April is National Poetry Month!

The library has several poetry databases...you should take a look and find a favorite poem!

• Poetry Criticism (part of Gale Literature Criticism)
  
• 20th Century American Poetry
• 20th Century English Poetry

 

 

 

Poppies Commemorate Veterans

November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m.  -

the 11th day at the 11th hour of the 11th month in the year 1918

the world celebrated the end of World War I.

That day was then known as Armistice Day; In the United States, it is now called Veterans Day. 

In England, this day is known as Remembrance Day and is symbolized by the poppy.  On the English battlefields of Flanders, the only thing that grew on those fields were poppies.  John McCrae, a doctor with the Canadian Armed Forces, seeing these flowers dotting the fields where soldiers had given their lives, wrote a poem named, In Flanders’ Fields. 

The poem so inspired an American War Secretary, Moina Michael, that she began selling poppies to raise money for ex-servicemen.  A postage stamp has been created to honor her work in recognizing service men through the poppy.  The tradition continued to grow through the work of Major George Howson, an infantry officer, who formed the Disabled Society.  These disabled men and women of WWI could easily create an imitation poppy that was sold to others as commemorations to be worn on Remembrance Day.   The proceeds from the poppies helped support the ex-servicemen.  Poppies are still worn on lapels, hats, and clothing.  Poppies are placed on graves, in wreaths, and upon cenotaphs as symbols of remembrance.

                                                                    In Flanders’ Fields by Lt. Col. John McCrae

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row.

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks still bravely singing fly,

Scare heard amidst the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved and now we lie

In Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe,

To you from failing hands we throw

The Torch – be yours to hold it high;

If ye break faith with us who die.

We shall not sleep though poppies grow

In Flanders’ fields.

Classes with FREE Textbooks!

 

Spring Courses with FREE Textbooks!

Several Tarleton classes have begun using freely available, openly licensed textbooks and course materials known as OERs (open educational resources ). With these classes, students don't have to worry about the high cost of textbooks. The materials used in these courses will be available for free online. 

So how do you find these classes? 

The Tarleton OER Course List has all the information you need to identify which classes will be using OERs next spring. Keep in mind, that OERs are not available in every subject and every course, and it is up to the instructor to select materials for their course. 

1. Look through the list and find classes that fit your degree plan. Write down the instructor, course number and section number.

 

For example, if you want to take ECON 2301 to fill one of your core curriculum requirements, write down ECON 2301, Derrill Watson, Hari Katuwal, and section 10 and 20.

2. Watch the video from the Office of the Registrar on how to register and search for courses. 

3. Register for classes through myGateway. You will need to go through the DuckTrax Menu to search for classes. Use the Schedule Planner to look for courses.

        A. First, select the subject "Economics".

        B. Select the course number "2301". Then click "Add Course"

        C. Look for the sections you previously notated sections 10 and 20.

        D. Double check that the listed instructor is either "Derrill Watson" or  "Hari Katuwal".

        E. Select those courses to include them in you scheduler planner.

        F. Flip through the different schedules to find what works best for you. 

       G. When you are done, add to shopping cart, and finish registering.

4. Time to ace your classes! On the first day of class your instructor will provide the link to the OER resource where you can access your course materials for free!

  For Questions about Registration contact the Office of the Registrar 

The Registrar's Office is available Monday - Friday 8 AM - 5 PM. For general questions, reach them at 254-968-9121 or email registrar@tarleton.edu. 

    For Questions about Open Educational Resources contact the OER librarian 

Katie Pierce Farrier, Scholarly Communication & OER Librarian, 254-968-9456, or email kpierce@tarleton.edu 

Tarleton Libraries will be hosting information sessions Thursdays at noon to go over the Tarleton OER Course list. Register on the library calendar. 

Click here to see the full list of Tarleton courses using OERs and Free Textbooks!

