The Lord of the Libraries: Return of the Book

Sometimes when you go to register you find you have a hold on your account. For some it is for a long forgotten library book that must be returned. This is the story of a brave band of students at the University of Kansas who must go on a quest to seek the help of the Lady Librarowyen. So before you embark on a quest for knowledge remember to Ask -A- Librarian. http://libweb.sfasu.edu/proser/ris/

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Hey!! Give me a way to search for books and articles at the same time!

You got it!
It is available now in STEENFIND, the Steen Library catalog.




Choose the Everything tab on the STEENFIND search page, then…
put in your search term(s) and click Find.




The screen will split into two distinct sections: one for "Books and More" and one for "Articles and More"!  This is your “one stop research shop”!


If you want learn more just Ask a Librarian

Tina Oswald toswald@sfasu.edu rm. 202f 936.468.1861 Subjects - Elementary Education, and Secondary Education/Educational Leadership

Sending the Wrong Message or Secrets on the Homepage

While working as the webmaster for SFA a few years ago I learned about an important phenomenon. I learned that a website reflects the organization that built it. In 2006 Gerry McGovern wrote that "A website shows the true face of the organization as never before." This is as true for governments as it is for universities and businesses. While working on a project last month I saw some "hidden" messages that some countries were sending on their web sites both intentionally and unintentionally.



For example during the first week of February I came across this official government website for the Egyptian Presidency. www.presidency.gov.eg

Later in the month I came across the website for the government of Libya.



When I went back a couple of days later the original page was up again.

I plan to keep checking http://www.algathafi.org/ to see if the rebels can retake the web server from government forces.


Two of the remaining communist countries that still remain (at least the did when I got up this morning) had funny home pages. North Korea does not allow computers with internet connections, so their official government site is maintained by the Korea Friendship Association the funniest part is the domain for the site. The URL is: http://www.korea-dpr.com/


Cuba on the other hand maintains it's own government website. The site is regularly updated and is somewhat attractive.



Like most Government websites it have links to versions of their site in other languages. When you click on the button for the English version of Cuba's site you see this. http://www.cubagob.cu/ingles/default.htm

This page has been "Under Construction" for at least three years. I suspect that their is somebody in Cuba who can translate Spanish to English. I think it's funny because it seems to be Cuba's subtle way of thumbing its nose at the United States with their web site.


So next time you're surfing the web take a look at the hidden, unintentional or even startling messages that organizations send through their web site.


As always when you're ready to do research for class assignment, publication or just because you want to know Ask a Librarian. We can help you find the information you need "hidden" or otherwise.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Related Posts

RIS Recommends: Ministry of Truth : Whitehouse Web Site

RIS Recommends: HUMINT, IMINT, MASINT, SIGINT, OSINT: Finding What Shouldn't be Found

Presidential Papers in Government Documents @ Steen Library

Finding the Public Papers of the Presidents can be somewhat challenging because they are not all together in one place.  A recommendation in 1957 ensured that an annual series of the President’s papers would be compiled beginning with the fifth year of the Eisenhower Administration.  Provision was also made for retrospective collections.  An earlier resolution of July 27, 1894, directed Congress to gather and publish “all the annual, special, and veto messages, proclamations, and inaugural addresses” of the Presidents from 1789 to 1894.  This work was prepared under the Joint Committee on Printing under the direction of James D. Richardson, a representative from Tennessee.  Not every early message and presidential paper is included in this set, and other sources may need to be consulted.  The Steen government documents collection located in the SE corner of the 2^nd floor houses the following compilations:

• A compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents, 1789-1897 by John D. Richardson. Washington, GPO.  1896-1899, 10 volumes. SFA Stacks: J81 .B96 Vol.#
  
  
• (A later edition of 20 volumes contains additional material through the Wilson Presidency, and paging is renumbered) SuDoc: Y 4.P93/1:3/1917 vol # (some volumes also available online through Google Books)
  
  
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States  (Herbert Hoover — Ronald Reagan,excluding Roosevelt) SuDoc: GS 4.113: (Herbert Hoover - Bill Clinton [1931-2002] online at:http://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/ppotpus/ )
  
  
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States  (Ronald Reagan [1984] –George W. Bush) SuDoc AE 2.114: (papers of George H.W. Bush—George W. Bush also online at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/pubpapers/search.html)
  
  
• The Congressional Record (contains Presidential addresses to Congress and other messages not of a routine nature.  Check the Record Index under “President of the United States.” SuDoc  X 1.1 (Indexes, Print and Microfilm 1784-2004, 1833-1873 Online, 1998-Present)
  
