Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Fortunately. . . Some Tips to Make Finals Week Easier




Fortunately, the end of the quarter is near, and a break is almost upon us. It's also the time of the quarter when the campus is all a-flutter with preparations for final exams. With next week being finals week the library wants to share some study tips that were provided by our own Academic Services department.

Advice for Studying and Prepping for Finals
  • Don't put off studying for one more day. Procrastination does not prepare you for anything other than disappointment. Begin studying and preparing for your exams right now by studying your notes and other materials.
  • Study in a quiet place.
  • Make sure you are comfortable. If you are uncomfortable, then you probably won't be able to focus on studying.
  • Keep a positive attitude about what you know and about the test itself. If you doubt your abilities before the test that can affect how well you do.
  • Take some deep breaths and relax before the test so that you can be calm and your mind can be clear while taking the exam.
  • Remember how prepared you are for the exam, and don't think about how much you don't know or can't remember. You've spent a lot of time studying and preparing. You can do it.
The library staff wants to wish each of you all the best with your final papers, projects, and exams. 

Friday, November 16, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!


The library will be OPEN :
Monday - Wednesday, 8am-5pm
November 19-21
           (closed 12-1 for lunch)

The library will be CLOSED :
Thursday - Sunday
November 22-25


Regular hours will resume 7:30am on Monday, November 26th.  

Have a wonderful
Holiday!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

It's the Great Pumpkin (Pie) and Turkey, Charlie Brown


The Thanksgiving holiday, which is nearly here by the way, is often one of rememberance, time with family, and plenty of food.

The library has a cornucopia of Thanksgiving recipes to guide both the experienced chef and those just beginning their culinary pursuits. One can find recipes for the bread, the pie(s), and everything savory in between at the Sullivan University Library.

From the intriguing to the traditional, here are some recipes, and where to find them, for roast turkey and pumpkin pie. Scroll to the end of the post to see additional cookbooks from the library's collection.

Roast Turkey
Pumpkin Pie and Variations
Other Thanksgiving titles:

Please ask one of the librarians if you need any assistance finding these Thanksgiving materials. We will be glad to help you. May you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Friday, October 5, 2012

Banned Books Week 2012



The year 2012 marks the 30th anniversary of Banned Books Week, and the Sullivan University Library and Learning Resource Center has observed this week with a book display and several Facebook posts.

What are banned books and why is the library promoting them?

A banned book has been removed from a library because of a successful challenge against its content.

A challenged book is one in which someone attempts to have it removed from the library or restrict where it can be shelved in the library.

The librarians at Sullivan University call attention to banned books and Banned Books Week to encourage students, faculty, and staff to think critically and to celebrate the freedom to read whatever book(s) they choose.

Several banned or challenged books are available for check-out in the Sullivan University library, so stop by the library today to borrow one or two of them. Ask one of the librarians if you need help finding one of the banned or challenged books or any other titles of interest.

   



Tuesday, July 10, 2012

2012 Student Satisfaction Survey


Each year during spring quarter the library asks students to give us their opinions about library resources and services.  Responses will be analyzed over the next few months to determine how well student needs are being met by the library.  The Library staff would like to thank all of the students who participated in the survey and share with you some of the responses, answering a few questions from the comments. 

272 students (or 27% of enrollment) responded to the 2012 survey.  Survey questions offer students the ability to both rank the library using a numerical ranking as well as make a written comment to a question.  Examples of some of the numerical rankings include:
  • 93% of students interact with the library staff when they visit the library, asking for help on a wide range of questions
  • 88% of students ranked the quality of library service as Always Helpful and Very Interested in helping when asked a question
  • 70% of students use the library’s database collection at least once each week to help with their classes

Why do you visit the library?  Some student comments were:
Great place to learn
Check out books
Read and relax
Catch a nap

Other comments include:

…no one else says hi to me whenever I come in.
A frequent comment on each year’s survey is regarding the lack of a greeting from the library staff when a student enters the library.   While staff members are very interested in serving students, we strive to maintain a studious atmosphere and don’t want to disturb users any more than necessary, especially when we have a lot of users studying alone. This does not mean that we don’t want to work with students. Please ask us questions whenever we can help!

