news & notes


RefWorks LogoThe good folks at RefWorks have notified us that :  “As of December 9th, 2013 RefWorks users will no longer be required to enter a group code when logging in to their RefWorks account(s) off-campus or outside of their institutional IP range.”

Current users should not really encounter any difference regarding this change…except that when you click on ourRefworks  access link from home (http://libraries.stjohns.edu/refworks/) you will encounter one-less-screen before getting to your beloved citations, Hooray!

NOTE: If, in your enthusing about RefWorks, you encourage a friend or colleague to get an account, please note the  those patrons who do not yet have a RefWorks account must be on-campus or using VPN  to create the account …that’s the only big change in the game.   If your biblio-colleagues are not due back on campus for a while, just have them email refworks@stjohns.edu and we will create their accounts for them.  Once an account is created, anyone can access his/her account from the far corners of the internet-connected planet.

Of course, there are still cases where all users will still need to use the group code:  (1)Using GoogleScholar from off-campus and (2)Using WNC III or earlier versions of WNC.  RefWorks has indicated that when WNC4 comes out, it will not require Group Code either.

For any other questions or updates about RefWorks, please consult our RefWorks Guide: http://stjohns.campusguides.com/RefWorks

 

 

Just in time for your summer reading pleasure… some of the NEW Arrivals to our McNaughton Collection of Best Sellers. All McNaughton books are located at the Upper Level Reference desk of the Staten Island Campus or behind the 4th floor service desk of the St. Augustine Library on the Queens Campus (check them out on the 3rd floor).   For a complete list do a Keyword Search for >MCNAUGHTON<  in the library catalog

  •   Against All Enemies by Tom Clancy
  •   The Affair by Lee Childs
  •   All I Did was Shoot my Man by Walter Mosley
  •   The angel Esmeralda by Don DeLillo
  •   1222 by Anne Holt
  •   11/23/63 by Stephen King
  •   All My Patients Kick and Bite by Jeff Wells, D.V.M.
  •   Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott
  •   1493 by Charles C. Mann
  •   Another Time, Another Life by Leif G.W. Persson
  •   And Nothing But the Truthiness by Lisa Rogak
  •   Anatomy of Injustice by Raymond Bonner
  •   American Individualism by Margaret Hoover
  •   Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry
  •   America’s Quarterback by Keith Dunnavant
  •   Abyss by David Hagberg
  •   And So It Goes by Charles J. Shields
  •   77 Shadow Street by Dean R. Koontz
  •   Another Piece of my Heart by Jane Green
  •   Along the Way by Martin Sheen
  •   Guest of Honor by Deborah Davis
  •   A Disposition to Be Rich by Geoffrey C. Ward
  •   Manhunt by Peter L. Bergen
  •   The Wealth of Nations by P.J. O’Rourke

St. John’s University is hosting two contemporary Caribbean authors, Diana McCaulay and Yolaine M. St. Fort, for an afternoon of readings, conversation, and book signing. Please join us for this special event on the Queens Thursday, April 19.

Diana and Yolaine will be on the Queens campus at the Belson/Finley Hall Law School Atrium, 4th Floor from 1:45 PM –3:00 PM during the Common Hour for readings, discussion, and book signings of their works.

Lunch is included. Click here to RSVP.  Students can earn 4 MVP points for attendance at this event — remember to bring your STORMcards!

For further information about the event on the Queens campus, contact Mary Siconolfi at 718.990.1869 or email siconolm@stjohns.edu.

To complement this event, a special exhibition of “Notable Caribbean Authors” will open on Friday March 30th on the fourth floor of the Queens Campus Library.  It features highlights of the life and works of Diana McCaulay and Yolaine M. St. Fort, along with the writings and edited works of other Caribbean writers, such as Jamaica Kincaid, Michelle Cliff, Merle Hodge and Erroll Hill.

Macaulay’s and St. Fort’s works are available now via reserve for loan at the Service Desk in the Library (St. Augustine Hall).

For more information about the authors or the event, please click HERE.

______________________________________________________________________________

This event is sponsored by sponsored by The President’s Multicultural Advisory Committee; The Office of the Provost; Division of Student Affairs; Committee for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS); University Libraries; Academic Affairs Committee (SGI); Haraya, the Pan-African Students Coalition; Caribbean Students Association.

In partnership with: Caribbean Cultural Theatre

An exhibition of original children’s book illustrations is on view at the Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery in Sun Yat-sen Hall from now through March 3rd.  The main gallery features notes, sketches and books of eight contemporary illustrators.  This show is curated by Daniel Da Silva of the Fine Arts Department.

