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Tarleton students, please complete the survey at the link below to be eligible to win a portable Bluetooth speaker with LED lights (valued at $90). The Dick Smith Library staff are seeking feedback from users of the Library Learning Commons. The survey will only take a few minutes.  Include your email address and all completed surveys will be eligible to win the speaker.

Your feedback is important and survey results help us improve the Library Learning Commons and its services. Thank you.

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Tarleton Thursday: Edna Wolfe's 1925 "Purple Book"

        On February 8, 2016, Shawn Blue of Waco kindly donated his grandmother's 1926 Grassburr, a leather book strap with a "Tarleton" buckle, and a 1925 "Purple Book." It was very fitting that he donated these precious items during Library Lovers Month. In last week's Tarleton Thursday blog post, Amanda discussed Edna Wolfe's (1906-2001) academic record, as it was an interest of her grandson. Today, we are going to take a look at the 55-page September 1, 1925 "Purple Book."

The"Purple Book" was established in 1917 as a student handbook and was in publication for 25 years. The book let students know what was expected of them while they were on Tarleton's campus: boys and girls dormitory regulations; academic regulations; and rules concerning discipline. 
 

Edna lived in the only girls dorm on campus called "The Dump." She and her roommates were called the "Dumplings" (JTAC 1925 Vol. 6, No. 4). Girls Dormitory Regulations were so important that in the back of Edna's "Purple Book" were two loose pages from another "Purple Book." These were the two pages on Girls Dormitory Regulations with a handwritten note at the top "To have and to hold." 


Of particular interest are the library regulations. Library rules/regulations can be found on page 13 through page 14. You'll notice that the first point made (44. a.) is that "the Library shall be open in accordance with a schedule approved by the Dean." In 1925, the library was "open from 7:40 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. every week day except Saturday, when it closes at 3:00 p.m. It was closed on Sundays and holidays" (1924-25 John Tarleton Agricultural College Catalogue, p. 23). I'd say being open until 2:00 a.m. is a huge difference from then to now. 

Another interesting rule is 44. e. In 1925, students could only check out "one book of fiction and one other book" for a two week period. Today, students can checkout 20 items at a time, most for 28 days. You'll notice that there is a "five cents per day fine for all books kept over time." Today, it's a mere ten cents per day fine for all items kept over time. To put that into perspective, five cents then would be the equivalent of 68 cents today. You could also purchase a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents in 1925, as opposed to a $1 a can today.

At that time, the library was located in two rooms of the Administration Building and there was only one librarian. Today, we have a three floor building all to ourselves on the Stephenville campus, plus Texan Hall at the Fort Worth campus, and a total of 14 librarians. One of the most important rules then still applies today: YOU MUST PAY ALL FINES PROMPTLY IF YOU WISH TO MAINTAIN GOOD STANDING IN THE COLLEGE. 
  

Maker Spot now open!

The Maker Spot is now open! It is located in room 250, on the Upper Level, next to the copy room. The new space gives the Tarleton community easy access to a wide range of equipment they can use for creation and innovation, regardless of their field of study.

It features: 

• 3-D printing
• 3-D scanning 
• Large format/poster printing
• GoPro action cameras and mounts
• Computer board and Maker Kits

3-D printing costs $0.10 per gram and large format printing is $2 per square foot. All items check out for 7 days. You can submit your job and find out more information at our website, www.tarleton.edu/library/makerspot.html, or stop by the Maker Spot during our operating hours, Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm. You can also email Library Systems Department at libsys@tarleton.edu or call us at 254-968-0508. We hope to see you in the Maker Spot soon!

Library Lovers Bookmark Entries and Winner

February 1-10 the library held a bookmark contest in honor of Library Lovers Week.  

Alexis Brown was announced as the winner on Friday, February 12.

Alexis Brown and her bookmark entry.

Thanks to everyone who participated!!

Bookmark entries by: Alicia Cody, Nisha Aryal, Otoniel Chaine, Love Leigh Gonzales, Carrie Hale

Learn How to Read Online For Free!

