CSI LIBRARY & HERRETT CENTER DIRECTOR

Welcome Back!

2012-01-27T15:17:00.000-08:00

We have survived two of this Spring Semester. The weather has gone from 50 degrees to blowing snow and back to 50 degrees. This has been a very different winter.

Students have come back to the library in droves and I love it! The library was so quiet over the Christmas break. I really enjoy having the students back and bringing the library back to life.

The Library Staff will start having weekly workshops on a vary of topics. A couple that are planned are on the LearningExpress database and on how to use our online audiobooks. Be sure to watch your email for times of these workshops.

Welcome Back,
Teri

Another Fact of the Day

2012-01-26T07:38:00.001-08:00

What is a chiasmus?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2012-01-26 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-11-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

In psychology what is the Mozart effect?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-11-01 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-11-03T09:34:00.001-07:00

In ancient Greek religion who were the nine muses?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-11-03 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-10-04T07:30:00.000-07:00

Which of Dickens's novels was the first to use a first-person narrator?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-10-04 to find the answer to today's question!

WESTLAW Campus Research Workshop

2011-10-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

Need research help? Come join us for a short workshop on WESTLAW CAMPUS RESEARCH!

WHEN: Tuesday, October 4th
TIME: 10:00 am
WHERE: Library 115

WESTLAW Campus Research is an easy-to-use online research service that provides college and university students with access to a comprehensive collection of news and business information and law-related resources.

Another Fact of the Day

2011-10-03T07:42:00.001-07:00

Whose adventures were the subject of the novel 'Shogun' (1976) by James Clavell?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-10-02 to find the answer to today's question!

Anthems of Ghoulish Delight

2011-09-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

Come join us at the Faulkner Planetarium for the“Anthems of Ghoulish Delight!”

Tuesdays 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Fridays & Saturdays 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

through the month of October!

$4.50 ($3.50 with $1 Corn Maze coupon)

Another Fact of the Day

2011-09-30T06:40:00.000-07:00

In psychology how is the nine-dot problem solved?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-09-29 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-09-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

What is the allegory of the cave and how is it relevant in the world of media?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-09-26 to find the answer to today's question!

NewsBank

2011-09-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever searched for a newspaper article that you knew you read last week?

Have you ever heard part of a news story and want to read the rest of the story?

Did you know that the CSI Library has a database where you can search local, regional, and national newspapers and read the full article?

Come to a Library Workshop showing you how to use NewsBank* at 2:00 on Tuesday, September 20th in Library 115.

WHAT: NewsBank Workshop
WHEN: 2:00 Tuesday, September 20th
WHERE: Library 115

*NewsBank provides colleges and universities with unlimited Web-based access to the largest newspaper database in existence. Through partnerships with leading publishers worldwide, NewsBank offers a variety of resources that provide not only newspaper information but also essential domestic and international newswires, news video clips, transcripts, business journals, popular periodicals, government documents and other publications from around the globe.

Teri

Teri Fattig
Director of Library & Herrett Center
LIIS Department Chair

Another Fact of the Day

2011-09-20T07:51:00.001-07:00

From which source was the word gargantuan derived?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-09-20 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-09-16T08:37:00.001-07:00

In psychology what is the muddy children problem?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-09-16 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-09-12T07:38:00.001-07:00

Which type of fish are also known as ratfish or rabbitfish?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-09-12 to find the answer to today's question!

Idaho Booker's Dozen

2011-09-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

The CSI Library has been selected to host the Booker’s Dozen 2011 for the month of September. The biennial exhibition, which travels throughout the state, features 14 handmade and self-published books.

Booker’s Dozen 2011 is the ninth edition of the show, which was founded in 1994 by late Boise State English professor Tom Trusky to “reward and encourage bookmaking, to promote Idaho bookmakers and to inspire Idahoans to make their own books.” The 2011 pool included 109 entries, representing national and international artists.

Jurors for the exhibition were Melody Sky Eisler, artist and librarian; (our own!)Jim Irons, poet and English professor at the College of Southern Idaho; Jon Sadler, photographer, book artist and photography professor at Boise State; Amanda Hamilton, professor of drawing and painting and director of the Friesen Galleries at Northwest Nazarene University; and Leila Ramella, art director for Boise Weekly.

