SUMMAR LIBRARY

Students, faculty will love lists feature in new catalog

2012-02-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Summar Library has added 109 new books, including everything from literature and poetry to programming, molecular biology, psychology, economics, politics and more.

These are just a few of the new titles available:

Collage of myself: Walt Whitman and the making of Leaves of grass, by Matt Miller
The game of cops and robbers on graphs, by Anthony Bonato and Richard J Nowakowski
First life: Discovering the connections between stars, cells and how life began, by D.W. Deamer
Internet addiction: a handbook and guide to evaluation and treatment, by Kimberly S. Young and Cristiano Nabuco de Abreu
Taking Sudoku seriously: The math behind the world's most popular pencil puzzle, by Jason Rosenhouse and Laura Taalman
Maynard's revenge: the collapse of freemarket macroeconomics, by Lance Taylor

Acc ess t he entire list using a feature available through our new catalog.

While Summar Library's new catalog is still under development, students and faculty can begin to take advantage of its features.
One particularly helpful feature involves the ability to create lists.
Why would anyone want to make a list using a library's catalog? Here are a few reasons the lists feature is so helpful:

It enables faculty to create lists of books they recommend for coursework.
It enables students to create lists of books they find in the catalog that they might want to check out of the library when writing a paper or working on a project.
It enables students to explore lists created by other users on topics of interest.
It enables students to find citations for use in bibliographies, with the ability to specify style, such as Turabian, APA (6th ed.), and MLA.

Let's say you are a faculty member who often includes a list of recommended reading on syllabi for the courses you teach. Creating a list in WorldCat Local makes it easy for students to find those books, complete with an image of the book cover and access to the book's call number.

You also can include other types of materials in your list of recommended items, such as articles (accessible through the library's extensive list of databases), eBooks (accessible through Ebrary or an EBSCO database), eVideo (accessible through Films On Demand) music (accessible through Naxos Music Library), films the library owns on VHS or DVD, and audio books available in the library.

Let's say you are a student who is writing a paper on a topic related to medieval times. A simple search of lists using the term "medieval" yields 135 lists created by other WorldCat users who have stored information here on sources related to the Middle Ages.

Students can choose to watch these lists for new additions.

Students also can create lists of their own. Let's say you are a student who is writing a paper on Ernest Hemingway. Once you have found materials on Hemingway that you are interested in using, you can easily create a list of these materials that you can access anytime you sign on to your WorldCat account.

This way, you can quickly access your saved list -- including the items' call numbers -- when you are ready to look for the materials for check-out or use them in the library.

Getting started:

First, create a WorldCat account.
Second, update your profile.
Now you can begin to either search for lists (using the drop-down menu under "Search" in the menu on Union's WorldCat web page) or create lists of your own once you begin to search for material in Summar Library's new catalog.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to approach our staff. We are eager to help you navigate all the new and helpful features available to you by using our new catalog.

Dr. Jim Patterson discusses his new biography of J.R. Graves

2012-02-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jim Patterson

On this edition of the Summar Library Podcast, Paul and I spoke with Dr. Jim Patterson about his new biography, James Robinson Graves: Staking the Boundaries of Baptist Identity. Aside from being a phenomenal historian Dr. Patterson is also a rapper and you can hear him rap about J.R. Graves in his Founders Day Chapel a year ago. The book was dedicated to his wife on their 40th wedding anniversary as it is in-scripted on the inside cover. Our very own Paul Sorrel is also mentioned in the preface of the book for his work with micro-film and interlibrary loans to help with the research done on this book. We talked about Dr. Patterson's background in Philadelphia. We discussed Dr. Patterson's background as he was raised in Philadelphia. We also discussed his education at Rutgers, Gordon Conwell and later Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Patterson talks about how he became interested in J.R. Graves and Baptist History and how this informs his teaching. He also discusses how he came to teach at Union and his future research interests.

Listen to Dr. Jim Patterson talk discuss his new book:

James Robinson Graves: Staking Baptist Identity

iPads in the Library

2012-02-02T08:29:00.000-08:00

The library now has a few iPads to check out for students. We thought that this would be a good way for students to use these devices to read some digital articles, take notes in class, listen to lectures or podcasts and read eBooks. We believe that iPads are a really valuable academic tool if used properly and we wanted to give students a chance to do access many of the library's eResources using an iPad. Some frequently asked questions about the iPad program are listed below.

Who may borrow an iPad from the library?
Only current Students who present a current Union University photo identification card, to a library employee may borrow an iPad. The iPads will not be checked out to Guest Patrons!

How can I check out an iPad?
You will need your Union University I.D. and the library will keep the idea until the iPad is returned. You will also need to sign a Student iPad Checkout Agreement form.

What is the loan period for an iPad?
Students will be able to check out iPads for a maximum loan period of 4 hours .
iPads may leave the library must be returned to the library on the day of check out before closing.
Only one iPad may be checked at any time by a qualifying library patron.

May I reserve an iPad?
The library’s iPads will be checked out on a first-come, first-serve basis. There will not be an iPad reservation system.

May I renew an iPad for a longer loan period?
Renewals are not available.

Are there any fines and fees associated with borrowing an iPad?
Any iPad that is returned late will result in a $15.00 per hour late fee.

What if an iPad is returned damaged, is lost or is not returned to the library?
An $800.00 replacement fee will be charged to the borrower.

New Transfer Student Dinner

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last night Jason Castles and Karen Taylor were gracious enough to allow me to speak at the Transfer Student Orientation Dinner to introduce the library. I just tried to cover the highlights of what the library can offer but we area also really excited about a few things this Spring including iPad checkouts and a new catalog. I've embedded my presentation below:

Spring Student Library Orientation on Prezi

Podcast Episode: What is a Research Coach?

2012-01-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

Meliss and TR: Union Library's Research Coaches

In a brand new season of the Library Podcast Paul Sorrell talks with Research Coaches Melissa and TR to help describe what the Research Coach service is all about. Melissa gives a brief overview on how the "Research Coach" service came about and tells how a student can contact or schedule a Research Coach. Melissa and TR both share why they really enjoy helping students and being reference librarians. They share some of their favorite Research Coaching memories. Listening to this podcast can help you truly understand what you can expect when meeting with a Research Coach and how we believe that it can help you in your academic pursuits.

Listen to the Podcast below:

Using the New Library Catalog: A Short Tutorial

2012-01-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

This is the new library catalog that is powered by OCLC. We created this short video tutorial to explain some of the basic search functions. If you are having any trouble at all then please don't hesitate to schedule a research coach.

Portrait of the President comes to the library

2011-12-20T12:04:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 2, at the Union Trustees meeting, a new portrait of the President was unveiled. You can read more about this meeting and the portrait here. The 50 inch high representation of David Dockery was painted by artist, Tom Donahue, who has also painted likenesses of Rhodes College president, Bill Trout and a former Governer of Tennessee, Don Sundquist. This new portrait of David Dockery is now hanging in the library so please stop by to see it if you have not yet. We have also created a display highlighting some of the "selected works" of President David S. Dockery. The display of books either written or edited by Dr. Dockery are next to the Faculty Resource Room and are available for check out as well.

In an e-mail, Library Director Anna Beth Morgan wrote, "The portrait is well done and presents a very favorable likeness of Dr. Dockery. I am sure our faculty, staff, students, alums and guests will enjoy seeing the portrait in the library". We are proud to have the Presidential portrait in the library and are looking forward to good things to come for the library at Union.

2-D Art in the Library

2011-12-06T12:07:00.001-08:00

Katie Williams after Jack Vettriano, "The Singing Butler" 15" x 20

This new artwork displayed in the library is part of a collaboration between myself and Haelim Allen in the art department. A special thanks to Shinae and Andrew who work in the library and helped with this project as well. When I first came to Union I noticed all of the student artwork displayed in the hallways of the PAC. I think that artwork in the library can be a great way to interact with the student body at Union and highlight their work. I also think that it can help to make our library more visually interesting.
The art in the Library can also help to highlight our resources like ArtStor, an image library for the arts and sciences. These works by students are mostly copies of original work and at time you can get some information about the original work on ArtStor or by using the Art research guide.

Tiffany Frizzell after Jack Vettriano, "Mr Cool" 11x15 in Color and in Black & White

"The Singling Butler" and "Mr Cool" are reproductions of works by Jack Vettriano, a Scottish artist. They were copied by Katie Williams and Tiffany Frizzell.

Kristen Witham after Edgar Degas, "Melancholy" 15"x22"

Near the photocopier is Kristen Witham's recreation of Degas' "Melancholy."Degas was a French impressionist who actually had family and spent some time in New Orleans.

Megan Peden after Vincent Van Gogh, "Painter on His Way to Work"

Megen Peden has done a bright, colorful version of Vincent Van Gogh painting. It is hanging in a quiet study area near the window in the back of the library. The Painter on His Way to Work was actually destroyed during World War II so the original no longer exists. For this reason it is nice that we have a copy here in our library. Even if it isn't the original.

Late Night in the Summar Library

2011-11-30T07:20:00.001-08:00

The time has come again for exams! Take a deep breath. I know that you are all stressed but, "this too shall pass". The library will be open until 2am and offering free snacks in the evening starting Sunday night. So grab some snacks and find a nice, warm quiet place in the library. You'll make it through this. If you are wondering about our hours during final exams and then on through the holiday season they are listed below:

Final Exam Week and Intersession Hours 2011

Final Exam week:Sunday, Dec. 4 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 5-7 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.
Thursday and Friday, Dec. 8-9 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 9 All books due in the library
Saturday, Dec. 10 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Intersession hours:
Sunday, Dec. 11 Closed
Monday – Friday, Dec. 12-16 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 17-18 Closed
Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 19-21 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 22, 7:00 to NoonThursday, Dec. 23
Monday, Jan 2 Closed
Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2012 Regular J-term hours 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Thanksgiving, the Mayflower and the Pilgrims.

2011-11-21T09:10:00.001-08:00

Last year I made a post about Thanksgiving highlighting some of our print resources. This year I thought I would highlight something from our dynamic collection of academic films (films on demand). So below is a video produced by CTVC in the UK in which Martin Marty is interviewed about the reasons that the Puritans came to the new world. The video concludes with a look at the legendar first celebration of Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving and travel safe everyone!

Return to Lender

2011-11-15T06:53:00.001-08:00

The library is moving to the cloud! We are converting to a completely web hosted catalog system that will be really great and easy to use. But in order to clean out our old catalog we need to have all of the books and other physical items back by DECEMBER 9 or before. So just make sure to "return to lender" all of the things that you have checked out form the library. Thank You! Thank You Very Much!

Library Services: The Digital, The Physical and the Pedagogical

2011-11-08T10:28:00.000-08:00

When I outlined how I view the academic library in the 21st century in a blog post last fall I chose to focus on the library as: space, services and web. Print material is still extremely important but it is not necessarily central to what we are trying to do. On a recent trip to Nashville a good friend of mine helped me to rethink or simple restate these categories of librarianship as we look to the future. I believe that service is still a vital part of what the library provides but perhaps service is something that permeates the digital, physical and pedagogical aspects of a library. So below I will outline the Digital, The Physical and the Pedagogical by giving examples of things that we are doing to enhance our library services at Union.

The Digital: The conversion to a Web hosted Catalog through OCLC is a huge step forward. I recognize that it may be frustrating for some users now since our new catalog is (under development) but the new OCLC catalog will have advantages like the ability to request inter-library loans with just one click and a google-like spelling completion when you search. The new catalog will also find journal articles and other eResources that the old catalog would not. This will be a big step forward in our digital services.

The Physical: We are very excited about the new library! The new library at Union is our main focus now but over the past year we have tried to enhance the libraries current space by painting, redecorating the restrooms, moving the films out for browsing and hanging student art in the library. Academic Libraries all over the country are still buzzing with students. The physical library is not, "just a warehouse for books" but rather a collaborative learning space with a café, more technology and a possible lecture auditorium. Ray Oldenburg's idea of the Great Good Place is a key concept here.

The Pedagogical: On top of teaching information and giving library tutorials for various courses across the curriculum The Research Coach. Lately I have found that building partnerships with faculty has been really key in having a successful research coach process. It is important to understand the assignment and the subject matter to help students shape their research question and find the best sources. In this age of "information overload" the teaching or pedagogical aspect of librarianship become a paramount service.

Food for Fines Friday

2011-10-31T08:19:00.001-07:00

Memphis Library Trip

2011-10-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Central stairway at SW Tenn Community College

This past Friday a few us from the library, Anna Beth, Jenny and myself traveled to Memphis to visit a few recently built and quite impressive libraries. We brought along with us Jon Abernathy, director of disability services, who not only made the trip more fun but also helped us think about how we can serve those at Union with disabilities. The libraries that we visited were Southwest Tennessee Community College, Rhodes College and The University of Memphis Law Library. Here is a link where you can view all of the photos that I took on the trip. Memphis Library Photos. There are a few things that I take away from the trip. 1) Regardless of how beautiful and spacious the library building, librarians always have to think about how they use that space to best serve the students, faculty and other library users. 2) Traditional and even sacred architecture can help students feel more connected to the their studies and the higher ideals of a university. 3) The final thing is that students want a variety of comfortable seating and study space to interact with peers and with technology.

