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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of May 12, 2008

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Movies: From 1897 to Present

Call Number: +REF PN1995.9 .S26 H38 2001

Recommended by: Amanda Watson, Reference and Instruction Intern

Science fiction fans and novices alike will find this encyclopedia worth browsing.  Part reference work and part highly opinionated movie review source, this book offers an overview of the genre, with entries on famous and not-so-famous movies.  Those looking for movie recommendations will find plenty, and those who already know the genre inside and out will get a kick out of author C.J. Henderson's reviews ("Watching people fall off the couch when the big dance number comes can make this one worth seeing," reads a typical entry).  Appendices include a list of science fiction movies adapted from literary works and a survey of science fiction at the Oscars.

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Tell us what you think! We are conducting a trial for a service to provide book reviews from Booklist, Choice, Publisher’s Weekly, and Library Journal. These reviews are available in the Tripod Catalog for titles reviewed by those sources. Most of the reviews are for titles published within the last 10 years, though a few go back as far as the mid 1980’s.

Some examples include:

The Paradox of Choice : Why More is Less / Barry Schwartz

http://tripod.brynmawr.edu/record=b2654429

In Defense of Food : an Eater's Manifesto / Michael Pollan
http://tripod.brynmawr.edu/record=b3298770

http://tripod.brynmawr.edu/record=b2974723


Are reviews helpful to you as a student, faculty member, or researcher?

Let us know. We’d love to hear from you!

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of May 5, 2008

The Oxford Companion to Wine

Call Number: REF TP548 .O76 1999

Recommended by: Ed Fuller, Reference Librarian

If your idea of wine tasting is passing around a bottle in a paper bag with friends, perhaps The Oxford Companion to Wine will raise your oenological consciousness.  In an alphabetical arrangement, this large, well-illustrated  volume defines and explains almost everything about wine and wine making (how about a brief history of the corkscrew).  The editor, Jancis Robinson, has been on television with her own wine course, and this is an award-winning writer about the grape.  After reading this book, you won't whine about the food in the dining hall, but about the vulgar vintages served with dinner.

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Discover the treasures that often elude the public eye and swim in the
dark depths of the Rare Book Room.  Mellon Library Interns will be holding
a workshop on Thursday, May 1st, to expose what truly lurks behind those
closed doors.  1:00-1:45PM.  Meet on Level III of McCabe Library, near the Feature Films.

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of April 28, 2008

Atlas of the Baby Boom Generation

Call Number: REF E169 .12 .H355 2000

Recommended by: Meg Spencer, Science Librarian

Want to figure out what makes your parents tick?  Check out this atlas that covers the lives of those Baby Boomers, defined as those born between 1946 and 1964.  Each chapter covers a post-World War II decade from the late 40's through "the future" and discusses the politics, social structures, entertainment and much more for each ten year span.  A good source of statistics as well as an overview of a variety of trends, both serious and fun. 

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The Tri-College Libraries are participating in a pilot program to offer online access to materials from our music collections. In addition to some classes and ensembles that are trying out this service, it is available to other users in the Tri-Co who want to give it a whirl.  The software, called Variations, allows users to listen to streaming audio files, as well as to create bookmarks, playlists, and listening drills.  Scanned scores will be a feature to come at a later date.

The Variations software can be downloaded here.  And a list of available recordings may be found in Tripod by searching for “Variations Digital Music Library.” 

Please contact librarians Michelle Oswell, Donna Fournier, or John Anderies if you have any difficulties getting set up or have any questions about the service.

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Math and Voting is the theme of Math Awareness Month (April 2008)

Vote for your favorite candidate and see how voting methods influence election outcomes.

Find out more about the mathematics of voting. 

or check out the following books in tripod:

Chaotic elections! A mathematician looks at voting

The mathematics of voting and elections: a hands-on approach

 

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As part of an ongoing efforts to improve their website to better meet the needs of students, researchers, and librarians, JSTOR is developing a new platform which will enhance navigation and ease of use, as well as provide more tools and capabilities for users.   The new system will also allow the organization to more easily add new features and a greater array of scholarly content.

