Wintertime e-gov docs

Image by monicore from Pixabay

The library has thousands of electronic government documents in its catalog. They're 100% free, can be accessed from the comfort of your home, and cover a wider and more interesting variety of topics than you might think.

Below are a few e-gov docs that might help make your wintertime a little easier, whether you're staying at home or traveling elsewhere:

• How to Prepare for a Winter Storm - Includes information about how to winterize your home and vehicle, avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, recognize signs of hypothermia and frostbite, and more. There's also a helpful checklist.
• Winter Driving Tips - Learn how to prepare your vehicle for winter weather and stay safe on the road.
• CDC Digital Media Toolkit: 2019-20 Flu Season - Lots of shareable resources related to the CDC's season flu vaccination campaign, including posters and flyers about the flu vaccine, the symptoms of the flu, what to do if you get the flu.
• Holiday Food and Nutrition Resource List - A list of physical and electronic resources on holiday recipes, food safety, and healthy eating. Includes resources that may be useful for those with diabetes or food allergies.
• SnowNews - If you just really miss snow, you can read about the Snow Survey Program and the science of snowpack here. Complete with snowy pictures!

Download music from the library today

The library has several databases with streaming music. The best part: absolutely no ads. None. And, you can send music to your phone. You've already paid for access with your library fee, so why not use them? To find them go to our Databases A-Z page and then go to M for music.

If you are off campus, you will need to log in with your NTNET username and password.
Below are the names of our databases with streaming music:

Music Online: American Music. Browse over 30 genres of music.




Screenshot from Music Online: American Music.


Music Online: Classical Music Library. You can choose from 9 time periods.

Screenshot from Music Online: Classical Music Library

Music Online: Contemporary World Music. You can browse by title, genre, musical instrument, or country

Screenshot from Music Online: Contemporary World Music.

Music Online: Jazz Music Library. You can browse by genre, title, artist, or instrument.

Screenshot from Music Online: Jazz Music Library.

Music Online: Popular Music Library. Browse over 20 different genres.

Screenshot from Music Online: Popular Music Library.

Classical Performance in Video:  See video performances of such classics as Madame Butterfly and Peter and the Wolf.

Screenshot of Music Online: Classical Performance in Video.

Some other cool features of` these databases: they help you with citing the music for your research, you can email yourself a link to the music, you can create a playlist. You can also send the music to your phone.

Watch movies on OverDrive

OverDrive offers more than just books! you can also stream videos. OverDrive has hundreds of movies, audio books and popular books to keep you entertained over the holiday break. Kick back with a hot cup of coca and take a well deserved break. 

Here's how to access the videos (note: you must be a Tarleton student or a staff or faculty member to use Overdrive. If you are not a student, you may have access through your local library).

Note: the screenshots below were taken from a desktop computer.

HOW TO ACCESS STREAMING VIDEOS ON OVERDRIVE

1.  Go to the library's home page at www.tarleton.edu/library.

2.  Click on Databases A-Z.

      

3.  Under N-O, click on Overdrive.

4.  You will be asked to sign in  with your NTNET credentials.
You will then be taken to Overdrive's home page.

5. If you are on a desktop or laptop computer, click Collections on the top left of the screen and go to Videos.
                                           

If you are on a smartphone, click the three horizontal lines on the top right of the screen.  They will open a drop-down menu. Scroll down the menu section until you reach Videos.

6.  Under Videos, you can click on Available Now, New Video Additions, Most Popular or See All.

7.  Click on a video title to get information.

 

8.  You can click Borrow on an individual title.  A pop up window will confirm that you are borrowing the movie.  You then have 3 days to view it on your browser (laptop or desktop computer) or on your mobile device.  You can also click Sample to view a movie trailer.

Lower level: Curriculum Workroom’s New Location

from pixabay.com

The curriculum workroom has changed locations. It was previously located through the Audiovisual Collection’s doors, now it takes up the room adjacent to the Special Collections Suite.

Said space provides patrons the equipment to scan, cut letters, and bind projects. It includes anatomical models to help patrons better understand the human body. The room can be used by anyone, but it was intentionally created for students majoring in education, nursing, and kinesiology.