Library Chess Table

Aside from these major thematic issues of how libraries can be built to best serve a University community there a few things that I saw at these libraries that I thought were cool. One was upscale modular or moveable offices with frosted glass that both maintain privacy and allow the librarian like myself to be available to the public. Another was a chess table in the library. Having a chess table in the library is a great idea in my opinion if it could be well done and used. Outside seating would be nice. There was a roof terrace at the University of Memphis Law Library where students could sit outside on a nice day and study. Finally, a café area that is open late or even all night that provides drinks and food to students as they write those papers and prepare for those exams could be a great use of space. Rhodes College was doing a great job with their café; as you can see below that it was busy. Also notice in the photo the moveable white board. This was available for students to use for group study and I think these are also a great idea.

Busy Library Café at Rhodes College

Overall the trip to Memphis was really eye opening. I am thankful to Anna Beth for giving us this opportunity to experience other library buildings as we think about moving to a new space at Union. I think we learned a lot about the library as space and how we can think about our services to best meet the needs of the Union community. While books will be an important part of libraries for years to come, libraries will also be really interactive spaces that incorporate a lot of group and individual seating and technology. These sorts of things can make the library the heart of an academic community.

Dr. Jerry Tidwell on New Library Campaign

2011-10-21T04:23:00.000-07:00

In this episode of the library podcast we spoke with Dr. Jerry Tidwell who serves Union University as the Senior Vice President for University Relations. We talked to him about coming to Union, the relationship that has developed with the Latimer foundation and how that has led to the initiative to raise funds for a new library at Union University. In this episode you can find out something about the timeline for the new library and how you can contribute. In addition you can hear about what the new library might look like.

Dr. Jerry Tidwell on Library Campaign

Cardinal & Cream Article on The New Library

2011-10-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Amelia Krauss had done a great job in reporting on the announcement of a new library at Union. Below is the original article published in the Cardinal & Cream on October 6, 2011.

Visit display outside Summar Library before attending author-historian’s lecture on Tuesday evening in Savage Memorial Chapel

2011-10-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

If you’re undecided about whether to attend Pauline Maier’s lecture about the Constitution on Tuesday, one visit to a display outside the Emma Waters Summar Library may convince you the event is not to be missed.

Maier, MIT professor of American history and author of the new book, “Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788,” will be the keynote speaker at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in the G.M. Savage Memorial Chapel.

The lecture and its informational display are part of this year’s Carls-Schwerdfeger History Lecture Series, which is in its 15^th year at Union University. The topic is “Ratification of the U.S. Constitution: Why Should We Care?” and the lecture is free and open to the public.

Maier also will present “Who Wrote the Declaration of Independence?” at 1:40 p.m. Tuesday in the Carl Grant Events Center, Salon 2. Her newest book, one of several award winners Maier has authored, won the 2011 George Washington Book Prize.

Another book, “American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence,” was listed among the New York Times’ Best Books of the Year for 1997.
Maier also has written chapters in other books, scholarly articles and essays on the American Revolution. Read more about Maier here.

Her work includes Inventing America: A History of the United States (co-author, second edition, 2005); The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States (author of 25-page introduction, 1998); The American People: A History (1986); The Old Revolutionaries: Political Lives in the Age of Samuel Adams (1980); and From Resistance to Revolution: Colonial Radicals and the Development of American Opposition to Britain,1765-1776 (1972). She has also published scholarly articles in historical journals such as the William and Mary Quarterly and the Journal of Interdisciplinary History, and written book reviews for the New York Times and Washington Post.

Maier also is president of the Society of American Historians, an affiliate of the American Historical Association.

You will find the informational display case -- which contains some of Maier's books -- outside of the library, which is located in the Penick Academic Complex on campus.

For more information about the lecture or the display, contact Stephen Carls at (731) 661-5262 or scarls@uu.edu. And to learn more about the Department of History at Union University, click here.

Cinema Fellowship

2011-10-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

The "Cinema Fellowship" is an initiative begun be senior film studies major, Caleb Stallings. The mission of the Cinema Fellowship is "To provide an environment that seeks to engage various disciplines within the liberal arts through the works of the cinema" but the concept is very simple. Each month a faculty will put 2-3 films on reserve in the library. One of the nice things about this initiative is that the Cinema Fellowship is taking advantage of all of the films that the library has. You can find all of our films just inside the entrance of the library. After everyone interested has had a chance to view the films there will be a discussion held in the Bowld Commons. This month Professor Gavin Richardson has chosen to feature Shakespeare on film with film adaptations of The Merchant of Venice. So just ask at the library front desk for any of the Merchant of Venice films on reserve under Dr. Richardson. After you have had a chance to see all of the films the discussion and meeting will be held upstairs in The Bowld on October 25 at 7:30pm. For the month of October the movies discussed are listed below.

Silent Shakespeare

"In the early days of the cinema, pioneer filmmakers created these seven charming films based on the plays of William Shakespeare. Considered a "lowbrow" medium, the fledgling movie industry sought to elevate its status by immortalizing the classics and hiring the actors of the day. Most of these early photoplays were only one or two reels long but whatever they gave up in language and length, they made up for in exuberance, cinematic artistry, visual wit and bravura acting."

2004 Radford Merchant of Venice.

Michael Radford's film of "The Merchant of Venice" stars Al Pacino as Shylock, and the look of him-heavy of tread, eyes darting and wary-defines the encompassing mood. The text has been sliced and pared, and what remains is intimate and sorrowful, as if the characters knew from the start what manner of tribulation they would face. Antonio (Jeremy Irons) seems already to be mourning the loss not just of his ships at sea but of his friend Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes) to the wealthy and marriageable Portia (Lynn Collins). Her early scenes are the weakest in the movie, the comedy of the semi-fantastic sitting uneasily amid the gathering gloom. What Radford does best-and it's a trick he mislaid in the slower niceties of "Il Postino"-is to shove and wheedle the story along, so that the court scene and even the final bickering over marital rings take on the air not merely of patchings-up but of bristling suspense.

2004 Trevor Nunn's Stage adaptation of Merchant of Venice
This is sort of a filmed stage performance Richard Price and Chris Hunt as the Performance Company present ; the Royal National Theatre production ; produced in association with the Lexington Road Entertainment Group.

A New Home for the Library at Union

2011-10-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Union University's Emma Waters Summar Library is entering into an exciting new era in which a new, state-of-the-art library building will provide students with opportunities to study in new ways and take advantage of new technology.
Take a quick look at the official detailed plans for the new library on Union's campus here.
You'll find links to updated information, including comments from Dr. Dockery, the video embedded above that details the future of the university's library, frequently asked questions, and floor plans.
You also can read about the history of Union libraries and find out more about how to give to the fundraising effort.
For instance, anyone can donate online, and a pledge card can be accessed on the site.
Did you know that every dollar given or pledged can be doubled when donated under certain conditions? Find out more here.
Did you know that the new library building would house 60,000 square feet of space (the current facility is half that size) for holdings, meeting rooms, video conferencing, a writing center and more? Even a cafe also could be included on-site.
There's a lot to look forward to, so visit the official site to learn more. In the meantime, we hope that you will visit the current library to find out how we can assist you.

New Web Page

2011-09-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

The new web page was launched to look more like Union's home page. But mostly, we worked on the new library site to promote the New Catalog. So here are the things that are new on the website.
New Catalog:
The new catalog is still in development so at times might create frustrations in terms of finding call numbers and availability of items. If you can't get the call # from the new catalog then just try the old catalog. If the website prompts you, "We were unable to get availability information for this item. Please check at the circulation desk for assistance", you can find the location by clicking on our old catalog in the Research Quick Links. Of course we'd love to help you at the circulation desk also. If you are looking for articles in our new catalog, some of the links may not work quite right. The individual databases are all still working the same way in quick links, however.

The new catalog, however, will allow you to export citation information directly into Refworks. So if use the old catalog to get the call # then you can use the new catalog to store all of your research in Refworks.

Research:
All of the links that you will need to begin your research are located on the right side of the page under the quick links tool bar. To search for a specific Journal online click, "Journals by Title or Subject"there you can also access our Research Guides that are designed to highlight best resources in each subject. If you are having any trouble at all with our resources or want to meet more in depth with a librarian then schedule a Research Coach.

Chat
You might have noticed a chat widget on the new website entitled, "Ask the Library". Just ask us a question about anything and we'll try to answer. To ask a question all that you have to do is enter text in the box that reads, "type here". This could be a great way to get you library questions answered quickly.

Digital Collections:
You may not have known but all of the Union Yearbooks, "Lest We Forget" are online. We also have highlighted the amazing Fitts Collection of South American artifacts on the right side of the library's web page. These are amazing resources and Jenny Lowery has done a great job of making them available to the Union community.

Social Media:

The Library has plenty of ways that you can keep track of us. This Blog, The Podcast as well as Facebook and Twitter. So follow us, like us or listen.

Writing Lab

2011-09-14T12:21:00.001-07:00

Are you are frustrated with your psychology paper? Could you use some help writing a biology report or are you struggling with that written comp essay? You might want to come to the Writing Lab! Professor Chris Bailey will be hosting a writing lab in The Library Instruction Lab, located in the back of the library on Monday afternoons from 4-6pm and Wednesday mornings from 7-9am. Don't be frustrated anymore but come to the writing lab and get help. In addition to professor Bailey, librarians will also be around to talk with or to schedule a Research Coach for help finding relevant sources on your topic and creating your bibliography. As the deadline for that paper gets closer, I don't think you will regret coming to the writing lab.

Ray Van Neste on the KJV

2011-09-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ray Van Neste is Associate Professor of Biblical Studies and Director of the R.C. Ryan Center. It did delighteth us to chat with him on the podcast about the recovery from his recent ailments, the learning that he did recieve and the upcoming KJV 400 Legacy & Impact festival. This festival doth celebrate 400 years of the King James Version of the Bible. Professor Van Neste discusses the influence of the KJV on his own life and the history of the King James Bible. The festival will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday and will feature Leland Ryken, Timothy George and John Woodbridge as well as a host of Union scholars who look at the KJV from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The music used in this episode is “I was Glad” composed by Orlando Gibbons, who was born in Oxford in 1583 and attended King's College, Cambridge to study music. The lyrics were taken from Psalm 122 and it was commonly sung in the Church of England at Coronations and other celebrations.

Listen to the Interview with Ray Van Neste here

Free Open Access Journals

2011-08-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

The library provides a pretty good collection of scholarly Databases listed on our library's web page? Most of those databases are quite expensive and they provide a searchable interface for journal articles that would otherwise not be free to access online. In buying databases, the library pays for the interface and indexing that makes searching for articles possible and it pays for the rising costs of scholarly journals. So essentially databases provide tags for scholarly journal articles so that you can find them for your research. The databases also provide the full text for a lot of these articles so that you can just download them, print them or just read them online. Still, I know that many of you mostly use free content on the web. Some use Wikipedia but others may just use free newspapers, magazines or even a valuable tools like Google Scholar. I also understand that the lines are being greyed. What is and what is not a useful, acceptable source is no longer a black and white issue. Part of the service that the library provides is access to a lot of good academic databases even if they are expensive. We also try to be able to help students and faculty get what they need. That is why we pay for the databases but things are changing. Many peer reviewed journal articles are now published online, full text for free. In addition, publishers are making scholarly content more and more expensive. So as librarians we are not concerned with protecting all of the scholarly information under lock & key and paying more for it but rather it is our job just to help you the user get the best information for their research. The Directory of Open Access Journals is designed to help you find this content. Here is a story from The Chronicle of Higher Education that describes how you can use DOAJ. It helps you search free content that we don't have to pay for. At this point we still need the other databases but this resources is free to everyone and contains a lot of great, reliable scholarly information.

Faculty Workshop Presentation: Research Guides & Refworks

2011-08-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today I presented in a Faculty Workshop break out session on using Research Guides to build user friendly web pages that aggregate library resources for specific course and other events. I also briefly covered our web based citations software, "Refworks" Below are my slides. The photo of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is actually a joke about the new library building.

Research Guides & Refworks on Prezi

Interview with Dr. Phillip Ryan

2011-08-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Dr. Phillip Ryan is Associate Professor of Language and the coordinator of the English as a Second Language Program. In this episode of the Summar Library Podcast we talked with Phillip about his education, his academic interests, travels to california and teaching.

Listen to Dr. Phillip Ryan below or subscribe to our Podcast here.

