What Students Think

Much has been made of the "knowledge shortcomings" of the general population. One only needs to think about some of the shocking (and funny) interviews that Jay Leno does on the segment he calls Jaywalking.

E.D. Hirsch caused quite a storm when he proposed that people can't learn unless they have a certain minimum amount of factual knowledge, which he called cultural literacy.

Did you know that there is also something called information literacy? It too has been the subject of much discussion.

In August 2008, 225 Richland high school juniors took a needs assessment developed by the Network of Illinois Learning Resources in Community Colleges.

The assessment was an opportunity for librarians to take a look at the understandings and misunderstandings of our own student population.

The assessment showed that there is much that students do not understand.

This little slideshow -- What Students Think -- demonstrate some of those gaps in understanding.

These may not be quite as shocking as Jay Leno's discoveries, but they definitely play a role in keeping students from producing the quality work we know they are capable of.

New Edition of MLA Handbook Arrives

The long-awaited seventh edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, the standard style and documentation guide for millions of college students, has arrived in the Richland Library! The new edition has made many changes to MLA documentation style and has simplified guidelines for citing information found on the Web, in digital files, and graphic narratives. "The new edition builds on input from scholars, librarians, and students to create the best tool ever for writing research papers," says MLA Executive Director Rosemary G. Feal.

The Online Writing Lab at Purdue offers a quick look at some of the changes in the new edition.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/15/

NoodleTools plans to incorporate the changes in their July update. The Richland Librarians are busy updating all of our MLA handouts, our examples on our Web site, and our classes. We will begin teaching 7th edition of the MLA Handbook in the fall.

Copies of the new MLA Handbook are available for purchase at the MLA Web site.
http://www.mla.org/store/CID24/PID363

A hidden gem from our reference book collection: Business: The Ultimate Resource 2nd edition. This 2,000 page book contains just about everything you ever wanted to know about business and management and has been described by USA Today as “..the closest we have to a business bible.” It includes best practices relating to people and culture, marketing, systems, productivity, and others. Additionally there are numerous checklists and action lists one can refer to while on the job or while looking for a job. Profiles of business thinkers and management giants are also available. Find it in the reference collection at call# HD 38.15 .B878 2006.

Interesting Facts About the Richland College Library

• The Library has more than 90,000 books.
  
• 160 subscription databases are provided by the DCCCD, Richland, and TexShare.
  
• Through TexShare we have access to
• 12,947 full-text journals
• 1,318 newspapers
  
• 4654 reference books
  
• 28,281 NetLibrary ebooks
  
• nearly 600,000 primary source documents.
  
• Average Number of Information Literacy Classes taught each year: 360.
  
• Average Number of Students attending Information Literacy Classes each year: over 5,000.
  
• Information Literacy Certificates awarded: 2,000 since program began in Spring 1998.
  
• The Library has received three national Awards over the last 10 years
  
• American Library Association/ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award 2004
  
• American Library Association Library of the Future Award 2001
  
• EBSCO Achievement Award for Outstanding Program Development 1999
  

Read more facts about the library at www.richlandcollege.edu/library/about.php.

One afternoon we decided to ask some of our students "What do you love about the Richland College Library?" Their answers provided a remarkably rich summary of what the library has to offer -- at least from a student's point of view.

We prepared the YouTube video as part of a tour and presentation we put together for the Richland College Academic Council.

Making the video turned out to be a lot of fun for both students and "film crew." Thanks to Alice Fulbright who served as "emcee" and Gary Duke (yours truly) who operated the camera and did the editing (with his trusty Mac, of course).

World Digital Library

The World Digital Library (WDL) was launched on April 21, 2009 at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris, France. The new website features a collection of primary materials from numerous libraries and archives around the world. The materials featured on the site include manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, prints and photographs. The site is free to the public and functions in seven languages.

