September – 2011 – St. Thomas Libraries Blog
Monthly Archives

September 2011

Database Highlights & Trials

Bible dictionaries

It’s that time of year (or semester) where we get a lot of requests for Bible dictionaries. If you are in the library, the librarian can point out where in the reference room you can find a multitude of them. But if you are at home, or in your dorm, or on the bus, or, or (you get my drift) you can still use UST libraries’ Bible dictionaries. We have the Oxford Dictionary of the Bible and the Oxford Annotated Bible Dictionary – this one is in the Oxford Biblical Studies resource.  To get to the Oxford Annotated Bible, go to Oxford Biblical Studies, click BROWSE and then BROWSE BIBLE TEXTS:

OxfordAnnotatedBible

You’ll see several Bible texts, but the Annotated Bible should be the first listed.

OxfordAnnotatedBible2

Just using the Oxford Biblical Studies resource itself can probably answer a lot of questions you may have. It’s a pretty robust, in-depth source on the Bible.

Database Highlights & Trials

Making sense of the world today

FoFAs we all know, it’s been a crazy few months.  The world is experiencing major shifts and changes.   There’s the Arab Spring, the Eurozone, the war in Afghanistan, and closer to home we have the mortgage crisis, unemployment and the US economy.  Where do you turn for information that is reliable, up-to-date and concise?  You could use any one of our newspaper resources to find thousands of articles on any of the above topics or you can try using Facts on File World News Digest.

Facts on File World News Digest is easily searchable and navigable.  Here’s a search on Arab spring

FoFArabSpring

You’ll notice that all results come up (there are 5 pages of results for those of you who like to gather info in bulk).  For those of you who want foundational information, who need to know the whole story, there’s analysis and background.  The articles range from written last week to written decades ago so you can follow the story from the beginning until very recently.  Here are some of the 33 analysis and background articles on Arab spring

FoFArabSpring2

You can get country profiles, primary documents, key issues and perhaps the handiest, research features. The research feature here, called Focus On: Unrest in the Arab World (Research Feature) was updated in September 2011 and if printed out would be over 12 pages long. There is a section for each country explaining the unrest that happened in each in 2011 with links to related articles.

So if you need to clearly, easily and quickly make sense of the world before it changes again, give Facts on File World News Digest a spin. I think you’ll find it to be very useful.

Business & Economics, Database Highlights & Trials

TRIAL – AdData Reference

addatareference

Attention marketing researchers! Our trial for AdData Reference is live starting today.

AdData Reference provides facts, figures and insights into the 10,000+ leading brand advertisers in the U.S. It details each brand’s ad spending for the past 5 years, identifies target markets, relationships to parent companies, the brand’s different ad agencies, plus full contact information for key personnel. To log in, use your St Thomas email address to create an account.

Trial ends Oct. 31

Please send comments to Laura Hansen

News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Uncategorized

October is new trials month

Just a head’s up to everyone keen on trying out new, potential resources… October is new database trials month*. We trial new products twice a year and love to get feedback. A few of them are starting to trickle in a bit early.  Look at the Database Highlights and Trials blog over in the lower right corner of the Library’s homepage.  Some trials last for a week, some for a month. So if you see them and they strike your fancy, give ’em a test run. And send us your comments – good or bad.  We’re always interested in hearing what you have to say (or write).

* New database trials month is competing with an awful lot of other month-long celebrations to get your attention.  According to Wikipedia, October is also

3D Ultrasound Awareness Month
American Pharmacist Month
Black History Month (in United Kingdom)
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Celiac Sprue Awareness Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Dwarfism Awareness Month
Fair Trade Month
Filipino American History Month (in United States)
German American Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15 in the United States)
Health Literacy Month
Healthy Lung Month
Italian American Heritage Month: Italian Heritage and Culture Month
Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender History Month (LGBT History Month) (in United States)
Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month
National Arts & Humanities Month (in United States)
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (in United States and Canada)
National Cyber Security Awareness Month (in United States)
National Dental Hygiene Month (in United States)
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month (in United States)
National Down Syndrome Awareness Month (in United States)
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15 in the United States)
National Infertility Awareness Month (in United States)
National Lupus Erythematosus Awareness Month (in United States)
National Physical Therapy Month (in United States)
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month (in United States)
Polish American Heritage Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month (in United States)
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month (in United States)
World Blindness Awareness Month

I didn’t know it was 3D ultrasound awareness month.  Good thing I found that out before the month began so I can be aware of it.  I did know, however, that it was Italian American Heritage month.  With a last name of DeLuca, that can’t get past me.

News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Uncategorized

Larry McDonough, jazz pianist, Thursday afternoon in the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library

You are cordially invited to Celebrate National Coffee Day with us on September 29!  

 larry mcdonough

 

Music in the Library invites all to hear Larry McDonough (jazz pianist, composer, arranger, educator) in an encore performance in the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, this Thursday, September 29, between 2pm and 3pm in the O’Shaughnessy Room – right next to the coffee shop!

