Library News

Fresh Snow, Fresh Start

2012-01-13T14:27:00.003-05:00

It's fitting that just a few days before the Winter semester will start that we would finally get a measurable snow! I have to admit that I found the warm (for December) days pretty convenient for holiday visits and shopping. But now that the weather seems to have aligned with our winter expectations, I feel ready to buckle down to the business of supporting the research needs of our students. Many of you will make trips to the library this semester for class instruction and for help with assignments. We count on you to let us know what you need to help you succeed in your classes. Oh, and for you Graphic Novel fans, there's a new bunch on the way!

December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor Day

2011-12-07T12:37:00.002-05:00

On this day in 1941, Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, which resulted in the deaths of 2,300 Americans. Read more about this tragedy at the Library of Congress American Memory Project.

Try a Kindle, Read a book!

2011-11-07T17:47:00.001-05:00

Kindles are now available to be checked out from the library. These devices will be available to students, faculty, and staff for a 10 day checkout period. If you would like to checkout one of these devices, you can place a hold on the device in our library catalog or ask at the library desk for assistance.

The following books are currently available to read on our
electronic devices:

NEW RELEASE FICTION: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Greater Journey, To Fetch a Thief, The Night Circus, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen, The Eyre Affair, The Help, Mile 81, Far Away Home, House of Sand and Fog, The Kitchen House, The Paris Wife: A Novel

NEW RELEASE NONFICTION: The Greater Journey, When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, Killing Lincoln, The Great Sea, That Dark and Bloody River, Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World, The Orchard: A Memoir, Into the Silence, Miss Minimalist: Inspiration to Downsize, Declutter and Simplify, Heaven is for Real, Unlikely Friendships

WESTERNS: The Night Horseman, Gunman's Reckoning, The Last of the Plainsmen, The Call of the Canyon, Riders of the Purple Sage, Black Jack, The Untamed, The Virginian, a Horseman of the Plains, The Last Trail

TEXTBOOKS: CK-12 Chemistry, CK-12 21st Century Physics Flexbook, CK-12 Algebra I, CK-12 Calculus, CK-12 People's Physics Book Version 2

PUBLIC DOMAIN: Anne of Avonlea, Emma, An Old-Fashioned Girl, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Anthem, Treasure Island, Pollyanna, Pollyanna Grows Up, Little Women, The Last of the Mohicans, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion

CHILDRENS: Girls to the Rescue Book #1, The Blue Fairy Book, The Pink Fairy Book, The Lilac Fairy Book, The Mouse and the Christmas Cake, The Velveteen Rabbit

OTHER: Circle of Friends Cookbook, Einstein's Refrigerator, Cookouts Veggie Style, Hide in Plain Sight, I, Spy? (Sophie Green Mysteries No. 1), Invisible (Ivy Malone Mystery Series #1), Starwars: Lost Tribe of the Sith #1-5

When a device is returned we will notify the next person on the hold list that the device is available. That person will have 24 hours to come into the library and check out the device. Check with the
library staff to ensure that your contact information is up-to-date in our files.

Textbooks in the Library

2011-09-08T13:01:00.001-04:00

The first week of school students frequently ask if their course textbook is available in the library. The college store, not the library, is of course the place to go to purchase your textbooks. For many reasons students struggle to obtain their textbooks, especially at the start of the semester and we in the library want to be as helpful as possible.

Some textbooks have been placed on reserve in the library by the course instructor. We have also tried to provide a few commonly requested textbooks on our reserve shelf. Reserve shelf books are available for 3 hour checkouts and may not be taken out of the library.

There are several other options for those struggling through without a textbook in the first week of school. Talk to your classmates and see if there is a time when you could borrow their book to complete those week one assignments.

Many textbooks are also offered as ebooks. Some of the vendors that provide ebooks may have first chapter samples, or the ability to purchase individual chapters. Find out more about ebook and check the companies that are mentioned to see if they can provide resources to get you through that first week, here.

Welcome Back!

