Volume 8, Issue 1      September 2004      Northern State University  http://www.northern.edu/library

New Librarian has valuable skills

Robert Russell joins us as the Electronic Resources Coordinator, after serving three years as an archivist at Denver Public Library. In charge of maintaining our website and the electronic databases, Robert is also a reference librarian and continues as an archivist.

   A native of northeastern Iowa, Robert grew up in a town of about 300. He then went to Bismarck State College for two years before transferring to Minnesota State University, Mankato to finish his Bachelors degree. He then continued on to get his Masters degree in History. He taught during his first year in the Masters program, and then concentrated on research during his second year. It was during his second year that he became involved with archival work.

  After graduation, Robert moved to Denver when a job opened up for an archivist. He decided to pursue a Masters of Library Science degree so he could continue library work.

  Aberdeen is certainly not as big as Denver, but it is big enough, and both Robert and his wife, a nurse who is originally from North Dakota, are closer to their families.

  We welcome Robert to Williams Library, and if you have any questions regarding online databases, reference questions or the Archives, you can reach him at ext. 7773 or Robert.Russell@northern.edu.

Grettler Receives Award

Dave Grettler is this year’s recipient of the Williams Library Faculty/Student Research Collaboration Award.

  Dr. Grettler has fostered student research projects at the Dacotah Prairie Museum, Gavin's Point Dam Interpretation Center, Riverside Cemetery, and other locations where his students have designed and installed exhibits and developed collection use policies.

  His insistence that his students "interpret primary documents and having all of his students literally make sense out of the past," and his students' success at getting papers accepted, giving presentations on their projects at conferences, and at getting into graduate school all contributed to his receiving this award.

  Each year since 1996, Williams Library has made this award to focus attention on and reward those faculty who, through innovative means with exemplary results, involve their students collaboratively in the scholarly, artistic, research and/or performance process. 

  We congratulate Dr. Grettler and his students for all of their achievements!

Come Celebrate Equal Opportunity Offenders!

Banned Books Week, September 25-October 2, 2004, celebrates the freedom to read. Whether the banned or challenged book is Captain Underpants for its insensitivity and encouragement to disobey authority, or Fallen Angels for its racism, drugs and violence, libraries fight against those who tell us what we can and cannot read.

  To paraphrase the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement:

·          It is in the public interest to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions.

·          Publishers and librarians shall not endorse, coerce or bar access to particular points of view.

·          Publishers and librarians will contest those who seek to impose their standards and tastes upon others.

  Williams Library has on display many books that are on the Most Frequently Challenged Books List. Come see what we have that others may prefer you not to read.

EBSCOhost Replaces InfoTrac

Due to contract renegotiations, the following EBSCOhost databases have replaced the InfoTrac databases.

  Academic Search Premier is the world's largest scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database. Over 8000 journals are indexed with full text from more than 4600.

  MasterFILE Premier is a general interest database covering many subjects including general reference, business and health. It has full-text coverage of over 2000 periodicals, 360 reference books and 84,000 biographies.

  Business Source Premier covers nearly every area of business including management, economics, finance, accounting and international business. This full-text database indexes over 4,450 journals. For more information see http://www.northern.edu/library/journals/ebsco.html

New Library Catalog Debuts This Month

When searching for a book in the library this month, patrons will find our catalog has changed. We are migrating to new software that is entirely windows based.

  What does this mean? More ease and flexibility in searching.  At a later date, an interface will be implemented that will search multiple databases at once. For example, a search for invertebrates will bring up sources in the catalog, Academic Search Premiere, JSTOR and any other database chosen.

  A link for Interlibrary Loan requests and Reserves will still be available as well as the ability to search any and all cooperative libraries.

  Please bear with us during this transition. The library staff is learning the new software and will make it as easy as possible for patrons to learn it, too.