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Librarian Voices: #WoolFreeWinter

Alex Williams

Alexander Williams is the research support librarian for the social sciences and liaison to the communications, sociology, and criminal justice departments. 


#WoolFreeWinter

Sheep

(Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Winter is coming. No, seriously. I’m not just quoting the motto of House Stark from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. Winter is really coming and, to many of us, that means getting out the wool blankets, scouring online stores for the most fashionable wool clothing, and getting ready for the holiday shopping season. However, many of us perhaps aren’t aware that the wool industry is an inhumane one and that buying wool directly contributes to the suffering of sheep. Please join me and millions around the globe by participating in #WoolFreeWinter (warning: some viewers may find the content upsetting).

Q: What is #WoolFreeWinter?

A: As first reported by NBC, eyewitness investigations into the wool industry led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) revealed the horrific conditions under which sheep are raised and sheared in the United States and Australia, the world’s biggest wool exporter. As a result of this international exposé, PETA initiated the campaign #WoolFreeWinter to educate the public about this cruel industry and to raise awareness about ethical alternatives to wool before the winter season.

Q: But don’t sheep need to be shorn?

A: Unlike wild sheep, which naturally shed their wool, domesticated sheep have been bred for increased wool growth and do need to be shorn. While this industry sounds humane theoretically, it is, in reality, a nightmare.

Undercover investigators found that sheep were killed, mutilated, stomped upon and brutally beaten during the shearing process. These acts occur because shearers are paid by volume, not by the hour.

An experienced shearer can “handle” more than 350 sheep a day over a four week period. Shearing sheep as quickly as possible for profit inevitably leads to a disregard for their wellbeing.

A sheep’s skin is quite wrinkly because it is maximized for wool growth, but it also collects moisture making it prone to infection. Flies are attracted to this moisture and lay eggs in the folds of skin (flystrike), leaving fly larvae (maggots) to nest and then eat the sheep alive. In the wool industry, a barbaric operation called “mulesing” is performed to prevent this condition, during which strips of flesh are cut from a lamb’s back and buttocks to create scar tissue that won’t collect moisture. However, this procedure is not always effective. Mulesing, in addition to castration, dehorning, and tail docking, is often performed without anesthetics, and infections from these mutilations can lead to a slow and agonizing death. Once sheep cease to produce quality wool, they are then shipped worldwide in overcrowded, multilevel ships to slaughterhouses without concern for their welfare.

Q: What can I do?

A: The best thing you can do is to not buy wool products. Check clothing labels and, if an item includes wool, put it back on the shelf. Wool may also be listed as mohair, pashmina, shahtoosh, or cashmere, but any kind of wool amounts to animal suffering.

If this information shocks you, you can help save the lives of animals everywhere from the horrors of the fur, leather, angora and down feather industries, too.

Q: Is there such a thing as “humane wool?”

A: While PETA states that “there is no such thing as humane wool,” wool suppliers have taken significant steps to establish more humane wool practices since PETA’s initial investigations into the industry, which caused widespread protest and millions of dollars in company losses. If you would still prefer wool clothing, be sure to enquire of the retailer whether their products are ethically sourced. The Merino Company, (http://www.merinocompany.com/index.asp), New Merino (http://newmerino.com.au/wp/brand-owners/mulesing/), and Plevna Downs (http://www.plevnadowns.com.au/index.htm) are three companies that pride themselves on supplying non-mulesed wool to numerous brands and retailers. Humane companies like these usually undergo auditing, on-site veterinarian evaluations, and something called a traceability, traceback, or “Sheep to Shelf” system, so that one can identify the growers (or even the individual sheep themselves!) who produced the wool. It might also be worth investigating smaller farms, societies, and organizations in your area that shear sheep as a heartfelt hobby and create only small amounts of wool products for limited distribution.

Q: What are the alternatives to wool?

Alternatives to wool include cotton, cotton flannel, hemp, bamboo, polyester fleece and other cruelty-free fibers. Two other options include Tencel, a new durable and biodegradable substitute, and Polartec Wind Pro, which is made from recycled plastic bottles and offers four times the wind resistance of wool. Check out PETA’s cruelty-free shopping guide for revealing information about the fashion industry and ethical alternatives to animal products.

By choosing an alternative, you will not only directly help the lives of sheep but also avoid the common problems with wool: prone to retaining unpleasant odors, open to moth and mildew damage, not very durable, expensive, difficult to clean, able to shrink and stain easily, very itchy and/or can cause allergies.

Do more for these gentle and intelligent beings that share many characteristics with us. Spread the word by sharing on Facebook and Twitter and ignite change this #WoolFreeWinter.

