Month: August 2010

Welcome New Students, Faculty & Staff!

Lisa

The staff of the Bentley Library extends a warm welcome to our new students, faculty and staff.  Many of you will receive an orientation to the Library during First Week, however we also encourage you to take a look at our online library orientation guide. It will only take you a few minutes to view, and it will provide you with useful information about library resources and services.

If you have any questions about the Library the please don’t hesitate to ask for help at the Library Service Desk or Reference Desk.

Early Closing on Tuesday, August 31

Lisa

Please note that we will be closing at 4:00pm on Tuesday, August 31, due to a special event being held in the building.  Patrons needing to use computers and printers may access the Computing Services lab via the lower level entrance between the hours of 4:00pm and 6:00pm.

For more information about the library’s hours please view our hours calendar. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Library Instruction: Give Student Research a Boost

Liz

Last year, the library delivered 260 instruction sessions, tours, and workshops. Here’s what some faculty had to say about them:

“Students are surprised to learn how the databases improve their access to information, and this is revealed in the quality of the bibliographies they turn in.”

“Students have taken much more time and care in their research and have made better use of integrating it into their papers as a result.”

“Students have told me that they are no longer feeling intimidated about contacting a librarian for help.”

As you plan your syllabus, consider including library instruction if you require your students to do research. Library instruction covers such concepts as:

  • evaluating online information
  • developing search strategies
  • attributing sources
  • and other research- and information-related skills.

Traditionally, faculty have brought students to the library for a class period when they are beginning their research. This is just one way librarians can collaborate with faculty to help students become better researchers and users of information. Just let us know how you’d like to join forces to help your students become more information literate, by contacting Liz Galoozis, Coordinator of User Education.

To schedule a research instruction session, use our Library Instruction Request form, which now includes the option to upload an assignment and/or syllabus. (For details and policies, click on “Schedule a Research Instruction Session” on the library’s home page.)

And to learn more about library instruction and information literacy in general, visit our Information Literacy and Instruction research guide.

And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth

Amy

Would you believe that the latest Janet Evanovich tale is … a comic book? It’s true! A lifelong comic book fan, Evanovich co-wrote  Troublemaker. Book 1: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel with her daughter, Alex. Troublemaker is just one of the many graphic novels available to borrow from our library.

Janet Evanovich Signing at San Diego Comic Con International

We have the books that inspired movies, such as Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta, From Hell, and Watchmen. And, we have the movies inspired by the comics including American Splendor, Sin City, and many more!

No longer the sole domain of men in tights, comic books and graphic novels have evolved into moving works of non-fiction. Ari Folman and David Polonsky bring to life Folman’s experience as an Israeli soldier during a 1982 conflict in Waltz with Bashir. Marjane Satrapi gives the reader a glimpse into her life in 1970s Iran in Persepolis.

In October, you can get totally geeked out at Wizard World New England Comic Con at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center. Local comic book scribe Christopher Golden will be a featured guest, along with six cast members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You can prepare by reading Prince of Stories: The Many World of Neil Gaiman, which Golden co-wrote with Hank Wagner and Stephen R. Bissette.

Don’t worry, you don’t really need to be a geek to appreciate our picks.  Stop by and take a look or browse the display online.

Database of the Month: LexisNexis Academic

Stephen

The LexisNexis Academic database has a new and improved user interface.   LexisNexis Academic provides regional, national and international full-text content from over 10,000 news, legal and business sources.  The new Easy Search interface is divided into six subject areas so users can efficiently search  LexisNexis Academic content.   The LexisNexis Power Search still provides users with the option to use the search types “terms and connectors” or “natural language”.

The Search the News section allows users to search local, regional, national and international news sources from 1980 to the present.  Users can limit by source type, such as newspapers, magazine and even blogs or they can limit by a publication’s name.

Look up a Legal  Case provides access to U.S. and state cases by citation (163 U.S. 537), parties (Furman v. Georgia), or topic (equal opportunity). Users can click on the Cases link to help refine a search for a case and theLandmark Cases link to find a list of important U.S. cases.

Under Get Company Info users will find access to information on over 43,000,000 companies.  Basic company information can be found by search for a company name or ticker symbol.   More complete company information can be found by clicking on the Company Dossier and Company Profile links.

The Research Countries section allows users to find political and economic information about a specific country.  Country information can be searched by country name and limited by source.

With the Research People section users can research public figures. Enter at least a last name in the input boxes provided.  To find general information about the public figure, select “Biographies” from the source drop-down box. To see recent news stories that include a person select “Recent News Stories.”

Finally, the Combined Search feature is useful for searching a particular topic over different types of content.  Searches can be limited by date (with the system default set for “previous 2 years”) while content type searched can be expanded to include news, legal cases, SEC filings, company profiles and law reviews.

Connect to this database

Please visit the new LexisNexis Academic interface here.  A complete listing of the Bentley Library’s databases is available on our Databases page.

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Database of the Month provides a very brief introduction to an important research database, highlighting key features of the database that you should know about. If you would like more information about this database (or any of the library’s databases) please contact the Reference Desk.  If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.

Now Showing at the Art Gallery: Myrosha Dziuk

Lisa

Open until September 16, 2010, the current exhibit at the art gallery features photographs by Newton, MA, artist Myrosha Dziuk.  All are invited to a reception for the artist on Thursday, September 9, 2010, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Meet the artist, view the art, enjoy the refreshments!

Myrosha Dziuk
The Nature of Things
August 5 – September 16, 2010
http://www.myrosha.com


Bentley Ranked #14 for “Best College Library”

Lisa 1 Comment

We are proud to report that The Princeton Review ranked Bentley University #14 for the Best College Library in their recently-published 2011 edition of The Best 373 Colleges.

This ranking is a result of the company’s survey of over 122,000 students attending the 373 colleges in its book.  Students were asked to rate their own schools on various topics and report on their campus experiences at them.  The survey included the question “How do you rate your school’s library facilities?”.   Additionally, Bentley ranked #6 for the Best Career Services and #18 for Dorms Like Palaces.

– Learn more about Bentley University’s Princeton Review rankings
– Learn more about The Princeton Review’s college rankings lists and methodology

July Acquisitions: New Books, Bestsellers, DVDs & Audiobooks

Lisa

Check out our book, popular reading, DVD and audiobook (including Playaway) acquisitions for the month of July. Go to our New Books & DVDs page or use the links in the left hand column.