Category: general news

Welcome, Homecoming & Fall Parents Weekend Guests!

Lisa

Join us for a tour of our world class library, recently ranked 14th in the nation by the Princeton Review!

We’ll be showcasing our technologies, collaborative study spaces, moving shelves, research resources and more.  You might be amazed to see how much the library has changed (and how much it has stayed the same) over the years.

Tours will be held on Saturday, October 23, at 10:45am and 12:00pm.  Come see for yourselves what a 21st century academic library looks like.  Unable to attend the tour?  Please feel free to stop by and take a walk through the library; we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.  We look forward to seeing you!

Looking for the Color Printer?

Lisa

In order to provide greater access to the color printer, it has been moved from the Computing Services area to the printer room on the top floor of the library (room 220).

Get Informed: Library and Online Resources for Voters

Liz

Midterm elections are scheduled for Tuesday, November 2, less than three weeks from now. Senate races are going on in 36 states; races for governor are taking place in 37 states (including Massachusetts), and races for the House of Representatives are going on in every state. Wherever you’re registered to vote, you can arm yourself with information about candidates, ballot questions, and more with the following library-recommended resources.

Get the latest news coverage through the library’s subscriptions to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, and more (including local Massachusetts newspapers) through our News databases. Or, search for transcripts of interviews with candidates through LexisNexis Academic, which includes transcripts from media outlets like Fox, NPR, and ABC. Just click on the “News” category on the side, and choose “TV & Radio Transcripts.” (A recent search for the phrase “senate race” in the last three months yielded 1,591 results!)

Want information about where to vote, or what’s on your local ballot? If you’re a Massachusetts voter, there is a limited number of Voter Information Packets located near the magazine rack in the library entrance from the Deloitte Cafe. You can get the same information by going to the Massachusetts Election Division website – you can locate your polling place or check out this year’s three statewide ballot questions. If you’re registered in another state, similar information can be found at the League of Women Voters’ Smart Voter website. Just enter your address to locate your polling place and local ballot.

And if the election’s got you interested in American politics, the library has tons of books and DVDs on U.S. politics and government, and voting and political participation in the U.S., not to mention recent books and audiobooks about political figures like Karl Rove, John Edwards, Michael Bloomberg, and Ted Kennedy.

As Thomas Jefferson said in a 1789 letter, “[W]herever the people are well informed they can be trusted with their own government.” (You can read the whole letter, if you want, in the library’s copies of Jefferson’s papers.)

Visit the Zoo! Zoo New England Passes are now available.

Lisa

Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!

We’re happy to report that students, faculty and staff can now borrow passes to the two Zoo New England zoos – Franklin Park Zoo in Dorchester and Stone Zoo in Stoneham.

Daily passes admit 2 adults and 4 children at $2 per person to either zoo. (The Franklin Park Zoo is accessible on the MBTA orange line). Passes may be picked up 24 hours prior to use and must be returned to Library.

View pass availability and reserve your passes via our Museum Pass Program page.  If you have any questions please contact Library Services at 781.891.2168 or libraryservices@bentley.edu.

Banned Books Week Begins Sept. 25

Lisa

Banned Books Week is Sept. 25 – Oct. 2
Celebrate your freedom to read!

What do The Great Gatsby, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and Harry Potter have in common?  They are all books that have been banned or challenged at libraries and schools in the United States.  In fact, it’s likely you have read a few Banned or Challenged Classics.

Beginning in 1982, Banned Books Week (BBW) has been celebrated annually to mark the importance of intellectual freedom, the freedom to read and the First Amendment. Each year the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles and publishes a list of the top ten most frequently challenged books at libraries and schools.

According to the OIF, 460 challenges to materials were reported  in 2009.  Included in that year’s top 10 challenged books list are Twilight,  To Kill a Mockingbird, The Chocolate War, and The Color Purple.

Over the past nine years (2001-2009), the OIF reported that American libraries were faced with total of 4,312 challenges, which included:

  • 1,413 challenges due to “sexually explicit” material
  • 1,125 challenges due to “offensive language”
  • 897 challenges due to material deemed “unsuited to age group”
  • 514 challenges due to “violence”
  • 344 challenges due to “homosexuality”
  • 109 materials were challenged because they were “anti-family”
  • 269 were challenged because of their “religious viewpoints”

Thanks to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, and students, most book challenges are unsuccessful.  We hope that during Banned Books Week 2010 you’ll take a moment to think about your freedom to read and consider the role that libraries play in protecting that right!

Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association; American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression; the American Library Association; American Society of Journalists and Authors; Association of American Publishers; and the National Association of College Stores. It is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

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.

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

Visit a Museum, Our Treat!

Lisa

Did you know that the Bentley Library offers museum passes that will allow you free or reduced admission to some of the most popular Boston-area museums?  Even better, you can check for museum pass availability up to 30 days in advance and immediately reserve your passes online.

Museum passes are available for the following museums:

For more information (or to make your reservation now) visit our Museum Passes page.