VC/UHV Library
Library Home >> What's New

What’s New

Valid RSSClick here to subscribe to What's New
November 19, 2009 - Thanksgiving Hours
Holiday Hours for the VC/UHV Library


Saturday - 11/21/09 - Open 1 pm to 6 pm
Sunday - 11/22/09 - Open 1 pm to 6 pm
Monday - 11/23/09 - Open 7:45 am to 10 pm
Tuesday - 11/24/09 - Open 7:45 am to 7 pm
Wednesday- 11/25/09 - Closed
Thursday - 11/26/09 - Closed
Friday - 11/27/09 - Closed
Saturday - 11/28/09 - Closed
Sunday - 11/29/09 - Open 1 pm to 6 pm
Turkey


November 18, 2009 - Margaret Atwood's Birthday

Today is the birthday of Margaret Atwood, Canada's outstanding novelist, poet, and critic. Here is a bibliography of Margaret Atwood titles owned by the VC/UHV Library.

Margaret Atwood


November 18, 2009 - Word of the Year

Yesterday, Oxford University Press announced the word of the year.

unfriend -- verb -- To remove someone as a 'friend' on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Oxford's word of the year and list of other new words.



November 17, 2009 - Business Videos

Business Source Complete now includes a business video collection with 55 videos from the Harvard Business School Faculty Seminar Series.

The series features engaging video lectures from renowned professors and experts at the Harvard Business School. All lectures are captured from executive education programs and offer groundbreaking ideas, insightful research, and practical advice on management issues.

The videos contain a table of contents, allowing the selection of a specific topic. Most lectures provide a transcript in PDF format.

See a complete list of all 55 titles.



October 30, 2009 - ScienceDirect Outage

The ScienceDirect database will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance for approximately 9 hours from 8:00 pm CST Saturday, October 31 to 4:00 am CST Sunday November 1st. We apologize for any inconvenience this brings to our users.



October23, 2009 - New Study Guides

The Library has posted 2 new study guides on How to Do a Literature Review - Literature Review Basics and Doing the Research.

Literature Review







October19, 2009 - EBSCOhost Problems Resolved

The EBSCOhost databases problems with emailing and saving articles have been resolved. All EBSCO databases are working correctly.



September 25, 2009 - Banned Books Week Read-Out

Each year during the last week of September, libraries across the country celebrate our First Amendment Rights and intellectual freedom by observing Banned Book Week.

This year, the Victoria College/University of Houston-Victoria Library will celebrate Banned Books Week with a Banned Books Week Read-Out. On Tuesday, September 29, 10:00-11:30 AM, we will have short readings from several of the books on the Banned Books list as well as a short presentation from Dr. Lawrence Rossow, Dean of the UHV’s School of Education and Human Development.

This will be on the first floor of the VC/UHV Library − we encourage all who are interested to attend. Coffee and cookies will be served.

Harry PotterOf Mice and MenTo Kill a Mockingbird


September 23, 2009 - Wireless Access

Wireless service in the Library will be unavailable for a short time on Thursday, September 24, 2009 while an upgrade is done. After this upgrade, anonymous guest access will no longer be available. The Texas Administrative Code requires that access to all State of Texas resources be restricted to approved users and does not permit anonymous or shared logins. The Library's wireless service is obtained through the University of Houston-Victoria network.

After the upgrade, the wireless login banner will look different. UHV faculty, staff, and students will login with their university usernames and passwords. Victoria College faculty, staff, and students will be authenticated with their VC login information.

If you have any questions concerning this change, please contact Karen Locher at 570-4170, Gayle Hardcastle at 570-4156, or Paula Packard at 570-4169.



 
August 21, 2009 - RefWorks - great new resource!

RefWorks is web-based software that helps you manage your research.

  • combine all of your references in one searchable location
  • divide your references into folders to organize them by topic
  • share your research with others over the Internet
  • have bibliographies created for you in the style you choose
  • And maybe it can do even more!


RefWorks Study Guide for RefWorks


April 27, 2009 - April is Genocide Prevention Month



April 13, 2009 - FREE SEARCHES for National Library Week!