Elsevier Negotiations

 Texas Universities Join Forces to Negotiate Their Future

New Coalition Seeks Lower Costs and Greater Access to Research

Forty-one universities across Texas have joined forces as the Texas Library Coalition for United Action (TLCUA) to think creatively about access to faculty publications and the sustainability of journal subscriptions. TLCUA has organized to identify the best way to change current models and the relationships between academic institutions and publishers. The goals of the Coalition are ambitious – improved access to scholarship, greater control over faculty content, and pricing models that are sustainable for strained library budgets in higher education.

The sustainability of providing scholarly research at ever-increasing costs is putting these academic libraries in difficult positions as they work to offer access to scholars on their campuses. 

“We are nearing a tipping point where we can no longer continue under the current business model,” said Sara Lowman, Vice Provost & University Librarian at Rice University and chair of the Coalition Steering Committee. “We want to come up with solutions that benefit everyone involved: the taxpayers and others who fund our research, the professors who conduct the research, the publishers who disseminate our research findings, and people around the world who benefit from research conducted in Texas.” 

Technology has provided greater opportunities for wider availability of resources, and the Coalition wants those opportunities to be reflected in agreements that will benefit all academic libraries whether public or private, urban or rural.

The Coalition has begun its mission by entering into dialog with academic publisher Elsevier. They hope that through positive engagement and mutual understanding, an improved and sustainable model for the dissemination of scholarship can be achieved.

“We value the content in Elsevier journals and look forward to working with Elsevier to come to a mutually beneficial agreement,” Lowman said.

Elsevier is the world’s largest publisher of scholarly work, with 70 offices in 24 countries. It publishes 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, covering topics in medicine, biology, psychology, business and more. Elsevier has been involved in several public negotiations with the University of California libraries, MIT, LSU and Florida State. 

The Coalition institutions collectively have more than 320,000 students and 14,000 faculty. Their Elsevier subscriptions represent a significant investment estimated at over $20 million. By these and other measures, the Coalition represents one of the largest and most diverse U.S. collective negotiation consortia of its kind.

The current members of the Texas Library Coalition for Collective Action are:

• Angelo State University

• Baylor University

• Lamar University

• Prairie View A&M University

• Rice University

• Sam Houston State University

• Stephen F. Austin University

• Sul Ross State University

• Tarleton State University

• Texas A&M International University

• Texas A&M University (College Station)

• Texas A&M University-Central Texas

• Texas A&M University-Commerce

• Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

• Texas A&M University-Kingsville

• Texas A&M University-San Antonio

• Texas A&M University-Texarkana

• Texas State University

• Texas Tech University (Lubbock)

• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso

• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Lubbock

• University of Dallas

• University of Houston

• University of Houston Clear Lake

• University of Houston Downtown

• The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

• West Texas A&M University

* The UT system has recently joined the coalition, but the schools are not currently listed here.

***

Media contact: Dr. Jeffrey Spies, TLCUA lead negotiator (+1 540-603-0693‬; press@221b.io)

Banned Books Week 2020

 

It's Banned Books Week! 

Check out these commonly banned books. 

 In 2019, And Tango makes three was one of the most challenged books that year. Check it out in the Curriculum section of the Dick Smith Library, call number PZ10.1 .R414 TAN 2005

 This book was banned by the Florida Department of Correction and North Carolina Department of Public Safety. Check out the e-book of OverDrive.

 Commonly banned and contested for LGBTQIA+ content and for sexually explicit content. Available on OverDrive. 

 Now a popular T.V. series, this book is often banned due to sexual references and profanity. Available to read on OverDrive. 

 Even graphic novels get banned. Available in the Curriculum section of the Dick Smith Library, call number PZ7.7 .T355 THI 2014

 

September 15th through October 15th is National Hispanic Heritage month. This is the time to recognize the contributions and experiences of Americans of Hispanic heritage. According to the National Hispanic Heritage Month website, hosted by the Library of Congress, "September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of the independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their Independence days on September 16th and 18th respectively."

