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St. Thomas Libraries Blog

News & Events

October 21-27 is Open Access Week

Open Access logo
Image by MikeAMorrison used under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

 

Open Access Week: October 21–27

Each year, Open Access Week celebrates the potential benefits of transitioning research to Open Access (OA). This year’s theme, “Community Over Commercialization,” emphasizes the importance of prioritizing models that serve the scholarly community and the public rather than those driven by profit.

To help faculty explore this theme and think about which practices are most beneficial to them and their work, the library and Academic Affairs are offering a series of resources and events:

  • Thought-Provoking Article: We encourage you to read this article from the Chronicle of Higher Education highlighting some of the challenges associated with OA models that are favored by many of the major scholarly publishers.
  • Library Guide on Open Access: The UST Libraries have created a guide that offers information and resources about the library’s ongoing commitment to Open Access and its role in supporting OA initiatives.
  • Faculty Workshop – October 22: The libraries and Academic Affairs invite UST faculty to join us for a workshop dedicated to scholarly publishing. The Changing Landscape of Scholarly Publishing will provide an opportunity to discuss your experiences, share concerns, and address the challenges you face in publishing your research. We hope this discussion will foster collaboration and generate ideas for how we, as a community, can further advance the open access movement.

The library is excited to highlight these opportunities to continue the OA discussion on campus and support our collective efforts to promote accessible, community-driven scholarly publishing.

October 4, 2024 by
Database Highlights & Trials

October Research Database Trials (Concluded)

Please note, the October Trials have concluded.

This October, the St. Thomas Libraries are excited to offer trials of two powerful databases: Micromedex and Pragda. These resources will be available for the entire month, giving students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to explore cutting-edge information in healthcare and global cinema. 

Micromedex 

For healthcare professionals and students, Micromedex provides: 

  • Comprehensive Drug Information: Detailed drug monographs, interactions, and dosage calculators. 
  • Toxicology Insights: Fast, reliable toxicology resources for emergency care. 
  • Disease Management: Up-to-date clinical guidelines for treating a variety of conditions. 

Pragda 

Film lovers and global studies enthusiasts will love Pragda, which offers: 

  • International Cinema: A curated collection of contemporary films from Spain and Latin America. 
  • Cultural Insights: Films that explore diverse cultures, social issues, and human experiences. 
  • Educational Value: An excellent resource for those studying world languages, film, and global studies. 

Both trials are open from October 1st to October 31st, and we encourage everyone to explore these platforms. We value your feedback and want to hear from you! Please share comments or questions with librarians Karen Brunner (Micromedex) or Amanda Breu (Pragda). 

Happy researching and viewing! 

October 2, 2024 by
Art, CLICsearch, Libraries

Artstor is moving to JSTOR

 

 

 

 

 

On August 1 of this year, the legacy Artstor website retired, but all Artstor images are already available on JSTOR, and our subscription to that material will continue uninterrupted. 

When you search JSTOR, you will find Artstor’s 2 million licensed images and more than 1,700 additional primary source collections alongside the JSTOR ebooks and journals you already know and love. With the new Workspace tool, you can save and organize Artstor images alongside other JSTOR content in one convenient workflow. 

If you use Artstor you’re invited to get started on JSTOR now!  

USEFUL LINKS 

Start here: Artstor on JSTOR Overview 

Introduction to Workspace

 

 

LibGuide for working with images on JSTOR 

Image: Lee Friedlander. New York City. 1963, printed 2006. Saint Louis Art Museum. 

July 30, 2024 by
News & Events

Highlighting the Book of Kells Reproduction at St. Thomas Libraries

Meet The Book of Kells, also known as The Book of Columba, an ancient Celtic gospel created around 800 AD. Our reproduction of The Book of Kells was given to The University of St. Thomas by John O’Shaughnessy, grandson of Ignatius Aloysius O’Shaughnessy, who was the largest financial benefactor to St. Thomas during his time. The original Book of Kells was created by monks living in the historic areas of current day Ireland or Scotland. They illustrated the gospel stories of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in beautiful detail in a style known as an illuminated manuscript. We’re not sure exactly who created the Book of Kells, but researchers have identified at least 4 different types of handwriting and art styles. They believe each section was written by different monks, currently referred to as A, B, C, and D. 

