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Find editions of the Bible or biblical commentary: Some helpful tips

kingjamesDesigned with students in mind, a new Bible Research Guide has been added to the library web site. Although finding a copy of the Bible may seem like an easy task in a Catholic university library, it can be confusing. There are many places on the Internet where one can find the text of the Bible in English. There are even a few good web sites for finding a passage if you have the Bible reference with book, chapter and verse.

Here are some quick tips as you start looking for a Bible or Bible commentary. Your teacher may recommend a certain translation. Refer to the Bible Research Guide for a brief overview of different versions.

Looking for books that will help you uncover the significance or meaning of a biblical passage? This section of the research guide, Finding Books about the Bible, will lead you to commentaries in Falvey.

The word canon in relationship to sacred scriptures means the official or most accepted body of writings considered normative for any given religion. The Christian Bible has two principal parts: the Old Testament, part of which is the sacred scripture for Judaism, and the New Testament. Sometimes books or parts of the Bible are published in translation (since the original languages of the Bible are Hebrew and Greek), and very often a commentary is written for only a segment of the biblical canon. Be aware, there are also many extra-biblical religious writings which often read like scripture even though they are not canonical.

Let us know if you find this topic guide useful, or if you need more help.

By Darren Poley


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Banned Books: Lord of the Rings, Babar & The Rights of Man

Many people stopped by the library desk in October to ask for information about the Falvey Banned Books display. Here are the books’ stories, accompanied by the names of the library staff members who selected these titles.

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

Selected by Bill Greene

William Greene

William Greene

In 2004, challenged but retained in the South Texas Independent School District in Mercedes, Texas. Parents objected to the adult themes, sexuality, drugs and suicide, found in the 1962 Hugo Award-winning novel being used in a summer science academy curriculum. (Source: Banned Book Week, Marshall University )


Beloved
by Toni Morrison

Selected by Judy Olsen

Challenged at the St. Johns County Schools in St. Augustine, Fla. (1995). Retained on the Round Rock, Texas Independent High School reading list (1996) after a challenge that the book was too violent. Challenged by a member of the Madawaska, Maine School Committee (1997) because of the book’s language. Challenged in the Sarasota County, Fla. schools (1998) because of sexual material. (Source: 2007 Banned Books Resource Guide by Robert P. Doyle.)

(more…)


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Noteworthy: Sue Ottignon, Merrill Stein, Alice Bampton and Joanne Quinn

Librarians Susan Ottignon and Merrill Stein participated in the 38th annual conference of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, “Asia Beyond Borders,” held at Villanova University Oct. 30 – Nov. 1.

Susan Ottignon, a research support librarian and a member of the languages and literatures library liaison team, was a co-presenter, with Masako Hamada, Ph.D., coordinator of  Japanese studies and a member of the Institute for Global Interdisciplinary Studies, on the panel, “Teaching Asia Beyond Asia,” chaired by Hank Glassman, Ph.D., of Haverford College. They presented “Instructional Uses of the Web for Academic Courses.”

Merrill Stein, librarian liaison to political science, chaired the session “Texts and Contexts.” Participants in this session came from the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and the University of Hong Kong.

The Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies is “dedicated to improving understanding between Asia and America.” It is “a scholarly, non-political, non-profit professional association open to all persons interested in Asia” with more than 7,000 members in the international Association for Asian Studies.

Alice Bampton, visual resources librarian, recently attended The Image of War seminar sponsored by the Center for Civil War Photography. The seminar was held in Charleston (S.C.) and focused on Civil War photography there. In addition to illustrated lectures by noted Civil War historians such as Edwin C. Bearss, the group participated in walking tours of Civil War Charleston and Fort Sumter and had a group photograph taken with authentic 19th century equipment. Following the seminar, there was a private visit to the H. L. Hunley, a Confederate submarine recently recovered from the waters near Charleston and currently undergoing conservation.

The Center for Civil War Photography is a non-profit organization founded to “educate the public about Civil War photography, its role in the conflict, and its rich variety of forms; to digitally secure original images and preserve vintage prints; to enhance the accessibility of photographs to the public; and to present interpretative programs that use stereoscopic and standard images to their fullest potential.” The CCWP has held its Image of War seminars annually since 2001.

