Kevin Barry February 12th, 2009
Kevin Barry – Library Director
Have you read Equus by Peter Shaffer?
By now, most students have noted that Daniel Radcliffe, star of the popular Harry Potter films, has assumed the haunting role of the tortured stable boy in the Broadway production of Equus, written by Peter Shaffer.
In this fascinating 1973 play, a psychiatrist works closely with a boy hospitalized because he has brutally blinded several horses with a metal spike. While trying to reorient the boy through psychotherapy, the doctor is anguished by his realization that in order to normalize the boy, he must also deprive him of his unconstrained passion and what has become a sort of mythic religion to the boy. The doctor begins to envy the boy’s obsession because it is so potent, so magical, so intense … and also so unlike the mundane, passionless life that the doctor’s existence has become. We are left to consider the question of what psychotherapy heals and what it unleashes.
Equus : a play by Peter Shaffer. Find it in Ohrstrom at: 822 SH1.
The collected plays of Peter Shaffer ( Includes Equus and Amadeus for which Shaffer won a Tony Award). Find it in Ohrstrom at: 822 SH1C.
Tags: Equus, Peter Shaffer, psychotherapy, recommended reading
Lura Sanborn February 11th, 2009
Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian
Milestone Documents in American History (four volumes) edited by Paul Finkelman. Dallas: Schlager, 2008.
Find it in Ohrstrom at: REF 973 F495M
133 primary source documents key to U.S. history are included in this set. Each primary source is provided alongside a history of the source, its impact and information about the creator(s).
Examples include: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Pearl Harbor” speech, Federal-aid Highway Act and Bush v. Gore.
Also available online through the Ohrstrom Library website HERE.
Helpful for: Humanities IV, U.S. History Research, Primary Source Research.
Tags: American History, Humanities IV, milestone documents, New Reference Book, primary sources, Research, U.S. History
Lisa Laughy February 10th, 2009
Lisa Laughy – Archives Assistant
The Quest for Citizenship in the Americas - this year’s theme for Black History Month - is the inspiration for a book display now on view in the Baker Reading Room. Library Assistant Meredith MacLeod has assembled a wide range of books that inform and illuminate this powerful and resonant theme.
Each year, The Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses a theme for Black History Month. This year’s theme celebrates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the NAACP. The ASALH website offers this description of the theme:
A century ago, an interracial group of Americans joined together and formed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Two generations after emancipation, a tide of racism had betrayed the promise of first-class citizenship. In the South, whites had stripped Blacks of the right to vote and constructed a society based on racial segregation. In the North, African Americans confronted myriad forms of discrimination that thwarted their aspirations. The Supreme Court turned a blind eye to the denigration of American citizenship taking place across the land and in the government itself.
The story of the NAACP is the story of struggle to create and maintain equal citizenship for all Americans. Through exposing the horrors of lynching, keeping the issue of equality before the courts, and organizing branches throughout the country, the NAACP drew a national following and inspired others to form organizations for racial change. The NAACP’s work gave hope not only to blacks in the North, but to men and women in the South like Rosa Parks and Medgar Evers.
The centennial of the NAACP is an occasion to highlight the problem of race and citizenship in American history, from the experiences of free Blacks in a land of slavery to the political aspirations of African Americans today. The centennial also provides an opportunity to explore the history of other nation’s in the Americas, where former slaves also sought the fruits of citizenship.
The books assembled cover a wide range of subjects around the theme, and make for a rich exploration of what it means to strive for equal citizenship – throughout the history of America as well as today. Take time to browse through the books and consider reading one of these titles in celebration of Black History Month this year.
Tags: ASALH, Baker Reading Room, Black History Month, NAACP, new book display, The Quest for Citizenship in the Americas
Lisa Laughy February 4th, 2009
Lisa Laughy - Archives Assistant
Just in time for the Fourth Form research paper assignments, Ohrstrom Library staff members have prepared an online research guide to help you through the process. The Fourth Form Paper Research Guide has been added to the Ohrstrom Blog and contains key information, such as:
- A list of reference books in the library that are chocked full of primary source materials
- A list of reference books in the library that feature chronologies and timelines
- Search strategies for finding other books on your topic
- Tips on finding periodical articles in magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, reports, and more
- A list of librarian approved web resources for accessing photos, census data, artwork, video and other documents
You can access this research guide by clicking HERE. There are also permanent links in the blog sidebar under the “Research Guides” list heading, a link in the fly-out menu of the Ohrstrom Library website under “Research > Research Guides”, and a link on the Ohrstrom Library main page in Blackboard (Click on “Ohrstrom Library” in your course list).
This research guide will be your best friend over the next few weeks, so be sure to bookmark it and visit it often throughout the research phase of the assignment. For additional research assistance contact Ms. Sanborn or any of the Ohrstrom Library Staff.
Tags: Fourth Form Paper, primary sources, reference, Research, Research Guide
Lura Sanborn February 3rd, 2009
Lura Sanborn – Reference Librarian
Looking for a quick collection of newspaper articles related to significant events in U.S. history? Try using the Timeline feature in the Historical Newspaper Collection database.
First, access the Historical Newspaper Collection database through the Ohrstrom Library website by clicking HERE.
Once at the Historical Newspaper Collection website select the “Timeline” tab near the top of the screen:
Choose your time and topic:
Select the subtopic of your choice:
And behold, a list of newspaper articles about that particular subject:
Fantastic!
Tags: American History, Databases, Historical Newspaper Collection, History, Spotlight On, timeline, U.S. History
