Celebrate Young Readers

“Few children learn to love books by themselves. Someone has to lure them into the wonderful world of the written word: someone has to show them the way.”

–Orville Prescott

Kids who read are smarter, better, faster, stronger. Okay, they might not necessarily be all of those things but they are really cool and well-read. And that counts for a lot! Research shows that children who read books for just 20 minutes a day perform better in school.

What is your favorite children’s book? Share that book with a child. Read with a child; it's the most important 20 minutes of your day.

Stop by the Lewis Library and browse the stacks on the 3^rd floor; you can check out one of the timeless tales or one of the new arrivals intended for children but adored by adults! If you don’t see what you’re looking for, make a suggestion and we’ll work on getting it for you!

**This post authored by Carolyn Graham.

Book Christmas Tree

Check out our awesome Book Christmas Tree!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

From left to right: (standing) Charlene Baxter, Carolyn Graham, David Wiggins, Lisa Farrow, Jacque Hornsby, Arthur Robinson, Casey Dugas, Pat Barrett, Joe Marciniak, and Loren Pinkerman; (sitting) Jen Wiggins, Stacey Davis, and Mary Lou Dabbs.

Times Digital Archive

Lewis Library provides access to a database, The Times Digital Archive, that has PDF for the Times of London for more than two centuries (1785 to 2006).

You can access this through GALILEO (or directly here if you’re on a campus computer).  You can search the full text of articles, or search for articles by a specific author, e.g. “Bernard Shaw” to find his many letters to the Times).  You can also browse entire issues by date.  (Maybe you want to follow the War of 1812 covered from the British point of view?)

This database covers the Times from Monday through Saturday.  We have another database, the Sunday Times Digital Archive, that provides full text for the Sunday Times from 1922 through 2006.

Announcement of a new book, A Christmas Carol, in the Times, November 24, 1843

**This post authored by Arthur Robinson.

Movies for the Holidays!

Seen any good movies lately? This past year, we have added many new films for our students and staff members to check out during their holiday breaks!   You will find many classic movies like ones directed by Alfred Hitchcock but we also have newer movies such as Hunger Games, The Descendants, and The Help.  Be sure to stop by Lewis Library soon and look for a good movie! 

**This post was authored by Stacey Davis.

Do you know these people?

Homecoming is always an opportunity to see old friends and classmates. For the second year the Archives and Special Collections set up a table which displayed notebooks filled with old photographs that we have been unable to identify.  Not only did the alumni enjoy themselves looking at the old photos, but we were able to fill in the blanks with names on many of these old pictures, especially those from the 1950's.  We also got some terrific stories from alumni who were actually there at the time making it a productive and fun time for everyone! 

We intend to do the same thing next year at Homecoming so stop by and see if you know these people!

**Authored by Pam Barrett.

Serendipity

Serendipity: the faculty of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident

--Oxford English Dictionary

I’m afraid it’s becoming a lost art in Libraries. PDA aside (see last week’s post), I think there’s much yet to be discovered in our print collection. I know it’s incredibly convenient to have the world at our fingertips through our online catalog and our GALILEO databases, but what about those books you never would have looked for, but were incredibly interested to find? Does it ever cross your mind to just wander in the library stacks to see what it is that those crazy Physics (or substitute another discipline, as far from yours as possible) folks find to read to stretch their minds?

It seems to me, that the purpose of a Liberal Arts Education is to get a broad foundation in all sorts of fields of knowledge. Can you really study Da Vinci’s art without reading about his life in Science (The Dictionary of Scientific Biography REF Q141 .D5) or  to learn about all facets of his creativity? What is creativity? (See Creativity: from potential to realization). Do you forget names? Maybe The Cognitive Psychology of Proper Names could shed some light. What discovery might you make on a wander through the shelves? Are you stuck in your own discipline and need a little ‘broadening’?

Try this for me….pick a section of the library with a topic you know very little about, and wander for a while. (Here’s a guide to get you started). I think as little as 30 minutes invested could yield enormous gains and expand your world view. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself still wandering the shelves several hours later!

