Race to Outer Space

Come to the lower level of the library to see a display on the space race of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.  Spurred by the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957, the United States passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act and entered into a “race” with the Soviets to explore space.  The display illustrates how the space race influenced popular culture and design, including holiday decorations.  If you are interested in reading more about the topic you may consult the short bibliography of books, along with their call numbers, given below.  Please ask a librarian for assistance in locating materials or for help in further exploring the topic.

The space race: from Sputnik to Apollo, and beyond
Donald William Cox
TL789.8.U6 C6s 1962

NASA’s first 50 years: historical perspectives
Steven J. Dick, ed.
NAS 1.21:2010-4704

The new look: design in the fifties
Lesley Jackson
NK1390.J32 1991

The Sixties: decade of design revolution
Lesley Jackson
NK1390.J33 1998

Interior design since 1900
Anne Massey
NK1980.M32 2008

Space and the American imagination
Howard E. McCurdy
TL789.8.U5 M338 1997

The American design adventure, 1940-1975
Arthur J. Pulos
NK1404.P85 1988

Remembering the space age
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, History Office.
NAS 1.21:2008-4703

Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

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Winter Festivals, Part 2

Library staffers Sandy Linn, Anne Jerke, and Kathy Gustafson have been busy creating more displays featuring winter festivals.  Look for displays on the Chinese New Year and Pancha Ganapati, the Hindu Family Festival of Giving, on the main level of the library.  Head downstairs to see a display on the winter solstice.  Check out the bibliographies below if you are interested in reading about the festivals.  Please ask a librarian for assistance in locating materials or if you would like more information.  Happy Holidays!

Chinese New Year
The Moon Year; a record of Chinese customs and festivals
By Juliet Bredon and Igor Mitrophanow
DS721 .B7m

Pancha Ganapali
The Blackwell Companion to Hinduism
by Gavin Flood, ed.
BL1202 .B72 2005

Hinduism: a very short introduction
by Kim Knott
Electronic Resource

Winter Solstice
Mysteries and discoveries of archaeoastronomy from Giza to Easter Island
by Giulio Magli
GN799. A8 M3413 2009

Astronomy and empire in the ancient Andes: The cultural origins of Inca sky watching.
by Brian S. Bauer and David S. Dearborn
F3429.3 .C14 B38 1995

Stonehenge decoded
by Gerald S. Hawkins
DA142 .H3s 1965

General
Holiday,  festivals , and celebrations of the world dictionary: detailing more than 2,000 observances from all  50 states and more than 100 nations
ed. by Helene Henderson and Sue Ellen Thompson
Reference  GT3925  .T46  1997

Multicultural projects index: things to make and do to celebrate festivals, cultures, and holidays around the world
by Mary Anne Pilger
LC1099  .P55  1992

Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

Winter Festivals

Come to the library to see displays highlighting winter festivals.  On the upper level of the library you will find displays on Hanukkah and Christmas Around the World. Look for a display on  Kwanzaa on the main level. If you are interested in reading more about the various winter festivals a short bibliography of books, along with their call numbers, follows. Ask a librarian for assistance in locating these materials or if you would like to look for more information on the topic. Check back here for more updates about displays at the library.

Hanukkah
Festivals of the Jewish Year; a modern interpretation and guide
by Theodor Herzl Gaster
BM690  .G3f

Hanukkah: the  feast of lights
compiled  and edited by Emily Solis-Cohen, Jr.
BM695  .H356

Christmas Around the World
Christmas Customs Around the World
by Herbert H. Wernecke
GT4985  .W44  1959  Agricultural Heritage Museum

The Book of Christmas Folklore
by Tristram Potter Coffin
GT4985  C546

The Story of Christmas; its Growth and Development from the Earliest Times
by Michael Harrison
GT4985  H3s

Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa: everything you always wanted to know but didn’t know where to ask
by Cedric McClester
E185.86  .M39  1985

Kwanzaa and me: a teacher’s story
by Vivian Gussin Paley
LB1140.3  .P356  1995

Kwanzaa: an African-American celebration of culture and cooking
by Eric V. Copage
TX715  .C7865  1991

Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian

National Information Literacy Awareness Month

By Presidential Proclamation October is National Information Literacy Awareness month! In today’s digital world, people who are information literate know how to find, access, and critically evaluate information to improve their health, environment, education, and productivity.

Having this skill set empowers us to make informed decisions about our lives and, in essence, take more responsibility for our individual welfare and that of the nation.

Take a few minutes to recognize and appreciate the information literacy skills that you use every day. Try to imagine what your life would be like without them.

If you have any questions about what information literacy is or feel that your skills aren’t up to par, stop by the Information Services Desk and chat with a Librarian. We would be glad to help you out!

Common Read – Outcasts United

Outcasts United by Warren St. John is this year’s Common Read selection. Fall 2011 marks the third year of SDSU’s common reading program.  Previous Common Reads were Mountains Beyond Mountains and Three Cups of Tea.

The campus effort will target freshmen seminar courses, but all SDSU faculty, staff and students are welcome to read the text and to integrate it in their courses and campus activities next fall.

The author, Warren St. John will be on campus on October 26th and the coach of the team, Luma Mufleh, will be here on November 9th.

More information about campus activities can be found on the SDSU Common Read website. Additional information on Outcasts can be found at the Outcasts United website.

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

Want to learn more about the Library? Want to see all that we have to offer?

Stop in during one of these scheduled Library Tour times to check us out!!

9/13 Tues. 10:00 am

9/14 Wed. 2:00 pm

9/16 Fri. 11:00 am

9/22 Thurs. 3:30 pm

9/26 Mon. 9:30 am

9/30 Fri. 1:30 pm

10/6 Thurs. 10:30 am

All tours start in the lobby.

Welcome Back to Briggs!

Briggs Library has gone through a lot of changes this summer!

We bid farewell to our Dean, Dr. David Gleim, who retired in June, and we also welcomed our new Chief University Librarian, Dr. Kristi Tornquist.  Additionally, we installed more compact shelving downstairs, bought new black & white printers for the lobby, replaced the evergreen trees lining the front walk with native South Dakota plants, added a sign to the front of the building, and installed new carpet on the upper level.

And we’re not done yet!  We’re constantly trying to improve the Library, so don’t be surprised if you see even more changes in the coming weeks and months.

P.S.  In order to replace the carpet on the upper level, all of the shelves had to be moved — twice.  Want to see how they did it?  In this video you can watch them shifting the shelves (books and all!) back into place after the new carpet was laid.

Melissa Clark
Information Services Librarian

EndNote X5 for Windows is here

EndNote X5 is available for Windows. Faculty and staff can download it from InsideState. Students can check out a CD from reserves in the library. The Mac version is coming in September or October of this year.

~Elizabeth Fox

New Carpet on Upper Level

 

Work Progresses on Library's Carpet Project / Photo by Patty Vick

 

Excuse our mess!  The upper level of the library is being recarpeted.  This is a much needed improvement as the old carpet is from 1977 when the building first opened.  Books located on the upper level are still accessible.  Please ask at the Information Services Desk for help finding these resources.

 Linda Kott
Information Services Librarian