Library search has changed

Library search has changed, bringing books, media, and database holdings to a one-search option.

The DCCCD libraries’ launched a new integrated library management system in June, creating a new way to search for materials.

The library catalog link on the Richland College Library home page will take students into the Primo search interface, which brings together library holdings for a one-stop search.

Richland students may search for books, media, database articles, newspaper articles, ebooks, and more, depending on information needs. Students – and professors – are encouraged to log into the library search screen at the beginning of their searches to take full advantage of new features.

Registered students will log in with district email, while district employees will use their 3X4 logins already in use.

Search is set to default to physical books and media at students' individual campus libraries; the drop down menu offers broader options.

Please contact your liaison librarian with any questions or to set up classroom orientations.

Hot town, summer reading in the city

Grab your sunscreen and sweet iced tea, because these sizzling reads are fresh off the press! Whether it’s a psychological thriller, action-adventure, or a compelling love story, the Richland College Library is your place to grab this summer’s hottest reads.

The Trials of Apollo: the Dark Prophesy. Let the sun shine on this brand new series from Rick Riordan! Apollo, god of the sun and music, is cast down to Earth as an awkward teenage boy, charged with the task of restoring the Oracles that have gone dark. He’ll have to enlist the help of a dragon, a sorceress, and the son of Hephaestus to defeat the evil Triumvirate. With a marvelous mix of action, pop culture, and droll humor, the Dark Prophesy expands Riordan’s singular twist on classic mythology.

Dragon Teeth. While you’re waiting in mild agony for the new season of Westworld, check out this new novel by its creator, Michael Crichton. Nothing gets as hot as Texas in the summer…unless it’s the Wild West during the days of the gold rush. Two paleontologists pillage, deceive, and sabotage each other in the hunt for dinosaur fossils. Filled with Old West villains, lost treasure, and historic discoveries, this adventure will leave you wanting to pick up a fossil hunter’s hammer and sieve.

Into the Water. Cool down by going Into the Water. Paula Hawkins, whose debut The Girl on the Train exploded onto the literary scene, delivers another captivating thriller. When two women are found dead in the river that runs through the sleepy English town, the water isn’t the only thing that is disturbed by their deaths. Secrets, suspense, and darkness drip down into the reader’s imagination as only Hawkins can eerily achieve.

Crazy is My Superpower. AJ Mendez Brooks didn’t become a WWE superstar overnight. Labeled a “nerdy, loud, crazy, freak,” this unconventional girl with unconventional heart and drive pushed through labels and expectations of what a girl wrestler “should” be. With humor and wit, AJ opens up in this inspiring autobiography about embracing her weaknesses and transforming them into her greatest strengths.

The Sun is Also a Star. A dazzling story of love, the universe, and fate that brings people together. Set in New York, two teens fall in love amidst familial expectations, the looming threat of deportation, and the illogical nature of life. Bittersweet, yet hopeful, Nicola Yoon’s new novel will have you believe in the power of possibility.

Those with current DCCCD employee and student I.D. numbers may link through the titles above and log in to request items be taken to their favorite college libraries for pick up. Ask at the reference desk.

-Ariel Slick

Carnegie Medal book nominees at your library

 

The shortlisted books for the recently-established Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction have been announced, and you can check them all out at the Richland College Library.

The awards - one for fiction, one for nonfiction - will be announced at this month's American Library Association conference. They are a joint effort from the ALA and the Carnegie Institute in New York.

In fiction:
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat (also available as an ebook)
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

In nonfiction:
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink (also available as an ebook)
On Paper: The Everything of Its Two-Thousand Year History by Nicholas A. Basbanes

All but On Paper were also listed in The New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2013.

If you'd like to read a review of any of these books, you may click on the linked title above, then click on the book cover image in the description page. The library website offers this feature for most newer titles in the district.

Maya Angelou remembered

Photo from the Poetry Foundation website.

Prolific writer and poet Maya Angelou died early today at the age of 86.

She may best be known for I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, an autobiographical book whose title was taken from Paul Laurence Dunbar's poetry. She was also known as a civil-rights worker, dancer, actor, producer, and professor.

