READ SPEAK KNOW

Celebrate the Freedom to Read during  Banned Books Week , September 26-October 3, 2009. Banned Books Week annually celebrates the importance of the First Amendment, the freedom to read, the freedom to access information and the freedom to express ideas without fear. Intellectual freedom provides the foundation for a free and democratic society to access and express multiple viewpoints regardless of popularity.

Librarians at SDSU are committed to intellectual freedom and unfettered access to information. In celebration of Banned books week, the library features displays on the Main Level and the Lower Level. Check out the Main Level East hallway display case and the Table Display in the lobby near the Information Services Office which includes the 2008-2009 Challenged Books List and examples of books that have been challenged in libraries, schools, bookstores, and communities. The Lower Level display outside the Government Documents Office explores federal publications related to the freedoms protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

See the American Library Association’s Issues & Advocacy pages for more information about Banned and Challenged books http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/index.cfm.

Vickie Mix, Government Documents Librarian

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

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

Earth Day 2009

Happy Earth Day 2009!

The United States has been celebrating Earth Day since 1970, the year the Environmental Protection Agency was created.  These government websites offer more information about Earth Day:

 

http://www.earthday.gov/

This website provides information on conservation and volunteer opportunities.  A special ‘for kids’ section offers many Earth Day and environment-related games and learning activities for kids or kids-at-heart.

 

http://www.epa.gov/earthday/

The Environmental Protection Agency’s website offers news, analysis on a variety of environmental issues, information about Earth-friendly science and technology, and much more.

 

http://www.epa.gov/earthday/history.htm

This page, provided by the EPA, gives a nice timeline of environmental progress from 1970 to today.

 

Also, feel free to visit the lower level of the library to see our Earth Day display full of a variety of government publications regarding the environment. 

 

And, a reminder… the staff at the Information Desk and the Government Documents office are available to help you with your research needs, environment-related or otherwise!

Earth Day 2009 display

Celebrate National Library Week!

 

This week, the over 123,000 libraries around the country are celebrating National Library Week [April 12-18]. In Briggs Library, you will find signs and banners as well as a display outside the Government Documents office on the lower level. The display features information about our nation’s library, the Library of Congress, and also provides a selection of the Library’s publications.

The Library of Congress was founded in 1800 and originally located in the U.S. capitol building. It has grown to be the largest library in the world, currently holding nearly 142 million items in its collection, 32 million of which are in print. The Library also employs a permanent staff of 3,637 employees. In comparison, Briggs Library holds only 926,000 print items and has a staff of 32.

To find more publications by the Library of Congress, feel free to browse the ‘LC’ call number section of the Government Documents shelving. For more information about the Library of Congress, please ask us or visit http://www.loc.gov to browse the Library’s resources, view its virtual displays and collections, and learn more about America’s library.

We’ll conclude this posting about National Library Week with a few facts courtesy the American Library Association:
 Reference librarians in the nation’s public and academic libraries answer more than 7.2 million questions weekly. Standing single file, the line of questioners would stretch from New York City to Juneau, Alaska.
 63% of adults in the U.S. have public library cards.
 There are more public libraries than McDonald’s in the U.S. – a total of 16,549, including branches.
 Americans go to school, public and academic libraries 50% more often than they go to the movies.
 The planned national events for the week include the release of the annual “State of America’s Libraries” report , National Library Workers Day on Tuesday (Libraries Work Because We Do!), the release of the 2008 list of the ‘Top Ten Most Challenged Books’ on Wednesday, and ‘Support Teen Literature Day’ on Thursday.

Book Review: Camouflage by Joe Haldeman

Book Title: Camouflage | Author: Joe Haldeman | Genre: Science Fiction | Call Number: PS3558.A353 C36 2004 (Shelved in the Recent Fiction Collection in Briggs Library)

Millions of years ago, the Changeling came to Earth from a group of stars 10,000 light years distant. It had the ability to change itself into any species of life and imitate not only the appearance but also the physiology of the species. It spent thousands of years as microscopic organisms in the sea where it landed and left its ship. It spent thousands of years as other sea creatures including killer sharks and whales. In 1931 it crawled out of the sea near San Quillermo California and encountered a human, who it killed and assumed his identity. It was fascinated by humans and learned quickly about them, and over the years, it lived as both men and women. It served in the Army and was good at killing, but it also earned several college degrees including several PhDs. It lost track of its ship and forgot about where it was from. However, it knew it was different and sought information about its origin. Meanwhile in 2019 a salvage company discovers a strange artifact that had been buried deep beneath the ocean floor. Although not large, its mass was inexplicable. A team of scientists is assembled to study the artifact, but it proves to be impenetrable. The Chameleon was another alien (a different species) who had lived on Earth for millions of years. It could also imitate the appearance of other species but not as easily as the Changeling. The two creatures did not know of the existence of each other, but they were constantly searching for other beings like them. The Chameleon was not really interested in humans, except to exploit them and kill them. Both the Changeling and the Chameleon were drawn to the site where the unknown artifact is being examined. The Changeling in the guise of a woman scientist lands a job with the project and develops a relationship with one of the lead scientists. The inevitable confrontation between the Changeling and the Chameleon, along with the love affair between the Changeling and the scientist, creates a very exciting and satisfying ending. This well-deserved Nebula Award winner is another very interesting novel by Joe Haldeman. – Reviewed by: Newt 

Get your freaky read @ Briggs Library…

Mid-terms are here!  It’s the time of the semester when students, faculty and staff are feeling harried and could use a nice, relaxing read.  Have we got a deal for you!   Did you know in addition to our plentiful research resources, we also have fiction books for more leisure reading AND a variety of Government Documents?  We’ve pulled a selection of our best creepy, scary, haunting and just plain freaky books and Government Documents for you to peruse the next time you visit the library.  Check out the displays in the lobby on the main level, and in Government Documents on the lower level, and take a good read home tonight as a temporary distraction from the craziness of mid-terms.  Oh, and Happy Halloween!