Wednesday, July 30, 2008

When is reading not reading?

The New York Times recently began a new series of articles on the future of reading and the impact the internet has had on how and what people are reading. The first article entitled Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading? examines the reading habits or teenagers and young adults and poses the question - if one is reading an essay off the internet, can this really be considered reading?


In our digital age, most librarians agree that any reading should not be discounted. The internet isn't the enemy of reading, it has just added a new format in addition to printed material. Many of the points in this argument sound very similar to objections raised by parents and teachers as books-on-tape began growing in popularity in the late 1970's.
Regardless of format, the timeless question of "What do I read now?" never goes away, even with the internet. A reader may just need to work a little harder to find quality books and essays utilizing the web.

Through Project Gutenburg, e-books have been available via computer since 1971. With 25,000 books and counting, Gutenburg texts are books with expired copyright that have entered public domain. And for the younger set, the International Children's Digital Library is a online library of children's literature from around the world, available in their originally published language.
Major newspapers now have much of their content on their webpages, occasionally even more than in the print version - particularly supporting photos or videos. See NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal. The NewsLink webpage (edited by the American Journalism Review) claims to link to over 3,400 U.S. newspapers and 2,000 non-U.S. papers.

Prefer literature to current events? The Literary Review has a web edition. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes the web newsletter Arts & Letters Daily, linking to new and essays about art & literature. Humorous yet occasionally thought-provoking essays can be found at McSweeney's, Slate, Salon or even the Onion - the web favorite for a satirical look at news headlines.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Children's Literature - New Books

The Library's section of books for children has some wonderful books, titles representing the best in today's literature for children. Some recent arrivals include:




  1. Chester by Melanie Watt. Chester the cat and his red marker hijack this story that was supposed to be about a mouse.

  2. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. With classic watercolor drawings depicting scenery in Paris, a story of a little girl who has to have her appendix removed.

  3. Night of the Moon, by Hena Khan. A story of Ramadan from a child's perspective.

  4. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert. A friendship between a yellow maple tree and the child who planted it.

  5. Splish, Splash, Spring by Jan Carr. Spring is sloppy, so raindroppy! A lyrical look at springtime weather.

  6. Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. A clever re-telling of classic fairy tales.

  7. This is My House, by Richard Scarry. Timeless Richard Scarry illustrations of what makes a house and a home.

  8. Wave by Suzy Lee. A day at the sea, a child plays in the waves. Despite having no words, this book draws a visual picture of waves at the beach.

  9. When Vegetables go Bad! by Don Gillmor & Marie-Louise Gay. A story of what happens when the veggies that Ivy won't eat come back to haunt her.

  10. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, by Verna Aardema. A telling of a amusing African legend about a mosquito and his annoying habits.

Books from the children's literature section can be checked out by any student or staff member, even if you're not enrolled in a Early Childhood class -- share the joy of reading with a child!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

July 21-25 - NEW BOOKS

New books processed this week in the Library. These are just a few items, if you'd like to see more new items OR need a particular title, stop by the Reference Desk and the staff will be happy to help you!
  • Beyond the internet: successful research strategies, by Barbara A. Chernow. 027 C521b

  • Business plans that work : for your small business, from the editors of Toolkit Media Group. 658.4012 B979

  • Extreme Toyota : radical contradictions that drive success at the world's best manufacturer, by Emi Osono, Norihiko Shimizu, & Hirotaka Takeuchi. 629.2068 O83e

  • Good capitalism, bad capitalism, and the economics of growth and prosperity, by William J. Baumol, Robert E. Litan & Carl J. Schramm. 330.122 B348g

  • Handbook of experiential learning, edited by Mel Silberman. 378.12 H236

  • Honga's Lotus Petal, by Honga Im Hopgood and Lise Waring. 641.595 H792h

  • How to read literature like a professor : a lively and entertaining guide to reading between the lines, by Thomas C. Foster. 808 F757h

  • Inside Hamas : the untold story of the militant Islamic movement, by Zaki Chehab. 320.9569 C515i

  • Satisfied customers tell three friends, angry customers tell 3,000 : running a business in today's consumer driven world, by Pete Blackshaw. 658.812 B631s

  • Vegetables : recipes and techniques from the world's premier culinary college, by the Culinary Institute of America. 641.651 V422

More information on each title can be found in the catalog.