To celebrate Library Lover’s Day, the library will host a Lessons @ Lunch highlighting OverDrive and EBSCO eBooks. Did you know that you have access to eBooks and audio-books? Why pay for books on your Kindle when you can borrow them for free? Overdrive is a borrowing service that is available to all Tarleton students, faculty and staff. A wide selection ranging from pleasure reading to academic titles can be accessed on many different devices. So come by the library Multipurpose Room on Thursday Feb. 11th from 12:15- 1 pm and learn how to set up your account. Bring your lunch with you and we will provide cookies and water. If you cannot join us on campus, you can view the presentation through Zoom.

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://tarleton.zoom.us/j/554106421

Or join by phone:   +1 408 638 0968 (US Toll) or +1 646 558 8656 (US Toll)

    Meeting ID: 554 106 421

    International numbers available: https://tarleton.zoom.us/zoomconference?m=-yZM6qbUZ085uNSekPcYiKIeAUpPTNdt

Or join from a H.323/SIP room system:    H.323: 162.255.37.11 (US West) or 162.255.36.11 (US East)

    Meeting ID: 554 106 421

    SIP: 554106421@zoomcrc.com

 For more information, email mylibrary@tarleton.edu

Tarleton Student's Grandson Donates Items to Archives

It's Library Lovers Month here at Tarleton, and sometimes our library lovers aren't students, or faculty, or staff, or even alumni.  Today our library lover was the grandson of a Tarleton student, and he brought some of his grandmother's Tarleton items to donate to the archives.

Shawn Blue of Waco (pictured at left in the collage above) came by the Dick Smith Library today.  His grandmother, Edna Myrtle Wolfe (pictured upper right in the collage above), attended Tarleton for the 1925-1926 school year.  He donated her 1926 Grassburr yearbook, her "Purple Book" student handbook dated September 1, 1925 (the subject for a future post), and a leather book strap with a "Tarleton" buckle (pictured lower right in the collage above).

Edna was born September 20, 1906, in Fairy, Texas, the oldest of five children of Hub Harvey and Altie M. Wolfe.  On the 1930 Census, Edna is living on the Hico Road in Hamilton County and working as a public school teacher - perhaps she was preparing for that career while at Tarleton.  She married William Clancy Blue, and their oldest son Dorsey Dwain Blue, born in 1937, was Shawn's father.  W. Clancy died in 2000 and Edna in 2001, and they are both buried in the Fairy Cemetery in Hamilton County.

Here's what Shawn had to say:

I really enjoyed my visit today. My grandmother held education in high regard and would be so pleased to know how delighted you were with her treasured Tarleton items. She did receive a two-year degree from Tarleton and was able to teach in public schools with it due a teacher shortage. She also taught at Pottsville. My dad Dorsey was their only child. Here is an interesting fact: my grandfather Clancy was one of Edna's students... That's how they met! 

Thank you, Shawn, for visiting us today, and for donating these items!

(photo of Shawn Blue by Collections Archivist Gary Spurr; photo of book strap by Archives and Reference Assistant Crystal Stanely; photo of Edna Wolfe from page 75 of the 1926 Grassburr at the Portal to Texas History.)

Something I never thought about...

When we prepare for an interview we always think about how we will present ourselves. We submit a polished resume. We study all we can on the job that we want. We pay special attention to hygiene and dress. My daughter recently bought an entire new suit for a job interview. She really wanted the job!

But, until recently, I never really thought about how we speak -- our elocution. I'm from the south. Specifically I'm from Texas. Lived here all my life. I realize that I have a southern accent, but is it that bad? I guess it is. I remember meeting some out-of-towners (meaning out of state) many years ago, and they said, "I love the way you talk! It's adorable!" I really knew what they meant. They were politely saying that I sounded like a "hick from the sticks".

Do your speaking habits give the illusion that you are not as smart as you really are? I don't know. But, I do know the best way to present yourself to a potential boss is to put your best foot forward. One way to do that is to speak well. Read the following article, and you decide.


Sloppy speaking habits

Color Yourself Into Library Fame

Wanna be library famous? In honor of Library Lovers Day, we are conducting a bookmark coloring contest. The contest began Monday, February 1st, and will end February 10th. The winner will be announced Friday, February 12. Forms can be found at the Circulation Desk in the Dick Smith Library (Stephenville) and at the Service Desk in Texan Hall (Fort Worth). There's going to be some pretty amazing swag to be won. Not to mention someone will be immortalized on a bookmark that will be shared all over the library and campus!