We anticipate the new platform will replace the current JSTOR site today, April 4.  With new features such as:

• Search within results
• Run recent searches
• Improved image searching
• MyJSTOR allows saving citations over multiple sessions
• Thumbnails of pages
• Simplified printing and improved accessibility for PDFs
• More robust browsing
• Improved navigation

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Interested in working at the library this summer?  We're is now accepting applications for employment! Pick one up at the far end of the circulation desk in McCabe. And if you can you read Japanese, we have the summer job for you! 

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The library is working with ebrary to better understand ebook usage and needs among college and university students.   If you have strong feelings about ebooks, they'd appreciate it if you took a brief Student E-book Survey.  Their survey should take less than 20 minutes to complete, and almost all the questions are optional.

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of March 31, 2008

A Visual Dictionary of Architecture

Call Number: REF NA 31 .C44 1995

Recommended by: Amanda Watson, Reference and Instruction Intern

Learn what's lurking behind the walls, literally, with this illustrated guide to key concepts in architecture.  The line drawings in this book take you from an overview of the architecture field to the structural elements of buildings to diagrams of how an architect renders three-dimensional spaces on paper.  Especially striking: the entry on houses, with illustrations that range from a cross-section of an igloo to a rendering of a Japanese house, the timeline history of architecture, and the entry on ornament, which shows decorative elements from all over the world. 

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of March 24, 2008

The MIPT Terrorism Annual 2006

Call Number: REF HV6432 .M57 2006

Recommended by: Anne Garrison, Humanities Librarian

This fascinating and timely annual is produced by the National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, a nonprofit independent organization dedicated to disseminating information about research and development in counterterrorism.  The work examines trends in terrorist activites and provides graphs, data, and historical context for various terrorist techniques.  One section, for example, looks at the reasons behind the growing numbers of female bombers.  This is a somber but quick and informative reference book.  See also their highly regarded website at www.mipt.org for more information. 

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of March 17, 2008

Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things

Call Number: REF AG6 .P37 1989

Recommended by: Ed Fuller, Reference Librarian

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The Trico libraries are testing out several online resources, and we need your opinion!  Please check out the list, try any that strike your interest, and submit your comments.  Your feedback is invaluable as we decide whether to subscribe to these resources.

The trial databases include:

• Philadelphia Architects and Buildings, a database of images and information
  
• The FIAF Index to Film Periodicals and info on film archives
• Oxford Islamic Studies Online, a rich and diverse resource
  
• Several sources for 17th, 18th, and 19th century newspapers from the UK
• Several sources for information on countries of the world
  

Access these resources at the Trial Databases page.  Thanks for your help!  And act fast: most trials end in early April.

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Interested in Islam or the Qur'an?  The Tri-College Libraries now subscribe to two great resources for your research pleasure.

The Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an (edited by BMC's President-Elect, Jane Dammen McAuliffe!) is an "encyclopaedic dictionary of qur'anic terms, concepts, personalities, place names, cultural history and exegesis extended with essays on the most important themes and subjects within qur'anic studies."

The Encyclopaedia of Islam is a comprehensive work with entries on the religion itself, the Muslim people, and the ethnography and geography of the countries in which the religion is practiced.  This online subscription provides access to the entire second edition, and to the currently-in-development third edition.

Act now, temporary trial access!  While you're at it, please check out Oxford Islamic Studies Online, to which we have access until April 11.  This is a comprehensive resource comprising a number of different reference works and information sources.  If you like it, please make a comment on the Trials page.  We need your input so that we can make an informed decision about subscribing.

Salaam alaikum!