 

Online Resources

Schecter, A. (2014, July 19). PETA: There’s no such thing as humane wool. NBC News. Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/peta-theres-no-such-thing-humane-wool-n151326

Withnall, A. (2014, July 10). US and Australia wool industries exposed in shocking undercover footage captured by animal rights group. The Independent. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-and-australian-wool-industries-exposed-in-shocking-undercover-footage-captured-by-animal-rights-groups-9597552.html

PETA. (2014). The wool industry. Retrieved from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/wool-industry/

PETA. (2014). Inside the wool industry (with bibliographic references). Retrieved from http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/animals-used-clothing-factsheets/inside-wool-industry/

PETA. (2014). International Expose: Sheep killed, punched, stomped on, and cut for wool. Retrieved from http://investigations.peta.org/australia-us-wool/

Galbraith, F. (2009). Died in the wool (with bibliographic references). Retrieved from http://www.thebigcoverup.org.uk/wool/

 

Animal Rights @ Falvey

Aaltola, E. (2012). Animal suffering: Philosophy and culture. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Cohen, C., & Regan, T. (2001). The animal rights debate. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Garner, R. (2013). A theory of justice for animals: Animal rights in a nonideal world. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Gruen, L. (2011). Ethics and animals: An introduction. Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press.

Linzey, A., & Clarke, P. A. B. (2004). Animal rights: A historical anthology. New York: Columbia University Press.

Regan, T. (2003). Animal rights, human wrongs: An introduction to moral philosophy. Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Rowlands, M. (2009). Animal rights: Moral theory and practice (2nd rev. ed.). Houndmills, Basingstoke ; New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Waldau, P. (2011). Animal rights: What everyone needs to know. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.


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New Books in Communication and Sociology

Happy Fall!

In case you find some free time this semester and need a good book to read, please check out some of the newly acquired titles in the social sciences below that are available at Falvey Memorial Library. Be sure to check out the full list, too, for more new and unique titles.

Americans against the city : Anti-urbanism in the twentieth century
by Steven Conn
Oxford University Press, 2014

 

Cognitive media theory
by Ted Nannicelli & Paul Taberham
Routledge, 2014

 

Disability incarcerated : imprisonment and disability in the United States and Canada
by Liat Ben-Moshe & Liat and Allison C. Carey
Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

 

Doing a successful research project : using qualitative or quantitative methods
By Martin Davies & Nathan Hughes
Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

 

EXPLORING GREEN CRIMINOLOGY : TOWARD A GREEN CRIMINOLOGICAL REVOLUTION
by Michael J. Lynch
Ashgate, 2014

 

Imaginative methodologies in the social sciences : creativity, poetics and rhetoric in social research
by Michael Hviid Jacobsen, Michael S. Drake, Kieran Keohane, & Anders Petersen
Ashgate, 2014

 

Mainstreaming torture : ethical approaches in the post-9/11 United States
by Rebecca Gordon
Oxford, 2014

 

The social media handbook
by Jeremy Hunsinger and Theresa M. Senft
Routledge, 2014

 

I’d also love to hear from you! Please feel free to recommend other texts you feel are useful for your courses by email (alexander.williams@villanova.edu) or by telephone (ext. 8845).


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Dig Deeper: Journalism and the Great War

When the Great War changed the course of the 20th century, it also greatly impacted the world of communication. Until this time, muckraking was the dominant journalistic movement, which was an incarnation of investigative writing that sought to unveil corruption and scandal (to “rake” up “muck”), especially regarding politics and social issues.

Some of the most influential journalists in the Progressive Era included Lincoln Steffens, Ida Tarbell, and Ray Stannard Baker, all three of whom wrote for McClure’s Magazine, which played a significant role in establishing the muckraking movement. While Steffens (1866-1936) focused on exposing government and political corruption, Tarbell (1857-1944) is perhaps best known for her work exposing John D. Rockefeller and the ills of his oil monopoly. Stannard (1870-1946) was an advocate of Woodrow Wilson during his presidential candidacy and was later asked by him to investigate the war in Europe. The muckraking movement, however, was to meet its end during World War I, during which government in general became adversarial toward journalism.

Seven days after the United States entered the global conflict, President Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI), which strove to publicize the war through print and visual media in only constructive ways. Although the CPI did not have the ability to censor, its head, George Creel, a muckraking journalist himself, did advocate for voluntary self-monitoring and even issued a Preliminary Statement to the Press in May 1917 that urged editors to prevent publication of any news that could compromise military operations. As Creel was also a member of the government Censorship Board, which monitored communication over telegraph, telephone and cable, he was able to scrutinize periodicals as well as magazines, which were required to present their articles for the board’s review before publication.