Come see us at the Lewis Library for a dose of Serendipity!

**This post authored by Mary Lou Dabbs

Patron Driven Acquisitions in the Lewis Library

For years libraries have acquired print and nonprint materials for their collections with a strong hope that people will one day remove them from the shelf and check them out.  The end result is too often a philosophy of “buy it and, hopefully, they will come!”  The Lewis Library is turning all of that upside down.  Although we continue to buy print materials, in many cases we are now selecting e-books over print material.   It is evident from the statistics we gather that e-books are witnessing tremendous growth in usage.

The Lewis Library is embarking on an exciting new chapter regarding acquisitions.  This past week we loaded nearly 5,000 new Ebrary e-book titles to our catalog.  Over the next few weeks students and faculty accessing the library’s catalog should notice a marked increase in the number of titles available for their particular area of interest.

We are instigating a patron driven acquisitions (PDA) system whereby librarians identify appropriate publishers and e-book titles for the various disciplines, but the purchase of those materials is postponed until they are actually used.  Titles added for the Ebrary patron driven acquisitions or short term loan program will be available for the library user to browse the contents or index as much as they like without the library incurring a charge.  However, when a particular Ebrary title’s actual text is viewed for more than 10 minutes a short term loan (ONE WEEK) will be triggered.   The library will be charged a very nominal fee for a short term loan.  A second short term loan of that title will automatically result in a purchase and the library’s Ebrary account will be charged for the purchase.

The patron driven acquisition system allows us to offer LaGrange College students and faculty significantly more resources without paying for them until they are actually used.  We now have a system that allows students and faculty to choose what the library purchases and so our collection grows more in the direction of what our users want.

**Authored by Loren Pinkerman

Civility

"Civility costs nothing and buys everything"

-- Mary Wortley Montagu Letter to her Daughter

We so often hear the word, civility, but don't always know what all it entails. There are many synonyms for civility; to name a few: Courtesy, Politeness, Respect, Consideration, Good Manners, and Listening.

In celebration of the college's campus-wide reading theme, Civility, a collection of material dealing with this subject is on display at Lewis Library. Listed below are some books and DVD's from the  collection. These will help in understanding the importance of Civility and how it impacts our surroundings everyday.

Books:
Civility: Manners, Morals and the Etiquette of Democracy--Steven L. Carter
In Search of Civility: Confronting Incivility on the College Campus--Kent M. Weeks
Saving Civility: 52 ways to Tame Rude, Crude, & Attitude for a Polite Planet--Sara Hacala
Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community--Robert D. Putnam
The Little Prince--Antione De Saint-Exupery
A world Waiting to be Born: Civility Rediscovered--M. Scott Peck, M. D.

DVD's:

Stand and Deliver

Philadelphia

Pay it Forward

12 Angry Men

The Power of Forgiveness

Rain Man

To Kill a Mockingbird

A Beautiful Mind

 There is a really interesting Civility Creed that can be found online:

In all of my daily intereactions I pledge to do my best to:

View everyone in positive terms

Work on building common language

Build strong relationships of trust

Remember our shared humanity

Value both the process and the resluts

Look both inside and outside for guidance.

--National Civility Center www.civilitycenter.org

**This post authored by Lisa Farrow

National History Day Mentoring Program

LaGrange College has co-hosted the West Georgia Regional National History Day competition for decades.  In recent years, however, we have become increasingly aware and sensitive to the pressures and demands placed upon teachers and students which restrict the amount of time and energy available to engage in deep, meaningful historical learning.  Our desire to help coalesced around National History Day (NHD).  We decided, during the 2008-2009 academic year to develop what is now called the National History Day Mentoring Program.  The program is multi-faceted and includes: teacher workshops, student workshops, research support and assistance, an electronic query service (nhdhistory@lagrange.edu) and a discussion forum through Facebook .  Beginning in the 2012-2013, we are partnering with the Georgia Humanities Council to offer educational outreach and NHD support service to the entire state of Georgia.