Internal picture of the book of Kells - a decorated letter P takes up the whole page

The Book of Kells wasn’t just for reading. In fact, while the book is famous for its stunning pictures and designs, it contains some errors in writing and repeated passages. The book’s focus was on the art, not the writing. It was known as a sacred object filled with symbols, hidden meanings, and beautiful illustrations.  

Close up of the letter p which ends in a human face

You can find the reproduction of The Book of Kells and other books John O’Shaughnessy donated in the O’Shaughnessy room, also called the Leather Room, on the first floor of the OSF Library behind the Stacks Cafe. Thanks to his donation, we can see The Book of Kells in full color; the reproduction is complete with the specific physical markings and scrapes that mar the original book. 

small hole on the text page of book of Kells

As you flip through the book, you’ll notice big pictures marking the start of different sections, and pages with beautiful artwork at the beginning of each Gospel. The book is housed in a leather presentation box, embellished with silver plated metalwork and embossed with gold knotwork designs inspired by decorative elements from the original Book of Kells.

black and silver book case with delicate gold detail

Come visit the Book of Kells and wonderful treasures at the University of St. Thomas libraries!  

Blog Post and photos by: Hannah Brenden, St. Thomas ’24

July 9, 2024 by
Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Special Collections and Archives

Celebrating the 150th Birthday of G. K. Chesterton!

On May 29th,  the world will celebrate the enduring legacy of the remarkable English author, critic, Catholic apologist, and philosopher, G. K. Chesterton, on what would have been his 150th birthday. Revered as “the apostle of common sense,” Chesterton’s literary repertoire spans across various genres – from prose to poetry, drama to journalism – covering a wide array of topics including history, theology, and current events, all infused with his distinctive wit and irony.

While many know Chesterton for his influential autobiography, Orthodoxy, where he vividly recounts his journey to Christianity, his contributions extend far beyond this seminal work. A convert to Roman Catholicism in 1922, Chesterton is perhaps best remembered for his metaphysical thriller, The Man Who Was Thursday, his noted work of apologetics, The Everlasting Man,  biographies of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas Aquinas and, of course, the beloved Father Brown mystery series.

At the St. Thomas Libraries’ Special Collections Department, we curate a treasury of over 2,000 first editions, fine printings, and foreign translations of Chesterton’s literary masterpieces. This collection is one of the most comprehensive gatherings of its kind in the United States. For more information see our website.

May 16, 2024 by
New Materials

New Ebsco content!

The library is pleased to announce to the St. Thomas community that we now have access to additional content in our Ebsco databases.

Many Ebsco databases are available at different “levels” (elite, premier, source, ultimate, etc.). The higher the level, the more content provided. St. Thomas library staff coordinated with Ebsco to upgrade the following three databases:

WAS: Academic Search Premier
NEW: Academic Search Ultimate

WAS:  Education Full Text
NEW: Education Source

WAS: Communication & Mass Media Complete
NEW: Communication Source

NEW: Ethnic Diversity Source
The library also has all-new access to this Ebsco database, which includes hundreds of journals and thousands of e-books covering the culture, traditions, social treatment and lived experiences of different ethnic groups in America.

You can access all of this content from the library’s A-Z list of databases.

February 8, 2024 by
Database Highlights & Trials

February Research Database Trials (Concluded)

Please note, the February Trials have concluded.

During the month of February, the University of St. Thomas Libraries is trialing five research databases. This is an opportunity for the UST community to use these subscriptions at no cost and help determine whether or not the libraries should invest in these resources in the future. We encourage you to provide any feedback about these resources — positive or negative — to the sponsoring librarian listed with each resource by February 24th.  

ASME Digital Collection

Access the ASME Digital Collection 

The ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Digital Collection provides unparalleled depth, breadth, and quality of peer-reviewed content. The platform is an essential resource for professionals seeking engineering solutions to global challenges. It includes:  

  • ASME’s Journals from 1933-present 
  • ASME’s Conference Proceedings from 2000-present and selected proceedings back to 1955  
  • ASME eBooks from 1993-present with selected titles back to 1944 

Please contact Jim Kelly with any questions or feedback. 

 

Compendex on Engineering Village

Access Compendex on Engineering Village 

Elsevier’s Compendex on the Engineering Village platform comprises journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, standards, books, and, recently, preprints. The content is sourced from thousands of publishers from around the world, including major engineering societies like IEEE, ASME, SAE, ACM, and many others. The amount of engineering-focused scholarly and technical literature in Compendex is vast and global in scope, featuring everything from the latest cutting-edge findings to historical research and innovations. 