Proquest Full Text Dissertations and Theses

2011-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

Per a Faculty request we have provided an awesome full text resource through the library. I know that when I have met with students on research topics I have often come across relevant doctoral dissertations that I could not find full text. Well this new collection will help a lot!

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses — This database is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses from around the world, spanning from 1861 to the present day and offering full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997.

PQDT includes 2.7 million searchable citations to dissertation and theses from around the world with 1.2 million full text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. Over 2.1 million titles are available for purchase as printed copies. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works.

PQDT is the official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress and the database of record for graduate research.

Union Faculty and Students may also access Dissertations and Theses using the library’sDatabases A-Z

Up To Date: Helping Clinicians Provide the best Patient Care

2011-08-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

The Summar Library is now providing access to UpToDate. The idea behind UpToDate is relatively simple, but totally unique.

Every day, clinicians have questions about patient care. Patients have questions about their health as well. Why not recruit a faculty of experts to answer those questions, keep the information updated, and create a format that's easy to use? And why not also provide all of the necessary background information to understand why the recommendations are being made?

Digital Public Library of America and Free eBooks

2011-08-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

At the library we are still buying and providing physical books. But we also provide a great deal of multi media, online content and other resources like audiobook or streaming films. So I would like to let you know about something that might change the nature of online scholarly research in the future known as The Digital Public Library. The aims of the Digital Public Library may to help to erase the digital divide and provide free online content. Engraved in the side of The Boston Public Library is the phrase, "Free to All". The Digital Public Library aims to uphold these democratic values rooted in the history of American Public Libraries. I think, however, that this free content will also have a profound affect on academia. A recent article in the New York Times describes the DPLA as a "national digital library that would serve as an electronic repository for the nation’s cultural heritage". The DPLA is an initiative of The Berkman Center for Internet & Society and sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Until the Digital Public Library of America is fully up and running, however, I wanted to take a moment to let you know about some other places on the web with valuable free content. Particular in the eBook format.

Google Books

Google Books of course has lost major ground in their attempt to put free scholarly content on the web. If you have noticed that there is less downloadable and full text content on Google Books it is because of the major law suit that has forced them to take some content down. Nevertheless Google Books can still be a powerful tool. There are some major Academic Library Partners with Google Books including Columbia, Harvard and Cornell.

Hathi Trust
Hathi Trust describes itself as "a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future". There Academic Library partners include Baylor, UC Berkeley, and Stanford. Hathi Trust has worked to digitize almost 10 million volumes.

Project Gutenberg
Named after the most important development in information until the internet, Project Gutenberg provides free downloadable eBooks. The content can be downloaded in Kindle, ePub or HTML formats and is all in the public domain and out of copyright. Gutenberg also offers downloadable audiobooks in MP3 format including many literary classics.

Beth Lynn Interviewed on the Podcast

2011-07-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Beth Lynn Interview Friday, July 22, 2011

Beth Lynn, Collection Development Coordinator, at the Summar Libary graced us with her presence on this edition of The Summar Library Podcast. We asked Beth about her job, new resources that the library is providing, and her efforts to redecorate the library over the summer.

Some of the new resources that we are providing are Biblical Archaeology Society Online, Films on Demand, Grove Music Online, and Oxford Bibliographies Online. We also now have a host of new eBook collections including CHOICE’s 2010 Outstanding Book Collection and up to 3000 titles via Netlibrary’s new EBSCO platform. We also have the Encyclopedia of Social Work online now and host of new journals.

Beth and others have been working hard to spruce up the library of the summer and you can read about it here. Thanks for listening to us and our podcast. Remember that The Emma Waters Summar Library is where “studying everyday could help you perform better academically”.

Listen to the Beth Lynn Interview or Subscribe to our Podcast

Summar Cleaning

2011-07-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

This Summer Beth Lynn, Lori Haney and others are busy doing some minor library renovations. Sure, we are all anticipating and looking forward to a new library building at Union but that doesn't mean that we are going to neglect our current home. During the summer everyone in the library has a little bit more time to breathe and focus on projects so we wanted to work a bit on improving the current library as place. We began by moving out a large microfilm reader in the library that was seldom if ever used and took up much needed space. If anyone still needs to use microfilm, there is still a microfilm reader in the Faculty Resource Center. Where the large microfilm reader was, in the back of the library, we put the laptop zone as you can see.

The laptop zone has been moved to the back wall.

Now you can use the laptop zone with more privacy.

Then Beth, with the input of everyone in the library, decided which color to paint some of the the walls around to cover up what was a drab grey. Everyone ended up being very happy with a color called, "Grandma's Linen" which is sort of a soft minty green. We have also recently put up a few pieces of framed photography in the library. The photographs came from archives, many of them depict the old Union campus downtown. Then, we moved some furniture around and some of it out to give the library a cleaner and roomier feel. The larger change machines near the copier are also gone and we hope that give the library a more open and airy feeling.

Newly painted wall and framed photographs

Library is looking great, freshly painted with the color, "Grandma's Linen."

Newly painted walls next to the entrance and the Fitts Collection

Big change and copy machines are gone. Now just purchase a copy card or ask at the desk if you need help.

We have also recently moved all of the DVDs out into the library so that library visitors can browse the film collection. We are considering more modifications as we move forward this year. Please feel free to let us know if you have any suggestions. We have also repainted the study rooms from all of the heavy use this past year.

DVDs are out in the library for browsing

Freshly painted study rooms

In June a team led by Beth Lynn and Lori Haney painted and decorated the restrooms in the library. Don't they look great.

Restrooms are spruced up with new paint, pictures and shelving.

Decorating and Cleaning the Restrooms

A freshly painted restroom with new photos and shelving.

At the library we always happy to see you and starting to look forward to the return of the students in the fall. Please let us know what you think we might do to improve our services and our space.

A fresh look as you leave the library!

Legacy & Impact: Union Celebrates 400 years of the King James Bible

2011-06-29T06:50:00.000-07:00

In the coming months Union will be preparing for a celebration, hosted by the Ryan Center, commemorating 400 years of The King James Bible. Professor Ray Van Neste and Brian Denker will be preparing for a conference in September to celebrate 400 years of The King James Bible. Over the course of the last year the library has been collecting materials on the KJV in preparation for this celebration.

So a few weeks ago, at the ATLA conference, I attended a paper, "Celebrating 400 years of The King James Version." This paper was given by a librarian from Seminary of the South West in Austin, Texas and a librarian from Oxford was in attendance. At the paper I was given a bibliography of web and print resources and gave me the idea to create research guide putting King James Version resources all in one place. I used mainly the sources from the paper and those that Dr. Van Neste has provided. Find access to all of the KJV resources on this new research guide.

Boys of Summer

2011-06-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Newest Display featuring works on Baseball

So yesterday was the first day of Summer and after a successful registration day on Monday it is beginning to feel as if things are settling into the long, slow days of summer. One of the best things about summer, however, is baseball. Even though The Cardinals are not doing well of late, the College World Series is happening now and Major League Baseball is getting into gear with several interesting pennant races shaping up. Paul and I attended a Jackson Generals game the other day and just realized how fun it can be during these long summer days to enjoy a baseball game. So I started exploring some of the resources that we have in the library on baseball and we have quite a bit. A few of them are highlighted in the case outside of the library. Some of those items include, Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson, The Big Bam: The Life & Times of Babe Ruth, and Faithful: Two Diehard Boston RedSox Fans Chronicle the History 2004 Season. Of Course don't forget that our very own Tim Ellsworth has written an outstanding work, Pujols: More Than the Game and it is also available in the library.We have plenty of fun Summer reads in the library on baseball and other topics.

Podcast Interview with Taylor Worley

2011-06-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

Taylor Worley is Assistant Professor of Christian Thought & Tradition and Associate Dean for Spiritual Life, Campus Ministries at Union. In this episode of the Summar Library Podcast we get a chance to talk with Taylor about his teaching, films, his undergraduate experience at Union, graduate work in the UK, a trip to Chicago and Libraries. Professor Worley actually met his wife, Anna Worley, in the Library at Union.

Interview with Taylor Worley

American Theological Library Association Chicago Meeting

2011-06-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Downtown Chicago at Night

So I am in Chicago at the annual meeting of The American Theological Library Association. This is the 3rd time that I have attended this conference. This time, however, I am now working at a University where Theology is a discipline and I am in a librarians position. I arrived in Chicago Tuesday evening along with Taylor Worley who decided to ride along. We had a really good time in Chicago professionally and culturally so I would like to provide some highlights on this blog.

Workshop on Qualitative Research
On Wednesday I attended a workshop on doing qualitative research. Essentially qualitative research is concerned with gathering information but not necessarily numerical data. It was a good workshop with a lot of interaction and activities. I believe this help as I think about helping students here at Union with some of their own qualitative research.

Paper on the King James Bible 400 year Celebration
I wanted to attend this paper because I thought that in many ways it might help me be prepared for the KJV 400 event that is being hosted by The R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies. The presentation for the paper was interesting and I learned some things I didn't know like the difference between a He Bible and a She Bible. One 1611 printing of the KJV contained “and he went into the city” in Ruth 3:15 while another version read, “and she went into the city.” This become known as the He bible and the She bible. One of the best things that I took away from this paper presentation was a bibliography with web and print resources for further study of The King James Bible. I have linked to some of those resources on The Biblical Studies Research Guide.

I won't bore everyone with too many details of the conference because I would like to get to some of the cultural highlights of the trip but I did attending some very interesting panel discussion on Building Connections with Faculty and Twenty-First Century Reference Collections in Theology. The panels gave me some interesting ideas for example at Yale Divinity School there is a librarian who builds web pages and blogs for specific courses. There was a well spoken librarian from Notre Dame who explored what it takes to build strong reference collections for the study of theology. My take away from this was that in the area of theology print is still very important and that many researchers and students who study theology and philosophy prefer print texts.

Cultural adventures in Chicago

Art Institute of Chicago

Besides eating some excellent Pizza at Pizanos there are a few cultural things that I should mention about my trip. Perhaps the highlight of my trip was a visit to The Art Institute of Chicago. In my opinion the art institute contains as impressive of a collection as any museum in London or Paris. They have a wealth of European Art from the Renaissance through Impressionism but also some interesting works of modern art. Gerhard Richter's modern art pieces were full of stunning color and texture but there were also some very detailed paintings of photographs skillfully composed by Richter. Before I left for this trip I was reading an article about Gustave Caillebotte and his impressions of Paris. After reading the article it was nice to see in person the work Paris Street on a Rainy Day.

Cappuccino at Intelligentsia

Many of us in the library and around campus hope that there can be a café with options for snacks and coffee in the new library. In Chicago I visited a world class place for coffee & tea; Intelligentsia. It was great to experience coffee done well from espresso based drinks to single farm coffees made in a Chemex.

Overall I think the Chicago trip and ATLA was great. I was proud to be there and to represent Union University among so many skilled and experience librarians from divinity schools and seminaries across the country.

A Great Spring!

2011-05-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

Photo: Librarians at the Open House April 11, 2011

It is that time once again when all the students have gone home after the end of a wonderful semester and an inspiring graduation ceremony. It really was a great spring for Union with the announcement of a New Library and so much more. I still believe that throughout my career I would like define the library in terms of space, services and web and so I will try to outline what happened this past spring along those three categories.

Library as Space: I am a big believer in the "library as space". I think the library can be a 3rd place on campus for academic interaction. At the time much of our focus and resources has been looking to the new library. In the meantime we have tried keep our current space clean, friendly and well organized. We have put out some interesting film displays like the one on Charlie Chaplin. There are also some new posters hanging in the library and of course the Fitts Collection is on display as well.

On April 11, in the library we had another exciting open house with lots of home made treats. This was my first open house and I was pleased with the number of people who showed up and the food was great. The open house is pictured above and we hope to do it well again next year. Thanks to everyone who showed up.

Library as Services: This spring the Research Coach service was busier than ever. There were months when I had close to 40 research coach appointments and I know that Melissa Moore was very busy helping students as well. We want students to know that a librarian is always available to help them navigate the resources that we provide. In the fall we would like to continue to promote this service.

On April 5 the Library participated in the Union Health & Benefits Fair. This was a really fun event. We got a chance to meet a lot of people around campus, find out about services that Union provides and promote some of the library services. Most people don't think about the library as a benefit to staff but the library provides a lot of great things for staff like the ability to research your ancestry via Ancestry Library Edition. You can also check out a variety of popular films, books and music.

One of the coolest things that the library has had a chance to do was to create a Podcast. The other day a student told me that they listened to the Podcast. This made me day to think that students were listening to the podcast. In our latest episode we interviewed our director, Anna Beth Morgan, to discuss the announcement of a new library and steps that the library is taking to be prepared for the new library.

