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Meet the Librarians of the Oviatt

Posted on May 3, 2013 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off
Music & Media Librarian, Lindsay Hansen

Music & Media Librarian, Lindsay Hansen

Meet Lindsay Hansen, the Music & Media Librarian here at the Oviatt.  She’s been at CSUN for almost seven years. Not only is she passionate about helping students, but she also has been known to breakout in freestyle dance.

Where are you originally from?
Bloomington, MN, home of the Mall of America

What do you admire most about CSUN students?
 They juggle a lot more challenges than I did in college—they are working full-time jobs, commuting long distances, and might be the first in their family to go to college.

What’s your favorite book?
 Pink Slip by Rita Ciresi

What songs would you include on the soundtrack of your life?
Take Me Home Tonight  by Eddie Money

 Why did you become a librarian?
After trying other fields, I thought it would be a good way to help music students and faculty find what they need and conduct better research.  Librarianship is the perfect way to match my love for music (without performing) with my love for research.

What do you wish every student knew about the library or librarians?
That we will stop at nothing to find an answer or help. If I don’t know the answer to something, I’ll find it.

What’s your favorite quote?
Seid bereit, immer bereit!  It is an East German expression that means “be prepared, always prepared.”

Is there a specific class that you really enjoy doing library instruction for?
Any of the music classes, especially music history and the research seminar for grad students.

If you could meet anyone living or dead who would it be?
Probably Frédéric Chopin, my favorite composer.

What are your research interests?
East German popular music, German primary resources available in the United States, and the information-seeking behavior of Germanists.

  -Laurie Borchard

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Come Visit the Newly Renovated TCC!

Posted on April 24, 2013 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

TCCHave you ever heard the story of the Ugly Duckling who turns into a beautiful swan?* The Teacher Curriculum Center (TCC) has recently undergone a similar transformation.  It has traded in its older furniture for a more modern look and function. The TCC now has moveable tables, chairs, and white boards which create a dynamic work space. Students can rearrange the study area to suit their needs and create an environment that truly belongs to them; it also allows for both individual and group study. And that’s not all! The TCC also added a “study bar” suitable for use with laptops and easy access to the electrical outlets.  In our reading area, we have new lounge chairs with back screens for privacy and small tables for your coffee, laptops, and (of course) books. When you exit the elevator to access the TCC, you will encounter the TCC New Item Display. Our display area went from a repurposed desk to bookcases that serve to highlight our collection. The TCC study area has also been repainted; the new lively yellow “Baby Chick” wall color will brighten up your day. All improvements have been made possible by the Students’ Campus Quality Fee.

So what do the students think? They love it! They say that the new paint color wakes them up in the morning and keeps them energized. One student said “It is brighter and that makes the environment seem more welcoming.” “I really like the new furniture. It is moveable for study groups! I also like the study bar! Thank you” says another. Other feedback we received: “The area looks clean and organized. I can imagine coming down here to study and work with a group.”

Matadors are discovering and talking about the new TCC. Hopefully library patrons continue to discover the TCC. We’re glad to be serving and satisfying the needs of our students.

*If you haven’t read the story come to the TCC, we have it here!

- Gabriel Castaneda

gabriel.castaneda@csun.edu

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Discover Hugo Award Winners at the Oviatt

Posted on April 16, 2013 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

Hugo AwardEscape to other worlds by diving into some of the best contemporary writing – this year’s Hugo Award nominees.  

The nominees available at the Oviatt are:

For more geeky reads, check out Oviatt’s collection of graphic novels, science fiction, and fantasy.

And scifi fans won’t want to miss our exhibit Fantastic and Strange: Reflections of Self in Science Fiction Literature, on view on the second floor in the Tseng Gallery until July 26.

- Laura Wimberley

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Research Therapy: Women’s Health Resources

Posted on March 15, 2013 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

The Oviatt Library has partnered with the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health for this special session of Research Therapy. For more information see ‘Cited at the Oviatt’ blog post 3/6/2013.