The Espionage Act of 1917 and a 1918 sedition amendment frustrated attempts to publish an objective view of the war even further. The former barred any materials that ostensibly advocated disloyalty, insubordination, treason or obstruction of military recruitment, while the latter deemed criminal any published content disloyal to the government or military. In the hands of a manipulating Wilson administration, the freedom of domestic reporting was severely restricted.

Although operating under difficult conditions, there were numerous journalists who were able to distinguish themselves for their courage, intelligence and integrity.

During what she thought only to be a vacation in Europe, Nellie Bly (1864-1922) witnessed the outbreak of the Great War. Previously, Bly had written for the New York World about government corruption, poor working conditions, and the Pullman labor strike, and even had the opportunity to interview American social reformer Susan B. Anthony. After taking a hiatus from investigative journalism, she was asked by a former World editor to write for the New York Evening Journal about her experiences in war-torn Europe. She ultimately accepted and is now known as America’s first female war correspondent reporting from the front lines.

John Reed (1887-1920) was another war correspondent who sailed to Europe soon after Germany declared war on France. He viewed the war largely as a product of commercialism and was frequently thwarted by censorship in the press. Reed is famously known to have shouted, “This is not my war, and I will not support it. This is not my war, and I will have nothing to do with it” (Homberger, John Reed, 1990, p.122). After President Wilson announced the involvement of the United States, Reed went on to publish vitriolic anti-war articles in the Socialist magazine The Masses, whose editors were eventually charged with conspiring to obstruct conscription.

After the war, author and journalist Georges Seldes (1890-1995) conducted an exclusive interview with the supreme commander of the German army, Paul von Hindenburg, who actually broke down in tears during the interview and discussed how pivotal America was strategically in winning the war.

With the efforts of these journalists and many others, it seems only appropriate that the Pulitzer Prizes, established by one of the most famous journalists and publisher of the St. Louis Post Dispatch and the New York World, Joseph Pulitzer, were first awarded for achievement in journalism in 1917.


Dig Deeper: Resources about Journalism through the Great War

For a topic overview, check out the entry “Journalism, World War I” from our online reference Americans at War: Society, Culture and the Homefront. This entry concludes with a bibliography with sources that further investigate the history of journalism.

For primary sources, try browsing through a list of periodicals published during WWI.

Resources on Muckrakers past and present

A list of books about Ida Tarbell

Read more about Lincoln Steffens.

Discover the World War I diary of Ray Stannard Baker and more.

How well do you know Nellie Bly, the woman who travelled around the world in 72 days?

Find out more about the radical politics of John Reed.

Learn about the extraordinary career of Georges Seldes.

Resources about Joseph Pulitzer, the history of the prizes, and the works of individual prize-winning authors are all right here.

For more information about journalism throughout World War I, please email me, Alexander Williams, or call 610-519-8845.


Article written and links provided by Alexander Williams, research support librarian for the social sciences and the liaison to the communication, criminology and sociology departments.


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Dig Deeper: Jill A. McCorkel, PhD, researches a major US women’s prison

Breaking Women

On Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 2:30 p.m. in room 205 of Falvey Memorial Library, Jill A. McCorkel, PhD, associate professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, will deliver a Scholarship@Villanova lecture about her recently published book, Breaking Women: Gender, Race and the New Politics of Imprisonment. Dr. McCorkel will discuss how her four years of research in a major U.S. women’s prison helped her to uncover the reasons tougher drug policies have so greatly affected those incarcerated there, and how the very nature of punishment in women’s detention centers has been deeply altered as a result. Lauded as “prison ethnography at its best” (Lorna Rhodes, author of Total Confinement: Madness and Reason in the Maximum Security Prison), her book is published by New York University Press and was a finalist for the 2013 C. Wright Mills Book Award presented by the Society for the Study of Social Problems.

This event—co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library, the Department of Sociology & Criminology, the Gender and Women’s Studies Program, and the Center for Peace and Justice Education—is free and open to the public.


Dig Deeper:

jill_mccorkelvillanova_edu

Resources by and about Dr. Jill McCorkel

Attending the lecture? Now read Dr. McCorkel’s new book: Breaking Women: Gender, Race and the New Politics of Imprisonment.

Find out more about the professor’s work and research interests by visiting her Villanova webpage

Keep up to date with the professor by following her on Twitter!

Check out Dr. McCorkel’s collaborative photo essay with prisoners from SCI Graterford @ Strongbox Magazine – Vol. 1 2009.