2011-09-06T13:05:00.003-04:00

Brrrr ~46 degrees this morning. Hey this is September not November. At least we aren’t missing anything at the beach on this first day of the new semester.

We are very excited to start a new school year here at North Central Michigan College Library. Great things are happening in our library this year!

We have several sessions being presented by library staff that may be of interest to you or someone you know. Please check or events page for upcoming sessions. events page Watch here for more events to come.

If you need assistance getting onto a computer or registering for the portal, please stop in and see us. The library is also a great place to study or relax. Come and play a game from our game collection to help you unwind between classes.

Stay tuned for all of the new exciting things that are coming to your library.

A Summer Vacation...and It's Right Down the Street

2011-06-23T17:19:00.004-04:00

Last Saturday, my husband and I had to come into town to do some errands. Generally, I like to spend the weekends taking care of things at home, READING, cooking, etc. But it was such a beautiful sunny day as we were driving up Sheridan Street, I pointed out the entrance to the Bear River Valley Recreation Area and asked if he wanted to take a walk along the river(something I'd wanted to do for a while.)

We started out on the paved path and soon were marveling at this slice of nature that had been hiding from the casual visitor for so long. It truly was like a mini-vacation; it reminded me of numerous places that we've come upon when traveling, quickly clambering out of the car to walk a refreshing, forested path. There are large bouldered steps that lead to the river, bridges to view the current pass beneath your feet, and birds galore. The new kayak course creates rapids that challenge even experienced kayakers.

It made me think, as we headed home, about the sites and history of Petoskey that I know so little about. We've collected materials of local interest here at the library for years, and while I've leafed through some of them, I'm sure I could learn more by examining them more closely. This link takes you to our library catalogue holdings about Petoskey. Anyone can view these collections, and students and Emmet County residents have borrowing privileges. You don't need to wait for a rainy day, we're open Monday-Thursday until 8 PM, Friday 'til Noon.

Connecting with Literature

2011-02-07T18:37:00.040-05:00

There are just some people, places, things, and events that hold no interest for me. For example, I saw pictures of the Grand Canyon growing up, but I wasn't really interested in finding out more about it or going to see it. Then the summer before I moved to California there was a book of historical fiction on the popular book rack at our store. It was called Grand Canyon. Lacking anything better to do while working, I read it. I liked the book so much that suddenly the Grand Canyon was interesting. On my way to California, I made sure to stop at the Grand Canyon. Suddenly the places and thing that I had read about in the book had meaning and interest.

Inversely, a connection with a person, place, or thing that is the subject of a book can add meaning to the piece of literature. I frequently look to find connections to the literature that I read and also seek out literature based on a personal connection with the subject. This is also helpful when finding material for my daughter to read.

A sometimes overlooked piece of local literature, that everyone here should be able to connect with, is Little Mossback Amelia. We have 2 copies available in the library. Amelia came to the Petoskey area as a child around 1879. Her family homesteaded just outside of town. What is a short drive out of town today took the family 2 days of walking to reach.

This book can be found in the children’s section of the library, but is a book that Michiganders of any age can connect with. You can even take a drive by the family homestead and imagine what it would have been like. There is a map in the front of the book.

You can also connect with the author, Frances Margaret Fox. Frances is a local author who wrote over 50 books and was the author of the original Little Bear series. Anyone who has spent time in Mackinaw City should be familiar with her little stone house on the lake that is not too far from the bridge, Happy Landings.

Happy Landing Now and Then

External Links:
CMU Michigan in letters:Frances Margaret Fox

What Are They Talking About? A Very Short Introduction

2010-04-20T20:41:00.039-04:00

Do you remember Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure? In this, now retro, movie from 1989, two teens use a time machine, disguised as a phone booth, in an attempt to pass history class. They collect important figures from the past to help them with their oral history report. One of the historical figures that they pick up in their travels is Socrates whom they refer to as “So-Crates”. Bill and Ted paid so little attention in class, that they didn’t even know how to pronounce his name.

