Vending machine in Burling now takes P-cards!

A vending machine with a variety of cold drinks is located on the Basement level of Burling by the elevator and now takes P-cards! Please keep your beverage container tightly capped to prevent spills in the library -- and please remember to recycle empty containers. Hot water and free tea bags will continue to be available throughout the year on Level 1 (bring your own mug -- it's better for the environment!). During finals week, we'll also serve free coffee each evening.

Re-Discovering Roots

“Re-Discovering Roots,” a series of programs related to the history-making miniseries, Roots, will be presented on the Grinnell College campus between September 19th and 28th. The presentations are designed to examine the miniseries both from its impact when it premiered in 1977 and its relevance today.

“Remembering Race, Turning to Television,” presented by Grinnell College English Department professor Theresa L. Geller, will open the programs on Friday, September 19, at 4:15 p.m. in the Forum South Lounge. Professor Geller will explore how televisual culture has represented Black America and the continuing challenge of understanding these representations as well as discuss the continuing affects and impact of Roots on television today and what led up to its historical intervention.

Roots will be shown in six episodes from Sunday, September 21, through Friday, September 26, at 6:30 p.m. in the Forum South Lounge. Immediately following each showing, a presenter will lead a 20-30 minute discussion of the miniseries from a perspective related to his/her area of specialization. The presenters are:

Sun., Sept. 21 (Episode 1) –Roger Vetter, Grinnell College Music Dept.
Mon., Sept. 22 (Episode 2) –Khanh Ho, Grinnell College English Dept.
Tue., Sept. 23 (Episode 3) –Al Lacson, Grinnell College History Dept.
Wed., Sept. 24 (Episode 4) –Todd Crites, Grinnell High School Social Sciences Dept.
Thu., Sept. 25 (Episode 5) –George Barlow, Grinnell College English Dept.
Fri., Sept. 26 (Episode 6) –Shanna Benjamin, Grinnell College English Dept.

Episodes 1-3 will be repeated on Saturday, September 27, beginning at 1:00 p.m, and Episodes 4-6 will be repeated on Sunday, September 28, beginning at 3:00 p.m. All showings will be held in the Forum South Lounge.

Because Episode One contains brief nudity and there is intense violence in several scenes throughout the miniseries, parental discretion is advised for the showings.

The closing program, “Roots Reactions, 1977 and Today” will feature panelists Lisa Adkins, Jon Andelson, Waldo Walker of the Grinnell College community who will discuss their recollections of Roots when it premiered in 1977. There will also be an “open-mike” discussion of reactions from today’s point-of-view, with perspective from licensed master social worker Chelyne Cunningham. This program will be held on Sunday, September 28th, at 2:00 p.m. in Burling Library.

In addition to the scheduled programs, the Grinnell College Libraries are organizing a variety of displays related to Roots. There is a selection of books on the economics of slavery now on display on the first floor of Burling Library. A list of a few recordings from the Libraries’ video and compact disc collections has been compiled under, “African-American Influences in Music,” which is available in Burling Library’s Listening Room and online at http://www.lib.grinnell.edu/collections/RootsRelatedFilm-CDList.pdf. Special Collections will soon place a display of materials on life in the Grinnell community at the time of the 1977 miniseries premiere. Their display cases are located on the basement level of Burling Library.

The programs, sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries, Student Government Association Films Committee, and Cultural Films Committee, are all free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served at each event. For more information, please call Randye Jones 641-269-3365 or email jonesran@grinnell.edu.

What's New Fall 2008

Summer is a busy time in the Grinnell College Libraries as we work on projects to create new services for the fall semester. Look for these improvements in Burling Library and Kistle Science Library as you start the new year!

"The Living Room" and West Lounge: We have created two new lounge and browsing spaces in Burling, across from the circulation desk and in the northwest alcove by Current Periodicals -- with new upholstery and a new look. Floor lamps for both these areas are under construction and should arrive soon. Let us know what you think.

A computer and ceiling-mounted projector are being installed in the easternmost group study room of Kistle Science Library (Rm. 2110). This will provide a convenient spot for small groups of students who need to practice presentations or have other audiovisual needs. This room is available on a firstcome-first-served basis.

ILL Requests now easier: Most of the Libraries' citation databases now link directly to an interlibrary request form if the Libraries do not have a print or online copy of an article -- and the citation information is automatically entered into the form. (But be sure to check the citation before hitting 'Submit' -- computers aren't infallible.)

Laptop Tables: 2nd floor south terrace: We have added two small laptop tables on the second floor of Burling (south terrace, behind the Black Library). We also plan to add a new floor lamp there soon, to improve lighting during the evening. Let us know if this helps.

White board: 1st floor south. Students will find a small white board on wheels on the south side of Level 1 in Burling. Feel free to use this for group study sessions.

NEW COLLECTIONS AND DATABASES: Available everywhere on campus, and to all students, faculty and staff off campus. Connect through the Journal Finder and Databases and Indexes on the Libraries' home page.

● Nature and Science: We have established online subscriptions to the two premier science journals. Science includes a backfile to 1997 (issues before 1997 are included in JSTOR). The Nature subscription goes back to 2004. We will maintain our print subscriptions to both journals for the next year, and then consult with science departments.
● Elsevier's Science Direct Article Download Service: Faculty and students may now access any article from any journal in any year that is part of Elsevier's ScienceDirect database. Each download will cost $22.00 which will be charged against the Libraries' account. In March 2008, Elsevier discontinued the Web Editions program through which we received online access to the journals for which we had print subscriptions. We will discontinue those 55 subscriptions in January 2009. We will maintain print subscriptions for 15 journals that faculty recommended we keep in that format. A password is required: please see the Libraries' home page for further information.
● Education Research Complete. A database covering scholarly research and information relating to all areas of education. Topics covered include all levels of education from early childhood to higher education, and all educational specialties. This will replace Education Abstracts.
● Early American Newspapers, Series I and III: We have added these series to our existing subscription to Series II, extending coverage back to 1690 (the beginning of newspaper publishing in North America) and forward to 1922.
● Nineteenth Century UK Periodicals: This collection includes 1.2 million pages of periodicals published in Great Britain between 1800 and 1900. It includes publications on women, children, leisure and sport, and humor.
● The Chronicle of Higher Education: We have established a site license for this popular weekly review of news and issues in higher education. The site license includes complete access to the Chronicle Web site, the text from the current print edition, posted every Monday morning, a searchable archive of every issue published since September 1989, all the commentary and essays from the weekly magazine The Chronicle Review, and all the data from the annual Almanac and other special reports.