 GALE CENGAGE Learning is providing free database searching for National Library Week, beginning today and continuing through May 15, 2009.

Here are some of the types of searches you can do with this free search:
  • Find a job
  • Explore careers
  • Go back to school
  • Find health information
  • Look up a company
  • Start a business
  • Find a sample business plan
  • Find a legal form
  • Explore global issues
Go ahead & try it - Use the pull-down search box above!


March 23, 2009 - Website Survey

Please take our new Website Survey!

Help us improve our website with information from our users.
Library Circulation Staff

March 17, 2009 - Search for Articles in Our Library with One Worldcat Searchbox

Change the drop-down search option to Articles and enter your term or terms (if multiple terms are used, put a + sign between them - example: Hemingway+elephants) in place of keyword



January 30, 2009 - John Updike

American novelist, short story writer, and essayist John Updike died on Tuesday, January 27th. He received two Pulitzer Prizes, the National Book Award, and the O'Henry Award among his many literary honors.

According to his obituary in the New York Times, Updike's "literary home was the American suburb, the great new territory of twentieth-century fiction." Updike created the character Rabbit Angstrom, who was the focus of four of his most famous novels.

The VC/UHV Library has fifty books by John Updike and many volumes of criticism of his work. According to Rolling Stone writer David Lipsky, "It's hard to imagine anything a human being felt - physically, emotionally - that isn't to be found somewhere in Updike."

Included in the list you will find our Updike's last published works, My Father's Tears: and Other Stories, Endpoint and Other Poems, and The Maples Stories.

John Updike
January 28, 2009 - Science Accelerator

The Library has added a search box for the Science Accelerator.
  • Go to the Library's home page
  • Choose the subject of "Science."
  • Click on the Web Sites tab
  • Enter a search directly in the Science Accelerator search box.


For example, a search for wind power and business retrieves 201 resources. The left side of the results screen contains a suggested topic list to narrow results. A list of special alerts in the search area appears on the right side of the screen.

You can rank your results by relevance, date, author, or title. If you choose date, your first result will change from a 2004 report to a 2008 report.

According to the "About" page, this database contains the following:
  • Electronic full-text research reports
  • Energy citations (millions of them, going back to the Manhattan Project era)
  • Ongoing research project summaries
  • E-prints (journal article pre-publication drafts, scholarly papers, and more)
  • Proceedings and papers from science conferences

January 20, 2009 - Inauguration 2009

Visit the National Archives website for information about the history of presidential inaugurations and take the inauguration quiz!

inauguration
Visit Washington DC's Inauguration Day 2009 website and read the inauguration fun facts!
Check out the weather for this inauguration and read about "extreme weather for past inaugurations".


January 15, 2009 - ABR Speakers

The Library is collecting books by the American Book Review speakers. Here are some of our recent acquisitions. Click on the title to link directly to our catalog and check status.



January 16, 2008 - Academic Excellence

The Library has received the 2007-2008 Victoria ISD report on Academic Excellence Indicator System. This report from the Texas Education Agency is shelved in the Library's reference area on the first floor. The call number is LB3053.V5A34 2007-2008.


November 7, 2008 - Veterans Day
Veterans Day is November 11, 2008 - Here is a link to the Veterans Administration's website

and a link to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress 		Veterans Day
The first Veterans Day celebration was declared by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919. In 1926, Congress passed a bill declaring November 11th to be a legal holiday and "that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples." -- from the Veterans Administration History of Veterans Day web page.


October 29, 2008 - Feature Films

The Library has a great Feature Film collection. Here are links to some lists for your viewing selection -

Feature films are available for check-out in the 2nd floor Media Center. All of our lists link back to the Library Catalog, so you can check status - see if the item is checked in and available, check title information about the subject of the film, and more...

Rooms equipped with 46" flat panel televisions are available for viewing films in the Media Center. These rooms accomodate up to 14 people. For larger groups, we have L2 in the Library's lower level. Room L2 has a 12-foot projection screen and seats 75 people.