Surely you’ve been faced with a women’s health question that needs answering—either in your own life or for a project. Of course, you should ask your doctor if you have a particular ailment that needs attention, but sometimes you want to get some preliminary information online that is free of ads and written by trustworthy health care experts. Or maybe you want to write your final paper on the emotional impact of high school bullying on lesbians, but you know Googling “lesbian teenagers” is probably not going to get you the results you need for a school paper.

So where to start? Take a look at Women’s Health Resources—an online portal to women’s health and wellness information and research funded by the National Institutes of Health. This video will give you a tour:

Research Therapy

The information and research found on Women’s Health Resources comes from a number of valuable NIH and NLM collections. Learn more below about three in particular: ClinicalTrials.gov, MedlinePlus, and PubMed.

medicine bottle

At ClinicalTrials.gov, you can see the status of clinical trials as well as data from finished studies.

What is a clinical study?  A clinical study involves research using human volunteers (also called participants) that is intended to add to medical knowledge.  There are two main types of clinical studies: clinical trials and observational studies.  ClinicalTrials.gov includes both interventional and observational studies
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/about-studies/learn#WhatIs

Image courtesy CDC Public Health Image Library / Amanda Mills

Medline Plus image - Woman

MedlinePlus offers objective up-to-date health information in easy-to-understand language.  Get background information on diseases, conditions, wellness, drugs, treatments, and more.

 Image courtesy CDC Public Health Image Library / Amanda Mills

Graham Stain

Pubmed is a collection of citations from biomedical research in journals, books and more.  Connect to CSUN resources (so you can read the full articles) by accessing Pubmed from the Oviatt Library website.

http://library.csun.edu/xerxes/databases/database/CAL03160
Image courtesy CDC Public Health Image Library / Dr. Libero Ajello

The Oviatt Library also has plenty of women’s health material for your research needs. We offer subject databases and resource guides in both Health Sciences and Gender and Women’s Studies.

If you are using Google or another search engine to find online resources on women’s health, make sure you check out our session of Research Therapy all about website evaluation. You wouldn’t ask just anyone on the street for health information, so don’t accept it from just anywhere on the internet!

Whether it’s for yourself, a research project, or “a friend”, if you need help finding health information or Women’s Health Resources, contact the following librarians:

Lynn Lampert: lynn.lampert@csun.edu

Marcia Henry: marcia.henry@csun.edu

Anna Fidgeon: annaliese.fidgeon@csun.edu

- Anna Fidgeon

Please tell us what you think about our Research Therapy videos at our survey. Thank you.

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The Library Remembers Two Very Special People

Posted on August 3, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

Peter Prager

The Library suffered two losses within the last two weeks, one deeply personal and the other literary but both impactful in meaningful ways. Peter Prager was a wonderful friend and colleague to many here at the Oviatt. He passed away last week after a recent, serious change in his health. As former Special Assistant to Library Dean Emeritus, Sue Curzon, Peter collaborated with just about everyone in the building during his many years working within the Library. Always collegial and professional, Peter could be counted on for a positive and kind word for those lucky enough to be in his presence. His knack for engaging others in lively conversation always brightened the day. Peter also had a sense of humor that endeared him to many as well. We will miss Peter and his warm and caring demeanor and are grateful for the privilege it has been to share in his professional life. The Oviatt is a better place because Peter was a part of our Library family.

diamond symbol

Gore Vidal

This week also marked the passing of literary giant Gore Vidal. Author of 24 novels, five plays, two memoirs and several volumes of essays Mr. Vidal was known for his acerbic wit and satirical observations. Usually controversial and never conventional, he took great pleasure in being a public figure. But it’s his works that speak best for him. A prolific writer, Mr. Vidal found his greatest success with historical novels, specifically his American Chronicles: Washington, D.C. (1967), Burr (1973), 1876 (1976), Lincoln (1984), Empire (1987), Hollywood (1990) and The Golden Age (2000). However, he was also a master writer of essays with his collection The Second American Revolution which won him the National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism in 1982. You may want to take a look at the Oviatt Library’s Gore Vidal Pinterest board which includes an interview, famous quotes and information about his writings.

- Coleen Martin

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