Most Popular Books of 2012-2013

Did you ever wonder what your fellow students were working on in the library? Many of them were reading books.  Again this year our nursing and math students were hard at work in the library. Some students found time for recreational reading, and no surprise books from the Hungar Games Series flew off the shelf. Students were also interested in learning how use iPads. Don't forget that iPads and Kindles are available for weekly checkouts in the library. Here is the list of our most frequently checked out books from the 2012-2013 school year.

iPad2

This book looks at the features and functions of the iPad2, covering such topics as configuration, Web surfing, email, photos, the eBook library, iTunes, videos, managing contacts, using the Calendar App, and accessing the App Store.

Gerontological Nursing

A comprehensive and student-accessible text that offers a holistic and inter-disciplinary approach to caring for the elderly.

The Number Devil

Annoyed with his math teacher who assigns word problems and won't let him use a calculator, twelve-year-old Robert finds help from the number devil in his dreams. This international best-seller makes mathematics a thrilling exploration. In twelve dreams, Robert, a boy who hates math, meets a Number Devil, who leads him to discover the amazing world of numbers: infinite numbers, prime numbers, Fibonacci numbers, and numbers that magically appear in triangles.

 Life by the Numbers

This is a fascinating account of many of the ways in which mathematical ideas find application in the world around us.

Catching Fire

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Mockingjay

The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss Everdeen.

Shackleton’s Way

Sir Ernest Shackleton has been called "the greatest leader that ever came on God's earth, bar none". In 1914 he led 27 men in his Endurance expedition to Antarctica, through a long and harrowing fight for their lives after they became stranded on an ice floe, without a ship, more than 1,200 miles from the threads of civilization. For twenty-two months, the men endured temperatures that at times were so low they could hear the water freeze and subsisted on an incredibly difficult diet of penguins, dogs and seal. Amazingly every man survived.

The Secret Life of Numbers

50 easy pieces on how mathematicians work and think.

Flatland

Flatland, Edwin Abbott Abbott's story of a two-dimensional universe, as told by one of its inhabitants who is introduced to the mysteries of three-dimensional space, has enjoyed an enduring popularity from the time of its publication in 1884.

Inside your Calculator

Uncover the mysteries that lie within your calculator. This remarkable book explores the simple internal calculator processes.

Make Earth Day Every Day

 Spring is in the air around the library! The snow is melting away from around our building and more and more green is beginning to show outside. All of the new green showing up after all of our snow covering everything in blanket of white for so many months can be a great reminder to us all of how special the beauty of nature is and how important it is to be forever conscious of it.

The Sustainability Organization at North Central Michigan strives to provide a more environmentally friendly campus, spread educational information to fellow students and staff about our impact on the environment, and to make a positive difference with the influence each of us has.

During the month of April,  the Sustainability Organization is partnering with NCMC Library to provide an Earth Day book display. This book display will give the public a glimpse of a some of the informative books in our library that deal with multiple aspects of environmental awareness and education regarding modern issues. Some of the books include The Last Child in The Woods by Richard Louv, Genetically Engineered Food: Changing The Nature of Nature by Martin Teitel, Pedaling Revolution by Jeff Mapes, and many others. These books are open for checkout to any library patron.

So stop by the library and check out a book or two. Take the green grass starting to pop up outside as a reminder of Earth Day and pick out a book as a celebration of spring and possibly learn a little more about how to take care of our beautiful world!

 Melody Williams

Michigan Notable Books are here!

Each year, the Library of Michigan chooses "20 books highlighting Michigan people, places and events. The list highlights exceptional "Michigan books" published in 2012 that bring attention to Michigan authors and topics."

We not only support the idea, but we can hardly wait for the list to come out so we can learn more about our state and the people who live there. With Spring Break on the horizon, this is the perfect time to come to the library to snag some great reading for your time off. The collection is conveniently located on the table just inside the door of the library.

Baseball, history, suspense, Northern Michigan, photography, soul music...there's a wide variety for you to enjoy and learn from. You can view the annotated list of this year's selections and place a hold on the book in the NCMC Library catalog.

Winter Semester Welcome

Welcome to Winter Semester! Your library has a lot to offer. Check out books, DVDs, games, or today's newspapers. We have IPads and kindles! Use our computers, scanners, printers, and copiers. Explore our website to find electronic resources such as eBooks, articles, and streaming video.

Study rooms are available for individual students or small groups, as is our multimedia lab that has graphic design, photo/video editing, and publishing software available. Watch our event listings for research and technology instructional sessions coming your way this semester. Talk to your teacher about scheduling a library instructional session for your class. The library is also a great place to study or just hang out, so stop in and see us.

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!

December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor Day

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!

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

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!

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

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

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