Angelou's full obituary can be found at The New York Times. The Poetry Foundation website has an extensive biography and bibliography.

Is there an article about Angelou that you would like to access but aren't sure how? Please email us at richlandlibrary@dcccd.edu.

Those wishing to read Maya Angelou's poetry or autobiographies have several choices from the Richland College Library.
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Current DCCCD faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, and administrators are able to check out books.

Everyone must show a valid photo I.D. to check out books. Questions? Please ask at the circulation desk.

Nelson Mandela remembered

Nelson Mandela in London, 2005.
UPI Photo/Hugo Philpott

Mourners from South Africa and around the world gathered today to remember Nelson Mandela, who died Dec. 5 at age 95.

Mandela, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient, served as South Africa's first black president in its post-Apartheid era. He had previously been imprisoned for more than 25 years because of his political activities.

Students at Richland may not have been born yet when Mandela was released from prison in 1990, but most will recognize his name.

Full coverage of Mandela’s life, his obituary, and his public memorial service can be found at The New York Times.

Those wishing to read more about Nelson Mandela’s life have several choices from the Richland College Library.

Here are four recommended by USA Today.

• Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
• Conversations with Myself
• Nelson Mandela: A Life in Photographs
• Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation

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Being the end of the semester, you may wonder who may check out books and for how long.

DCCCD students registered and paid for winter term and/or spring semester will be able to check out books for three weeks. Students who are only registered and paid through fall semester will have to return their library books by Thursday, Dec. 12.

Current DCCCD faculty, adjunct faculty, staff, and administrators are able to check out books for three weeks at a time.

Everyone must show a valid photo I.D. to check out books. Questions? Please ask at the circulation desk.

Remembering President John F. Kennedy

On this somber day, the Richland College Library is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy with a display of books related to the life, presidency, and assassination of President Kennedy.

The librarians have also developed an online subject guide, John F. Kennedy Assassination: Fifty Years Later, for those who wish to learn more about this tragic event in American history. The guide contains a list of books and DVDs available at the library as well as links to recommended websites and database sources of information. Access the online subject guide at http://libguides.richlandcollege.edu/jfkassassination

Image source: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c34844.The Kennedy Motorcade, November 22, 1963. Dallas, TX.  

Hidden Gems

The 100 Best Business Books of All Time

Not just a "what do I read next?" book for business types, The 100 Best Business Books of All Time will appeal to readers from across business, non-profit, and educational fields. The book spans a range of titles, includes additional reading lists, and offers tips on how to read a business book.

This title, found in the Z shelves of our library, summarizes books addressing everything from creativity and personal organization to business leadership and business biography. If one of your goals is to read more non-fiction and business titles, but you don't know where to start, this little gem is for you.

Find it on the lower level at Z 7164 C81 C85 2011. For those of you dying to know, "Z" is the Library of Congress' letter designating books covering bibliography, library science, and information resources.

The DCCCD college libraries own at least 82 of the titles mentioned; you can see the list at the Richland College Library WorldCat lists page. 

About our book collection

The library is constantly working to select and purchase hard-copy books to support the Richland College curriculum and students' needs.

Not only does this mean the librarians are putting new items on the shelves, but it means that we are regularly working to relabel and repair our older titles or send away books that are no longer used.

This process, much like weeding and feeding a lawn, helps us to highlight what is relevant, fresh, and fun. When we see hidden gems in the stacks, we would like our students, faculty, and staff to come check them out.

The Richland College Library has some 75,000 books for checking out, so there are plenty to go around. Come on over to the library and head to the lowest level to see what treasure you might discover.

Hidden gems

Copyrighted material.

World Travel: A Guide to International Ecojourneys 

Today's featured title is something from the "G" section. For those of you dying to know, "G" is the Library of Congress' letter designating books covering geography, anthropology, and recreation.

This title is chock full of travel information and is pretty to look at with its many full-color photographs. Destinations include all continents and terrains, featuring trips for just about anyone.

It is only one of many titles we have covering the world and its countries, people, sights, flora, and fauna. Find it on the lower level at G 155 .A1 W68 1996.




