BLACK GOSPEL MUSIC RESTORATION PROJECT

This is an especially interesting and important project with potential relevance for music, theatre, history, and the social sciences.

Black Gospel Music Restoration Project (Baylor University)
http://www.baylor.edu/lib/electrres/index.php?id=44987
This is an ongoing project that seeks to acquire, preserve and catalog rare and seldom-heard 78s, 45s and LPs dating from 1945-1970. The project's eventual goal is the creation of a digital audio archive. The site currently offers limited streaming material. Click on "browse a portion of the collection," then click on a vinyl disc thumbnail. Choose side one or side two, and then click on "access this item" from the top center of the page. The project's director, Robert Darden, was interviewed on the NPR program Fresh Air on December 20, 2007. Click here to listen to this interview and to learn more about how materials for this unique and important collection are being acquired.

ADDITIONS TO DIGITAL RESOURCES

A World of Ideas Lectures Archive
http://www.lecturesarchive.com/4466.html
This site contains academic lectures in audio and video formats. The material originates on university websites and radio stations and covers a broad range of topics, including philosophy, religion, the arts, languages, and social sciences.

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic http://www.suitcaseexhibit.org/indexhasflash.html
This is a deeply poignant collection. On December 7, 2007, the New York Times reported on an exhibit of artifacts recovered from abandoned suitcases and trunks that were discovered in the attic of the Willard Psychiatric Center in Finger Lakes New York in 1995 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/arts/design/07suit.html?_r=1&ref=design&oref=slogin). A handful of the retrieved items are on display at the New York Public Library's Science, Industry and Business Library through January 31. The beautifully-designed website preserves the exhibit's poignant images, and includes detailed biographical profiles of nine Willard Patients; historical information about the institution; and discussion about social issues related to mental illness and society's response to the mentally ill and marginalized.

DIGITAL RESOURCES PAGE

We would like to alert the Samford community to a new resource page that has been added to the library’s list of subject pages. The new page highlights digital resource collections: http://library.samford.edu/topics/digital.html.

The World Wide Web, in combination with scannning and digitization processes, have made possible the online publication of rare and valuable materials previously restricted to local users and professional researchers. These materials include manuscripts, books, letters, photographs, sheet music, and other types of primary source materials.

The materials now available electronically are fascinating to peruse for interest and enjoyment. For students and researchers, of course, the advantages are clear. Here at Samford, a number of faculty have been encouraging students to explore primary resources, and the digitization process can often facilitate this.

We are continuing to add resources to this page. If you would like to request a specific addition, please feel free to contact Naomi Gold, ngold@samford.edu.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF CHARLES PATRICK DAGG

The University Library is currently hosting an exhibition of the photography of Charles Patrick Dagg. Mr. Dagg began to study photography during the years he worked as a zoologist in the Department of Biology at UAB. He subsequently went on to teach photography in Special Studies at UAB.

He describes his work this way: "As a zoologist, my world contains great amounts of messiness, but [my] images appeared to indicate a wish to create order in a disorderly world...all these 'rules of photography' are just notions, not commandments...terms like 'messiness and 'disorder' are pejoratives, so why not be positive and consider another biological concept: Diversity? That's where I presently stand, using both concepts."

The majority of the works on display are gelatin silver prints or tinted gelatin silver prints. We invite and encourage you to visit the library and view these works.

FAVORITE SEARCH ENGINES

We have our favorite search engines, and we know you do, too. But did you know that not all search engines are the same? Search engines like Google, Ask, Yahoo!, and AlltheWeb search different sets of information, and retrieve different results. Metasearch engines search several other search engines at once. Specialized search engines search subsets of information, like government publications. There are even search engines that you can use to find scholarly materials and digitized historical photos.

Next time you need to search the 'net effectively, try some of the search engines on our web page. From the library's home page, click on Quick Reference, then select Searching the Web. Happy searching, and remember: If you ever need a refresher in effective Internet searching, come by the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor.

LIVE @ THE LIBRARY: KATHRYN TUCKER WINDHAM

Alabama folklorist and storyteller Kathryn Tucker Windham will be speaking at the Samford Library on Saturday October 20 at 9:30 a.m. Her talk will be followed by a book signing. Books will be made available for purchase. Please click here to learn more.

