Constitution Day/Congress Week

This year is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  It’s an appropriate time to revisit the documents and institutions that sustain our country in the wake of a national tragedy like 9/11 and other challenges.  Constitution Day, September 17, and Congress Week, September 12-16, provide us with that opportunity.

Constitution Day celebrates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.  Established by Congress in 2004, Constitution Day stresses the importance of the Constitution as a document that guides our government and protects citizens’ rights.  You can read the Constitution online or come in to the Government Documents office on the lower level of the library for a free copy.

The Association of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC) created Congress Week to coincide with Constitution Day.  ACSC encourages the study of Congress and its key role in the government as established by the Constitution.  Our own Thomas A. Daschle Congressional Research Study, located within the Special Collections area of Briggs Library, provides a unique resource for the study of Congress.  Here the public can access papers from Daschle’s twenty-six years in Congress.

The staff at Briggs Library encourages you to explore our resources and learn more about the U.S. Constitution and Congress.  The library is a member of the Federal Depository Library Program, and has been since 1889, so we provide free access to congressional, executive, and judicial publications.  For more information on this program connect to our Government Documents Web page. 

You can also come to the library to see displays on the lower and main levels.  Access our History and Political Science Research Guides.  Search library resources such as our online catalog and databases to get more information.  Also, feel free to contact a librarian about the Constitution, Congress, or any other research interests.

 Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

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Festival of Cultures

Librarian Mary Kraljic at Past Festival of Cultures / Photo by Patty Vick

Briggs Library staff members will be hosting a booth at SDSU’s 29^th Annual Festival of Cultures.  We hope you will join us in Frost Arena on Friday 1 April anytime from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Our booth will highlight library resources related to culture.  You can explore world cultures in more depth by visiting the library in-person or online.  Following are just a few ways to dive into the topic.

• Peruse the library’s collection of local, regional, and world newspapers found on the main level of the library.
• Use the library’s catalog to find records for books, government documents, DVD’s, and electronic books.
• Consult resources in the library’s Reference Collection on the library’s main level, including multivolume works on Culture and Customs organized by country and Food Culture organized by country or region.
• Use one of our many databases to find articles in magazines, journals, or newspapers.
• Explore Government Information, including international information.
• Ask a librarian to help with your research.  Consult with a librarian in person at the Information Services Desk or click on the Ask Us link on the library’s homepage for information on connecting by phone, e-mail or instant messaging. 

 Linda Kott
Information Service Librarian

MyiLibrary – eContent Resource Library

MyiLibrary is an electronic platform that offers library users access to some of the most topical and current e-books available today. Users can access a wide range of research, reference and reading materials online from any location. Users can search across many e-books or conduct searches within a particular e-book.

The e-content available @ Briggs covers these subject areas —

• Agriculture
• Education
• Geography, Anthropology, Recreation
• Language and Literature
  • American Literature
• Medicine
  • Nursing
• Science
• Social Sciences
• Technology
  • Engineering (General), Civil Engineering (General)
  • Mechanical Engineering and Machinery
  • Technology (General)

You can access MyiLibrary by clicking on Find Articles & Databases on the Library’s home page http://www.sdstate.edu/library/ then scrolling down and clicking on MyiLibrary.

Learn About Nepal

Nepal Night will begin at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13, in the Volstorff Ballroom of the Student Union. Hosted by SDSU’s Nepalese Student Association, the event offers an opportunity to sample Nepalese cuisine and culture.

If you want to learn even more about Nepal, remember the library offers many great resources. One place is to look for information is a general database like EBSCOhost MegaFILE, which is linked on the library’s homepage. I looked for information on Nepal’s culture and retrieved many helpful articles. According an article by Bailey, Nepali is the official language of Nepal, but its people speak over fifty languages and dialects (People & Culture sec.). Check out the accuracy of this fact with the hosts of Nepal Night or by comparing other sources.

