Book Sale in the Library starts December 7!

Just in time for holiday reading, we’re bringing out hundreds of books for you to recycle as gifts, or to fill your own bookshelf. You’ll find fiction and nonfiction in many subject areas. Most books are $1 unless marked. The sale will continue during our weekday and weekend hours and ends on December 20^th.

Government Depository Anniversary

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of North Central Michigan College Library being appointed by Congress as a Federal Depository Library for US government documents. Currently, the library receives about 24% of the items made available by the Government Printing Office (GPO). We try to select those items that are relevant to the fields of study offered at NCMC.

Many of the items we receive include: books, pamphlets, magazines, microfiche, maps and CD-roms; covering such topics as: statistics, legislative materials, census reports, Congressional hearings, politics, law, business, education, crime and criminal justice, health and medicine, science and technology, arts and humanities, income tax, Social Security and Veteran’s benefits, small business, citizenship and immigration, federal grants, travel and recreation, as well as nutrition and exercise. We also have access to many electronic documents that are not available in print.

That’s a LOT of different topics isn’t it? Were there a few covered that you didn’t expect to see? I know I was surprised the first time I learned about the contents of our depository! The books are not just about politics, but have beautiful photos and art, as well as speeches made by the presidents, all sorts of maps and studies, and even videos. We have information from all government departments, including the military as well as the office of the vice president and the president. And best of all? ALL of these items are in our card catalog and CAN BE CHECKED OUT!!! Just like a regular library book!! We are constantly getting shipments in, so all the information is kept up-to-date.

Come on in and take a look at the display of Government Documents near the entrance. This is only a sampling of what we have available to you? Need help navigating the depository? Not a problem! Just ask at the desk and we are more than glad to help. 

Nicole Cook, Gov Docs Assistant

Banned Books Week

This year, 2012, Banned Books Week is September 30th through October 6th. This campaign, founded in 1982 and co-sponsored by the American Library Association, celebrates the freedom to read.

Why are books banned?

Books have been banned for different reasons throughout time. The most common reasons have been vulgar language, gratuitous violence and sex, and contrary social and political ideas. Books have also been challenged in schools because of their morbid and depressing themes.

Where are books most commonly banned?

Attempts are made to ban books in schools and in libraries. Sometimes books are challenged by parents who believe that their children should not be made to read a certain book as part of the school’s curriculum. Other times a book may be challenged throughout a school or library because someone or some group believes that no one should be allowed to read the book.

Books are banned in many countries outside of the US because they clash with that country's cultural, social, political, or religious beliefs.

The following is a link to the ALA's list of frequently challenged classics.

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/reasonsbanned

What do you think?  Is there ever a situation where a book should be banned? Should books have to meet standards of age appropriateness, similar to the movie rating system, to be utilized in schools? Are there ideas that should not be promoted, such as racism, violence or certain religious views?

Is there a difference between challenging the book Satanic Verses in the Wichita Kansas Public Library because the book is "blasphemous to the prophet Mohammed" and Slaughterhouse Five being removed as required reading for sophomores at a high school in Rhode Island after a parent complained that the book contains vulgar language, violent imagery, and sexual content?

Have you read any of the books from the frequently banned books list? What do you think? Was the book appropriate for everyone? If you believe a book should be banned, who should be able to make that decision and for whom?

Banned Books Week Links:

http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/

http://lib.calpoly.edu/books/banned/infographic.php

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek

You're Back and We're Glad!

Even though it still seems like summer, the library saw lots of activity on the first day of school. It's great to see familiar faces and meet new students who are stopping in to check out books and find a cozy study spot. We're planning some improvements to enhance your research and reading experience, and as always, are here to help you, so let us know what you need.

The Library reopens August 27th

We'll still be working behind the scenes to make sure everything is in place for a successful and resourceful Fall semester. In the meantime, you have the opportunity to cruise through Ebrary, our online database of about 70,000 online books that can be downloaded to your mobile device. See you soon!

Book Sale in the Library

The book sale was so much fun that we decided to keep it going. Old Books and new, stop into the library and check out our books for sale.

NCMC July 14th Garage Sale and Library Stuff!

This Saturday's garage sale (9 til 2) is at SCRC but wait! There’s a Book Sale and more at the Library, too. We hate to part with them, but our old wooden library catalogs are just gathering dust so they’re for sale. They’re a bargain at $300 each. There are many ways that people are reusing them in their homes and garages.

