The Library is Here to Help and Happy First Week of Classes

Posted on August 27, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

Reference deskWelcome back Matadors! This school year promises to be an exciting time filled with academic challenges and intellectual growth. During this first week of the fall semester, we at the Library wish you luck in finding all of your classes and in forging meaningful relationships with your peers and your professors throughout the year. We will have additional librarians at the reference desk most of this week, so if you have a question, don’t hesitate to come see us. There will also be an Information Technology table in the Library lobby to help assist you with any of your connectivity issues or questions. But support won’t be limited to the inside of the Library building. We will also have a special Ask Us! Booth on the west side of the Library near Magnolia Walk. Librarians and staff will be there on Monday, August 27 and Tuesday, Ask Us! boothAugust 28 from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. to answer your questions about finding specific buildings or classrooms and to provide information about the Library as well. In fact, we will be giving away highlighters, pens, notepads and other school supplies while they last so be sure to stop by, say hello and get your free giveaway items. Happy new school year to all!

- Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged , ,

Campus Orientation Welcomes New Faculty at the Library

Posted on August 16, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

In addition to the many new students who will be descending upon campus in the upcoming days and weeks, more than 50 new faculty members will be joining the CSUN academic community for the 2012-2013 school year. In fact, the campus New Faculty Orientation will be held on August 21 and 22 in the Library’s Jack & Florence Ferman Presentation Room. Coordinated by Faculty Development, a program of the CIELO Center, the two-day orientation will provide faculty not only with basic campus information to help orientate them in their new setting but also provide them with quite a few sessions to support a smooth transition. Faculty attending the event will have the opportunity to meet other new faculty members and CSUN campus leaders. Current technologies utilized on campus and within the classroom will be discussed as well as many opportunities to explore the nuances of connecting with students and faculty. We at the Library are especially excited about the event. Library Subject Specialists will be present and take new faculty members on a tour of the Library. Of course, these are just highlights of the event since so much more will be shared. However, it promises to be two days filled with ideas and support for creating an amazing first year on campus and within the Library. Welcome to all new CSUN faculty!NFO invite

- Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged

The Library Prepares to Welcome New Students

Posted on August 11, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

Matty the Matador in front of LibraryThe new academic year is quickly approaching and everyone it seems is preparing to welcome our new in-coming freshmen in particular. The Oviatt also has many special activities planned for new students within the next several weeks. As in past years, the Library is grateful to be included in the Office of Student Development’s coordinated Service Fair. We’ll have a strong presence at these promotional booths this year as well. Our librarians will be on hand at a dozen of these events to answer questions and distribute Library information. Many giveaway items such as pens, notepads and highlighters will be available to new students. We hope this opportunity to meet and interact with us will help to ease the transition from high school to our campus and Library. The Service Fair days, hours and locations vary but many run within the next several weeks between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. inside the Matador Bookstore Complex. Stop by to see us if you have the time and say hi even if you are not a first-time freshman.

Within the upcoming weeks, the Library will also be hosting our annual Ask Us! Booths. During the first two days of the new semester we’ll be situated for several hours each day on the west side of the Library along Magnolia Walk. Library staff and faculty will be on hand to provide directional information to those new to campus. We’ll also answer other campus and Library related questions that can sometimes arise while rushing to navigate a new academic schedule. So look for us there as well!

- Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged , , , ,

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

Comments Off

Posted in Reference, Uncategorized

Tagged , , ,

The Oviatt’s E-Reference Titles Provide Easy Access to Reliable Reference Info

Posted on July 28, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

Grove Art

It used to be you had to come into the Library if you needed to use a reference book such as an encyclopedia or specialized dictionary for your research. But not anymore. While we still carry a plethora of print reference books and house them readily on our shelves, the Oviatt has amassed an impressive collection of reference e-books which makes finding quick, factual information a snap. With more than 350 titles accessible online, our reliable, library-subscribed reference e-books (Wikipedia step aside) can be accessed from anywhere. Take a moment and visualize yourself doing academic research at the beach thank you very much. Check out our Research Strategies Reference Sources page and discover the wide range of encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, handbooks and almanacs that are available electronically. These reference e-titles can be searched by subject, title or by browsing more than a dozen of our Most Frequently Used Electronic Reference Books. Within these online books you will find encyclopedias in the disciplines of art, philosophy, literature and law just to name a few. Of course, there are also many general information based reference sources and even an entire page that links to government reference data. Who knew that finding government reference sources and statistics on a myriad of topics could be orchestrated from one Library reference webpage? So while we’d really love to see you here in person at the Library whenever possible, we’d also like to invite you to take advantage of our many reference e-books and other reliable online information the next time you have a reference research need.

- Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged ,

Watch Movies Anywhere with Films on Demand

Posted on July 19, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off
Mummies

Select to watch Mummies: Perfect Study Specimens

You may not mind paying $12 at your local movie theater to see that latest flick but did you know you can log in to Oviatt Library resources and watch a film for free and learn something new at the same time? Our Films on Demand multidisciplinary streaming video service provides CSUN students, staff and faculty with access to more than 5,000 digital and educational titles. The beauty of the service is that the films within this database collection can be watched from any computer with your CSUN User ID and Password. Some faculty members have embedded Films on Demand movie links into course pages on Moodle to provide easy access for their students. But the collection can also be accessed from Databases A-Z on the Library’s homepage.

Films can be as short as 10 minutes to an hour long. One faculty member reported being “thrilled” with the selection of titles the database carries within her discipline. She found one video that was even more poignant than the film she had been showing regularly to her classes. The subjects covered are varied but are within a wide-range of disciplines that include anthropology, health & medicine and music & dance just to name a few. Overall, the collection carries films in the areas of humanities, education and the sciences. A Special Collections section within the database also provides access to films from a variety of well-known series such as the American Experience, Frontline and Tedtalks. The videos can be watched in their entirety or segment by segment which is handy if you only want to find or watch a particular part of a film.

So the next time you’re inclined to see a movie or want to share one with your class or peers, we invite you to look for one within the Films on Demand collection. You just might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover. For other Oviatt Library streaming video databases you may want to check out Great Speeches, Ethnographic Video Online and Counseling and Therapy in Video.

 

 - Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference, Services

Tagged ,

San Fernando Valley History and Images Can Be Discovered Online Through a One-of-a-Kind Collection

Posted on July 11, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

first building at CSUNOne the unique collections within the Oviatt Library is the San Fernando Valley History Digital Library. This image database contains many rarely seen historically significant documents, manuscripts, photographs and graphic materials from public and private collections. What makes this such a fascinating collection is the fact that it documents the socio-economic changes and cultural evolution of our valley – the San Fernando Valley – from the early 19th century through the end of the 20th century. Bill ClintonWithin its vast amount of materials and photographs, it contains this gem above which features the first building under construction on the CSUN campus in 1956 when it was formerly known as San Fernando Valley State College. Recognize the CSUN visitor who spoke at the first-year anniversary commemorating the 1994 Northridge earthquake? President Bill Clinton praised local, state and federal authorities for their recovery efforts. An image of a partially collapsed parking structure is seen in his background.

gas station at Devonshire and BalboaMany other regional, non-campus historical photographs and documents are also available within the digital library including an image of the service station and coffee shop at Devonshire and Balboa which was taken in the 1930s. The gas station at this corner looks very different today! Need a ride to Los Angeles?  Check out the first taxi service from the San Fernando Valley to Los Angeles and Hollywood in 1915. The passengers in the photo are taking Thompson’s Auto Stage from Calabasas for a day of shopping in Los Angeles. first taxi service in the ValleyBut you get the idea by now . . . the San Fernando Valley History Digital Library is a treasure-trove of materials for research purposes and has the ability to quell the imagination of curiosity seekers as well. Additional related Oviatt Library digital collections include our Online Archive of California and L.A. as Subject. Other online collections can also be found at the Oviatt Library Digital Archives.

- Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged , , ,

Happy 4th of July!

Posted on July 2, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

flag with border

Libraries and the sharing of knowledge have always coveted a special place within the value system of many of our founding fathers. Several of them held a unique reverence, in particular, for books. It can be said that the establishment of Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia Library in 1731 underscores Franklin’s belief of their importance for those living in a free society. Working with a philosophical association named Junto, Franklin and other intellectuals of the day developed the mission for the library. They chose a Latin phrase or motto which roughly translates “To support the common good is divine.”  

 Thomas Jefferson also played an instrumental role in the fostering and sharing of information within the development of the Library of Congress.  His commitment for preserving and providing access to information at an early stage in our country’s history reveals the American values of the freedom of thought and the freedom to disseminate information, two characteristics of our society that lie within the fundamentals of our Independence. We at the Oviatt wish everyone a Happy 4th of July!

