The Inside Cover

 

Student Edition of Library Newsletter

 

 December 2007

Volume 1, Number 4

To read a book for the first time is to make an acquaintance with a new friend; to read it for a second time is to meet an old one.
— Anonymous, Chinese saying

 

 

 

‘Tis the season to be @ your library

 

Whether you’re finishing up a paper, figuring out how to cite a source, studying for finals, or just trying to get motivated to do anything, it is time to be at your library, especially Tuesday, December 11, when we’re serving up free pizza!

 

It’s also time to read The Inside Cover with news just for you. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to read the Finals Week poem written by your own Pulitzer Prize-waiting author, Sarah Kaip.

 

--The Library Staff

 

 

Free pizza finals week

 

Where: the library.

When: Tuesday, December 11 at 8:30 p.m.

What to bring: Just yourself. Plates provided.

Why: Because we love our students!

 

 

Singing in the rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Kaip, reference librarian and native Oregonian, is carrying a new tune all the way to rainy Olympia, Washington, where she accepted a librarian position with South Puget Sound Community College.  Says Sarah of leaving: “It’s been pure bliss working as your librarian. There’s not a soul in sight that I didn’t enjoy getting to know—everyone from the peppermint-chomping horses to the ubiquitous squirrels to the top dogs in admin, but especially the students.”

 

Sarah’s last day will be December 21. Going away gifts of raincoats and umbrellas will be gladly accepted.

 

 

Database spotlight:  ATHENA

 

 

 

 

 

It’s as mighty as a Trojan warrior with the allure of a Greek goddess—it’s your online library catalog!

 

http://midway.kyvl.org/

 

The catalog is used to find books, videos, CDs, reserves, and to find out which journals we subscribe to. It does NOT contain articles. Quick search tips:

  • use quotes to search phrases: "world wide web"
  • use + to mark essential terms: +explorer
  • use * to mark important terms: *internet
  • use ? to truncate: browser? will bring up “browser” and “browsers”

You can learn more about how to search ATHENA in the “Finding books” module of the MILTON online tutorial.  http://eagles.midway.edu/library/MILTON/Welcome%20Module%206.htm

 

 

Citing sources

 

If you are having trouble citing your sources, you might benefit from visiting one of two excellent websites.

 

1)  http://library.osu.edu/sites/guides/  from Ohio State University, scroll down to the middle of the screen. You’ll see a heading for “Citation Style Guides” with links to APA, MLA, CBE, Turabian, and Chicago.  In addition, http://liblearn.osu.edu/tutor/les7/guide.html is devoted specifically to citing Net sources, including websites, electronic articles, blog entries, emails, and message boards.

 

2) http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/  Highlighted in the last newsletter as an online writing center, if you click on “Research and Citation” on the right side of the screen, it will open several links. Look for “APA” and “MLA.”

 

 

What is a webliography?

 

A webliography is an annotated bibliography on the web of websites pertaining to a particular subject.

 

There you have it, and we have it too at http://eagles.midway.edu/library/subjectguides.htm .

 

The equine, education, humanities, and psychology webliographies were updated in November thanks to Carrie Lewis and Cathy Reilender. The business and nursing webliographies were updated in October. Science and critical thinking will be updated in December.

 

 

Book exchange

 

Holiday break is a time to clear the air and clear the shelves. Come back from break with an armful of your hopefully-already-read books for our library book exchange. We’ll take fiction, fiction, and fiction. Feel free to pick one up for your holiday break as well.

 

 

New library homepage

 

A thriving library with a boring website is no match. So, Sarah created a new library homepage going live in mid-December.  A whole new look with new resources and links.

 

 

End-of-term poem

 

“Twas the week before finals,

When all through the library

Students were studying

Using methods that vary;

Finishing up projects

Was first on the list

Before they settled down

With finals in their midst.

 

Most were sleepy

But none went to bed,

While visions of A’s

Danced in their heads.

Cell phones were ringing

And music was heard,

Still they kept reading

For every last word.

 

The books were shelved

On the 2nd floor with care,

In hopes that patrons

Would one day find them there.

Citation style guides

Are what students wanted;

‘Cause threats of deductions

Continuously haunted.

 

Google’s the choice

For researching courses

But the librarian says,

“Find scholarly sources.”

Peer-reviewed journals

Are what instructors want

Searching EBSCO databases

Is the most promising jaunt.

 

With Cathy in her office

And I in my space,

We’d just helped a student

Use a database,

When out of the lab

There rose such a chatter,

I sprang to my feet

To see what was the matter.

 

Away from my office

I flew like a flash,

Just as I thought,

A computer had crashed.

Printing, copying, emailed, faxed,

Helping patrons be more relaxed.

 

Papers are due

And exams are near

But with library services

There’s nothing to fear.

To students I say,

“Just do your best.

Happy holidays to all,

And to all a good test.”

 

 

 

Happy Holidays!

Be Safe.

 

 

Sarah’s last hurrah… a new issue of The Inside Cover coming to your inbox January 2.