Their selections include:

Aaron Nelson, “The Short Life”

Sarah Lenz, “Brown Bag Week”

Brooke Burton, “Hacked Vol. 3”

Mike Scheef, “EMZ Book One”

Yael David-Cohen, “Ageing I”

Page Moran, “Dead Man’s Recipes”

Will Spearman, “The Document: A Brief History”

Jill Fitterer, “Orso Corpo, Terra/This is Exactly What Happened … (etc.)”

Mariana Gutierrez, “Book”

Marilyn Cosho, “The Big Book of Asperger Syndrome”

William D. Lewis, “Look Out!”

Matt Bodett & Terra Feast, “Between the Edges of the Space”

Ajk Piercc + Tee Kho!, “THROUGH Non-Human”

Margarita Benitez, “Untitled”

Please stop by the Library and take a look at these beautiful handmade books.

Another Fact of the Day

2011-08-30T07:10:00.001-07:00

Why did William Tell shoot an arrow at an apple placed on his son's head?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-30 to find the answer to today's question!

Second Week of the Semester

2011-08-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

WOW! Last week was a busy week. We are seeing alot of new faces in the library. So exciting to meet so many new students.

This week we are offering a tour of the library and a short presentation of all the new resources available from the library. The tour and the presentation will be on Tuesday, August 30th at 10:00am in room Library 115.

Please come and join us!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-08-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

In psychology what is the Baskerville effect?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-28 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-08-23T06:52:00.001-07:00

How much was paid for the Gospels of Henry the Lion, an illuminated manuscript, at auction in 1983?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-23 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-08-22T07:04:00.001-07:00

In the world of food and drink, what is a filbert?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-22 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-08-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

How many children did the novelist Charles Dickens have?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-18 to find the answer to today's question!

Another Fact of the Day

2011-08-16T06:31:00.001-07:00

In the field of geology what is obduction?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-16 to find the answer to today's question!

2011-08-15T12:31:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming to a screeching halt as I become accustomed to. Even though the weather is still in the upper 80s and 90s, we are gearing up for the start of the SEMESTER! And that means summer is over. Next Monday at this time the campus will be filled with students and parking will be an adventure. It has been a very productive summer, but I want to welcome back all of our students!

Be sure to come into the Library and see our new "Quiet Room." The carpenters are almost finished and it looks wonderful! Thank you to the CSI carpenters who worked so hard on this addition to the library. I'm positive that students will enjoy our new area for quiet studying away from the computers and open areas.

Welcome back! I hope you have a great semester!

Fact of the Day from Oxford

2011-08-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

I thought that this might be a fun addition to my blog thanks to Oxford Reference Online!

In which novel would you meet the Houyhnhnms and the Yahoos?

Visit http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/fact-of-the-day.html?date=2011-08-11 to find the answer to today's question!

Anthems of Ghoulish Delight

2010-10-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Come join us at the Faulkner Planetarium for the
“Anthems of Ghoulish Delight!”
Tuesdays 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
through the month of October!

$4.50 ($3.50 with $1 Corn Maze coupon)

What a Summer!

2010-08-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks,

It has been a while since I have posted anything. It has been a wild summer with lots of changes in my life.

I am now the Director of the Herrett Center for the Arts & Science as well as the Director of the CSI Library. It has been quite a learning curve discovering all there is to know about museums, planetariums, and observatories. The Herrett Center is a fabulous place with much to offer our community.

The Fall semester for CSI is about to begin. I want to wish all our students good luck and I hope you have an enjoyable, productive semester!

Teri

nook versus the kindle

2010-02-11T15:03:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Well, I'm back to tell you my views on the new Barnes & Noble nook in comparison to Amazon's Kindle. I feel rather partial to my Kindle - it was afterall my first e-reader. They both have their good points and not-so-good points.

PROS for the nook:

1. Colorful touch screen
2. Lendable books
3. 3G and wireless connection

CONS for the nook:

1. Touch screen is only for the small screen at the bottom to use for settings, navigation and to see your book covers. The covers are so small it is hard to read the title.
2. Any of the books that I have purchased are not one of the "lendable" books. Only a small percentage of the B&N ebooks are actually lendable.
3. Before the last update if you powered the nook down it did not remember where you were and deleted your bookmarks. But in the last week they have fixed this with a downloadable update.

