suck by Christopher Moore
-
Non-Fiction Too!
-
- Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock
- Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War by Deborah Copaken Kogan
- Green Living: The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on Earth
- Marley & Me by John Grogan
- Mayo Clinic Fitness for Everybody
- February 26 - An Opinion on Wikipedia
- Read the following opinion on Wikipedia and see if you agree, "Expert: Wikipedia Won't Go Away, So Learn How to Use It."
The author recommends Wikipedia as a "springboard to other resources," but he lists eight cautionary steps to use when viewing Wikipedia articles.
- January 29 - Science Friday
- The Library has cataloged its 2nd podcast! Science Friday features the online version of "Science Friday," a weekly National Public Radio (NPR) program focusing on science issues. The catalog record contains a URL, which leads the user to audio files of segments of the current program and previous programs for listening or download.
Use the title keyword option on the Library's homepage to Search the Library Catalog for Books & Multimedia. Input Science Friday and click on the Title Info tab to obtain the URL for this great site!
- January 17 - National Freshman Attitudes Report
- Read the 2nd annual National Freshman Attitudes Report. "This report describes the attitudes and motivations of first-year students nationally at the beginning of their undergraduate experience." Data for this report was gathered by the research firm, Noel-Levitz. They surveyed 97,626 students from 292 institutions with the College Student Inventory.
- December 6 - The Iraq Study Group Report
- You can access the entire Iraq Study Group report by going to the Library's Online Catalog (one of the Quick Links from the homepage. Search Iraq Study Group in the general keyword search box and click on the URL to read, download, or print the entire report. This is a Government document issued by the United States Institute of Peace and has no copyright restrictions.
- November 30 - Library's New Web Look!
- The VC/UHV Library has changed its website! Our re-designed site is now active!
This is a work-in-progress. All of our links do not have the new look, but they should all be functional. If you notice problems or have comments, please contact us by emailing Web Services .
- October 27 - Library's First Podcast!
- The VC/UHV Library just cataloged its first podcast! The podcast is a reading of The Constitution of the United
States by David Currie of the University of Chicago.
According to the University of Chicago's website, "Professor Currie, one of the great constitutional law scholars and teachers, retired from full-time teaching at the University of Chicago Law School in 2006 after serving on the faculty for 44 years." The Library is pleased to provide catalog access to this free reading of the Constitution.
This means you can search for the podcast in our Online Catalog, which is available through the Quick Links or through Search for Books. Search for David Currie Constitution in the default General Keyword search.
When you get the results of your search, you will see there is a URL given with the citation for the Constitution of the United States. Click on this URL to listen to the podcast on your computer's media player. Or, you can choose to download the file to your portable MP3 player.
- October 20 - Looking for Statistics?
- If you are looking for statistics - census data, economic, transportation, etc., try the VC/UHV Library's Sources
for Statistical Information page. This is a link from the Finding Government Information page located under the topic of
Government in Choose Databases by Subject.
The 2006 Statistical Abstract, the first source listed, "is the standard summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. It is also designed to serve as a guide to other statistical publications and sources." -- from the Statistical Abstract overview.
This page has recently been updated to include NationMaster.com, a one-stop source for county statistics. Also avialable from this page are the The National Center for Education Statistics, the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, and more.
- October 13 - The Quills!
- The 2006 Quill Book Awards were announced on October 10th at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Winner of book of the year was Don't Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings:
Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life by Tyler Perry. Look for this and other Quill Book Award winners in the Leisure Reading area of the VC/UHV Library soon!
Go to the Quill Awards for 2006 for a full listing of this year's winners.
- August 29- Hurricane Katrina - First Anniversary.
- On the first anniversary of one of the worst catastrophes in U.S. history, the library notes the following websites as sources of excellent information about the storm and ongoing recovery.
- Hurricane Katrina: Picking up the Pieces
- A thorough, browsable list of information about finding missing persons, disaster recovery, relief agencies, housing, health information, donations, the effects of Hurricane Katrina on services, and related information. From the University Libraries at Mississippi State University.
- LouisianaRebuilds.info
- A nonpartisan, information web portal developed by a public-private partnership among government, business, and nonprofit organizations representing Louisiana residents affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The portal provides an entrance to the services, resources, support networks, and other vital information to help residents and businesses rebuild their lives, their communities, and their state. The portal thus offers a "first stop on the way home," wherever residents decide they want home to be. the sinking of the land along Louisiana's coast.
- Hurricane Katrina: One Year Later
- This About.com site provides articles and links to information relating to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Article topics include relief opportunities, finding a school for displaced students, the cultural costs of Hurricane Katrina (such the impact on buildings with Creole architecture), and much more. Also includes numerous links to sites about locating missing people and general sites about the disaster.
- Beyond Katrina: The Voice of Hurricane and Disaster Recovery
- Started by a Baton Rouge resident as a storm journal, this blog's focus has become activism and recovery.
- Katrina: One year Later
- From the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, a special section devoted to the anniversary of the storm in Mississippi.
- Losing Lousiana
- This site offers compelling photographs and audio on the effects of hurricanes Rita and Katrina on Louisiana. In addition, visitors can listen to interviews with coastal restoration experts; learn about the history of the levees; and gain an understanding of subsidence.