Percentage of Hispanic or Latino population by county in 2010 census.
By United States Census Bureau [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Hispanic Americans are a large and quickly growing segment of the US population. In 2003, Hispanics became the largest minority group in the United States. The 2010 census counted 50,477,594 Americans of Hispanic or Latino origin. That's 16.3% of the total US population and a 43% increase from the 2000 census count.

Timeline of Hispanic-American History
Click on the links below to find relevant library resources on each topic.

1493: Christopher Columbus began Spanish colonization of Puerto Rico.

1513: Juan Ponce de León led first expedition to Florida.

1528 – 1536: Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca survived an ill-fated expedition and explored portions of Texas. His book was the first written account of Texas Indians.

·         Castaways: the Narrative of Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca 

1539 – 1542: Hernando de Soto explored Southeast US including portions of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. The Hernando de Soto Expedition by Jerald T. Milanich. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado explored Southwest US including portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Documents of the Coronado Expedition, 1539 – 1542 by Richard and Shirley Cushing Flint.

1565: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established a colony at Saint Augustine, Florida.

·         America’s Ancient City: Spanish St. Augustine, 1565 – 1763 by Kathleen A. Deagan

1598: Juan de Oñate led Spanish colonization of New Mexico.

·         The Last Conquistador: Juan de Oñate and the Settling of the far Southwest by Marc Simmons

1610: Santa Fe established as capital of New Mexico.

·         Santa Fe: History of an Ancient City by David Grant Noble

1718: Spanish colonists founded San Antonio, Texas.  

·         San Antonio de Béxar: a Community on New Spain’s Northern Frontier by Jesús F. de la Teja

·         Spanish Texas, 1519 – 1821 by Donald E. Chipman

      1748 - 1755: José de Escandón led the Spanish colonization of Nuevo Santander (which today includes the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and portions of southern Texas). He established several settlements in the region including Laredo, TX. 

·            De León: a Tejano Family History by A. Carolina Castillo Crimm
    Notable Men and Women of Spanish Texas by Donald E. Chipman and Harriet Denise Joseph 

Presidio La Bahía near Goliad, TX. Originally built by the Spanish in 1721, and later rebuilt in 1771.
 Photo by Ernest Mettendorf - Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4208460

1769 – 1819: Spain established multiple settlements in California including San Diego (1769), San Francisco (1776), and Los Angeles (1781).

·         A History of California: the Spanish Period by Charles E. Chapman

·         Life in a California Mission: Monterey in 1786: The Journals of Jean François de la Pérouse.

1821: United States purchased Florida from Spain.

·         Diplomacy and the Borderlands: the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819 by Philip Coolidge Brooks  

 Mexico won independence from Spain.

·         The Hidalgo Revolt: Prelude to Mexican Independence by Hugh M. Hamill

1822: Joseph Marion Hernández became first Hispanic to serve in the US Congress. He was a delegate from the Florida Territory.

1836: Texas declared independence from Mexico.

·         Remember the Alamo: Texians, Tejanos, and Mexicans Tell Their Stories by Paul Robert Walker

·         Tejanos and Texas under the Mexican Flag, 1821 – 1836 by Andrés Tijerina
    A Revolution Remembered: The Memoirs and Selected Correspondence of Juan N. Seguín by Jesús F. de la Teja 

1845: United States annexed Texas.

·         The Annexation of Texas by Justin Harvey Smith

1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War. Mexico ceded territory to US including: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and portions of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Wyoming. 
   The Border Crossed Us: Rhetorics of Borders, Citizenship, and Latino/a Identity by Josue David Cisneros. 

·         Border Visions: Mexican Cultures of the Southwest United States by Carlos G. Vélez-Ibañez

·         The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: a Legacy of Conflict by Richard Griswold del Castillo

1859: Juan Cortina seized control of Brownsville, TX in retaliation for town marshal’s assault on one of his employees.

·         Cortina: Defending the Mexican Name in Texas by Jerry D. Thompson

·         Juan N. Cortina: Two Interpretations by Charles William Goldfinch
1875: Romualdo Pacheco became the first Hispanic governor of a US state (California). 
1877: A white mob killed approximately 40 Mexican-Americans in Nueces County, Texas.
          Forgotten Dead: Mob Violence against Mexicans in the United States, 1848-1928 by William D. Carrigan and Clive Webb.   