October 23, 2008 - Presidential Election 2008, Tuesday, November 4th

Here are links to the political party platforms


And, the Texas Voter Information Website



October 17, 2008 - Audio Books on CD
Here is a link to the list of audio books on CD available at the VC/UHV Library Media Center. This list is arranged by alphabetically by author and contains a link to the catalog. Click on the title of the audio book to link over to the catalog and see if the item is available for "checkout."

October 1, 2008 - Banned Books Week
Celebrate Banned Books Week from September 27th to October 4th by reading a book that has been challenged in the United States. Books from the ALA's 2007 challenged list are:


Read more about Banned Books Week and "Celebrating the Freedom to Read" at the American Library Association's website.

September 30, 2008 - Try Google Book Search!
Google Book Search
September 25, 2008 - Legal Terms
Do you need to know the definitions of legal terms? If you live in or near Victoria, TX and are insterested in local current events, you may need legal definitions. Try the Legal Glossary from nolo.com. For instance, the glossary has this definition of grand jury:

In criminal cases, a group that decides whether there is enough evidence to justify an indictment (formal charges) and a trial. A grand jury indictment is the first step, after arrest, in any formal prosecution of a felony.
Nolo.com is the website of Nolo Press, a long-time publisher of books about law - particularly books for those not involved in the legal profession.

September 5, 2008 - Movies and Books

The Victoria Advocate produced a section titled 2008 fall movie schedule with today's newspaper. Some of these new movies are based on books available at the VC/UHV Library. Come check them out and read the book before you see the movie!



August 8, 2008 - Library Survey

To help us improve our website, please take our survey!



August 1, 2008 - EBSCO 2.0 Is Here & Study Guides Updated!

The Library's study guides have been updated to reflect the new EBSCO database interface. See the following updated study guides for a look at the new, easy-to-use search screen from EBSCO, one of our main providers of online journal content:



July 10, 2008 - Notable Documents

These Notable Documents for 2008 Are Available at the VC/UHV Library
Botanic Gardens
A Botanic Garden for the Nation
Main Collection
QK73.U62U553 2006
Women in Congress
Women in congress, 1917-2006
Main Collection
JK1030.W66 2006
Citizen's Almanac
The Citizen's Almanac: Fundamental Documents, Symbols, and Anthems of the United States
Main Collection
JK1758.C58 2007
Fuel Economy Guide
Fuel Economy Guide
http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS17050


June 25, 2008 - ThinkeringSpace

A blog about the ThinkeringSpace project was just posted by the Shifted Librarian, Jenny Levine. The project is part of the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media, Learning and Education initiative.

The purpose of this project is to develop "preliminary criteria for the design of kids' informal, exploratory spaces situated in libraries." The project started as research at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design and is meant to take advantage of the spaces that libraries already provide to create technology-based thinking spaces.



June 18, 2008 - High School National Debate Topic 2008/2009

Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.

"Alternative Energy - the National High School Debate Topic, 2008/09 - is up and running on the web at: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/debate08.html

The web site has annotated links to major global warming reports, the three fossil fuels and energy alternatives ranging from hydrogen, wind, and wave to fuel cells, plug-in electric cars, and various hybrids. There are articles, research reports, laws, and Congressional hearings in full text. The Department of Energy has a truly outstanding web site, which we analyzed and supplemented with those from think tanks, automakers, state government associations, and the OECD."--Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center, University of Michigan Library



December 6, 2007 - Have Opinions?

This site may be interesting to you - Ask500People Beta: World Opinon While You Watch!

Look at the results from the question, "Do you use your local public library?" - asked by Steven Cohen on December 2, 2007.



November 26, 2007 - Family Records
When you get together with family members during the holidays, you might want to discuss protecting important family records.

The Council of State Archivists is offering a manual that
"describes the records that protect a family's finances, health, civil rights, and family history. Some, such as deeds and mortgages, may be obvious to readers, but others, such as leases, proof of intellectual property, and certain tax records, are easily forgotten in the moment of crisis. The manual prompts readers to think through all the records that may help their family survive disaster and return to normal afterwards."

