Wolfram│Alpha

Stephen Wolfram, developer of Mathematica, has designed a new Web tool called Wolfram│Alpha.  Although its interface looks like a search engine, Wolfram│Alpha is actually a computational knowledge engine.  Search engines, like Google, search the Web and list links as results.   Wolfram│Alpha produces results by making computations from its own knowledge base. 

Clicking on the sample topics links will give you ideas of how to use this tool in areas like mathematics, engineering, dates & times, money & finance, and unit & measures.  You can enter math problems, ask for conversions, compare stocks, produce a world map with life expectancies, assess the per capita income of Brooking County, etc.  Wolfram│Alpha has a blog, a community site, and a quick video overview to help users get started.

The producers of Wolfram│Alpha plan to expand its capacities in the future.  Their ambitious “long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to anyone.”  They also see opportunities to develop other forms of their product—to provide professional and corporate applications, to work with an organization’s internal data, and to work with mobile platforms. 

If you have any questions about research please contact a SDSU librarian.  You can contact us in-person at the Information Desk, send an e-mail, a text message, or set up an appointment. 

 Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

2009 High School Topic: Poverty

                   

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Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States

 

The 2009 South Dakota High School Debate Camp will soon be underway on the SDSU Campus. The library welcomes all coaches and students in the arts of rhetoric and persuasion! Well, of course the library welcomes all who would seek knowledge (and evidence) within these scholared halls.

 

The Government Documents Department offers assistance in finding federal and state government information sources on this years high school debate topic: Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States. An online topic guide has been created to identify selected federal and Internet resources available online and through library databases on the topic of poverty in the United States.

 

The Briggs Library Guide to Government Information provides links to a number of federal, state, local, and international sites for research, including a research guide for Debate Topics. Additional library resources can be accessed from the library homepage including the library catalog and library databases all of which are accessible on the SDSU Campus.

 

Assistance in using library resources and for Government information sources is available at the Information Desk (main level) and on the lower level of the library in the Documents Office. The library offers free wireless Internet service as well as free Internet access on the public computers. And of course, the library offers free information finding expertise. Just AskUs!

 

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

 

 

 

News and Resources on the Supreme Court Justice nomination

In the news…

Supreme Court Justice David Souter has announced his coming retirement.  On May 26, President Obama announced his selection of Sonia Sotomayor to become the newest justice.  Sotomayor now faces hearings in the Senate, which has the authority to either approve or reject Pres. Obama’s nominee.

Here is a selection of resources for further information on this topic:

- For information on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor: http://www.loc.gov/law/find/sotomayor.php
- For information on the Supreme Court including history, the docket, and opinions: http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
- For online access to the text of Supreme Court Nomination Hearings since 1971: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/senate/judiciary/scourt.html
- For a list of Supreme Court nominees since 1789: http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/reference/nominations/Nominations.htm
- For information regarding presidential nominations, nominees, and appointments: http://www.senate.gov/reference/Nominations/Index.htm
- For a biographical directory of federal judges since 1789: http://www.fjc.gov/public/home.nsf/hisj

For further information, please ask at the Information Desk or the Government Documents Department. While you are at the library, feel free to check out the displays on the lower level and learn more about our Supreme Court Justices as well as our Justice Department publications.

Laura Plowman, Public Services Library Associate

Mountains Beyond Mountains

 If you like to read and then discuss what you’ve read, consider the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.

 This fall students in twenty-five sections of freshman opportunities and orientation courses, such as General Studies 100, will be reading the book, a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer.  Farmer, a world leader in public health and medical anthropology, founded Partners in Health, an organization which has provided health care to disadvantaged populations throughout the world, conducted ground-breaking research, and influenced policy in world health organizations.

 The book focuses on Farmer, a fascinating individual, who Kidder describes as “a man who would cure the world,” but it also invites discussions of broad and varied topics like public health, poverty and wealth, land use, and the responsibilities of the individual.  

 This fall you’ll find plenty of students who have read the book, but if you can’t wait contact Tim Nichols, Dean of the Honors College, at 605-688-5268, about a summer reading group. 

 To further advance study and discussion, Dr. Farmer will speak on campus on November 19, 2009, as the Griffith Honors Forum lecturer. 

 Ready to get started?  The library has two copies of Mountains Beyond Mountains (BOOKS/UPPER LEVEL R154.F36 K53 2003) and the University Bookstore has copies for sale.

 If you are interested in further investigation of the topics addressed in the book, the library has many resources available.  Search the library’s catalog to find records for books and government documents; search databases, such as EBSCOhost Megafile and ProQuest, for articles in newspapers, magazines and journals.   Also consult the library’s Topic Guides for research guidance in a particular subject area.  Librarians are available to help you research—consult with us in-person at the Information Desk, send an e-mail, a text message, or set up an appointment. 

 Happy reading!

 Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

Memorial Day: Government Information Resources

 

Library of Congress:

• American Folklife http://www.loc.gov/folklife/
• American Memory Today in History May 30, 1868 http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/may30.html
• Veterans History Project http://www.loc.gov/vets/
• Wise Guide to Memorial Day http://www.loc.gov/wiseguide/may03/memorial.html

National Moment of Remembrance Act http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS11674 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Public and Intergovernmental Affairs http://www1.va.gov/opa/speceven/memday/index.asp 

USA.gov guide to Memorial Day http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Memorial_Day.shtml

Whitehouse Commission on Remembrance http://www.remember.gov/ 

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Congressional Hearing: Role of Museums and Libraries in Strengthening Communities

“Examining the Role of Museums and Libraries in Strengthening Communities” – Hearing before the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities – Committee on Education and Labor – U.S. House of Representatives – 110th Congress, 2nd Session – September 11, 2008 – Serial No. 110-109.  Y 4.ED 8/1:110-109

 http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS109681

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Lobby Commotion

Installation of Food Booths in Library Lobby Photo by Susan Schleicher

What’s happening in the lobby of the library?  SDSU Dining Services personnel are placing booths and working on electrical connections so that food and beverages—including coffee!—can be offered in the library.  Unfortunately for those of us on campus this summer, the consumables will not be available until this fall.

 

Linda Kott

Information Services Librarian

Intellectual Freedom and Freedom of Information

Intellectual freedom begins with the freedom of information. The value of free and public information was recognized early in the history of the United States of America. In 1813, Congress authorized and mandated the distribution of Congressional materials to select universities, historical societies, and state libraries. The result, was the creation of the Federal Depository Library Program. The purpose of the Federal Depository Library Program is to provide free, easy, permanent access to federal government information. Title 44, Chapter 19 of the U.S. code established the legal requirements for federal depository libraries, foremost of which is to make government publications available for free use by the general public.

In 1889, South Dakota State University was designated as a depository library. H.M. Briggs Library is the largest depository library in South Dakota, collecting 75% of publications distributed through the Government Printing Office. There are over 575,000 volumes in the Government Documents collection including monographs, microforms, CDs, DVDs, floppy discs and electronic documents on the Internet. These are all publications produced by federal government agencies required by law to provide copies (in any format) of publications to the Government Printing Office for distribution to depository libraries that may choose to select those publications. Today, the Government Printing Office provides access to over 90% of these publications online. Additionally, government agencies increasingly only publish information through their websites. The Freedom of Information Act of 1966 and the 1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments ensures public access to government information in tangible and electronic formats. Your right to know what your government is doing is further supported by the present Presidential administration’s transparency initiatives.

The Documents Department of Briggs Library supports your right to know and your right to access Government Information. The Government Documents collection is a rich legacy of historical and contemporary research materials on almost any topic. Resources are available in multiple formats paper, microforms, CDs, DVDs, floppy discs, online databases, online research publications, online consumer information sites, and electronic government services.

Exercise your intellectual freedom to access the information of your Government. Documents staff are more than happy to assist in the quest for government information. We are committed to the free, unrestricted access to government information.

Find out more about Government Information at Briggs Libray at http://lib.sdstate.edu/find/govdocs/ and our collection access policy at http://lib.sdstate.edu/find/govdocs/DocumentsPolicy.pdf.

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Evening Study Breaks

Need a break from studying for your finals?  Come to Briggs Library and enjoy coffee, cookies, and lemonade to help keep you going.

 Refreshments will be offered Monday & Tuesday, May 5 & 6, starting around 7 p.m. in lobby of the library.

Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week

Believe it or not stress and anxiety can be a good thing.  If you’re worried about your electricity being turned off, you’ll likely pay your utility bill on time.  If you’re worried about passing your classes, you’ll likely put in some study time. 

 

However, sometimes fear and anxiety go past normal levels and people have trouble coping.  Helping people who experience overwhelming levels of fear and anxiety is the focus of National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week, May 3-9, 2009.

 

Freedom from Fear, a national non-profit mental health advocacy organization, sponsors the week and urges anyone experiencing debilitating anxiety or depression to seek help.  The organization’s Web site can be found at www.freedomfromfear.org and their toll free number is 1-888-442-2022.

 

Resources for SDSU students include Student Health and Counseling Services which offers by-appointment and crisis counseling.  Their offices are located in the Wellness Center or call (605) 688-6146.

 

National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week, coincides with finals week at SDSU.  If you’re in the library studying, check out a display on this issue located in the hallway to your right when you come in the door.

 

If you need more information about depression or anxiety, you will find hundreds of relevant books in the Briggs Library catalog.  In addition, thousands of relevant magazine and journal articles can be found using databases listed on the library research databases page.  EBSCOhost Megafile and ProQuest will each provide a great selection of both magazine articles written for the general public and scholarly research articles written for more scientific purposes.  For even more comprehensive scientific coverage, PsycINFO and Medline would be excellent choices.  You will find that digital versions of many of the articles will be available from these databases. 

 

Best wishes to all students for a healthy and successful finals week.

 

Linda Kott

Information Services Librarian