Becker, S. & McCorkel, J. (2011). The gender of criminal opportunity: The impact of male co-offenders on women’s crime.
Building on ethnographic research and feminist labor market analyses, this study explores how gender affects access to criminal opportunities. Using National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data, the authors examine the effect a male co-offender has on women’s offending. They find that the presence of a male co-offender broadens women’s criminal involvement in distinctive ways.

McCorkel, J. (2003). Embodied surveillance and the gendering of punishment.
This ethnography explores the enactment of “get tough” politics in a state prison for women and considers whether the implementation of seemingly gender-neutral programs and policies implies that women’s prisons are no longer operating as “gendered organizations.”

McCorkel, J. (2004). Criminally dependent? Gender, punishment, and the rhetoric of welfare reform.
This study relies on ethnographic data collected from a state prison for women to examine whether and to what extent welfare and criminal justice policies were coordinated during the drug and poverty wars of the past decade. Findings reveal that drug war policies did indeed transform punishment practices on the feminine side of the penal system, but such transformations were ultimately premised on changes to institutional interpretive structures that altered the ways state actors conceptualized gender, crime and women’s needs.

More Resources on Women and Imprisonment

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Women in Prison
The ACLU “fights to ensure that the criminal justice system treats women and girls fairly, that it protects the health and safety of women in its custody, and that it facilitates their successful reentry into their communities.” Check out this web resource for general information, statistics, videos and its personal testimony series called “Words from Prison.”

Women’s Prisons in the United States
A list of United States federal and state prisons which either currently or once did contain female prisoners.

Female offenders: critical perspectives and effective interventions
This classic text explores a variety of topics on female offenders from the nature of female offending, its patterns and explanations, power-belief theory and relational theory to institutional assessment, classification and programs.

Interrupted life: experiences of incarcerated women in the United States
This is a “gripping collection of writings by and about imprisoned women in the United States, a country that jails a larger percentage of its population than any other nation in the world. This eye-opening work brings together scores of voices from both inside and outside the prison system including incarcerated and previously incarcerated women, their advocates and allies, abolitionists, academics and other analysts” (see the full description at the University of California Press).

Women’s mental health issues across the criminal justice system
An accessible guide to women’s mental health in criminal justice systems, this text touches on meeting the needs of juvenile and adult offenders, measuring traumatic events in the lives of incarcerated girls, crisis intervention teams training, policy implications, and the ethics of justice and mental health systems.

A list of all books with the subject “Female offenders Rehabilitation United States.”

A list of all books with the subject “Women prisoners Services for United States.”

Explore more about corrections in the United States with this comprehensive list of print and online titles.


Alex Williams

Article written and links provided by Alexander Williams, research support librarian for the social sciences and the liaison to the communication, criminology and sociology departments. For questions or more information, feel free to contact him by email (alexander.williams@villanova.edu) or phone (ext.8845).


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Don’t be a Buzzkill – Help Save the Bees!

BEE

Busy on the coreopsis in front of the Chapel.

His labor is a chant,
His idleness a tune;
Oh, for a bee’s experience
Of clovers and of noon!

– From “The Bee,” by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Although we may not necessarily think of the summer season as a time for work, we depend greatly upon one sweet friend to humankind that is always keeping busy in the sun – the honeybee. We use the Chaucerian phrase “busy as a bee” because these insects commonly fly three to four miles a day (although it can be twice as much) to gather pollen and nectar. It is estimated that a one pound jar of honey requires almost 10 million foraging trips to produce it. That’s pretty busy! Unfortunately, these gentle beings are often confused with more aggressive insects like certain hornets and wasps (learn how to tell the difference), so don’t fear if a honeybee lands on you. Stay calm and it will carry on. Otherwise, it can smell the pheromones that are released when we experience fear and anger; these can become a trigger for bees to sting.

Bees and honey have featured prominently in mythology, religion, birth rituals, weddings, funerals, traditions and superstitions for millennia. The ancient Greeks believed that a baby whose lips were anointed with honey would become a great poet or a mellifluous speaker. The Roman poet Virgil called honey “a gift from heaven” (Georgics, IV) for very good reasons becaluse honey not only tastes divine, but also contains many nutritional and medicinal properties. Gathering wild honey is one of the most ancient human practices, as rock paintings from circa 13,000 BCE indicate. However, there is a relatively recent phenomenon that is threatening the well-being of the honeybee and the viability of current agricultural practices.