Here is a link to the page where you can read more about the manual and place an order.
Nov 21 - Like to Read?

Try this Website called The Literature Map!

It is fun to watch, and you might find a new author to try.

Nov 9 - MySpace Blocked

MySpace is being temporarily blocked on Library computers due to security problems.

Here is a link to an article from Computerworld describing the threat.

Nov 2 - Leisure Reading

The VC/UHV Library has started a book group on the UHV Connect Website. It is called Leisure Reading, and it will feature books that librarians describe and recommend. All members are welcome to discuss and recommend books as well. The group is open to anyone having access to the UHV Connect site, and the librarians' reviews will also be added to the Library's Facebook and MySpace accounts.

Check out the Leisure Reading inside the Library as well. We will display all the books reviewed by librarians on the book group. They will all be available for check-out - you can find the Leisure Reading area on the northwest corner of the Library's first floor. It is a sunny, quiet, and comfortable place for reading!

Sept 26 - November 6th Election

The Texas Legislative Council provides an Analyses of Proposed Constitutional Amendments before each election containing amendments . Here is a link to the current analyses for the Novemeber 6, 2007 election.

There are 16 amendments being offered on the ballot for the coming election. In the Legilative Council's analyses the text of each amendment is given as well as the history of the proposed amendment and statements supporting and opposing the amendment.

Sept 24 - LIBRARY COMPUTERS

Responding to increasing student concerns about the lack of available computers in the Library, library staff this week is installing software that requires login and enforces session time limits.

Over the years, increasing use of the Library by non-student computer users and recreational use of the computers by students has sometimes made available computers a bit short in supply. The new software will place time limits on non-student users (the main users of recreational computing). Library staff hopes that those time limits, in addition to requiring a library borrower’s card for use, will make more computing time available to students.

All computer users in the Library, VC and UHV students included, will now be required to login to Library computers using the barcode from their campus ID/Library card. They will also be required to set up a pin number with the Library Circulation Department before use. In anticipation of the new software, those receiving new ID/Library cards this semester have set up pin numbers at the time they received their new cards.

Aug 29 - Library and Facebook
The VC/UHV Library is part of Facebook! Our Facebook presence has just been updated. (search for vcuhv librarian to find us). We belong to the following groups:
  • University of Houston-Victoria
  • Librarians and Facebook
  • American Library Association Members
  • Library 2.0 Interest Group
  • Facebook Apps For Libraries
  • LibGuides / In Facebook

We couldn't find a group for Victoria College - if anyone knows about a group for VC, please let us know!

Aug 20 - Newly Cataloged Web Sites
Yesterday, we cataloged some more Websites - here is a list of some: (search our catalog to find these)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Infoplease
National League for Nursing
NoodleTools -
"NoodleTools combines NoodleBib, an interactive MLA-style bibliography composer, and NoodleQuest, a multiple-choice template of questions to develop appropriate search strategies for a research project. Another section, called NoodleLinks, is a 'database of academic bibliographies' that appears to be in the formative stage and NoodleBoard is a group of forums where users can ask questions and share ideas. NoodleBib has an extensive list of citation types (31 items) including electronic formats. The NoodleQuest form asks the user questions that address the type of information sought and the level of the user's expertise. The user chooses the options and obtains guidance as to where to start in a search for information on the internet. NoodleQuest is a great tool for the novice or younger user who needs help getting started on research and NoodleBib certainly simplifies the process of creating a MLA-style bibliography"--"Best Free Reference Web Sites 2001." RUSA Quarterly, Fall 2001; reviewed Mar. 26, 2001.
Healthfinder
Clinical Practice Guidelines -
Offers access to online publications by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Topics include Asthma, Cholesterol, Hypertension and Obesity. This site has the new Clinical Practice Guidelines for Asthma - just announced August 29, 2007.


