What Happens to your Research Assignment at the Library?

Isbell, Dennis. "What Happens to your Research Assignment at the Library?." College Teaching 56.1 (Winter 2008): 3-6. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. LaChance Library, Gardner, MA. 29 June 2009 http://ezmw.ez.cwmars.org:4200/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=31161337&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live.


At the reference desk, librarians engage in an often predictable sequence of instruction with students that centers on assisting students with focusing their topics before they can move to the information collection stage. It is an area of instruction that is often taken for granted and that most faculty are unaware of, but it is critical for successful student research papers. The author summarizes some of the strategies librarians use to assist students in focusing their topics and some suggestions for teaching faculty on how to build topic focus strategies into their research assignments.

Project Information Literacy Videos

Thought-provoking:

Understanding Information Literacy through the Lens of the Student Experience - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfjyYW5yju8&feature=channel_page

"The Student Discussion Groups" (December 2008). - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlOj3BPoRbs&feature=related

"PIL InfoLit Dialog, No. 1: Wikipedia" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nOe26xY1zM&feature=related

PIL InfoLit Dialog, No. 2: Procrastination - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBMVUqnPank&feature=related

PIL InfoLit Dialog, No. 3: Frustrations - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmEzo51e_SQ&feature=related

From the most recent American Libraries newsletter

Eight library cats

Libraries are wonderful places for people who love books, and wonderful places for cats to meet book lovers. According to Gary Roma’s Library Cats Map, there are an estimated 808 documented library cats, including 301 cats who currently reside in libraries around the world. Here are profiles of seven, in addition to the world-renowned Dewey Readmore Books....
Mental Floss, June 2; YouTube, Oct. 30, 2007

Reference librarian haiku

Megan Brooks writes: “Every semester during reading period and finals, there is a protracted online discussion in which students bemoan their current state of affairs in haiku format. Yesterday, I was working at the reference desk and thought I’d jump into the foray in an attempt to drum up some business. What follows is a series of haikus I sent out over the course of the four hours I was working.”...
Librarygrrrl.net, May 17

Meet and Greet Author Jack O'Connell

Spring Event Meet and Greet

Jack O’Connell
author of The Resurrectionist, one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2008: Science Fiction and Fantasy

April 14, 2009
Book Discussion 2-3 p.m.

Mount Wachusett Community College
North Cafeteria

Book signing
Free and Open to the Public
Light refreshments available

SPONSORED BY LACHANCE LIBRARY

O'Connell's books are one of a kind--again and again. From its very inception science fiction has been blessed with an extraordinary wealth of great original talents. Jack O'Connell is, with Tim Powers, Gene Wolfe, and a handful of others working today, securely among them.

Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction


In four previous novels, Jack O'Connell has established a reputation as an author of literary-suspense and thriller-noir. This time, with The Resurrectionist, he has consolidated and surpassed that reputation with a story so mesmerizing that the reader can't figure out what is real and what's imaginary, what is threatening and what is make-believe.
Amazon.com Review

from the Community College Newsletter (by the Chronicle of Higher Education)

Why 2-Year College is Harder
A new report suggests that students at two-year institutions learn more slowly than those in four-year programs because higher education exacts greater financial and psychic costs from people in community colleges.

Mr. Sollar Goes To Washington
A laid-off autoworker from Ohio who is studying for an associate degree in engineering came to Washington to help educate lawmakers about the importance of including support for community colleges in the economic-stimulus bill.

new blog for community college library issues

Community College Library Talk
A place for discussion about any issues relevant to those interested in libraries at community colleges, junior colleges, technical schools and related institutions.
http://communitycollegelibraries.wordpress.com/

Full-text Magazines now in Google Book search

Google recently added magazines to its popular Google Book Search. Its partnership with publishers started with 10 full magazine archives and is now growing at a steady rate. The archives are in full-color, page-to-page, in a format that is easy to browse. As more magazines are scanned, Google will incorporate them into their standard search results.

Google has not yet published the list of titles in their magazine archive, but you can see a partial list at the following blog:
http://mwlibrary.wetpaint.com/page/Google+Magazines?t=anon

An interactive list of magazines indexed/included:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pwquuan1eP-v_DRjK7CPhXQ

(Remember, Academic Search Premier, our subscription article database has thousands of magazines and journals though! But good to keep in mind this freebie.)