In 2006, a syndrome called colony collapse disorder (CCD) was widely publicized because of a significant rise in the disappearances of honeybee colonies. In short, CCD is “a pathological condition affecting a large number of honeybee colonies, in which various stresses may lead to the abrupt disappearance of worker bees from the hive, leaving only the queen and newly hatched bees behind and thus causing the colony to stop functioning” (Dictionary.com). Although the exact causes remain unknown, scientists have proposed pesticides, mite infection, malnutrition, genetic factors, loss of habitat, changing beekeeping practices, or a combination of the above for the increasing occurrence of CCD.

beeportAs we depend upon these pollinators for many domestic crops, it is imaginable that we could live in a world without about a third of the food we are accustomed to eating. Although the disappearance of colonies has occurred in the past, it has not been on such a scale as in 2012-2013, when about half of the honeybee hives in the United States were thought to have been lost to CCD. Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher, predicted in a 1923 lecture that, if we continued to disturb the natural process of hive society and manipulate queen bees, a mass disappearance would occur within 80 years. Unfortunately, it appears that his prediction is coming true.

While research continues to expand our understanding of CCD, there are many ways we can help support the honeybee community and our own well-being. Below is a list of resources available online and at Falvey Memorial Library to help you become more bee-friendly.

Dig Deeper: Resources for You and the Honeybee

Online Resources

10 Things You Can Do to Help!

10 More Things You Can Do to Help!

Two lists of easy things you can do to make a difference. Whether it’s abstaining from chemical and pesticide treatments on your lawn, planting a few flowers, buying local, organic food and honey, or setting out a birdbath or bee-waterer, there are many ways you can combat the global bee crisis on a local level.

Queen of the Sun (DVD)

“Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature.”

Find a copy in your area today with WorldCat or through one of our interlibrary loan services.

Best Bee Plants

Make your garden, outdoor containers, or windowsill planter bee-friendly! This list of beneficial plants includes everything from traditional garden flowers, fruits, and herbs to trees, shrubs, lawn tips, and more. The site also provides instruction on making difficult gardening conditions (e.g. clay soil) fruitful and eco-friendly.

Resources at Falvey

The Honey Bee 

This is a highly accessible and well-written Scientific American Library Series book by renowned author James L. Gould and his wife. Gould is known for the experiment he conducted that demonstrated how bees can communicate the location of food to other bees through a complex dance system.

Anatomy of the Honeybee 

Written and illustrated by R. E. Snodgrass, this is the classic text on the anatomy of the honeybee.

Colony Collapse Disorder: A Descriptive Study

This scholarly article is the first comprehensive survey of CCD-affected bee populations.

The Colony Collapse Disorder Progress Report

Since 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s internal agency ARS (Agricultural Research Service) has published an annual progress report as they strive to increase our understanding of CCD as well as to promote more sustainable bee management practices.

Feel free to contact me by email alexander.williams@villanova.edu or phone (ext. 8845) if you have any questions. You are always welcome to leave a comment below, too.

 


Alex Williams theology liaisonAlexander Williams, ’11 MA, MS is the temporary librarian liaison to the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and a research librarian on the Academic Integration and the Information and Research Assistance teams. Bee photos by Joanne Quinn.

Our Dig Deeper series features links to Falvey Memorial Library resources curated and provided by a librarian specializing in the subject, to allow you to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of seasonal occasions and events held here at the Library. Don’t hesitate to ‘ask us!’ if you’d like to take the excavation even further. And visit our Events listings for more exciting upcoming speakers, lectures and workshops! 


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Easter Sunday: Dig Deeper

Easter Good Wishes Card

Easter Bunny Postcard, 1900.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

For a long time, Easter Sunday meant no more to me than the day my brothers and I reluctantly got out of bed and put on over-starched shirts so we could arrive at our local church for 7:30 a.m. Mass. Trapped in what we thought was a seemingly endless cycle of sitting, standing, kneeling (repeat), all we wanted to do was run home, for we knew that, if we were lucky, the Easter Bunny had come and left plastic eggs in the backyard for us to find and discover their mysterious contents. In other words, The Mystery was a complete mystery to me.

Now, when the spring rains come and the wind carries the smell of fecund earth, I don’t think about having to wake up early and putting on a suit. I think of the Greek myth of Persephone who, returning from her stay with Hades in the Underworld, signals the end of winter and the beginning of new life on earth. I think of the rabbit, that fertile animal who symbolizes the coming of spring. I think of the egg, that really simple yet powerful symbol of fertility, purity and rebirth, and of new life breaking through the eggshell much as Christ came forth from the tomb. I think about how these eggs were originally stained red, as in the postcard above, in memory of the blood Christ shed during the Crucifixion for us.

The most important of Christian feasts, Easter, “the great day,” celebrates the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has given us new life by dying for our sins. I wish this time of the year reminds you, too, what a gift of hope the light of spring is after so much winter darkness.

