NVCC Library Blog!

Library Resources for Human Biology

2009-06-08T08:31:00.001-04:00

Your human bio "toolbox":

Pathfinder for Human Biology (Recommendations for websites, books, databases)
Check out this post for database information.
APA Citation and Style Guide from OWL @ Purdue

If you could come to the library for something fun, what would it be?

2009-05-14T10:21:00.002-04:00

We're starting to think about fall programs for the library, and your input is needed! Ideas are all welcome- how about something like:

A Twilight book club
Special powerpoint classes for practicing presentations
Or even the opportunity to read a favorite poem!

Please let us know either by commenting on this post, telling the reference librarian, or email us! We're looking forward to doing some really cool things for Fall 09!

Argumentative Essay Resources

2009-04-20T08:44:00.002-04:00

Research: Electronic Databases

Opposing Viewpoints

SIRS Knowledge Source

Facts on File: Issues and Controversies

Advanced Google Searching for Stats

go to www.google.com
click Advanced Search
enter your search terms
limit your domain to .gov

The results will be government websites on your topic, which are a great source for statistics and other basic information. See the librarian if you need more assistance!

Citation Resources

The library provides handbooks on citations. In addition, you can check out the full MLA Handbook from the library (call number is LB 2369 .G53 2003). Finally, a great web resource for citations is Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL).

National Library Week- Day One

2009-04-13T09:21:00.003-04:00

It's National Library Week! As part of the celebration, Proquest (a database company) is offering free access to three of its databases. Here is the info, from Proquest- no log in is required!

To celebrate libraries and the world of information they provide--ProQuest
is offering *free, open access* to three of our most popular student
resources
at:
http://www.proquestk12.com/go/celebrate

-- CultureGrams: local experts document the culture and daily life
of the world's peoples--from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

--
eLibrary:
high-quality, high-interest, and highly usable full text and
multimedia aligned
to over 20,000 most-studied topics.

-- SIRS
Discoverer: safe,
kid-friendly online discovery environment for young
learners from elementary to
middle school.

Happy Library Week!

Grammar Resources

2009-04-07T08:51:00.000-04:00

Online resources:

OWL (Online Writing Lab) Handouts: Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling

Capital Community College Guide to Grammar and Writing

Dr. Grammar

Grammar Bytes (this one is FUN! Seriously. Try it.)

Grammar Podcasts from the "Grammar Girl" (we also have the book: Call Number PE 1112 .F613 2008)

Other Books:

Good grief, good grammar / Dianna Booher
Grammar smart : a guide to perfect usage / the staff of the Princeton Review
and more...
.
and a movie! .
Eight parts of speech Video PE 1112 .E44 2000

Words! (is Cheap!)

2009-03-31T10:12:00.004-04:00

[from the theatre department...]

You are cordially invited to attend "WORDS!" presented by the NVCC Theatre Department in the PLAYBOX Theatre.

Performance dates and times are:

Thursday, April 2nd at 3:00 PM- THIS IS FREE!!! (seating limited, first come, first served)
Friday, April 3rd at 7:30 PM- tickets are $1.00! (what a bargain!)
Saturday, April 4th at 7:30 PM- tickets are $1.00

The show is about WORDS! Where did they come from? What are they? What do we use them for? In the show, we will present two original short plays, poetry, some mildly offensive jokes, deathbed quotations, scenes from classic literature and, of course, some Shakespeare. Much of the show is original. Lots of students helped put it together! Come be a part of something new!

NEW GROUP STUDY ROOM!

2009-03-20T08:43:00.003-04:00

What?

A small group study room with 5 computer stations and one table with chairs

Where?

L522- it's inside L523 (the big computer lab on the 5th floor)

Who?

You! (and your friends, or your group)

When?

Between 10-5, Monday-Thursday.

How?

Ask at the circ desk to be let in. You may be limited to 2 hours if there is a long line.

Have fun!!