All of us are a little bit like Bill and Ted. Every day we hear someone refer to something that we know we learned along the way. “That name is familiar, but what was that all about?” Without a good grasp of these references, it is hard to mentally or physically participate in current conversations. Many of us no longer remember all of what we learned whether it was 20 years ago or two years ago.

There is no shame in not knowing, but it would be a shame not to find out!

Introducing…

A Very Short Introduction

a series that is here to remind you about all the things you have forgotten, all the things that you have wondered about, and many more things that you didn’t even know to wonder about. Each of these little books offers balanced and complete discussions of central issues. If a term is in blue on this page, it is the title of A Very Short Introduction that we have waiting for you.

In school, we are drilled on facts and frequently led to believe that science is fact. So, I was saddened to hear that I no longer knew the correct answer to how many planets there are in the solar system and what their names are, facts that I remember being so proud to have acquired as a child. But like many things, ideas and knowledge change over time as can be seen in The History of Astronomy.

You may have noticed that Nuclear Weapons are still in the news. We have a Very Short Introduction that will help you understand the history, the science, the politics, and the philosophy surrounding this topic.

So whether you fondly remember Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure or you are wondering what a phone booth is, stop in to the library and check out one of these great little books today.

2010-03-15T20:50:00.005-04:00

SPRING

BREAK,

TAKE A BOOK!

Swimsuit….packed

Suntan lotion….packed

Sunglasses….packed

You must be ready for SPRING BREAK!

But, WAIT!!!

You forgot to stop into the library for a book from our popular reading collection. What, staying home and relaxing for Spring Break? That is even better. Relax with a good book.

We will be closing for Spring Break on Thursday, April 1st at 9 P. M. and reopening on Monday April 12th at 8:30 A. M., so stop in soon and pick up a book.

Check out some of these new titles:

Able one by Ben Bova

Brava, Valentine: a novel by Adriana Trigiani

Catalyst: a tale of the Barque cats by Anne McCaffrey, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough

Coming of the storm: Book One of Contact: The Battle for America by Kathleen O'Neal Gear, Michael Gear

The first rule: a Joe Pike novel by Robert Crais

Flirt by Laurell K. Hamilton

Hastur Lord by Marion Zimmer Bradley

House rules: a novel by Jodi Picoult

Kisser by Stuart Woods

The lady in the tower: the fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir

The man who ate his boots: the tragic history of the search for the Northwest Passage by Anthony Brandt

Me, the mob, and the music: one helluva ride with Tommy James and the Shondells

Ordinary thunderstorms: a novel by William Boyd

The silent sea: a novel of the Oregon Files by Clive Cussler

Tea with Hezbollah: sitting at the enemies’ table, our journey through the Middle East by Ted Dekker

Wild child by T. C. Boyle

Check out these and our other great titles.

2010-01-05T12:32:00.001-05:00

Check out some of the new titles in our popular book collection.

Going Rogue: An American Life by Sarah Palin

Hastur Lord: A Novel of Darkover by Marion Zimmer Bradley & Deborah J. Ross

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

Nanny Returns: A Novel by Emma McLaughlin

Burning Shadows : A Novel of the Count Saint Germain by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Wishin’ and Hopin’ : A Christmas Story by Wally Lamb

Fly by Wire by William Langewiesche

Dogs & Devotion by The Monks Of New Skete

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Maddness, The Whole Story 1958-2009 by J. Rand Taraborrelli

Rainwater by Sandra Brown

Check out these and our other great titles when we reopen on Monday, January 11, 2010.

2009-10-20T21:02:00.010-04:00

Michigan History

I would like to thank the Michigan History (HST-270) class and instructor Hollie Johnston-Davidson for stopping into the library to learn about our research materials for Michigan History.