Why don’t you provide textbooks?
The library does not have textbooks in the collection for many reasons--they are expensive, highly prone to theft even when they are not allowed to circulate, and quickly made redundant by new editions. If they are allowed to circulate, they tend to be checked out almost constantly, which leads to increasing demands to purchase more copies. Unless a copy is purchased for each enrolled student, which is simply not feasible, a few students will be pleased that they don’t have to buy textbooks, but the vast majority will be disappointed and angry. This situation doesn’t serve our mission, which is to provide the best possible service to as many students as possible.

I would like to use electronic resources, but I do not know how.
Provide more information on the resources that are available and how to use them.
In addition to the material physically in the library, the library offers database searching for journal articles (many of which are full-text) by subject as well as electronic copies of books.  The list of these resources is available on the library’s web page along with tutorials on how to get started.  If you need a particular type of resource or would like a quick demo on how to use the databases, stop by the library desk anytime – we’d love to tell you more about what you can find!

Too much "socializing" & loud conversations going on with others "using" the library.
I am easily distracted and people socializing in the library cause great distraction at times.
Have bigger library more space can hardly move around.
The library offers many services out of our space – computers & printing, study tables, browsing for library books and DVDs, paperback book collection, magazine & journal research – just to name a few.  During certain times of the day things can get quite busy in the library.  The library staff want to help each student use our resources and asks everyone to respect their fellow students and behave appropriately.   If you are having problems, please talk with us and let us know how we can help!

Thanks again to each student that took the time to respond to our survey!!

Congratulations to the winner of our giveaway drawing, Mr. Robert Arthur – winner of a $25 Sullivan Bookstore certificate.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Aww. . . Pawpaws



Chef Jonathan Lundy of the restaurant Jonathan at Gratz Park is among the chefs featured in the June 2012 issue of Food Arts magazine. Chef Lundy and chefs from around the United States share how they use foods native to their region in an article titled, "How Local Can You Go?" Chef Lundy highlights the pawpaw, a fruit that has the flavors of mango, pineapple, and banana, which he uses to make pawpaw preserves.

The library has Food Arts magazine, so stop by and read the article on page 44. You can also read more about Chef Lundy in this Lexington-Herald Leader article.

If you're interested in making something of your own out of pawpaws, check out one of these cookbooks which have recipes for pawpaw pudding. One of the librarians will be glad to help you find either of these titles.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Food News: Remembering a Chef, the Derby, and Great Grilling

In March, Sullivan University and the culinary world mourned the death of Chef Walter 'Spud' Rhea. Rhea was part of an elite group as one of only twelve Certified Master Pastry Chefs in the United States. Read more about Chef Rhea on page nine of the May issue of National Culinary Review, which is available in the Sullivan University Library.  

Even though the Derby hoopla has passed, you can still enjoy delectable fare and get a start on planning next year's party with the list of titles featured here.  These books have recipes which highlight Kentucky's food and beverages. Enjoy!


  • Adventures in New Kentucky Cooking with the Bluegrass Peasant by David Domine, 641.5976 D671a
  • The Blue Grass Cook Book compiled by Minnie C. Fox, 641.5975 F793b
  • Cooking with My Friends: Kentucky Recipes Tried and True by Lavece G. Hughes, 641.5976 H893c
  • Flavors of Kentucky: A Look at Kentucky’s Foodways Including Recipes that Have Graced the Tables at Horse Farm Mansions, Won Awards for Creative Cooks, and Are Favorite Dishes at Church Potlucks or Family Reunions by Sharon Thompson, 641.5976 T476f
  • Kentucky’s Best: Fifty Years of Great Recipes by Linda Allison-Lewis, 641.5976 A438k
  • The Mint Julep by Richard Barksdale Harwell, 641.252 H343m

For those who like to grill out, two recent culinary publications highlight recipes for grilling. Fine Cooking's most recent issue (June/July 2012) has an article by Steven Raichlen about his five ways to grill chicken. The June issue of Food & Wine seems to be dedicated to grilling since it has recipes, reviews of grilling tools and techniques, and summer cocktail trends. Both magazines also provide delicious sounding recipes for hearty (and healthy) side dishes. Both of these magazines are available here in the library too.

Finally, last, but not least, you may have heard of the local restaurant Saul Good, which has locations off Nicholasville Rd. and in Hamburg. In an article titled, "Pizza with Personality," Kathryn Kjargaard, discusses some of the unique pizzas served at Saul Good. The article may be found in the May 2012 issue of National Culinary Review.

If you are interested in any of these books or magazine articles and need help finding them, please ask one of the librarians for help. We will be glad to assist you.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Free Comic Book Day

Everyone knows the first Saturday in May is the Derby -- but did you also know it is Free Comic Book Day??


