Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Libraries can be dangerous places.

The American Library Association (and freedom-lovers everywhere) are celebrating Banned Books Week September 25 - October 2, 2010.

Did you know The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee are all books that have been banned or challenged?

Exercise your freedom to read (and make up your own mind) by checking out these and other challenged books. Read more about Banned Books Week at the ALA site.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Constitution Day talk - 'Ground Zero Mosque'


Join us in the library's GLA Reading Room on Friday, September 17th at 2:30, when Associate Professor Alisa Rosenthal of the Political Science department will give a talk on the constitutional issues raised by the proposed Islamic Cultural Center in lower Manhattan.

Come and discuss an issue that offers a topical take on a document signed on Sept. 17th, 1787. Yes, Virginia, there will be refreshments.

Additional resources:

New York Times coverage
The U.S. Constitution (National Archives)
The U.S. Constitution: Analysis and Interpretation (Government Printing Office, via FindLaw) 
Research Guide for Constitutional Law (Gustavus library)

Monday, September 06, 2010

Archives Insider

As a new academic year begins, I thought I'd give an update and a bit of inside information.

Regular open hours will be on the following days.
Monday, 8:00-noon and 1:00-4:30
Tuesday, 8:00-noon and 1:00-4:30
Wednesday, 8-noon

Please contact archives staff if you are unable to visit during these hours. We are located directly above the main entrance of Folke Bernadotte Memorial library.

This past academic year was very busy. We helped approximately 280 users. Patrons included students working on classroom assignments, academics conducting professional research, and family history researchers seeking to uncover their roots. To see how students used the archives in Glen Kranking's J-Term "History Bytes" course, please see their course page.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

What's new? Library e-resources updates

As you get ready for fall term, visit the library's E-resources Informer site for updates on our e-resources collection. Some highlights from this fall's E-Resources Informer:

  • Not so trivial trivia: selected statistics on the databases and online journals used most frequently by the Gustavus community
  • Tips and tools: find out how the Assignment Calculator can help students stay on on track as they research and write an assignment
  • New e-resources: learn about Naxos Music Library and Sabin Americana
  • New looks: Don't be surprised if your favorite e-resource looks a bit different this fall. Many of our e-resources have new search interfaces: Annual Reviews, EBSCOhost databases (includes Academic Search Premier and others), Journals@OVID, JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, and SAGE Premier

Want more details? Visit the E-resources Informer