PROS for the Kindle (mine is the 1st generation) :

1. Page turns are easier than the nook. With the nook you really have to press down.
2. Faster than the nook to power up.
3. Amazon is so much easier to order books. Their one-click buy has me sold. The marketing people at Amazon are amazing. Everytime I go online to Amazon they are suggesting a book that they know I won't be able to resist. B&N has attempted, but the books that they suggest as "new" have been reprints of books that are really several years old. Also, Amazon is great about telling me if I have already purchased a book.

CONS for the Kindle:

1. Some people complain that the page turns are too easy. But I have found that you just get accustomed to how to hold it.
2. No wireless connection - this may have changed on the newer Kindles.

Apple has now come out with the iPad. It looks like a lot of fun and does more than the nook or the Kindle. We shall see if it steals part of the e-reader market share from Amazon and B&N.

Teri

"How to Become a Librarian" from Library Journal

2010-01-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article that I would like to share concerning the profession of being a librarian. This article shows why the "popular perception of a librarian as an older woman, hair in a bun, busily checking out books and shushing people all day" is no longer true.

Take a look at this article and see what being a librarian means today!

How to Become a Librarian - Updated by Rachel Singer Gordon. Published in Library Journal, 9/15/09. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA605244.html

1st Graders visit CSI Library!

2009-11-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

Last week the CSI Library had a visit from forty-five 1st graders! Lucy and Ansina did a great job showing them around and even bringing out the skeleton that the Anatomy & Physiology students use to study. Yellow visors were passed out for all the kids. By the time they left with their visors on, Graydon looked like a proud papa duck with 45 little ducklings. Priceless!

2009-10-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU READY TO BE SCARED?

For all you students and staff at CSI, come see the scarey stories that we have for you!

Catch Your Breath: A Book of Shivery Poems [BOOK] Poems about unusual or frightening things. PZ8.3.M784 1973

Beowulf [PLAYAWAY] Written between the 7th and 10th centuries, Beowulf was not meant to be read on the page, but to be heard. Heaney's majestic reading draws the listener into an exhilarating, deeply moving story of humankind's struggle with the monstrous. The result is an epic of absolute contemporary relevance, springing from mythic and poetic roots that reach into the bedrock of the English language itself.

Frankenstein [PLAYAWAY & BOOK] A monster assembled by a scientist develops a mind of his own as he learns to loathe himself and hate his creator. PR5397.F7 2006

Demon Theory [NETLIBRARY DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO BOOK] Jones details the horrifying events set in motion by a tragic childhood incident. When med student Hale is called home by his ailing mother on Halloween night, he and a group of friends are trapped in an inescapable cycle of violence. [www.csi.edu/library - click on E-Books – NetLibrary.]

Dark Corner [NETLIBRARY DOWNLOADABLE AUDIO BOOK] A Mississippi backwater harbors a growing evil. After David Hunter learns of his estranged father’s death in a freak boating accident, he travels to the famed author’s home in the quaint burg of Mason’s Corner to discover the man he never knew – and something terrifying about himself. [www.csi.edu/library - click on E-Books – NetLibrary.]

18 Seconds [ NetLibrary downloadable audio book ] Wildwood, New Jersey police lieutenant Kelly O'Shaughnessy is stymied over the disappearance of young women. When an old man's untimely death leads investigative consultant Sherry Moore, blind and with the extraordinary ability to "see" the deceased's last eighteen seconds of memory by touching the corpse, to Wildwood, O'Shaughnessy's desperation forces her to accept Sherry's help, but not without consequence. As the two women join forces to discover the killer's identity, they unwittingly become the hunted, marching deeper with every step into the monster's lair. [www.csi.edu/library - click on E-Books – NetLibrary.]

Atlas of the Mysterious in North America [BOOK] Power points and sacred places -- Earthworks and mounds -- Stoneworks -- Haunted places -- Ghost lights -- Phantom and mystery ships -- Water monsters -- Mysterious creatures. GR105.Z994G8 1995

Edgar Allan Poe: Terror of the Soul [VIDEO] A film biography of Edgar Allen Poe, with dramatic recreations of important scenes from his life and work. PS2631.E34 1995.