Easter – Dig Deeper:

Here are just a few of the resources on Easter available at Falvey:

Passover and Easter: Origin and History to Modern Times 

An excellent and exhaustive study treating the histories and comparisons of Passover and Easter. Recommended for undergraduates and graduate students alike.

Journey to Easter: Spiritual Reflections for the Lenten Season

Written by Pope Benedict XVI, this title discusses the meaning of the Easter season, the birth, death, passion and resurrection of Christ, and more, in a very meditative style.

Easter Vigil and Other Poems 

A collection of Poems written by Pope John Paul II before he became Pope.

The Challenge of Easter

A very short and highly accessible introduction to what Easter means and why we celebrate it.

Easter in the Early Church: An Anthology of Jewish and Early Christian Texts 

A very thorough collection of texts with commentary on Easter in the early church from Jewish, Greek, Latin and New Testament writers.

Revisiting the Empty Tomb: The Early History of Easter 

Explores how the Gospels vary on what happened at the empty tomb of Christ and provides careful discussions of the origins of Easter.

Urbi et Orbi Message of Pope Francis – Easter 2013

This papal address and blessing Urbi et Orbi (“to the City [of Rome] and the World) was given by Pope Francis on Easter in 2013 and explains how Easter is the exodus, the passage of human beings from slavery to sin and evil to the freedom of love and goodness.

Warmest wishes on Easter from everyone at Falvey Memorial Library.


Alex Williams theology liaisonAlexander Williams, ’11 MA, is the temporary librarian liaison to the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and a research librarian on the Academic Integration and the Information and Research Assistance teams. He is currently pursuing an MS in Library and Information Science at Drexel University’s iSchool.

Our Dig Deeper series features links to Falvey Memorial Library resources curated and provided by a librarian specializing in the subject, to allow you to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of seasonal occasions and events held here at the Library. Don’t hesitate to ‘ask us!’ if you’d like to take the excavation even further. And visit our Events listings for more exciting upcoming speakers, lectures and workshops! 

 


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Brill’s New Pauly Supplements Online

Brill's New Pauly OnlineFalvey Memorial Library is pleased to announce that it now offers Brill’s New Pauly Supplements Online, which serves as a complement to Brill’s New Pauly Online: Encyclopedia of the Ancient World. The supplements consist of six distinct reference titles that provide in-depth information on ancient authors and texts, historical atlases, the history of classical scholarship, the reception of myth and classical literature, and more. This resource is highly recommended for humanists and scientists alike.

With Brill’s New Pauly Supplements Online, you now have access to the following titles:

1)      Chronologies of the Ancient World – This is an exhaustive list of names, dates and facts about the rulers and dynasties that have played significant roles in the course of history.

2)      Dictionary of Greek and Latin Authors and Texts – Provides an overview and history of ancient authors and their works up to the present and contains lists of manuscripts; scholia; early, modern and bilingual editions; translations; and commentaries.

3)      Historical Atlas of the Ancient World – Covering the ancient Near East, the Mediterranean world, the Byzantine Empire, the Islamic world and the Holy Roman Empire from 3000 B.C. to the 15th century A.D., this new atlas illuminates the political, economic, social and cultural developments of key areas in history.

4)      The Reception of Myth and Mythology – Explores how and where the myths of Greece and Rome have spread into literature, music and art over the centuries.

5)      The Reception of Classical Literature – This supplement provides an overview of the reception and influence of ancient literary works on the literary, visual and musical arts from Antiquity to the present.

6)      History of Classical Scholarship – A Biographical Dictionary – Offers an overview of the history of classical studies and contains biographies of over 700 scholars from the 14th century to the present in social, political and cultural contexts.

After completing a quick and simple registration online, you will find a series of “personal user tools” that can catapult your research experience into another world. Some of these added features include the ability to label and “star” entries, to email entries to yourself or classmates, and to share links on social media (Facebook and Twitter). You can save your searches and easily return to those lists of results, manage them from “My Account,” and even subscribe to Brill’s RSS Feed to learn when new or revised content is added.

As an additional bonus, try out the “Cite this Page” feature found at the end of each entry. If you are using this resource for an assignment, copy and paste citations to create your reference list in just seconds. You can also use the “export citation” feature to send the bibliographic information to EndNote or RefWorks, or you can even save it as a document in either MLA or Chicago Style.

Be sure to browse the bibliography at the end of each entry so you can easily find other sources that explore your topic of interest.

Alex Williams theology liaisonIf you have any questions pertaining to this resource, please contact Alexander Williams via email or telephone (ext. 8845).