Library as Web: Just last summer the library completely reorganized the website. We have tried to organize it in a way that makes information easy to find. Most of what you need to start your research is underneath the section "Research". Including in this are our new "Research Guides" This is something that we have developed new for the spring. Research guides are designed as easy-to-use web pages that bring together everything that you need to do your research. We have developed research guides for each subject matter and can even develop them for specific courses.

The other thing that we rolled out this semester in terms of the web was Refworks. Refworks is a cloud based tool that works seamlessly with most of our databases and Google Scholar. You can simple use it to export citation information, store all of your research and generate bibliographies. I have found it a useful tool.

Congratulation Union Grads!

2011-05-17T06:50:00.000-07:00


Kertesz, Julie. "Oh the Places You'll Go". 9 July 2009. Online image. Flikr. 16 May, 2011. http://www.flickr.com/photos/joyoflife/3709840577/

"Congratulations! Today is your day. You're off to Great Places! You're Off and Away!"-Dr. Seuss

This upcoming Saturday, at Union Commencement, the largest class of graduates in Union's history will walk across the stage and get their diploma. Approximately 625 students will commence the next phase of life. While indeed we are celebrating and acknowledging the accomplishments of those who have studied hard at Union we also know that this is just the beginning of a bright future for our graduates and that is why the ceremony is referred to as commencement. After four years of challenging study and meaningful relationships it may be difficult to decide what to do next after college and it might be something that takes you some time to discover. But keep a positive outlook! Perhaps Dr. Seuss said it best, "you have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Two of the common things that people do after college is either begin looking for jobs or go on to do graduate study. Paul Sorrell has created a display just outside of the library to help you with the next step particularly on job interviews. Meanwhile if you are looking to attend graduate school then the The Princeton Review is a great resource for preparing and looking into places to study. If you are taking the GRE, LSAT, MCAT or some other graduate school entrance exam then the library's test prep section could really help you. The Summar Library would like to thank all of our Union grads and will miss those of who have spent many long hours and late nights with us. The case just outside the library, created by Paul Sorrell, includes the following resources and they can be checked out. Just ask!

Guerilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0

301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions

Getting from College to Career

10 think Employers Want You to Learn in College

Acing the Interview: How to ask and answer the questions that will get you the job.

Don't Take the Last Donut: New Rules of Business Etiquette

Library Director Discusses the New Library

2011-05-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

In this episode of the Summar Library Podcast Paul and I introduce and interview Anna Beth Morgan, the director of the library. She discusses her coming to Union and the earliest mentions of the possibility of a new library. She then discusses the time line of recent events including the announcement of a library feasibility study this past December, the preparations of the library staff for a new library and this past Friday’s announcement that the board of trustees have approved Union University to go ahead with the library project,hoping to break ground one year from now. Anna Beth discussed attending library building conferences and visiting other academic libraries to understand more about trends in library building projects today. We discussed the potential for having a heritage room in the library, possibly a café and even a family study area. We also thanked and bid farewell to our graduating student library employees.

New Library Space!

2011-05-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

The empty space beyond Miller Tower where the future library will be. Photo. 5/3/2011

Many of us here in the Summar library feel very privileged to be a part of Union University. I felt that Union was a special place when I first visited the campus last spring to interview. It was clear at that time as an outsider that Union was headed in a positive direction. I believe that the leadership at Union is making great decisions contributing to our growth and ability to work towards academic excellence. Last spring after reading "Renewing Minds", it was clear to me that Union was headed in a strong direction to build an excellent, christ-centered institution of higher learning.

It was exciting news this past Friday when the board of trustees approved a plan that would look to have the new library completed by 2013. You can read about the board of trustees meeting and all of the exciting news in the Union Press Release. You can also read the announcement in the Jackson Sun Press Release.

Many might ask the question, "with so many resources available online, why do we need a new library building?". With everything going digital many have wondered what the future of the academic library will be. I have tried to answer this question in a post that was written back in August in which I outlined the library as web, services and space. I think President Dockery has made a statement that looks to the future and defines the library as "not only a warehouse for books, but a technological center that connects students and scholars with other research opportunities that would not have been possible even a decade ago”. Statements like these show that President Dockery has an exciting vision for what the library can be in the digital age. As a librarian I am willing to follow this vision.

In fact all of us at The Summar Library are happy to be part of this project with the direction provided by Dr. Dockery, Provost Sanderson and all of Union's leadership. We hope to do all that we can to make this a successful library project for our students and faculty.

Oxford Bibliographies Online

2011-04-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

The other day I was in Dr. Brad Green's course discussing library research. I realize that conducting research in and outside of the library is a daunting task today because of the wealth of information that is out there in print and online. While I can help to find articles or books on a particular topic it is a much more difficult task to perform a comprehensive lit. review or provide an authoritative bibliography on a subject because of the confusing web of information that is out there. Professor Green asked this question, "How do you find a list of the best resources on a particular topic?" In all honesty I did not have a great answer for his question. With Oxford Bibliographies Online perhaps I do have a good answer for this question. Below is a description of the resource.

"Oxford Bibliographies Online is now available to Union University faculty and students for a trial period.

What is OBO?

In recent years, the explosion of original research and its increasing accessibility through new technologies is a blessing for researchers—but also a tremendous challenge. Whether a researcher is working on a doctoral dissertation, doing initial research for a book, or preparing an undergraduate term paper, it is harder and harder to know what sources to consult.

That is why Oxford Bibliographies Online (OBO) was created. It is a tool designed to help busy researchers find reliable sources of information quickly by directing them to exactly the right chapter, book, website, archive, or data set they need for their research. It is a springboard for new research that allows for fluid movement between texts and databases within a given institution’s collection and beyond. It is a starting point for organizing a research plan, or for preparing a writing assignment or syllabus. The style and approach is accessible to students, but the depth of coverage makes it of great use to faculty as well.

How Does it Work?

OBO is a library of disciplined-based subject modules. In each subject module, leading scholars have produced a literary guide to the most important and significant sources in an area of study they know best. The guides feature a selective list of bibliographic citations supported by direct recommendations about which sources to consult. Each topic has a unique editorial commentary to show how the cited sources are interrelated. The citations promote discoverability as they link out to the sources via your library collection or through Google books and more.

OBO brings to online research the quality assurance and authority that you expect from Oxford University Press. All articles receive multiple peer reviews and editorial board vetting to provide reliable and balanced coverage.

Articles are regularly updated by their authors so that information in this resource is always current and accurate. In addition to updating existing articles, new topic guides are added on a regular schedule to expand the scope and extent of each subject module in the library. Depending on which Research Guide you are using, you will find subject-specific information and links for to help you locate articles, books, databases, writing and citing tools, subject websites, professional organizations, RSS feeds and more."

3rd Podcast Episode

2011-04-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

In this episode of the Summar Library Podcast we discuss The Classical Education display. Union freshman Grant Riley was educated at The Franklin Classical School in Franklin, Tennessee. He talks about that experience, his decision to come to Union and his book collection. Reference Librarian extraordinaire discusses the Lest We Forget digital yearbooks, Ancestry.Com, Women’s basketball and more. In the library we are promoting our annual open house event that happens next monday. We have a new evening circulation supervisor, Ellen Kimbro, so stop by the library in the evening to meet her. Last but not least our Circulation and Interlibrary Loan specialist, Stephen Mount has a new daughter by the name of Charlotte Marie.

Summar Library Services and Staff

2011-04-06T08:24:00.001-07:00

Summar Library Services & Staff from Paul Sorrell on Vimeo.

Paul Sorrell created this great video to highlight some of the services that we offer at Summar Library.

Union Health & Benefits Fair

2011-04-05T13:09:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday many of us from the library participated in the Health & Benefits Fair that took place in the Grant Center. Paul Sorrell did a great job of making signs, creating a display and a brilliant short film that was projected onto the display board. The film, highlighting the libraries benefits and the staff who work in the library, repeated throughout the fair. In addition at our booth we gave away pens, highlighters, mints, book markers, clips and carabiners. On the display we highlighted some services that The Summar Library can offer to the Union University community. Here are just a few things that might interest you.

Research Your Family History:

If you are like me then you might want to know a bit more about your family and ancestors. What is your ethnic heritage? How did your great grandfather come to the United States and what happened to him? You can use many of our databases free of charge and even get help from our archivist, Jenny Lowery, to research your family history and answer many of these questions. This is something that many people are willing to pay for but it is available through The Summar Library without charge.

Heritage Quest Online

A growing collection of research materials for tracing family history and American culture including 25,000 family and local histories, the entire U.S. Federal Census, and PERSI™.

Ancestry.Com

This collection of more than 4,000 databases and 1.5 billion names includes census, vital, church, court, immigration, and other records. You must be on Union's campus to access it.

Lest We Forget

The student yearbook of Southwestern Baptist University (1904-1906) and Union University (1908-2000). From 1904-1924 the yearbook was published every other year. It was published annually beginning in 1924 except for 1944 and 1945 when no yearbook was produced.

Get more Health Information:

You can use our databases to get health information for you or a loved one. If you need more information about something that you learned through your health care provider then you can use our databases or come see a librarian to get find out more.

Health & Wellness Resource Center

Provides instant access to carefully compiled and trusted medical reference materials. Includes nearly 400 health/medical journals, hundreds of pamphlets, over 700 health-related videos from partner Healthology, Inc., and articles from 2,200 general interest publications in addition to a broad collection of Gale reference titles. Material contained in this Resource Center is intended for informational purposes only.

Health Reference Center

Multi-source database provides access to the full text of nursing and allied health journals, plus the wide variety of personal health information sources in InfoTrac's award-winning Health Reference Center?. All in a single, easy-to-use database, The material contained in this database is intended for informational purposes only. Integrates the full text and images of respected nursing, allied health and medical journals; consumer health magazines; newsletters; pamphlets; newspaper articles; topical overviews; and reference books.

Natural Standard

Natural Standard provides high quality, evidence-based information on dietary supplements (including herbs, vitamins, and minerals), functional foods, diets, complementary practices (modalities), exercises, and medical conditions. Clients include, but are not limited to: corporations, manufacturers, retail pharmacies, hospitals, universities, organizations and private professional practices.

Recreation in the Library:

Recreational Reading

Just as you enter the library on the left and right are little round shelves with many works of popular fiction. Taking a vacation and want to check some books out or just looking for a good book to read over the weekend? Then stop by the library.

Audio Books on your iPod

We have a growing collection of Audio Books available through Net Library that you can download in MPD format and add to your iPod or MP3 player. These titles include works by CS Lewis, Henri Nouwen and Charles Spurgeon.

Music CDs

We have a collection of music discs and books on CD in the library. They are in the room with the DVDs and if you ask at the front desk then they can show you the CD collection and you can browse. I just checked out a James Joyce Novel to listen to in my car.

Movies on DVD

In the same area of the library where we keep the CD collection are the DVDs. You can ask for the DVD collection at the front desk of the library. We have many popular titles that you can check out over the weekend. I often check out films, including former Oscar winners, and movies like Toy Story, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, or HBO's series Band of Brothers. You should definitely visit our popular films collection.

Naxos Music Library

Naxos Music Library [NML] is the world´s largest online classical music library. Currently, it offers streaming access to more than 46,000 CDs with more than 653,000 tracks, standard and rare repertoire. Over 800 new CDs are added to the library every month.

Thank You! to everyone who came out and participated in the Health and Benefits Fair. It was nice to see everyone.

Charlie Chaplin Display

2011-03-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

Many of you know about the option at Union to meet with a Research Coach to help with projects, paper, ideas or simply finding sources. Over the past semester it has been really fun meeting with students and learning more about a broad variety of topics. Professor Worley and I have developed a friendship and he encouraged his students that were taking the philosophy of film course to take some time to sit down with me for help or maybe just to discuss the research for an assignment for this course. Essentially they were writing a paper that found a connection between a film director's work and a particular philosophy or the thought of some philosopher. While I have enjoyed meeting with students from many other courses, meeting with these students in philosophy of film was particular engaging and rewarding. I learned a lot and found that brainstorming and searching with the students for sources was relatively fruitful. I helped students find articles on the connection between David O Russell, director of I Heart Huckabees and the ideas of, "being and nothingness" inherent in the existentialist philosophies of Camus and Sartre. I helped students brain storm and find articles on the works of Christopher Nolan who directed the last few Batman films, Memento and this past summer's blockbuster Inception. Darren Aranofsky and even Clint Eastwood were the subjects of some of the research topics for students in the philosophy of film.