Library Hours for the week of the 4th of July are:

  • Monday, July 2, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Tuesday, July 3, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, July 4, Closed
  • Thursday, July 5, 8 a.m.-7 p.m.
  • Friday, July 6, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 7, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
  • Sunday, July 8, Closed

 - Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference, Services

Tagged ,

The Library Welcomes EOP Bridge Students

Posted on June 27, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

EOP Bridge 2012

The Oviatt Library and CSUN’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) work together each year to help prepare CSUN Bridge students for academic experiences and expectations at the college level. As a team, the Library and the EOP encourage and empower students to utilize Library and campus resources and services so they can be successful during their years here and beyond.

A four-story academic Library can be an intimidating place to maneuver for the first time. However, during the last four years our librarians have provided 75 Library tours for 1,424 EOP students and 28 Library lectures for 704 EOP students to support them during their transition from high school to our university. The tours and lectures help to instill students with the confidence and ability necessary to navigate our physical resources and we find they also help to ease feelings of apprehension which can be a common experience when students first arrive.

EOP Bridge 2012 #4During the tours, librarians guide students in locating Course Reserve and Interlibrary Loan services, our 170-seat Computer Lab which provides them with a place to research their assignments and type papers, information about obtaining research help from our team of 28 librarians and much more. These EOP tours and lectures begin in the summer. However, for many EOP students, the collaboration continues throughout the academic year with several follow up Library lectures to continue to provide them with the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to navigate scholarly online resources and services successfully.

During the Library lectures, Oviatt librarians work with students to identify the types of sources needed for their research, the specialized databases which will carry the information they are seeking, and the ways in which they can properly cite their papers. Several hundred EOP Bridge students will be visiting the Library within the coming weeks to begin their academic journey. We at the Oviatt Library say welcome to all 2012 EOP Bridge students!

-Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged , ,

Summer Fun To Be Found in Southern California

Posted on June 20, 2012 This page was generated by the Oviatt Library| Comments Off

It’s that time of year many of us are thinking about summer travel plans and considering what is around the corner for fun during break. While trips to other U.S. cities and abroad always have their appeal, there are also countless reasons to remain local and discover Southern California’s traveled and less traveled coastlines, hiking trails of magnificent beauty or L.A. sights aside from nature. The Library has many resources for planning day trips as well as full-fledged vacations in Southern California. Below is a list of places and/or activities with corresponding Library call numbers. Several titles are suggested within each category but each section in the Library will have more books on the topic than are listed here for starters. Links to other online information are also included.

  • Beaches and Family Fun – second floor, stack 19, call number area F867.

 Beaches and Parks book coverBeaches and Parks in Southern California by Steve Scholl – This guidebook provides details about experiencing Southern California beaches county by county.

Santa Monica Beach by Ernest Marquez – A pictorial book, it showcases historic images of this well known and loved beach.

Kidding Around Los Angeles by Judy Cash. In this title, the author describes the sights and events in Los Angeles that are interesting to young people. Cash includes details about beaches, museums, parks and sporting and cultural events.

More information about local beaches can be found at the Department of Beaches and Harbors.

  • Biking – second floor, stack 26, call number area GV1045.

Mountain Biking in Southern California by Mark A. Ross and Brad L. Fine. Specifics about the many biking trails in the southern part of our state are included in this guidebook.

Mountain Biking the San Gabriel Mountains’ Best Trails, with Angeles National Forest and Mt. Pinos by Mike Troy. As the title suggests, this book describes interesting and noteworthy biking trails in our local mountains.

  • Deserts and Mountains – second floor, stack 19, call number area F867.

hiking coverCalifornia Desert Byway: Backcountry Drives for the Whole Family by Tony Huegel. This title provides information for planning family outings to Southern California Desert destinations.

California-Nevada Roads Less Traveled by Don W. Martin. This guidebook provides informaton on visiting California desert sites, north and south, that are less crowded.

More information about California deserts can be found at Californiadesert.gov.

  • Hiking – second floor, stack 25, call number area GV199.

Hiking Southern California by Ron Adkison. Southern California’s greatest hiking adventures are described in this guidebook.

 101 Hikes in Southern California by Jerry Schad. This title explores hiking trails within our local mountains, seashores and deserts.

You may also want to take a look at the California Department of Parks and Recreation Hiking information for Southern California.

-Coleen Martin

Comments Off

Posted in Reference

Tagged , , , ,