Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Don't forget the Waleska Farmer's Market tomorrow


Don't forget tomorrow is Market Day! The Waleska Farmers Market at Reinhardt University will be meeting Thursday, July 1 from 4:30 to 8:30 behind the former Waleska First Baptist Church at the corner of Hwy 140 & Hwy 10.

The market will have its first fruits and vegetables of the season. Get all the goodies you need for your July 4th gatherings at the Waleska Farmers Market!

Registered vendors for the July 1st market:

Foods
Zach White - Plants and veggies <--Reinhardt Horticulturist!
Anne Sherhouse - Plants
Lisa and Fred Dudash - Jams, jellies, breads and cut flowers
Vivan Tritt - Frozen sorbet ice cream
Robert Czeraza - Plants, azaleas and hostas
Larry Speights - Homemade barbeque sauce and spices <--RU's favorite BBQ man!
Jackey and Colline Cantrell - Squash, cucumbers, zucchini --- possibly green beans, tomatoes, okra & peppers
Natalie Durham - Cupcakes, fudge peanuts - Raise money for breast cancer funds - Arrangedtoeat.com
Judy Walker - Jams and jellies
Master Gardeners - Ed Stumpler and Carol Jackson -plant clinic

Arts and Crafts
Eddie Smith- Crafts and pottery
Carolyn Burkholder - Decoupage plates, photographic notecards, handmade purses and knitting items
Susie Carter - Handmade candles
Stephanie Olsen - Handmade Jewelry <-- Hill Freeman Library Employee!
Bonnie Coates - Certified eggs, crafts and parakeets Birds
Rachael Kaplus - Children's and babies' stuffed toys
Edna O'Conner - Handmade quilts, placemats handmade all colors, bowl covers
Brenda Munday

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Visiting professors and students give RU international flavor this summer!


The atmosphere at Reinhardt University has a distinct foreign flair this summer. From the apartments to the Gordy Center to the hallways to the classrooms themselves (and naturally, in the library), you can hear students and professors conversing in Spanish.
Reinhardt is very fortunate this summer to be hosting classes for a master’s degree in Spanish language and culture, offered by none other than the prestigious University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218, the University of Salamanca is the oldest university in Spain and one of the first universities in Europe. According to Reinhardt professor Elaine McAllister, who was instrumental in bringing the program to our campus, the University of Salamanca is universally recognized as the “keepers of the Spanish language.”
The program, designed for high school Spanish teachers, includes two consecutive summers of intensive coursework, along with a professional portfolio and thesis. The program as initially conceived by the education office of the Spanish embassy would have had the students travel to Salamasca for classes, but that proved impractical for young teachers with families. Instead, the Salamasca faculty has come to us. A team of five professors from Spain and about 30 graduate students from Georgia and all across the country are staying on the Reinhardt campus and enjoying the Reinhardt experience.
Dr. Carmen Fernandez, an assistant dean at the University of Salamanca, said, “The campus is really beautiful. We are very comfortably settled.” She spoke of the success of similar graduate programs at the University of Salamanca, and added, “I think we can have the same success here.” This is the fourth year the program has been offered in the Atlanta area.
We hope our guests are enjoying RU’s hospitality. We know that we are all excited to have them here! Dr. Wayne Glowka, dean of the school of Arts and Humanities, said, “This is the most fun I’ve had at Reinhardt in three years! It’s very exciting. It’s nice to hear Spanish spoken in the halls.’
We have had several of the students come to the library during their time here. Dr. Fernandez said she wished they had more time to spend here, that they had enjoyed a presentation by library director Michael Martinez about our resources. She said they were particularly impressed by our digital holdings, and they enjoyed the American way of letting people browse the library on their own. In Spain, libraries more often have closed stacks.
Of course the library at the University of Salamasca has a lot to recommend it. Its vaults contain priceless treasures and historic manuscripts, including a Bible that dates back to the time of the Visigoths!

I found this promotional video online about the University of Salamasca. It's very impressive! Take a look!



Pay close attention around the 4-minute mark for a glimpse of the magnificent old library.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Nancy Pearl interview with Terry Pratchett

"
If you have enough book space, I don't want to talk to you."
— Terry Pratchett



If you've never read any of the Discworld novels, watch this video to learn more about them. I highly recommend them--even to people who ordinarily don't read fantasy. I also recommend his non-fantasy works.