In doing all of this fun! research I realized that it would be interesting to put some of the films from our collection that had been researched on a film display in the library. Many of you may have seen the display of popular films located in the library just outside of the tv/ seating area. It came to my realization that we had a lot of interesting books and films on Charlie Chaplin who in many ways was the father of American cinema. Chaplin brought hope and laughter to a generation of Americans that went through the first world war and then very difficult economic times during the great depression. His character, "Little Tramp" has been an incredibly iconic figure in American culture. A student was researching Chaplin for The Philosophy of Film course and we discovered many of the great resources that we havein the library on the early American film icon. So I thought it would be a great idea to put some of these things on display. We have also ordered the 1992 film, Chaplin, in which Robert Downey Jr. plays Charlie Chaplin. I thought it was important to explain this display and the resource that are on it. Check out the Charlie Chaplin display just inside the library.

Chaplin, Charlie, 1889-1977. Photograph of Chaplin as the Little Tramp. [n.d.].retrieved from www.artstor.org 3/26/11

Go Lady Bulldogs...or is it Terriers?

2011-03-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

Union's Lady Bulldogs take to the court at Oman Arena tonight to begin their quest for another NAIA championship. The Lady Bulldogs have been a dominant force in the NAIA for nearly two decades. They have been in the sweet sixteen every year since 1996 and have only missed the elite eight two of those years. As I was reviewing Union's recent success on the athletic department's website, I realized there were some missing pieces to the women's basketball history puzzle at Union. So here I present, the lost history of women's basketball at Union University.
The Roaring 20's
Union's participation in women's (or girls' as it was then called) basketball dates back to at least 1920. The 1920 Lest We Forget yearbook gives us a look at what may be the first team. Interestingly, the team was known as the Union Terriers. Perhaps terriers seemed like a more feminine breed than bulldogs (I'll be sure not to tell my neighbor's male Westie!). I don't know, but whatever the reason, the Terrier mascot persisted throughout the 1920's. Their season was not nearly as lengthy as today's, sometimes playing only 4 games. The first season we have a record for is 1921-22 when they went 4-4. Over the next few years, success varied from 1-3 in 1926 to 6-2 in 1928 and again in 1931. Their competition ranged from high school teams, to Y.W.C.A. teams, to other colleges in TN, KY, MS and AL.

The Depression hits
As the Depression settled in after 1929, the women's basketball team continued to have success with winning seasons in 1930, 1931 and 1932. In an effort to show more solidarity with the men's athletic teams, they also adopted a new nickname. Beginning in 1932, they were known as the Bulldogettes. The early '30's also brought about rules changes in the game. Perhaps it was the changing rules, the depression, or some combination of forces, but the team suffered through winless seasons in 1933 and 1934, going 0-6 and 0-8 respectively. Yet the 1934 Lest we Forget yearbook holds out hope for the following season by noting that all of the players are "eligible for next year's team." Indeed, the Cardinal and Cream reported on November 5, 1934 that the "Girls Meet to Form Basketball Team," while noting that their coach had not been determined. Whether a coach could not be found or too few players showed up, we may never know. That is the last that was heard from the Bulldogettes. The Cardinal and Cream does not report on any games being played that season and the team is absent from the yearbook. Union women would not play intercollegiate basketball games again until 1972. So as we cheer on the Lady Bulldogs of 2010-2011, let us also tip our hats to the pioneers of women's basketball at Union. Go Terriers....um GO LADY BULLDOGS!

Classical Education

2011-03-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

The books housed in the display case outside the of library include a 1942 First Edition of T.S. Eliot's The Classics and The Man of Letters. This book is the transcription of The Presidential Address delivered to The Classical Association on April 15 1942. This book, and the others in the case, are from the personal collection of Grant Riley who comes to Union from Franklin Classical School where he was educated in a manner consistent to the ideas of T.S. Eliot. Franklin Classical School has only existed as long as Grant has, as they were both born in 1992, fifty years after Eliot's address. Dr. George Grant founded Franklin Classical School in order to teach highschoolers the essential tools of learning. A classical education seeks to train students how to think. By using the trivium (Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric), the classical system trains students to move from merely knowing something, to knowing how they know, and then to why they know. Dorothy Sayers a contemporary of Lewis and Tolkien once explained the problem of modern education, "we often succeed in teaching our pupils "subjects," we fail lamentably on the whole in teaching them how to think: they learn everything, except the art of learning." If one would like to learn the basic principles of classical education then they should begin by reading Dorothy Sayers' essay, The Lost Tools of Learning. George Grant defined education as an act of repentance, an admittance that you do not know all that you need to know and you need someone else to teach you.

David Dockery upholds these principles in his work Renewing Minds, in which Union's president envisions the integration of faith and learning. While Union's view of education may or may not be labeled classical there are many things in common with Union's aim to reclaim the best of the "Christian intellectual tradition". Professor Brad Green here at Union is also an advocate of the model of Classical education and highly involved with the Augustine School in Jackson.

The display from Grant's personal library attempts to capture the spirit of a Christian Classical education. The books in the case include a 1939 publication of The Oxford Book of English Verse, an 1880 PF Collier publication of Shakespeare's Tragedies, the first American printing of G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, Chaucer's Canterbury Tales from 1857, a German Psalter and a beautifully illustrated copy of Longfellow's Evangeline from 1850.

Tim Ellsworth interviewed about Pujols biography

2011-03-02T07:17:00.000-08:00

On the second edition of The Summar Library Podcast we interviewed Tim Ellsworth about the writing of his book, Pujols: More Than the Game. Tim is Director of News and Media Relations here at Union, a "die hard" St. Louis Cardinals fan, a Union alumni and a St. Louis native. Tim teamed with Scott Lamb to co-author this new biography of one of baseball's best players. Tim Ellsworth is also author of God in the Whirlwind, a book that chronicles the stories of the 2008 tornado that struck Union University. Both of Tim Ellsworth's books are available to be checked out from The Summar Library or can be purchased at LifeWay or Books-a-Million here in Jackson. You can listen to the interview with Tim below.

Research Coaching (researchcoach@uu.edu)

2011-02-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

The Spring Semester is now in full swing and the weather has even started to show signs of sun and warmth. Today is a gorgeous Saturday to be outside. But if not outside enjoying the weather, I have noticed that students are diligently beginning to work on papers and projects. So recently I have been spending quite a bit of time as Research Coach. Coming up through graduate school I always felt that my favorite part of working in a library was helping people. I love to make talk with students about ideas, find interesting books, print articles or demonstrate using databases for students. I have been helping students frame their research questions and get started with a project on language and ethnicity for a course with Dr. Ryan. I have also helped a student try and find information for a Biology class on parasites that affect horses. That was difficult one and I'm not sure how much help I actually was. Miss Melissa Moore is also a Research Coach and she has done a great job of helping to launch this program. She is also extremely helpful and friendly to meet with. So this spring semester at Union, if you are getting started with a paper or research project or if you want to know more about how to create a bibliography using Refworks , our new citation tool that can easily generate your works cited page and help you organize your research, then don't hesitate to look for a research coach in the library or schedule an appointment. We have a new e-mail address at ResearchCoach@uu.edu and we'd love to meet with you.

PUJOLS : MORE THAN THE GAME

2011-02-17T15:53:00.000-08:00

I recently had the privilege of reading the book Pujols: More Than The Game by Union's own Tim Ellsworth.

Albert Pujols is widely considered the best baseball player in the game today. He has multiple accolades including MVPs and All-Star Game nominations. His first ten seasons in the league have rivaled the best 10 seasons in MLB history.

But, as the title would indicate, this book is about more than the game. Tim Ellsworth and Scott Lamb provide great behind the scenes insight into Albert's roots, his character, and what drives him as a player. His life is chronicled from its modest beginnings in the Dominican Republic, his relocation to America, to him being drafted 602nd by the St. Louis Cardinals, and his 10 seasons in the big leagues. We also read about his wife and family and his activity in the Down Syndrome community.

It was a breath of fresh air to read about Albert's faith in Christ and how that impacts all areas of his life. As opposed to the athlete who thanks God for the win, but whose life doesn't seem to reflect Christ, Albert lives out his faith. Pujols strives to live a life of integrity, and to be God-honoring in all he does.

We as a society have a tendency to put athletes up on a pedestal. More often than not they do not live up to the unrealistic standards that we set for them. Sometimes we fail to realize that athletes are human beings with added temptations due to the fame and money, who live under a constant microscope and will inevitably make mistakes over time. Though the authors do not display Albert as living a perfect life, the book provides great examples of how Albert lives out his life for Christ.

As a Cardinal fan, I enjoyed the detail into his life, specifically going through each of the seasons he has spent with the Cardinals so far. It was quite intriguing to read of Albert before he was famous, to learn where he came from and how he achieved the status he has reached, all while avoiding many of the traps and downfalls that seem to ensnare those in similar situations.

I would recommend Pujols: More Than The Game to all Cardinals fans, to all baseball fans, and to anyone who is interested in a behind the scenes look at the life of a man who strives to live his life for Christ while simply being the best baseball player of his generation.

Now, a funny commercial:

RefWorks Workshops

2011-02-05T08:40:00.000-08:00

Through the library budget we have recently acquired a valuable, web-based, tool for Union's students and faculty that can be used to store all of your citations and automatically create bibliographies. It is called Refworks. You can export all of the citations from the articles and books you read from Google Scholar and almost all of our scholarly databases directly into your personal Refworks database. It will then automatically generate a bibliography for you. You can also use the "Ref Grab It" tool to import citation information from web resources like a Blog Post or use the Write N Cite function to insert in-text citations into a word document as you are composing. What is really great is that all you have to do is set up a personal account when you are on campus and that account will never go away even after you graduate or leave Union. We will be hold workshops on how to use Refworks in the PAC computer lab C-2 on Wednesday, February 16 at 3 pm, Thursday the 17th at 4pm and that Friday the 18th at 10am. These workshops are meant simply to walk faculty members through the basics of setting up a Refworks account and importing citations. To sign up for these workshops just email Lori Haney. If you can't make it to one of these workshops then don't hesitate to contact your librarian or schedule a Research Coach and we will be happy to help you with Refworks.

Libguides (Research Guides 2.0)

2011-02-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I spoke at the Faculty Development Winter Workshop about our new Research Guides. We have used a software called libguides (library guides) to develop these new research guides. This allows the librarian to link to websites, embed images, video and RSS feeds. It allows us to upload documents and potentially create guides for other courses. This web editing tool will allow us to add faculty members as colaborators so that we can work with them to create more important and useful guides for our subject matter at Union. It is so much more than just a list of scholarly databases. We are excited about these new Research Guides that can be found at guides.uu.edu or from uu.edu/library. My slides of the presentation to the faculty are located below. Please let us know what you think of the new guides.

Libguides (Research Guides 2.0)

View more presentations from TRParker.

The Summar Library Podcast

2011-01-31T16:16:00.000-08:00

Click here to subscribe in iTunes U

Paul Sorrell, Stepen Mount and I have created a Summar Library Podcast. You can click on the link above to subscribe in iTunes. Or listen to it using the player below.

In the podcast we plan to discuss library services, new books, movies, etc. We could also have guests join us from time to time - library personnel and others. I think it could be used as an additional way to promote library events as well as being informative and entertaining - kinda like a radio talk show.

In this episode of The Summar Library Podcast we discuss new dynamic Research Guides, Refworks, The Naxos Music Library, Spring Library Hours, The Movie Display, The Academy Awards and The Super Bowl. We laugh a little while we talk about what is going in the Library and in the world.

Listen to the Podcast Below

LibGuides

2011-01-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

In just a few weeks the Summar Library will be unveiling our new resources by subject pages that are called Libguides, short for library guides. We aim to have these exciting and dynamic new research guides published on our website by the end of this month. Libguides are software, hosted by an outside company named Springshare. The old "Resources by Subject" pages were just a static list of databases but they will be replace by Libguides that are so much more. Libguides can make it easy to contact or even chat with your librarian. They can easily be edited by librarians or faculty. Hopefully this will provide some great opportunities for librarians and faculty to work together. Libguides are like facebook pages for academic resources. It is easy to link to web pages, articles and new information. The editor of these pages can upload images, insert RSS feeds, embed videos and upload documents. A professor may upload his/her course syllabi to a Libguide, while the Librarian can provide links or videos on APA citations, for example. Libguides also allows the option for the user to rate a resource. These guide will greatly enhance the way that students and faculty can use the library's web page to do research. We at Summar Library are looking forward to working with the faculty at Union to enhance these dynamic research guides.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2011-01-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King who won the Nobel Prize for peace in 1964. Although King's birthday was on January 15 it is celebrated the third Monday of each January. Of course Rev. Martin Luther King is an important figure in 20th century America and the world from a theological, social and political standpoint. So I would like to feature a few library resources on Dr. King for those interested in learning more about this brave, god fearing man on this day of remembrance.

Martin Luther King, Jr. The Man and the Dream
DVD E 185.97 .K5 M37 Ask at the Circulation Desk if you need help finding it. Published in 1997 by A & E, this biographical film takes you through the important events of King's life and mission.

I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King, Jr.