Michigan history is one of my favorite subjects. My family has been in Northern Michigan for well over 300 years, so Michigan history is a very personal subject for me. Michigan history is frequently overlooked in the general chronology of American history due to the fact that Michigan was colonized by the French. However, Michigan history is unique and fascinating, and Michigan was twice the center of the most important industries of their time in the world: the fur trade right here in Northern Michigan and the auto industry in Eastern Michigan. So, as I did in my instructional session for the Michigan History class, let me take a moment to point out some of the wonderful resources for information about Michigan history that we have here in the library.

Resources

Michigan History Magazine is available bound starting with editions published in 1919. You can also find issues online from 1917 to 1922 at http://books.google.com/ and issues from 1998 to the present in our Infotrac periodical collection in the General OneFile database, available through our library homepage or through MEL(the Michigan Elibrary).

The NCMC Catalog, available on our library homepage, will show the plethora of books that are available in the library as well as books in our online collection. Take a look online at the history of our area as told by Andrew J. Blackbird in his book, History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, or relive Alexander Henry's tale of his escape from the massacre at Fort Michilimackinac facilitated by his native friend Wawatam who had adopted him as a brother, in Henry's book, Alexander Henry's Travels and adventures in the years 1760 - 1776. Please ask someone at the desk for help if you are having trouble finding a book, many of our best resources are kept in our locked valuable collection and we would be happy to show them to you.

The Making of Modern Michigan is a digitization project funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and although their collection will be available soon, many of the participating libraries have online resources available, such as at the University of Michigan's Michigan County Histories site.

The Open Library is a non-profit Internet archive, partially funded by the California State Library, with the goal of creating one web page for every book ever published and is a great resource for viewing out of copyright books online as well as information about newer books you may want to look for. Google Books is also another place to look for great materials about Michigan history.

Keep in Mind

When studying Michigan history, like any history, it is a good idea to look for multiple sources of information, both primary and secondary. All history is told from the perspective of the person telling the story and contains both personal bias and a bias of the time period when it is being told. Primary sources may be more accurate as the source is from the time being studied and has direct personal knowledge of the event. However a secondary source may provide analysis and evaluation of the original material, supplying additional facts that may not have been known to the primary source. Alexander Henry would be a primary source as he writes about an event that he witnessed. Secondary sources have since created controversy over Henry's claims in regards to cannibalism, so in order to get a complete view it is important to look at both primary and secondary sources. If you are new to Michigan history, a tertiary source that provides an analysis with a broad overview may be the place to start. Historical fiction is also an enjoyable way to become familiar with the history and spark your interest and curiosity. We have many great works of historical fiction set in Michigan both online and in the library.

Closing Notes

From the time when my Chippewa ancestors lived off the land to present day, my family has been a part of Michigan history. Even if you are new to Michigan, you are now a part of Michigan history. If you don't know much about the history of Michigan please stop in to the library or take a look at our online resources and find out about the rich history of our state.

2009-09-23T17:11:00.009-04:00

Library Technology Instruction:

What will you learn?

Students will learn to utilize different types of technology that can improve workflow, enhance project presentation, and improve overall student success.

Facilitator:

Tana Baldwin, Library Technical Assistant

When?

Enhancing Presentations with Slideshows
Wednesday, September 30, 5:00 PM
G-Mail & Google Apps for Education
Wednesday, October 7, 5:00 PM
YouTube It!
Wednesday, October 14, 5:00 PM
Enhancing Presentations with Slideshows
Wednesday, November 18, 5:00 PM
Not Your Grandmother's PowerPoint
Wednesday, December 2, 5:00 PM
G-Mail & Google Apps for Education
Wednesday, December 9, 5:00 PM

Where?

North Central Michigan College Library: Media Lab

Audience:

Students who need to manage documents, create presentation, or collaborate with others.

Space is limited. To ensure a spot in the instructional session, please reserve a space by emailing tbaldwin@ncmich.edu. Please include the name and date of the session that you wish to attend. Sessions may be added to accommodate additional interested students or patrons.

Watch for addtional Wednesday sessions on APA, MLA, and Library Research Databases facilitated by Eunice Teel, Librarian.

