The University of St. Thomas
News, Events and Musings from the UST Libraries

April, 2012

Congrats Kia Johnson and Chloe Lawyer!

Published on: Wednesday, April 25th, 2012

A huge congratulations go out to Kia Johnson and Chloe Lawyer for receiving Goldwater Scholarships!  We are all very proud of your accomplishments.  Hopefully the libraries’ resources were of some benefit to you as you conducted your research.  If you did not find the types of materials you needed to conduct your research at the library, please let us know and we’ll try to get what you need. We’re here to help and support you in your research, classes, and further pursuits.  Who knows, one of us may directly benefit from the work you do down the line.  So I’ll also throw in a “way to go” and “thank you.”

For those of us not entirely familiar with radiopaque polymers, here are a few resources that may shed light on Kia’s work:

Radiopaque objects block radiation rather than allow it to pass through. Metal, for instance, is radiopaque…

Articles on radiopaque catheters

For those of us not entirely familiar with dopamine, here are a few resources that might give you insight into Chloe’s work:

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that serves as a chemical messenger in the nervous system and permits…

Dopamine receptors are synthesized from five different genes and, based upon sequence homology and pharmacological specificity…

Articles on dopamine receptor expression and associative learning

Shout outs for Ryan Augustin and Robert White who were also nominated for the scholarship.  Once again, we at the libraries are all very proud of our Goldwater Scholarship winners and nominees.

More computers at Ireland … help us name them!

Published on: Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Sick and tired of waiting to use a classic Ireland Library computer, well wait no more…WE GOT THREE NEW COMPUTERS…
 
But as the wise man once said, “more computers more problems.” We need to name each of the new additions to the reference room. As observant patrons, you might have noticed that each of our computers are named after a great Saint but in Alphabetical order, kinda like naming hurricanes but way cooler. The next letters are J, K, L.
 
So post your suggestions on this wall, or drop a note at the circulation desk and leave your legacy at the Ireland.
 
^dbh

Drumroll, please! Announcing Library Week’s “Search for the Holy Grail” winners!

Published on: Saturday, April 14th, 2012

During National Library Week, we had a “Search for the Holy Grail” Treasure Hunt every day and invited everyone to participate. 

Here’s the winners and the “Holy Grail” treasure they found:

Student Workers modelling the new Ireland Library T-Shirt

  • Brandon Wanless was the first to find Tuesday’s Holy Grail:  John Henry Newman’s book, The Difficulties with Anglicans.
  • Christian Washburn was the first to find Wednesday’s Holy Grail in the 2012 Catholic Almanac in the Reference Room.
  • Kelsey Willits was the first to find Thursday’s Holy Grail, an Latin-English edition of the Code of Canon Law.
  • Brandon Wanless was the first to find Friday’s Holy Grail, Chevalier’s Repertoire des sources historiques du moyen âge in the Oversize Collection.

These winners recieved $5 on their Express card. 

At the end of Library Week, we had a drawing for this year’s Ireland Library T-shirt of all the people who found the Holy Grail.  The winner of the Grand Prize is Kelsey Willits. 

All 10 items on the Silent Auction found new homes.  Over $300 was raised for adding new books to Ireland Library collections. 

Library Week began with two full tables of used theology books.  Now it’s down to one and all of them are free.  Come and grab some titles to fill in your bookshelves.

Thanks to everyone who visited Ireland Library and made National Library Week great.  The used theology book sale, silent auction and “Search for the Holy Grail” Treasure Hunt were a success!

TRIAL – Classical Music in Video

Published on: Thursday, April 12th, 2012

There is open/free trial access to the new streaming video collection Classical Music in Video (Alexander Street Press) for the entire month of April.  Click on Classical Music in Video, then click the Go To Product box in the right column.  If that doesn’t work, try this:  Access the collection here.

Classical Music in Video currently includes 600 videos, totaling more than 300 hours of performance and teaching, and will grow to more than 1,500 performances and 1,000 hours of viewing. All forms and periods of classical music are covered, including performances by leading orchestras, plus chamber music, oratorio, and solo performances.  Also included is the masterclass series from the Masterclass Media Foundation.  Other content includes performances, interviews, and documentaries from music DVD producer EuroArts.

The Library is considering the purchase of this new streaming video database, so your feedback is most welcome.  Please contact Cathy Lutz (x2-5459; crlutz@stthomas.edu) with your comments on this product by the end of April.  You may also want to compare the content with that in Opera in Video and the Music and Dance films in Films on Demand.  Trial ends May 12, 2012.

Hunger Games

Published on: Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

ARTstor, a great image resource, has joined in the Hunger Games frenzy.  Their blog post of art images from major museum collections helps illustrate the Hunger Games.

Yeah, I know the movie also helps illustrate it, but theirs is really a great blog post.

I just flew through the Hunger Games and Catching Fire books this past weekend.  Good reads.  The books reminded me of Spartacus (the violent TV show, not the tame Kirk Douglas movie) and Where the Lilies Bloom.  It’s got the gladiator thing happening with the games themselves and Katniss collects wild foods for her family just like Mary Call Luther does in Where the Lilies Bloom.

Where ARTstor illustrates the Hunger Games, Films on Demand animates it (again, I know the movie is out and animates it just fine, but bear with me).  So if you’re interested in blood sports, take a look at these movies from our streaming collections:

Blood Sacrifice

On the day of the ceremonies, Balinese villagers stage bloody cock fights. Each bird has razor-sharp blades attached to the feet. This brutal blood sport has sacred significance. Some demons desire a sacrifice of blood.

In Search of History: The Bloody History of Human Sacrifice

Human sacrifice was once considered the greatest offering that could be made to the gods. This program seeks to understand why ritualized killing was acceptable in certain ancient cultures.

The Real Olympics

The ancient Greeks tolerate a level of violence in sport that is, by modern standards, horrifying. Their Games are a world of combat that has few limits or restraints. Athletes wear their scars with pride, and many games end in death.

Act I: Thirst for Blood

In Eastern Europe 300 years ago vampire is first encountered; professionals record these accounts. A report from Serbia in 1732, states that 17 villagers die from vampire attacks. They trace them back to Arnold Paole.  (I threw this one in for the TwiHards.)