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• New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of African American History

  02Feb
  Categories: History, Humanities, Social Sciences Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

  Encyclopedia of African American History: 1619 -1895 edited by Paul Finkelman, Oxford U. Press, 2006.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 305.896 F49A

  Throughout three volumes this set discusses the history of African Americans from the earliest American settlements to the close of the nineteenth century corresponding with the death of Frederick Douglass. Entries focus on historical biography, politics, law, culture, religion, and economics.

  Examples include: African Americans and the West, Black Seafarers, Haitian Revolutions, Hair and Beauty Culture, Ida B. Wells-Barnett

  Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, African American Studies, Social History

  Encyclopedia of African American History: 1896 to the Present edited by Paul Finkelman, Oxford U. Press, 2009.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 305.896 F49A

  In five volumes and 1,250 entries, this set “reflects the trauma, tragedy, hope and accomplishments of black culture and life since 1896” (xxiii).  Entries focus on biography, politics, law, art, music, sport, entertainment, religion, and economics.

  Examples include: Astronauts, Blaxploitation Films, Sean Combs, Family, Oprah, Railroad Segregation, and United Negro College Fund.

  Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, African American Studies, Social History

  
  Tags: African American History, American History, Humanities, Humanities IV, New Reference Book, reference, Research, Social History

• New Reference Book: Chronology of American History

  27Jan
  Categories: History, Humanities, Research Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

  Chronology of American History by John C. Fredriksen, Facts on File, 2008.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 973 F87C

  A lengthy, four-volume, chronology spanning American History 1400s-2007.  Some events are given a brief mention (1-2 sentences) while others are discussed in more detail (2-3 paragraphs).

  Find a place in time and read about:

  • Hannah Dustin
  • Business, Religion
  • Military and Slavery issues in 1703
  • Music in 1946 (one of the year’s most popular tunes was “Ole Buttermilk Sky”)
  • The Cold War

  Scan political and business highlights from 2004 and find:

  • Democrats nominate John Kerry SPS ’62 for President
  • U.S. Supreme Court upholds Pennsylvania’s 2002 redistricting plan
  • Dow Jones closes the year at 10,783.01

  Helpful for: Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, American History, Topic Finding

  
  Tags: American History, Chronology, Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, New Reference Book, reference, Research

• New Database: American History in Video

  21Jan
  Categories: Databases, History, Humanities, Library News, Research, Web Resources Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lura Sanborn Reference Librarian

  Ohrstrom Library is pleased to announce its subscription to American History in Video.  This database provides access to over 5,000 titles from the 1920s to 2008 including: newsreels, documentaries and government footage.

  

  Every video includes a complete and fully searchable transcript, readable alongside the video.

  

  Videos can be selected from the database by keyword searching, or by multiple categories, including: subjects, historical eras, years, historical events, people, places and topics.  Consider browsing by year to locate primary source videos created during the time period you are studying.

  

  Click HERE to access the database.

  To cite this source, be sure to give credit to both the creator of the video and to the database.
  Example:

  Burns, Ken, dir. Civil War. Episode 3, Forever Free (1862). PBS, 1990.

  American History in Video. Web. 12 Dec. 2009. <http://ahiv.alexanderstreet.com/Playlists/326964>.

  
  Tags: American History, Databases, History, Humanities, Humanities IV, primary sources, reference, Research, U.S. History, Web Resources

• New Reference Book: Encyclopedia of the United Nations

  19Jan
  Categories: History, Humanities, Research Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

  Encyclopedia of the United Nations 2nd ed., by Jerry Pubantz and John Allphin Moore, Jr., Facts on File, 2008.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 341.23 M78U

  Two volumes of essays related to the U.N. including topics about and related to:

  • International law
  • Disarmament W
  • Women
  • Sustainable development
  • Human rights and more

  A variety of appendixes conclude the second volume including:

  • Charter of the United Nations
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  • United Nations Member States and year of admission
  • Statute of the International Court of Justice
  • Important United Nations Resolutions
  • Selected U.N. Conventions and Declarations
  • United Nations web sites
  • United Nations Chronology.

  Helpful for: Humanities IV, Model U.N., Global Awareness, Humanities IV.

  
  Tags: History, Humanities IV, Humanities V, Model U.N., New Reference Book, reference, Research, Topics in Global Events, United Nations

• Fourth Form Paper: Go with the Flowchart!

  13Jan
  Categories: Humanities, Library News, Research, Web Resources Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lisa Laughy – Library Web Services

  You’ve received your assignment and had your class with Ms. Sanborn in the library, but where do you go from there?  Go with the flowchart – the Fourth Form Paper Flowchart, that is.

  

  The Fourth Form Paper Flowchart was developed as a companion to the Fourth Form Paper Research guide – as an easy way to visualize the process of writing your Humanities paper.   The flowchart is available as a one page PDF document (click HERE) that can be downloaded, saved to your computer desktop, printed out for ready reference, and/or hung on the wall as a constant guide.  Hypertext links have been embedded into the PDF for the online elements, making it possible to click through to the resource described.  Following the flowchart step-by-step will help you see where you are in the research process and what still needs to be done – assisting with time management so you can avoid a last minute crunch.