Library Instruction

2009-09-21T18:40:00.006-04:00

The semester is well underway and our Librarian, Eunice Teel, has had a good turn out for her library instruction sessions. Eunice explores the electronic resources that are available here at North Central Michigan College, explains the importance of selecting juried information from a library versus that which is available on the Internet, and touches on some of the tools offered by our online databases to track and cite sources of information once you have found them. Instructional sessions are offered here in the library or can be scheduled at your off-campus classroom location. Not only are these sessions packed with information to make you successful, but they always feature Eunice's fun, eclectic humor. If you haven't attended a one of these sessions talk to your teacher today about scheduling one for your class, or watch the events section of our web page for independent sessions. As always, if you have questions about research, contact library@ncmich.edu to schedule an appointment or stop in to the library.

LIBRARY TO OPEN

2009-08-28T11:45:00.002-04:00

NCMC Library will reopen August 31, 2009.

Stop in and check out one of our new books in our Popular Book Collection.
Use a computer or log into our WIFI with your laptop.
Put together the lizard puzzle, the first addition to our game collection.
Socialize with friends and find study partners.
Read a magazine, browse through a newspaper, or look at one of our other great books.

Then, buckle down and get ready for school. Learn to use our research tools and find out how to get help from our excellent Librarian.

We hope to see you soon. Come in and do some work, or just hang out. NCMC Library is a great place to be.

Most Frequent Check-Outs of 2008-2009

2009-06-30T17:38:00.001-04:00

MICROSOFT OFFICE WORD 2007 STEP BY STEP by Joyce Cox
THE MATH GENE by Keith Devlin
THE EQUATION THAT COULDN'T BE SOLVED by Mario Livio
E: THE STORY OF A NUMBER by Eli Maor
FLATLAND by Edwin Abbott
CHEMISTRY FOR DUMMIES by John T. Moore Ed. D.
BONK by Mary Roach
YOGA YOUR WAY by Cindy Dollar
KRIPALU YOGA by Richard Faulds
THE MAN WHO COUNTED by Malba Tahan
GALLIPOLI by James Robert Rhodes
ROBERT EMMET AND THE REBELLION OF 1798 by Ruan O’Donnell
ROBERT EMMET AND THE RISING OF 1803 by Ruan O’Donnell
TAKE THAT HILL: ROYAL MARINES IN THE FALKLANDS WAR by Nick Vaux
THE FALKLANDS CRISIS: THE RIGHTS AND THE WRONGS by Peter Calvert
PETER JENNINGS by Kate Darnton
THE HELLO, GOODBYE WINDOW by Juster Norton
RAPUNZEL by Paul O. Zelinsky
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraline Brooks
GAME, SET & MATCH by Len Deighton
ONE FOR THE MONEY by Janet Evanovich
THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd

New Arrivals in the Popular Book Collection

2009-06-25T17:36:00.003-04:00

GONE TOMORROW by Lee Child
FINGER LICKIN' FIFTEEN by Janet Evanovich
NEIGHBOR by Lisa Gardner
INTENT TO KILL: A NOVEL OF SUSPENSE by James Grippando
SELECTED WORKS OF T.S. SPIVET by Reif Larsen
PAUL NEWMAN: A LIFE by Shawn Levy
PAPER BUTTERFLY: A MEI WANG MYSTERY by Diane Wei Liang
FAMILY MAN by Elinor Lipman
ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE DECEPTION by Eric Lustbader
SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET by Debbie Macomber
PYGMY by Chuck Palahniuk
DOOMSDAY KEY by James Rollins
WHY YOUR WORLD IS ABOUT TO GET A WHOLE LOT SMALLER by Jeff Rubin
DOWN AROUND MIDNIGHT: A MEMOIR OF CRASH AND SURVIVAL by Robert Sabbag

*Click here to see more books in our Popular Book Collection*

Reading for fun this summer...