 

 


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Dig Deeper: John Paul II’s Theology of the Body

On Thursday, April 3 at 2:30 p.m. D.C. Schindler, PhD, associate professor of Metaphysics and Anthropology at The John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at The Catholic University of America and former Villanova professor will present a talk titled “The Labor of Love: John Paul II and the Sanctity of Work” as part of the Library’s annual Pope John Paul II Legacy Lecture series. This lecture will explore the meaning of human work as a form of self-gift by reflecting on John Paul II’s insights about work in the light of the theological anthropology of his Theology of the Body.

The event, co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library, the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and the Department of Humanities, will take place in Room 204 in the Learning Commons and is free and open to the public.As this Legacy Lecture will explore the meaning of human work in the light of the theological anthropology of Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, you may be curious to learn more about this seminal text. It is actually a compilation of over 120 lectures John Paul delivered to audiences in St. Peter’s Square and Paul VI Audience Hall between 1979 and 1984, shortly after he succeeded Pope John Paul I.

In these lectures, the Pope addresses a wide range of topics such as the Christian ideal of marriage, adultery, the resurrection of the body, celibacy and virginity, the sacrament of marriage, contraception and more. Generally, the lectures urge us not to perceive the body as an object, but as a gift worthy of dignity and reverence. The compiled text shows much depth and quality of thought because the Pope had studied philosophy and theology before his papacy, but there are several aids available to the adventurous reader (see below).


 

 


Dig Deeper

For more information on Pope John Paul II and his Theology of the Body, please explore the following resources that Falvey Memorial Library currently offers.

Print Books

The Theology of the Body

Theology of the Body Explained: A Commentary on John Paul II’s “Gospel of the Body”
An excellent commentary that is written in an accessible style and is divided into “cycles” that treat the main themes of the Theology of the Body.

Men and Women are from Eden: A Study Guide to John Paul II’s Theology of the Body
A highly-readable study guide that provides nine accessible “lessons” that introduces the reader to the Pope’s message. Also recommended for study groups and marriage preparation courses.

John Paul > II, > Pope, > 1920-2005. > Theology of the body.
A listing of all items treating the Pope’ Theology of the Body. Be sure to check out researcher Christopher West’s series of DVDs on this subject.

John Paul > II, > Pope, > 1920-2005.
A listing of all items treating all aspects of the life and work of the Pope.

Websites

Theology of the Body Institute
A non-profit, educational organization promoting the Theology of the Body to both Christians and non-Christians alike. Offers a certification program, various courses, articles, videos, and much more.

Theology of the Body.net 
An online resource for John Paul II’s Theology of the Body that offers articles, documents, links and other resources to assist in promoting and disseminating the Pope’s message.


RS6126_Alex-Williams-work-stationAlexander Williams, ’11 MA, is the temporary librarian liaison to the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and a research librarian on the Academic Integration and the Information and Research Assistance teams. He is currently pursuing an MS in Library and Information Science at Drexel University’s iSchool.

Our Dig Deeper series features links to Falvey Memorial Library resources curated and provided by a librarian specializing in the subject, to allow you to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of seasonal occasions and events held here at the Library. Don’t hesitate to ‘ask us!’ if you’d like to take the excavation even further. And visit our Events listings for more exciting upcoming speakers, lectures and workshops! 

 

 


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New Trial Database: Index Religiosus

index religiosus

We are pleased to announce our trial of Index Religiosus, which will be available until March 10, 2014, so please try it out!

What is it?

The Index is an international reference bibliography for academic publications in theology, religious studies and Church history covering publications written in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and more. Students and faculty in theology/religious studies, philosophy and humanities will benefit greatly from this epic online bibliographical tool.

Its coverage includes “the full range of disciplines in Theology and Canon Law: History of Theology, History of Religions, Old and New Testaments, Fundamental and Dogmatic Theology, Sacramentology and Liturgy, Moral and Pastoral Theology, and Canon Law.” In addition, “all aspects of Church History are also widely covered: Institutions, Orders, Congregations, Influential Figures, Hagiography, Political, Social and Economic History, Archaeology, Art History, Music, Architecture, Relations with Islam and Judaism” and much more.”

Features

  • Select your preferred language.
  • Start searching by keyword, author, title, year of publication, discipline, person, geographic area, ISBN/ISSN, etc.
  • Export records to email, Word, Excel, RefWorks or EndNote.
  • Keep abreast of current research by choosing the email alerts feature, which will notify you about new updates and records in your areas of interest.

index religiosus demo

 

Please see the detailed leaflet to peruse a list of the journals it indexes, searching tips, and other information about its features.

