Reeves Library http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/ Copyright 2009 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:25:01 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.23-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss This may change my life Readability is a cool little tool that lets you focus in on the text of a web site-- not the ads, not the little videos that start without your consent, and not all of the weird frames and stuff that make it so annoying to read and print some articles online.

It's super-easy to customize and install. Click here. Pick the font style, font size, and margin width that you like. Then drag a button to where you want it to live in your web browser. Walla, you're done.

Then, the next time that you're trying to read an article and can barely navigate through the clutter, just press that button, and all of the junk will go away.

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/this_may_change.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/this_may_change.html web tools Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:25:01 -0500 Free files online that you can use Yesterday, ProfHacker did a great post about finding content with particular kinds of Creative Commons licenses. If you watched the video I posted last week about copyright and fair use, you might be interested in finding media that you can use ethically without having to jump through a lot of hoops.

Here's the original ProfHacker post about finding image files that you're allowed to use: http://www.profhacker.com/2009/10/20/where-all-the-purty-pictures-come-from-flickr-creative-commons/

And here's yesterday's post, which explains the process a little more: http://www.profhacker.com/2009/11/10/how-to-find-free-online-content-that-youre-allowed-to-re-use/

Happy hunting, scavenging, and re-purposing!

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/free_files_onli.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/free_files_onli.html Copyright Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:29:07 -0500 Reusing the leftovers A lot of people ask us what happens to the books that are left over after the annual book sale. In the past, we've made efforts to give those unsold books to local organizations or charities, but this year, we've done something different. We sent the leftover items to Better World Books.

Better World Books is an organization that partners with libraries to give unwanted books a good home. If you frequently purchase used books from Amazon.com, you may have actually received a title or two from them (I have). BWB works sort of like a consignment service; they sent us boxes, we packaged up the books we wanted to send, and they covered the shipping costs for us to send the books to them.

BWB will then try to sell the books. Any books that are not sold after a reasonable time period will be recycled-- no books are ever thrown away. The money received from any sales will be split; a percentage will be accrued to our account, with a check being mailed to the library; a portion of the price will go to Better World Books to cover their costs associated with the services; and the remainder will go to one of BWB's literacy partners. We chose for our books to benefit Worldfund, a group that strives to improve education in Latin America.

We've very excited about this program and hope the opportunity we have to make a difference, avoid books going to a landfill, and even get a little cash back in the library coffers to help pay for those cookies during finals week. Go check out the Better World Books website and browse around-- you might find some great books for a great price!

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/reusing_the_lef.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/reusing_the_lef.html Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:08:53 -0500 A quick primer on fair use I'm currently participating in the ELITE training program at SHU, and our most recent assignment was to create a movie in ScreenFlow. Here's the 6-minute guide that I created about plagiarism, copyright, and fair use. The file is too large to embed here, but click on the link below and you should be able to access the movie.

http://files.me.com/kellyaddleman/poav3j.mov

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/a_quick_primer.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/a_quick_primer.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:28:13 -0500 Scrooge Lives! It's frightening that there are actually people with this type of mindset!

Ugly battle has librarians in Oak Brook turning to Teamsters

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/scrooge_lives.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/11/scrooge_lives.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:38:57 -0500 Ooops The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, style bible for many departments on campus, was overhauled this summer to incorporate many updates and improvements. Too bad that it contains so many errors that it makes a Microsoft new release look polished!

Two of the copies in question (6th edition, first printing) are currently on our library shelves, so make sure to also consult the list of corrections when you're working on your paper.

More information about the goof-- and what people want the APA to do about it-- here.

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/10/ooops.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/10/ooops.html Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:44:23 -0500 By order of the President President Obama has officially declared October 2009 "National Information Literacy Awareness Month." Go, Mr. President!

A couple of my favorite lines:

100_2747.JPG"Rather than merely possessing data, we must also learn the skills necessary to acquire, collate, and evaluate information for any situation. This new type of literacy also requires competency with communication technologies, including computers and mobile devices that can help in our day-to-day decisionmaking."

