One of the benefits of working in a library is being surrounded by a staggering number of books and films, and while this does not mean that library staff get to spend our workdays reading and watching movies, most of us are avid consumers of all types of media in our personal lives. Many of us participate in book clubs, our office conversations often revolve around what we’re reading and watching, and we will enthusiastically make book and movie recommendations to anyone who asks.
It’s in this spirit that we have been adding staff picks boards to Pinterest. Right now you’ll find picks made by Liz, Donna and Amy, but more boards are on their way. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
“If you’ve managed to escape hearing about David Sedaris or reading any of his books, start with this one. Do yourself a favor – the essays in this book are tear-inducingly funny.” / Liz, on Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
“Wonderful novel about fate and friendship and another book that helped re-ignite my love for reading for enjoyment.” / Donna, on A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
“The story of three friends whose lives are all in some way wrecked by the same woman – wonderful writing.” / Liz, on The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood
Visit us on Pinterest to view more recommendations!
Opposing Viewpoints in Context is a database dedicated to providing an exploration of current (and often controversial) social issues from all different perspectives. On the homepage, users can view the five spotlighted issues from the rolling carousel, browse categories and issues from a list, construct a basic keyword or advanced search, examine featured videos & news, and interact with statistical information on a wide range of issues using maps. All issues are grouped by theme and include the following eight categories: Business and Economics, Health and Medicine, National Debate Topic, Society and Culture, Energy and Environmentalism, Law and Politics, Science, Technology and Ethics, and War and Diplomacy.
Each issue and topic page includes:
Overview essay to provide foundational background for understanding the topic
Expert Picks resources deemed helpful for discovery and related content
Videos, Images, and Audio streaming video, along with a large collection of images and audio, all from reputable research sources
Viewpoints pro/con opinion articles to provide multiple perspectives for a particular issue
Reference background information in the form of topic/event overviews and biographies
News, Magazines, Academic Journals articles from more than 450 full-text English-language international sources
Statistics both interactive and static graphs, tables, and charts to support the different pro/con arguments
Primary Sources selections from transcripts of interviews, legislative acts, speeches and other sources
Websites narrative text accompanying direct link to the sites
Learn More
A short Intro video is provided as an overview to the database. Brief videos on Searching and Topic Pages and Documents are handy for providing tips to getting the most out of this database!
Another valuable library database for researching controversial social issues is CQ Researcher. Read our In the Know post on CQ Researcherto learn more.
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 Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.
Please note that we have made one minor change to our normal operating hours for the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend. The library is open regular hours on Saturday, February 16, and Sunday, February 17, but we will open a bit later than normal (at 10:00am) on Monday, February 18.
Saturday, February 16:
9:00am to 7:00pm
Sunday, February 17:
10:00am to 2:00am
Monday, February 18:
10:00am to 2:00am
For more information about the library or cafe hours please check our online calendar.
In light of Bentley University’s decision to remain closed on Sunday, February 10, 2013, the Bentley Library will not be reopening as planned. The Bentley Library hopes to resume normal hours on Monday, February 11, at 7:30am. Stay tuned to http://www.bentley.edu for official University storm-related annoucements.
The university remains closed on Sunday, February 10, 2013, due to the snowstorm. All events are cancelled and all administrative and academic buildings are closed.
We are very happy to say that the library will be resuming normal hours of operation on Sunday, February 10. Our doors will open at 10:00am and close at 2:00am. Visit, call, email or chat with us — we will be there!
Due to the blizzard, Bentley University and the Bentley Library will be closed on Friday, February 8, 2013. Although the University has not yet announced a closure for Saturday, the Bentley Library will also be closed on Saturday, February 9, 2013. We are planning this closure based on the forecast of continued blizzard conditions on Saturday.
Weather permitting, the Bentley Library will reopen on Sunday, February 10, at 10:00am.
For information related to the status of Bentley University please call Bentley’sStorm Emergency Line at 781-891-2020, which is the University’s official source of information. You may also check for updates at http://www.bentley.edu.
