Tag Archives: nonfiction

On Display @ the UGL

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Ever wondered what’s up with that colorful bulletin board by the comfy chairs in the lower level lobby, or those big glass cases on the upper level near the new books? These displays offer you an opportunity to learn about something you didn’t know about while you kick back for a moment in the UGL, and they offer us the opportunity to show you some UGL resources that we think are pretty great. Kind of like this blog, but in 3-D real-life format!

Here’s what’s on display @ the UGL this month:

Pictures and readings about poets on a bulletin board

Five amazing poets! And more!

The lower level bulletin board, sponsored by the Library’s Diversity Committee,  showcases a multicultural/diversity awareness topic every month. This school year’s themes have included a timeline of LGBT history for LGBT History Month in October, and a historical look at Black Student Organizations and African-American Studies programs for Black History Month in February. This month’s theme is National Poetry Month, with a look at five American poets who come from diverse backgrounds and write about issues such as identity, ethnicity, and the immigrant experience.

Many titles about gaming are available.

Books for the amateur and advanced gamer!

The glass display cases on the upper level are currently showcasing gaming items! In April, we are holding a gaming career night at the UGL (more on that next week), which is part of our gaming initiative. The display features old consoles and games and awesome books on playing, creating, and programming video games of all sorts. This display case always features eye-catching displays – created by some of the insanely talented staff and student assistants – on a wide variety of topics to spark your interest!

Books about Buddhism are available at the UGL.

Become enlightened with books on Buddhism!

Finally, the small y-shaped bookcase on the lower level near the TV display features books on display surrounding a day, week or month of awareness (such as Eating Disorder Awareness week in February), or a topic of interest to the student assistants who create the display. This month, we’ve got books on Buddhism for Buddha’s birthday which is celebrated on April 8th in Japan, and April 28th, per the Chinese Lunar calendar, in other Asian countries. There are several other important Buddhist festivals that occur in April including Thai New Year (Songkran), Lao New Year (Pbeemai), and Burmese New Year Water Festival (Thingyan). Now’s your chance to read up on them @ the UGL!

As always, want to know more or have suggestions? Use the comments feature, tweet us @askundergrad, or Ask-A-Librarian!

 

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Cite These Sources

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Image of reference books on shelf

Did you know that even librarians like us at the UGL are fans of Wikipedia? Yep, we are. Because librarians are people, too.

But while Wikipedia is a great place to start looking for information on things you’re interested in and might want to research for a class (not to mention an excellent source for finding the information you need to win bets with your friends), you typically can’t cite Wikipedia for your academic research.  Your professors just aren’t gonna accept it (unless you’re doing research on Wikipedia itself, in which case you might cite it as a primary source).

Sometimes you really need credible background information to inform a paper, presentation or project. You need…encyclopedias! In case you haven’t used one since elementary school days, encyclopedias are the (usually big) books, from which the name Wikipedia is derived, that typically offer objective overviews on a range of topics. They range from the general, like Wikipedia or World Book Encyclopedia, to the specific, like the Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States. Like Wikipedia, encyclopedias are really great starting points to find background information, but unlike Wikipedia, credible, published encyclopedias can be cited in papers, as the entries have been compiled and reviewed by experts in the field.

The UGL has lots of print encyclopedias both in the reference collection on the upper level and all over the shelves on the lower level, organized by their subject area. Just to challenge your notion of what an encyclopedia is (big, dusty, can only be used at the library), we also have TONS of online encyclopedias, most of which are electronic versions of their print equivalents. You can access these anywhere, anytime, through the UGL’s homepage (Find → Background Information). And they never get dusty.

Here’s a list of some of our faves!

West’s Encyclopedia of American Law – You’re probably not a lawyer, but you might take classes that deal with some aspect of law: education, political science, communication, technology, medicine…all of these are affected by the law! This encyclopedia doesn’t just offer definitions of legal terms, but gives you great overviews of policies, issues and government departments and processes. (Related: Gale Encyclopedia of Everyday Law)

Encyclopedia of Food and Culture – This title is a little more specialized, but is useful for research in history, sociology, food and nutrition, and other cultural research. Bonus: it includes recipes!

 Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security – It’s not going to bring you the same kind of thrills you get from watching The Bourne Identity.  But if you’re Interested in learning more about the science, technology, and organizational structure behind today’s intelligence and security organizations, this is a great place to start.  It’s also an excellent place to learn more about the concept of homeland security and the complexities involved in the reorganization of United States security agencies.