Books that ~S*I*Z*Z*L*E~

Summertime and the grillin' is easy. Planning a cookout or barbecue celebration? See what's cooking in these books for some great ideas---

Basic grilling:
  • Cook's Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue, by the editors of Cook's Illustrated. 641.5784 C773

  • Grilling : More than 175 new recipes from the World's Premier Culinary College, by The Culinary Institute of America. 641.5784 G858

  • How to Grill, by Steven Raichlen. 641.7622 R149h

  • Vegetables on the grill / by Kelly McCune. 641.65 M133v
Around the world:
  • Asian Grill : Great Recipes, Bold Flavors, by Corinne Trang. 641.5784 T772a

  • Best Barbecue on Earth : Grilling across 6 continents and 25 countries, with 170 recipes, by Rick Browne. 641.76 B879b

  • Jerk from Jamaica : Barbecue Caribbean Style, by Helen Willinsky. 641.5972 W733j

  • Mediterranean Grilling : More than 100 recipes from across the Mediterranean, by Diane Kochilas. 641.76 K76m
On DVD:
  • America's test kitchen. Season 3. Thanksgiving on the grill. DVD 641.5973 A512s3 disc 3

  • America's test kitchen. Season 6. Grilling pizza and pork-loin. DVD 641.5973 A512s6

  • Good eats with Alton Brown : Hooked & cooked. How to grill tuna. DVD 641.692 G646hc

  • Good eats with Alton Brown : More juicy meats. The search for the perfect grill. DVd 641.662 G646mjm

Monday, July 21, 2008

Office 2007 Upgrade

During the June break, computers in the library were upgraded to Office 2007 for Word, Excel and other programs in the Microsoft Office suite.

Do you have questions about software changes?

Confused about how to access a certain feature or command?

The library staff has prepared a FAQ answering the questions we hear most often about Office 2007 as well as a bibliography of books available in the Lexington campus library to help with the 2007 transition.

Still have questions? Ask the library staff anytime for further assistance -- we're here to help!

Friday, July 11, 2008

New books, week of July 7th

New books processed this week in the Library. These are just a few items, if you'd like to see more new items OR need a particular title, stop by the Reference Desk and the staff will be happy to help you!
  • America eats! : on the road with the W.P.A. : the fish fries, box supper socials, and chitlin feasts that define real American food, by Pat Willard. 641.5973 W691a
  • College success : what it means and how to make it happen, edited by Michael S. McPherson & Morton Owen Schapiro. 378.198 C697
  • Data mining and market intelligence for optimal marketing returns, by Susan Chiu & Domingo Tavella. 658.83 C543d
  • How math explains the world : a beginner's guide to the power of numbers, from car repair to modern physics, by Jim Stein. 510 S819h
  • Killing sacred cows : overcoming the financial myths that are destroying your prosperity, by Garret B. Gunderson with Stephen Palmer. 332.024 G975k
  • Microsoft Office 2007 : maximizing your Office 2007 productivity, by Peter Bruzzese. 005.369 B914m (book + DVD)
  • New gold standard : 5 leadership principles for creating a legendary customer experience courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, by Joseph A. Michelli. 658.4092 M623n
  • Secret power of blogging : how to promote and market your business, organization, or cause with free blogs, by Bruce Cameron Brown. 658.872 B877s
  • Terminal chaos : why US air travel is broken and how to fix it, by George L Donohue and Russell D. Shaver III with Eric Edwards. 387.7 D687t
  • Why popcorn costs so much at the movies : and other pricing puzzles / Richard B. McKenzie. 338.52 M157w

More information on each title can be found in the catalog.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Faculty Appreciation Week

In honor of Faculty Appreciation Week
Sullivan University Library & Learning Resource Center highlight faculty members’ favorite books from the library’s collection in a display in the library.

Join with us in saying thank you to our faculty members for their dedication to instruction and
education.