Dr. James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress, proposed the creation of the digital library to UNESCO in 2005. The stated objectives of the WDL are to promote international understanding, expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet, provide resources for educators, scholars and general audiences, and narrow the digital divide within and between countries.

Examples of treasures featured include Arabic scientific manuscripts from the National Library and Archives of Egypt; early photographs of Latin America from the National Library of Brazil; the Hyakumanto darani, a publication from the year 764 from the National Diet Library of Japan; the famous 18th century "Devil's Bible" from the National library of Sweden; and works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish calligraphy from the collection of the United States Library of Congress.

Travel the World in a Book

Do you fantasize about scuba diving off the coast of Thailand? Have you always wanted to explore the Egyptian pyramids? Does shopping and dining in Paris sound like your ideal day? If you dream of traveling the world, but don't have the time or money, borrow a book about another country from the Richland College Library. Throughout the month of April, the Richland College Library is featuring a display of books on cultures of the world. You can explore the history and culture of another country from the comfort of your own home. So, go ahead and scale the Swiss Alps while you lounge in the sun or backpack across Europe without ever lifting finger. You can do them both in one day.

126 Students Earn Library's Information Literacy Certificate

Librarians began teaching the Spring 2009 Library Information Literacy Classes on January 29. The formal series of three 80 minute face-to-face classes ended on April 4.

To date, 349 students have been participating in the classes and/or completing the online requirements. A total of 126 of those students have earned the Library's Information Literacy Certificate for attending all three library classes.

Even though the classes have ended, students may still earn credit for each of the library classes by completing a combination of online and printed exercises. These exercises are available on the web at http://www.rlc.dcccd.edu/library/infolit.php. Students should look in the "Online Learning" column on the right hand side of the page.

Research One - Introduction to the Richland Library includes a photo tour and an online quiz.

Research Two - Electronic Research Sources and Strategies requires students to complete a written exercise.

Research Three - MLA Format--Avoiding Plagiarism and Documenting Sources requires students to complete an online quiz and create a works cited list using NoodleTools.

Students who complete the program are better prepared to conduct library research needed for a speech, an essay, or a research paper.

Interesting reference questions

Here are some of the more memorable reference questions we have received at the Richland Library reference desk. Enjoy!

1. How to write an essay on philosophy (topic: write from the viewpoint of a bat)
2. What was the name of the Richland lake before it was named "Thunderduck?"
3. What do you do if your vet removes the wrong organ?
4. I need personal narratives from people who committed crimes while they were on drugs.
5. Does html stand for Hotmail?
6. I need a list of myths that have been proven scientifically.
7. I added items to my cart in Amazon.com, so why is it empty?
8. How to I vote for President online?
9. Where can I find information about the benefits of drinking urine?
10. How to translate a document from English to Vietnamese online for free
11. What direction is North?
12. What is the largest named number?
13. Where and when can I look in the sky to view Skylab?
14. "I need a liberal view and a conservative view." On what topic, the librarian asked. "Oh, any topic will do."
15. Where is the Teaching, Learning, Community Building located?

Texas Library Association 2009 Annual Conference

The Texas Library Association is holding its annual conference March 31-April 3 in Houston. The theme for this year’s conference is Libraries: Creating Communities of Ideals and Innovation. Libraries have long held a fundamental role in “supporting progress and leading the way toward innovation and learning.” http://www.txla.org/conference/conf.html

Keynote speakers at this year’s conference are Gloria Steinem and Paula Poundstone. Other featured speakers are technology experts, Jenny Levine, author of The Shifted Librarian, Michael Stephens, co-author of the Library Journal column, “The Transparent Library," Sarah Houghton-Jan, “The Librarian in Black,” and R. David Lanks, co-founder of AskERIC and founder of the Virtual Reference Desk Project.

Virtual Reference Shelf: Selected Web Resources Compiled by the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world and serves as the research arm of Congress. The collection of more than 130 million items includes over 29 million cataloged books. The library also provides virtual programs and services to assist the general public. One such service is the Virtual Reference Shelf, a collection of selected websites compiled by reference specialists. The various resources are organized into about thirty categories.