Aug 16 - Loved the movie? - Want to read the book? - We have it!
Beautiful Mind
Because of Winn Dixie
Cannery Row
Children of Men
Chronicles of Narnia
Cold Mountain
Devil Wears Prada, The
Eragon
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Human Stain, The
I, Robot
In Her Shoes
Jarhead
Kite Runner, The
Little Children
Neighbors
Out of Africa
Painted Veil, The
Princess Bride, The
River Runs Through It, A
Scanner Darkly, A
Smilla's Sense of Snow
Talented Mr. Ripley, The
War of the Worlds


July 16 - Digital Preservation
Visit the Library of Congress and view its page dedicated to digital preservation. In the lower right-hand corner of the page is a link to digital preservation tips for individuals!

Another digital preservation Web page of interest is at the University of North Texas, which is partnering with the Library of Congress in the National Digital Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIPP). Part of the NDIPP is the Web-At-Risk program defined by UNT as "... a 3-year collaborative effort of the California Digital Library, the University of North Texas, and New York University. The project will develop a Web Archiving Service that enables curators to build collections of web-published materials. The content will be collected largely from US federal and state government agencies, but will also include political policy documents, campaign literature, and information surrounding political movements."

July 3 - Library Careers Can Be Exciting!
See the latest blog posting by Lesa Holstein and you will realize that a career in libraries can be exciting!

While you are at Lesa's blog, check out her posting titled, "The Modern Librarian." It has a link to the Hollywood Librarian Trailer at YouTube.

June 29 - Try Web Sites!
Try some of these great Web sites that we have recently added to our Library catalog -
  1. American Jouneys
  2. Copyright Crash Course
  3. Global Change Master Directory
  4. Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program


Check our Library catalog search box on our homepage for more interesting Web sites.

June 20 - Virginia Tech Tragedy
The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has issued a report titled Report to the President on Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy. This report just became available on June 19th. There is also a link to the report from the VC/UHV Library Catalog.

The main parts of this report are:
Key Findings
Convassing the Nation
Common Themes and Observations
Findings and Recommendations:
  • Critical Information Sharing Faces Substantial Obstacles
  • Accurate and Complete Information on Individuals Prohibited from Possessing Firearms is Essential to Keep Guns Out of the Wrong Hands
  • Improved Awareness and Communication are Key to Prevention
  • It is Critical to Get People with Mental Illness Services They Need
  • Where We Know What to Do, We Have to be Better at Doing It
Conclusion


June 12 - High School Debate Topic for 2007/08
The high school debate topic for 2007/08 is whether the United States should raise its public health assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa.

The University of Michigan Documents Department has created a Web page for use in preparing for the debate topic. The address is http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/debate07.html . A section of the Web site connects to previous debate topics going back to 1995/96.

June 11 - Current Newspapers and Magazines Move!
As part of the reorganization of the Library's second floor, current newspapers and magazines have moved to the Northwest corner of the first floor with the Leisure Reading books. This is a light area with comfortable seating. It is a perfect place to relax between classes.
 
Catch up on what's new in the Wall Street Journal, the Yoakum-Herald Times, or the Texas Monthly!

May 29 - West Parking Lot
Victoria College has started construction on an expanded parking lot space on the West side of the Library. Plans are to have the new parking space completed by the beginning of the Fall semester. The lower level West side doors should be used for emergency exit only!

May 23 - Watch Movies!
Between semesters? How about checking out a movie from the Media Center?

From the American Film Institute's List of 100 Best Movies, we have these (and many more) movies on VHS:

  • Some Like It Hot
  • Psycho
  • Taxi Driver

For those who no longer have a VHS player, we have these (and many more) movies on DVD:

  • The Princess Bride
  • Easy Rider
  • Monsoon Wedding
  • Lonestar
  • Do the Right Thing


May 18 - Between Semesters?
How about some fiction from our Leisure Reading area?
  • The Best American Nonrequired Reading - edited by Dave Eggers
  • Anansi Boys - by Neil Gaiman
  • Water for Elephants - by Sara Gruen
  • The Road - by Cormac McCarthy
  • A Dirty Job - by Christopher Moore
  • Diary, a novel - by Chuck Palahniuk
  • The Dirty Girls Social Club - by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
  • In Her Shoes - by Jennifer Weiner
Search our Catalog for more! Advanced Catalog Search

May 2 - Trivia Contest
To go along with the current display featuring the history of the VC/UHV Library, the Library is sponsoring a trivia contest. Pick up your entry at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor.