At the Bentley Library, we offer a lot of resources for study and coursework, but we also think that there’s a place for recreational reading in an academic library. You think so too, judging from checkout rates of our Popular Reading and audiobook collections.
Last year, we debuted OverDrive Downloadable Books, a collection of fiction and nonfiction electronic books and audiobooks for users who use mobile devices and computers. Initially, searching and browsing these books was limited to the website from which they are downloaded. Now, our entire OverDrive collection of e-books and e-audiobooks (currently 347 e-books and 237 e-audiobooks, but growing all the time!) is also searchable in both versions of our library catalog! We’ve made searching for and downloading these titles easy, whether you enter a search by using the single search box on our homepage or by using the Classic Catalog link under that box.
Once a search is entered, the search result display clearly indicates whether the title is an e-book or an e-audiobook. The records feature a direct link (via a Bentley login page) to the item in OverDrive Downloadable Books. Most records also contain a link to an excerpt of the e-book/e-audiobook, allowing for “test driving” before starting the checkout process.
In the single search box display, you can access those links from the search results page, as below, or from the individual e-book/e-audiobook page that displays when you click on the title link.
The Age of Innocence is available to download as an e-book or an e-audiobook via OverDrive.
In the Classic catalog, only the direct link to the e-book/e-audiobook, titled Access this Resource, appears on the search page, as below; both the search and the excerpt links appear on the individual e-book/e-audiobook page that displays when you click on the title link.
The e-book version of The Age of Innocence as it appears in our classic catalog.
If you would prefer to use the catalog to browse the collection, you can easily see a list of the entire OverDrive collection in either catalog version. Using the single search box, type “overdrive” in the box, then on the left side of the page, click “OverDrive” under the Location heading. Or, in the Classic catalog, click the Advanced Search link. Choose “OverDrive” as the location, and type an asterisk (*) in the first search box.
If you’d prefer to continue searching/browsing directly at the OverDrive web page, links to OverDrive Downloadable Books are still available on the Library’s home page in the Quick Links section, the Research dropdown menu under Search >> ebooks, and the Databases A-Z list.
We are really excited to help you add to your reading list via the library catalog. If there is something you’d like to see added to the collection, let us know by clicking the Suggest a Purchase link on our home page. Happy reading and listening!
Please join us on Wednesday, March 20, for the third event in the Bentley Library Information Literacy Series, featuring a panel of experts on the phenomenon of personalization on the Internet known as the “filter bubble.”
Join us in LaCava 305AB at 5:30 for light refreshments, with the discussion getting underway at 6:00.
Your Own Private Internet: What the Internet is Hiding from You (And Why)
Bentley Library Information Literacy Series
Panelists
Zachary Newell, Humanities Librarian, Salem State University
Dan Schultz, Knight-Mozilla Fellow, Boston Globe
Heikki Topi, Professor of Computer Information Systems, Bentley University
Moderator
Nathan Carter, Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences, Bentley University
Free and open to the public
Synopsis:
“A world constructed from the familiar is a world in which there’s nothing to learn.” So wrote Eli Pariser in his 2011 book The Filter Bubble, about the ever-increasing personalization Internet users experience. Is he right? How can we evaluate information when it has been hand-picked for us – what are we missing when we search for information, and how do we know? How do crowdsourcing and other, more traditional conceptions of authoritative information contribute to this information environment? Is there an inherent tradeoff between precision and personalization when searching on the Internet? A panel of experts and researchers will convene at Bentley University to discuss these questions and others related to evaluating information on the open and social web.
If you plan to bring a class to the event or will require students to attend, please RSVP to Liz Galoozis by March 10.
Founded in 2011, the Bentley Library Information Literacy Series is a series of lectures, panel discussions, and other events featuring experts in the field of information literacy. The series is designed to bring together librarians and experts from other fields inside and outside academia in order to bridge gaps in knowledge and understanding, and to expand awareness and critical thinking about information literacy. The events in the series are aimed at undergraduate and graduate students, faculty members, librarians, and anyone with an interest in teaching and learning in an era of rapid change in information delivery and discovery.
ewpoints in Context