An ancillary exhibition draws from the St. John’s University Libraries’ collections and was curated by librarian/archivist Dr. Blythe Roveland-Brenton with the assistance of graduate assistants and interns, Gaetano Bello, Audrey Belanger, Joseph DeLorenzo, and Megan Margino.  The exhibition includes a selection of illustrated books from the Children’s Historical Collection of the Special Collections Department. They range in date from 1807-1923. A facsimile of the first picture book intended for children, John Amos Camenius’ Orbis Pictus (originally published in 1658) is also on exhibit.  The early texts, with their black and white woodcuts and engravings, exemplify the stern tenor of many children’s books before the mid-nineteenth century. By the later 19th century, attitudes toward children changed as did printing technology.  Beautiful and colorful books illustrated by talented artists became abundant.

Also on view as part of the libraries’ exhibition, is a sample of Caldecott Medal winners from each decade.  Since 1938, the American Library Association has honored artists of the most distinguished American picture books with this award.  It is named for the nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph J. Caldecott.  One of his books is part of the exhibition in the gallery.  The Caldecott winners on display are from the Libraries’ Youth Collection, housed on the fourth floor of St. Augustine Hall.

If you are wondering why some sites are blacked-out today, or why some sites have blocked out their logos/name, it is in protest regarding bills in congress which are aimed at stamping out piracy / protecting intellectual property (a good goal) but proposing to do it by way of censorship and/or surveillance (a questionable means). There are a number of petitions going around, but for a little more info on why there is such an outcry, here are a couple of quick, reliable resources:

The google graphic shows the variety of people and organizations who oppose the bills and why; and offers the opportunity to add your name to their petition. The American Library Association has put together a quick reference guide to explain the PIPA, SOPA and OPEN Acts (pdf).   It indicates who initiated the bill and where the bill would impact free speech and/or free enterprise.

…the ALA deplores any legislation that would incentivize and likely increase surveillance of online activity promoted by these bills.  These bills, if passed, would likely blanket Internet activity with an immediate chilling effect – on first amendment free speech rights, intellectual freedom and privacy rights, among others.

 

The Queens campus library is kicking-off “Banned Books Week” with a challenged book exhibit on the 4th floor of St. Augustine Library; the display cases feature the top 10 titles from the most-challenged books of 2010 and a sampling of the 20-most-challenged novels of the 20th century.

Copies of  some of the books that made these lists are also available for check-out as well; see the bookshelves behind the 4th floor information desk (where you will also find our “leisure reading” books, part of the McNaughton Collection.)

Tote and T-shirt, Challenge map and QR code for contest

The Libraries are also hosting a virtual  “Challenged Book Challenge” where we ask you to indicate the reasons why books made it onto these most-challenged lists.  Participants in the challenge can be entered in a drawing for either a “Free your mind, read a banned book” t-shirt or a “I read banned books” tote bag, just provide some contact information on the last question of the challenge (click picture at left for enlarged photo).

We will be posting answers to the challenge questions next week, on our Banned Book/Intellectual Freedom LibGuide,  and hosting discussions on banned books, intellectual freedom and the social justice issues surrounding information access over the following two weeks, so save the dates now: Thursday October 6, from 2-3 pm and Wednesday October 12, from 5-6 pm.   Discussions to be held in St. Augustine Library, Room 305; All readers and discussants welcome!

Caution: The 10 most-challenged books for 2010

Caution: top-most-challenged novels of the 20th century

We have had a recent advisory from JSTOR, but it shouldn’t be too much of a disruption for our JSTOR regulars.  But do note, that if you normally export/email  a number of  articles at a time from JSTOR using  the “save my citations” feature, you will need to adjust during this time-period … you can still export/email articles individually or in bulk by using the “export Citation” link  or “email citation link”

“On Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10, JSTOR will be performing site maintenance that requires a “read-only” period for these two days. During this scheduled maintenance, users will be able to search, browse, and access and download PDF files for content in JSTOR. They will not be able to save citations, reset passwords, create or update MyJSTOR accounts, or purchase articles.”

Refworks 2.0 link in upper right corner, next to Home

RefWorks is one of a number of bibliographic management programs that are available to the staunch researcher.  If you are a dedicated RefWorks user, you might want to take a look at the new RefWorks 2.0 interface that launched earlier this week.  The “Classic” interface  will be accessible until the end of the year (so you have an adjustment period), but if you want to review some of the highlights of the new interface, check out this video which highlights the differences between the old and new interfaces.

Also, if you want to play with the new interface before the end of the semester you will see links to access RefWorks 2.0 in the upper, right-hand corner at the log-in stage (pictured left, above)

Additionally, after you are logged in,  there is a link that lets you toggle back and forth between the classic and 2.0 interfaces in the upper, right-hand corner of your account screen (pictured right, below).

Toggle link lets you switch between classic and 2.0 interface

If you are new to RefWorks, you might consider looking into the new interface from the start — this preview video for new users will show you some of the features.