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of March 3, 2008

The Order of Things

Call Number: REF AG105 .K57 1998

Recommended by: Ed Fuller

The subtitle says "How everything in the world is organized into hierarchies, structures, and pecking orders," and this is carried through with rigor and vigor.  Philosophy and sports (sumo wrestling ranks), types of bridges, the Seven Holy Sacraments, and the Kings of England (and rulers elsewhere) and much more are conveniently listed and well-indexed.  Perhaps dull to read, it is fascinating to flip through. 

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You are invited to join

Jake Brunkard '08

Mark Kharas '08

Trude Raizen '08

The three winners of this year's A. Edward Newton Student Book Competition Awards will discuss their experiences creating their book collections

Come enjoy the talk accompanied by refreshments at our reception on the first floor of McCabe Library.

Thursday, February 28th    4:15 PM

McCabe Popular Reading Lounge

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of February 25th, 2008 

Financial Aid for Study and Training Abroad, 2006-2008

Call Number: +REF LB 2337.2 F576 2006/08

Recommended by: Daisy Larios, Mellon Fellow

If you are getting itchy feet and need a change of scenery after years of attending Swarthmore, look no further.  Just look in the Graduate Students section or head straight to the Geographic Index if you need help funding  your graduate school studies in some "exotic" locale, or head to the Subject Index to look up an academic program that interests you.  For those well-organized students who need to fit writing their applications into their busy schedules, there is also a Calendar Index that lists the various financial aid programs by filing dates. 

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of February 11, 2008

Encyclopedia of Urban Legends

Call Number: REF GR105.34 .B78 2001 

Recommended by: Anne Garrison, Humanities Librarian

We've read them all online or told them to our friends: urban legends about alligators in the sewers and livers stolen from sleeping bodies; unbelievable stories that nonetheless are great fun to relate.  Stories like these have circulated throughout society for decades, and the Encyclopedia of Urban Legends provides a compulsively readable introduction to the scholarly side of urban legend studies.  The author, a very well-respected folklorist and urban legend scholar, includes in his tome cross references, plot summaries, and variations of an astonishing number of urban legends.  Although the focus is on American legends, there is good coverage of international tales.  So browse a bit and read about the 1950's legend "spiders in the hairdo" and how it connects to both a medieval prototype and a Gary Larson cartoon of the 90's.  Or sink your teeth into the very chilling "licking hand" legend, and learn its connection to the "aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light" stories that caused you such nightmares in junior high.

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Traditionally, the thought of accessing microforms can cause apprehension and misgiving.  Dispel these notions- attend our Microform Open House on Valentine's Day.  The latest in microform reader technology will be unveiled in ongoing demonstrations of our new scanning software.  Using microforms has never before been so versatile.  Pick up a chocolate Valentine at the same time!

 Thursday, February 14th

12:30-1:30PM

McCabe Library, Level III 

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Religion and Spirituality Week may have been last week, but you can still enjoy the great exhibit sponsored by the Interfaith Center in McCabe Library, 2nd floor Cratsley Lounge.

The exhibit displays books, artifacts, and objects from various religions and beliefs represented on campus, including Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Bahá’í Faith.

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Curious, Useful, Edifying, Inspiring:

The Reference Books of McCabe Library

Staff Pick for the Week of February 11, 2008 

Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Photography

Call Number: REF TR462 .E5 2006 V. 1-3

Recommended by: Meg Spencer, Science Librarian

This 3-volume encyclopedia offers a comprehensive overview of one hundred years of an art form/technology that went from the invention of the Brownie camera in 1898 to the widespread use of the digital camera in the 1990s.  The encyclopedia covers the great photographers of the past century, plus entries on various photographic themes (feminist photography, conceptual photography, etc.), technological developments, and much more.  Each volume has a set of color plates, and most articles are accompanied by black & white images.

You'll find the Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Photography on display above the Reference Desk in McCabe Library. 

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The spring exhibition in Canaday Library, Intimate Devotion: The Book of Hours in Medieval Religious Practice, will feature some of Bryn Mawr's most gorgeous medieval manuscripts and printed books and an extraordinary group of novice curators.