The contest ends at 12:00 noon on Thursday, May 10th.

Prizes include a $15.00 gift card from Hastings; $15.00 gift card from the VC Bookstore; a $10.00 gift card from Subway and a VC Student Nurses Association Diamond Card that will allows the winner continuous and reusable savings from various businesses around town. We also have some Subway tokens for a free fresh baked cookie and a Cove token for a free 21 oz. fountain drink.

April 26 - Wikipedia
Here is a survey profiling Wikipedia users. The survey is from the PEW Internet and American Life Project.

It contains a list of the top twenty educational and reference Web sites as of March as of March 17, 2007.

April 24 - The State of American Libraries
Here is a link to the American Library Association's press release announcing the 2007 State of America's Libraries report - http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/april2007/salpr07.htm .

According to the report, "In the case of academic libraries, the number of visits exceeded more than one billion for the first time in 2004, up more than 14 percent in just the previous two years."


March 7 - New Leisure Books
Spring Break is approaching - take time to read one of our new leisure books from the Library's 1st floor reading area.

We have the following new fiction titles and more:
  • Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
  • When the Light Goes by Larry McMurtry
  • The Texicans by Nina Vida
  • Next by Michael Crichton
  • Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
  • The Castle in the Forest, a novel by Norman Mailer
  • You Suck by Christopher Moore
Non-Fiction Too!
  • Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America by Morgan Spurlock
  • Shutterbabe: Adventures in Love and War by Deborah Copaken Kogan
  • Green Living: The E Magazine Handbook for Living Lightly on Earth
  • Marley & Me by John Grogan
  • Mayo Clinic Fitness for Everybody


February 26 - An Opinion on Wikipedia
Read the following opinion on Wikipedia and see if you agree, "Expert: Wikipedia Won't Go Away, So Learn How to Use It."

The author recommends Wikipedia as a "springboard to other resources," but he lists eight cautionary steps to use when viewing Wikipedia articles.

January 29 - Science Friday
The Library has cataloged its 2nd podcast! Science Friday features the online version of "Science Friday," a weekly National Public Radio (NPR) program focusing on science issues. The catalog record contains a URL, which leads the user to audio files of segments of the current program and previous programs for listening or download.

Use the title keyword option on the Library's homepage to Search the Library Catalog for Books & Multimedia. Input Science Friday and click on the Title Info tab to obtain the URL for this great site!

January 17 - National Freshman Attitudes Report
Read the 2nd annual National Freshman Attitudes Report. "This report describes the attitudes and motivations of first-year students nationally at the beginning of their undergraduate experience." Data for this report was gathered by the research firm, Noel-Levitz. They surveyed 97,626 students from 292 institutions with the College Student Inventory.

December 6 - The Iraq Study Group Report
You can access the entire Iraq Study Group report by going to the Library's Online Catalog (one of the Quick Links from the homepage. Search Iraq Study Group in the general keyword search box and click on the URL to read, download, or print the entire report. This is a Government document issued by the United States Institute of Peace and has no copyright restrictions.

November 30 - Library's New Web Look!
The VC/UHV Library has changed its website! Our re-designed site is now active!

This is a work-in-progress. All of our links do not have the new look, but they should all be functional. If you notice problems or have comments, please contact us by emailing Web Services .


October 27 - Library's First Podcast!
The VC/UHV Library just cataloged its first podcast! The podcast is a reading of The Constitution of the United States by David Currie of the University of Chicago.

According to the University of Chicago's website, "Professor Currie, one of the great constitutional law scholars and teachers, retired from full-time teaching at the University of Chicago Law School in 2006 after serving on the faculty for 44 years." The Library is pleased to provide catalog access to this free reading of the Constitution.

This means you can search for the podcast in our Online Catalog, which is available through the Quick Links or through Search for Books. Search for David Currie Constitution in the default General Keyword search.