1889: The Herrera brothers (Pablo, Nicanor, and Juan Jose) formed a resistance movement known as Las Gorras Blancas to protect Hispanic land from Anglo squatters in New Mexico.

1898: Spain ceded control of Puerto Rico to the United States at the conclusion of Spanish-American War.

·         Spanish-American War by Michael Golay

1910 – 1920: Revolution in Mexico resulted in increased Mexican immigration to US.

·         Border Conflict: Villistas, Carrancistas, and the Punitive Expedition, 1915 – 1920 by Joseph Allen Stout

·         Pancho Villa at Columbus by Haldeen Braddy

1917: Puerto Ricans granted US citizenship.

·         Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico by Laura Briggs

1928: Octaviano Larrazolo, from New Mexico, became first Hispanic to serve in the US Senate.

1929: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), which advocates for Latino civil rights, founded in Corpus Christi, TX.

·         LULAC, Mexican Americans, and National Policy by Craig Allen Kaplowitz

1942:  Due to labor shortage caused by World War II, US entered into an agreement with Mexico (known as the Bracero Program) to import Mexican laborers into the US.
   Harvest of Loneliness: The Bracero Program – documentary film.

The first Braceros arriving by train in Los Angeles, CA in 1942.
By Dorothea Lange, working for the US Government. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. 

1943: Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles, CA.

·         Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot in Wartime L.A. by Eduardo Obregón Pagán

1945: Marcario García became first Mexican immigrant to be awarded the US Congressional Medal of Honor.

    A Legacy Greater than Words: Stories of U.S. Latinos & Latinas of the WWII Generation by Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez 

1948: Dr. Hector P. García founded the American G.I. Forum in Corpus Christi, TX to advocate for the civil rights of Hispanic veterans. The group gained national attention advocating on behalf of the family of Felix Longoria after a funeral home in Three Rivers, TX refused to bury him. 

1954 – 1958: US government implemented “Operation Wetback” and deported millions of people of Mexican descent.

1959: Fidel Castro’s successful revolution in Cuba resulted in increased Cuban immigration to US.

·         The Cuban Revolution: Origins, Course, and Legacy by Marifeli Pérez-Stable

1962: César Chávez and Dolores Huerta founded the United Farm Workers to advocate for the rights of migrant farm workers.

·         The Moral Vision of César Chávez by Fredrick John Dalton

·         Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers by Sarah E. Warren and Robert Casilla

1964: Bracero Program ended.

1965 – 1970: United Farm Workers conducted a successful strike on behalf of grape pickers in California.

·         Delano, the Story of the California Grape Strike by John Gregory Dunne

1968: Thousands of Hispanic students walkout of schools in Los Angeles, CA to protest unequal educational opportunities. Walkouts spread to hundreds of schools in multiple states.

1988: Lauro Cavazos became the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet. He served as Secretary of Education.

·         A Kineño Remembers: from the King Ranch to the White House by Lauro Cavazos

2003: Hispanics became largest minority group in the United States.

2009: Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. 

President Obama and Sonia Sotomayor meeting in the Oval Office in 2009.
By Official White House photo by Pete Souza from Washington, DC (Flickr) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Dick Smith Library has a large collection of books and other resources on topics relevant to the Hispanic American experience. Such as these titles: 

Language, Race, and Negotiation of Identity: a Study of Dominican Americans by Benjamin H. Bailey.

Life on the Hyphen: the Cuban-American Way by Gustavo Pérez Firmat

The Mexican Americans by Alma M. García

Puerto Ricans in the United States: a Contemporary Portrait by Edna Acosta-Belén.

The Spanish Americans of New Mexico: a Heritage of Pride by Nancie L. Solien Gonzalez. 

Let us know if you need assistance finding additional information by calling 254-968-9249 or emailing at reference@tarleton.edu. 