His Bio:  Larry McDonough has been performing in the area for 35 years.  He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in music education from the University of Minnesota in 1978, performing on piano and trumpet, and in school ensembles with Clark Terry and Thad Jones, and for President Nixon and the President of Mexico. 

 He played extensively in the Twin Cities in the 1970’s and early 1980’s, performing solo and in his own duos and trios.  He regularly performed at the old Night Train club in the Como Avenue warehouse area, and at the Jax Restaurant.  He also taught, and composed and arranged for high school band.

McDonough moved away in the earlier 1980’s, and after returning a few years later, he performed primarily at private functions, including a performance for First Lady Hillary Clinton.  He began playing jazz publicly again in the late 1990s, performing solo and in his own duos and trios, and with BOZO allegro.  McDonough appeared on BOZO allegro’s second CD, Relentlessly Cheerful.

He has released five CDs under his own name.  Two are CDs of solo piano jazz, “Small Steps” and “Tuscarora: Short Stories for Jazz Piano,” two are of his ensembles, “Live, Cooking at the Dakota” and “Simple Gifts,” and “My Favorite Things: Odd Times for Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra and Concert Band,” a compilation of high school ensemble performances of original pieces and arrangements.  He records for his own independent label, LM Jazz.

McDonough has performed with legendary saxophonist and composer Benny Golson, Trombonist Fred Wesley, and trumpeter Duane Eubanks.  He also has performed with such groups and performers as the Wolverines; vocalists Patty Peterson, Shirley Witherspoon, Connie Olson, Diane Jarvi, and Vicki Mountain; bassists Bruce “Pooch” Heine, Tom Lewis, Tom Hubbard, Billy Peterson, Paul Peterson, Kevin Barnes, and Chuck Adams; guitarists Mike Elliott, Brian Barnes and Bill Bergmann; mandolin player Chris Silver; drummers Dave Stanoch, Dave Hagedorn, Phil Hey and Kevin Washington, and horn players Eric Leeds, Dave Jensen, Kathy Jensen, Phil Holm, Ruston Reynolds, Dave Hagner, and Jeff King; as well as cover bands Jules and the Mystics. 

In 2007 he was inducted into the Minnesota Rock Country Hall of Fame for his work in the group Danny’s Reasons. 

He now performs solo, as well with his group, Larry McDonough Quartet.  A former high school band director, he also works at Minneapolis Legal Aid as a tenants’ attorney, where he has been recognized by the Minnesota Law and Politics as a “Super Lawyer,” and by William Mitchell College of Law as one of “100 Who Made a Difference” over the 100 year history of the school.

Visit Larry’s website  http://larrymcdonoughjazz.homestead.com/ for more information and and watch him perform two of his pieces on You Tube: Ode to Joy and Sirocco.

 Questions?  Please contact Julie @ jakimlinger@stthomas.edu or call 651-962-5014.

Archbishop Ireland Library, Charles J. Keffer Library, Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Banned Books Week!

As you can tell by some of the decorations going up around the library and on the website, we’re gearing up for a fun week of celebrations.  The reason? Next week is Banned Books Week!

Not sure what Banned Books Week is? Contrary to what you might think, it is not a celebration of banning books as much as it is a celebration of intellectual freedom.  The American Library Association defines intellectual freedom as

“the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular…..BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.”

Each year during the last week of September, we celebrate books that have been challenged or banned.  How do books make the list? According to the ALA website,  “A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group.  A banning is the removal of those materials.  Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.”

So Happy Banned Books Week, 2011!  Get involved throughout the week by browsing the displays at the UST Libraries and checking out the information on our Libguide.  You can also:

Vote for your favorite Banned Books (let’s get a list of UST favorites going!)button

Play  the BBW Daily Trivia Contest! A new question will be posted every day – so check in often!

trivia

Check out – or participate – in the 2011 Virtual Read-Out!

internet-read-out2

Look for updates of Trivia winners and Poll results throughout the week, and feel free to ask any library staff if you have questions (we all get pretty pumped up about this). More importantly, thanks in advance for helping us celebrate!

Business & Economics, Charles J. Keffer Library, Database Highlights & Trials

Finding SWOT Analyses

swot-analysis-imageBusiness students often ask how to find SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analyses of companies.   

SWOTs are very useful tools.  According to the  The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management:

An acronym of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, SWOT analysis provides a simple but powerful tool for evaluating the strategic position of the firm. It is especially useful for senior executives undertaking a fundamental reappraisal of a business, in that it permits a free thinking environment, unencumbered by the constraints often imposed by a finance driven budgetary planning system

Did you know UST Libraries currently have two sources for ready-made SWOT analyses?