The Complete Tales &Poems of Edgar Allen Poe [BOOK} All of the tales by the master of the detective and the macabre story. PS2612.A1 1985

The Canterville Ghost [VIDEO] An American family inherits an old English castle. The castle is haunted by Sir Simon de Canterville. With the help of the young daughter of the American family the curse is lifted from Sir Simon. PF5818.C36 1985

Paranormal Phenomena [BOOK] From the Opposing Viewpoints Series, this book debates the different theories of paranormal phenomena. BF1031.P212 2008

100 Ghastly Little Ghost Stories [BOOK] This anthology of ghost stories includes “Highwaymen,” “Night Caller,” “Gibbler’s Ghost,” and many others. FIC.On2D95 1993

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone [BOOK & DVD] Harry Potter is invited to join the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He learns his destiny lies in the realm of magic and fantasy. PR6068.O93H371 2007

Twilight [BOOK & DVD] When 17 year old Bella leaves Phoenix to live with her father in Forks, Washington, she meets an exquisitely handsome boy at school for whom she feels an overwhelming attraction and who she comes to realize is not wholly human. FIC.M5755T87 2005

FOXNews.com - Gadget Graveyard: 10 Technologies About to Go Extinct - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

2009-04-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

FOXNews.com - Gadget Graveyard: 10 Technologies About to Go Extinct - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News

Posted using ShareThis

A Fair(y) Use Tale

2009-03-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

I found this video on YouTube.

Disney Parody explanation of Copyright Law and Fair Use

Synopsis:Professor Eric Faden of Bucknell University provides this humorous, yet informative, review of copyright principles delivered through the words of the very folks we can thank for nearly endless copyright terms.***Description taken from website***

Original video found at http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/document

This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

Changes in Online Resources

2009-01-28T07:53:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

Is anyone else sick and tired of "Winter"! I'll be glad when Spring finally comes.

Starting this last month, the LiLI Databases (these are funded by the State of Idaho) have changed to ProQuest databases. Take a look by going to CSI Library's homepage (www.csi.edu/library).

The main general online resource for most of us to use is ProQuest Central. This database combines about 30 different subject specific databases so you can just perform one search that looks in all of these databases. Or you can select specific databases from a list to narrow your results.

Another new resource provided by the State Library is ProQuest Heritage Guest Online. This is a great genealogy tool from which you can search census , PERSI, Revolutionary War, and Freedman's Bank records.

Another great LiLI resource is the Auto Repair and Reference Center database. Great how-to diagrams are available as well as repair procedures, service bulletins and recalls, and wiring diagrams. Take a look next time you are having issues with your vehicle.

Well, those are just a few of the changes for online resources available for CSI students. Have a good semester!

"The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks

2008-11-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

Nicholas Sparks is a very special author. His books are never the same old plot. It seems that many authors fall into a rut – their books all start sounding the same after you have read a few and you can predict the end even before you are a third of the way through the book. But each book written by Nicholas Sparks is refreshing and new.

His newest release, “The Lucky One,” has all the special elements needed to appeal to many different types of readers. His characters include the soldier who served in Iraq for the guys, there is the charming dog that is almost a main character for the animal lovers, and don’t forget the divorced mother with the creepy ex-husband who falls in love with the soldier for the romantic. Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. “The Lucky One” is so real and yet so magical. This book has the potential to make you believe in lucky charms, second chances, and love at first sight.

Finding Newspaper Articles with NewsBank

2008-11-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to find a newspaper article that you remembered reading a few days ago? You can’t remember the exact date but you are sure you read it sometime in the last week? Rather than going to the library and paging through all the print newspapers for the last month, (I know, you thought it was last week but time flies and it was really 3 weeks ago), did you know that you can search for an article online? The CSI Library has access to several local, state, and national newspapers through their subscription to NewsBank.

To access NewsBank go to the CSI Library homepage at www.csi.edu/library and click on NewsBank in the first column. If you are off-campus you will need to login with your CSI network login. All users must be a CSI student, staff, or faculty member. Now you can just click on the newspaper you want to search, or if you aren’t sure which newspaper just choose Idaho newspapers and it will search all five Idaho newspapers that we have access to. You can even browse a newspaper by date. The Times-News goes all the way back to June 1999.

Next time you are frantically searching for that article, remember to take a look at NewsBank.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer - The Movie is coming!