For those who like to learn on their own, but would like some extra help, there are free webinars and tutorials available from RefWorks.

Of course, for those of you who like a hands-on workshop, we offer in-library workshops on RefWorks and Zotero (another, open-source Bibliographic Management system)– among other topics. Register for one today!

Picture of Forks, courtesy of Mike (Inbet_1979), Flickr CC, click image to see original

"Forks", courtesy of Mike (Inbet_1979), Flickr CC

In health literacy circles, much has been made of New York City’s requirement to post nutrition information, but an effort with a similar goal has garnered less notice — the New York City requirement that restaurants clearly post their Health Inspection grade.

Starting in July 2010, New York City is requiring restaurants to post letter grades that correspond to scores that it receives from its sanitary inspection. An inspection score of 0-13 is an A, 14-27 points is a B, and 28 or more points is a C. Grade cards must be posted where they can easily be seen by people passing by.

The goal for each of these efforts is the same — to encourage restaurant patrons make healthy food choices –  but not everyone is clear on what the letter grade means.  If you would like a bit more insight into the grade system, the NYC Health department Restaurant inspections site can help you to  (1) look at an overview of how the points are assigned, (2) read a report on how the first six months of this program has gone, and (3) find a detailed “report card” of a restaurant, searching  by name, cuisine-type, borough and/or zipcode.

This librarian found it interesting to look at the history of inspections (not just from an archival viewpoint, but to see that some point-values at some venues vacillate pretty drastically from visit-to-visit).  One might also note that a pending grade may  mean not-yet-inspected, not inspected after re-opening, or that the restaurant is exercising the option to challenge their grade.  Each  report-card makes any  “Criticial” violations  easy to see, they are at the top of a report card, in red type — yet from a cursory review of a few restaurants, I notice that it is possible to get an A even with “critical” violations, and get a B, with only “non-critical” violations.  So search for yourself, if you can stomach it!

(N.B.: If you are looking for a quick snack, or a place to take your folks for graduation, I was happy to note that the restaurants in the Queens Campus area do pretty well. but the zipcode on Union Turnpike isn’t the STJ campus zip, it is 11366.)

Crafting the Bible: From Scriptoria to Printing Houses

New Exhibition at Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery, Sun Yat-sen Hall

_____________________________________________________

Monday, April 4 – Monday, May 2, 2011


Leaf from a Paris manuscript Bible (circa 1310) Part of the Otto Ege Collection of Original Leaves from Famous Bibles, Special Collections, St. John’s University Libraries

Gallery Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday Noon – 5 p.m.
Sunday and Monday: Closed

___________________________________________________

 

Original Bibles, leaves, and facsimile editions from St. John’s University Libraries’ Special Collections Department constitute one part of the current exhibition in the gallery.  The works represent more than sacred and inspirational texts – they are historical artifacts and works of art. One gains a fuller appreciation of the development of the book in the form we recognize today through an understanding of the history of the production of the Bible.

The items on view span the eighth to the twentieth century, represent various techniques and materials, are in diverse languages, and were intended for an array of audiences. They range from one-of-a-kind manuscript Bibles written and decorated in monastic scriptoria, through the first printed masterworks by Gutenberg and his contemporaries, to modern private press editions. Among the highlights of the exhibited works from the University’s own collection are: a Bible printed in 1492 just prior to Columbus’ discovery of America; a manuscript Ethiopian Psalter in ancient Ge’ez script with its leather carrying satchel; the so-called “Gun-wad Bible” printed in 1776 in Germantown, Pennsylvania, few of which survived the Revolutionary War; a Bible for the Blind (1850) with raised Roman letters given to “indigent blind individuals” by the Bible House in New York City; and Barry Moser’s exquisitely hand-crafted Pennyroyal Caxton Bible published in 1999.

Additionally, a collection of individual leaves from famous Bibles (1121-1935 A.D.) is on display. The leaves were compiled and described by the late Otto F. Ege (1888-1951), Dean of the Cleveland Institute of Art, from incomplete and damaged Bibles he had amassed during his lifetime.

Special Collections holds numerous distinctive items available for study by students, faculty and other researchers. They were acquired over the course of the University’s rich history through purchase and as gifts from generous donors. More information about Special Collections can be found at http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/libraries/resources/collections/spec_coll.

Also on display in the gallery are reproductions of the Saint John’s Bible.  The original seven-volume illuminated manuscript took a team of artists and scribes over a decade to complete.  It was commissioned by Saint John’s Abbey and Saint John’s University of Minnesota.  For more details about the Bible and the project visit http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/.

Blythe E. Roveland-Brenton, Ph.D.
Co-curator of Crafting the Bible: From Scriptoria to Printing Houses

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