The Birth of the Internet

Can you remember a time when something wasn't immediately accessible via the Internet? A time when you forced to do your shopping in brick and morter buildings? A time before Facebook?

History of the Internet

On October 29, 1969 a studend named Charley Kline transmitted "LOGIN" from a computer in UCLA to one in Stanford. He got as far as L O before it crashed.

He was able to send the complete message an hour later.

So why was this important? Because it initiated a spark in thinkers, dreamers, and those with the technological know-how to invent HTML and HTTP languages that would allows computers to talk to one another.



World Wide Web in 1989

Since 1989 the Internet has become one of the most influential inventions of our time. It has allowed us to become closer globally and has helped shape our world views. We can learn from one another at a tremendous rate and what happens at one corner of the globe can be viewed almost immediately in another nation.

So I ask again, can you remember a time when the world wasn't at your fingertips. What has it allowed you to do?

For more information:
http://www.calendarlabs.com/holidays/international/international-internet-day.php
https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/internet-day/
http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html

October is (Also) Family History Month

Besides being #ArchivesMonth, October is also Family History Month, and we have a number of databases and other resources here at Tarleton that can help you research your own family history.  Check out our Genealogy Research Guide for suggestions as well as a link to a web page with other helpful resources.

If you need help using any of these databases or other resources, see our Coordinator for Archives and Special Services (and amateur genealogist) Amanda Pape, on the lower level of the Dick Smith Library, call her at 254-968-9251, or (best) e-mail her at pape@tarleton.edu.

And don't forget that TODAY, Tuesday, October 27th, from 12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m. in the Library's Multipurpose Room, the Library will be hosting a Brown Bag presentation on "Preserving Your Family History and Treasures" by our archivist Gary Spurr.  Please feel free to bring your lunch!  We hope to see you there. 

Halloween Highlight: The Addams Family

Growing up in the 90's during Halloween was ... AWESOME! So many of my traditions for Halloween today, go back to what was cool then. It was a time when you could still trick or treat in your own neighborhood. Homemade candy wasn't a scary thing if it was in a neighborhood you knew. Movie nights consisted of Hocus Pocus and Nightmare Before Christmas to name a few. But my favorite that I could watch any time of year was The Addams Family. Of course, my generation were familiar with the 1991 version that was followed by The Addams Family Values. I, however, watched the 1964 TV show almost every night before I went to bed. So as I have been preparing for the Halloween holiday this year, I of course pulled out my VHS tape of The Addams Family and prepared for an epic movie night full of nostalgia. This got me thinking what came before the TV show? Was it a book? Who came up with this idea of a family that was so scary yet normal in their own way? So I did some digging and thought I would share with you some facts I found interesting!

The Addams Family actually started out as a cartoon in the The New Yorker. American cartoonist, Charles Addams, was the creator of this eccentric family.  He created them as an inversion of the ideal American family. They originally appeared as an unrelated group of 150 single-panel cartoons. Only about half were originally published in The New Yorker between 1938 and 1988. They have since been adapted to other media, including the TV show (live and animated), films, video games and a musical. Addams' original cartoons, however, were not given names until the TV series, but well-known characters were often seen in his cartoons: Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday, Pugsley, Cousin Itt and Thing. Charles Addams was first inspired by his hometown of Westfield, New Jersey, which was an area full of "ornate Victorian mansions and archaic graveyards." Charles Addams was approached by a television producer who wanted to create a TV show. All Charles had to do was given names to his characters and characteristics for the actors to use in their portrayals. The TV show first aired in 1964 and lasted two seasons with over 60 episodes. The Addams Family's first appearance in an animated show was on the third episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies that first aired in 1972. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Addams_Family) 






A few interesting things about Charles Addams himself:
Charles Addams was born in 1912 and passed away in 1988. He is distantly related to U.S. presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, despite the different spellings of their last names. He married his last and third wife in a pet cemetery. 

I've included a few links to other interesting facts and even a quiz on what you know about the 1991 movie! 

