Thanksgiving Holiday Hours, Nov. 22 – 27

Holiday hours will be in effect from Tuesday, November 22 through Sunday, November 27:
Thanksgiving Greetings

Tuesday, 11/22:
7:30am – 9:00pm

Wednesday, 11/23 –  Saturday, 11/26:
CLOSED

Sunday, 11/27:
1:00pm – 2:00am

Please note that the Deloitte Café closes at 4:00pm on Tuesday, November 22, and will not reopen until 8:00am on Monday, November 28.

For more information about the library or cafe hours please view our hours calendarHappy Thanksgiving!

Database of the Month: MathSciNet

MathSciNet is the major search tool – and most comprehensive resource – for the international literature of mathematics and statistics. MathSciNetCreated and maintained by the American Mathematical Society (AMS), MathSciNet provides access to citations, abstracts, and limited linking to full-text for articles and reviews from 1940 to the present. The database offers subject indexing of historical, recent, and forthcoming mathematical publications with over 100,000 new items added annually.

More than Just Journals and Citations

As of this writing, MathSciNet indexes more than 1,900 current journals from the American Mathematical Monthly to the Journal of Difference Equations and Applications, and links to the full-text in databases such as JSTOR and Science Direct are available for some articles. But the database also contains a wealth of other resources including:

  • full-text access to Mathematical Reviews (MR) –the AMS journal reviewing the world’s mathematical literature
  • full-text access to Current Mathematical Publications (CMR) – the AMS early awareness journal, a subject index of recent and forthcoming mathematical publications
  • indexing of conference proceedings
  • indexing of books
  • indexing of Ph.D. theses with direct links to ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database

At present, MathSciNet contains records for over 2.7 million total publications. Starting in 2000, reference lists from the original articles have been added for a select list of journals called Reference List Journals. The Citations Block for each publication provides links to citations from reference lists and to citations from reviews.

Advanced Searching

In addition to the standard keyword, author, title, and subject searches, users can search for highly cited articles by year or by subject using the mathematical subject classification codes (MSC). To search using MSC, reference the classification schedule found from the Free Tools link in the upper right corner of the home page. While there, use the search tab Collaboration Distance to research connections and collaborations between authors. Free Tools has two additional browsing features of interest – Current Journals and Current Publications – to learn about recently published works.

Learn More

In response to requests from MathSciNet users and librarians, MathSciNet now offers tutorials on how to get the most out of searching. These tutorials treat each of the tabbed areas of MathSciNet – Publications, Authors, Journals, and Citations – as well as Free Tools and Preferences. Users are helped to take advantage of the rich structure of the databases underlying MathSciNet. Every user is likely to find a feature or search that they have not previously used.

Connect to this Database

Please visit MathSciNet to explore this valuable database further, or visit our Databases page to view a complete list of our resources.

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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.

An Update on Unattended Belongings in the Library

If you’ve been in the Library to study over the past few weeks, you’ve probably noticed slips of paper that look like this:

Library warning slip: Please do not leave your valuables unattended. Seats should not be reserved by leaving personal or library property at a seat.
Please do not leave your valuables unattended. Seats should not be reserved by leaving personal or library property at a seat.

Members of the Library Services staff have been walking through the building and leaving the slips on unattended items. We’ve been doing this for a few reasons.

With the closure of the Client Services computer lab on the lower level of the Library over the summer, we’ve lost seats in the building, leading to a noticeable uptick in complaints from students who can’t find a place to sit and study. Several students have mentioned to us that they notice seats being reserved with personal or library property.

Being popular is a strange problem to have, but the fact is that the Library is one of the busiest buildings on campus and offers some of the most plentiful and comfortable study space. When some people are staking out seats they’re not using, it means that other people don’t have a place to sit. The library staff has a responsibility to make sure that the spaces in the building—whether they’re carrels, chairs, tables, or group study rooms—are available for everyone to use.

While we’re talking about unattended belongings: Theft is not a major problem in the library, but thefts have occurred. Whenever you leave your belongings unattended—even in a safe place, like the Bentley campus—you are leaving yourself vulnerable to theft. We’d rather have library patrons take precautions than risk having valuable items stolen.

We know it can be jarring to get up to use the bathroom and come back to find a warning slip on your chair. But we would be neglectful if we didn’t respond to student concerns. It’s simply an effort to make the Bentley community aware that library space is shared space and to ask people to treat each other with respect.

Got a question about this or anything else at the library? Don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Now Showing at the Art Gallery: Joo Lee Kang / Blossom

The current exhibition at The McGladrey Art Gallery features artist Joo Lee (Julie) Kang in an installation titled Blossom. An opening reception will be held on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, from 4:30pm-6:30pm, with an artist talk and Q&A session starting at 5:00pm.  To learn more about the artist please visit her web site http://jooleekang.blogspot.com/.

Joo Lee (Julie) Kang
Blossom
November 7 – December 1, 2011

Opening Reception
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
4:30pm – 6:30pm
Artist Talk and Q&A at 5:00pm
light refreshments will be served

Blossom Series #2 by Joo Lee Kang
detail of Blossom Series #2, hand-cut paper installation, 2011

Located on the main floor of the Bentley Library, The McGladrey Art Gallery is free and open to the public. Check the online hours calendar for information about the Library’s hours.

Please Pardon the Disruption…

You’ve probably noticed that we are in the process of installing study seats and rearranging furniture throughout the building. We are working as quickly as we can to reincorporate the desks and computers that were removed when the Help Desk Computer Lab was closed.  As carpenters and electricians work to finish this project, you may be asked to move to another area as needed.  We apologize for any noise or inconvenience. Thank you for your cooperation and support as we continue trying to improve the Bentley Library’s #14 ranking in the country in the 2011 Princeton Review Guide, and let us know how we can best serve your needs!

Do you have questions, comments or concerns? Comment here or send email to library@bentley.edu.

On Display: Based on a Book

How many times have you said to yourself…

“I need to read that book before the movie comes out!”
– “That was a great movie, I really should read the book.”
– “They’re going to turn that book into a movie? Really?”

Thus, the inspiration for our latest book and film display: Based on a Book.

Not unexpectedly, the Based on a Book display includes well-known classics and best-selling works of fiction and nonfiction that have been adapted for the big screen (in some cases more than once), but there are also some book/movie pairings that you might find surprising.  For example, did you know that the sci-fi classic Blade Runner was based on a novel called Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick, that Rosalind Wiseman’s sociological look at the world of teenage girls – Queen Bees and Wannabes – was transformed by Tina Fey into the comedy Mean Girls, or that the award-winning movie The Social Network was based on Ben Mezrich’s book, The Accidental Billionaires?

Come take a look at the numerous book and movie choices, we’re sure you’ll find something that you’ve been meaning to read or see.