About our book collection

The library is constantly working to select and purchase hard-copy books to support the Richland College curriculum and students' needs.

Not only does this mean the librarians are putting new items on the shelves, but it means that we are regularly working to relabel and repair our older titles or send away books that are no longer used.

This process, much like weeding and feeding a lawn, helps us to highlight what is relevant, fresh, and fun. When we see hidden gems in the stacks, we would like our students, faculty, and staff to come check them out.

The Richland College Library has some 75,000 books for checking out, so there are plenty to go around. Come on over to the library and head to the lowest level to see what treasure you might discover.

Question of the week: Who’s Aurora Leigh and where is she?

Richland holdings of Aurora Leigh

How many times have you found yourself digging around looking for a copy of  Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, but you just couldn’t seem to find one? 

You’ve looked in the library catalog, but the Richland Library copies are checked out. Other district libraries have copies, but you don't have time to pick one up or to wait for a copy to come to Richland.

You could surf over to Amazon.com and purchase it for your Kindle, or you could search another library for a copy. You could go online to the Gutenberg Project to see if there is a copy there. You can Google it and find the University of Pennsylvania's digital library holding.

But...You will also need some literary criticism and maybe some biographical information about Elizabeth Barrett Browning, so just finding the digital version may not be enough. What if you easily could find a website that compiles multiple facets of literature and literary research?

Literature Online is one database that fits the bill. It is a web resource that contains full-text prose, full-text poetry, literary biographies, and literary criticism.

To get to Literature Online, follow this path: 

1. Go to the Richland library webpage at http://www.richlandcollege.edu/library.

2. Look for the green tabs in the middle of the home page and click on “Databases.

3. Click on the “L” on the A-Z list.

4. Scroll down and click on the “Literature Online” link.

5. Use the “Quick Search” box at the top left to find your work or author.

If you search Aurora Leigh, the database will give you results under the “Poetry,” “Criticism,” and “Reference” headings. For the poem, choose the first result under “Poetry.”

When you click on it, the title information looks like this:

Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 1806-1861:  [from Poetical works (1897)]
Volume section
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 1806-1861 :
AURORA LEIGH.
A POEM IN NINE BOOKS. 1856. [from Poetical works (1897)]

Here, you can scroll through and start reading, click on the “Table of Contents” link to find the section you want, or you can print the 256 pages that comprise this selection. You may also click on the author page to find biographical information, bibliographies, and literary criticism.

Now, not only have you found Aurora Leigh, but you have also found a place where you can read all about her and her creator, Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 
 
Keep searching,
R.D. 

Here’s the durable link to  Aurora Leigh in Literature Online. Students, instructors, and staff with current DCCCD I.D. can log on with their I.D. information.

This is the first of several entries about finding literary works and related information and criticism.

ESOL student collection

A Cup of Kindness from Oxford Bookworms

Librarian Jane H. has been working on creating an easily-accessible reading collection that will work for all ESOL learners.

Books include a variety of items including the Oxford Bookworms and Penguin Active Reading series.

View a selection of Richland's collection here and here.

The collection is being shelved on the library's gallery level; please come see it.

Happy reading,
R.D.

Birth of a Book

Ever wonder how a book is made? Here's Glen Milnor's brief, fascinating video showing a book being produced using traditional printing methods.


Birth of a Book from Glen Milner on Vimeo.

Graphic novelist visiting Richland

Copyrighted cover art.

Graphic novelist Jason Shiga is rumored to be traveling by bus next week to be part of the annual Richland College Literary Festival.

Shiga, author of Empire State: A Love Story (or Not) and Meanwhile, will speak at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the Richland Library. The event is free. 

Jimmy, Shiga's main character from Empire State, also travels by bus, seeking adventure and love. The new title is available for check out at the Richland Library. 

Prof. Patrick Murphy spoke to the Richland Chronicle earlier this week about next week's event. Here is the interview. 

Read more about Jason Shiga at http://shigabooks.com/.

Check out the library's graphic novel selections here. 


Happy reading,
R.D.

Sensible or censorship?

