Welcome Our New Systems Librarian

Paul G. Blazer Library is excited to announce the arrival of our new Systems Librarian, Mr. Benjamin Rawlins. Yes, that's right, the very same Benjamin Rawlins who has served so capably in his capacity as the Library Technician in Periodicals since October 2008.




Benjamin came to Blazer Library with experience as both an a Electronic Services library assistant at Eastern Kentucky University and as a graduate assistant in Reference and Information Services at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. When he first joined our staff, he already had a Bachelor of Science in History and a Master of Arts in History from Rio Grande University and Marshall University, respectively. Always committed to furthering his education, however, he did not stop there. He continued his studies, receiving his Master of Science in Library Science from the University of Kentucky in May of this year. In addition to his formal education, Benjamin has pursued multiple continuing education opportunities within the library community, including KDLA's training on Open Source Software. Further, he has served as a guest committee member on Blazer Library's own Electronic Resources/Systems Committee, making him keenly aware of the technology issues and concerns relevant to our library. All of this experience and education makes him a wonderful fit for the position of Systems Librarian here at Paul G. Blazer Library.

When not at work, Benjamin loves to spend time with his wife Julia and their two dogs, Lexi and Ashes. He is a die-hard Ohio State Buckeyes football fan and loves watching them play.

We're glad to have you here (still), Ben!

All right all you bakers or those who love sweets, like myself, here is an eBook for you! NetLibrary's eBook of the Month for December is The Modern Baker: Time-Saving Techniques for Breads, Tarts, Pies, Cakes and Cookies. Below is a description of the book.

With the right teacher, simplified techniques, and step-by-step photo tutorials to guide the way, everyone can make freshly baked loaves, crisp flatbreads, savory tarts, and rich desserts – in record time. Written by Baking Hall of Famer Nick Malgieri, this collection of 150 straightforward recipes with gourmet appeal, strives to bring success to even the busiest of bakers, with the bulk of the preparation taking under one hour.

Malgieri distills years of teaching and experience into these detailed recipes for baking everything from bread to biscotti to puff pastry to old-fashioned layer cakes. Recipes are thorough and include descriptions of how batters and doughs are supposed to appear at each stage of preparation. The Modern Baker is as necessary and essential as a good oven; Nick Malgieri leads cooks through the simple art of creating an international assortment of delicious sweet and savory baked goods, interweaving techniques and helpful sidebars.


A Little About the Author
Malgieri, former Executive Pastry Chef at Windows on the World, is a 1996 inductee into Who's Who of Food and Beverage in America. The bestselling author of eight cookbooks, Malgieri currently directs the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education. Malgieri's recipes have been published in the New York Times, Cuisine, Family Circle, McCall's, Ladies' Home Journal, and other magazines and newspapers throughout the United States. He is the author of articles for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and his writing has appeared in the New York Daily News, Gourmet, Chocolatier, Food & Wine, and Cook's Illustrated. Malgieri has appeared on all the U.S. national morning shows, local television, and "Chef du Jour," "Cook's Choice," "Bakers Dozen," and "Cooking Live" on the Food Network, and with Julia Child on "Baking with Julia," as well as with Martha Stewart.

So if you are looking for some dessert recipes for the holidays or just to enjoy anytime this book may have what you are looking for. The best parts is that is comes with the pictures so you can see what the dessert will eventually look like!! Enjoy and feel free to let us know how these desserts turn out.

November 2009 eBook of the Month

NetLibrary's eBook of the Month for November 2009 is "Invisible China: A Journey Through Ethnic Borderlands" by Colin Legerton and Jacob Rawson. Below is a summary of book taken from NetLibrary's webpage. You can access this book through Blazer Library by going to the Library Database page and clicking on NetLibrary. You can also click here on Invisible China to view the ebook or on the image of the book at the top of the page.

In this eloquent and eye-opening adventure narrative, Colin Legerton and Jacob Rawson, two Americans fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Uyghur, throw away the guidebook and bring a hitherto unexplored side of China to light. They journey over 14,000 miles by bus and train to the farthest reaches of the country to meet the minority peoples who dwell there, talking to farmers in their fields, monks in their monasteries, fishermen on their skiffs, and herders on the steppe.

In Invisible China, they engage in a heated discussion of human rights with Daur and Ewenki village cadres; celebrate Muhammad’s birthday with aging Dongxiang hajjis who recount the government’s razing of their mosque; attend mass with old Catholic Kinh fishermen at a church that has been forty years without a priest; hike around high-altitude Lugu Lake to farm with the matrilineal Mosuo women; and descend into a dry riverbed to hunt for jade with Muslim Uyghur merchants. As they uncover surprising facts about China’s hidden minorities and their complex position in Chinese society, they discover the social ramifications of inconsistent government policies--and some deep human truths as well.