When you get the results of your search, you will see there is a URL given with the citation for the Constitution of the United States. Click on this URL to listen to the podcast on your computer's media player. Or, you can choose to download the file to your portable MP3 player.

October 20 - Looking for Statistics?
If you are looking for statistics - census data, economic, transportation, etc., try the VC/UHV Library's Sources for Statistical Information page. This is a link from the Finding Government Information page located under the topic of Government in Choose Databases by Subject.

The 2006 Statistical Abstract, the first source listed, "is the standard summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. It is also designed to serve as a guide to other statistical publications and sources." -- from the Statistical Abstract overview.

This page has recently been updated to include NationMaster.com, a one-stop source for county statistics. Also avialable from this page are the The National Center for Education Statistics, the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, and more.

October 13 - The Quills!
The 2006 Quill Book Awards were announced on October 10th at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Winner of book of the year was Don't Make a Black Woman Take off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life by Tyler Perry. Look for this and other Quill Book Award winners in the Leisure Reading area of the VC/UHV Library soon!

Go to the Quill Awards for 2006 for a full listing of this year's winners.

August 29- Hurricane Katrina - First Anniversary.
On the first anniversary of one of the worst catastrophes in U.S. history, the library notes the following websites as sources of excellent information about the storm and ongoing recovery.
Hurricane Katrina: Picking up the Pieces
A thorough, browsable list of information about finding missing persons, disaster recovery, relief agencies, housing, health information, donations, the effects of Hurricane Katrina on services, and related information. From the University Libraries at Mississippi State University.
LouisianaRebuilds.info
A nonpartisan, information web portal developed by a public-private partnership among government, business, and nonprofit organizations representing Louisiana residents affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The portal provides an entrance to the services, resources, support networks, and other vital information to help residents and businesses rebuild their lives, their communities, and their state. The portal thus offers a "first stop on the way home," wherever residents decide they want home to be. the sinking of the land along Louisiana's coast.
Hurricane Katrina: One Year Later
This About.com site provides articles and links to information relating to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Article topics include relief opportunities, finding a school for displaced students, the cultural costs of Hurricane Katrina (such the impact on buildings with Creole architecture), and much more. Also includes numerous links to sites about locating missing people and general sites about the disaster.
Beyond Katrina: The Voice of Hurricane and Disaster Recovery
Started by a Baton Rouge resident as a storm journal, this blog's focus has become activism and recovery.
Katrina: One year Later
From the Mississippi Clarion Ledger, a special section devoted to the anniversary of the storm in Mississippi.
Losing Lousiana
This site offers compelling photographs and audio on the effects of hurricanes Rita and Katrina on Louisiana. In addition, visitors can listen to interviews with coastal restoration experts; learn about the history of the levees; and gain an understanding of subsidence.
 Hurricane Katrina - Satellite image
August 14 - Time's "50 Coolest Websites"
Here is a link to Time's list of the 50 coolest web sites.

Time.com tells you how they picked the sites and will take your suggestions for any you think they missed. They divide the sites into categories - entertainment, arts and media; news & information; travel & real estate; etc.
August 2 - University of California and Google Library
The University of California may join Harvard, the University of Michigan, the New York Public Library, Oxford University, and Stanford University as a partner in the Google Library project.

The University of California has 34 million volumes contained in 100 campus libraries. The University of California is already a member of the Open Content Alliance, which is scanning and posting public-domain books on the Internet.
July 11 - myspace.com
According to a July 11, 2006 article posted on CNNMoney.com, "MySpace is America's top site." MySpace had more U.S. Internet visits than Yahoo or Google for the week ending July 8th. If you visit MySpace, be sure to read their safety tips!

MySpace is a social networking site that offers blogging, chat, video, and more. It has a new area that features books. Many of the books featured on MySpace are available for check-out in the Leisure Reading Area on the 1st floor of the Library.
June 26 - The 2006 Statistical Abstract
Click here to access The 2006 Statistical Abstract (The National Data Book)
"The Statistical Abstract of the United States published since 1878, is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States"--from the web site.