St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture – Learn more about pretty much anything you can think of related to pop culture.  Entries range from the very broad (like “advertising”) to the much more specific (“Threes’s Company“!  “Velveeta Cheese”!).  Easy to read entries are great for research or just for kicks.

You can find more of our online encyclopedias here.  Now go get researching!

 

 

 

 

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Spring Reads

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spring tree flowering

CC image courtesy of Flickr user q8

Ahhh… spring time. The beautiful blossoming trees, the 80 degree weather, the smell of barbeque in the air….not to mention the whole spring break thing.  What’s not to love?

For those of you still in town, you’ll be pleased to know that the Undergraduate Library is open this week, operating from 8:30AM – 5:00PM through Friday (and reopening Sunday at 1PM).   And while we know it can be hard to find the time to engage in leisure reading when you’re in the thick of the academic craziness, spring break is the perfect time to stop by the UGL and pick up one of our great new books.  After all, you can’t spell “break” without almost spelling “read,” which obviously goes to show that reading and vacation go hand-in-hand.

Here’s a little list of some intriguing titles just hitting the UGL shelves to whet your appetite. You can find these on the “New Books Shelf” on the upper level of the UGL. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Ask the friendly library staff… we’re happy to help!

Fiction – Take Me to Another Place

Out of Time: Short Stories book coverOut of Time: Stories by Geoff Schmidt

Winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction, this collection of short stories is bound to please all you literary types.  “The stories in Out of Time chase after the secrets and sorrows of families, revealing the lengths people will go, and the harm they will do, to keep their worlds together. These characters are not crazy, they are in love and afraid.”—Ben Marcus, author of Age of Wire and String

 

 

Start Shooting book coverStart Shooting: A Novel by Charlie Newton

Like dark and gritty mysteries? Enjoy stories set in Chicago? Then Newton’s new novel is the one for you.  Chicago cop Bobby Vargas and his detective brother Reuben are pulled back into the world of their youth when a local reporter implicates them in a 25-year-old murder case involving their childhood neighbor.   “Newton has created the writerly equivalent of every great Chicago bluesman who ever lived playing together, all soloing simultaneously. It might be messy, but you wouldn’t want to miss a single note.”                                                             –Thomas Gaughan, Booklist

 

Love in a nutshell book cover Love in a Nutshell by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

Looking for something a bit lighter?  Check out Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly’s latest romantic suspense novel, in which recently separated and jobless Kate Appleton heads to  Michigan to turn her parents’ old lake house into a Bed and Breakfast.  Strapped for cash, she takes on a less-than-savory spy gig for local brewery owner, Matt, who promises Kate a $20,000 payout if she can find out who’s been sabotaging his business.  Things get dicey and spicy as Kate and Matt fall for each other and it becomes clear the saboteur Kate’s after is looking to kill more than just Matt’s business…

 

Nonfiction: Some of it Deep, All of it Awesome.

The Complete Hogan book coverThe Complete Hogan: A Shot-by-Shot Analysis of Golf’s Greatest Swing by Jim McClean

The awesome weather we’re enjoying this week is perfect for golfing.  So before you go hit the links, why not read up on how icon Ben Hogan actually managed his legendary swing. Top golf instructor Jim McClean breaks down Hogan’s swing piece by piece in a way that’s never been done before, encouraging you to integrate some of Hogan’s mechanics into your game. Alternate reading a chapter and hitting the driving range, and soon enough you’ll be a legend in your own mind.

 

A Nation of Moochers book coverA Nation of Moochers: America’s Addiction to Getting Something for Nothing by Charles J. Sykes

If you’re a news and/or policy junkie, this is the book for you. A Nation of Moochers takes a look at the American trend towards demanding and expecting “free” money; from Wall Street bailouts to corporate tax exemptions. Whether you agree with Sykes or not, his entertaining examination of the “American moocher mentality” will have you mind-penning witty op-eds for days (or, you know, arguing with your parents, effectively showing them that you are learning stuff at school!)

 

Great American Cereal book coverThe Great American Cereal Book: How Breakfast Got Its Crunch by Martin Gitlin

Seriously… who doesn’t love cereal? Marketed as the “definitive compendium on breakfast cereal history and lore,” this coffee table-style book tells the stories of your favorite cereals (and associated spokes-characters), from Grape Nuts to Trix.  For as the author notes, “Cereal is fun. Eating cereal is fun. Reading cereal boxes is fun.”

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