Author: Liz

ICYMI: Slides and Audio from Lightning Talks About Big Data

Liz

Did you miss the library’s Information Literacy Series event on October 23? Don’t worry – we have audio for all the lightning talks that were given, as well as slides for some of them. Below you’ll see mp3 recordings of the talks, and slides or visuals as they become available to us. For more information about the event, click the link “Information Literacy Series event” above.

 

Jay Cooprider (CIS): Big Data Through a Technology Lens

Ian Cross (Marketing): John Wayne is Big Data

Fred Ledley (NAS): If It Looks Like a Duck…

Nathaniel Lin (Mathematics): Is Big Data the New Oil?

David Oury (Mathematics): Very Brief Introduction to Big Data Text Mining

Mark-David McLaughlin (Mathematics): Visualization Techniques for Large Social Networks

slides: http://libguides.bentley.edu/loader.php?type=d&id=936747

 

On Display: Out in the Stacks: LGBTQ Authors, Characters, and Topics

Liz

national_coming_out_dayDid you know that October 11 is National Coming Out Day? It marks the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (learn more about the history of the day here). Here at the library, we’re recognizing the day by kicking off a new display, Out in the Stacks. The library’s collections include a wealth of LGBTQ-related information; we’ve hand-picked an array of books, audiobooks, and DVDs that spans fiction, history, biography, and more. Rediscover classics like The Times of Harvey Milk or Rubyfruit Jungle, or delve deeper into topics with books like Transgender 101 and The Lavender Locker Room.

Come by the library to check out the display or take a look at the Pinterest board (which may include some items that aren’t on the display because they’re on reserve for a course). If you don’t see what you’re looking for, come ask at the reference desk!

 

Image courtesy of the Human Rights Campaign.

Workshop: Citing Sources: Why, When, and How

Liz

Let the library and the Writing Center help you take the mystery out of citing sources. We’ll be offering this popular workshop again this fall – please RSVP if you plan to attend!

Citing Sources: Why, When and How

Why do your professors spend so much time talking about citations? Does it feel like busywork? Come learn how to cite sources for any format. We’ll show you how to do it, where to find resources, and why you should care.

Have sources or a bibliography you need help with? Bring it with you!

When: Thursday, October 24, 2013, 5:00-6:00
Where: Research Instruction Center (RIC), Room 11, on the library’s lower level.

Presented by: Greg Farber-Mazor, Director of the Writing Center, and Liz Galoozis, Reference Librarian

Email library@bentley.edu to reserve your seat now!

Bentley Library Information Literacy Series: Lightning Talks About Big Data

Liz

big data visualizationPlease join us on Wednesday, October 23, for the fourth event in the Bentley Library Information Literacy Series, “Lightning Talks About Big Data: Making Sense Out of Massive Amounts of Information.” Bentley faculty and alumni will present focused talks of 5-7 minutes on how they make sense out of big data in their disciplines.

 Image by Dominique Haughton and Mark-David McLaughlin

Join us in the library’s Art Gallery during the following times.

3:00-3:35: Lightning Talks Round 1:

  • Mark Frydenberg, CIS
  • Ryan Norris ‘03
  • M. Lynne Markus, IPM
  • Jay Cooprider, CIS
  • Ian Cross, Marketing

3:35-4:00: Reception outside Art Gallery with refreshments

4:00-4:35: Lightning Talks Round 2:

  • Fred Ledley, NAS
  • Nathaniel Lin, Mathematics
  • David Oury, Mathematics
  • Mark-David McLaughlin, Mathematics
  • Dominique Haughton, Mathematics

This event is presented in conjunction with the library-produced exhibit “Making Visible the Invisible: Library Data Transformed,” which begins October 21.

About the Bentley Library Information Literacy Series:

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.

Database of the Month: Statistical Abstract of the United States [New Database!]

Liz

The Statistical Abstract of the United States is back! You may or may not have noticed, but this vital resource is back from hiatus with a new online publisher and provider in ProQuest. (The Statistical Abstract was previously published by the U.S. Census Bureau.) This revived database will be invaluable to students in GB320, marketing classes, and anyone who needs hard-to-find statistics. For many topic areas, this is one of the only places you’ll find information brought together in such a succinct and organized way.

The Statistical Abstract answers such questions as:

  • How much crude oil and natural gas reserves are there in each state?
  • What percentage of children enrolled in preschool in 1970 versus 2010?
  • What was the trend in honey production over the last ten years?
  • How many businesses in the U.S. are owned by minorities and women?

You can get the answers to questions like these two ways: browsing or searching.

Browse

Use the 31 sections along the side to explore statistics in different topic areas, such as Health and Nutrition, or National Security and Veterans Affairs.  (Click on the image below to enlarge it.)

Once in a section, you can look through the list of tables available (which you might prefer if you’re used to the print version), or you can narrow down the list of tables by applying filters:

  • subject
  • data source
  • date
  • geography
  • how data is broken down (e.g., race, state, industry, or income)

Filters can then be easily removed by clicking the “x” next to them.

Search

You can also simply type in a search term, and use the same facets described in “Browse” to narrow your list of results. Below is an example of a search for the word “mortgage.” (Click on the image below to enlarge it.)

StatAb-mortgagesearch

Export

You can export entire sections or individual tables of data as Excel files or PDFs, including a citation generated for you in either MLA or APA format.

Further Information and Help

This online version of the Statistical Abstract is updated monthly. The library also collects the print edition of the Statistical Abstract, which is updated annually. Past versions – both print and electronic – can be accessed through the library’s catalog.

Click on “Guide to Statistical Sources” within the database to see a complete list of the Statistical Abstract’s data sources, from the U.S. government as well as private and international sources (for example, the UN Statistics Division and The Conference Board).

If you want to learn more, ProQuest has put together a great help guide to the new Statistical Abstract here: http://proquest.libguides.com/statisticalabstract

The Statistical Abstract is available through the Bentley Library’s Databases A to Z listing.  For further assistance using the Statistical Abstract, please contact the Reference Desk.
__________________________________

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.

On Display: Library Mix Tape: Books & Films about Real & Fictional Musicians

Liz

Music Display SignOur new display highlights books, audiobooks, and DVDs from our collections that feature musicians and the musical life. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find:

Come by the library to check out the display or take a look at the Pinterest board. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, come ask at the reference desk!

TONIGHT: Bentley Library Information Literacy Series: Your Own Private Internet

Liz

IL series blog imagePlease join us tonight, 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 just before 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.

 

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.

Bentley Library Information Literacy Series: Your Own Private Internet

Liz

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.