National Hispanic Heritage Month

Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.

Take a look at the collection of books written by Hispanic authors that are part of the display.  Find something to read and enjoy as part of this celebration.

Information Creation!

SWOSU Libraries is dedicated to providing our patrons with the best information available, but a library is not just about providing information, a library should also strive to help patrons produce their own creative and scholarly content.

To this end we have a number of digital cameras, video cameras, audio recorders, webcams and other equipment available to facilitate this goal. The devices in this display are available for check out. 

Just ask for assistance at the circulation desk!

In our media creation room we have many other devices that can be used within the library. These range from state of the art to the hard to find! This equipment includes: A flatbed scanner, a digitization scanner, 2 VHS to DVD recorders, a CD duplication unit, LP Record to CD recorders, Audio Cassette duplicators, and a typewriter.

If you are interested in creating a more involved media project requiring HD video creation or green screen photography, make an appointment for a session in our new Media Studio, located in the basement level of the Al Harris Library! 

Make an appointment to use the SWOSU Libraries Media Studio! 

Read the World

One of the great pleasures of the written word is that it allows us to see, feel and experience worlds we may not know. The act of reading makes the unknown known and the strange familiar.  The authors represented in this month’s display come from Nigeria, Mongolia, St. Lucia, Mexico, India, Japan and Peru. On display are the works of Mario Vargas Llosa, Chimamanda Adichie, Nuruddin Farah, Jiang Rong, Derek Walcott & others.  They represent myriad voices, styles, translations, genders and nations. The books in this month’s display are a small sampling of the world literature available in the Al Harris Library. If there are commonalities that bind them all, they can be found in the writers’ shared love of story and belief in the power of language. 

Read the world, find yourself. 

Salute to Our Military History

July is the month when we celebrate American independence and is an excellent time to take a look at some of the government resources that are part of our library’s collection of materials. The display focuses on resources that are related to the wars in which American soldiers have participated beginning with the American Revolution in 1775 and moving to the current War on Terror.

Many of the books that are part of the display are government documents.These materials have been integrated into our general collection, so they are available for check out.

Interestingly enough, a substantial portion of the government documents collection is available electronically and can be found by searching the online catalog. If you want to know more about the wars in which our soldiers have fought, search the catalog. There you will find books, videos, and electronic resources about our military heroes.

2013 International Year of Statistics

“2013 is the International Year of Statistics, a worldwide event supported by more than 2,000 organizations!

“You may be asking yourself, “Why celebrate statistics?” The short answer is because statistics have powerful and far-reaching effects on everyone, yet most people are unaware of their connection—from the foods they eat to the medicines they take—and how statistics improve their lives.

“The campaign’s primary objectives are to do the following:
•    Increase public awareness of the power and impact of statistics on all aspects of society
•    Nurture statistics as a profession, especially among young people
•    Promote creativity and development in the sciences of probability and statistics”   For more information go to the following site:  http://bit.ly/ZUTY6C.

Statistician Job Outlook

“The demand for statisticians is high and continues to grow significantly. The major driver of this growth is that our global society is becoming increasingly data-rich and data-dependent.”…

“And, there appears to be no apparent end to this growing need for statisticians, making it a solid and rewarding—both personally and financially—career choice for today’s secondary school and university students.“   For more information go to the following:   http://bit.ly/14ItCmi.

Library Book display

The Al Harris Library is celebrating the 2013 International Year of Statistics with a book display showing examples from our collection representing academic disciplines that use statistics, instruction books on the subject,  and  books containing statistical information.  The display is on the first floor of the Al Harris Library.  These and other books in the collection are available to be checked out.

Finding Your Way Government Directories

What is the value of print directories when information can be found using search engines or the search features on Web sites?

Directories are written and edited by individuals who draw upon their experience in government to produce entries for any given subject.  Search engine’s digital algorithms only return a mass of unevaluated sites for each subject.  The list-oriented structure of directories aid the reader by directing them to items about government entities and organizations.  This structure also facilitates browsing to related, but previously unknown information that is adjacent on the page. 

A good directory provides only the best and most pertinent information for a subject at the time of its publication.  While it is true that print publications cannot keep up with the infinite changes of the World Wide Web, the value of directories is the quality of the information they direct the reader to.  If the web address in the listing is no longer active, then the reader can still track useful information on the names of organizations and any subsequent data about them.

The Al Harris Library has directories in both digital and print formats.  See our display on the first floor of the library to examine some print examples of government directories.  The United States Government Internet Directory has an abundance of government web sites allowing you to explore previously unknown sites in the hidden web.   Other titles we recommend for viewing are:  Washington Information Directory, the State Information Directory, and the Parks Directory of the United States offering you ideas for the perfect vacation this summer.

Whether the topic of interest is government, business, or recreational directories are powerful tools for locating authoritative information, which have been vetted for accuracy.  In fact, these directories should be recognized as a neglected footpath that leads to self-empowerment and success.

Jacques Cousteau

Check out the newest display at the Al Harris Library on Jacques-Yves Cousteau.  The accomplishments of this man in any one arena dwarf those of most men.  He was a war hero, author of 50 books, creator of 120 films, and co-inventor of the SCUBA diving aparatus.    He was most known by the television series he produced from 1966 to 1994.  His most important accomplishment was simply making people aware of how man and pollution are increasingly damaging our fragile ecosystem.  All of the display books are available for you to take home and dive into!