The event is free of charge and the public is welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

LIBRARY EXHIBIT: GREAT BOOKS, GREAT THINKERS

The Library is currently running an exhibit titled "Great Books, Great Thinkers: A History of Ideas from the Classical World to the Global Village." The exhibit features posters, photographs, art and rare books that highlight aspects of Samford's Core Curriculum. To learn more about the exhibit, please click here. Better yet, please visit the Samford Library to view it in person.

Initiated in 1997, the Core Curriculum consists of courses in Communication Arts, Cultural Perspectives, Biblical Perspectives, and Concepts of Health and Fitness.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK SEPTEMBER 29-OCTOBER 6, 2007

Samford University, in Association with the American Library Association

When you hear the term “banned books,” you probably think of contemporary books containing inappropriate content. But books have been banned in societies all over the world for many centuries and for many resons. Books that have been banned include English translations of the Bible, The Diary of Anne Frank, Huckleberry Finn, and To Kill a Mockingbird. The banning of books is a complex political, religious and moral issue. Take some time this week to learn more about it by exploring the links below, and stop by our display on the second floor of Davis Library.

Amnesty International: www.amnestyusa.org/bannedbooks
Forbidden Library: http://title.forbiddenlibrary.com/
The American Library Association: www.ala.org/bbooks

NEW YORK TIMES-FREE ACCESS

“Times to Stop Charging for Parts of Its Web Site”
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
Published: September 18, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/business/media/18times.html?ex=1347854400%26en=b8e56f866c4b1c64%26ei=5124%26partner=permalink%26exprod=permalink

This is significant and valuable policy change, particularly because it includes free access to NYT archives from 1851 to 1922, and from 1987 to the present. The material covering 1923 to 1986 is a mix of free and fee-based.

Lori Northrup, head of the reference department, offers this suggestion:

Try a search in the archives from 1851 to 1980 on the Times' homepage: http://www.nytimes.com

Materials concerning Alabama from 1851, for instance, are available in .pdf format.

Some NYT materials will still require the use of microfilm, but this free online access will certainly be a time-saver for many of us.

Naomi Gold and Lori Northrup
replies to ngold@samford.edu

NEW RESOURCE - OncologySTAT

We invite you to learn more about a new resource titled OncologySTAT (http://www.oncologystat.com). OncologySTAT is a product of Elsevier Health Sciences, and integrates multiple evidence-based sources focusing on cancer care and prevention, including the following:

• peer-reviewed research
• news,
• regulatory updates,
• drug monograph and interactions database
• chemotherapy regimens
• conference coverage

OncologySTAT stands out among electronic resources offering a wide breadth of peer-reviewed research because it is an open access source and charges no fee for use. It receives its funding through online advertising, sponsorship, and educational grants.

The site's content remains, nevertheless, independent of all sponsorship. The publishers emphasize that this commercial sponsorship coexists with "...the highest level of academic rigor, objectivity, and fair balance associated with all Elsevier products." (See http://www.oncologystat.com/about/oncologystat/index.html.)

OncologySTAT represents a significant development in academic publishing because it makes freely available to both academic and non-academic users material of the highest quality. We encourage members of the Samford community to explore this source and share your percpetions and impressions with us.


Cathy Chauvette, Naomi Gold, Harold Goss, Lori Northrup, and Carla Waddell
Reference Department
Replies to ngold@samford.edu

PATRIOT DAY IN GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

In September 2002, President George W. Bush declared September 11th “Patriot Day” to remember those who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. In honor of Patriot Day, the Government Documents staff has assembled a display of government documents related to September 11th. The display will be up from September 7-14 on the 2nd floor of the library in the Government Documents department. Hope to see you there!”

Thanks to Cathy Chauvette in Government Documents for submitting this posting.

"AN ALTERNATIVE TO GOOGLE."

First, I would like to thank my colleagues in the library, as well as those I met last week during new faculty orientation, for their warm welcome. I am delighted to be part of the Samford community.

The June 22 issue of Inside Higher Ed (http://insidehighered.com) contains an article discussing a book digitization project described as providing an approach to digitization that is "more library driven" than Google's. For example, it provides libraries with greater decision-making authority over the type and scale of the materials to be digitized. A link to the article may be found here: http://insidehighered.com/news/2007/06/22/digitize.

WELCOME NAOMI GOLD!

We are happy to announce the arrival of Dr Naomi E. Gold! Dr. Gold has joined the Samford University Library as a Reference Librarian. She is a 2006 graduate of the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama, where she was involved in providing virtual reference services. In addition to the MLIS, she holds a Ph.D. in Theology from St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and an M.A. in Religious Studies from Washington University in St. Louis.

EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION

Would you like to meet some of your dedicated Library employees? Are you interested in learning a little about your Library’s resources?

At the beginning of each academic year we invite all Samford employees to the Library for an orientation/discussion.

· DATE: Thursday, August 23
· TIME: 10:00 am
· LOCATION: Lower Level Computer Classroom

Feel free to contact Harold Goss with any questions: hgoss@samford.edu 205-726-2521 (W)

E-BOOKS

Did you know your library has a huge collections of books available online? The collections covers just about every subject imaginable and the titles tend to be very recent. We currently have access to more that 56,000 titles. Do a search or browse the whole list HERE!

NEW LIBRARY SYSTEM

The Samford University Board of Trustees recently approved the new Millennium Integrated Library System software to "fully and properly support the academic and research programs" on campus.

More info to come as we transition to the new system!

NEW GOV DOCS!

Come check out what’s new and cool in Government Documents!

Women in Congress 1917-2006 Y 1.1/2: SERIAL 14903
This book not only takes a look at individual women in congress, but it also touches on the history of women in congress as well.

Flights of Discovery NAS 1.21: 2006-4318
Not only is Flights of Discovery just a cool book by NASA, it is more specifically about the 60 years of research done at the Dryden Flight Research Center in California.

Map of Greater Jerusalem
This map is on display at the Government documents desk so feel free to come and look at it!

INTERIM DIRECTOR NAMED

It is our pleasure to announce the appointment of Sue Peterson as acting director of the University Library. Ms Peterson has been at Samford for 15 years and has served most recently as the chair of the Collection Management Department. We know you will join us in congratulating her and lending support to her in this new role.

CONGRATULATIONS, HAROLD!

On July 1, Harold Goss began his duties as our new Reference and Instruction librarian in the Reference Department. For the past year and a half, Harold has served as our Reference Librarian specializing in web and public relations. Harold has his B.A. from the University of Georgia, and his M.L.I.S. from Clark Atlanta University. He has much experience in instruction, both here at Samford, and in his previous position at Auburn University.

You can welcome Harold to his new position by scheduling an instruction session for your students. Use this handy online form.

CONGRATS CHERYL!

Cheryl Cecil will be chair of the Circulation Department effective July 1, 2007. She has a B.M. from Samford University and a M.L.I.S. from the University of Alabama. Her experience with Samford is extensive. She was an assistant in circulation, the Interlibrary Loan/Resource Retrieval Assistant and a reference librarian with responsibility for instruction.

Cheryl brings knowledge, experience and a commitment to service to her new position.

HEALTH & LIFE SCIENCES JOURNALS

Health & Life Sciences Journals from Elsevier’s ScienceDirect College Edition are now accessible . The collection provides access to 1,000 full text journals from 2003-present.

It offers users a large number of high-quality, peer-reviewed journal articles. These journals are exclusive to ScienceDirect and are not available anywhere else online.

NEW GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT

Samford University’s Government Documents has just received the “Comprehensive Report of the Special Advisor to the DCI on Iraq’s WMD, Vol. 1, 2, 3, Duelfer Report (Key Findings)”. Yes, it does sound a bit dull, but don’t judge the document by its title. This report is a really cool time-line of key developments of Iraq’s WMDs starting with the Iraq-Iran War and ending in 2003. So, come by GovDocs to examine the time line for yourself!

EUROPA WORLD YEARBOOK

Through AVL the library is pleased to announce the addition of Europa World Year Book to its database collection. The Europa World Year Book provides detailed country surveys containing the latest analytical, statistical, and directory data available for over 250 countries and territories.

The database includes a comprehensive listing of some 1,700 International Organizations such as the United Nations, The European Union, the International Organization for Migration and the World Trade Organization, and provides details of countries arranged alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

REFRENCE LIBRARIAN POSITION

Position Description: As a member of the Reference Department, provides references services for all persons in the Samford community; coordinates, develops, maintains, and assesses departmental web pages; and promotes departmental services, resources, and opportunities to the Samford community through print, personal, and online marketing. Participates in library instruction; performs collection development duties in concert with other reference librarians; and serves on library and university committees. This position reports to the Reference Department Coordinator.

For more information please look here.

CONGRATS 2007 GRADUATES

Samford University Library is proud to recognize the following students employees. Thank you for your service and we wish you all the best!