2009-06-15T14:51:00.003-04:00

Thanks to some instructors who brought in their summer classes for a library orientation last week, our new popular reading collection has already received some attention. We've just received over 100 popular titles, and will soon be adding best-sellers to the shelves in the alcove to your right when you enter the library. We'd be happy to add some of YOUR favorite authors to our collection, please let us know. Of course we'll continue to support your research needs with our academic-level book and journal selections, both in print and electronic formats.

Oh, and yes, that's a jigsaw puzzle that you see on the table, just a diversion when you've stared at the computer screen too long. It's our tiny contribution to the "all work and no play" philosophy. That's entertainment, folks! Might be more if you like it...

2009-04-16T18:40:00.002-04:00

Finals are coming, graduation for some, and we know that you need your library now more than ever. We will be opening for special pre-finals hours for the last two weekends of the semester.

The library will be open:
Saturday, May 2nd, from noon to 5 P. M.
Sunday, May 3rd, from noon to 5 P. M.
Saturday, May 9th, from noon to 5 P.M.
Sunday, May 10th, from noon to 5 P. M.

As always, please remember that the library is available to you 24/7 online at http://library.ncmich.edu.
If you need help with that research paper, email library@ncmich.edu or stop in to meet with the librarian, Eunice Teel.

Petoskey

2009-03-16T17:41:00.000-04:00

Petoskey in the early days

This photo is from the Trailing Arbutus by Mrs. Lelia M. Rowan.

Library Treasures

2009-02-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

I just read an article from the Daily Review in Hayward, California about a book that was donated to the local library, which turned out not to be a book at all, but a small safe, hollowed out of a Clive Cussler novel. The treasures inside turned out to be family heirlooms, put away for safekeeping decades ago, and forgotten in the day-to-day rhythm of busy family life, then donated to the local library. http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_11701630?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com
There are treasures to find in North Central's library, too. In March we're featuring a "books you've always meant to read" display, culled from our literary jewel box of authors like Robert Frost, Aldous Huxley, Emily Dickinson, Leo Tolstoy, Harper Lee...there are many more just waiting in the library stacks for you, and easy to find in our online catalog. What books would you like to find in our library? Please let us know.

Books for All Generations

2009-02-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

The library still buys lots of books to support college studies, as well as books that we wish someone would use for papers, speeches, advanced study, or to just enjoy. We also subscribe to collections of E-Books, at least 50,000 full-text online books that cover all subjects plus the kitchen sink. Seriously, there are even books on plumbing. We're hoping to add more popular fiction and non-fiction, just to read, remember what that's like?

While checking to see if we could find a certain title online, we stumbled upon a site especially for readers who don't think they could ever read a book while sitting in front of the computer. It's called openlibrary.org where you'll find over 1,000,000 scanned books, and information for 21 million others. These books are all in the public domain and cover history, science, literature, journals and diaries, and the most delightful children's books imaginable. The best part? It looks like a book, the pages appear to turn with a click, and you can use the search option to find specific topics within the book. In fact, it IS the book. Amazing, and not only that, many of these documents are so rare that you'd never get to see them if it weren't for sites like this. Besides, it's fun! We've been adding a few links to items of local interest in our online catalog.

We're live!

2009-02-11T17:53:00.000-05:00

Well, we could be referring to the effects of our unseasonable weather, but what I mean is, our blog just made its debut on the library home page. We hope to use this blog to tell you what's new at the library, ways you can use the tools we offer to support your studies, and any other ol' thing that we feel like sharing. We still can't offer a coffee shop, but we can amaze you with a variety of inside information on research! We'll be talking more about specific resources, but remember that as students of NCMC, you can access most of the databases we offer from any location that has an internet connection, even from that cruise ship during Spring Break!

Your Librarian

2009-02-09T16:25:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Beckley said she didn't have any mice in the library, adding, "the mice around here are hungry for food, not knowledge. They all stick around the kitchen. All I have are rats that forget to bring back books." --The Lamplighter of North Central Michigan College, June 5, 1962