We have an extensive (706) record collection for sale, a mixed bag of classical music, opera, jazz, poetry and book readings with some pop classics thrown from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Take away the entire collection for $100. Contact library@ncmich.edu and ask for a copy of the list.

We'll also have a variety of old magazines and other library stuff like bookends and storage boxes, and who knows what else we'll find in the back room!
Questions? 231-348-6615

A Titanic Impact for 100 Years!

On April 15th 1912, the luxury steamer Titanic sank in the Northern Atlantic Ocean killing approximately 1500 people. This event was a shared experience in a time before there was instant access, 24 hours a day, to entertainment.

The Titanic tragedy had a unique combination of elements that made it a marker of 20th century history. Titanic was not the greatest disaster ever, but it happened in the right place, at the right time, had the right reputation, and the right players to capture the attention of the world and have a lasting impact on our society.

The story of the Titanic is one of irony, arrogance, the pressures of society, class and cultural warfare, technology, and human fallibility. The facets of this drama were utilized as ammunition to further social and political reforms.

This event helped to fuel changes in how society values human life and was an impetus to implement safety standards. Immediate influences were the mandatory use of electronic communication, minimum lifeboat capacities, and the development of the ice patrol.

Titanic spurred debate over women's rights with the questioning of the motto, "Women and children first”, which really only played out in the upper-class where 97% of the women survived.

Already a prevalent issue in society at the time, the death of 75% of passengers in the steerage or lower-class sections of the boat brought about many accusations of wrong-doing and indifference to the survival of the poor. This event highlighted class struggles and helped to promote reforms in the treatment of the poor. Prejudices toward foreigners were also brought to the forefront of discussions.

Titanic was also a good example of both the fallibility of human technology while at the same time new technologies brought timely news of the Titanic to the masses. For 100 years people have been fascinated by the complexities and ironies of this event. Find out more utilizing the resources below.

Online Resources

The New York Times, April 16th, 1912
The Loss of the SS. Titanic by Lawrence Beesley (a second class passenger)
The truth about the Titanic by Archibald Gracie (a first class passenger)
Note: A view of the social standards of the time is revealed in this account in the treatment of people that the author deemed to be unworthy of referring to by name.

Books in the Library

Titanic Tragedy by John Maxtone-Graham
910.91 M451
Titanic, the Great Lakes Connections by Cris Kohl
363.12 K824
The Titanic disaster by Dave Bryceson
363.12 B843
Titanica 
 810.8 B476
Titanic, Destination Disaster by John Eaton and Haas Charles
910 Ea84
A night to remember by Walter Lord
910.453 L884
The maiden voyage by Geoffrey Jules Marcus
910.453 M334
The story of the Titanic, as told by its survivors by Jack Winocour
910.453 W731
Down with the old canoe by Steven Biel
910.91 B476
Titanic by Judith B. Geller
910.91 G282
All stations! distress! by Don Brown
C 910 B812
Voyage on the great Titanic by Ellen Emerson White
C F W582

Prepare to Meet...Your Spring Break!

We've got a week to get down to business and wrap up projects, or gather information for papers and presentations we'll be working on during the upcoming break. The problem for me is that the recent warm weather has been pretty distracting. I don't ever remember a Spring Break approaching when leaves were already sprouting on the trees, or seeing flowers emerging into full and brilliant bloom. I've always driven slightly south to get a feel for the weather we'd soon be enjoying.

I'd like to offer a couple of quick reminders about some library resources that can make your job a little easier. A word about Ebrary, our online book database with about 70,000 volumes. It's always been available from anywhere you have an internet connection, but now, Ebrary allows you to download an entire book to your computer and various other devices, where it will reside for two weeks, no internet connection required!

Another great option for finding articles is GREENR which stands for Global Reference on Energy, the Environment, and Natural Resources. I've worked with a number of students lately who are doing research in these subject areas who find that this database is chock full of articles from scholarly and popular periodicals, videos, podcasts, newspapers and more.

Remember that with most of the databases you can email articles to yourself, print them, even download them to a usb drive, which again allows access to academic level research without being connected to the internet.

So before you go out and smell the flowers, gather some great resources. It's your research bouquet from the NCMC Library!

Fresh Snow, Fresh Start

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!