The room contains a KIC scanner, die cuts, an Ellison die cuts machine, a comb binding machine and combs, and the library’s anatomical models which are available for checkout.¹ The room’s newest feature is a skeleton model. The library recently acquired it with the nursing and kinesiology students in mind.

Next time you visit the lower level, come check it out! 

_____________________________________

1. Anatomical models available at the Dick Smith Library: shoulder joint, right knee, muscled shoulder joint, knee joint, hip with sciatic nerve, mini muscled joint set, cervical vertebrae, brain, heart, and muscled arm.

Copyright Friendly Images

 



Finding copyright friendly images can be a tricky, especially in the educational context. However, there are many ways to find, use, and appropriately cite the images that you use. The library has created three short videos to help you understand copyright friendly images to use in your work. You can watch it here:

The library's copyright taskforce can help explain copyright and answer question,or visit our Copyright Information page.

National Native American Heritage Month

           

https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/ 

November is the National Native American Heritage Month, celebrating the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans.

Learn More!

American Indian Histories and Cultures database has access to art, historical documents, maps, an interactive chronology tool, and so much more! This is a wide-ranging digital resource presenting a unique insight into interactions between American Indians and Europeans from their earliest contact, continuing through the turbulence of the American Civil War, the on-going repercussions of government legislation, right up to the civil rights movement of the mid-twentieth century.

With Mango Languages, you can learn about Cherokee and Potawatomi languages.

Texas State Archives has extensive historical resources focusing on local history, indigenous nations of Texas, and Native American relations.

Want to get involved or learn about indigenous culture first hand? Learn powwow traditions and etiquette, find an event in your area,  and learn more about native american culture.  UT Arlington's Native American Student Association has one of the largest annual powows in Texas. The 25th Annual Benefit Powwow will be February 29, 2020 and is open to the community. 

Tarleton's Office of Diversity and Inclusion  is another great place to learn more about other cultures, get involved, and give back to the community. They have programs to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed in life and at college. 


Check out these books by Native American authors!

 There There by Tommy Orange - OverDrive

As we learn the reasons that each person is attending the Big Oakland Powwow—some generous, some fearful, some joyful, some violent—momentum builds toward a shocking yet inevitable conclusion that changes everything. Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life back together after his uncle's death and has come to work at the powwow to honor his uncle's memory. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil, who has taught himself traditional Indian dance through YouTube videos and will to perform in public for the very first time. There will be glorious communion, and a spectacle of sacred tradition and pageantry. And there will be sacrifice, and heroism, and loss.


Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko - Call# PS3569 .I44 C4 1986

Tayo, the hero of Leslie Marmon Silko’s groundbreaking novel Ceremony, is a half-blood Laguna Indian who returns to his reservation after surviving the Bataan Death March of World War II. As he struggles to recover the peace of mind that his experience of warfare has stolen from him, Tayo finds that memory, identity, and his relations with others all resemble the colored threads of his grandmother’s sewing basket. The elements of his personality feel knotted and tangled, and his every attempt to restore them to order merely snags and twists them all the more. Tayo’s problems, however, extend far beyond the frustrations and alienation he encounters in trying to readjust to peacetime. Having risked his life for an America that fundamentally disowns him, Tayo must confront difficult and painful questions about the society he has been fighting for.


The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdich - Call # PS3555 .R42 P55 2008

Though generations have passed, the town of Pluto continues to be haunted by the murder of a farm family. Evelina Harp—part Ojibwe, part white—is an ambitious young girl whose grandfather, a repository of family and tribal history, harbors knowledge of the violent past. And Judge Antone Bazil Coutts, who bears witness, understands the weight of historical injustice better than anyone. Through the distinct and winning voices of three unforgettable narrators, the collective stories of two interwoven communities ultimately come together to reveal a final wrenching truth.