National History Day students study the past in an active and dynamic way, developing skills that apply to all facets of their lives.  They learn the value of deep and critical reading.  Students analyze evidence, interpret data, draw conclusions and communicate them via written and oral means.  It is a true learning experience:  students learn, students experience, students grow and students achieve in ways even they thought unimaginable.

This year's NHD at LaGrange College brought educators from around the state together to learn more about how their schools can participate in National History Day competitions. Attendees listened to presentations, watched award-winning videos, and participated in Q&A sessions with past judges and veteran History Day participants. The conference was broadcast live and uploaded to Ustream. It can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Want to know more about National History Day? Visit these websites for information:

National History Day

LaGrange College's National History Day Workshop

** This post was authored by Joe Marciniak.

Hilltop News visits Suber Archives

In early September, at the behest of editor-in-chief Steven Porello, the entire staff of the “Hilltop News” visited Suber Archives and Special Collections.  Intrigued by his initial visit to the Archives in late May of this year, Steven wanted his staff to discover the history and tradition which undergirds this long standing student publication.  During their visit the students examined the first issue of the “Hilltop News” published on November 20, 1958 and learned about former staff writers and earlier publications.  Their questions were rapid fire, their interest keen and their enthusiasm palpable.  Be sure to read Leah Foster’s article chronicling this experience in the latest issue of “The Hilltop News” – www.thehilltopnews.org, vol. 2.2 . 



From left to right members of the HTN staff visiting Suber Archives were:  Alex Rodriguez, Nicole Cato, Kelly Moates, Tressea Stovall, Steven Porrello, Sarah Gordon, Angela Hutchins, Patrick Walker, Leah Foster, Jimmy Weller, Megan McDonald, Adam Carpenter.  Present but not pictured was faculty advisor, Dr. Justin Thurman.

 

The “Hill-Top News” began when an energetic group of students, surely not unlike the ones pictured above, decided on the very first day of the 1958-1959 academic year that the campus was in need of a newspaper.  With solid backing from the Student Council, President Waights G. Henry and the advisory council, work began in earnest to secure funding for the paper.  Limited funding was provided by the Student Government Association, the Women’s Athletic Association and the Student Christian Association.  The most substantial support was to come from advertising by local merchants.   Throughout the history of this publication the format has undergone numerous changes.  The most dramatic change occurred last spring when the HTN became online publication.  The staff also elected to produce one hard copy special edition each semester.   The retrospective collection is preserved here in Suber Archives.

While the “Hilltop News” is LaGrange College’s most continuously published student newspaper, it is not the first.  “The [LaGrange College] Scroll” was initially produced as a newspaper in January of 1922.  The publication declared, “This paper is designed to be a medium through which the best thought of the student body may find expression, and to serve as a bond of union between the College and former students and alumnae.”  In the fall of 1933 “The Scroll” became a literary magazine.  Our collection of this early newspaper includes a fascinating special edition providing news of LaGrange College’s centennial celebration in October of 1931 as well as interviews with alumnae.

Visit the Archives to discover for yourself the collection of rich resources which preserve the history of LaGrange College.  Generous and often unexpected donations insure that the collection continues to expand.  Displays on the main floor of Lewis Library and just outside Suber Archives on the ground floor of the Library provide a sampling of our holdings.  Let us know if we can be of assistance. 

Suber Archives and Special Collections

Frank and Laura Lewis Library

LaGrange College

LaGrange, Georgia

Hours:

Monday – Thursday, 8:30am until 5:00pm

Friday, 8:30am until 12:30pm

Contacts:

Patricia Barrett,  pbarrett@lagrange.edu

Jacqueline Hornsby,  jhornsby@lagrange.edu

706-880-8995    

**This post was authored by Jacqueline Hornsby.

An Introduction to Over the Rhine...

"...I think it is safe to say that while the South is hardly Christ-centered, it is most certainly Christ-haunted. The Southerner, who isn't convinced of it, is very much afraid that he may have been formed in the image and likeness of God. Ghosts can be very fierce and instructive. They cast strange shadows, particularly in our literature..."