The Stat Abstract has statistics on the arts, education, population, etc. There are linking pages to other statistical resources on the left side of the Stat Abstract web page. Try this great government resource!
June 19 - Public Attitudes About Libraries
Long Overdue: a Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes About LIBRARIES in the 21st Century is a new report prepared by Public Agenda with support from Americans for Libraries Council and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. click here for a 2-page summary of the report
click here to access the full report

May 23 - Best Work of American Fiction in the Last 25 Years
The winners of the New York Times Book Review's "survey of hundreds of prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages to identify the best work of American fiction of the last 25 years" were announced recently. All of the titles are available for check-out at the VC/UHV Library.

THE WINNER:
Beloved by Toni Morrison
PS3563.O8749B4 2004
THE RUNNERS UP:
Underworld by Don DeLillo
PS3554.E4425U53 1997 (Leisure Reading Area)
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
PS3563.C337B4 1992
Rabbit Run by John Updike
PS3571.P4R3 1970
Rabbit Redux by John Updike
PS3571.P4R27 1971x
Rabbit is Rich by John Updike
PS3571.P4R25 1981
Rabbit at Rest by John Updike
PS3571.P4R23 1990
American Pastoral by Philip Roth
PS3568.O855A77 1998
May 10 - MLA Bibliography adds backfile
We are pleased to note that retrospective content to the MLA International Bibliography has been added to our online subscription through the Gale Group and the Literature Resource Center.

The MLA Bibliography was developed in the 1920s as a record of American scholarship in language and literature. For almost fifty years, it was printed as a section in PMLA, but in 1969 it became a separate publication. Data from 1963 to the present have been available to electronic searchers since the late 1970s.

In April 2006, the MLA International Bibliography added records for thirty-eight print volumes from 1926-62 to the online file. Conversion of these volumes has been in process for two and a half years. This material will be offered to libraries as part of their current subscriptions for no additional cost. All 160,000 records have been reviewed. Journal abbreviations and acronyms for almost 3,500 titles have been expanded, full journal names standardized, and ISSNs attached. Almost 11,000 subject names and terms have also been standardized according to current practices.

The Library will be evaluating our historical collection of language and literature periodicals in light of this new and exciting content now available to our users.
May 8 - Need a Quiet Place to Study?
The third floor of the library is a perfect, quiet place to study. Individual study carrels line the outside walls of the third floor. Our wireless network should be available to users on that floor as well, even around the corners where the carrels are located. We enforce old-fashioned library quiet on this floor.

Need to study with a group? Room 301 and 302 are group study spaces. Room 301 will seat up to 12 and has 2 white boards. Room 302 will seat up to 6 and is also outfitted with a white board. Group study is encouraged on the second floor (in the Periodicals department). There is also space for group seating in the stairwell on the lower level.

By the way, the lower level is the only place where we allow pizza delivery! Drinks should be closed containers and food kept to small packages in all other areas of the library. Pick up after yourself so that we can keep all spaces as available and rule-free as possible.
April 19 - WEBCT Problems fixed!
Java problems which did not allow use of WEBCT on library public computers have been identified. Library staff are rebuilding each computer to fix the problem. As computers are fixed, they are identified with a yellow post-it note on the computer number sign. As the forest of yellow notes grows, all computers will be ready for WEBCT access. Until then, look for the yellow post-it.
April 6 - WEBCT Problems in Library
Public Computers in the Main and Media Library are having problems with Java and WEBCT! IT staff are aware of the problem and are working to fix it. We hope to have the problem resolved in a few days.
April 4 - National Poetry Month
Writers' ClubThe Victoria College Writer's Club have set up their magnetic poetry display in the Main Library to celebrate National Poetry Month in April.

The display consists of a four panel standing display board with scores of magnetic words that can be repositioned to form poems. Anyone who would like to try their hand at composing verse is encouraged to visit the display and move the words as they like.

Visit the Academy of American Poets' website for more information about National Poetry Month.

The VC Writer's Club is advised by Michelle Paulsen, Assistant Professor of English.