"Americans have unprecedented access to the diverse and independent sources of information, as well as institutions such as libraries and universities, that can help separate truth from fiction and signal from noise."

"An informed and educated citizenry is essential to the functioning of our modern democratic society, and I encourage educational and community institutions across the country to help Americans find and evaluate the information they seek, in all its forms."

Are your information skills up to scratch? At the rate things are changing, we all have to stay on our toes to be the smartest information users we can be.

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/10/by_order_of_the.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/10/by_order_of_the.html Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:51:49 -0500 Happy Banned Books Week ALA's Top 10 List of ''challenged'' Books of 2008

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/10/happy_banned_bo.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/10/happy_banned_bo.html Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:44:01 -0500 Whatchoo Talkin' Bout, Bernanke Not strictly a blog about libraries but to keep abreast of what's happening in the country counts as information literacy. Ben Bernanke stated recently that the recession is "very likely over at this point." My own guide to the end of the recession is when I can once again stop including Ramen Noodles on my grocery list! I found this article in Slate Magazine an interesting reflection on this subject. Please to enjoy.

"If the Recession Is Over for Some People, I Must Not Know Them"

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/09/whatchoo_talkin.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/09/whatchoo_talkin.html Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:05:39 -0500 But I Have Cryptomnesia! An interesting article in the July 7, 2009, issue of Newsweek addresses the topic of plagiarism. Do we always know when we are doing it and if not how can we stop it?

You Didn’t Plagiarize, Your Unconscious Did

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/but_i_have_cryptomnesia.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/but_i_have_cryptomnesia.html Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:34:46 -0500 The Times They Are A Changin' Since 1998 Beloit College has published a Beloit College Mindset List. It is used to give some of the cultural milestones that the incoming freshman class would be familiar with and that some of us older people might want to keep in mind when striving to use relevant events to enliven classes and engage students. But, wow, does it make me feel old! I taught my first classes in the mid-1980s and remember being on the cutting edge of current cultural happenings and using them in my classes. I would really have to bone up now since I think any of my cultural reference from back then would sink like stones in today’s classrooms.

Beloit College Mindset List

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/the_times_they.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/the_times_they.html Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:22:28 -0500 New Study Space Available We’re trying something new in the library. We have moved the library server out of the old administrative assistant office which has left the room vacant. On a trial basis it will be available to Seton Hill students as a quiet study room. As you can see from the picture below one of the stipulations is that no cell phone use is permitted. This is due to the fact that the room adjoins the library office space (mine in particular) and the walls are not soundproof which means we can hear whatever goes on in this room. As long as it is used for its intended purpose of quiet individual or group study we will keep the room available. We hope you find it useful.

Thumbnail image for Study Room.JPG

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/new_study_space.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/new_study_space.html Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:44:25 -0500 The Words You Love To Hate There are many words in the English language that I love to hate. But to be more succinct it’s not the words per se it’s the way in which they are used. And actually many of them are phrases and not single words. I’ll keep mine to myself but this clip talks about some that are new to me. What words/phrases do you hate?

Words You Love To Hate

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/the_words_you_l.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/the_words_you_l.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:27:06 -0500 Come out, come out wherever you are One of the most enjoyable jobs during the summer here at Reeves is doing inventory. This is the time of year that our lucky summer aides (or should I say aide since we only have one this year) get the task of comparing our physical holdings with what our library computer system’s opinion is of what we should have. It’s the only way to find what has mysteriously disappeared from the collection during the past year as well as to find those books that somehow end up in places far away from where they should be. As you can see, Kali whole-heartedly embraces this important task.

Kali8-4-09.JPG

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/come_out_come_o.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/08/come_out_come_o.html Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:36:05 -0500 Go, go, MLA! MLA has updated their widely-used guidelines for how to format the entries of a Works Cited list. Our friend, the OWL at Purdue, provides a quick look at the changes. Honest, guys, these tweaks are going to make your lives easier!

]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/07/go_go_mla.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ReevesLibrary/2009/07/go_go_mla.html Fri, 24 Jul 2009 13:22:54 -0500