2008-10-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Since the trailors for the movie Twilight (based on the book by Stephenie Meyer) have started airing, our checkouts and requests for the books in this series are on the rise. It will be interesting to see if this continues after the movie debuts on November 21st. I wonder if there are three more movies in the works since the four-book series is so closely tied together. Stephenie Meyer has been heralded as the next J.K. Rowlings - and I have to agree. These books are so intriguing and geared to a wide range of ages.

This morning I ran across a companion book for this movie, "Twilight: The Complete Illustrated Movie Companion." I also found a soundtrack for the movie. It seems everyone is jumping on the Twilight bandwagon.

Does anyone out there have any comments or opinions about The Twilight Saga set?

Oprah's New Favorite Gadget - The Kindle

2008-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Have you heard! The Amazon Kindle is Oprah’s new favorite gadget! Now maybe the naysayers will believe us when we say that the Kindle is here to stay. Last Friday (October 24th) Oprah Winfrey gave a Kindle to everyone in her audience. This is quite an endorsement for this e-book reader.

In the last few months, the price of the Kindle dropped from the initial $399 to $359, and now (thanks to Oprah) there is another $50 dollars off with the coupon code “OPRAHWINFREY”. http://kindle.oprahshow.tv/kindle/?crypt=c253cWdlPGNucHRYRXtv&raw_source=kindle&kw=kindle&clicktype=lpclick&se=GG-US. But this code is only good until November 1st. So you can purchase a Kindle for only $309. That’s $90 less than then just 11 months ago when the first Kindle was released.

Oprah has also posted a “how-to” video of Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos teaching her audience how to use the Kindle. You can find it at: http://www.oprah.com/media/20081024_tows_kindle. It is only about 5 ½ minutes long – but it tells you all you need to know about the Kindle to get started.

It will be interesting to see if Oprah’s endorsement increases the sales of the Kindle. And in the long run, also the number of Kindle books offered should increase. Let’s hope!

Library & Information Science Online Courses

2008-10-23T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Library & Information Science courses offered at the College of Southern Idaho are completely online. Take a look at the classes we offer: http://www.csi.edu/liis/ . Offering these classes online is very beneficial to students working full-time jobs, parents with small children, students who do not live close to a college campus and many others who find studying online better suits their needs. Currently, we have students from all across Idaho and even other states enrolled in our classes.

Speaking as a student instead of an instructor, I prefer taking online classes to sitting in a classroom. You don’t have to spend the time and money (don’t get me started on the high price of gas) to drive to campus. You can work on the classes around your work schedule. You don’t have to uproot your family and move across the country to attend the college. You trade a hard, uncomfortable desk for your recliner. You can take your time to extensively study pertinent points and gain a full understanding of a concept before you move on.

Now, I have to agree that online classes aren’t for everyone. You have to be a self-starter. You have to be motivated to log in to your classes on a regular basis. You can’t be afraid of technology and you have to be willing to dive in and try. And, it helps if you prefer to learn by reading rather than by hearing. You have to want to learn and want to soak up the knowledge. Online courses are definitely not for anyone looking for that easy “do-nothing” class. How much knowledge you gain directly relates to the extent of the effort you put towards learning. But I guess this is true with any class that you attempt whether it is face-to-face or online.

With the technology today there are many different means of communication to accomplish the learning activities needed to hone your skills. Blackboard, discussion boards, chat rooms, phone calls, and email are just the beginning of communication modes available. Even though there are others that do not agree, I feel an online education is just as valuable as a face-to-face education!

Technology is Changing How We Live!

2008-10-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

I have been back from vacation about a week now. I took my Amazon Kindle with me, it was so cool to have plenty of books to read that didn't take up any more room than one paperback. If I would have taken hardback versions my suitcase would have been overweight at the airline counter. The woman sitting beside me in the airplane asked me how many books the Kindle would hold. When I told her about 200 she couldn't believe it. I think I have her convinced to buy one.

My husband took his iPod Touch with him on our vacation. He really enjoyed being able to pull up Internet pages and weather forecasts/conditions of home in any hotel or coffee shop that had Wi-Fi. Technology sure played a key part of our vacation.

Well, now that I'm back to work I'm working hard to get caught up. It is mid-term time here at CSI - students are studying hard and really into the swing of writing papers and creating presentations. This is another area where technology is affecting us. A few years ago the library would create transparencies for students to use in class presentations using overhead projectors. Now students prepare PowerPoint presentations and use projectors hooked to computers. It seems like each semester at least one task (that we have always done) is changed by technology. VHS tapes are being replaced by DVDs, audiocassettes are being replaced by CDs - someday maybe textbooks will be replaced by the Kindle.