Don't forget to help us celebrate Library Lovers Day with a limited edition button; they will be available next week. Grab one quick, they'll go fast! Also, tweet us @TarletonLib what you love about the library using #WeLoveTarletonLib.

Ask a Librarian

Reference Department 2015
We've had a few comings and goings but we're still ready to assist you.
Stop by the Reference Desk for assistance!  

Have you ever had a library or research-related question when you were on the go or after the library's operating hours?

 

Did you know that the library has a service which allows you to ask your question at any time or any place?

 

The library's Reference Department provides email-based reference services where you can email reference@tarleton.edu and get a response within a 24 hour time-frame.

 

You can also visit the Ask a Librarian page to fill out a web form which will assist the librarian in answering your question.

 

Submit your question with as much detail as you can, and we'll work hard to find you the answer.

 

Have questions now?

 

We're just a click or a phone call away, (254)968-9249.

 

 

MLK Day Resources

I hope you all enjoyed your MLK Day holiday yesterday! If this inspired you to learn more about Martin Luther King, Jr. here are some resources to get you started. For more resources, in addition to the ones below, try searching Discovery@Tarleton for "martin luther king jr". 

Martin Luther King, by Godfrey Hodgson. Published by University of Michigan Press, 2010.

    

The Radical King, by Martin Luther King, Jr., edited and compiled by Cornel West. Published by Beacon Press, 2015.

My Brother Martin, by Christine King Farris. Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003

A Child Shall Lead them: Martin Luther King, Jr., Young People and the Movement, by Rufus Burrow, Jr. Published by Fortress Press, 2014

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Encyclopedia. Published by Greenwood Press, 2008 

What is a SMART Kapp Board

A SMART Kapp Board is similar to a white board but it connects with your phone.  First you download and open the SMART Kapp app or you can scan the QR code.  Your phone then connects to the board and anything you see on the board you see on your phone!  You can share in real-time with up to 5 users.  You can also save snapshots of the board to your phone.  When you are finished you can disconnect to end your session.

SMART Kapp Boards are located on the lower level of the library. 

New Year, New You

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions this year? Are you still sticking to them? According to "Resolutions by the Numbers", about 45% of us make resolutions each year. However 73% will give up before the first goal is met.

So what can we do to meet our goals?

1. Be realistic. Habits develop over time. Give yourself the needed time to attain the goal. Strive to lose 50 pounds in eight months instead of two months.
2. Write it down. Keep a journal to see what your triggers are and to track your progress.
3. Don't beat yourself up over a lapse. We all have moments of weakness. Don't let the midnight brownie derail you. Acknowledge that you're human and get yourself back on track.
4. Ask for support. If your resolution is to get healther then you might start going to the gym 3 days a week with a friend. It'll help pass the time and make going fun instead of a chore.
5. Be accountable. Tell your goals to family and friends who will help keep you on track. Another way to stay accountable would be to sign a commitment contract in StickK. If you do not meet the commitment then you are required to donate to a charity that you would not normally support.

For other goal setting tips:

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resolution.aspx

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243155

http://www.everydayhealth.com/denise-austin/10-tricks-for-setting-and-sticking-to-your-healthy-new-years-resolution.aspx#01

http://lifehacker.com/5971803/top-10-strategies-for-making-your-new-years-resolution-stick

#NativismSyllabus - Guest post by Dr. Michael Landis, Assistant Professor of History

Introduction

On June 17, 2015, neo-Confederate white supremacist Dylan Roof entered the historic Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston, SC and murdered nine black parishioners.  The event, though sadly not unusual in the history of the United States, sparked immediate and profound national outrage.  In the aftermath, symbols of the Confederacy began to be removed and Americans struggled to come to grips with centuries of white supremacy terrorism.  A product of that struggle was the #CharlestonSyllabus (http://aaihs.org/resources/charlestonsyllabus/), compiled by the African American Intellectual History Society.  Scholars from around the world contributed to the list of the most important primary and secondary sources to understand what had happened in Charleston and what it meant for American society.