Works Cited

Bailey, Ellen. “Nepal.” Our World: Nepal (2010): 1-6. EBSCO MegaFILE. Web. 10 Feb. 2011.

Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

HM Briggs Library Web Toolbar

Access library and other research resources quickly from your browser using the free Briggs Library Toolbar! The toolbar is compatible with Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. The toolbar is very easy to install and updates quickly with a built-in refresh option. The toolbar is also easy to uninstall if you wish to remove it from your browser. The HM Briggs Library Toolbar provides searching and one-click access to:

* Library Catalog
* Library Databases
* Journals List
* Electronic and Paper Reserves
* Google Scholar
* Archives & Special Collections
* Government Documents
* Library Research Tools such as: Interlibrary Loan, Citing & Copyright, Distance Library Services, Renew Books Online.
* The main SDSU Web Page

Try it out today: http://lib.sdstate.edu/services/toolbar.html

Laura M. Wight, Associate Professor & Information Literacy Librarian

American History Video Collection added

Briggs Library was the lucky winner of a free subscription to the American History in Video collection from Alexander Street Press. The free subscription is for one year so we will have this collection through June 2010. We encourage everyone who has an interest in history or in watching videos to take a look. All you need is a computer and internet access (the faster the access, the better). According to Alexander Street Press there are more than 1470 titles in the collection. Content comes from commercial and governmental newsreels, archival footage, public affairs footage, and important documentaries.

Examples of videos available in this collection include a United News Release video from 1942 about American bombers taking off and landing from a secret Australian air base (as an Australian American, I found this particularly interesting); a documentary on Amelia Earhart including footage of her from the History Channel; and PBS’ Summer of Love documentary. There is something for everyone so take advantage of the collection now!

This database is linked in our Articles and Databases List under American History Video or click here.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services 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

Chemistry Database Gets New Interface

For all you chemistry researchers out there, we now have access to SciFinder Scholar via the web. SciFinder Scholar provides comprehensive bibliographic access to the scientific literature of chemistry and related disciplines. Access is limited to SDSU faculty, staff, and students due to licensing restrictions.

SciFinder Scholar provides the SDSU community with quick and easy access to a wide diversity of research from many scientific disciplines. Faculty and students can explore:

• CAS database content created by scientists
• References from over 9,500 currently published journals and patent information from more than 50 active patent issuing authorities
• Important discoveries that span the scientific century back to 1900
• The latest scientific breakthroughs almost as soon as they are published with references added daily and some patent information as recent as two days ago
• Complete coverage of chemistry and the life sciences including biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, medicine, and related disciplines
• The world’s largest collection of organic and inorganic substance information

To access this database, a user must create a free account. These accounts can be created here. Remember, this account must include an SDSU e-mail account. We only have one concurrent user for all the South Dakota universities.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services Librarian

Read Sports Illustrated, Other Publications Online

 

The sports fans at my house love Sports Illustrated.  Recently, they have enjoyed the coverage of the Olympics and articles to help with their fantasy football leagues.  The library has Sports Illustrated in print format from 1954 to the present.  You will find the most current issues in the Popular Periodicals area on the main level.

 

SDSU students, staff, and faculty who can’t make it to the library can also read Sports Illustrated online, through our electronic databases.

 

To read Sports Illustrated via EBSCOhost, use the following directions.

·         On the library’s homepage (http://lib.sdstate.edu/) use the link to EBSCOhost.  (Click here or here for information on off-campus access.)

·         Once you’ve accessed the EBSCOhost database, click on the Publications link at the top of the page.

·         Enter Sports Illustrated in the “Browsing:EBSCO MegaFILE – Publications” search field (the lower field).

·         Click on the Sports Illustrated link, then on the year you want to access.  At this point you will see links to specific issues, open one and enjoy the articles.

 

Not a sports fan?  Read publications on other subjects as well.  Use the same procedure to search for other titles, or search the list of publications by subject and description.  EBSCOhost is also an excellent resource for searching by topic across many titles.

 

Linda Kott

Information Services Librarian