• http://mentalfloss.com/article/59800/13-creepy-kooky-facts-about-addams-family
• http://www.buzzfeed.com/abbigayle/the-hardest-addams-family-quiz-youll-ever-take-ka2d#.bkNDorEvOv
• http://www.neatorama.com/halloween/2011/05/25/14-facts-you-might-not-know-about-the-addams-family/

Happy Halloween! 

It's #ArchivesMonth

October is #ArchivesMonth. What does that mean? #ArchivesMonth is a chance for archivists to educate the public on what an archive is, what archives are, and what archivists do. We will be sending out tweets all month highlighting the Tarleton Archives. Please view the video below to see a brief overview of some items the Library's Special Collections & Archives have and services we offer.

If you're not certain what an archive is or what archives are, check out this article titled "What is an Archives?". Feel free to contact any of the Special Collections & Archives staff if you have any questions.

Amanda Pape, Coordinator for Archives and Special Services, pape@tarleton.edu, (254)968-9251

Gary Spurr, Collections Archivist, spurr@tarleton.edu, (254)968-1808

Crystal Stanley, Archives & Reference Assistant, cstanley@tarleton.edu, (254)968-9496

On October 27th from 12:10pm-12:50pm in the Library's Multipurpose Room, the Library will be hosting a Brown Bag presentation on "How to preserve your family records" by Gary Spurr. Please feel free to bring your lunch! We hope to see you there. 

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @tarletonlib to see all of the wonderful tweets about #ArchivesMonth. 

How to Check Out Items Video

Last week, we released our second Welcome to the Library video! Have you ever wondered what those numbers on the spines of books are? What the Curriculum Collection is? Where you can find the movies? This video, How to Check Out Items, answers all these questions and more!

How long will it take you to finish the books in your TBR pile?

Read It Forward has a calculator on their site that can tell you how long it will take you to finish the books in your TBR (To Be Read) pile. It's available here. All you need is the total number of books in your pile (or saved on your e-reader, or included in a Goodreads TBR list, or wherever else you keep lists of books you plan on reading) and the total number of books you finished last year. You don't have to add your age if you don't want to. The calculator then figures out how long it will take you to finish them all, assuming your TBR doesn't grow.

I added up the number of books I've marked as being ones I'd like to read, plus the number of e-books I own. According to the calculator, it would take me 6 years and 4 months to finish them all.

What about the rest of you? How many months, years, or decades (!) does the calculator think it will take you?

Banned Books Week 2015

Help the library celebrate Banned Books Week, 

September 28th-October 2nd!

The library's Banned Books Week theme this year highlights characters from frequently banned or challenged books.
 Hester Prynne from the Scarlet Letter is featured here. 

Stop by the library and pick up a Banned Books Week button!

Learn more about Banned Books Week by checking out our displays on all floors of the library. 

See a book you'd like to read? Check out the book with your student ID card. 

Have questions about Banned Books Week?

Contact us at (254)968-9249 or email reference@tarleton.edu 

How to Make Copies

This is our first video in our "Welcome to the Library" series, How to Make Copies.  Learn how to make copies as well as add money to your Texan Card.

 

 

 

Keep an eye out for more videos in our "Welcome to the Library" series and learn how to check out items, use the laptop vending machine, print, scan, request materials from offsite, and more.

Happy Hobbit Day



History

Hobbit Day was officially declared in 1978 in honor of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins' birthdays, two beloved characters from the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Before the official declaration there was much debate on when the observance should occur due to the differences between the Gregorian and Shire calendars. This is because Tolkien once said that the Shire calendar is ahead by about 10 days, depending on the month.

Celebration

Some Tolkien fans celebrate with having parties and feasts emulating the hobbit’s parties. Feasts can include potato-cheddar pancakes, jam "sandwiches", and dill pickle spears. For more feasts ideas checkout Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's menu ideas.

Fun games to play include a scavenger hunt, pin the ring on Bilbo, and a Hobbit trivia night. Others celebrate by simply going barefooted in honour of the hobbits, who rarely wear shoes.

How will you celebrate Hobbit Day?



