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Update: Database Access Problems Resolved

Off campus users should now be able to log in to our databases. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience this caused our users. Your patience was greatly appreciated.


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Video Contest 2012: Spaces & Places

 

 

Today is the day! In honor of National Library Week, Falvey is running a video contest! And today, April 1st is the deadline! Submit a short video highlighting your favorite physical or virtual space in Falvey Memorial Library and why it is your favorite place. Do you see the library as a temple? A gaming location? Is it the first place you run to when looking for online resources? Or do you just love that new “Speakers’ Corner” on the first floor?

The winning video will be featured on our website. The submitter(s) of the overall best video will win fabulous prizes!

For the full set of guidelines, go to the Falvey Memorial Library Video Contest web page.


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Confessions of a Self-Check-Out Addict

Self Check

By Laura Hutelmyer

Intrigued by an article that appeared in the October 2008 Rolling Stone Magazine by David Lipsky about the life of the novelist David Foster Wallace, I decided to check out one of Wallace’s books. I was looking forward to having some extra reading time over the long Thanksgiving weekend, and Lipsky’s description of Wallace’s life, works and early death were enticing.

I was late leaving work that Tuesday night but made a quick trip to Falvey’s fourth floor to retrieve Wallace’s The Broom of the System (PS3573 .A425635 B7) and, on a whim, Girl with Curious Hair (PS3573 .A425635 G5).  I was especially interested in reading The Broom of the System (named after a saying from Wallace’s grandmother about the benefits of eating an apple) because Wallace had written it in 1984 to fulfill a thesis requirement for graduation from Amherst College, and it was good enough to be published as a novel in 1987. I also knew Wallace had written this following a period of depression that had caused him to withdraw from school to be institutionalized for a while.

I took the books to the first floor circulation counter, hoping not to have to wait since I was already late for a scheduled appointment. There were seven people ahead of me, doing things like checking out laptops, requesting study rooms, asking for help with microfilm and even checking out books needed to complete assignments over the long holiday weekend. I almost put my books on the counter, prepared to leave empty handed, when I spotted the Self-Check machine. Wildcard in hand, I proceeded to the machine to see if I could save some time. (more…)


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Lent and the Wisdom of Pope John Paul II

Falvey Memorial Library is pleased to announce this year’s Pope John Paul II Legacy Lecture. Join us on Monday, April 2 at 1:00 pm in Falvey Room 204 as John Kruse, PhD, presents a talk entitled “John Paul II: Companion on Our Lenten Journey.”

“The lecture,” Dr. Kruse explains, “will look to the inspiring writings of Pope John Paul II to lead to deeper reflection on life and faith this Lenten season.”

Dr. Kruse is an assistant professor in the Theological Studies Department at Neumann University. His lecture, which will be taking place during Holy Week, will focus on his book, Lent and Easter Wisdom from Pope John Paul II. The book features the late Pope’s thought-provoking words, leading readers through a journey of conversion throughout the season.

This event is free and open to the public. Copies of Dr. Kruse’s book will be available for sale.

About the Pope John Paul II Legacy Lecture:

Karol Wojtyla served as the supreme pontiff of the Catholic Church from October of 1978 until his death in April of 2005. After his death, Villanova University’s Office for Mission and Ministry held a panel discussion on the legacy of Pope John Paul II’s papacy. In subsequent years Falvey Memorial Library has invited a speaker to campus each spring to discuss some aspect of the impact of the second-longest documented pontificate. The event, held in the Library at the heart of Villanova University’s campus, is called the Pope John Paul II Legacy Lecture.


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Write Better By Talking

Write Better By Talking

by Gina Hiatt, PhD

(via http://www.academicladder.com/)

We Write Alone

Writing is a solitary process. It must be. You’re writing your own ideas. Yes, you are in “conversation” with other scholars, but your writing is your individual contribution to that conversation.

But writing can be very isolating, can’t it? If writing is your primary activity, your days can be pretty lonely. If you are squeezing your writing into a busy day, the solitude can be a relief, but it is still you, writing silently.

We urge you to speak up! At some time (usually multiple times!) in every writing project, you need to find a person and actually speak.

Why Should You Talk?

You think while you talk. How often do you say to a friend or family member, “Can I talk this over?” or “Would you like to talk about it?” or “I was saying to our friend….” You do think through your ideas using speech.

But the unwritten rules in academia are “Don’t admit that you’re unsure,” or “Don’t let anyone know what you’re thinking.”

It’s time to contradict those messages! We’re all unsure at some point in our writing! There’s no shame in sharing your partially-formed ideas!

When you speak, you have to make sense. You can hear your unclear places much better when you actually use your voice. That’s the reason that writing experts recommend reading your written work out loud: what makes sense to your eye does not necessarily make sense to your ear.

