Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

As the library main floor has stated it is National Honey month! The month of September also pays homage to something else, Hispanic heritage.

What does this have to do with the library? The library has a plethora of Hispanic authors for you to read as well as their biographies! Read authors like Sandra Cisneros, who graduated from the Iowa Writer's Workshop and was taught by Gordon Mennega himself! Read Gary Soto a poet and writer focused in Chicano youth fiction. Prefer classic? How about the ever famous Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Fuentes (I recommend The Death of Artemio Cruz), and Isabel Allende!

Not really into books? The AV department has a wide variety of Hispanic subject movies that are both in Spanish and English. There's Selena, about a great Tejana singer and the tragic result of her fame, starring Jenifer Lopez. Or try Vicky Christina Barcelona to see Penelope Cruz do her thing! For practice with Spanish watch Volver or Biutiful.

As always keep reading and stay classy, Coe College!~~~~Paulina

View from the Circ Desk

As a student at Coe there is a good chance thar you visit the library regularly, but do you really know what it has to offer you? I was recently given the privelege of working at the circulation desk, which gave me the opportunity to learn more about the library. I have learned that the people that work here are very willing to help you with anything that you may have a question on, but you have to be the one to take initiative. Right now I personally take full advantage of the AV department in using movies for class but also for pleasure. My most recent watch was A Beautiful Mind, which was for class but also a movie that I wanted to see but have never gotten the chance. I also am in the process of writing a research paper over Paris, and will most likely be asking the people who work at the reference desk to assist me in finding useful information over the topic. Also the library gives you many online options to use, one that I frequently use for my major is psYchARTICLES, which gives me a variety of scholarly articles to use for papers and projects. Overall we have many resources that you should take advantages of to help with your success in college.~Rachel

How does the library decide what books to order?

On March 16^th I asked if anyone had any questions about the archives or library that they would like answered.  Anna asked: How does the library decide what books to order?

There are multiple ways the library chooses materials to order.  One is through Choice Cards.  Choice Cards are stacks of material suggestions recommended for academic libraries.  These cards are divided by discipline and go out to the heads of academic departments.  Faculty review the suggestions for their discipline and initial the materials they think the library should purchase.  Most of the time every initialed item gets ordered, but if the book is particularly expensive the director may contact the faculty member, who initialed the card, to determine if the book is a “must have” or a “want”.

Have you seen the librarians at the reference desk flipping through magazines?  These magazines contain material reviews and news about what is going on in the library and publishing world.  The librarian will read through the reviews in these publications for items that match the campus’s interests.  For example if a professor teaches a class on eastern theater, the librarians will choose materials that match this interest.  What the librarians are less likely to choose are general interest materials.  For example you will find few cooking books (200 crock pot meals), how to books (how to maintain your car), or travel books (a travel guide to Greece) in the collection.  You will find “Chop suey: a cultural history of Chinease food in the United States”, “The physics of NASCAR: how to make steel + gas + rubber = speed”, and the “Journal of modern Greek studies”.

Students also help decide what materials are purchased.  When a student interlibrary loans a book it is checked against 4 criteria: was published within the last 3 years, is non-fiction, is applicable to the current curriculum, and costs less than $50.  If the ILL book passes all four of these criteria it is automatically ordered for the library.  Students may also make suggestions as to what the library should purchase.  Many of the DVDs added to the audiovisual collection are added due to student suggestions.

You may have noticed that I used the word materials instead of books in my explanation.  That is because the library doesn’t just order books.  It purchases database subscriptions, journals, DVDs, e-books, and other informational materials as the campus shows need for them.

Anna, I hope this answered your question.  You, and everyone else, are welcome to ask another anytime.

Have a good day
Sara

Celebrate Women's History Month!

March is Women's History Month, and the Audiovisual Department has plenty of films on display to help you celebrate! Here are a few favorites:

A Walk to Beautiful is a documentary that features the journey of five Ethiopian women that are seeking treatment for their obstetric fistulas, which have left them ostracized by their husbands and communities. Their journey to the hospital in the capital, Addis Ababa, is filled with many trials and hope at the end of the day.

Iron Jawed Angels is a feature film that details the US women’s suffrage efforts of Alice Paul and others, which ultimately ends in the imprisonment of these protestors. Their hunger strike while in prison gains the attention of then President Woodrow Wilson, and ultimately their efforts help to gain women the right to vote by the passing of the 19th Amendment.

Voices Unveiled is a documentary that follows the lives of three Turkish women: an activist, an artist, and a dancer as they maneuver struggles with gender equality within a society highlighted by Islamic values. The film highlights how their daily lives challenge the traditional roles of Turkish women.

Stop in to the AV and check these films out today!



Laura
Head of Audiovisual