Library News

The Scholarship@Villanova series continues on Wed., Sept. 30 at 12:30p.m. in Falvey Memorial Library’s first floor lounge with Heather J. Hicks, Ph.D. discussing her book, The Culture of Soft Work: Labor, Gender, and Race in Postmodern American Narrative. Dr. Hicks explores the meaning of being a worker in America as she highlights general labor issues of postmodernism and industrialism.

Undeniably, labor issues, general or specific, have influenced the works of contemporary writers who show how these issues represent the experience of American workers. The Culture of Soft Work captures the decline in local economy and the deterioration of the labor movement system. (more…)

Falvey Memorial Library is featuring a display to coincide with the American Library Association’s Banned Books Week, September 26 to October 3. The Banned Books Display shows that books on all subjects and for all age groups can be targets for supposedly containing objectionable material.

Neither a child’s book such as Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are nor adult reading such as Knowles’ A Separate Peace are immune from being banned. A book can be humorous such as Adams’ A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a fantasy such as Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings trilogy or a serious adult novel such as Chopin’s The Awakening.

The reasons for a book being banned are numerous, including politics, race, religion and sex. For example, the sex and racism in Morrison’s Beloved and the “free love” and cannibalism in Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land landed them on the list. The non-fiction book, The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine, was banned for its political views.

As an unintended consequence, when someone or some group attempts to ban a book, this action draws more attention to that book.

If you see a book in the display that interests you, please check it out. (more…)

According to Time magazine (9-28-08), “the American Library Association has sponsored Banned Books Week to pay tribute to free speech and open libraries” since 1982. For hundreds of years, individuals and groups have tried to have certain titles banned by schools, libraries, communities, and governments. Banning books is one way of censoring the free flow of information and ideas.

Have you ever encountered censorship and how did you respond? Tell us about it in the Comments section below.

Although World Religions Day was celebrated campus-wide only on September 16, there will be an extended celebration in Falvey Memorial Library. A large window display, “World Religions Day-Religion in the Workplace: Understanding Religious Diversity,” near the library entrance, provides information about the religions of peoples across the globe.

One’s eye is first drawn to the large central image of a girl who looks at the viewer; she stands with her hands pressed together at chest level in what may be a gesture of prayer. Flanking her are various objects and books, and the display is framed on each end by panels with symbols of the various religions. The symbols on the far left within the display represent (from top to bottom) Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Jainism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. On the right side of the display are symbols for Taoism, Bahaism, Native Spirituality, Sikhism, Islam, and Shintoism, as noted in the photograph. (more…)

Yes, the first search screen to PsycInfo, the important psychology database, is definitely different from the version Falvey subscribed to last semester. Due to popular demand, we were able to switch vendors from OVID to CSA.

The CSA interface is familiar to many on campus who have used databases such as PAIS or Sociological Abstracts. In fact, you can search many of the CSA databases simultaneously, if you wish.

Access PsycInfo through the Databases A-Z list or via the Psychology Subject Guide.

To begin, enter your search terms at the initial search screen and then scroll down to limit your search in many ways, such as language, age ranges and methodology. And, as an extra plus, you can export your marked citations directly to RefWorks, according to the 6^th edition of APA style. (more…)

The Scholarship @ Villanova series kicks off this academic year on Thursday, Sept. 24, at 4p.m. in the first floor lounge in Falvey Memorial Library with Sally Scholz, Ph.D., discussing her acclaimed book, Political Solidarity. In her book, she explores the definition of solidarity in a political context using the transformational roles of advocacy groups, such as the civil rights and women’s rights movements, in society.

Undoubtedly, social movements, radical or otherwise, have brought about substantial change in American politics and have molded the fabric of our society. From civil rights to international trade, activists for social change are engaging in a wide variety of efforts to advance their cause for justice. Dr. Scholz’s book captures the essence of social activism. (more…)

Literature Criticism Online (Gale) takes literature, history and culture to the next level with its most extensive curated compilation of literary commentary available. The award-winning Gale series that comprise Literature Criticism Online represent a range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras and genres. Imagine centuries of analysis - the scholarly and popular commentary from broadsheets, pamphlets, encyclopedias, books and periodicals - delivered in an easy format that matches the exact look and feel of the print originals.

Gale literary references reach back 20 to 30 years. Now, hundreds of volumes are digitized and ready to read 24/7 online. The net result is tens of thousands of hard-to-find essays at your fingertips. It’s all designed to raise the level of research while providing around-the-clock remote access that today’s researchers demand.

Falvey has subscribed to these  literary series from Gale:

• Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism
• Poetry Criticism
• Short Story Criticism
• Drama Criticism

Comments or questions?

Falvey Memorial Library’s Special Collections and Digital Library proudly present the fully digitized autobiographical manuscript of 19th century American Samuel Alanson Lane. Leather-bound and handwritten in ink, this one-of-a-kind manuscript has become a historical gem among the many treasures digitally donated to the Digital Library. But perhaps what is the most priceless feature of this manuscript is the unique insight this autobiography offers historians and history lovers: a depiction of 19th century American life by an average man.

Born on the 15th of June in 1815, Samuel Alanson Lane would become yet another witness to the scientific and technological progress and revolutionary social change that occurred in the 19th century.

Curated by Johanna Hibbs (Father Thomas Middleton Digital Library Intern 2008), with graphic design by Christopher Barr, this fascinating online exhibit includes Lane’s complete digitized manuscript, a transcription of his memoir, the exhibit bibliography, Lane’s biography and a timeline of Lane’s life.

Johanna Hibbs’ commentary, “Oh, the Humanity! Time travel and the search for the “human” in the “history” within the pages of S. A. Lane’s autobiography,” also offers her unique and thoroughly readable perspective as an intern curator.

Outreach librarian and Events and Outreach team leader Darren G. Poley, MA, MS, was promoted to Library Professional III, effective June 1.

An undergraduate alumnus of Gettysburg College, he represented Villanova University at the inauguration of Gettysburg’s new president, Janet Morgan Riggs, Ph.D., September 12.

Poley has been a librarian in Falvey Memorial Library for over ten years and teaches as an adjunct faculty member in the theology and religious studies department.

~Alice Bampton

Your assignment? Find a poem. What does it mean? Are you stumped?

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Course and topic guides have been prepared by Falvey’s research librarians and subject liaisons to help you with your research.

Most important, if you need help, contact the information desk (610.519.4270), a research librarian or Judith Olsen, the English subject librarian liaison.

Ideas for more course and topic guides?