Please contact Jim Kelly with any questions or feedback. 

 

Inspec on Engineering Village

Access Inspec on Engineering Village 

Inspec hosted on Elsevier’s Engineering Village platform contains over 22 million records from across global publishers to deliver quality content to a wide range of research communities.  

Inspec uses precise, subject-specific indexing to enhance the discoverability of scientific research across physics, electrical engineering and electronics, computers and control, mechanical and production engineering, information technology, and more. 

Please contact Jim Kelly with any questions or feedback. 

 

ProQuest One Business 

Access ProQuest One Business 

ProQuest One Business is designed to support the unique teaching and learning needs of business faculty and students. Developed in collaboration with faculty, students, and business librarians, ProQuest One Business delivers a mix of practical and theoretical content in an interface that helps students build the research skills they’ll need for success in their courses and careers. A business-focused interface intuitively guides users to content including journal articles, books, and company, industry, and country reports. 

Please contact Andrea Koeppe with any questions or feedback. 

 

Trends & Policy: U.S. Immigration 

Access Trends & Policy: U.S. Immigration (Use the menu in the upper left corner to limit to U.S. Immigration) 

Trends and Policy: U.S. Immigration from ProQuest connects policies implemented by the U.S. government with statistics showing the results of those policies and provides context with analytical reports and news articles.  It is designed to be a tool – all the content in one database.  It gathers U.S. immigration laws and other materials from the legislative branch, reports and statistics from the executive and judicial branches, and contextual newspaper articles. It includes relevant documents from 1790 to today. 

Please contact Andrea Koeppe with any questions or feedback. 

 

February 6, 2024 by
Libraries, News & Events

Library Hours restored for the Spring Semester

January is traditionally a quiet time on campus with most students away for J-Term.  While on some level we enjoy the slower pace, it can get a little too quiet around here.  That’s why we always look forward to the start of a new semester and the renewed energy of students returning to campus.

The O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library is open seven days a week, most nights until 12:00 am.  Check here for more details and sporadic schedule changes throughout the semester.  And note that OSF Library access will be available by St. Thomas ID card only after 8:00 pm. 

And if it’s a quiet place to study, or a lively environment to meet with a group, the OSF library has space to accommodate everyone; along with the re-opening of Stacks Cafe, our in-library coffee house that offers drinks and light snacks. 

As a reminder, librarians and library staff are here to help students at any point in their research process, either in the library or via online databases that they can access from remote locations 24/7.  We are all here to help students have a successful semester! 

February 5, 2024 by
Art, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Artstor moving to Jstor on August 1st

jstor and artstor logos

No doubt many of you have learned that Artstor will permanently become Artstor on JSTOR effective August 1st. All current Artstor access points on the UST Libraries site will redirect to JSTOR on August 1st. Given that JSTOR is one of the most frequently used online resources by students and faculty, this migration should help everyone easily find Artstor’s growing collections of images. JSTOR will include the same functionality as the current Artstor platform with enhanced capabilities, such as the two search tabs: All Content and Images. To learn more about what’s included in this move, JSTOR has provided an Artstor on JSTOR support page.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to Ask Us.

 

January 31, 2024 by
News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Special Collections and Archives

Folio Society Books on Exhibit

Step into the O’Shaughnessy Room, affectionately known as “The Leather Room,” on the main floor of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by a treasure trove of classic works of history and literature. These gems were generously donated to the library by the late John O’Shaughnessy (grandson of I. A. O’Shaughnessy and a former member of St. Thomas’s Board of Trustees).

This remarkable collection pays homage to the artistry of the book. A significant portion of this collection is the output of the Folio Society, a publisher renowned for producing exquisite, illustrated editions of the world’s greatest books and facsimiles of historically significant manuscripts.

Currently on display within the room’s exhibit cases are:

– a facsimile of “The Royal Choirbook”: a collection of vocal motets which were presented King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in 1518.

–  a facsimile of the Hereford Mappa Mundi: the largest and most elaborate map of the fifteenth century, offering a captivating glimpse into the geographical and cultural perceptions of the era.

–  limited edition publications of Jonathan Swift’s Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories.

January 29, 2024 by