Cites & Bytes @ Bailey

a library newsletter, a compendium of interesting tidbits, a communication tool....from Bailey Library @ Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. (Site Feed)

Monday, October 31, 2005

Have You Checked Your Credit Score Lately?

Did you know that recent changes in the Fair Credit Reporting Act now require each of the nation's consumer credit agencies to provide one free copy of your credit report every twelve months? This change, which was phased in by state, became effective in Pennsylvania on September 1. For more information on how to obtain your report, see the Federal Trade Commission's informative site on Credit Rights.

Saturday, October 29, 2005

The Smithsonian Version of I-Tunes...

Until November 23, Alexander Street Press is making Smithsonian Global Sounds freely available... No passwords or trial sign-ups are necessary... users simply visit http://glmu.classical.com and they are immediately connected to the entire database.

You can choose your favorite sounds from 35,000 tracks listed by categories-American Folk, Blues, Bluegrass, Old Time Country, American Indian, World, Jazz, Classical & Broadway, Spoken Word & Sounds, or Children's. You can also browse by artist (Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Mahalia Jackson, and others), cultural group, country (more than 150 countries are represented), instrument (piano, guitar, aerophone, hordophone, and others), or other fields. Then, simply click to listen to the music over the Internet. Personal playlists, liner notes, and other features will all be available with the free trial.

Rock on, Smithsonian and Alexander Street Press!

Cafe Hours Extended...


From Del Hamilton:

Good News!! The library cybercafe, Bailey's @ the Rock, will be open from 8am to 10 pm, beginning Monday, October 31.

Late hours, ghosts, a movie and snacks...

Come to Bailey Library for “Late Night with Matilda Bailey,” an evening of ghoulish delights, including ghost stories told by Dr. Bob Watson, a screening of War of the Worlds, late-night snacks, and even possible ghost sightings!

Bailey Library has extended their evening hours from 11:00PM to 2:00AM on Sundays through Thursdays. As a kick-off to this new service, the Library is planning a celebration of the extended hours. Come join us at the Library for an evening of ghostly delights, including ghost stories, a movie, treats, and possible sightings of the resident library ghost, Matilda Bailey. The evening’s activities will begin with Dr. Bob Watson telling his famed SRU ghost stories sure to entertain and perhaps spook all listeners. Following the ghost stories, there will be a screening of War of the Worlds. Plenty of late-night snacks will be available, including cookies, brownies, popcorn, apple cider, and hot chocolate. Bailey Library invites everyone to help them celebrate the new hours during this kick-off event. The festivities will be held in the Special Collections room off of the 2nd floor lobby beginning at 11:00PM on Sunday, October 30 and concluding at 2:00AM on Monday, October 31.

Fact checking Wikipedia...

Wikipedia has been garnering a lot of attention and some respect as an online information resource. It is widely recognized as the most successful of the ubiquitous Wiki projects. This Guardian article asked experts to evaluate various entries and score them for accuracy. Read on for some interesting commentary...

Timely Reminders...


Turn your clocks back one hour on Saturday at 2 am... explanations here, in brief from Infoplease... and here, in detail from Resource Shelf....

Spooky Updates...

Snopes.com has prepared an update of their Halloween urban legends page...

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Hello from Vancouver...

Librarians Martina Nicholas and Melba Tomeo are attending the E-Learn 2005 Conference in Vancouver, B.C. Keep up with the conference blog here...

Monday, October 24, 2005

And Now, From the Land of Librariana....

Attention, Boos and Ghouls...


The Costumer's Manifesto
World Champion Pumpkin (audio)
The Candy Calculator
Pumpkin Carving 101
Resources for Home Preserving Pumpkins
BBC Food: Halloween
Halloween Recipes and Entertaining Advice

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Just Finished...