If you have read them, you need no further encouragement to watch this interview! Enjoy! (Just knowing uber-librarian Nancy Pearl likes Pratchett raises her in my esteem even higher).

Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with a rare strain of Alzheimer's, and he has donated over a half million pounds (equivalent to about a million dollars) to Alzheimer's research in the UK. The loss of even one person to this disease is a tragedy. The prospect of losing a beautiful mind like Terry's breaks my heart.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Anyone for BBQ?


Oh my goodness, I do love me some BBQ. The new issue of Atlanta Magazine arrived today in the library, boasting reviews of 58 barbecue joints and ranking the top five. There are also tips on where you can get the best Brunswick stew, coleslaw, potato salads, baked beans and banana pudding. It's before lunch, and I'm on a diet. This magazine is killing me. Would you like to know where you can get the finest swine in A-town? Come check it out!

Now that I have whetted your appetites, I have another proposition for you. It seems the playground at Waleska United Methodist Church, also known as Hagan Chapel, is in dire need of repair. In order to raise funds for the project, the church is going to be selling barbecue dinners for $6 apiece this Saturday from 3 to 5 pm. All the fixin's are included. I plan to place an order and feed my whole family this weekend! Want to eat pig for a good cause? Come on out!

Then on July 15, at the Waleska Farmer's Market at Reinhardt University, I understand that Reinhardt's favorite BBQ man Mr. Loose Lip Larry will be doing a cooking demonstration.

At this rate, Waleska and Reinhardt University are going to become prime BBQ destinations in their own right!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Long overdue? Descartes' letter found in college library

Here's an interesting bit of news I just read from the Associated Press. A letter by 17th century philosopher Rene Descartes was recently discovered in the library of Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Evidently it had been in the collection, unnoticed, for over a century. The letter was one of thousands stolen from French libraries in the 1800s. Haverford officials returned the letter to Paris yesterday, with great fanfare.

What treasure will you find in your college library? (Nothing larcenous, one hopes).

For philosophy buffs, I now share my favorite Cartesian joke: Rene Descartes was in a restaurant. The waitress asked him if he would like coffee. He said, "Yes, please." She asked if he would like sugar in his coffee. He said, "Yes, thank you." (This is in the English translation, naturally). Then she asked him if he would like cream. Descartes said, "No, I think not"--and promptly vanished.

(Do you think that was bad? My philosophy professor had a joke I've since forgotten, but the punchline was something about putting Descartes before dey horse).

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

I ain't 'fraid of no...

Who ya gonna call?

Hello, all! I want to thank you all for taking my survey about your serials use. I am currently preparing my subscription "shopping list," and checking prices on the titles you requested. I will do my best to get as many of those in some format as possible.

In the meantime, here is something for your amusement. I assume you've seen the '80s classic movie Ghostbusters. (If you haven't, stop reading this right now and remedy that situation). The movie opens with a memorable scene in the reading room of the New York Public Library.

Fast-forward 26 years (yes, it really has been that long). The New York Public Library, like most libraries these days, is facing budget cuts. The library wanted some cool, inexpensive way to get some publicity and remind people of what a great treasure it is. They decided to hire Improv Everywhere (a group well-known for flash mobs and stunts such as the pantsless subway ride and the great "people wear blue polo shirts and invade Best Buy" caper) to stage a happening in the library. The result was this clever tribute to the library's famous movie role:



You can read more about the event and past Improv Everywhere performances at their official website.

Shout-out to Jen at epbot.com for cluing me in to this one!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Check this out! (Is this name clever enough?)

First of all, let me brag on the old boss man here. Check out this lovely article about library director Michael Martinez on the Reinhardt University website.

(Is it bad that I feel personally traumatized by the Associated Press's decision to change "Web site" to "website"? It took me months to get used to "Web site," and now I have to change it again?)

In other news, I have been presented with a challenge from the aforementioned boss man. It seems Salem Press has announced the winners of their Library Blog Awards, and (sob) "Check Us Out" isn't among them! I've been told I have to step up my game, and one of my tasks is to find a new, catchier name for the blog. "Check Us Out" isn't catchy enough.

If you have any ideas, let me know!