Tarleton Libraries YouTube Channel

 

Tarleton Libraries YouTube Channel

Did you know that the library has a YouTube channel? Not only that, it's seven years old and it has over eighty videos!

A screenshot of the Tarleton Libraries YouTube channel.

Our librarians have been busy creating tutorial videos for you during the past few months.
Stop by our channel and find out:

• Virtual Tours- Rickett and Dick Smith Libraries
• How to Find a Book
• How to Use Our Electronic Resources
• Understand and Avoid Plagiarism 

 Our videos are closed captioned and most of them are under five minutes.

We don't only have tutorial videos, though.

You can find videos from our  2020 READ Poster Reveal , which featuring Tarleton Athletics and Dr. James Hurley!

So stop by and click on the Subscribe button. You'll be glad you did.

Trouble finding Journal Articles?

LibKey Nomad 

LibKey Nomad is a browser extension that will instantly connect you to the PDF or journal article you are looking for. LibKey Nomad works with Tarleton library resources to find the fastest route to content across thousands of publisher websites. 

 It takes less than a minute to get set up! 

1. Start on LibKey Nomad site.

2. Click on your preferred browser. You will be directed to that browser's download page. 

3. Click Add extension. 

4. Select Tarleton State University from the drop down list. 

5. Next time you are searching- Look for the green logo. 

Look for it on Wikipedia!

Look for it on PubMed!

Still can't find what your looking for? 

Try inter-library loan. The library may be able to request an article or book from another library for you. 

Tarleton and OpenStax Textbook Partnership

 Tarleton State University is excited to announce that they are one of 12 schools chosen to join the 2020-2021 OpenStax Institutional Partnership Network. See the full press release here. Tarleton prides itself on being affordable and this partnership will helpTarleton expand access to low and no- cost textbooks. "One of Tarleton's ongoing goals is continuing to offer and affordable college education" -Diane Taylor, Associate Provost and Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

About OpenStax 

OpenStax provides peer-reviewed textbooks that are freely available online to students. Instructors have access to Canvas course modules, test banks and other instructional materials. This partnership also grants Tarleton instructors and students access to OpenStax Tutor for a year. OpenStax Tutor provides additional guidance and tutoring for biology, physics and sociology.

About Open Educational Resources 

Interested in using OERs in your classroom? The Scholarly Communication & OER Librarian can help find and evaluate resources for your courses. Email kpierce@tarleton.edu for more information. You can also find more information about open resources on Tarleton Libraries's OER webpage. 

Remembering Representative John Lewis

John Robert Lewis 

Born February 21, 1940- July 17, 2020

Lewis was born in rural Alabama where his family worked as sharecroppers. Inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., he attended Fisk University where he organized sit-in demonstrations, participated in the Freedom Rides, and became chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. 

By 1963, he was dubbed one of the Big Six leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis went on to participate in voter education and registration programs which encouraged minorities to vote and become more politically active. He served on the Atlanta City Council before becoming a U.S. Representative. 

Interesting Facts about John Lewis:

• Lewis was a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in 1963
• He was arrested, attacked and injured over 40 times 
• He has been awarded over 50 honorary degrees from prestigious universities including Harvard University, Brown University and Princeton University 
• He co-authored a graphic novel memoir, March, which was a New York Times Bestseller 
•  He interviewed for numerous media agencies including The Colbert Report, Dallas Morning News, and recently CBS This Morning 

Image and biographical information from: 

5th Congressional District of Georgia. (2016, June 28). Biography: John Lewis. Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis/biography

Works by John Lewis 

John Lewis will forever be remembered as an American icon, and civil rights leader. His final essay,  Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation, written a few days before his death is published through the New York Times. 

An excerpt from his memoir Walking with the Wind is available through Tarleton Libraries. 

For teachers and future educators, Freedom Riders: John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the Front Lines of the Civil Rights Movement, is available in the Curriculum Collection, call #E185.96 .B355 2006.

All three graphic novels of March, are available for check out on Overdrive.