You don't have to say you love me by Sherman Alexie -OverDrive 


Family relationships are never simple. But Sherman Alexie's bond with his mother Lillian was more complex than most. She plunged her family into chaos with a drinking habit, but shed her addiction when it was on the brink of costing her everything. She survived a violent past, but created an elaborate facade to hide the truth. She selflessly cared for strangers, but was often incapable of showering her children with the affection that they so desperately craved. She wanted a better life for her son, but it was only by leaving her behind that he could hope to achieve it. It's these contradictions that made Lillian Alexie a beautiful, mercurial, abusive, intelligent, complicated, and very human woman.
When she passed away, the incongruities that defined his mother shook Sherman and his remembrance of her. Grappling with the haunting ghosts of the past in the wake of loss, he responded the only way he knew how: he wrote. The result is a stunning memoir filled with raw, angry, funny, profane, tender memories of a childhood few can imagine, much less survive. An unflinching and unforgettable remembrance, YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME is a powerful, deeply felt account of a complicated relationship.

Meet Our Staff - Adam Keim

Adam Keim

Reference and Instruction Librarian

(254) 968-9987

Dick Smith Library - Main Floor - 110E

Hello, my name is Adam Keim. I am a Reference & Instruction Librarian and the liaison to the Psychology department here at Tarleton. Basically, I am here to help you with all of your research needs. I love the learning process and helping other people grow in their academic adventures. If you are wondering where to go with any kind of research, seek me out. I will probably be in the library – not too far from the coffee shop at any given time!

My own academic background is in the humanities (history, theology, and classical languages), but I love learning new things in any field…and I welcome any challenge. I am from the frigid environs of Minnesota, but I received my Masters of Library & Information Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I just moved down to the great state of Texas and I am excited to experience what y’all call “winter.”

I have an amazing wife and three beautiful little girls. If free time is something beyond myth, I enjoy reading and golfing, I am a coffee enthusiast, and I love to travel. See you at the Dick Smith Library!

Library Lavatory News

Some of the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that the library's restrooms have recently been graced with a new publication known as the Library Lavatory News. This monthly newsletter is the brainchild of Ms. Amy Castillo, Manager of Electronic Resources & Scholarly Communication.

1.      How did you get the idea for Library Lavatory News?

I’ve had the idea in my head for a few years after hearing another library do something similar during a conference presentation. It just seemed like something worth trying to see if we could get some exposure on our library’s electronic resources.

2.      What kinds of stories are featured in the News?

Amy Castillo, Manager of Electronic
Resources & Scholarly Communication. 

While wanting to promote our e-resources was the source of the motivation to get the newsletter together I think it’s important to keep it fairly distributed to showcase several aspects of the library. I like to make sure the newsletter features a service, any upcoming events, and promotion of at least one e-resource. It’s even better if I can tie one of those areas to another. For example, in the September 2019 LLN the e-resource featured (LearningExpress Library) tied in with an event between the library and Career Services where the resource was going to be discussed. 

    3.   How long does it take to put an issue together?

It depends on what’s going on that month and whether I need to get some assistance. I have an amazing student worker, Landry Little, who will help interview library staff to feature a service they oversee. The October 2019 newsletter took about 3 hours to pull together. 

4.      Who creates the content, and how do you get ideas?

In regards to creating content: If it’s a service feature – it’s either written by Landry, myself, or we’ve gathered information from the library’s website; events come from the library events calendar; and e-resources, it’s usually a mix between myself and the information I get from the platform provider. I like to include a logo, if possible, to have a visual tie to the e-resource. Ideas usually come from the time of semester it seems good to promote something. October is American Archives Month so we featured the Archives & Special Collections Department.

5.      Have you gotten any feedback and, if so, what was said?

So far I’ve only received good feedback. I’ve heard from staff that said they’ve gotten questions at the reference desk about an event or an e-resource in that month’s newsletter. Earlier this year a student stopped by my office after seeing the newsletter that mentioned Mango Languages so I was able to show them a bit more about the mobile app. I’ve gotten some recommendations on things to feature in future issues which helps. If anyone has additional suggestions, please let me know!    

The October 2019 issue of the Library Lavatory News.

The Library Lavatory News is a great way to find out about library events and resources.
Do you have an idea for the newsletter? Contact Amy at (254 ) 968-9868.

How to Design a Research Poster Recap

Last  Monday the Scholarly Communication Librarian, Katie Pierce Farrier taught a session about how to design a research poster. In case you missed it, here is a brief summary. The full presentation can be found on here on Tarleton Libraries YouTube .

The library has a sample poster template available. Make sure you make it your own. Double check with your mentor or department that the template meets any additional guidelines for your chosen field. The template can be found here Download a poster template

When designing your poster don’t forget CRAP!