 
The exhibition is the work of the students in Professor Martha Easton's undergraduate seminar last fall, "The Book of Hours and the Art of Devotion." It will open on Thursday, January 31, with a panel discussion featuring the student curators. The program will begin at 5 p.m. in Carpenter 21, and will be followed by a reception and viewing of the exhibition in the Rare Book Room of Canaday Library.

 
Martha Easton, lecturer in History of Art, said she developed the course so that students could work with original objects, but also have to think about how to present the subject to a wider public.

 
"From the beginning this has been their show," she said. "Collectively they came up with the theme, decided what aspects of the book of hours they wanted to highlight, and chose the objects and images they wanted to display. I have been very impressed with the way they collaborated together in a professional way, listening to divergent points of view but finding the common ground between them, meeting deadlines and commenting on each other's work. The end result has been a cohesive and thoughtful examination of the book of hours in medieval religious life."

 
Thirteen students participated in the class, including eight from Bryn Mawr, four from Haverford, and one from Swarthmore. The students are Bianca Bromberger '08 (HC), Jacob Carroll '09 (HC), Jenny Castle '09, Erina Donnelly '08, Brittaney Golden '08, Talia Greenwald '08, Kira Grennan '08 (SC),  Lavanya Jayakar '09, Margaret Livingston '08 (HC), Lindsey Merikas '08 (HC), Annie Morse '09, Alex Solomon '08, and Arianae Tsavaris '09. Special Collections Librarian Marianne Hansen helped the class with expertise on the physical production of medieval manuscripts and also served as the exhibition coordinator. 

 
The exhibition will be open from January 31 through May 30. The exhibition hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For additional information, contact the Special Collections Department at 610-526-6576. 

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Whitney Ale, teaching assistant for Haverford sculpture professor Marianne Weil, spent the tail end of fall semester restoring a 150-year old plaster- cast bust of the goddess Diana that once sat atop the shelves of the old Haverford Library.  As reported in a previous blog posting, busts of Diana and Aristotle were recently identified and discovered on campus.

Ale, a senior anthropology major from Bryn Mawr, has put in over 20 hours of work cleaning and repairing the sculpture and predicts just as many hours before she finishes.  The first step in Ale’s restoration process is to sand the entire bust by hand with a fine grit sandpaper.  This step removes small nicks and gives the bust an even and clean appearance.

“When I first saw Diana she looked tortured,” reports Ale.  “She had been colored on with marker, given eyeballs with pen.  It looks as though at one point her head had fallen off and was glued back on.”

Following the initial sanding, Ale will soak the bust in water to open its pores in preparation for the final steps, patching large cracks with new plaster and giving the work a final sanding to make the repairs flush with the rest of the piece.

Having worked extensively in bronze, wax, steel and clay, this is the first time Ale has worked with plaster and she is really enjoying it: “I feel that I am forming a real connection with the piece.  It is very exciting at this point to see her becoming beautiful again.”

Once completed, Diana will make a triumphant return to Magill Library where she will be offered pride of place in Haverford Special Collections.

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Need to find a book review?  You're in luck!  The Tri-College Libraries offer a multitude of resources to help you find what you need.

Consult this page: Finding Book Reviews.  It provides links to databases like Book Review Index, Book Review Digest, and the Times Literary Supplement, as well as instructions for using full-text resources and subject-specific tools that offer power tools for honing in on book review articles.

And when all else fails... ask a Reference Librarian! 

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Last week we posted about the re-discovery and ensuing restoration of two 150-year-old Greek plaster-cast busts that had once graced the shelves of the Haverford College Library.  Through careful examination of photographs from the College Archives library staff have identified a total of eleven busts that were once on display in the library from at least 1865 to 1895 and perhaps beyond.  As we would be pleased to see the identification and return of more of these wayward characters, we provide below—in the form of an old FBI wanted poster—a line-up of this motley gang of Ancient Greeks, Quakers, and a few unknowns.  If you’ve seen any of these fugitives lurking around campus please don’t hesitate to be in touch with Special Collections staff!