Held annually since 2002, Free Comic Book Day is an event sponsored by comic publishers to raise awareness of the variety of topics and writing in comics.  


Take a look at the website, which includes a list of titles on the giveaway list this year as well as a search tool to find which comic stores are participating.  

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Say It Ain't So, Rubber Ducky



Slow Death by Rubber Duck: the Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Rick Smith & Bruce Lourie; 615.902 S657s

Smith and Lourie have created one scary book. The titular rubber duck, for example, offers a poison soup of chemicals and heavy metals—chlorine, bromine, lead, and chromium—that “permeate the environment and humans.” The book details our addiction to and obsession with “better living through chemistry” (a common advertising slogan in the reviewer’s childhood). For example, one of the authors details how he discovered that his garden hose was treated with triclosan, a common anti-microbial chemical. Why would a garden hose need antimicrobial protection, especially with a chemical that persists in the environment—and creates dioxin on the way, creates chloroform in contact with treated water and may interfere with thyroid and reproductive functions?

Written in a style somewhere between dense academic treatises (ensuring that no one would read it) and Pollyanna-ish green-living manuals (ensuring that no one would pay real attention), Smith and Lourie have crafted a worthy guide for the thinking consumer.

Reviewed by Wendell Barnett

Thursday, April 19, 2012

April Showers Bring Edible Flowers



The blossoms and buds associated with spring mark the return of fresh fruits and vegetables which can be used to create flavorful dishes. Though slightly overlooked, edible flowers also reappear in the spring, and they make a colorful addition to both sweet and savory creations.

The Sullivan University Library has resources about edible flowers that can be borrowed from the library, and it also has materials about food presentation and garnishing which feature edible flowers.
  • Edible Flowers: 25 Recipes and an A-Z Pictorial Directory of Culinary Flora by Kathy Brown. 641.659 B878e
  • Rosalind Creasy’s Recipes from the Garden by Rosalind Creasy. 641.651 C912r
  • The Scented Kitchen: Cooking with Flowers by Frances Bissell. 641.659 B623s
To see what food presentation and garnishing titles the library has, click on this link.

Please ask one of the librarians if you need help finding any of these resources. We will be glad to help you.

*P.S. The Eat Your Books blog inspired this post.*

Monday, April 16, 2012

Guest speaker from Toyota

Sullivan Lexington welcomes Mr. Wilbert W. James, Jr. to our campus on April 19th, 2012.  

Want to learn more about Toyota?  Try one of these books available in the library:

  • The elegant solution : Toyota's formula for mastering innovation by Matthew E. May.  658.4 M467e
  • Extreme Toyota : radical contradictions that drive success at the world's best manufacturer by Emi Osono, Norihiko Shimizu and Hirotaka Takeuchi.  629.2068 O83e
  • How Toyota became #1 : leadership lessons from the world's greatest car company by David Magee.  658.4 M191h
  • Stories from my sensei : two decades of lessons learned implementing Toyota-style systems by Steven E. Hoeft.  658.5 H693s
  • Toyota by K. Dennis Chambers.  338.7 C444t
  • Toyota culture : the heart and soul of the Toyota Way by Jeffery K. Liker and Michael Hoseus.  658.019 L627t
  • Toyota kata : managing people for continuous improvement, adaptiveness, and superior results by Mike Rother.  658.301 R84t
  • Toyota production system : beyond large-scale production by Taiichi Ohno.  629.234 O58t
  • Toyota supply chain management : a strategic approach to the principles of Toyota's renowned system by Ananth V. Iyer, Sridhar Seshadri and Roy Vasher.  338.7629 I97t
  • Toyota talent : developing your people the Toyota way by Jeffery K. Liker. 685.3124 L727tt
  • The Toyota way : 14 management principles from the world's greatest manufacturer by Jeffrey K. Liker.  658.5 L627t
  • The Toyota way to continuous improvement : linking strategy and operational excellence to achieve superior performance by Jeffrey K. Liker and James K. Franz.  658.401 L727t

Monday, April 9, 2012

Hear Them Roar















The Sunday issue of the Lexington Herald-Leader contained an article about famous Kentucky women. While you probably knew that actress Ashley Judd was from the Bluegrass State, did you know that Florence Henderson, aka Mrs. Brady from the Brady Bunch, was from Kentucky too?

