Paul Robeson Library

EBSCO has produced a portal for searching information about the H1N1 virus.  The site will provide evidence-based clinical information from DynaMed and Nursing Reference Center, EBSCO’s clinical and nursing point-of-care databases, along with patient education information in 17 languages from Patient Education Reference Center.

http://www.ebscohost.com/flu/.

The library  hours for next week are:  Wednesday 7:30-5:00pm.  We are closed Thurs-Sunday.

Have a good Thanksgiving weekend!

Regular hours resume on Monday.

So you thought you knew where to find that book…you head to the shelves…and what? where are the books? why are the shelves empty? why are the labels wrong?

We apologize for the current inconvenience as we finish up our move into the compact shelving. Please stop by a service desk for help locating an item. Currently, the compact shelving area is only available to library workers, but we can retrieve the item for you, or help you get it from another library.

Soon…we will invite you to come see the new compact shelving!

You might be wondering why there is so much empty shelving on the main floor.  Where did the books go? No, we are not going the way of Cushing Academy (removing all books..going totally digital). This is all just part of the compact shelving project.

Call Numbers HM - HX, J, K, L, and M have been moved to compact shelving, you may ask at reference or circulation for access to these books…and maybe get a preview of the new movable shelves.

The N’s are currently unavailable, along with PS-Z. You can request these items from other Rutgers Libraries or via EZ-Borrow. Please see a service desk for assistance.

Starting today, you can now instant message a reference librarian from 2-6pm Monday-Thursday (previously ended at 5) and 7-10pm Sunday-Thursday.

Looking forward to chatting with you!

Our presentation on Banned Book Week 2009 was enjoyed by many…for those of you who could not make it, you can watch a bit here on the Rutgers Camden YouTube Channel.  Speaking of YouTube Channels, did you know the library has one too?  Click here to watch videos on plagiarism, Wikipedia and other important library topics.

Looking for quick information on a topic?  There is a reference book for that.

Want to browse a comprehensive list in a topic? There is a reference book for that.

Reference books are available in the libraries and virtually. If we do not have the reference book  in Camden, you can request to have it sent here for In-Library Use Only. Ask a librarian for assistance.

Here are the latest additions to our reference collection:

Archaeology in America : an encyclopedia / Francis P. McManamon, general editor ; Linda S. Cordell, Kent G. Lightfoot, and George R. Milner, editorial board. This is a four volume set, divided by region. Essays include references to additional information, more detailed articles, books and reports on important North American archaeological sites. Includes maps and glossary of terms. Brings me back to my undergraduate days of digging in the hot mid-western sun at Cahokia Mounds, IL.   E159.5.A68 2009.

The dictionary of homophobia : a global history of gay & lesbian experience / edited by Louis-Georges Tin ; translated by Marek Redburn, with Alice Michaud and Kyle Mathers. This is an English translation and update of the groundbreaking Dictionnaire de l’homophobie. This book seeks to address the issue of homophobia by “clarifying the debate and opening opportunities for advancement, by simply revealing the stakes at issue”. As it was originally a French text, there is a stronger representation of  French individuals and events. HQ76.4.D5313 2008

Encyclopedia of Blacks in European history and culture / edited by Eric Martone. This is a 2 volume set that focuses “on the depictions and contributions of blacks in European history, literature, and popular culture”. It is meant “primarily for use with foreign language, literature, and social sciences courses. This encyclopedia is alphabetically by entries but also includes a topical list with groupings by country or sub-region. Random entry: Ozwald, Boateng (1967-) a “renowned Black British fashion designer and Savile Row tailor” whose wardrobe designs have been featured in several blockbuster films. He was the youngest tailor and the first black Briton to open a store on Savile Row. D212.2.B53E53 2009

The Greenwood encyclopedia of Asian American literature / edited by Guiyou Huang. This is a three volume set organized by list of entries with a guide to related topics.  The encyclopedia is “designed to fill a reference gap to support and advance the study of teaching of Asian American literature at all levels”. Random sample entry: Frank Chin (1940- )A Chinese American playwright, actor, novelist, literary critic, literary historian and activist. He is the first Asian American to have work presented on a mainstream New York stage with his plays appearing at the American Place Theatre. PS153.A84G74 2009

Historical dictionary of United States-Africa relations / Robert Anthony Waters Jr.  This is no. 9 of Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Diplomacy. The volume includes a guide to acronyms and abbreviations as well as maps and a chronology. This work “presents U.S.-Africa relations over the long term, via a dictionary section, with numberous entries on significant people, events, legislation, organizations and more importantly countries.” Randomly opening the book brought me to the entry for Stephen Biko (1946-1977) which of course means that Peter Garbriel’s “Biko” is now running through my head.  DT38.W385 2009

Leadership at the crossroads / Joanne B. Ciulla, set editor.  Three volumes make up this set on leadership.  Volumes include: Leadership and Psychology, Leadership and Politics and Leadership and the Humanities. Short essays address a variety of leadership topics within these fields. HM1261.L422 2008

The Longman companion to Victorian fiction / John Sutherland.   This volume contains entries on approximately 900 Victorian novelists, 560 Victorian novels and  47  Victorian magazines and periodicals.  This companion is meant as guide to assist readers of  Victorian literature, it does not intend to be a comprehensive encyclopaedia of Victorian fiction. The editor points out in his introduction that  the Guinness Book of Records speed reading holder would have to read for 40 hours a week (he has a reading speed of 25,000 words per minute) for 5 years in order to read all Victorian novels. PR871.S86 2009

The compact shelving project is moving forward. The area has been painted, the rails have been installed and the shelves are starting to appear. We are hoping to begin moving the PS-Z call numbers back to the shelves within the month.

Can’t wait to show everyone the finished project…what a change!

You can check out some recent photos of the project here.

Saturday kicks off Banned Books Week. This week is dedicated to promoting the freedom to read, and making everyone aware of challenged and banned books. We have many of these challenged and banned books available at the library…check out the list and then check out and read a banned book! We will also be offering a reading of last years most challenged book:

The Paul Robeson Library
Presents a Reading of the Most Challenged Book of 2008: And Tango Makes Three

Tuesday September 29, 2009
12:10 to 1:20 pm in the first floor lounge area
Refreshments will be served

And Tango Makes Three was challenged in school districts all over the United States. Parents claimed that it was unsuitable for young readers, promoted an anti-family point of view, and was thematically of a highly sexual nature.

This highly controversial story of forbidden love behind bars will be read by Paul Robeson Reference Librarian, Vibiana Bowman Cvetkovic. An in-depth discussion and analysis will be led by Mary Krebs Flaherty, M.A., English (Rutgers Camden),  &  Senior Administrative Assistant in the Camden FMS Department.

Parents nationwide demanded that this book be removed from library shelves. Are some books simply too shocking to allow children to read? Come hear the story and decide for yourself.

Please join us during the free period for this reading and discussion.  No RSVP required.

A month ago, Wikipedia passed the 3 million article mark.  Shortly after this milestone, Wikipedia announced that it will launch page controls. These page controls would require an editor to review changes to entries on individuals before they appear to the public, eliminating instances of untrue and often slanderous “facts” being added to these pages. There is also the development of something called “WikiTrust” which will color code the information in the entry according to the author’s credibility.

So what does this mean for you and your research?  It is good that Wikipedia is working to eliminate bad information and provide better tools in which to determine an entries accuracy, however this is not the place to go for serious scholarly research.

Check out the librarie’s tutorial on Wikipedia for more details (and a catchy tune).

http://library.camden.rutgers.edu/swf_files/wikipedia/

As always…we are here to answer your questions and help you find the right sources for your research!