1. Apollo Wanted for employing biological weapons in the Trojan War. Also for defiling numerous nymphs. 2. Aristotle Wanted for not holding the Gods in honor. And for inspiring Friedrich Nietzsche centuries later. 3. Athena Wanted for aiding Hermes in the beheading of the Gorgon Medussa. May be armed with a thunderbolt and aegis. 4. Cicero Wanted for teaching Greek Philosophy to the Romans. And for Betraying the Regime of Mark Antony. 5. Diana Wanted for transforming Acteon into a stag and for turning his own hunting dogs on him. 6. Fothergill Wanted for urging revolution and liberal polices in the American Colonies. 7. Socrates Wanted for corrupting the minds of Athens’ youth, a crime punishable by death by hemlock. 8. Unknown Do you recognize this man? If you can identify him please contact Haverford Special Collections! 9. Whittier Wanted for doing little else besides dreaming and writing poetry for good causes. 10. Unknown Minor Accomplices

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When the organizers of “A Few Well Selected Books,” the current exhibition in Magill Library, chose an 1865 photograph of the library to use in the promotion of the exhibit, they had no idea it would lead to the rediscovery of two very old plaster-cast Greek busts.  This iconic photograph of the library in Alumni Hall features (from left to right) professors Thomas Chase and Paul Swift, superintendent William Wetherald, seniors James A. Chase and Allen C. Thomas, assistant professor and librarian Clement L. Smith, sophomore Samuel Collins, and president Samuel J. Gummere.  Peering down from high atop the wooden bookcases are several Ancient Greek busts, including (from left to right) Socrates, Aristotle, Diana, and Cicero.

After our exhibit announcements went out, we were informed by Haverford professor Darin Hayton that the bust of Diana could be found in the faculty lounge of Hall Building.  Scuffed up, embellished with magic marker, and appearing to have suffered a neck fracture, Diana has clearly been through some rough patches over the past century and a half!

A few weeks after the discovery of Diana, as librarians Christa Williford and David Conners were preparing to record an exhibit narrative with Classics professors Deborah Roberts and Bret Mulligan, Roberts revealed that she and husband professor emeritus Aryeh Kosman had another of the busts—that of Aristotle—in their home on College Avenue.  Kosman reports having rescued Aristotle from a trash pile in the 1970s.

Archival photographs from 1865 to 1895 reveal an array of Ancient Greek mythological and philosophical characters to have been part of the collection, as well as a couple of Quaker luminaries and some mystery busts yet to be identified.  Librarians have long wondered what had become of these venerable figures as they are not part of the extensive online inventory of college-owned art maintained by College Archivist Diana Franzusoff Peterson.

Both busts have been returned to Special Collections and now they will be undergoing restoration and repair courtesy of Haverford sculpture professor Marianne Weil and her teaching assistant Whitney Ale BMC '08.  Over the course of the next few weeks, we will provide updates on their progress and will also report on more of the missing busts which have been identified in photographs from the College Archives.

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The Lost-Wax Initiative, is a collaborative project between Swarthmore College art history students and sculpture students from Haverford College. For a limited number of studio/foundry sessions, students from Associate Professor Patricia Reilly's Ancient Greek and Roman Art class met with sculpture students from Visiting Associate Professor Marianne Weil's class at Haverford's Foundry.  Under Prof. Weil’s guidance, students explored the lost-wax casting process through "hands-on" preparation of their wax sculptures, investment molds and the finishing “chasing” of the bronzes at our College Foundry.  

This project was a unique opportunity for students in both departments to share an in-depth collaborative research experience in a workshop setting and provides the premise for an ongoing dialogue between our departments.  It was generously funded by a Mellon Tri-Co Seed Grant.

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