To find out which other famous ladies made the list, stop by the library or read the article online by clicking on the above article link.

If you want to learn about some other well-known women, the following biographies are available in the library. Just ask one of the librarians if you need help finding any of these books.

Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child; 641.5 C536a

Barbie and Ruth; 338.7 G362b

Healing Hearts: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon; 617.412 M195h

Loretta Lynn: Coal Miner's Daughter; 782.4216 L989l

The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight; 629.45 
    A182m

My Appalachia; 976.953 F239m

Tough Choices; 338.761 F521t

The Woman Behind the New Deal; 331.092 D748w

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Pastry Chef Extraordinare



In case you haven't heard, one of Lexington's own pastry chefs is in the news. Stella Parks, the pastry chef at Table 310,  has been named one of the Best New Pastry Chefs of 2012 by Food & Wine magazine.

To learn more about Ms. Parks, read the Lexington Herald-Leader article about her or check out her blog, BraveTart.

Congratulations to Stella!!

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Catchin' Babies, a Coretta Scott King award, and Black History Month




In 2005, Barbara Hathaway won the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe Award for New Talent for her novel Missy Violet & Me. As the library highlights Black History Month with an exhibit of titles about the African-American experience, this is an excellent time to draw people's attention to Ms. Hathaway's book. Read on to learn more about the book and how you can access a copy of it.

Missy Violet and Me by Barbara Hathaway

Don’t let the size of this book fool you. It is compact, but full of energy. In her award-winning novel, Barbara Hathaway tells about a young girl named Viney who apprentices with a midwife over the summer in order to pay off a family debt. The author sets the story in a rural community in the early part of the 20th century, and, through her descriptive language, readers get a feel for Viney’s world and the role of a midwife. Despite the short length of the novel, Ms. Hathaway ably conveys the African-American culture, the role of midwifes and medicine in a rural community, and the fears and joys of a little girl. I enjoyed Viney’s spunkiness and reading about ‘catchin’ babies,’ and those who are interested in medicine, midwifery, and/or African-American culture will likely enjoy the book too. Reviewed by Hilary Writt

The book can be found in the juvenile fiction section of the library, with the call number JF F, and if you need assistance in finding it, please don't hesitate to ask one of the librarians. We will be glad to assist you.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Paperback Donation Day 2012

A big thank you to everyone who participated in Donation Day for the Paperback Exchange.  165 books were donated by Sullivan faculty, staff and students.  


These books will be added to the Paperback Exchange, which  offers light reading to the Sullivan community.  Books in the exchange cover a variety of reading interests, including biography, self-help, diet, pop culture and travel as well as all types of fiction for both adult and young adult readers.  
                                     Stop by the library anytime and check it out!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

And the winners are. . .

                                     

On Monday morning at the American Library Association conference in Dallas, TX, the winners of the Newbery and the Caldecott children's awards were announced. These prestigious awards are given each year to United States authors and illustrators who create books for children.


The Caldecott award is given for exceptional illustrations in a children's book. You may click on this link to see a list of all the Caldecott winners and the honor books.


The 2012 winner and honor books are:


A Ball for Daisy written and illus. by Chris Raschka-winner
Blackout written and illus. by John Rocco-honor
Grandpa Green written and illus. by Lane Smith-honor
Me. . . Jane written and illus. by Patrick McDonnell-honor


Here are the results for the Newbery medal, an award given for distinguished writing for children. Click here to see a list of all the winners and honor books.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos-winner
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin-honor
Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai-honor *This title also won the National Book Award in 2011!

If you have any questions about the Caldecott or Newbery awards or need help finding previous award winners, please don't hesitate to ask one of the librarians. We will be happy to assist you.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

National Mentoring Month


January is National Mentoring Month, and to celebrate this month the library has created a display featuring books and information about mentoring.

According to author, Curtis Crawford, mentors can be:
  • A learning partner
  • A confidential sounding board
  • A non-judgmental counselor
  • A navigator, one who knows the ropes
  • Someone to provide a reality check
  • A champion for your cause
  • A coach to shore up your weaknesses
  • A facilitator to broaden your networks and perspectives
  • Someone who holds you accountable
  • A guide to help you see beyond the horizon

Stop by the Sullivan University Library and Learning Resource Center during the month of January to learn more about mentoring in the corporate world and the mentor program at Sullivan University.


Source: Crawford, C.J. (2010). Manager’s Guide to Mentoring. Chicago, IL: McGraw-Hill Companies.