Nineteen Minutes by Jody Picoult

2008-09-30T08:31:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading the novel “Nineteen Minutes” by Jodi Picoult. WOW! Boy, does this book start you thinking. Even though this book is fiction, the author has taken elements of several school shootings that have occurred in the last few years and wove them into a thought-provoking story. The story line weaves through all of the lives that were connected to the shooter, who had been bullied and teased at school. His torment started on his first day of Kindergarten and continued until the fateful day he decided to get even and stop the torture he had been enduring for ten years.

Who was really to blame for this life destroying act? Was it his mother who told him to be tough, his father who taught him how to use a gun, the second grade boys who threw his lunch box out the window of the bus, the boy who de-pantsed him in the cafeteria, the girl who had been his friend and then abandoned him, or does all of the blame lie with the shooter?

How many times do we go through life not realizing that one small action on our part may be contributing to a monumental event or tragedy? When we snap at our children when we’ve had a bad day, when we are rude to the sales clerk when a mistake is made, or when we ignore a plea for help? Are we going to commit the action that is the last straw? Can we make a difference to someone for the better rather than the worse?

I don’t have answers for these questions, but this book has definitely started me thinking.

How the iPod Touch is similar to the Amazon Kindle

2008-09-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are complete opposites when it comes to books. I love to read and hate for anyone to read to me. My husband prefers audiobooks and loves to have someone read to him. He just can’t understand the thrill I get downloading a new bestseller to my Amazon Kindle.

This last week we purchased my husband an iPod Touch and have been downloading podcasts and music for him to listen to on the trip we are taking next week. I’m finally able to drag my (technologically challenged) husband into the 21st century (but he downloaded Old Time Radio Classics from the 1940s and 1950s, so I think we regressed by about fifty years).

Purchasing the iPod Touch has made me realize the similarities that this MP3 player has with the Amazon Kindle. With the Kindle, I can purchase and download books straight from Amazon in just a couple of minutes. With the iPod Touch, my husband can purchase and download podcasts and music straight from iTunes in just a couple of minutes. We can both search the Internet (even though the iPod Touch is way cooler with this feature). We can both listen to music with our devices.

So, I guess, my husband and I (also the Kindle and the Touch) are more alike than I thought.

Teri

Playaways vs. NetLibrary

2008-09-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

The CSI Library has been subscribing to NetLibrary audiobooks for a few years now. They are great for patrons to download audiobooks to their MP3 player and enable them to listen while driving, jogging, or a multitude of different activities. One problem has been the complicated steps in the download procedure, it is definitely not for the technology challenged person. Also, NetLibrary audiobooks are not compatible with iPods which seems to be the most popular MP3 player on our campus.

So, to offer our patrons another avenue for audiobooks we have started purchasing Playaway units. These units are preloaded MP3 players with one book per unit. There are about the size of a deck of cards and so easy to use. They come with headphones and an extra battery. All the patron has to do is plug in the headphone and push play. You even have the option of three speeds of narration. We have about 150 different audiobooks so far and our patrons are loving them! One English class even allows students to use Playaways for book reports.

Our patrons now have two choices for audiobooks. For the techno-savy patron, we have the NetLibrary audiobooks with over a thousand choices. And for the patron who wants an easy to listen to book we have the Playaway.

Ah, isn't technology great.

The Amazon Kindle

2008-09-18T10:53:00.000-07:00

In the library world there has been a lot of negative talking, posting, and blogging about the new e-book reader, the Amazon Kindle. In fact, I just read in Library Journal in Feedback where one library specialist says, "I just can't see long fiction being presented in such a format...that such technologies discourage extended reading." Before last February (when I received a Kindle as a gift from my husband) I was one of those people who thought that NOTHING could replace the paper book. I had always said I would never give up my books. Well, I am now eating crow over those opinions. The Kindle is great, I have already read at least 20 full-length novels from my Kindle. Amazon makes it so easy to buy books for the Kindle. Almost too easy, since you can buy books and have them downloaded with just one click. I'm now cleaning out my bookshelves and donating my books. All of the books I want to save are loaded in my Kindle. The Kindle is about the size of a paperback book, and it will hold about 200 books. If I ever fill it up I can save my books to a SD card or just delete them and Amazon will let me download them again. Amazon evens reminds you that you have already purchased a book if you try and buy it again.