  
• American State Papers.  Documents, legislative and executive, of the Congress of the United States. 38 vol. SuDoc SERIAL SET 01-38
  
  Some additional library sources include:
  
  
• The writings of George Washington: being his correspondence, addresses, messages and other papers, official and private, selected and published from original manuscripts.  12 vol.  Jared Sparks, contr.  Boston: Russell, Odiorne and Metcalf, 1834-1840. ETRC Call no. E312.7 1834x
  
  
• Papers of Thomas Jefferson.29 vol. and 6 vol. index.  Julian P. Boyd, et al, contr. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1950.  Call no. E302 .J442 1950
  
  
• The public papers and addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt. 13 vol. Samuel Irving Rosenman, contr.  New York: Random House, 1938-1950. Call no. E 806 .R749
  
  
• The State papers and other public writings of Herbert Hoover.  2 vol. William Starr Myers, contr.  New York:  Kraus Reprint, 1970. Call no.  E801 .H66 1970x

Kayce Halstead halsteadkay@sfasu.edu rm. 202g 936.468.1574 Subjects - Government Documents, Collection Development

Think outside of the box!

We have all heard that phrase used when the person speaking is trying to get us to try something new or come up with a new idea. And, that is what the Texas Library Association was doing when they instituted the idea of Library Snapshot Day in 2010.
When it was announced that it was to be held this year and that a library could pick any day in the month of October of 2010, the Steen Research and Instructional Services Librarians decided to bring the idea to the SFASU campus and the Ralph W. Steen Library.  


 
Disposable cameras were placed at service desk throughout the library, with signs asking users to “take a picture, and leave the camera.” 








Some of the Library staff got in the act using digital cameras.


 

 
 

 

There were over 150 photos taken with the 10 disposable cameras.



















 Library users were shown using the computers in the lobby and LINC,




 


sleeping on the new furniture in the New Books area,







attending a Library Instructional session,























 





 getting tutoring in the AARC, etc.




 






 





        

So, on October 21 , 2010, we created a “snapshot” of a day in the life of Steen Library.


 

 
  If you did not participate, don’t worry!

 










 

We hope to make this an annual event!

 

Hunt for tech books on Safari

Safari Books Online is the premier on-demand digital library providing technology, digital media, business books, and videos online. Safari Books Online, is paid for and licensed by Steen library. Currently a Custom Safari Books Online Library that contains a specially-tailored subset of 115 titles available through Steen library's website and increasingly through the catalog SteenFind. Now when searching for books about Windows 7, your Smartphone, or on more technical topics, you will find the latest titles available online in full-text. For a more thorough search of the tittles, and to search the full text of these books go directly to Safari.

If there is a computer science book you would like to see the library purchase or a specific topic represented feel free to contact Phil Reynolds. New titles both online and in print are acquired by the library on an ongoing basis. Suggestions for the Computer Science Subject Guide are also welcome.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Welcome Freshman

Welcome to new freshman and welcome back to our returning students. Here at Steen Library the research librarians are here to help you with your resource needs. The Ask-A-Librarian desk located on the 1^st floor in the Research Room (Steen Library Map) is great for walk-in research help and the phone number is 468-7299. You can also use the Ask-A-Librarian form to get help online. Subject specialty assistance is as easy as contacting your liaison contact. We are here to help you have a great and successful semester!

There is a new and easier way to find books at Steen Library.

On Monday, July 12^th, the library rolled out a new library catalog called SteenFind. SteenFind will allow faculty, staff and students to search for books and other library materials faster and easier than before by combining the advantages of the traditional structure of library catalogs with the ease of search engines.

Check out the new catalog at http://library.sfasu.edu/find/.

SteenFind will feature patron empowerment services and we believe will greatly enhance your search for materials. Please contact me or any of the Research librarians if you have any questions or comments.

It's Not "What's New" but "Who's New"

In February, as a result of reorganization in the Steen Library, I was made the Instruction Coordinator for the Research and Instructional Services (RIS) department. Every member of the RIS faculty has expertise in an academic field, as well as in library and information science. While I am not a librarian, I am an educator, with a very strong background in curriculum development and research. These skills are complimentary to RIS’s mission, and I have been incorporated into several of the primary areas of the department's mission. The RIS department is eager to help provide research assistance for the SFASU community, either through an individual consultation, through library orientation and research or information literacy instruction for a class, or by answering individual questions at the Ask A Librarian desk.

As the university begins to implement its Quality Enhancement Plan for high impact student learning, RIS has begun examining its own programs which support this plan. It has had programs in place for decades to teach library skills, called by a variety of names including information literacy and research skills, but the focus has expanded to embrace changes in technology that have occurred during the last two decades. It is also changing to include a focus on the first year experience, with the goal of perhaps serving as a bridge between the freshmen high school research skills and experiences (or lack thereof) and the expectations and needs of their college professors. Over the course of the next several months, we will be researching the actual needs of our main audiences - the students and faculty of SFASU. This phase will be followed with the development and implementation of curriculum based on the results of this research.