Letters from New Orleans by Rob Walker, a New York Times columnist who moved to the Big Easy for three years with a friend... These brief letters, written between 2000-2003, were originally emails intended to chronicle their adventures. The letters possess a chatty narrative style that reflects the charm and affection the city, with all of its problems, evokes. Some sections seem prescient... mentions of the mayoral elections, the threat of flooding, the poverty of long-neglected housing projects, racial issues. Mardi Gras, jazz funerals, local celebrities and eccentricities, etc. are described in an entertaining fashion. The collage that results from this juxtaposition of the fabled and the flawed presents just the type of book I like to read about a travel destination... a little inside information, creating an impressionist portrait of sorts.

A copy has been ordered for the Reading Room and should be available soon.

Podcast Pointers...

Want to hear more about podcasting?

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Just What the Doctor Ordered...

Librarian Martina Nicholas reports that the library table at the annual Healthfest was a popular stop...over 200 people entered the drawing for the SRU basket.

Handy medical information you might want to know about... if you are looking for a flu shot, try this flu shot locator by zip code...

Also in medical news, check out the new "manly" bandages... (you could keep some handy in your duct tape wallet!)

Monday, October 17, 2005

Marjorie Stephenson Scholarship Winners...




















This year's Marjorie Stephenson Scholarship recipients include (pictured left to right) Sarah Pollard, Charnese Jackson, Alyssa Papay, and Amber Johnson. Ashley Contee, also a recipient, was unable to be present at today's tea honoring the award winners. Marjorie Stephenson, a University librarian and professor, made provision in her will for this scholarship, which has been awarded every year since its establishment in 1987. More details of the scholarship are available here... and congratulations to our deserving recipients!

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Party Like It's Dictionary Day!

Librarian.net points out that October 16 is Dictionary Day, honoring the nascency of Noah Webster. She also alludes to a regular podcast called "Word Nerds" as an appropriate brannigan. Here's a link to more dictionaries than you should ever require.... and another... and more on Noah Webster here... Continue jubilating by conscribing for the word of the day from dictionary.com!

Thursday, October 13, 2005

What I Have Been Reading (and Hearing)...

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

In real live, hold-it-in-your-hands book form, I recently read last year's Newbery Award winner, Kira-Kira, and was enchanted. The story of a Japanese-American family transplanted to Georgia is related by the younger sister of the family and it is refreshing to see the world through her innocent but critical eye. "Kira-kira" is a Japanese phrase for glittering or shining and expresses how Katie's older sister, Lynn, emphasizes the positive and wonderful side of life. The story becomes enormously sad when Lynn develops lymphoma; the period leading up to her death is very realistically written... difficult to remain dry-eyed.

The River Between Us by Richard Peck

I have been listening to some young adult audiobooks in the last few weeks, all historical fiction and each told in the voice of the main character. The River Between Us is a Civil War tale in flashback...detailing the arrival in Grand Tower, Illinois of some "startling" evacuees from New Orleans, who shake up the sleepy little river town. Tilly Pruitt's mother takes them in and all of their lives are changed forever. This book does an excellent job of portraying the way the national tide of events plays out on the small stage, in a community and in a family. A little history, a little racial identity, a little romance make for effective storytelling and an entertaining listen.

A House of Tailors by Patricia Reilly Giff

Another audiobook that suffered from my fumbling while driving and also by comparison with The River Between Us and Milkweed--A House of Tailors is the story of a young girl who immigrates to America in her sister's place and resists the tailoring trade her family has practiced for generations. The story was interesting, but not as enthralling or engrossing as the others in this series. To be fair, the fact that I mistakenly listened to CD #2 first and the last CD was missing from the case did absolutely nothing to help the narrative along! I understand the story is based on the author's grandmother's experiences.


Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli

Powerful... and Spinelli's best, imho. Set in Warsaw during World War II, a small boy who initially believes his name is "Stopthief!" narrates a harrowing tale of survival in a simple, direct observational style. Although the impact is lightened by occasional humor and the daring adventures of Misha and his friends, the suffering is heart wrenching, frightening, and moving. The tone, the yearning for family, the "running" of the central character reminded me a bit of Maniac Magee. This one stays with you.



All of these materials are in the library...the three audiobooks are available in the Reading Room.

Playwright Pinter wins Nobel Prize in Literature...

