New Literature Database

Check out the library’s newest database from Facts on File, Bloom’s Literary Reference Online, and let us know what you think.  Research the lives and works of great writers throughout history and the world.  Bloom’s contains: author biographies; work overviews, synopses, analyses, and literary criticism; in-depth articles on literary movements, literary groups, and historical events; definitions of literary terms; literary timeline entries on births, deaths, publications, and events; information on more than 40,000 literary characters; and Harold Bloom’s selections of major works of Western literature.  For more information or assistance in using the Bloom’s database, contact the Reference Desk.

The Future of Libraries

A recent article from the Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed eight librarians under the age of 40 to get their predictions on the future of libraries and librarians.  Click here to read the article.  What are your predictions?

A Decline in Reading?

The National Endowment for the Arts recently published the results of a literacy study, To Read or Not to Read. The study gathered and analyzed ”statistics from more than 40 studies on the reading habits and skills of children, teenagers, and adults. The compendium reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores . . .”

Some key findings:

• Teens and young adults read less often and for shorter amounts of time compared with other age groups and with Americans of previous years.
• Reading scores continue to worsen, especially among teenagers and young males. By contrast, the average reading score of 9-year-olds has improved.
• Advanced readers accrue personal, professional, and social advantages. Deficient readers run higher risks of failure in all three areas.

To review the summary and full report, click here.  What are your thoughts on the findings of this study?

Video Gaming at Northern Virginia Community College

A recent newscast from the Chronicle of Higher Education reports that Northern Virginia Community College has opened a video gaming room for students.  Watch the newscast and review the comments on the Chronicle of Higher Education’s site.  What are your thoughts on offering this service to students?

Study Reveals How College Students Use the Library & Spend Their Time

A recent Library Journal article, Know Your Students, details the methodology used to conduct an ethnographic study at the University of Rochester’s Rush Rhees Library.  It also provides an overview of the findings from this study and interesting insights into how students use the library and spend their time on campus.  A previous post on our library blog, An Anthropologist in the Library, also cites this same study.

You can also check out the full report, Studying Students: The Undergraduate Research Project at the University of Rochester, from the ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries).

Social Networking: Opinions & Practices of Library Users & Librarians

OCLC’s (Online Computer Library Center)  recent report, Sharing, Privacy and Trust in Our Networked World, presents the results of a study conducted to find out both library users’ and librarians’ opinions and practices in regards to social networking.  Over 6,100 users, ages 14-84 from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom were surveyed.  Survey participants included over 382 U.S. library directors and 511 college students.  Some interesting findings:

• Comparison of college students’ & the general public’s online activities. See chart.
• Comparison of college students’ & the general public’s opinion on whether libraries should be involved in building social networking sites.  See chart.

Results should provide some insight into how libraries should make use of Web 2.0 tools for their patrons.

Check out the full report and feel free to comment on any of the study’s findings or your feelings on the library’s role in developing and offering Web 2.0 services.

Recommended Readings & New Titles for October/November

Check out the library’s Recommended Readings for October/November as well as our current list of New Titles in the Library.

Spotlight on the American Presidency

Encyclopaedia Britannica featured spotlight this month is the American Presidency.  Explore information on former presidents, the electoral process, election results, political parties, and 2008 presidential candidates.  Includes audio and video clips, images, and primary documents such as inaugural addresses.

For Book Lovers

LibraryThing  (http://www.librarything.com) is a social networking web site that allows you to:

• Catalog a collection of your favorite books and access your catalog from any Internet-accessible computer.
• Find out what other people are reading and share books with people who have similar reading interests.
• Get recommendations/suggestions for what to read based on your interests.
• Write book reviews and rate books.  Also check out other people’s book reviews and ratings.

To find out more about LibraryThing, click here.  Before you can add books to your collection and write reviews, you will need to register first.  It’s easy.  Check it out and let us know what you think.

Access your favorite web links from anywhere

Del.icio.us  (http://del.icio.us/) is a social bookmarking site that allows you to:

• Bookmark your favorite links and access them from any Internet-accessible computer.
• Share your favorite links with family and friends.
• Find out what other people are bookmarking on Del.icio.us and add these links to your collection on Del.icio.us.

To find out more about Del.icio.us, click here. Before you can bookmark your favorite links on Del.icio.us, you will need to register first. Registering and adding bookmarks on Del.icio.us is easy. Check it out and let us know what you think.