The Dump

Collections Archivist Gary Spurr received a package from a woman whose mother attended Tarleton in the twenties. In the package, there was a small Tarleton pennant, a leather covered graduation invitation, Yell Book, handbill to a Cherniavsky concert, and many more interesting things from her mother's year at Tarleton (1924-1925). In the letter, the woman states that her mother lived in "the dump". The question is....WHAT WAS "THE DUMP"? Upon further investigation using the JTAC Newspaper, Grassburr archive, and the Cross Timbers Historical Images Project, we discovered that the Dump was actually the Mary Corn-Wilkerson girls dormitory.

"The dump" was built in 1910 after Mary Corn-Wilkerson responded to a call of need for a women's dormitory and deeded 370 acres of land to the university. She asked that the real estate be sold and the money used to build the first women's dorm. It was a two story high red brick building with all the "modern conveniences" of the time. Over the years, several annexes were added. Sadly, in 1955 "the dump" was demolished and 8 years late Hunewell was constructed in its place (Guthrie, 1999).

Donated items in package.

Letter accompanying donated items.

Photo taken from 1920 Grassburr

References:
 Guthrie, C. E. (1999). John Tarleton and his legacy : the history of Tarleton State University, 1899-1999. Acton, MA : Tapestry Press, [1999].

Note:  Guthrie's book is available in the Dick Smith Library on the 3rd floor in the General Stacks. It can be found with the following call number: LD5271 .T35 G88 1999.

Library Learning Commons - Still the place to be!

The Library Learning Commons (LLC) is still the place to be!  The Commons, which opened last year, is where you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee, get tech help, set up a tutoring session, use a computer, or print. The space is comfortable and inviting, with some great technologies to help you get your work completed. There are collaboration stations, KIC scanners, charging stations, even laptop vending machines. The easiest way to find out more about the LLC is to view the website.

Need assistance? Call 254-968-9249 or email reference@tarleton.edu

More NEW Furniture and Staff!

Just today, the Dick Smith Library has a new Evening Circulation Supervisor, and more new furniture on the lower level!

Pictured at left is Ginger Cousins, our new Evening Circulation Manager, who started today.  For much of the rest of this semester, she will be undergoing training and will be working Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Eventually she will be working 3 PM to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and from 5 PM to 2 AM on those days, when we have extended hours later in the semester.

Ginger is trying out one of the new lounge chairs just delivered today for the lower level of the library.  These chairs join some of the other new comfy items pictured below.

Welcome to Ginger!  And come try out some of the new furniture on the lower level!

photo by Tracy Holtman

photo by Crystal Stanley

Course Reserve Contracts

The Dick Smith Library's Course Reserve collection is located behind the Circulation Desk.  This service allows faculty members to pull our materials as well as provide their own items specifically as supplemental material for their class.  We have varying loan periods as options so that all students have access to materials.  In the past, a physical contract has always been required.  This semester, we have gone digital!

Faculty can now submit their course reserve contracts online by visiting our faculty support page on Course Reserves.  All you have to do is fill out the form's three sections and it will automatically be emailed to the library member in charge of reserves.  Then all you have to worry about is providing the materials.  If it's physical, items can be delivered through campus mail or dropped off in person.  If it's for an E-Reserve, simply email the file to Kym Schow at Schow@tarleton.edu.  E-Reserves will require a password, and one will be generated for you unless you contact Kym and ask for something specific.  Passwords cannot be submitted through the form for security reasons.

We hope this extra service makes things a little bit easier for faculty to make items accessible for their students.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact Kym Schow via email or at 254-968-9871.

New Laptop Vending Machine

We've added a second laptop vending machine on the top floor of the library. This vending machine works the same way as the machine on the main floor and has 12 laptops available for checkout, in addition to the 24 available for checkout on the main floor.

As a reminder, to use the machine:

1. Swipe your Texan Card.
2. Enter your NTNET password.
3. Agree to the terms.
4. Take the laptop that pops out of the machine.
5. Return the laptop to the machine from which you checked it out within 4 hours.

Please make sure to return your laptop from the machine you checked it out from. The machine will warn you that the laptop doesn't go in that machine, but if you miss the message and leave it in the wrong machine, you will incur late fees.

We hope you will enjoy the added laptops!