Where do I find it?

Access this resource through the Database A-Z list or the subject guides for theology and religious studies, philosophy, and humanities.

Want to keep it?

If you would like this resource to become permanent, please take advantage of the trial and let us know about your experience. Contact Alexander Williams, theology/humanities librarian, by email or by phone (ext. 8845).

 


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Evangelii Gaudium Readings: A Conversation Series on the Catholic Church and the World

Falvey Memorial Library and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will be presenting a three part series of conversations inspired by Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). In this 47,560 word document, which is written in a highly accessible style, Pope Francis encourages the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization and also points out new paths for the Church’s journey in the years to come.

But what exactly is an “apostolic exhortation?” According to the New Catholic Encyclopedia, it is a morally persuasive and significant expression of the magisterium, or teaching authority of the Church. Exhortations are quite influential because they are frequently the product of consensus. An exhortation can also be the base for further study and for special norms putting its teaching into effect, but it is neither legislative nor does it define church doctrine (MORRISEY, F. G. “Apostolic Exhortation.” New Catholic Encyclopedia. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 585-586. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.).

On Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 6:00 p.m. in Falvey’s Speakers’ Corner, Bernie Prusak, PhD, Sue Toton, PhD, and Jim Wetzel, PhD, will facilitate the first discussion of the Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) will explore the theme, “I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty” (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel), which entails a discussion of the role of the Church in the world today, where it is headed, and what it means to be poor and evangelical.

The second discussion, hosted by Mary Hirschfeld, PhD, Robert DeFina, PhD, and Gerald Beyer, PhD, takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 6:00 p.m. in Room 205 of Falvey and will explore the theme, “The worship of the golden calf has returned” (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel). This discussion will address whether the socioeconomic system is unjust and promotes a “throw-away culture” and will also consider the idea that capitalism can be consistent with social justice.

The final discussion, led by Rebecca Winer, PhD, Hibba Abugideiri, PhD, Crystal Lucky, PhD, and Charlie Cherry, PhD, occurs on Tuesday, March 25, at 6:00 p.m. in Falvey’s Speakers’ Corner and will explore how “We can learn so much from one another” (Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel). This final installment will focus on world peace through interfaith understanding and our duties towards other in promoting this understanding.


Dig Deeper: Want to Learn More about Pope Francis I?

Pope Francis (born: Jorge Mario Bergoglio), who named himself in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, has taken the world by storm. Friendlier in demeanor and less conservative than his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, who was the first pope to resign in almost 600 years, Pope Francis’ humility, compassion, and peaceful smile have charmed Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It’s not surprising he was named TIME’s “Person of the Year” for 2013 or that he’s been depicted in graffiti as the SuperPope on a street in Rome. As of this week, he’ll also be the first Pope to grace the cover of Rolling Stone. You can connect with him on Facebook and even follow him on Twitter! Clearly, Pope Francis is inspiring us on all fronts with messages that are truly universal. Some of his past tweets have included: “Let us pray for peace, and let us bring it about, starting in our own homes!” and “To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.”

Here are a few resources that will help you learn more about the man:

·     Francis: Man of Prayer

This book describes the life of the new pope, from his beginnings as the child of Italian immigrants to becoming the first Jesuit pope and first pope from the Americas.

·     Francis: Pope of a New World

Written by a major Vatican reporter, this easy-to-read book contains all the essential information on Pope Francis as well as new impressions and insights on his character as well as his early days in office.

·     Francis, A New World Pope

A survey of Pope Francis’s journey to the papacy, his beliefs and writings, his character, and the new challenges he will face as Pope, which include church governance, consumerism, evangelization, tending to the poor, and much more.

·     Pope Francis on the Open Directory Project

The Open Directory Project is the largest directory of the web. Check out this page for a list of links about Pope Francis such as news and opinion, stories, commentaries, photographs, and more.

·     Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio – Holy Father

The Vatican’s official website devoted to all things Pope Francis.

·     Pope Francis’ Channel on YouTube

This series is co-sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is free and open to the public.


Alex Williams theology liaisonAlexander Williams, ’11 MA, MS is the temporary librarian liaison to the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and a research librarian on the Academic Integration and the Information and Research Assistance teams.

Photo of Pope Francis by Diane Brocchi, Special Events Coordinator, College of Arts & Sciences

Our Dig Deeper series features curated links to Falvey Memorial Library resources that allow you to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of seasonal occasions and events held here at the Library. Don’t hesitate to ‘ask us!’ if you’d like to take the excavation even further. And visit our Events listings for more exciting upcoming speakers, lectures and workshops! 

 


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Last Modified: February 3, 2014

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