Columbus Day Holiday / Mini-break Hours

Lisa

Bentley University undergraduate students will be enjoying a Mini-Break over the Columbus Day holiday weekend from Saturday, October 12 – Tuesday, October 15.

The Bentley Library will remain open during this break with a couple of small exceptions to our normal operating hours. On Sunday, October 13, the library will have a late opening at 1:00 p.m. and early closing at 9:00 p.m. On Monday, October 14 (Columbus Day), we will have a late opening at 10:00 a.m. All other opening and closing hours are unchanged.

Saturday, October 12
9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, October 13
1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Monday, October 14
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Tuesday, October 15
7:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Please note that the Deloitte Cafe will have modified hours Saturday through Monday. For complete information please view our online Hours Calendar.

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!

Database of the Month: Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL)

Colleen

Gale Virtual Reference Library

What is Gale Virtual Reference Library?

The Gale Virtual Reference Library is a database of encyclopedias, almanacs, and specialized reference sources, searchable all at once. Think: authoritative and quick information for beginning your research.

When to Use Gale Virtual Reference Library (instead of Google or Wikipedia)

GRVL answers such questions as:

  • the percentage change of discretionary income in the Northeast from just before the onset of the 2008 recession as compared to the following year (ANSWER: consult GVRL’s American Incomes: Demographics of Who Has Money)
  • a brief biography of composer Leonard (actually Luis) Bernstein for a public speaking class (ANSWER: consult GVRL’s Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians)
  • the background of a particular ad campaign (ANSWER: consult GVRL’s Encyclopedia of Major Marketing Campaigns for a topical overview of – for example – Apple Computer’s Think Different ad campaign)

Think you need to trek to the library to consult a reference book, that dictionary or encyclopedia? Think again.

What Makes Gale Virtual Reference Library such a Great Resource?

With so many different titles all in one (searchable) spot, think of GVRL as your authoritative go-to source for learning introductory, general information about a wide range of topics. With full-text access to electronic reference books, including titles in the arts, business, the environment, history, literature, medicine, multicultural studies, geography, and science, GVRL should be your first stop in quick stats, fact checks, and topic overviews.

Sample Title List

Bentley Library’s subscription to Gale Virtual Reference Library comes with access to over 150 different titles (complete list here). Below are a few examples:

  • American Incomes: Demographics of Who Has Money
  • Encyclopedia of Gender in Media
  • Encyclopedia of Small Business
  • Guide to U.S. Foreign Policy
  • The Millennials: Americans Born 1977 to 1994
  • West’s Encyclopedia of American Law

Locating Information in Gale Virtual Reference Library

Simply browse reference titles from different subject areas on the home page and view an eBook without performing a search. Of course, if you’d prefer to enter a search term, there are both basic and advanced search options available.

Did you want to share what you found with others? Gale now offers InfoMarks functionality, allowing users to copy, bookmark, or email a persistent URL of nearly every page!

Final Notes

Librarians thought GVRL was such a fantastic resource that it was chosen as Library Journal’s Best Overall Database in 2012! Gale Virtual Reference Library is available through the Bentley Library’s Databases A to Z listing.

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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 Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.

Alert: Encore Search Issues Affecting Library Catalog Searches

Lisa

alert[Update – 1:42 p.m., October 4, 2013]: The “Encore” search feature has been fixed. You can once again use the search box on our homepage to search the library’s catalog and article databases.

The search box on the library’s home page (a.k.a. “Encore”) is not functioning properly. Searches performed using Encore fail to retrieve any items from the library’s catalog, which includes books, DVDs, streaming films and eBooks. Users needing to search for these library materials are advised to use the library’s “Classic Catalog” at http://libcat.bentley.edu/.

At this time, Encore can only be used to search and retrieve articles from the EBSCO, ProQuest, JSTOR, Project Muse, LexisNexis Academic and Factiva databases.

We will update you when Encore has been fixed. If you have questions or need help, please contact the Reference Desk. We apologize for the inconvenience.

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.

September Arrivals: New Books, eBooks, Audiobooks & DVDs

Lisa

We added 400+ new books, eBooks, audiobooks and movies to the shelves last month.  Go to our New Books & DVDs page to browse the September new acquisitions lists by subject or format.   When you see something you want, simply hit the “Request” button to place a hold on it.

To browse for new eBooks and audiobooks to read on a Kindle, NOOK, iPad, iPod, laptop or smartphone, please visit our OverDrive collection.

September 2013 Selected New Titles
Click to browse the new books, DVDs and audiobooks added in September.

New Database: Ancestry Library

Lisa

It just got much easier to do genealogical research at the Bentley Library! We are pleased to offer Ancestry® Library to the Bentley community. Discover your unique family history using the billions of historical documents available in this popular database.

Ancestry LibraryAncestry® Library is powered by Ancestry.com® and delivered by ProQuest. Ancestry® Library provides access to most of the content available to individual Ancestry.com® subscribers.  Some of the personalization options available to private subscribers are not available in the Library edition.

Inside Ancestry® Library

Content for Ancestry® Library is sourced from libraries, archives and special collections all over the world.  The database contains billions of records in censuses, vital records, immigration records, family histories, court and legal documents, directories, family and gravestone photos, and more.  Also included are an extensive collection of military records, and multimedia such as newsreels and maps.

typewriter-delivery
Louis A. Caulfield, 37 Belfort Street, Dorchester delivers a typewriter for Model Typewriter Inspection Co.  Taken on Boston Common / Lewis W. Hine / abt 1917. From: Ancestry.com. Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000 .

Historical Records

  • Birth, Marriage, & Death
  • Census & Voter Lists
  • Immigration & Travel
  • Military
  • Schools, Directories, & Church Histories
  • Tax, Criminal, Land, & Wills
  • Reference, Dictionaries, & Almanacs

Stories & Publications

  • Stories, Memories, & Histories
  • Newspapers
  • Periodicals & Magazines

Photos & Maps

  • Photos
  • Maps, Atlases, & Gazetteers

Learn More and Get Help

ProQuest has created a detailed online guide to the Ancestry® Library database. Learn about the various content categories contained within the database, get search tips, watch prerecorded webinars, view sample searches and print help guides  at http://proquest.libguides.com/ancestrylibraryedition.

Also available are a series of short training videos, including the “Basic Search” video shown below. The entire ProQuest Ancestry® Library YouTube Playlist is available at http://prq.st/ancestrylevideos.

Connect to Ancestry® Library

Ancestry® Library is available on the library’s Databases A-Z list and the History databases page. For further assistance using this database, please contact the Reference Desk.

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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 Ask a Librarian. If you would like a demonstration of this database for a class, please contact our Coordinator of User Education, Elizabeth Galoozis.