The Virtual Reference Shelf contains the following reference tools:

Abbreviations Almanacs and Fast Facts Arts and Music Associations Awards/Prizes Books, Periodicals, and Publishing Business Calculators Calendars, Clocks/Times Children, Teachers & Parents

Consumer Information Current Events On the Web Dictionaries/Thesauri Directories Education Encyclopedias Genealogy, Biography and Archaeology Government Grant Resources Health/Medical

History (General) Language and Literature Law Libraries Maps/Driving Directions Political Science and Government Quotations Science, Technology and Engineering Statistics

Librarians Initiate Library Liaison Program

In an effort to connect librarians and instructors, the librarians have began a Library Liaison Program. Librarians hope to "Put a FACE on the Library" for all of Richland's full-time and adjunct faculty members.

Our Purpose:
To encourage and facilitate personal connections between librarians and instructors
To create a principal point of contact between the program or discipline and the library


Our Strategy:
We will publish the framework for the Library Liaison Program on the web for all to see.
We will seek out problem areas and collaborate with instructors in finding solutions.
We will advertise new and little used library services in a personal way.


Our Promise:
Each FT instructor will be contacted by a librarian at some time during the academic year.
Each PT instructor currently teaching will receive an email from a librarian.

Please contact us using DCCCCD email or by calling the reference desk at 6082.

Our Resources Include:
•Serials Solutions –a tool to identify which journal titles we can access in either print or electronic format
•NoodleTools –a tool to help with MLA or APA citation and plagiarism avoidance
•ASAP –a tool to help students stay on track with a research project

Our Services Include:
•Helping you find the information you need
•Ordering books for the library in your discipline
•Locating articles for you on interlibrary loan
•Putting items on reserve for your classes
•Helping your students become information literate
•Assisting you with the design of research assignments

Build Your Own Search Engine

Instructors, are you frustrated that your students aren’t using academic and authoritative web sites for their school work? We all know that the ability to critically evaluate information is a vital skill in the 21st century, yet students still struggle. The importance of this skill is recognized in the DCCCD’s Core Curriculum, Richland College’s proposed Institutional Learning Outcomes, and the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Information Literacy Competency Standards.
You can give you’re students a push in the right direction by building your own search engine. You’ll know your students are using credible websites because you've already evaluated and selected the sites they searched. It’s actually much easier than it sounds thanks to several free custom search engine providers. Visit the Search Engine Showdown for a list and comparison of the major search builders.
My favorite is Google Custom Search. Its based on Google’s popular search database, provides helpful documentation, and it allows collaboration. For example, the Undergraduate Research Engine is a Google Custom Search Engine that is being built by several librarians. You can even embed your Google Custom Search engine into your eCampus course.
If you’re interested in learning more about Google Custom Search, I’m teaching a workshop on Monday, March 30, 2009 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm in L126. Contact aferguson@dcccd.edu to register.

Encore: A Whole New Way to Look for Library Materials

Now you can look for books, videos, ebooks, archival material like you never have before. It's the same material you would normally find with the LIBRARY CATALOG except it's so much easier. And things that were previously buried are right there in front of you. You'll be amazed at what you'll discover.

Encore elegantly presents all manner of discovery tools, such as faceted search results, tag cloud, Did You Mean...?, popular Choices and recently added suggestions, and RightResult™ relevance ranking.

Try it out today! We think you'll love it.

http://encore.library.dcccd.edu

Out of Print Books

We have all had the situation arise when we are excited about acquiring a book title that we rush out to locate at a nearby library or purchase at a bookstore only to discover it is out of print.
Luckily there are several out of print book dealers that we can use to locate and purchase those hard to find titles. ACQWEB has a list of these companies and their web sites as a starting point in looking for rare or antiquarian books. Give it a try and bookmark the site for future use at http://www.acqweb.org/pubr/rare.html

Cynthia Clements

Reference Universe Instead of Wikipedia

A recent study of research habits among college students resulted in both a research report and a YouTube video. Under the heading of "Everyday Research" the video has a slide entitled "Wikipedia as the First Step: The Power of an Un-Citable Source."