Since the summer of 2015, other issues have arisen to anger Americans and ignite impassioned debate, namely the role of newly-arrived immigrants in American society.  Syrians fleeing devastation and civil war in their home country; Central Americans yearning for jobs, security, and a better life – their arrival in the United States triggered alarm and fear among many Americans.  Politicians stoked the flames of hate, anger, and hostility, eager to ride this issue into high office.  Some politicos grabbed headlines by making wild accusations about foreign-born Americans and the dangers of the Islamic faith, suggesting national religious registries, internet censorship, and racial quotas.

Nativism – the fear of immigrants and the desire to deny them rights – has long been part of United States history.  Manifesting most famously (and effectively) in the Know Nothings of the 1850s, Chinese Exclusionists of the 1880s, the Ku Klux Klan of the 1920s, and Japanese Internment in the 1940s, nativism has proven a powerful force in American politics.  The books, essays, articles, and primary sources below provide a comprehensive road-map for understanding American nativism and immigration.

#NativismSyllabus was conceived and compiled by Dr. Michael Landis (@DrMichaelLandis), with the help of Margie Maxfield.  The hashtag started trending on December 8, 2015, in response to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States.

Ms. Margie Maxfield, MSIS, is the Systems Librarian at Tarleton State University.

Dr. Michael Todd Landis is an Assistant Professor of History at Tarleton State University, board member of Historians Against Slavery (http://www.historiansagainstslavery.org/main/), and author of Northern Men with Southern Loyalties: The Democratic Party and the Sectional Crisis (http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100250560&fa=author&person_id=5105).

Books:

• Anbinder, Tyler. Five Points : the 19th-century New York City neighborhood that invented tap dance, stole elections, and became the world's most notorious slum. New York: Free Press, 2001. 

• Anbinder, Tyler. Nativism and slavery : the northern Know Nothings and the politics of the 1850's. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.

• Baker, Jean H. Ambivalent Americans : the Know-Nothing Party in Maryland. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977.

• Baker, Kelly. Gospel according to the Klan : the KKK's appeal to Protestant America, 1915-1930. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2011.

• Baynton, Douglas C. Defectives in the land : disability and immigration in the age of eugenics. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2016.

• Bennett, David H. The party of fear : from nativist movements to the New Right in American history. 2nd ed. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.

• Billington, Ray A. The Protestant crusade 1800-1860 : a study of the origins of American nativism. 3th ed. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1964.

• Blee, Kathleen M. Women of the Klan : racism and gender in the 1920s. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1991.

• Canaday, Margot. The straight state : sexuality and citizenship in twentieth-century America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009.

• Fairchild, Amy L. Science at the borders : immigrant medical inspection and the shaping of the modern industrial labor force. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003.

• Gerstle, Gary. American crucible : race and nation in the twentieth century. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001.

• Gienapp, William E. The origins of the Republican Party, 1852-1856. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

• Hernandez, Kelly L. Migra ! : a history of the U.S. border patrol. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010.

• Higham, John. Strangers in the land : patterns of American nativism, 1860-1925. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2008.

• Ignatiev, Noel. How the Irish became White. New York: Routledge, 1995.

• Kraut, Alan M. Silent travelers : germs, genes, and the "immigrant menace". Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995.

• Love, Eric Tyrone Lowery. Race over empire : racism and U.S. imperialism, 1865-1900. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2004.

• Motomura, Hiroshi. Americans in waiting : the lost story of immigration and citizenship in the United States. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

• Ngai, Mae M. Impossible subjects : illegal aliens and the making of modern America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004.

• O'Leary, Cecilia E. To die for : the paradox of American patriotism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1999.

• Rauchway, Eric. Murdering McKinley : the making of Theodore Roosevelt's America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2003.

• Salyer, Lucy E. Laws Harsh as Tigers : Chinese immigrants and the Shaping of Modern Immigration Law. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1995.

• Samito, Christian G. Becoming American under fire : Irish Americans, African Americans, and the politics of citizenship during the Civil War era. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2009.

• Takaki, Ronald T. A different mirror : a history of multicultural America. Boston: Little, Brown & Co, 1993.

• Takaki, Ronald T. Iron cages : race and culture in 19th-century America. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.

• Tichenor, Daniel J. Dividing lines : the politics of immigration control in America. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002.

• Zimmer, Kenyon. Immigrants against the state : Yiddish and Italian anarchism in America. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2015.