My husband and I are planning on a vacation next month, I am so excited! I can take as many books as I want and they won't weigh anything at all. When we get back from our trip, I'll let you know how it works out.

New "What's New in the Library" Shelf

2008-07-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

Now as you walk into the library you can see what has been added to the library recently. We have a new bookshelf across from the circulation desk to hold a sampling of the new items. So far our patrons have found it to be intriguing and eye-catching. Many have already checked out something that peaked their interest.

Come see us and what's new in the library!

Summer School Has Started

2008-06-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

Even though it doesn't feel like summer, the summer semester has begun!

A few changes are happening around the library. The reference desk is getting a makeover by our very own CSI carpenters. They are doing a wonderful job improving Steve's desk so that it is more user friendly. We appreciate their hard work.

Also, take a look at the History of CSI videos that have been added to the CSI Library homepage. You will find the link in the lower part of the center column. These videos were originally in VHS format, we have converted them to DVD for checkout from the library or you can watch them online from your computer.

The library has also added two loveseats to the back corner of the library for a quiet area to come relax and read books or magazines. Be sure to come over and take a look.

Hopefully the weather will start cooperating and it will start feeling like summer!

END OF ANOTHER SEMESTER

2008-04-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

I just want to wish all students "good luck" on your finals next week.

Since it is the end of the semester, all books, videos, DVDs,etc. that students have checked out are due back tomorrow (April 30th). This gives the library staff time to send out reminders to those students who have forgotten that they have items checked out from the library.

Have a good summer and see you next Fall!

LearningExpress - Computer Skills

2008-04-23T09:31:00.000-07:00

The library has added a "Computer Skills Tutorial" module to its subscription to LearningExpress.

The computer skills tutorials on LearningExpress Library provide more than 50 easy-to-use
courses to help you improve your computer skills.

Covers basic, intermediate, and advanced levels of the most popular software programs:

Microsoft Excel • Adobe Acrobat
Microsoft Word • Microsoft Access
Microsoft PowerPoint • Internet Explorer
Microsoft Outlook • and more!

Web-based and completely interactive
Accessible at the library
or from your home computer

Just go to the CSI Library Homepage [www.csi.edu/library]
Click on LearningExpress Library in left column,
Then click on Computer Skills!

Computer Tips

2008-04-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

These are some of the common computer questions that we receive in the computer lab of the library.

1) HOW MANY PRINTS DO I HAVE LEFT?
Now that it is getting to the end of the semester, as students you might be wondering how many "prints" you have left from the 500 that you started out with at the first of the semester. To find out, log into a campus computer and hover your mouse over the black $ in the lower right hand column of the screen. This number is how many pages you have left that you can print.

2) HOW CAN I PRINT MORE THAN ONE SLIDE PER PAGE IN POWERPOINT?
When printing out slides from PowerPoint presentations it is possible to print anywhere from 1 to 9 slides per page. To print more than one per page, click on Print, than in the print menu on the lower left change it from "slides" to "handouts," then in the center change the number for "slides per page" to the number of slides you want printed on each page.

3) CAN I PRINT SOMETHING OUT IN COLOR?
When you want to print in color, just select the HP4600 printer in the print menu. Just remember it will cost you 5 prints from your balance for every color page printed.I hope this answers a few of your questions.

Good luck with the rest of the semester!

Teri

New Online Reference Books Available

2008-04-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

The CSI Library has added a new set of online reference books -
Oxford Reference Online: Premium Collection
A mini-reference library of dictionaries, quotations, maps, timelines, and handbooks on all sorts of subjects
Oxford Digital Reference Shelf
Encyclopedia of Evolution
Encyclopedia of Global Change
Grove Encyclopedia of Classical Art and Architecture
Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature
Oxford Encyclopedia of Latinos and Latinas in the United States

Take a look and see what you think!
Teri

Computers Slow in Library

2008-04-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

The library has had many comments about the speed of the computers in the library. The IT department is working on increasing the speed and response times of the Internet. The are three different ages of computers in the lab, ask at the front desk to find out where the newest ones are located.