Web Search Strategies in Plain English

2009-03-12T15:15:00.002-04:00

Source: www.commoncraft.com

Things you can get from the library that aren't books

2009-03-09T09:42:00.001-04:00

headphones
flash drives
cds
movies
books on tape/cd

Women's History Month

2009-03-03T10:07:00.002-05:00

It's March, and that means it's Women's History Month. Here's a few interesting resources, if you'd like to know more about women's history:

Biographies of women online, courtesy of Gale,

Here's some more neat links,

The Library of Congress has their own page about it,

The National Park Service has some interesting info, too.

And of course, our own library's resources!

Tutoring Resources

2009-02-16T08:37:00.004-05:00

Besides the e-tutoring website, NVCC offers a couple of options for on-campus tutoring, all of which are free and allow walk-ins.

The first option is the Writing Center. Located in Ekstrom 502, it is open from 9-2:30 Monday and Wednesday, 9-4 on Tuesday and 11-4 on Thursday. To get the most out of your visit to the Writing Center, make sure you bring your assignment and a rough draft with you. Call 575-8153 if you need to talk with them, but no appointment is required!

The second option is the Math Lab. The Math Lab is in Ekstrom 302, and is open from 9:30-7 Monday and Tuesday, 9:30-5:30 Wednesday and Thursday, and 9:30-1:30 Friday and Saturday. No appointment is required, and the Math Lab tutors for all math classes. A current student ID card is required (which you can get at the info desk, 5th floor of Kinney).

The third option is the Science Exploration Center (SEC). The SEC divides its time for specific classes, so visit their webpage to see the detailed schedule.

Annotated Bibliographies

2009-02-11T08:31:00.001-05:00

Liz Frechette, librarian extraordinare, has created a fantastic handout on annotated bibliographies. To find it, follow the Research Handouts link on the library homepage, or use this handy shortcut: http://www.nv2.commnet.edu/library/LibRefResources/Annotated_Bibliography.pdf

Cold? Come check out our new FIREPLACE. Really!

2009-02-02T12:50:00.002-05:00

We're pulling out all the stops for the reading that will take place in room L524 on Wednesday- we're getting a fireplace!!

Well, a prop fireplace. It comes from the theatre department. But it's so cool, and it's going to look awesome.

Did we mention that there would be hot chocolate served?

Women's History Resources

2009-01-30T14:01:00.003-05:00

American Women's History A Research Guide

Women's History Resources from the Library of Congress.

Check out the History Reference Center Database.

Read with the President- Wed Feb 4- at the library!

2009-01-29T09:35:00.000-05:00

College President Daisy Cocco De Filippis, Ph.D., will help to kick off a series of library readings on Wednesday, February 4 from 1-2 p.m., in the Max R. Traurig Library at NVCC.

Dr. De Filippis will read her essay “The House that Mamá Biela Built,” which was published as part of the Telling To Live collection that received a Human Rights award in 2001.

The program will also include readings by NVCC student Mauricio Pita-Goncalves, vice president of the student government association, and Elizabeth Frechette, librarian.

“We want the experience to be a cozy gathering of people who love reading and connecting with other people,” said De Filippis. “Hearing the power of the written word spoken is a way to connect people, to bring them together.”

Each reader will choose a 10-15 minute reading and discuss its meaning, their interpretation and the significance of the reading to them. The audience will also have a chance to interact with the readers and share their own thoughts and feelings.

The event will take place in room L524. Hot chocolate and light refreshments will be served. Please call Elaine Milnor, program coordinator, at the library (x8147) for additional information.

Welcome (Back)!

2009-01-22T14:52:00.000-05:00

The spring 09 semester is upon us and the library staff would like to welcome you, or welcome you back, to campus! If you have any questions, please call (575-8024), IM (see left), or stop by on the 4th floor of the L building.

