Wikipedia loses editors ...

"Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia 'lost' 49,000 of its volunteer editors in the first three months of 2009, University research suggests. The figure compares with a loss of 4,900 over the same period in 2008."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8379566.stm

Credo Reference - helpful training videos

Concept Map Video
This 2:49 minute video covers searching with our Concept Map. Get some tips for brainstorming with the Concept Map. The video includes both audio and captions.
Watch the video at: http://corp.credoreference.com/video-tip-concept-map

Find a Book Video
Our 2:13 minute Find a Book video walks you through using the book browsing feature on Credo. Learn more about finding and browsing individual titles. The video includes both audio and captions.
Watch the video at:http://corp.credoreference.com/video-tip-book

Story in American Libraries

(We at MWCC certainly know all about this phenomenon!! )

Troublesome Textbooks
in
On My Mind
Students confuse the roles of the library and the bookstore
By Bonnie Imler

http://www.americanlibrariesmagazine.org/columns/my-mind/troublesome-textbooks

Author of "In the Claw of the Tiger" visits MWCC's LaChance Library

Genevieve Fraser at MWCC 11/10/09 -

Two interesting articles ...

Fear of college
Why do so many first-generation college students fail? Rebecca Cox decided to find out
By Tracy Jan
Boston Globe
October 25, 2009
http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/10/25/fear_of_college/

"There’s a huge gap between what’s expected at the public high school level and what’s expected at the college level. I was amazed by how many students readily admitted that in high school, their senior year, a research paper consisted of copying out of an encyclopedia. That’s a big issue."


Are Too Many Students Going to College?
Chronicle of Higher Education
November 8, 2009
http://chronicle.com/article/Are-Too-Many-Students-Going-to/49039/?sid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en

Local Event--Sicko, a film by Michael Moore

“the back corner”
presents the documentary
Sicko, a film by Michael Moore
(Wendell Potter, former Head of Corporate Communications at CIGNA admits that, in fact, Michael Moore's 'Sicko' - "hit the nail on the head" and tells how people in other countries have it better when it comes to their health care).

Tuesday November 17th 5:30PM
Bruce’s Browser
1497 Main St Athol, MA 01331
(978) 249-3978 www.brucesbrowser.com

no admission fee

Local Events---MassHumanities Events

http://masshumanities.org/?p=events



Upcoming events in the Central Region:


Tuesday, November 3, 2009 7:30 PM



Defending John Brown: An Evening with Henry David ThoreauNationally-known Thoreau re-enactor Kevin Radaker will portray Thoreau in a one-person dramatic presentation. Weaving together passages from several of his writings, biographical and historical information, Radaker skillfully presents Thoreau's personality, intellect and wit, making the audience feel that they are in the presence of the actual man. This performance will stress Thoreau's political views and will contain selections from Thoreau's famous speech "A Plea for Captain John Brown." The dramatic monologue will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Thoreau, then with Radaker.
location: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street, Worcesterphone: (508) 471-2131web: www.americanantiquarian.org/publicpro.htm#johnbrown cost: free
funded by Mass Humanities grant program


Friday, November 6, 2009 7:30 PM



Warriors for Freedom: John Brown and Henry David ThoreauDavid S. Reynolds, author of John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights (Knopf, 2005), will describe how the Transcendentalists were the boldest and most publicly visible proponents of John Brown in the immediate aftermath of Harpers Ferry. Virtually everyone in the North, including radical abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison, initially reacted negatively to Brown's attack on Virginia. Henry David Thoreau stood alone in coming out immediately and eloquently on Brown's behalf and planted the seed for the mass veneration of John Brown that grew steadily in the months before and after John Brown's execution on December 2, 1859. Focusing on three newly discovered letters housed at the American Antiquarian Society and written by Frederick Douglass, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, Dr. Reynolds will argue that if it had not been for the positive reception and promotion of John Brown by Thoreau and other Transcendentalists, Brown may very well have passed into obscurity as a solitary, crazed anarchist.
location: American Antiquarian Society, 185 Salisbury Street, Worcesterphone: (508) 471-2131web: www.americanantiquarian.org/publicpro.htm#johnbrown cost: free
funded by Mass Humanities grant program


Saturday, November 21, 2009 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM


An (Un)Civil Action? Violent Politics in 1920's Worcester
On October 19, 1924, months of back-and-forth political intimidation climaxed in a night-long riot that followed a heavily protected Ku Klux Klan meeting at the Worcester Fairgrounds. Four years later, on Nov. 5, 1928 a pre-election Hoover victory parade of 8,000 marched down Shrewsbury Street in Worcester; they were attacked by some 10,000 opposition supporters. The ensuing riot lasted for hours.Join historian John MCClymer for a discussion program of civic violence in American politics, also featuring excerpts from the documentary, "John Brown's Holy War" and discussion of Brown's choice for armed conflict.Refreshments. Presented by Mass Humanities in collaboration with Assumption College, Worcester Historical Museum, and American Antiquarian Society.
location: Testa Science Center Auditorium, Assumption College, Worcester
phone: (413) 584-8440 web: masshumanities.org/?p=uncivil_action email: localhistory@masshumanities.org cost: Free and open to the public. No preregistration necessary.sponsored by Mass Humanities

Survey of American college students

According to several reports published by the Primary Research Group, Inc., only about 47 percent of students are sure that they have ever been required to turn in a research paper exceeding ten double-spaced typed pages in length for any of their classes. More than 86 percent of students say that they understand the concept of plagiarism. The higher the grade point average, the less information for research papers was obtained from search engines, such as Google or Yahoo. Close to 19 percent of students in the fine or performing arts have ever asked reference questions via e-mail, the highest percentage among all types of majors or concentrations.

Press Release from Primary Research Group, Inc., June, 2009, http://primaryresearch.com/release-200906251.html
Retrieved August 6, 2009.

Trend Watching

"Nowism: Why Currency is the New Currency"


"As the future is uncertain, and the past is, well, the past, instant-gratification seeking consumers are embracing anything real-time with more passion than ever before. We've dubbed this NOWISM, and it’s one trend you can’t afford to miss out on..."


http://trendwatching.com/trends/nowism/