Joanne Quinn, designer of cultural displays and special projects for Falvey’s Programming and Outreach team, attended the Event Design Summit in Los Angeles in September. For those who conceive and design events and exhibits, this annual event provides information and inspiration needed to renew their creative strategies and to turn their ideas into reality. Over thirty world-class designers, professors, authors and artists shared their expertise and presented material on the latest trends and processes. This year’s event focused on the precarious economy and how designers must learn to do more with fewer resources.

The take away, Joanne said, was that “perceived limitations can actually be the mother of invention and the key to a creative break through.”

By Alice Bampton and Joanne Quinn


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Finding Primary Sources @ Falvey: An Online Research Guide

Students often think about dusty archives and special collections when thinking about primary sources when, in fact, primary sources are available in all types of collections and formats. Widespread digitization efforts have made access to primary sources easier in more than one way: Not only are many primary sources accessible anytime and anywhere on the world-wide web or through the Library’s online collections, but their content can now be reviewed much faster through simple keyword searches. Where in the past a scholar had to spend many hours reading through page after page of a single source, the student today can quickly find keywords of interest in the text of multiple sources with comparatively little effort. A good example for this change in research practices is the Digital Edition of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson: with a few simple keystrokes I was able to find all 26 instances of the word moose in Thomas Jefferson’s papers, instead of laboriously working my way through 33 print volumes.

riots3Falvey has a wide variety of primary sources in its digital collections, such as the complete archives of the New York Times, all 96,000 titles printed in England between 1473 and 1700 through Early English Books Online, 150,000 book titles published in the eighteenth century through Eighteenth Century Collections Online, both series of Early American Imprints and American Periodicals Series Online to name but a few of the more outstanding collections. Many other primary sources remain accessible only via microfilm or microfiche as well as “hidden away” in print volumes spread throughout Falvey’s sizable collection.

Primary sources can be anywhere in the Library’s collections, not just in the archives, but students need help in locating them. The Library has set up an online Primary Sources Research Guide for this purpose. The guide includes numerous examples of potential types of primary sources as well as a list of Library of Congress subject headings used to describe primary sources. Hyperlinks take the student into the Library’s catalog and online collections. There are also some useful tips on how to evaluate primary sources. Students can schedule a research appointment with a librarian via an online form.

The online Primary Sources Research Guide can be found via the Library’s Course & Topics Guides page as well as via the Primary Sources tab on the History Subject Guide.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments that you may have.


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Feedback Friday: Are games needed at the library?

A professor recently asked the library to place her chess set on reserve so that she and her students could use it while in the library. After processing her request, we pondered the need for more board games at the library. We’ve decided to ask you, our patrons. Taking a break from studying or computing to play a board game may help the brain function better and can relieve stress. Studies have been conducted. Articles have been written.

What do you think? Tell us in the Comments!


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"Window Shopping": Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Features Stark Display

Unlike Falvey’s typically colorful first floor window displays, this month’s display has a somber tone, appropriate to its subject matter, Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (HHAW). The display was designed and mounted by Victoria Stork and Alyson Malick, two Villanova seniors, who spent very little money, using recycled materials whenever possible.

HHAW was founded in 1975 by the late Rev. Ray Jackson, O.S.A., and some committed Villanova students. Now more than 500 campuses and communities participate in the event: Its purpose is to “raise awareness in the Villanova community about hunger and homelessness within the United States and around the world” … [t]hrough education, service, and advocacy…  . Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is motivated by the belief in the inherent dignity of all people and our responsibility to uphold the common good of society.”

At the top center of Falvey’s display is a large banner, “Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week,” designed by Joanne Quinn, a member of the Programming and Outreach team. In this case, the banner as well as the two panels to its left and right, one telling about Father Jackson and the other explaining “Our Mission,” were created for last year’s exhibit and reused again this year. (more…)


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Wed. Nov 18th AM office closed

The office will open in the afternoon. If you need assistance, call Falvey 610-519-4270 or Linda Hauck 484-685-6759. Dennis Lambert will be in in the afteroon


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Introducing Our Student Workers: Jeffrey Eisenberg and Clare Oven

Falvey Memorial Library employs dedicated and hardworking students to provide assistance and direction to its patrons. Among these students are seniors Jeffrey Eisenberg and Clare Oven who assist the Access Services staff by helping patrons, by checking in/out books, videos and laptop computers and by assigning study rooms. Both students also shelve books: Clare on a regular basis and Jeffrey during high-volume times.