(you can also find both of these databases in our libraries’ A-Z list of Databases)

The SWOT analyses are always part of a company report.  Find them by searching for a company by name and clicking the “company report” radio button within Business Source Premier.

Find them by searching for your company within the “Companies” field.  Remember, most companies in Global OneSource are large, publicly traded corporations. Once you’ve identified your company among the search results (yours will usually be the one headquartered in the US, with a US stock listing), click on its name to open up a company profile.  There will be a menu on the left-hand side with a  link to the Strengths/Weaknesses analysis

refusa intl SWOT itself

Can’t find a SWOT?  Don’t panic.

A SWOT analysis is not difficult to make.   First grab a SWOT from Reference USA International (using the process outlined above), to use as a template.  Use Proquest Newsstand Complete, Mergent, and Business Source Premier to retrieve press releases and media articles on a company and its executives for the past twelve months.  (Focus on CEO, Chairman, and CFO interviews, new product releases, earnings releases, and stock analyst opinions on the industry or company.)    Within Business Source Premier, also look for a Datamonitor company profile.  If the company is public, go to their website or to Mergent Online–usually the “investors” or “company information” sections–to find the company’s SEC 10-K, 10-Q, and 14-A filings.

Using the information you’ve found, it should be fairly easy to make your own SWOT analysis of any company, public or private. 

(Look familiar?  This is a repost of a blog post we made in June of 2011.  The interfaces have changed a bit, so we decided it was time for an update.  If you already knew this, please pat yourself on the back for being a database guru!)

News & Events

English Department’s Common Context: “Hunger” Events

Excerpted from UST News Service. For more information see Bulletin Today 9/21/2011 and the English Department’s Common Context page.

begging-for-foodresi4The first event for the English Department’s 2011-12 Common Context, “Hunger,” is tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 22. Students, faculty and staff are invited to join colleagues over the convocation hour at the UST Stewardship Garden behind Brady Educational Center. Participants will learn about urban gardening and food sustainability on campus. Student gardeners also will demonstrate how to make salsa from fresh tomatoes.

This year’s events are focused on numerous aspects of hunger and scarcity on a global and local scale, but they also are designed to inspire the consideration of related dimensions of hunger including desire, longing and the struggle for justice. All students in ENGL 121 Critical Thinking: Literature and Writing will examine at least one text that focuses on this theme of hunger.

Fall Common Context events:

  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 – Film: “We Feed the World,” co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4 – Film: “A Screaming Man” (Une Homme qui crie), co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25 – Film: “Our Daily Bread,” co-sponsored by American Culture and Difference and UST Libraries.  The film will be followed by a Q-and-A session with Dr. Kanishka Chowdhury of the English Department. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • Noon Tuesday, Nov. 1 – Presentation: “Geography of Hunger in the Twin Cities: Exploring the Food Desert.”  Location: O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.
  • Noon Tuesday, Nov. 8 – Food Issues panel discussion moderated by Todd Lawrence. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer of Justice and Peace Studies, Simon Emms from Biology and student Aaron Hays discuss important issues related to food, hunger and justice. Location: O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6 – Film: “Hunger” co-sponsored by UST Libraries. Location: Room 126, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Dec. 23: “Food for Fines” food drive with UST Libraries for Francis Basket Food Shelf. Drop-off sites for nonperishable items: Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library and O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center.

Common Context events are offered with assistance from UST Libraries, the American Culture and Difference program, the Geography Department, Justice and Peace Studies, the Biology Department, and Environmental Studies.

News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

“Fresh” to be shown in Library at Noon, September 22

The St. Thomas Green Film Series will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 22, with two screenings of the movie “Fresh.” The movies “King Corn” and “The End of the Line” will be shown later in the semester. All three movies focus on the links between food, health and the environment.

The movies are free for students, staff and faculty. Because of the interest the film series has generated, each movie will be shown twice. Students attending the films to fulfill a class requirement are encouraged to attend the 7 p.m. screenings to ensure that there is enough seating.

Information and trailers for the movies can be viewed by clicking on the movie titles below. The movies will be shown:

The Green Film Series is sponsored by St. Thomas’ Office of Mission, Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, the Department of Geography, the Sustainability Committee, American Culture and Difference, the Department of English, Health and Human Performance, and Web and Media Services.

Questions about the series can be emailed to Paul Lorah.

By: University of St. Thomas News Service

Published on: Thursday, September 15th, 2011 at 12:01 am

Business & Economics

Now I know why those birds are always so angry

Not only do they have to deal with smug and noisy pigs all day, but now they are being blamed for costing businesses over a billion dollars in lost wages because so many people fling them about while at work. I was immune to this craze for a very long time and therefore had a fleeting sense of superiority until I finally tried my hand at the game and because as addicted as everyone else.   However I know that I can curtail my new habit at least while I am at work.  And so now if you will excuse me I have a Facebook status to update.