Contrast- Avoid dark backgrounds. Pick easy to read fonts and make your visuals the main focus of the poster. Use a flattering color scheme that lends to visibility, and use colors that are still readable if someone is colorblind.

Repetition- Use the same throughout. Same font, same color, same style. Leave some white/ negative space.

Alignment- Justify body text. Center the title. Use the guidance lines on PowerPoint to make sure you have everything aligned properly.  Separate information into three or four columns and order it logically.

Proximity – Placing information together indicates to the reader that there is a relationship between the two pieces of information. Don’t be too wordy. Space your visuals evenly throughout the text.

Don’t Forget!

Before:

Make sure you follow all given guidelines. Presentation guidelines for Pathways Student Symposium can be found here https://www.tamiu.edu/pathways/presentation-guidelines.shtml.

Cite your sources. Style guides can be found at the library reference desk.

Students can print posters for free at the Office of Research and Innovation, or for a small fee at the Dick Smith Library. Poster size is 36”x48”.

During:

Treat your presentation like an interview. Dress for success.

Maintain friendly eye contact and speak with confidence.

Last but not least, Good luck!

If you have any questions, please contact Katie Pierce Farrier at kpierce@tarleton.edu

Top Five Fun and Spooky Books at Rickett Library

Here are five spooky and fun books that you can find in the Rickett Library!


1. Coraline by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Dave McKean

Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenged a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

You can find Coraline with the call number:
PZ7 .G1273 CO 2003









2. Aliens: Extraterrestrial Tales of Terror by Don Wulffson

This is a collection of scary stories you may remember from your childhood. It's centered around aliens who come from planets both known and unknown. This book includes: Scientific Examination, An Eye for an Eye, The Killer of Fayetville, Bones, The Invisible Terror, and Ancestral Aliens.

You can find Aliens with the call number:
PZ7 .W96373 AL 1996











3. A Fate Totally Worse Than Death by Paul Fleischman

In this horror novel parody, three self-centered members of Cliffside Highschool's ruling clique, who are beginning to age rapidly, become convinced that the beautiful new exchange student is the ghost of a girl whose death they caused the year before.

You can find A Fate Totally Worse Than Death with the call number:
PZ7 .F59918 FAT 1995














4. Jade Green: A Ghost Story by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

While living with her uncle in a house haunted by the ghost of a young woman, recently orphaned Judith Sparrow wonders if her one small transgression causes mysterious happenings.

You can find Jade Green with the call number:
PZ7 .N24 JAD 2002











5. The Night Gardener: A Scary Story by Jonathan Auxier

Irish orphans, Molly, fourteen, and Kip, ten, travel to England to work as servants in a crumbling house where nothing is quite what it seems to be, and soon the siblings are confronted by a mysterious stranger and secrets of the cursed house.

You can find The Night Gardener with the call number:
PZ7 .A9314 NIG 2014

National Mental Illness Awareness Week

Image from nami.org

October 6th-12th is National Mental Illness Awareness Week. Mental Illness Awareness Week was established in 1990 by Congress in order to recognize the efforts of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) who educate and inform others about mental illness.  You can find out more about NAMI by clicking here.

Each year, 1 in 5 Americans experience mental illness. This means that 19.1% of American adults experienced mental illness in 2018. National Mental Illness Awareness Week encourages community awareness in order to break the stigma and advocate for recovery and treatment (Source).

Tarleton State University Student Counseling Services provides services for students which include individual counseling, couple counseling, and group counseling. You can also find a list of community and campus resources here.

Image from nami.org

Here is a list of Counseling events at Tarleton State University which includes Mental Health First Aid training held on Fridays in October from 12pm until 2pm and Green Dot training from October 8th to the 10th for National Mental Illness Awareness Week and various days throughout the semester.

Tarleton University libraries provides a subject guide for Psychology and Counseling Research for those who wish to find resources.

We also have a variety of books and electronic resources on stress management, relaxation, anxiety, depression, and domestic violence.

#MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MentalHealthDay #WhyCare

The Top Five Horror Books at the Dick Smith Library

It's finally October! So get ready for Halloween by reading the top five checked out horror books in the Dick Smith Library!