Jeffrey Eisenberg is a New Jersey native majoring in communication with a business minor and an honorsjeffrey-eisenberg2-ndt concentration. He has worked at Falvey since September 2006.  Jeffrey says he enjoys being at a job where he can interact with students, faculty and staff rather than sitting in a quiet office on campus. He also appreciates the opportunity to study during quiet times.

According to Jeffrey, he enjoys working with “a great staff” and with other students at the circulation desk. Even though it gets hectic during midterms and finals, Jeffrey still loves his job. “The library is a comfortable and friendly place to work with a very helpful staff,” Jeffrey notes.  About the library staff members, Jeffrey says he considers “them friends more than employers.”

Jeffrey is president of Thundercats, a student-led organization that provides cheap-to-free activities for Villanova students on Friday and Saturday nights. He is also a tour guide with the Blue Key Society and a retreat leader for Campus Ministry. He was in two shows with the Villanova Student Theatre and went on a Habitat for Humanity service trip in 2008.

Clare Oven is a mechanical engineering major from San Diego. She has worked at Falvey since her freshman year,clare-oven6-ndt1 2006. Clare has always had a passion for reading, and naturally wanted to work in the library. Clare says, “Working at Falvey has been a convenient campus job. It is an easy place to get to, and I have been able to set a good work schedule for myself.” She also adds that everyone who works in the library is very friendly, nice and helpful, which fosters a great working environment.

Clare enjoys being able to help students get started navigating through all the different ways of information acquisition at Falvey. Her duties also include shelving books where she takes pleasure in spending time in a quiet atmosphere and seeing all the different types of books available. Overall, Clare has enjoyed her experience at Falvey and is truly going to miss working here when she graduates.

Clare is a member of Villanovans for Life and serves on the Engineering Student Council.

Reflecting Falvey’s mission of service to the University, this work experience equips students with practical knowledge in patron service and circulation duties, and the students who work at Falvey find this to be true.

By Akua K. Adoo, Publications & Communication intern; photographs by Natalie Tomasco


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Updates: PubMed and EndNote with APA 6th

Introducing PubMed’s Sleek New Interface

PubMed, the National Library of Medicine’s premier database for biomedical information, has unveiled a new search interface.

pubmed_new1

Although PubMed searching is free to the public, Villanova University users should always access the database by starting at the Falvey homepage, clicking Databases A-Z and then choosing PubMed. This will allow you to link to full text articles included in the library’s online journal subscriptions.

The following YouTube videos will introduce you to PubMed’s new look and  help you locate some of your old favorite search features.

Where did they move my cheese? Comparison of old and new PubMed homepages
(U. of Manitoba)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVnhFCIW5SI&NR=1

Saving records from PubMed and importing them into EndNote
(HINT: It changed a bit.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAK0oLZszIA

The new Advanced Search, Part 1
(Health Sciences, U. of California, Davis)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StF1XL-zN5A

More video guides to the new PubMed interface from UC Davis:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1DE082113A0083F0&search_query=pubmed

endnote

Latest EndNote Release Now Includes APA 6th Output Style

EndNote recently released version X3.0.1 for Windows, incorporating the APA 6th into its output styles. If you already have version X3 installed on your PC or laptop, you can download the update by clicking Start –> Programs –> EndNote –> Update EndNote.

update_endnote1

If you do not have EndNote for Windows or if you have version X2 or older, you may take advantage of the free update available on the Falvey website. When on campus, download version X3.0.1 from https://library.villanova.edu/Help/FAQs/EndNote
NOTE: Download will work on campus only! If you wish to install the program on an off campus computer, please borrow the CD available at the Falvey front desk.

Version X3 for Mac is also available at https://library.villanova.edu/Help/FAQs/EndNote or on CD at Falvey front desk.


Need assistance finding information? Contact
Barbara Quintiliano (X95207) barbara.quintiliano@villanova.edu or
Robin Bowles (X8129) robin.bowles@villanova.edu

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Bartley Business Info Closed 11/16

Due to staff illnesses, Bartley Business Info Center is closed today. Assistance is available at Falvey Memorial Library or by calling Linda Hauck 484-685-6759.


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Last Modified: November 16, 2009

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