This biography published in 2000 and written by a Princeton PHD and Baptist Pastor, Eric Dyson, attempts to capture the true character of Martin Luther King. It can be found on the shelf at E 185.97 .K5 D97 2000.

I Have A Dream: The Life and Words of Martin Luther King, JR.

This large pictorial history written by Jim Haskins includes and introduction by Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat on a public bus 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama. This biography provides a nice overview of the events in King's struggle for equality and a strong visual of the time. It can be found on the shelf in the library at: E 185.97 .K5 H32 1992

Here is a link to a great guide developed by The University of Illinois of resources on Martin Luther King and The Civil Right Movement.

And Finally we leave you with the "I have a dream" speach:

Top Photo Davidson, Bruce (Photograph) Martin Luther King Leads March from Selma, Alabama. March, 1965. Retrieved from Artstor.org 1/16/2010

Amazon Kindle 3, Uncle's iPad and Christmas Break

2011-01-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

My Kindle and Winter Reading

This is TR and it feels like I have now been away from work for way too long. So while I have time I will tell you about one of the neatest things that I received for Christmas.. You can read a great review of it here: Amazon Kindle 3. So I wanted to briefly discuss some of the reasons that I like or dislike the Kindle and then quickly compare it to my Uncle's iPad. I posted earlier on this blog about all of the eBook content that is available through the Summar Library and now I can load some of it onto my Kindle.

Through the Kindle store I can download free Books. Free Kindle editions, however, can lend less than satisfying reading experience. The free Confessions of Augustine is not the most readable translation while my Complete Works of Shakespeare has no table of contents, leaving me only to search the text or scroll through to find the play, scene or sonnet that I am looking for. I did, however, download a free ESV from Crossway and it is completely indexed and easy to navigate. It also automatically marks the place that I last read.

It is nice to have a lightless, paper-like screen on the Kindle. It is easier on the eyes and makes me feel less like I am on the computer and more like I am just reading a book. For some reason this feels like a morally superior thing to reading on the computer or on the iPad.

With the Kindle it is easy to focus on one thing. Last night I saw a program on PBS about multitasking. Computers, iPhones, iPads and the out of control growth of technology have created a generation of multitaskers. I am on the cusp of this generation and while I still remember a time when it was easy for me to sit and read a book for a few hours, I can no longer do this without easily being distracted by an e-mail, a text message or something that I wanted to write on someone's facebook wall. If I put the phone and the laptop away and just sit with my Kindle I am able to more easily focus on what I am reading. The Kindle is a much less fractured experience than the other electronic devices that I own.

Articles, Articles, Articles! As a librarian I swim in journal articles and I frequently feel guilty about my impact on the environment due to excessive printing. One of the reasons that I wanted a Kindle was to load my articles on it for later reading rather than printing. PDF files can be difficult to read on the Kindle, however, as they usually require you to zoom or adjust the font size but maybe this will become easier as I get better at using my Kindle.

I have been playing with my Uncle's iPad quite a bit over the break and it is obviously very different from the Kindle. The iPad is essentially a hand held computer that does everything and anything. The iPad is a cross between a MacBook Pro and an iPhone that is really amazing and offers so much more than an eReader. When I use my Uncle's iPad I find myself switching back and forth between apps and tasks so quickly that I can't stay focused. This device definitely contributes to the type of multitasking that is discussed in the latest Frontline series entitled Digital Nation. With the iPad I can easily stream films on netflix, tweet something or read the economist with a magazine-like experience. It is fun and the iPad is an incredibly useful, interactive, colorful and powerful toy but it has the potential to be super distracting and draw me into activities other than reading. I like my Kindle.

Winter Reading

2010-12-22T06:39:00.000-08:00

It is Wednesday, Dec. 22 and today Union will close and not reopen again until next year. Most of us are heading home for the holidays and I myself have a huge stack of books and articles that I need to read. I am sort of hoping for a Kindle for Christmas to load my articles on but I truly will be grateful just for times with friends and family. We decided to highlight some of David Dockery's best books of 2010 in our newest display that will last the Winter.

It should be noted that the Ted Kennedy autobiography was from the 2009 reading list. Please know that these items can be checked out at any time! Just ask at the desk and we will open the case. In extreme circumstance you can break the glass but let that be a last resort. Merry Christmas!

Google Editions: A Stronger Player in the eBook Game

2010-12-21T07:02:00.000-08:00

With the Launch of Google Editions there is now a safe and secure, cloud-based, space to store all of your eBooks. With all of this scrambling for control of the web and digital content I believe that with the release of Google Editions, Google has now taken a huge step forward in the book market. For a bit of time Google has provided access and to the most free, online books of any source. They have digitized the contents of first rate research universities all around the world. Now they are providing cloud storage for these eBooks so you really don't have to download them but just add then to you Google account called My Google eBooks. In addition there are apps to read this content on multiple devices including Android phones, iPhones and iPads. What's more is that Google is now providing an eBook store that will rival Amazon. It is as easy to use as Gmail or Blogger for that matter and I believe will cause ripples in the eBook market.

Notice on the left they now provide the option to perform Google like searches of book content. Essentially Google is sort of functioning like an eLibrarian and searching across content. Another function that is really fascinating is Google's ability to perform instant word usage studies. Take a look:

http://ngrams.googlelabs.com/

This function allows you to type in any two words and it graphs their usage in print since 1800 or before. I compared the usage of Christianity and Islam and it was interesting to see that while Islam has not overpassed Christianity it has all but caught up in terms how many times the words are used in print.

A Semester in Review

2010-12-15T06:47:00.000-08:00

Now that the Library is quiet and all of the students and many of the faculty are at home to enjoy family and Christmas vacation I wanted to take the opportunity to review what has happened in the library over the last few months. It has been a good semester and I am optimistic about the future. Just over a week ago, a library feasibility study was announced and as the college plans and thinks about investing money in a new library space we need to continue to think about how the library at Union can add value to the campus. As I have said before I believe that the future of academic libraries lies in the library as place, good web site and excellent customer service. At the Summar Library we are striving to provide those things and you will hear more about ways that we are doing that in the spring but here are just a few things that we have done this fall.

Facebook
I saw joining the social media conversation at Union as sort of a low hanging fruit that could be done easily. Many of the departments at Union have been using social media to get out their message. The library needed to be a part of this conversation. Thanks to many of our students to help us get fans, we now have 197. It would be nice to have 200 fans by Christmas.

Twitter
There was a time when I didn't really see much point in Twitter. I have realized, however, that Twitter is a great way to keep up with real time news and advents. It is also a great way to broadcast interesting articles and resources that I come across on a daily basis. Twitter is also a great way to keep up with other things on campus like Barefoots or Union Athletics.

Art in the Library

New Professor Haelim Allen was gracious enough to spend her time hanging some student artwork in the library for us. I wrote a blog post and am really thankful to have this art and for the art department here at Union. It would be great to have more art in the library in the future and particularly as we look to build a new library.

Banned Bible Week Display

One of the displays outside of the library featured a Tyndale translation of the Bible that was on loan from our friends at The Ryan Center. For ALA banned books week I thought it was neat to highlight the fact that the bible has also been a banned book even though it is also history's best seller.

Union Football Display

I find it interesting that there was a time when Union University had a football team. In the library archives we have many interesting memorabilia from the Union football days. We have some old football pants and pictures from the team that played Yale University. We put this display up in October at the height of college football season which seemed to be an appropriate time.

Film Display

When I first arrived in the library I noticed that we do really have a great film collection. Many of the Oscar Winners and films from the British Film Institutes list of 100 great films in the 20th century are in our collection. Still many of the students are unaware that we do have movies since they are all tucked away in the back room of the library. Initially I wanted to display all of the films so that they will be browsable. Space has not made this possible so we have decided to promote a small rotating collection of films based on a them like films and war, english lit on film and great sports movies. Look for more films displays to come and remember that the library does have a great movie collection.

Research Coach

Of all the things that the library has done this fall I think that the Research Coach initiative has been the most important. I am very grateful to Melissa Moore, one of our public services librarians for helping to push The Research Coach forward. There was an article in the Cardinal & Cream about the Research Coach and at the height of the semester we were meeting with 3 or 4 students per day. Part of this initiative was to be more available and not just hide in our offices but I also found that with the proper advertisement of The Research Coach that students sought us out.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Union Library provided full text to one of the most important publications for Academe, The Chronicle of Higher Education. We are still striving to provide great resources so look for more to come this Spring.

Free Snacks in the Library

During Exam time we provided some free juice boxes, bottled water, cookies, granola bars and other goodies to help ease the burden of finals. I would imagine that students get pretty hungry isolated in the library with the dining hall closed. Free Snacks was just one little thing that we could do to show just how much we appreciate the wonderful students at Union.

Developments in the Spring

There are some very important developments coming in the library in the spring time. Refworks is a bibliographic citation software. Students and faculty will have free lifetime access to this useful resource. Using Refworks you can easily import citations and create bibliographies in all of the important academic formats.

In the spring we will be introducing our libguides software. These will be really robust, web 2.0, interactive guides to library resources online and in print. I am very excited about these so look for more to come.

Top Ten Things Not to Do in the Library during Finals Week!

2010-12-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Paul Sorrell as David Letterman with the Library Top Ten! Don't do these things in the Library during finals week.

Summar Library Finals Week Top Ten List from Paul Sorrell on Vimeo.

Late Night in the Summar Library

2010-11-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

Beginning Sunday Dec. 5th the Library will be open from 7am until 2am. This will last through final exams which ends Wednesday Dec. 8th. Technically it ends on Thursday morning at 2am but not to be confusing. We wish you the best on all of your exams and please let us know if we can help in any way and don't hesitate to schedule a research coach or just stop by and ask for help.

A Library Thanksgiving!

2010-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

Braiding Corn. 1922. Plimouth Plantation, Massachusetts. Artstor. Web. 23 Nov. 2010.

As President Dockery said in his e-mail today Thanksgiving is an American Holiday and not primarily a Christian holiday. Still, Thanksgiving has deep Judeo-Christian roots being actually rooted in the feast of tabernacles in Hebrew culture. Robert Haven Schauffler highlights thanksgivings hebrew heritage and points out that Moses commands in Deuteronomy,

"You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns...because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful." (ESV Deut. 16:14-15)

As Christians it is important that we always give thanks and so on this holiday we celebrate the freedoms and blessings that we do have in our lives and thank God for those things. A year ago I was in London and I celebrated Thanksgiving with a special service at St. Paul's Cathedral. I have never been a particularly patriotic person, having lived abroad and traveled extensively, I have always identified myself more as a Christian than an American but standing there in the cathedral singing as the lyrics to America beautiful soared to the upper reaches of the domed roof I felt an overwhelming sense of pride to be an American and eager to return to purple mountains majesties and amber waves of grain. A year later, here I am, living in the heart of this great land and working as a librarian. Sure London and Paris or New York seem glamorous but I have been called to serve God by being a librarian at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. I have also been called to love and serve those around me as we all are here at Emma Waters Summar Library. There is nothing more American than living in the mid south and not a better time to celebrate where I live and work than Thanksgiving. Today I will be traveling home to see my parents and I hope everyone who is traveling has a safe journey and a happy time with their family. I thought for this post I would feature some of the books that we have in our collection about that help us to better understand this American holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn
Juvenile Collection 394.26 B282t 1975
"In her warm, lively style, Edna Barth brings to life the Pilgrim fathers, mothers and children, dressed in bright colors, not in the drab costumes traditions has mistakenly given them. We also meet their Indian neighbors, friendly and unfriendly. And we learn how various symbols came to represent Thanksgiving––not just the turkey, but pumpkins, cornstalks, ears of multicolored Indian corn, the fruits of the harvest spilling out of an animal horn, and the Mayflower under full sail." (From the book jacket)
This well written children's book also includes a very helpful list of sources.

Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War
F68 .P44 2006
Speaking of the Mayflower, this popular history begins with the crowded ship coming across the Atlantic and describes the barren New England where the pilgrims landed and then emphasizes the impact of King Phillip's War that ensued. In this well written history, Nathaneil Philbrick, describes the early struggle between the English and the Native American groups and how that shaped American history. This is not necessarily a feel good story of the Indians and Pilgrims eating corn together but it does seem to be an interesting read.

Thanksgiving, its Origin, Celebration and Significance as related in Prose and Verse.
PN4305 .T5 S35
This book is a reprint of a book that was originally published in 1907. It is available full text and downloadable from Google Books. The actual volume that we have in our library is hard bound and was once withdrawn from Beaver College (Now Arcadia University) in Pennsylvania. This book draws fascinating comparison between Thanksgiving in its present form and the Feast of the Tabernacle in Hebrew culture. It also includes historical essays, short stories and poetry all related to Thanksgiving in America. The poems are great and a fun think to read out loud before your Thanksgiving Day feast.

Have a happy Thanksgiving and be safe!