From library director Phil Tramdack:

The Nobel Prize in Literature 2005 goes to Harold Pinter "who in his plays uncovers the precipice under everyday prattle and forces entry into oppression's closed rooms". »

A Demo and Dessert...

The library is starting a new series featuring informal demonstrations of databases, web sites, and various library resources. Leading off is Government Documents Librarian Jane Smith, with a demonstration on Friday, October 14, at 12:30 in the Special Collections Room. Jane will be demonstrating legal resources, how to find laws and cases in different venues, and government resources for doing the same. You are cordially invited to this "brown bag" session -- bring your lunch, learn some helpful search techniques, and Jane supplies the dessert!

Upcoming this semester... Music Librarian Jessica Marshall will demonstrate Naxos and the Classical Music Library; Business Librarian Cathy Rudowsky will demonstrate business databases.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

TOBA Training

INVITATION: THOMSON ONE BANKER ANALYTICS TRAINING

Bailey Library has acquired a new database this past May – Thomson ONE Banker Analytics (TOBA). This database was acquired as a direct result of the survey disseminated in the spring asking for feedback from SoB faculty regarding databases they would like to see added to the library. TOBA ranked number one. For a complete description of TOBA, please see the attached PDFs.

We would like to invite all business faculty to a Thomson ONE Banker Analytics training session on Thursday, October 13 at 12:30 in Bailey Library, Special Collections room on the second floor. A TOBA trainer will provide a general overview of the database from 12:30 – 1:30 with more intense training to follow from 1:30 – 4:30. You are all welcome to attend all of, or any part of, this training session. You are also welcome to invite students to the training session. This is our opportunity to be sure that we are fully utilizing this valuable and immense database.

In order to be sure that the room will accommodate everyone planning on attending, please RSVP by Tuesday, October 11 to:

Cathy Rudowsky
Business/Electronic Access Librarian
Bailey Library
724-738-2657
catherine.rudowsky@sru.edu

Thank you and we hope to see you all there!

Is it a cold or the avian flu?


A New Zealand based site, Global Pandemic News, has just been launched and tracks the progress of Avian (Bird) Flu through a series of direct news feeds from around the world.
While not exactly the first port of call for anyone with a 'sniffle', the site does aim to provide up to date information on this subject, as fears grow that a global influenza pandemic is just a matter of time.
Global Pandemic News is published by the owner of the award-winning Global Museum, Roger Smith http://www4.wave.co.nz/~jollyroger/pandemic/pandemic.htm

Monday, October 10, 2005

Do the Math...

From Librarian Aiping Chen-Gaffey:

E-books in our online catalog:

NetLibrary AccessPA: 1,003
NetLibrary: 11,339
Ebrary: 17,957
Safari: 3,038
Other (inc. STATRef, and Gales): 206


Total: 33,543

E-books are wonderful research tools. Click on one today!

Saturday, October 08, 2005

Good News for a New Orleans Librarian...

Her slot machine winnings will rebuild her home...

Friday, October 07, 2005

Happy Blog-o-versary!!!!

We are one today! See what we had to say on October 7, 2004 here... Post a comment below to offer your felicitations... and send your gifts around any time!

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness...



































The Miracle of Fall, from the University of Illinois Extension...

To Autumn, from John Keats...

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

New Genealogy Site...

Interesting new site from Castle Garden, the New York immigration center from 1830-1892 (when Ellis Island opened.) Search for your immigrant ancestors here...

You can find information about genealogy resources available at our library here...
Although genealogical research is not our primary focus, we have a number of helpful resources. The Slippery Rock Heritage Association is sponsoring a genealogy workshop on campus on Saturday...

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Cleaning Out the Blog Closet...

I use Bloglines to clip and save interesting library and research-related trivia for this blog. I highly recommend it for becoming the master of your own information universe. The following are some recent miscellanea you may find of interest (or not):

From the I Love to Read category...

From the Improving Your General Quality of Life category...

From the Things You Might Like to Know category...

From the Real, Live Research Tips category...

There, that should keep you busy for the weekend!