Talking with someone else also reduces the isolation we can experience. As important as solitude is, and as valuable as written exchanges between scholars are, spoken interaction is one of the best tools in your writing kit.

When Should you Talk?

Talking with another person is a big, scary step, but it pays big dividends. Some strategic points in your writing process that call for conversation are:

  • You are excited about a new idea and thinking through its potential
  • You are stuck in your project and can’t quite work out how to frame a key argument
  • You are debating between two organizational structures
  • You are shifting gears, such as moving to revision
  • The writing will be presented orally, as at a conference or in an interview
  • You are just plain stuck and feel hopeless

Who Should You Talk With?

The best person to talk with depends on the stage of your project. For example:

If……… Find someone who is ……..
You are just starting out, with free writing or a Zero Draft (not even a first draft) …a friend and very gentle and will listen to you charitably as you fumble around
You are figuring out whether you are finished, or whether you need to back to more research …a fellow writer and would know what questions to ask you
You are checking that your major argument fits well in the literature of your discipline …even more well established than you: a mentor or senior colleague
You are framing your focus statement, or the “elevator speech” you use to answer the question, “and what are YOU working on?” …a good listener who loves you. A mom can do it, a spouse if not too busy, and a precocious nine-year old is perfect.
You are almost ready to rehearse your conference or interview presentation …as above. These wonderful folks love graphics too!

What Should You Talk About?

Framing a conversation about your work maximizes its value for you, and also maximizes your chances to ask again. Here are some phrases to employ:

  • Could I talk over my ideas for this project with you?
  • I’d like you to listen and take notes, and then tell me what you heard me saying.
  • If you don’t understand something, would you stop me so I can clarify?
  • These are my goals. After you listen, could you tell me whether you think I met them?
  • I want to talk about this challenge with you. Can I think out loud about the pros and cons?
  • My feelings say this is hopeless, but I believe it is actually feasible. Could you convince me that my feelings are wrong?
  • I will buy the coffee.

It’s time to talk!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resources:

Boice, Robert. (2000). Advice for new faculty members: Nihil nimus. Needham Heights MA: Allyn and Bacon.


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CfP: Women & Society Conference 2012 (7/15/12)

21st Annual Women & Society Conference – 2012
October 19 & 20, 2012
Marist College, Poughkeepsie New York

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Proposals and abstracts are being solicited for the 2012 Women & Society
Conference. This feminist conference is interdisciplinary and
multi-disciplinary, covering all aspects of women & gender being studied
in the academy. The conference mentors and models feminist
inquiry/scholarship for undergraduate students, so joint faculty/student
papers and excellent student papers are also considered. Undergraduates
may attend at no cost.

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Linda Martín Alcoff
Dr. Linda Martín Alcoff will be delivering the keynote address on Friday,
October 19th. A Professor of Philosophy at Hunter College and the CUNY
Graduate Center who focuses on social identity and race, epistemology and
politics, sexual violence, Foucault, and Latino issues in philosophy, Dr.
Martín Alcoff has written two books: Visible Identities: Race, Gender and
the Self, which won the Frantz Fanon Award in 2009, Real Knowing: New
Versions of the Coherence Theory; and she has edited ten, including
Feminist Epistemologies co-edited with Elizabeth Potter; Thinking From the
Underside of History co-edited with Eduardo Mendieta; Epistemology: The
Big Questions; Identities co-edited with Eduardo Mendieta; Singing in the
Fire: Tales of Women in Philosophy; The Blackwell Guide to Feminist
Philosophy co-edited with Eva Feder Kittay; Identity Politics Reconsidered
co-edited with Michael Hames-Garcia, Satya Mohanty and Paula Moya; and
Feminism, Sexuality, and the Return of Religion co-edited with Jack
Caputo. She is currently at work on two new books: a book on sexual
violence, and an account of political epistemology. A co-editor of
Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist Philosophy, she has held an ACLS Fellowship
and a Society for the Humanities at Cornell University Fellowship. In 2006
she was named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United
States by Hispanic Business magazine.
Please send your 250 word abstract with a brief bio by July 15, 2012.

Papers, workshops, roundtables and panels are welcome; please include
abstracts and bios for all participants, with one contact person. Please
include all contact information–including home and e-mail addresses for
summer correspondence to:
Women & Society Conference c/o Shannon Roper
School of Communication & the Arts
Lowell Thomas 219
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
OR submit online:
www.marist.edu/liberalarts/womenstudies/conference.html

For more information email: Shannon.Roper@marist.edu


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Postdoc Women’s Studies U of Houston (4/27/12)

The WGSS Program at the University of Houston invites applications for a
Postdoctoral Fellowship to begin in the Fall Semester 2012. This may become a
tenure track position.