The Graduates are:

Janise Medina
William Ellis
Rebecca George
Bradley Harris
Claire Kimberly
Sheri Thomas
Mark Skinner
Lauren Obermann
Jenni Pate
Austin Campbell
Thomas Beavers

MARTHA MYERS SCULPTURE DEDICATED

A life-size bronze statue of the late medical missionary Martha Myers has been unveiled at the library of Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.

Read the full article here.

EXTENDED HOURS FOR FINALS

The library will be open until 2:00 a.m., Sun-Thur, until May 21.

For a complete look at the library schedule go here.

RECEPTION FOR JEAN & OLIVIA

On Wednesday, May 9, 2007, Jean Thomason, Samford University Library Director, and Olivia Wood, Coordinator of the Circulation Department, will be honored with a reception in recognition of their retirements later this summer. Together they represent over 55 years of full time service to the university.

The reception will be held from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00p.m. at the University's Rotunda Club. You are invited. Campus maps may be consulted at http://www.samford.edu/maps.html .

Questions may be directed to Sue Peterson: sjpeters@samford.edu or 205-726-2518.

ACADEMIC ONEFILE ADDITIONS

All of these titles are expected to be added to Academic OneFile in full-text by the end of this month:

Palgrave MacMillan
A collection of 30 peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Brand Management, American Journal of Psychoanalysis, and the International Journal of Educational Advancement.

IGI Global (formerly IDEA Group)
A collection of 26 peer-reviewed journals focusing on information science and technology and their impact in a variety of settings, including education, health care, business, and others. These journals used to be under exclusive with another vendor but now can be found in Academic OneFile.

Roger's Media
Canada's acclaimed MacLean's magazine, which is the most circulated and popular periodical in Canada.

American Bar Association
A collection of 17 magazines and journals from one of the world’s leading legal organizations, including ABA Journal.

EARTH DAY ART SHOW WINNERS!!!!!!!!!!

Micah Simpson is the artist behind the winning work of art. His glass masterpiece is shown here. Check out the other winners here.

The art will be on display in the library until April 27. The library thanks all the artists who participated this year!

LAURA MORELLO RECOGNIZED

Each year universities and colleges across America recognize their student workers during National Student Employment Week. Samford’s recognition of our hardworking student employees culminated with a reception and recognition ceremony last Thursday. Laura Morello, nominated by the University Library Reference Department, was recognized for her “willing and cheerful spirit and her conscientious and consistently good work.” Having Laura as a part of the library staff is a pleasure and a privilege. Thank you, Laura!

CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT CHAIR SEARCH

Samford University invites applications and nominations for the position of circulation department chair, Samford University Library. More info here.

LIBRARY SUMMER HOURS

June 4-August 26, 2007

Monday-Thursday 7:30 am – 8:00 pm Friday 7:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm
Sunday Closed

Independence Day Holiday
July 4, 2007
Wednesday Closed

Library In-Service
August 10, 2001
Friday Closed

WE THANK OUR TROOPS

1LT Jerran S. Hill will be deployed this summer in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Please keep Jerran and all our brave troops in your thoughts and prayers.

Jerran is also a full-time Samford student and is employed in our library as a Materials Processing Student Worker (Cataloging Dept.).

CONGRATS TO BETH ASHMORE!!!

Samford Library's very own Beth Ashmore recently cowrote an article on the Google Book project. The article was published in the April '07 issue of the Searcher. The article is titled "Google Book Search Libraries and Their Digital Copies". Check out Beth's article here.

CHANCE TO WIN STARBUCKS COFFEE!

Possibly the library can provide the caffeine jolt that you are seeking. Simply participate in the University Library Survey and you are entered to win one of ten $10 gift certificates from Starbucks.

A more important reason to participate is that we value your opinion and are committed to improving library services. The LibQual+ survey is part of an effort led by the Association for Research Libraries to measure service quality and identify best practices.

Please click on the URL below and answer all questions. The survey only takes about 10 minutes to complete.

http://survey.libqual.org/index.cfm?ID=997102

Thank you and good luck on winning a gift certificate.

LIBRARY STUDENT EMPLOYEE WINS AWARDS

Andrew Wells is the recipient of this year's Vivian Lankford Campbell Award for Creative writing. The award goes to the student in the English Department who exhibits skill and promise in any of the imaginitive genres.

Andrew was also selected to share this year's Percy Pratt Burns Memorial Scholarship.

Congratulations Andrew!

BOOKS WE LIKE

In honor of National Library Week, April 15 - 21, we would like for you to share your favorite books with us. Go to our Books We Like page, fill out the form, and share your favorites with the Samford Community!