- Flannery O'Connor

“We grew up with the musical mingling common to many of us who were raised in "the church." There were the old hymns that seeped into our souls via our mothers' milk, and then there was the allure of the music we were finding on our radio dials and on our friends' records. In small town America, many of us do grow up in a surreal musical world where Elvis is King, Jesus is Lord.

          The records we ended up making document in part our attempts to unravel the tangle of religion we inherited. It's unsettling when someone named Jesus keeps turning up in unexpected places on a double album, but we're by no means the first songwriters to be Christ-haunted.”

- Karin Bergquist and Linford Detweiler

          “Over the Rhine’s music is personal, reflecting several distinct concerns that make it hard to classify. All of it is subtle, dreamy, and low key. The closest comparison would be to Canada's Cowboy Junkies, with whom Over the Rhine toured for a while as "honorary members." "Folk-pop" and "alt-country" have been proposed as labels, and each is fine as far as it goes, but neither captures the role of Detweiler's piano, which can sketch sweeping rock landscapes or settle into cocktail-lounge shadows by turns. Their complex, rather literary lyric style is their own, often centered lately on quirky take-offs on romantic songs of the jazzy sort, songs about war and the violence that has infused itself into modern life, and spiritual essays — Over the Rhine has had a glancing relationship with the Christian music scene but has tended toward an unaffiliated desire for a better world and toward the fellowship found in hoping for it.”

- James M. Manheim

          Now that you know what others are saying about Over the Rhine, check out the album releases below and discover for yourself why this particular library staff member so highly regards the recordings of this remarkable husband and wife duo!

          And, yes, the Lewis Library has these ready for you to check out:


Ohio

CD M2198 .O944 O69 2003



Drunkard’s Prayer

CD  M2198 .O944 D86 2005



The Trumpet Child

CD M2198 .O944 T91 2007



** This post was authored by David Wiggins.

ERIC Documents – Where Did They Go?

Back in the Dark Ages, education researchers had to use microfiche (slips of paper that held several pages of documents in smaller form) to access a vast collection of education documents through ERIC (Education Resources Information Center).  To see the documents, you had to slide the slip of paper into a machine for it to be enlarged enough to read. Then came a major digitization project and we all forgot about the cabinets full of microfiche that students once used.  However, in August, the Department of Education disabled access to most of these digital documents because of privacy concerns.  (Some of the older documents contained SSNs.)  The fulltext documents will be available online again at some point in the future but in the meantime, Lewis Library will be digging out microfiche again for students. 

**This post was authored by Charlene Baxter.

McNaughton Collection

Looking for something fun and interesting to read?  Check out the McNaughton Collection in the Lewis Library and Cozy Up to books like:

From David Baldacci--the modern master of the thriller and #1 worldwide bestselling novelist--comes a new hero: a lone Army Special Agent taking on the toughest crimes facing the nation.

Seattle investigator J. P. Beaumont uncovers a dark and deadly conspiracy that reaches deep into the halls of state government, in this latest thriller from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance.

From beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels comes an enchanging new addition to her Godmothers series--a story of enduring friendship, adventure, and the surprises that can change everything.

Drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, seven-time Emmy winner Betty White's wit and wisdom take center stage as she tackles topics like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the brave new world of celebrity.

It Worked for Me is filled with vivid experiences and lessons learned that have shaped the legendary public service career of the four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. At its heart are Powell's "Thirteen Rules"--notes he gathered over the years and that now form the basis of his leadership presentations given throughout the world.

The McNaughton Collection is located on the Main Floor and we have many genres that you can choose from such as Nonfiction, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Cookbooks, and Holiday Novels.  So come by the library and check it out!

**Authored by Carolyn Graham

Need a room in the Library?

There are two different ways to go about reserving rooms in the library and it all depends on what you’re looking for:

3-5 People: This is usually student study groups. Reserve a study room (rooms 306 and 307-no computers/rooms 305, 311A, 311B-computers). To do this, go to the circulation desk and ask to reserve a room. Please do this at least 24 hours in advance!