If you need help with your research project, please contact a member of the RIS faculty.

Rhonda W. Williams Instruction Coordinator Research and Instructional Services Email: williamsrw@sfasu.edu Office: 202H Steen Library Phone: 936-468-7260

You are now entering "The Quiet Zone"

A new Quiet Zone hits the fourth floor of Steen Library. Looking for a quiet study space away from the bustling crowds? Check out the entire fourth floor of the Steen Library which is now reserved for quiet study, free from the distractions of service desks, study groups, and cell phone conversations. Students can find a peaceful oasis with tables, study rooms, and study carrels throughout the floor. Last fall a library survey was conducted which revealed library users were unhappy with the ongoing noise levels in the library and other distracting activities that are counterproductive to individual study.

The Twilight Zone themed “Quiet Zone” was a design created by Ms. Devon Skinner a senior from Dallas, enrolled in the Illustration class taught by Aloma Marquis last fall. Quiet Zone signage will be placed on the fourth floor and furniture will be arranged in a manner conducive to individual study.

The second and third floors are available for group studying.

Success will be determined by the self-disciplined actions of library users, but any of the library service point, like the Circulation or InfoDesk, can be told about abuses. We are encouraging all library users to enjoy this new space especially during the stressful weeks ahead before finals.

Let us know what you think about the Quiet Floor or suggestions to make it better.

Susan Clarke Head of Research and Instructional Services sclarke@sfasu.edu rm. 202g (936) 468-1459

Argue like a Pro with "Opposing Viewpoints"

Opposing Viewpoints is a database that presents both sides of controversial issues. It is a good starting point for choosing a topic, getting an overview, and finding related material. The series can be useful for writing speeches and debating. "Opposing Viewpoints" links to recommended websites, so it provides some “quality control” for the Web.

To get to it, click on the Databases A - Z on the Library home page. Scroll down to the O section and click on Opposing Viewpoints.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Love is in the air.

Well, at least in the décor. It is estimated that one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second-largest card-selling holiday (after Christmas). But was Valentine’s Day really invented by the greeting card companies to take advantage of the love and/or friendship between two people?

Actually, Valentine’s Day was established at around 496 AD by Pope Gelasius I who named the holiday after a (some speculate several) Christian martyr named Valentine or Valentinus. No one really knows for sure who Valentine was or what he did but February was a month of romance long before the pope declared the 14^th the big day. Lupercalia, an ancient Roman fertility festival, was celebrated in mid-February.

The commercial holiday that we recognize today first began in Great Britain in the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common practice to exchange small gifts or handwritten poems on Valentine’s Day. Improvements in printing technology led to printed greeting cards in the late 1700s. By this time, the holiday had become popular in the United States. In the 1840s, Esther Howland (now known as the Mother of the Valentine) began selling the first mass-produced valentines in the country. Since then, a number of other countries in the world have created their own Valentine’s Day traditions. In Japan, it is customary for women to buy chocolates for men (usually co-workers). One month later, the men who received chocolates are expected to return the favor. In Norfolk, England “Jack” Valentine leaves treats for children on the back step of the house. In Finland and Estonia the holiday is more about celebrating friends rather than lovers.

How do you spend your Valentine’s Day? Some people use this opportunity to show their loved ones how much they care; others use it to show how much they’re willing to spend. Some people go out and have a romantic dinner; others go on a romantic weekend getaway. But if you’re like me, you prefer to spend the day relaxing at home without roses, heart-shaped boxes, and pink teddy bears. While I do intend to spend some quality time with my significant other, I plan on spending the greater part of the day the same way I spend every Sunday – cozily bundled up in blankets with a good read. Incidentally, the book I’ll be reading this Sunday is the seventh installment of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – a series about love that transcends time.

But Erica, shouldn’t you be doing more on Valentine’s Day to show that special someone how much you care? Well, what can I say? At the risk of sounding ooey-gooey, I must say that I hardly feel the need for a big to-do this Sunday. After all, every day is Valentine’s Day in our home.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
At a whopping 656 pages, Outlander may appear daunting at first but if you’re into adventure, historical fiction, and love stories, the time will fly.

https://rwsteen2.sfasu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/0/0/0/5?searchdata1=9780440212560

Research Library Liaison - Erica Lopez

Email: z_lopezer@titan.sfasu.edu
Phone: (936) 468-6270
Office: 202j