  Save it, print it, post it, bookmark it, or favorite it, just be sure to take advantage of this great new reference resource!

  
  Tags: American History, Databases, flowchart, History, Humanities, Humanities IV, reference, Research, U.S. History, Web Resources

• New Reference Book: Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents

  12Jan
  Categories: History, Humanities, Research, Social Sciences Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

  
  Daily Life through World History in Primary Documents edited by Lawrence Morris, Greenwood Press, 2009.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 909 M832D

  Each volume in this three-volume set features worldwide primary source documents from a different time period.

  • Volume 1 – The Ancient World
  • Volume 2 – The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
  • Volume 3 – The Modern World

  
  Examples include:

  • An excerpt from the first-century A.D. text Jewish Antiquities: “Jewish Laws on Marriage and Family.”
  • A passage from Lankavatara Sutra, a Buddhist religious text estimated to be from the fourth century B.C.: “Do Not Eat Meat.”
  • A document written by a third-century Egyptian lentil merchant, requesting tax relief.
  • A poem by Chinese poet Po Chu-I (A.D. 772-846): “The Charcoal-Seller.”
  • An excerpt from the writings of a millworker, Harriet H. Robinson: Loom and Spindle, or Life Among the Early Mill Girls.
  • An excerpt about fast food from Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal.

  Helpful for: Humanities III, Humanities IV, Humanities IV Research Paper, Humanities V, Humanities V Research Paper, Topic Finding, Global Studies

  
  Tags: American History, Global Studies, History, Humanities III, Humanities IV, Humanities V, New Reference Book, primary sources, reference, Research, Topic Fining

• New Reference Book: Census Atlas of the United States: Census 2000 Special Reports, U. S. Census Bureau

  07Jan
  Categories: Geography, History, Humanities, Research, Social Sciences Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Census Atlas of the United States: Census 2000 Special Reports, U. S. Census Bureau, 2007.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 912 Un3C

  Over 250 pages of maps and data reflect characteristics of the United States.  Comparative historical data is often included.

  Compare the percentage of foreign born residents from in England in 1900 to 2000 (pg 151), look at a map of the U.S. presenting commuters leaving home before 6 a.m. in 1990 and also 2000 (pg 191), consider the child-to-woman ratio across the U.S. in 2000 (pg 81) or examine multi-generational households across the U.S. in 2000 (pg 81).

  View the online version HERE.

  Helpful for: Humanities IV, American History, Social History, Statistics

  
  Tags: American History, Humanities IV, New Reference Book, reference, Research, Statistics

• Holiday Greetings From Ohrstrom Library

  16Dec
  Categories: Library News Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  

  A message from Library Director Kevin Barry:

  Dear SPS Community,

  Just a reminder that Ohrstrom Library is open Thursday December 17th and Friday December 18th from 8:30am to 5:00pm.  Beginning on Saturday December 19th the Library will be closed through Sunday January 3rd.

  Come by, browse and borrow some recreational reading, listening, or viewing to enjoy during your well deserved break.

  We would love to see you, and many many thanks for being such a warm and supportive Library community.

  Sincere best wishes and happy holidays from all of us at Ohrstrom Library.

  Holiday Hours

  Thursday, December 17	8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  Friday, December 18	8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  Saturday, Dec. 19 – Sunday, Jan. 3	CLOSED
  Monday, Jan. 4 & Tuesday, Jan. 5	8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  Wednesday, January 6	8:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
  Thursday, January 7	Regular Hours Resume

  As always, you can see the Library hours HERE, or by clicking the link in the menu at the top of the page.

  Image courtesy of aimilino01 under this Creative Common license.

  
  Tags: Holiday Greetings, Hours, Ohrstrom Library

• New Reference Book: The Facts on File Companion to British Poetry 17th and 18th Centuries

  10Dec
  Categories: History, Humanities, Research, Social Sciences Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian

  The Facts on File Companion to British Poetry 17th and 18th Centuries edited by Virginia Brackett, Facts on File, 2008.

  Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 821 F11B v.2

  This volume, the second of a projected four volume set, presents essays about poems and poets from Middle English and Early Renaissance British Isles. Examples include: Alexander Pope, A Hymn on the Seasons, Ballad, Carpe Diem, and Songs from The Beggar’s Opera.

  Helpful for: Humanities III, Humanities V, Enlightenment Studies, Poets

  
  Tags: Enlightenment, Humanities, Humanities III, Humanities V, Literature, New Reference Book, poetry, poets, reference, Research

• Suggestions Anyone?

  07Dec
  Categories: Library News Click Here To Comment: 0 Comments

  Lisa Laughy – Library Web Services

  Ohrstrom Library wants to know what you think.  A new suggestion box is in place on the front desk waiting to receive your opinions, suggestions, observations and comments.  In addition to the always accessible online form for questions and comments, the digital acquisition request form for book suggestions, and the comments section included with every blog post, our new suggestion box adds a nostalgic analog experience to making your thoughts and feelings about the library known.  Drop by the library, put pencil to paper and drop in a comment today!

  

  
  Tags: Comments, questions, requests, suggestion box, suggestions