History Honor Society wins 8th straight award and then gives to the Library

2010-11-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

For the 8th consecutive year the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society at Union has the won the best national chapter award. The strong History department here at Union and the Phil Alpha Theta have performed well academically and given back to the community through a strong sense of service. You can read the full story here! As part of this award the History department donated $250.00 to the Summar Library to buy books. We have purchased some pretty incredibly titles in hardcover and placed in the book a plate that reads:

This book was purchased with

funds from the national office of

Phi Alpha Theta

History Honor Society, Inc.

in honor of

Union's Delta-Psi Chapter

Winner of the

2010 Phi Alpha Theta

Best Chapter Award

We are very grateful for this gift and for Dr. Carls, the outstanding History Department and Phi Alpha Theta Chapter. Below are some highlights of the books that we purchased with the gift from the History department.

Blood on the Snow

Zhivago's Children

"One of the lesser-known aspects of post-World War II Soviet history is the fate of the intelligentsia after Stalin. Zubok (history, Temple Univ.) explores the world of these intellectuals from the defeat of Hitler through Stalin's terror and purges to Khrushchev's denunciation of Stalinism in 1956 and the eventual fall of the USSR under Gorbachev. After living through Stalinism and its iron-fisted control over all aspects of life, the surviving intelligentsia looked to their 19th-century predecessors and to the ideas that launched the 1917 revolution as the source of their new intellectual inspiration. For Zubok, these ideals were best embodied by Boris Pasternak's noble doctor, Yuri Zhivago, a poet and idealist who found meaning and resurrection in love."
Hicks, Deborah. 2009. "Zhivago's Children: The Last Russian Intelligentsia." Library Journal 134, no. 11: 83. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 22, 2010).

Lincoln on Race and Slavery

Eating History

A Few Good Women

Armenian Golgotha

"Grigoris Balakian (1876-1934), a cultural and religious leader in Istanbul's Armenian community, was arrested in April 1914 with 250 other leaders and began almost four years of deportation, forced march to the Syrian desert, and abusive treatment. Thus was launched the Turkish government's program to rid the country of Armenians. Hundreds of thousands were viciously murdered or died of cold and starvation, but Balakian's fierce will to live and his encounters with a few generous people allowed him to survive and tell the story. This memoir, which Balakian published in Armenian in 1922, vividly portrays Turkish brutality as it provides his and others' stories along with well-informed commentary on Turkey's actions. Peter Balakian (English, Colgate Univ.; The Burning Tigris), the author's grandnephew, has translated this rich historical document and provided scholarly support, making available a readable and moving account that will be welcomed by both the English-speaking Armenian community and a broader audience committed to witnessing and understanding the massive cruelty and suffering that characterized widespread crimes against humanity in the 20th century. Important for readers who want to judge whether or not this was the first genocide in modern times."
Hayford, Elizabeth R. 2009. "Armenian Golgotha: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1918."Library Journal 134, no. 5: 111. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 22, 2010).

Slavery Civil War and Salvation

Faith in the Fight

Demons and Dancers

Lincoln & the Court

Jesus, Jobs and Justice

"Collier-Thomas (history, Temple Univ., Daughters of Thunder: Black Women Preachers and Their Sermons) has produced the first comprehensive history of African American women and their participation in religious institutions from slavery to the present. The book covers enslaved and free women preachers in the antebellum era, black women's missionary work, their struggle to gain equality with men in many denominations, and their work in their own women's organizations and in conjunction with white women's organizations to gain suffrage and civil rights. Collier-Thomas convincingly argues that religion has been a fundamental force in black women's lives, and their participation in churches has shaped public life and politics in America. Although she covers some well-worn history, such as the work of women in the African Methodist Episcopal and Baptist denominations, Collier-Thomas also surveys the untapped archives of smaller churches and organizations. The result is an almost encyclopedic chronicle. VERDICT A monumental work, this is highly recommended for academic libraries and is certainly essential for all students of African American history."
Stewart, Kate. 2009. "Jesus, Jobs, and Justice: The History of African American Women and Religion."Library Journal 134, no. 20: 117. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 22, 2010).

The Fitts Pre-Columbian Artifacts

2010-11-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

The Fitts Pre-Columbian Pottery display in the Summar Library

If you have not yet been in the Summar Library to see the Fitts Pottery collection then you really should. I must begin by saying that I think the Fitts collection of pottery has been an aesthetic improvement to the library. The addition has created a lighter, more open and interesting space. Jenny Lowery did a great job in curating and arranging this display.

Chimu 1100-1450 AD Funeral Mask of corroded copper

Jean and Marvin Fitts were both Union alumns who later obtained advanced degrees in theology. They dedicated their lives to missions in Peru and later served in Mexico. Over the years of serving in South America they developed a keen interest in archeaology and the Art of Andean Culture prior to the arrival of Europeans. Throughout their time in Peru Jean and Marvin Fitts collected artifacts from the Andean region and they have now donated over 100 artifacts to Union University. Jenny Lowery has worked very hard to create an attractive, museum-like display to highlight this impressive donated collection. The display features a brief history of The Fitts' education, life and work. It also features a historical and archeological over view of the cultures from which the artifacts have come.

Mochica 50-800 AD Black Ceramic whistler depicting a puma

The above images are just two examples of artifacts shown here but much in the library and in archives. The collection is truly fascinating. Stop by the Library to learn about cultures like the Chavin and the Incas and to view this impressive collection.

A Night of Research Coaching!

2010-11-15T08:46:00.000-08:00

As many of you know Melissa Moore, TR Parker and Jenny Lowery are the public services librarians at Union and this semester we have been promoting our Research Coach service. This service is meant to make ourselves more available to the student body so that you know that we are here to help with finding library resources, projects, papers, citations and lots of academic activities. One of the things that we are aware of is that many of you like to study during the evening and all of the librarians are at home by this time. Well, this monday Melissa and I will be staying late, until 8 or 9pm to help with anything that you need. Look for us out in the library.

TLA Staff Development Workshop

2010-11-13T11:45:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday I visited the University of Tennessee at Martin for a staff development day put on by the Tennessee Library Association. There were three informative sessions during the day dealing with very different topics. UT Martin has a beautiful library and below are some of the pictures.

Film Display at UT Martin's Paul Meek Library

Art at the Paul Meek Library of UT Martin

Chess Set and Comfy Chairs at UT Martin's Library

The first session had to deal with how to find help for those in need. The session begin with a heart wrenching story of a mother, with no money, who has been left to raise children on her own. She is looking for resources as to how she can provide food for her children, enroll them in school and provide them with health care. Many of these resources can be found at Tennessee Help, a website provided by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, National Association of Social Workers, and the Tennessee Department of Children's Services. While this session was mostly meant for public libraries I believe that it is important for libraries to serve as community centers and that librarians are able to provide many types of resources and information.

The second session was given by the I.T. Director at UT Martin by the name of Steve Holt who has written a book entitled Unlocking Google. His presentation was called 51 and a half things that you can do with Google. Some of these things I knew and some I did not. Google is very useful and it is clear to see that Google is trying to take over the web and doing a good job of it. In case you are wondering what the half thing that you can dow with Google is just search for "Find Chuck Norris".

The Last Session of the day was a team building activity in which I got to play the Big Bad Wolf in a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. The point of this activity was really driven home in the fact that what seems to be very difficult to do on one's own is achievable within the context of a group. I enjoyed meeting the librarians from Obion County, which I now no is pronounced OBIIINE.

Research Coach in the Cardinal & Cream

2010-11-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

Jordan Float and the Cardinal & Cream Staff did a great job with this article. Thanks and we are still here to help!

Click here to Schedule a Research Coach

Jenny Lowery's Adventures in Archives

2010-11-08T10:37:00.000-08:00

I think that our librarian, Dr. Jenny Lowery, is one of the most versatile and talented librarians and maybe even faculty members at Union. She has a PHD in theology, recently set up the Fitts collection of pottery in the library, handles most of the web editing for the library, teaches courses, takes on reference duties and now acts as Union's archivist. In all honesty, I don't know what we would do without her. Below is an article that she recently wrote about her, "Adventures in Archives" for the latest issue of the, Journal of the Union Faculty Forum.

Open publication - Free publishing - More librares

APA Style!

2010-11-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

The other day I attended a presentation on the new APA standards hosted by the Business and Education departments at Union University. As many of you know in 2010 the APA (American Psychological Association) updated the Style Manual from the 5th edition to the 6th edition. This has huge implications for psychology students, business majors, education majors, librarians and more. For this post I wanted to briefly discuss many of the resources that are available to help wade through the sometimes confusing world of following a style manual to write, publish and cite resources in an academic setting. The following are the important sources that can help with APA style.

The Publication Manual

The best resource to consult is the Publication Manual itself. The APA gives us the following description, "the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, educators, and professionals in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and justice administration, and other disciplines in which effective communication with words and data is fundamental. In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, the Publication Manual offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive coverage of the treatment of numbers, metrication, statistical and mathematical data, tables, and figures for use in writing, reports, or presentations. The new edition has been revised and updated to include: The latest guidelines and examples for referencing electronic and online sources; New and revised guidelines for submitting papers electronically; Improved guidelines for avoiding plagiarism; Simplified formatting guidelines for writers using up-to-date word-processing software; All new guidelines for presenting case studies; Improved guidelines for the construction of tables; Updates on copyright and permissions issues for writers. New reference examples for audiovisual media and patents; An expanded and improved index for quick and easy access; Writers, scholars, and professionals will also find: New guidelines on how to choose text, tables, or figures to present data; Guidelines for writing cover letters for submitting articles for publication, plus a sample letter; Expanded guidelines on the retention of raw data; New advice on establishing written agreements for the use of shared data; New information on the responsibilities of co-authors."We have two copies in the Summar Library. One is on the ready reference shelf next to the faculty resource center and the other is in the stacks available for check out. The call # is BF76.7 .P83 2010

The Concise Rules of APA Style

The second resource to turn to may be the Concise Rules of APA style. It is not so in depth but provides all of the rules of the APA. Here is how WorldCat describes the book. "This easy-to-use pocket guide, compiled from the sixth edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association," provides complete guidance on the rules of style that are critical for clear communication."

We don't currently have a copy of, "The Concise Rules of APA Style" in the library but here is a link to an online version.

The APA Style Web Page

The APA style website has a lot of great resources such as online tutorials, charts and corrections. The web page is separated into 3 sections. One section describes the Manual itself, another section has quite a few helpful learning tools and online tutorials and the third section provides information on products that can be purchased. Here is a link to a free tutorial on, "what's new in the 6th edition".

The APA Style Blog

One of the resources that is linked to from the APA style web page is the blog. This blog has really useful, interesting posts about things like how to cite Facebook to how to create a 3 em dash on a mac or "What belongs in the reference list". You may be able to answer many of your questions by searching or following this blog.

APA Style on Facebook and Twitter

Like everything else these days, APA Style is on Facebook and Twitter. These updates are actually helpful though to keep abreast of changes in formatting, answers to crucial questions like how to find a DOI number or how to cite a phone interview. Below is a screen shot of the late APA Style tweets!

The OWL at Purdue

In all honesty The OWL at Purdue is my first stop for formatting and citing questions involving APA and MLA style. It is authoritative because it is edited by librarians and writing faculty at Purdue University in Indiana. The Owl is also concise and easy to use. It is not meant to replace the manual but only to supplement it and I find it a prime resource.

If you have any questions at all then you can always schedule a research coach or e-mail the APA style experts at styleexpert@apastyle.org

Treat for Tweet, Friday Oct. 29th!

2010-10-28T14:08:00.000-07:00

Monday is actually All Saints Day, and Sunday is Reformation Day or Halloween, however one would like to look at it. Whatever your holiday of choice, a fun and harmless tradition is to get free candy during this time of the year. We wouldn't want to go against the tradition here at The Emma Waters Summar Library and so to get a cup full of candy, pens and other goodies on Friday just mention us in your Twitter Status, Follow Us on Twitter, or write on our Facebook wall to get free candy!

Dr. Daniel Walker Howe

2010-10-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

(UCLA Photograph). (2008). Daniel Walker Howe [Photograph], Retrieved October 27, 2010 from: http://magazine.ucla.edu/exclusives/saul-friedlander_pulitzer/

Last night I attended the lecture by professor Howe, who is Professor Emeritus at UCLA and at Oxford. As part of the Carls-Schwerdfeger History Lecture Series I was impressed by the notoriety of this speaker and previous speakers. Gordon Wood, who was here at Union in 2006, is one of the premier names in American History as is last night's speaker Daniel Walker Howe who has won a Pulitzer prize for his work on the development of America and communications. Howe, commenting on his book "What God Hath Wrought" addressed the idea of manifest destiny and its relationship to two social factors; protestantism and the development of new forms of communication. The title of his work, "What God Hath Wrought" is a reference to Numbers 23 that was included in the first telegraph. Howe's lecture was fascinating, incorporating a good deal of art work as primary illustrations for what was going in American History during the latter part of the 19th century. Howe draws a clear connection between Protestant Christianity and the idea of Manifest Destiny. We have What God Hath Wrought at The Summar Library and the call number is E338 .H69 2007. We also have a book on moral philosophy written by Daniel Walker Howe. It was an honor to hear him speak at Union.