Here are some quick facts:

We're open 8-8 M-T, 8-6 W-R, 8-12 F, and 10-2 Sat.
The main phone number is (203) 575-8024.
If you don't have an ID number and password yet, you can still use a computer.
If you don't have a ID card yet, you can still check things out.
We have fun things too- movies, music, books. Check out the music and movies links on the right sidebar of this blog to see some of our latest additions.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

New CDs at the library! January edition

2009-01-14T09:26:00.002-05:00

They came! Here's the most recent additions to the library music collection:

Will Bernard BLUE PLATE SPECIAL
JUNO Soundtrack
Britney Spears CIRCUS
The Kills MIDNIGHT BOOM
The Killers HOT FUSS and DAY & AGE
Pink FUNHOUSE
Patti Austin AVANT GERSHWIN
Suzanne Vega BEAUTY & CRIMES
Nickelback DARK HORSE
Katy Perry ONE OF THE BOYS
T.I. PAPER TRAIL
Weezer RED ALBUM

New music and movies are on display by the circulation desk. Stop by to check them out (ha ha. That never gets old).

Winter Break at the Library

2009-01-06T15:24:00.002-05:00

Whether you're on campus to register for classes, take a wintersession course, or just use a computer, make sure you stop by the library. Not only are the librarians here to help you, but we have lots of books, movies and music that you can check out to entertain you over the break.

And that means you too, faculty!

Winter break library hours

2008-12-22T10:22:00.001-05:00

Did you dig yourself out of the snow? We did, and it's the last official day of exams. Starting tomorrow, the library will switch to our winter break hours, which are:

Monday- Thursday 8-4
Friday 8-12
Saturday and Sunday Closed

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Is Google Your Security Blanket?

2008-12-17T08:50:00.008-05:00

2008-12-15T10:23:00.002-05:00

Off Campus Access

2008-12-11T09:56:00.002-05:00

Why you can't find any articles about your topic

2008-12-08T09:00:00.005-05:00

Have you ever chosen a topic, only to find that there are practically NO academic journal articles about it? Why is that? It could be a couple of things-

Is it something that *just* happened? Academic journal articles take a while to write, be reviewed, and then get published. Some academic journals come out a few times a year. If you are looking for something very recent, you'll need to look in newspapers or maybe magazine articles for more information.

Are you looking for the history or background on something? Academic journal articles tend to be on specific topics- answering a question rather than explaining what something is. If you topic is the history of gangsters in America, you will need to look for a book instead.

BUT... try to think of a question about that topic. Try "How did prohibition affect gangster activity?" Pick the keywords from that question "prohibition" and "gangsters" and put each word in a different box on the Advanced Search screen.

Are you looking in the right database? The databases have different focuses. Are you looking for something on football? Try the General (InfoTrac) OneFile database. Information on recycling? GreenFILE is a great place to start. A hot topic like abortion? Try Opposing Viewpoints first.

Have you asked the librarian for help? We want to help you- that is why we're here! Just because you can't find something doesn't mean it's a lost cause. Stop by, call, email or IM and ask!

Thanksgiving Week Hours

2008-11-24T09:27:00.001-05:00

Hello all! Here are our Thanksgiving Week Hours. Have a great holiday!

MONDAY 8-8
TUESDAY 8-8
WEDNESDAY 8-6
THURSDAY CLOSED
FRIDAY CLOSED
SATURDAY CLOSED

Regular hours resume next week, December 1st!

Becoming a blog reader

2008-11-14T10:18:00.002-05:00

If you're new to blogs, you might not know a lot about how to navigate them, find them, and have them delivered to your mailbox. Here's a few tips I've picked up over the years:

The easiest ways to keep track of the blogs you read are to bookmark them, or to use a feed reader. If you bookmark them on your computer, then you have the blog and website addresses stored when you are at home. However, if you want to be able to access your links anywhere, a great tool to use is called Delicious. (It used to be called del.icio.us but that was apparently too complicated for most people). You create a user account, add your websites and blogs, and tag them with subjects to organize them. You can do a lot of cool things with Delicious, so I recommend checking it out!

For feed readers, the easiest and most popular are the Google reader and FeedReader . You create an account, add the blogs you like, and any time there's a new post, it's delivered right to your reader page or your email. Very easy!

If you're searching for a blog, the Google blog search is usually a good place to start. Another great website is called Technorati- it lets you search or browse through blogs, and also sorts them by popularity and by subject.

There are plenty of other sites that do similar things, but these are just the few that I use regularly. It's amazing how much cool stuff is out there, waiting to be discovered. Case in point- check out this blog, called Waterbury Thoughts. It's really, really great!