Applicants may be working in any discipline, on a topic concerning women and/or
gender. The recipient will teach one course per term, assist with some
programming,and devote the rest of the time to research. The initial appointment
will be for one year, with the possibility of renewal for a second. Salary will
be $40,000 with full benefits.

The applicant must hold a PhD degree at the time of the appointment. A letter of
application, together with CV, a writing sample and three letters of
recommendation should be submitted on or before April 27, 2012, to Postdoc
Search Committee, WGSS Program, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204-3005.

The University of Houston is a Tier One research institution, with more than
39,000 student enrolled this year. Located in the center of Houston in a
550-acre park, the university provides an excellent environment for teaching and
research, within a dynamic city.

The University of Houston is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity employer.
Minorities, women, veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to
apply.


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Proofreading the Digital Library

If you have ever read a classic book in an electronic format, especially if you didn’t have to pay for it, there’s a good chance you were enjoying the fruits of Project Gutenberg. Since the early 1970s, Project Gutenberg has been converting out-of-copyright texts into electronic formats and making them freely available. Unlike more recent mass-digitization projects like Google Books which preserve huge numbers of titles en masse but have limited quality control, Project Gutenberg books get an individual human touch — errors are corrected, often creating a product more accurate than the original printed version, and formatting is adjusted to allow comfortable reading on practically any device.

Title page of History of the Catholic Church in Paterson, N.J. (1883)Volunteer labor is one of the ways Project Gutenberg manages to release so many titles in spite of the huge effort involved in formatting each book. The Distributed Proofreaders Project provides an interface where volunteers can view one page at a time of a digitized book and conveniently correct errors in the computer-generated text. It’s structured a bit like a game — as readers proofread more pages, they can gain new ranks which allow them to participate in more and more advanced stages of the correction and formatting process. Friendly competition and an emphasis on mentoring have formed a large, diverse community around the project.

The Digital Library has decided to try working with this community to improve the quality of some of the books in our online collection. The first title, History of the Catholic Church in Paterson, N.J., has just entered the first stage of proofreading. If you are interested in helping with this collaboration, you can find a quick tutorial on distributed proofreading here. If there is a particular title in our collection that you would like to see given the Gutenberg treatment, please let us know in the comments.


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Ruhr-Universität Bochum Position in Ethics and Aesthetics

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) is one of Germany’s leading research universities. The University draws its strengths from both the diversity and the proximity of scientific and engineering disciplines on a single, coherent campus. This highly dynamic setting enables students and researchers to work across traditional boundaries of academic subjects and faculties. The RUB is a vital institution in the Ruhr area, which has been selected as European Capital of Culture for the year 2010. *FULL PROFESSORSHIP (W2) IN PHILOSOPHY, AOS: ETHICS AND AESTHETICS, AOC: EARLY MODERN PHILOSOPHY*

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum – faculty of Philosophy and Educational Research – invites applications for the position of a Full Professorship (W2) in Philosophy, AOS: Ethics and Aesthetics, AOC: Early Modern Philosophy, to start as soon as possible. The person appointed will be expected to make an outstanding contribution to the teaching and research profile of the department in the areas of ethics and aesthetics, and he or she will also be expected to contribute regularly to the teaching of a required introductory module in early modern philosophy.

The teaching load is 9 hours per week and includes undergraduate teaching as well as teaching in the Masters, Masters of Education and PhD programs in Philosophy. Positive evaluation as a junior professor or equivalent academic achievement (e.g. habilitation) and evidence of special aptitude are just as much required as the willingness to participate in the self-governing bodies of the RUB and to generally get involved in university processes according to RUB’s mission statement. We expect further more:

* high commitment in teaching

* readiness to participate in interdisciplinary work

* willingness and ability to attract external funding

 

The Ruhr-Universität Bochum is an equal opportunity employer. Complete applications with CV, proof of degrees, a list of publications and an electronic version of five relevant publications should be send via email to the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Educational Research of the Ruhr-University Bochum no later than April 21st 2012. Please apply via e-mail: dekanat-pe@rub.de [For further information visit: http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/philosophy/i/index.html.de . For further inquiries contact corinna.mieth@rub.de]


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Irish Music Collection Now Part of the Digital Library

“The Villanova Digital Library’s partnership with the Philadelphia Ceili Group is a fantastic boon for Irish Studies scholars and Irish music enthusiasts alike. Piloting the inclusion of audio collections in the Digital Library with these unique resources makes perfect sense for a special collections department already so rich in Irish Studies materials. Falvey and the Irish Studies Program on campus celebrated this milestone together on March 22 in the library Speakers’ Corner with a festive commemoration ceremony featuring live music and dancing, poetry and song, lectures, refreshments and general gaiety.” The Digital Library’s Blue Electrode blog explains this new connection.


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Last Modified: March 28, 2012

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