West Tennessee Academic Library Meeting

2010-10-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I presented at a biannual meeting of The West Tennessee Academic Library Consortium. (I have embedded my slides below) This was a basic presentation that I wanted to be fun and light. I introduced myself and described how I look at Library Outreach. This includes a vision for the future of academic libraries in the digital age. I stressed that libraries can continue to play vital, even central roles as place, services and on the web. I discussed the need for a beautiful building, excellent customer service and user friendly web interfaces that can go mobile. I enjoyed meeting other librarians from places like Rhodes, The University of Memphis and Freed Hardeman. We were honored to host this meeting at Union.

West Tennessee Academic Library Consortium

View more presentations from TRParker.

Art in the Library

2010-10-22T11:54:00.000-07:00

If one walks through the PAC they will notice that we have a wonderful and prolific art department at Union and the art hanging on the walls and in the galleries really beautifies the hallways. I thought it would be nice to see some of that art here in The Summar Library and so thanks to Haelim Allen for hanging us some pieces. We plan to have labels with information about the work and tha artists but in the meantime I thought that I would comment on the two pieces that are on the wall directly across from the information desk. Both are copies of classic works.

The painting below is a copy of a wood carving that is part of a series called, "Thirty-six views of Mt. Fuji" by Japanese artist Hokusai. It is a depiction of a great wave as seen below.

Hokusai, Katsushika. The Great Wave at Kanagawa. c. 1831-33. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 22 Oct .2010, http://www.metmuseum.org/.

Here is how the Metroplitan Museum art experts have explained the original painting.

"The preeminence of this print—said to have inspired both Debussy's La Mer and Rilke's Der Berg—can be attributed, in addition to its sheer graphic beauty, to the compelling force of the contrast between the wave and the mountain. The turbulent wave seems to tower above the viewer, whereas the tiny stable pyramid of Mount Fuji sits in the distance. The eternal mountain is envisioned in a single moment frozen in time. Hokusai characteristically cast a traditional theme in a novel interpretation. In the traditional meisho-e (scene of a famous place), Mount Fuji was always the focus of the composition. Hokusai inventively inverted this formula and positioned a small Mount Fuji within the midst of a thundering seascape. Foundering among the great waves are three boats thought to be barges conveying fish from the southern islands of Edo. Thus a scene of everyday labor is grafted onto the seascape view of the mountain."

Below is the black white copy done by Union's own, Kate Byrd and now hanging in the Library.

The painting below is a work by André Derain, a french Fauvists painter who painted "Boats in the Harbor" around 1905. Derain art is modern and progressive early in his career and moved to a more traditional or classical mode of painting later in life. "Boats" was painted during Derain's earlier career and represents the port town of Collioure in southern France where the Fauve french artists would meet. You can read an interesting perspective by art critic, Andrew Graham Dixon about "Boats in the Port of Collioure" here

Derain, Andre. Boats in the Port of Collioure. c. 1905. University of California, San Diego. ARTstor. 22 Oct .
2010, http://www.artstor.org/.

Below is the copy that was done by Megan Thompson in the Art 2-D course at Union.

Both copies are very well done and we are fortunate to have them hanging in the library. They are located just across from the circulation desk. Look for more student artwork to come.

The Social Network

2010-10-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Facebook is a social medium that has altered our culture in many ways. Facebookers have spent countless hours chatting with friends, updating statuses, searching for that old high school buddy, and reconnecting with family. Facebook has even changed our vernacular, for example, by turning the word friend into a verb (“Friend me”, one person may say to another). According to Wikipedia, Facebook has more than 500 million active users as of July 2010. That equals about one person for every 14 in the world. Statistics have shown that if Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest, ahead of America, and behind only China and India.

The movie The Social Network is based off a book by Ben Mezrich called The Accidental Billionaires. It tells the (likely embellished) story of Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg, and how Facebook came to be. It should be noted that Eduardo Saverin, once a friend of Zuckerberg and co-founder of Facebook, was a consultant for the book on which the movie was based.

The story told is a very interesting one. The opening scene shows the future founder of Facebook and his then girlfriend Erica Albright, and how their relationship was the catalyst for Facebook as we know it.

The movie The Social Network is as much about human beings as it is about a website. It’s a story of greed, jealousy, and friendship. Keeping in mind that large parts of it are works of fiction, the film provides interesting insights into one version of how Facebook might have come about. It is well-acted and has a very fitting conclusion that is consistent with the movie as a whole. Jesse Eisenberg, the actor who played Zuckerberg, will undoubtedly get some Oscar buzz for his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg.

Facebook has certainly evolved from when it started. There is less exclusivity and more advertisements. It’s becoming a one stop shop for playing games, catching up with “friends”, and promoting your business or organization.

On an unrelated note, please visit our Summar Library Facebook page and friend us. We’d greatly appreciate it.

Official movie trailer of The Social Network:

Who was Emma Waters Summar?

2010-10-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

In light of homecoming and the fact that the library has been promoting Union's storied past like the football team it might be a good time to discuss the library's namesake, Emma Waters Summar. Before the current library or the Pennick Academic Complex was built Emma Waters Summar was the head librarian. Paul Sorrell has written an excellent article about who she was and so in case you why the library is called what it is and why her picture is hanging across from the circulation desk:

Open publication - Free publishing - More libraries

Remember the Bulldogs! Union Football

2010-10-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

When I was considering coming to Union to take my first librarians position I was reading the Wikipedia article about Union University and found it fascinating that Bear Bryant's first coaching position was at Union. I hope that my time at Union lasts longer than the Bears did but the point is that many don't realize that Union does have a football history.

The fall of 1952 was the last season that the Bulldogs competed on the gridiron. It was their second season under head coach and athletic director, Robert Jelks. They finished their final season with 3 wins and 6 losses, boasting a big win over Georgetown. Through 1952, Union had some fine football seasons with great players like Casey Jones who consistently made the Little All American Team.

So for our latest display just outside the library in the PAC we wanted to Remember the Bulldogs. We found what we could in yearbooks, old football programs, and pictures harking back to the bulldogs glory days. There is also an old pair of Union football pants in archives but those were too fragile to display. One picture displays an early Union team who went up against Yale and we thought it was worth showing. So with homecoming approaching, if you are walking through the PAC then don't forget to stop and Remember the Bulldogs!

1934 Union Bulldogs Football. In the photograph: DeWitt Viar, ___ Lewis, Sheldon Carter, Francis Thompson, Paul Kilzer, Fred Baraga, ___ Lynch, ___ Garrison, Norman Burks, ___ Berryhill, Hubbard Trimm, Ernest Mullins, Raymond Phillips, Glen Johnson, Devoy Graham, Buddy Perry, Norman Hale, Joe B. Graham, Harlie Horne, M. C. Joyner, Odis Armstrong, John Alexander, Gerald Craig, John Rukavina, Bishop Arnold, Jack King, John Pechonick, Fate Lett, Lester Wright, Albert Kelly, R. L. Ammons

Gale iPhone App

2010-10-11T07:13:00.000-07:00

Apple's iPhone and now the iPad have fundamentally changed the way we get information from the internet. Recently many have been saying that the future of the internet will be applications and that Apps on hand held devices will play a major role in libraries. This ARTICLE from National Public Radio affirms this idea. Apps are essentially quick shortcuts to allow us to easily obtain the information that we want without having to browse through the information that we don't want.

I don't think that hand held devices currently play a huge role in the life of Summar Library but I think in the future that they might. Because I rely on my iPhone to get information, like e-mail, movie times and weather updates, quickly often I have been browsing the shelves and wished that it were easy to search our collection with a few taps on the face of my phone. On Friday I was browsing the movie collection looking for The New World and hand to run into Beth's office and ask her to search the catalog to see if we had it because my computer was already shut down. If we had an app that would not have been necessary and I could have just done a title search of our collections on my phone.

That being said, it would be a huge undertaking at this time for Summar Library to build it's own app. In The Summar Library one searches for our digital collection differently from how you search for a book or something that is physically in the library. So it might be a good ides to piggy back on apps that have been created by the providers of digital content like Gale. Gale is the company that provides one of our most used general databases called Academic One File. They also provide The Gale Virtual Reference Library and Literature Resource Center. So these collections are available now through our databases A-Z page and through your iPhone. After I downloaded The Gale APP, I had to prove that I was affiliated with Union University by providing a Union e-mail to obtain a password but then using the 3G networks I was able to search for journal articles. While I can't print from iPhone I can e-mail the articles to myself and it is just another interesting way to use our collections and do research from a hand held device.

If you have an iPhone or iPad you can just search the app store for Gale or Access My Library to download and start search our holdings on your phone.

The Research Coach

2010-10-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

Do your students need assistance with their research? Union’s Research Coaches are available to assist students with the challenges they often face when doing research:

Framing a research question

Choosing where to look for resources

Using resources in the most effective way possible

Knowing how to evaluate different sources

Citing your sources accurately

Union Librarians (Melissa Moore, T.R. Parker and Jenny Lowery) are “going public” to promote the availability of the library’s new Research Coach service. During October and November, you and your students will often find a Research Coach sitting at one of the round tables just inside the library’s entrance. Look for the yellow and black logo above to identify the location of one or more Research Coaches. If a Research Coach isn’t visible, please ask someone at the Information Desk for a Research Coach. You may also make an appointment with a Research Coach using the library’s Research Coach web page.

The Curiously Ambiguous Case of Fair Use

2010-10-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

Image above courtesy of Creative Commons.org

Many of you have heard the term "fair use" when it comes to using films in course or distributing copies of an article in class but what exactly is "fair use" and where does it come from? And how does fair use apply to academic libraries and university classrooms?

Today some of the librarians, faculty and others attended a webcast on fair use. It was entitled Libraries and Copyright: Fair Use and eReserves. It was conducted by Kevin Smith and Steve McDonald, both attorneys who specialize in copyright and work in academia. Kevin Smith is Scholarly Communications Officer at Duke University and writes extensively on copyright issues in regards to universities and academic libraries. He has commented on the recent court case involving Georgia State Universities and their eReserve policy. We hope to put eReserves in place at Union in the future. In any case today's presentation had to do with The Fair Use clause in American copyright law. I will try to be brief and unpack this in a way that is not mind numbing but it will be impossible to clear up all of the ambiguity with fair use. That is because fair use is a dynamic, not "frozen", "safety valve" of copyright restrictions.

In order to get to the need for the fair use provisions first Smith and McDonald needed to define copyright law. At the risk of oversimplifying copyright refers to intellectual or intangible property and prevents anyone besides the rights holder from copying, modifying, publicly distributing, performing or displaying the work. Well if you think about that present a huge problem for scholars and librarians. We copy, distribute and display works every day. Now there are exceptions for classroom use and exceptions for express written permissions like the license agreements that we sign with electronic journal databases. Yet still there are instances where Copyright law is just too restrictive.

In 1976 Congress ruled that fair use could be judged on a case by case basis. The idea was to uphold fair use and not to freeze it. Because information and the technology by which we acquire information is always chaning fair use must essentially be taken case by case. That is what makes fair use so ambiguous because it is meant to uphold the intent of the law and not the letter of the law where the letter of the law (Copyright) is just too restrictive. Below are listed the provisions or things that will be taken into consideration in a potential fair use dispute:

1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes   

2)The nature of the copyrighted work 

3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and

4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Essentially these four provisions of fair use mean that attorneys will have a lot of work. So much is open to interpretation. For those working in the academy this, in many ways provides more freedom because most of us are not reproducing, modifying or redistributing works to make a profit, nor are way doing so in a way that harms the profits of those involved. Considerations 1 and 4 both argue that purpose, in our case education, and economics will be taken into account. Also notice that provision 3 does not set a limit to the amount of a work that can be used. There is a myth that only 10% of a work can be reused but that is not true. It really is a case by case scenario and in academia we should use the appropriate amount to make a point or argument from another work.

In conclusion Kevin Smith argues that fair use should be a "last resort" because copyright law offers many other options such such as creative commons, public domain, classroom use, and works that are in the public domain. Still fair use can help us in academe to understand that we can take risks in an ever changing world of information.

References:
Smith, Kevin and McDonald, Steve (2010) Applying the Fair Use Doctrine, (PowerPoint Slides) Academic Impressions

U.S. Copyright Office. (2009) Copyright Law of the United States and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code. Washington, DC: U.S. retrieved from http://www.copyright.gov/title17/