1. Misery by Stephen King


Writer Paul Sheldon wants to stop writing about his historic romance character Misery Chastain and start writing literary fiction. Annie Wilkes, Sheldon's number one fan, rescues him from a car crash and has her own ideas for Misery.

You can find Misery in the General Stacks upstairs with the call number: PS3561 .I483 M5 1987

2. Hideaway by Dean Koontz 

After a car accident leaves him clinically dead for eighty minutes, Hatch Harrison wakes up with a new found lease on life and a horrifying telepathic connection with a serial killer.

You can find Hideaway in the stacks with the call number: PS3561 .O55 H5 1992

3. House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker

House follows two couples who find themselves trapped in a deadly game. The killer has set the rules and the only way out is to go into the house.

You can find House in the stacks with the call number: PS3566 .E691217 H68 2006C
















4. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley


A monster assembled by a scientist from dead body parts learns to think for himself and decides to take revenge against the man who created him.

You can find Frankenstein with the call number:
 PR5397 .F7 1988















5. The Fall of the House of Usher and Four Other Tales, stories by Edgar Allen Poe and illustrated by Rick Schreiter

This book contains some of Poe's greatest and scariest works including The Black Cat, Ms. Found in a Bottle, Three Sundays in a Week, and The Oval Portrait.

You can find this book of tales in the Education section with the call number: PZ3 .P752 FAL9

Meet Our Staff: Katie Pierce Farrier

Katie Pierce Farrier

Scholarly Communications Librarian
254-968-9456
kpierce@tarleton.edu
Dick Smith Library – Main Floor – 112A

My name is Katie Pierce Farrier and I am the Scholarly Communication Librarian and the library liaison to the School of Nursing.  Scholarly Communication focuses on the process of researching, creating, evaluating, and sharing scholarly content. I can help you find resources,navigate publishing and copyright issues, and maximize your impact in your field.

I graduated from University of North Texas in May 2019. Before I came here, I worked at the medical library for  the UNT Health Science Center. Over the summer I also worked at TAMU Law Library.

In my free time, I love to paint and draw. I also have three dogs who I love to spoil and take on camping trips.

Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15 every year. The website says, "The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society." Spanish is the official language for 20 countries around the world and for Puerto Rico, which is part of the United States.

A screenshot from the National Hispanic American Heritage Month website at hispanicheritage.gov

Library Resources

Timeline
Take a look at the timeline of notable Hispanics created by one of our librarians in 2017.

Learning Spanish
Mango Languages (which has an app) has a Spanish language course.

Spanish Databases
We have a number of databases in Spanish. Some of them include:
FuenteAcademic
ReferenciaLatina
Brittanica Encylopedia Moderna
Clase Periodica
InformeAcademia
MedicaLatina

Travel
Get detailed profiles of Spanish-speaking countries with our Global Road Warrior database.

Books in Spanish
We have over 77,000 items in Spanish in the library catalog.

Hispanic American History
We have over 500 items that discuss Hispanic Americans in the United States. Check out the library catalog to find these.
We also have biographies of notable Hispanic entertainers, including Celia Cruz, Rita Moreno, and more.

Read the BANNED book before you watch the series!

For Banned Books Week, check out these three books that have been turned into a hit series. 

1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Catch-22 is about Yossarian, a pilot during WWII, who is being sent on missions that only a crazy person would agree to. The catch? If you know you’re crazy, you can’t really be crazy, so he’s off on another impossible mission.  Find it on the shelves in print, audio or as an e-book, call # PS3558 .E476 C3385.

     

   2. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood 

     Offred navigates the dangerous life of being a “handmaiden”, forced to live a life of servitude while humanity struggles to deal with crippling levels of infertility. Tired of being oppressed, Offred dares to resist even if it means her life and the lives of those she trusts.  Find it on OverDrive, or on the shelves at call # PR9199.3 .A8 H3. 

      3. His Dark Materials  by Phillip Pullman 

     This exhilarating three part series features Lyra and Will, two children trying to out run child-stealing Gobblers and soul-eating Specters. Together they stumble upon an unthinkable weapon, terrifying secrets, and facedown a seemingly impossible task. Find it on OverDrive, or as an ebook, call #PZ7 .P968 G444.