When used for the proper purposes, Wikipedia has undeniable value. The problem is that students working on research papers need sources that they CAN cite.

Let it be said though that in their rush to get the project "finished" those students often skip right past the real value of Wikipedia -- to immerse themselves in the subject and the issues enough to be able to fashion a well formed focus. In other words, to be well enough acquainted with their topic so they can research intelligently and write confidently.

So how can they get started with sources that are citable?

Any librarian worth his or her salt will usually direct those students to subject encyclopedias. And the best tool to identify which subject encyclopedias treat the desired subject is something entitled Reference Universe.

But there is one catch which is well captured in the byline of the Reference Universe publishers:

"Hint: The best article for your particular topic may be on your library shelves and not online."

So for now at least you'll have to get out of your chair and visit the library to lay hands on the research gold uncovered by Reference Universe.

PS. Electronic sources are being slowly added to Reference Universe but their expense prohibits the library from acquiring all but the most essential. Clicking on the button labeled E-Content will sometimes pay off.

New Book Shelf Now on LibraryThing

Have you ever wanted to browse through the library's New Book Shelf without leaving the comfort of your home or office? Now you can.

The Richland College Library is a member of LibraryThing, a social networking site that celebrates books in a myriad of ways. To learn about the history of LibraryThing and what it can do, check this Wikipedia article. Or just jump right in and browse through our newest books.

When you look at our LibaryThing catalog, don't overlook all the things you can do with it. It's a treasure chest of information about the book and other readers who own the book. There are all kinds of cool things you can do with our new book collection on LibraryThing, so explore and enjoy. If you see something you want to read, be sure to check the Richland College Library Catalog to make sure it's in before you trot over to the bricks and mortar.

LIFE photo archive hosted by Google

A couple of weeks ago, Google announced that they are now hosting millions of images from the LIFE photo archive. You can browse by decade or enter your own search term to locate photos. Also, the entire collection can be browsed by People, Places, Events, Sports, or Culture. Check out this shot from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in 1941.

Samie Sabet-Sarvestani Is Inducted into the Richland Student Wall of Honor

Congratulations to Richland Library student assistant, Samie Sabet-Sarvestani, who was inducted into the Richland College Student Wall of Honor in a gala ceremony November 19th. Samie's accomplishments include membership in Phi Theta Kappa honor society, completion of Richland's Pharmacy Technician program, a 3.8 GPA, and an internship with CVS pharmacy. Samie always greets everyone with a warm, welcoming smile. He is the "go to" person for technical help with printing, computing, and formatting. We're so proud of you, Samie.

Students Earn the Library Information Literacy Certificate

Richland Library has awarded Library Information Literacy Certificates to 138 students for the Fall 2008 semester. This number represents 30% of the 455 students who have been participating in the program and attending the library classes.

Face to Face Library Classes Completed for 2008

Face to Face Classes for the Fall 2008 Semester are now completed. Students still needing credit can do independent activities Research One, Two, and Three. Schedules for the Spring 2009 classes will be available soon. Students completing all 3 classes/ independent activities will receive an Information Literacy Certificate.

What's Happening Revived!

The library has a brand new web site. We thought it might be a good time to revive our old "What's Happening" page started by our illustrious former librarian, John Ferguson (now retired). Here's that blog just for fun (2002-2005)

Look here to find out new resources, new services -- anything that we think you might be interested in. There'll also be links in the sidebar to other new ideas we've got percolating. Watch for a Library Wiki...some RSS feeds and other cool additions to our site. Stay tuned. :)