Essays/ Articles:

• Alexander, Erik B. ""The democracy must prepare for battle": Know-Nothingism in Alabama and Southern politics, 1851-1859."Southern Historian 27 (April 2006): 23-37.

• Baker, David L. "The Joyce Family Murders: Justice and Politics in Know-Nothing Louisville." The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society 103, no. 3 (Summer 2004): 357-82.

• Baynton, Douglas C. "Disability and the Justification of Inequality in American History." In The new disability history : American perspectives, edited by Paul K. Longmore and Lauri Umansky, 33-57. New York: New York University Press, 2001.

• Cheatham, Mark R. ""I shall persevere in the cause of truth": Andrew Jackson Donelson and the election of 1856." Tennessee Historical Quarterly 62, no. 3 (September 2003): 218-37.

• Curley, Augustine J. "The 1854 Attack on Saint Mary's Church, Newark: A Typical Know-nothing Incident." American Benedictine Review 61, no. 4 (December 2010): 387-406.

• Dash, Mark. "Notes and Documents: New Light on the Dark Lantern: The Initiation Rites and Ceremonies of a Know-Nothing Lodge in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania." The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 127, no. 1 (January 2003): 89-100.

• Endres, David J. "Know-Nothings, Nationhood, and the Nuncio: Reassessing the Visit of Archbishop Bedini." U.S. Catholic Historian 21, no. 4 (Fall 2003): 1-16.

• Frederick, Jeff. "Unintended Consequences: The Rise and Fall of the Know-Nothing Party in Alabama." Alabama Review 55, no. 1 (January 2002): 3-34.

• Gonzales, Phillip B. "Mexican party, American party, Democratic party: Establishing the American political party in New Mexico,1848-1853." New Mexico Historical Review 88, no. 3 (June 2013): 253-85.

• Harper, Leslie A. "Lethal Language: The Rhetoric of George Prentice and Louisville's Bloody Monday." Ohio Valley History11, no. 3 (2011): 24-43.

• Levine, Bruce. "Conservatism, Nativism, and Slavery: Thomas R. Whitney and the Origins of the Know-Nothing Party." The Journal of American History 88, no. 2 (September 2001): 455-88.

• Melton, Tracy M. "Research Notes & Maryland Miscellany The Case of the Catholic Know-Nothings." Maryland Historical Magazine 109, no. 3 (Fall 2014): 351-71.

• Muccino, Eileen. "Irish Filibusters and Know Nothings in Cincinnati." Ohio Valley History 10, no. 3 (2010): 3-26.

• Pinsker, Matthew. "Not Always Such a Whig: Abraham Lincoln's Partisan Realignment in the 1850s." Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association 29, no. 2 (July 2008): 26-46.

• Ritter, Luke. "The St. Louis Know-Nothing Riot of 1854." Gateway 2012, no. 32 (2012): 26-35.

• Schiff, Stacy. "Anger: An American History." The New York Times, December 20, 2015, sec. SR, p. 5.

• Smith, Miles. "'Rode out of the Democratic party as a heretic': The political transformation of Sam Houston and the Southern Whig legacy, 1848-1861." East Texas Historical Journal 52, no. 1 (Spring 2014): 64-83.

• Tinkler, Robert. "Henry Wilson and the Coming of the Civil War." Journal of the Early Republic 28, no. 4 (Winter 2008): 663-69.

Primary Sources:

• Busey, Samuel C. Immigration: its evils and consequences. New York: Arno Press, 1969. (Originally published 1856)

• Whitney, Thomas R. A defence of the American policy, as opposed to the encroachments of foreign influence and especially to the interference of the papacy in the political interests and affairs of the United States. New York: De Witt & Davenport, 1856.

Everyone comes to the library first!

The screenshot above is from a February 1939 edition of the JTAC. As you can see from the message, "everyone that visited Tarleton came to the library first!" The Senior Class of '39 did in fact donate a beautiful charge desk to the library.

The Dick Smith Library is swarming with students studying for finals, preparing for presentations, and finishing last minute projects. We are the central hub of the campus. The "IT" place. Always have been and always will be (in my opinion).

Senior classes don't typically give gifts these days. However, I'm sure they're thankful for the wonderful time they've had not only at Tarleton, but also in the library. Good luck to you all on your finals and especially to those graduating Seniors.