In the meantime, check out the winning blogs! I'll be looking at them for something I can steal inspiration. Congratulations, bloggers. (We'll get them next year!)

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Don't forget the Farmer's Market TODAY starting at 4:30!


Don't forget the Waleska Farmer's Market at Reinhardt University! Today the market will be held from 4:30 to 8:30 pm in the parking lot of the former Waleska Baptist Church at the intersection of 140 and 108.

Vendors will include:
Zach White (Reinhardt greenhouse)- Flowering bedding plants
Anne Sherhouse (Waleska Nursery) -shrubs and flowering plants
Natalie Durrham - Cupcakes, fudge and cakes (All proceeds go to raise money for 3-day Cancer walk in October)
Charlotte Bell - Flowering bedding plants and vegetable plants
Vivian Tritt- Fruit Sorbet ice cream
Robin Helms - Japanese maple trees
Robert Czeraza - plants, azaleas and hosta
Larry Speights (a.k.a. Loose Lip) -Homemade barbeque sauce and spices
Eddie and Elizabeth Smith family - Pottery, certified eggs, squash and plants<--Reinhardt Faculty Member
Stephanie Olsen -Handmade Jewelry<--LIBRARY STAFF MEMBER!!!
Susie Carter - Handmade candles
Rachael Kaplus - Homemade sock toys
Megan Baker - Homemade soap
Dennis Cochran - Birdhouses
Cindy Mcrae (Ladies of Cherokee County 911) - Baked goods and desserts (all proceeds go to raise money for 3-day cancer walk in October)
Edna O'Conner - Handmade quilts
The Cantrell Family Farm - squash and cucumbers
Cherokee County Master Gardeners with expert gardening advice

Farmer's Market organizer and Reinhardt horticulturist Zach White announced today the addition of three more dates to the market calendar! The market will be held July 1st, July 15th, July 29th, and August 5th. There will be a huge Welcome Week Farmer's Market on August 26 for all Reinhardt faculty, staff and students to celebrate the beginning of a new school year and the close of a very successful inaugural season of the farmer's market!

Rain or shine!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Ethnographic Video Online

Hello!

Today I've been browsing one of our new databases, Ethnographic Video Online from Alexander Street Press, and I must say I think our professors (particularly those teaching history, sociology and religion) are going to find it very useful! When complete, this collection is going to have more than 1,000 films and more than 750 hours of streaming video. According to the publisher, this database provides the largest and most comprehensive resource for the study of human behavior. Every region of the world is covered, and the collection features the work of many of the most influential documentary filmmakers of the 20th century, including John Marshall, Timothy Asch, Robert Gardner, David MacDougall, John Bishop and David Plath, among others. You can find not only completed films but also interviews, previously unreleased raw footage and field recordings.

The database is searchable by culture, geographic area, subject type (for example, colonialism or gender roles), content type (for example, a documentary or an interview), date or ethnographer's name. The films are accompanied by a searchable, synchronized transcript. There are playlists (for example, one covers the work of Margaret Mead) with study guides included, or you can make your own playlist. You can even edit your own clips from the featured videos and add them to a playlist. You can annotate your playlist and share it with a static URL for watching in class or as an out-of-class assignment. This is a great alternative to putting films on reserve in the library.

I experimented first by searching for videos related to Oceania, thinking ahead to our next "Year Of," and found a fascinating documentary about the people of New Guinea. New Guinea was one of the last places on earth to be colonized by Europeans, and this particular film, aptly named "First Contact," told about the indigenous people's first contact with outsiders, with eyewitness testimony from both sides. I've browsed several other videos on this site, and I really recommend you take a look. This could be an exceptionally useful resource. How will you use it?

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Librarians Go Gaga!

I can't stop laughing about this great video from the University of Washington's Information School!



Great job!

(They do give some really good research advice, folks).

WELCOME TO REINHARDT UNIVERSITY!!!


The day has finally arrived! Today, Reinhardt College is a thing of the past. The name of Reinhardt University will proudly carry our legacy into the future!

Everything we do today takes on a new significance!

WHO WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON TO CHECK OUT A BOOK AT REINHARDT UNIVERSITY?
We are all very proud to be a part of this university and to see this day come to pass.


Edited: it was Dr. Peter Bromsted!