MUSICAL AMERICA

Samford University Library is pleased to announce the addition of Musical America. Musical America has been an industry standard for over a century. And, as a respected presence in the industry, the Directory has facilitated lasting and important relationships with leading performing arts professionals.

LIBRARY DIRECTOR SEARCH

Samford University invites applications and nominations for the position of director of the Samford University Library. The library director is a member of the university’s faculty and oversees a total of 13 library faculty and 15 staff.

For More Info: http://www.samford.edu/academicaffairs/libdirector.html

DELLA DARBY NAMED GENEALOGY INSTITUTE DIRECTOR

Dr. Alan Hargrave, Associate Provost and Chief Information Officer, made this announcement last week:

It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Della Darby as the Director of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR). This appointment is effective immediately. In this role, Della will coordinate all activities of the Institute, including its summer programs. Della brings a strong background and interest in genealogy to this new role and I know that she will carry on the fine tradition that has been established.

I would also like to publicly express appreciation to Jean Thomason for her excellent leadership of the Institute for the last several years. Under her guidance, the Institute’s summer programs have showed sustained improvement in quality and in the number of attendees. She has worked to build a support structure that insures the future success of the Institute.

I know you will join me in congratulating Della and thanking Jean.

Alan Hargrave

ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA

We are pleased to announce the acquisition of Encyclopaedia Judaica. The second edition presents the latest scholarship on historic topics as well as extensive new treatments of contemporary Jewish life, including added emphasis of the role of women and explorations of the full global scope of the Diaspora. The 22 Volume set includes over 21,000 articles, 2,600 new entries, 600 maps, tables and illustrations, and more than 150 pages of full-color photo inserts.

WorldCat.org OFFERS NEW WEB SITE

WorldCat.org, the Web site and search box that offers public access to the catalogs of libraries worldwide, has added new features and functionality that enhance the discovery experience. WorldCat.org allows Web users to search the catalogs of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide.

WorldCat connects libraries of all types and sizes, from giant research libraries to small public libraries around the world. It enables people to find what they’re looking for in library collections irrespective of where they are located.

You can also access WorldCat from our Search Engine or Alpha List page.

EXHIBIT

Artist Jean Albright

Plants of the Bible

January-February 2007

Samford University Library hosts the Acrylic and Watercolor Collection of Jean Albright.

Through her generous gift, some of her paintings are now part of our Special Collection. The images are showcased on the main entry level around the grand staircase.

See exhibit: Plants of the Bible

MEEBO ME!

Check out our latest way to chat live with a Librarian. It's called Meebo and it allows you to IM the Reference Desk. Try it from our Ask A Librarian page.

NEW EMPLOYEE

Eric Price Allen joined our staff during Jan Term as the office secretary. The picture (Eric is the one on the right) was taken in July 2006 when he became a Jeopardy Champion. Welcome To Samford Eric!

NEW ONLINE RESOURCE

We are pleased to announce the addition of Mergent Online to our database collection.
It is a professional-strength research tool that tracks more companies in more countries than any other database. Mergent Online delivers a comprehensive suite of authoritative financial information with the accuracy, timeliness and transparency required in today's marketplace. Its innovative, intuitive user interface will satisfy the most demanding research needs.more information...

LIBRARY WEB DESIGN

The University Library web space has a new look. While organization of library resources and information primarily remains the same the site is being given a face lift. The new navigational tool bar and overall appearance is being updated with new colors. We hope to complete this process during September. Please send us any Comments or Suggestions. Thank you for your patience and feedback. -Library Web Team

NEW ONLINE RESOURCE

Founded in 1976 as an Anglo-American cooperative project, work began on it at the British Library in 1977. Professor Henry L. Snyder, now at UCR, inaugurated the American counterpart in 1978. The English Short Title Catalogue is an essential resource for historians, literature scholars, and even genealogy hobbyists. It provides bibliographic records for all surviving letter press material in the British Isles and North America before 1801, held by the British Library and over 2000 other institutions worldwide.

NEW NETLIBRARY EBOOKS

The Systems Librarian has completed a process of loading over 4,600 new NetLibrary records to the library catalog. We now have more than 53,000 electronic books in our collection. When you find an eBook in our catalog,click on the icon for online resource.
Once in NetLibrary, check out by clicking "View this ebook."

New Samford Blog

We are very excited to announce our Blog. You'll be able to come here for updates on what is going on at Samford University Library!