6-40 People: This is usually for classes and student organizations. Reserve either the conference room (no computer), seminar room (no computer), media lounge (no computer), multimedia classroom, or the auditorium. Go to the library webpage. Click on “Book a Room” and fill out the form. Make sure to be specific with your technology needs so that librarians can set up the appropriate training and technology. Once you’ve filled out the form, you should get a confirmation email from a librarian that the room has been reserved.

Auditorium



Multimedia Classroom



  



Hines Conference Room



Media Lounge





Seminar Room



Please remember to make your reservations in advance and cancel your reservation if you decide not to use the room. Also, let us know if you want to use any library technology so that we can have it ready for you.

Journal Locator

Do you have an article citation and want to find full text?  Maybe there’s a long journal article on reserve and you want to see if you can download it from a database?  Or maybe you’re just looking to see if we have online access to a favorite magazine?

You don’t have to check all 335 of Lewis Library’s databases.  One will do it: Journal Locator 

Journal Locator will tell you whether we have full text in any of our databases for a periodical (journal, magazine, or newspaper), and for what dates.  Just type the title into the search box:

This shows we have full text for the LaGrange Daily News since 2006 in the “Access World News” database.

Sometimes we have coverage for different dates in different databases, for example:

JSTOR has PDF full text from 1966 to 2006; two other databases have full text for the last few years, up until 6 months ago.  (If you want an article from five months ago, you can order it on Interlibrary Loan… or wait a for the database to aquire it.)

You can also use Journal Locator for magazines of personal interest (Rolling Stone, Sporting News, etc.).  Try it out!

For details on how to access Journal Locator, see this Libguide.

Please see the reference librarian if you want more information.

**This post was authored by Arthur Robinson

New DVD's for the Library!

Red Tails (2012) 

DVD PN1997 .R479 2012
As the war takes its toll on Allied forces in Europe, a squadron of African American pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen are finally given the chance to prove themselves in the sky - even as they battle discrimination on the ground. It's a tribute to the unsung heroes who rose above extraordinary challenges and ultimately soared into history.







The Artist (2011)

DVD PN1997 .A784 2012
Outside a movie premiere, enthusiastic fan Peppy Miller literally bumps into the swashbuckling hero of the silent film, George Valentin. The star reacts graciously and Peppy plants a kiss on his cheek as they are surrounded by photographers. The headlines demand: "Who's That Girl?" and Peppy is inspired to audition for a dancing bit-part at the studio. However as Peppy slowly rises through the industry, the introduction of talking-pictures turns Valentin's world upside-down.





The Descendants (2011) 

DVD PN1997 .D468 2012
With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the man who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.








Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

DVD PN1997 .R572 2011
At the story's heart is Caesar, a chimpanzee who gains human-like intelligence and emotions from an experimental drug. Caesar ultimately finds himself taken from the humans he loves and imprisoned in an ape sanctuary in San Bruno. 








My Week with Marilyn (2011)

DVD PN1997 .M358 2011
Sir Laurence Olivier is making a movie in London. Young Colin Clark, an eager film student, wants to be involved and he navigates himself a job on the set. When film star Marilyn Monroe arrives for the start of shooting, all of London is excited to see the blonde bombshell, while Olivier is struggling to meet her many demands and acting ineptness, and Colin is intrigued by her. Colin's intrigue is met when Marilyn invites him into her inner world where she struggles with her fame, her beauty and her desire to be a great actress.




War Horse (2011)

DVD PN1997 .W261 2012
Young Albert enlists to serve in World War I after his beloved horse is sold to the cavalry. Albert's hopeful journey takes him out of England and across Europe as the war rages on.








We Bought a Zoo (2011)

DVD PN1997 .W493 2012 
Benjamin has lost his wife. In a bid to start his life over, he purchases a large house that has a zoo. This is welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper, Kelly, and the rest of the zoo staff. But, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble. The staff must get the zoo back to its former glory, pass a zoo inspection, and get it back open to the public.





The Iron Lady (2011)

DVD PN1997 .I775 2012
An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.








One for the Money (2012)

DVD PN1997 .O618 2012
Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.









Check out one of these titles today!