Once in elementary school, I checked out a book of cartoons that was in the children's section of the public library. Turns out most of the cartoons had sexual content, and the book belonged in the adult section. My brother and I were thrilled to have such racy material in hand. My dad was livid. When he talked to the librarian, she moved the material to a different part of the library, which was absolutely a common-sense move. My brother and I were livid.

Later, I had a tee shirt that read, "Celebrate Banned Books." It listed books that had been outright banned or challenged, and some of my favorite books were listed. Fahrenheit 451 was among them, and I'm pretty certain that was what prompted me to make that purchase. I had also recently arrived in the big city of Denton, Texas, and I felt like a socially-conscious rebel every time I wore it.

Banned Books Week this year starts Saturday, Sept. 24. I know that not everyone agrees with ALA's stance on challenged books no matter the setting, so perhaps a change in thinking is in order.

I agree that lots of challenged books may not belong on the children's shelves and that challenged-book lists are rife with items that may be inappropriately shelved or just don't belong in a particular community. However, many challenges seem to have stemmed from people who act as thought police or political correctness enforcers, and those are the challenges that are most problematic here in the States.

Books including Huckleberry Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird are classics because they address the human condition, yet people continue to challenge them based on a historically-correct portrayal of people using racial slurs. Is it uncomfortable that there were slaves in the U.S.? Is it uncomfortable that people used and continue to use racial slurs in everyday conversation? Yes it is, but these books are a window into other times and places where both were common. The books are not gross in their portrayals and deal quite humanly with their characters. Would you have them taken out of libraries without some sort of sensible discussion?

Whether people believe the ALA’s Banned Book Week is propaganda or not, it certainly gets people talking. In the least, we can use this week to recognize that we are extremely lucky to live in a place where freedom of thought and the freedom to explore ideas is an underpinning of our national philosophy. Perhaps we don’t need to publicize every hamlet where a book challenge is taking place; perhaps we can use a little common sense when trying to determine what is too sexually explicit or violent for our children. But let’s continue to put forth the idea that a democratic nation requires free speech and a well-read citizenry.

Twenty years have passed since that tee shirt purchase, but I would still wear it.

Happy reading,
R.D. 

History of crayons

National Geographic has published a book we have in the library called An Uncommon History of Common Things. For more history of everyday items, stay tuned to this blog or come see this book and others like it in the library!

History of crayons

"The word 'crayon' is French for chalk or pencil, but when an American mentions 'crayons,' others know that she's referring to the colorful wax writing instruments perfected by entrepreneurs Edwin Binney and Harold Smith in the late 19th century. Binney & Smith first produced deep red pigments for barns and country buildings but soon began manufacturing slate pencils, and then dustless chalk for teachers. While traveling to schools for that product, the pair saw a need for reliable colored drawing implements, and their combo of paraffin wax and pigment went on the market for the first time in 1903 as Crayola, a name that signifies 'oily chalk.'"

What do you know about Texas?

Quick! What is the Texas state insect? The official large mammal? What color is the Texas state tartan? What is the origin of the name of the Lavaca River?

The answers to these and many other questions regarding "all things Texan" can be found in the latest edition of the Texas Almanac. The Texas Almanac has a long and interesting history. Now in its 65th edition, the Almanac was first published in 1857 and has been regularly issued annually or biennially with few interruptions to the present day. This new edition of the Texas Almanac is the first one to be published by the Texas State Historical Association. Editor Elizabeth Cruce Alvarez states in the Dallas Morning News, "This edition of the Texas Almanac is the most comprehensive and colorful edition yet." Every library, home or office should have a copy.

Had I known about the pronunciation guide in the Texas Almanac when I first moved to San Antonio back in the early 1960's I wouldn't have been so confused about the name of the county in which I resided. I kept reading about Bexar County and never related it to the county name I was hearing on the news. Bexar, for the new-to-Texas reader, is pronounced BA ar, not BEX ar.

You can read more about the Texas Almanac on their Web site (http://www.texasalmanac.com/) or in the Dallas Morning News. Better yet, stop by the Richland College Library reference desk and have fun browsing the beautiful new edition.

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.

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.