- August 14 - Time's "50 Coolest Websites"
- Here is a link to Time's list of the 50 coolest web sites.
Time.com tells you how they picked the sites and will take your suggestions for any you think they missed. They divide the sites into categories - entertainment, arts and media; news & information; travel & real estate; etc. - August 2 - University of California and Google Library
- The University of California may join Harvard, the University of Michigan, the New York Public Library, Oxford University, and Stanford University as a partner in the Google Library project.
The University of California has 34 million volumes contained in 100 campus libraries. The University of California is already a member of the Open Content Alliance, which is scanning and posting public-domain books on the Internet. - July 11 - myspace.com
- According to a July 11, 2006 article posted on CNNMoney.com, "MySpace is America's top
site." MySpace had more U.S. Internet visits than Yahoo or Google for the week ending July 8th. If you visit MySpace, be sure to read their safety tips!
MySpace is a social networking site that offers blogging, chat, video, and more. It has a new area that features books. Many of the books featured on MySpace are available for check-out in the Leisure Reading Area on the 1st floor of the Library. - June 26 - The 2006 Statistical Abstract
- Click here to access The 2006 Statistical Abstract (The National Data Book)
"The Statistical Abstract of the United States published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States"--from the web site.
The Stat Abstract has statistics on the arts, education, population, etc. There are linking pages to other statistical resources on the left side of the Stat Abstract web page. Try this great government resource! - June 19 - Public Attitudes About Libraries
- Long Overdue: a Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes About LIBRARIES
in the 21st Century is a new report prepared by Public Agenda with support from Americans for
Libraries Council and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. click here for a 2-page summary of the report
click here to access the full report - May 23 - Best Work of American Fiction in the Last 25 Years
- The winners of the New York Times Book Review's "survey of hundreds of prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages to identify the best work of American fiction of the last 25 years" were announced recently. All of the titles are available for check-out at the VC/UHV Library.
THE WINNER:
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- PS3563.O8749B4 2004
THE RUNNERS UP:
- Underworld by Don DeLillo
- PS3554.E4425U53 1997 (Leisure Reading Area)
- Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
- PS3563.C337B4 1992
- Rabbit Run by John Updike
- PS3571.P4R3 1970
- Rabbit Redux by John Updike
- PS3571.P4R27 1971x
- Rabbit is Rich by John Updike
- PS3571.P4R25 1981
- Rabbit at Rest by John Updike
- PS3571.P4R23 1990
- American Pastoral by Philip Roth
- PS3568.O855A77 1998
- May 10 - MLA Bibliography adds backfile
- We are pleased to note that retrospective content to the MLA International Bibliography has been added to our online subscription through the Gale Group and the Literature Resource Center.
The MLA Bibliography was developed in the 1920s as a record of American scholarship in language and literature. For almost fifty years, it was printed as a section in PMLA, but in 1969 it became a separate publication. Data from 1963 to the present have been available to electronic searchers since the late 1970s.
In April 2006, the MLA International Bibliography added records for thirty-eight print volumes from 1926-62 to the online file. Conversion of these volumes has been in process for two and a half years. This material will be offered to libraries as part of their current subscriptions for no additional cost. All 160,000 records have been reviewed. Journal abbreviations and acronyms for almost 3,500 titles have been expanded, full journal names standardized, and ISSNs attached. Almost 11,000 subject names and terms have also been standardized according to current practices.
The Library will be evaluating our historical collection of language and literature periodicals in light of this new and exciting content now available to our users. - May 8 - Need a Quiet Place to Study?
- The third floor of the library is a perfect, quiet place to study. Individual study carrels line the outside walls of the third floor. Our wireless network should be available to users on that floor as well, even around the corners where the carrels are located. We enforce old-fashioned library quiet on this floor.
Need to study with a group? Room 301 and 302 are group study spaces. Room 301 will seat up to 12 and has 2 white boards. Room 302 will seat up to 6 and is also outfitted with a white board. Group study is encouraged on the second floor (in the Periodicals department). There is also space for group seating in the stairwell on the lower level.
By the way, the lower level is the only place where we allow pizza delivery! Drinks should be closed containers and food kept to small packages in all other areas of the library. Pick up after yourself so that we can keep all spaces as available and rule-free as possible. - April 19 - WEBCT Problems fixed!
- Java problems which did not allow use of WEBCT on library public computers have been identified. Library staff are rebuilding each computer to fix the problem. As computers are fixed, they are identified with a yellow post-it note on the computer number sign. As the forest of yellow notes grows, all computers will be ready for WEBCT access. Until then, look for the yellow post-it.
- April 6 - WEBCT Problems in Library
- Public Computers in the Main and Media Library are having problems with Java and WEBCT! IT staff are aware of the problem and are working to fix it. We hope to have the problem resolved in a few days.
- April 4 - National Poetry Month
The Victoria College Writer's Club have set up their magnetic poetry display in the Main Library to celebrate National Poetry Month in April.
The display consists of a four panel standing display board with scores of magnetic words that can be repositioned to form poems. Anyone who would like to try their hand at composing verse is encouraged to visit the display and move the words as they like.
Visit the Academy of American Poets' website for more information about National Poetry Month.
The VC Writer's Club is advised by Michelle Paulsen, Assistant Professor of English.
 |
|