Hailed by Publishers Weekly as “a spectacular achievement reminiscent of early 20th-century anthropological monographs by Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict,” Invisible China is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of China’s non-Han minorities.

eBook of the Month

In recognition of Banned Books Week, OCLC NetLibrary and HarperCollins publishers are pleased to announce that Burn This Book will be available October 1-31, 2009 with free, unlimited access through more than 16,000 libraries worldwide. You can access this book through Blazer Library by going to the Library Database page and clicking on NetLibrary. You can also click here on Burn This Book to view the ebook.

Published in conjunction with the PEN American Center, Burn This Book explores the meaning of censorship, and the power of literature to inform the way we see the world, and ourselves. Contributors including Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, Orhan Pamuk, David Grossman, Nadine Gordimer and other literary heavyweights, discuss the importance of writing from various views, both political and social. They illustrate the need for freedom of speech and human rights, and they emphasize the target writers become in a tyranny.

Both provocative and timely, Burn This Book includes a sterling list of award-winning writers and is sure to ignite spirited dialogue on the issues of censorship and freedom of speech. HarperCollins Publishers has also created a dedicated Web site to raise awareness of literary censorship. Additional resources including marketing and publicity materials and a virtual petition against censorship are available at:
http://harperstudioekit.com/books/burnthisbook/book.php

The Big Read at KYSU

KYSU is excited to announce its win of a third consecutive Big Read grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The aim is to raise the level of literacy and interest in literature in Franklin County.

This year, the Big Read will focus on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The book follows the trial of an African American man who is accused of raping a white woman. A white lawyer takes his case, and as a result, he and his children are shunned and ridiculed by the town.

The Big Read will run from Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 with book discussions held in the Paul Sawyier Public Library in Frankfort and the Paul G. Blazer Library on KYSU's campus, in local high schools and with movie screenings throughout the month.

Specific Calendar Events:

Big Read of Frankfort Kick-Off Event/Keynote Address

Kickoff activities include: proclamation from Kentucky governor and mayor of Frankfort, remarks from local and state political and educational leaders, theatrical readings, and door prizes. The event features a keynote address on the author and setting by Dr. Ed Conner. Refreshments served. For more information call 502-597-6990.

Event Location: Hill Student Center Ballroom, KYSU

Date: Thu, Oct 15, 2009 Time: 5:00pm – 7:30pm

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Paul Sawyier Discussion Group

Contact Diane at (502)352-2665, ext. 108, if you would like to participate.

Event Location: Paul Sawyier Library Sower Board Room, Frankfort, KY, 40601

Date: Mon, Oct 19, 2009 Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm

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Paul Sawyier Panel Discussion

Experts will discuss the personal, historical, and literary background of the novel. Contact Diane at 502-352-2665, ext. 108

Event Location: Paul Sawyier Library Sower Board Room, Frankfort, KY, 40601

Date: Wed, Oct 28, 2009 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

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Jeopardy Book Trivia

Participants will participate in groups of four by answering trivia questions about the book. $100 1st Place Prizes will be awarded to students and adult participants. For information contact Diane at (502) 352-2665, ext 108.

Event Location: Paul Sawyier Library Community Room, Frankfort, KY, 40601
Date: Mon, Nov 9, 2009 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

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Blazer Library Discussion Group

For more information or to join the group, please contact the Directors Office at 502-597-6852.

Event Location: Blazer Library, Periodicals Room, KYSU

Date: Tue, Nov 10, 2009 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

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Movie Showing: To Kill a Mockingbird

Showing of classic movie version of the novel followed by a panel discussion.

Event Location: Hathaway Hall Auditorium, KYSU
Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2009 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

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Panel Discussion: the Movie and the Book

The panel discussion follows the showing of the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird

Event Location: Hathaway Hall Auditorium, KYSU

Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2009 Time: 8:00pm – 9:30pm

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Culminating Activity: Community Dinner

Join the Big Read discussion participants for a dinner featuring food mentioned in To Kill a Mockingbird. For information call (502) 597-6990.
Event Location: Kentucky State University Student Ball Room
Date: Tue, Nov 17, 2009 Time: 6:00pm – 8:00pm

The Inside Scoop on Dantrea Hampton-Norphlet

From now on, the Paul Blazer Library Blog will periodically shine a spotlight on one of its staff or faculty member with the intent of letting you know us better as an organization, one person at a time. The focus of today's Inside Scoop is Dantrea Hampton-Norphlet.

Dantrea is the Periodicals/Reference Librarian here at Paul G. Blazer Library. She has a very strong tie to the university not only as a faculty member, but as an alumnus. She graduated from KSU in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. Since 1998 she has been working at the library in both paraprofessional and professional capacities. Prior to completing her Master’s in Library Science from the University of Kentucky in 2002, she worked in Technical Services as a Library Assistant and Serials Holdings Project Cataloger.

Since 2002 she has been the Periodicals/Reference Librarian. In this time she has also served as the Web Coordinator and Integrated Library Systems Manager for the library. In addition to her library experience, she has served on a variety of university committees such as All University Court, Advisor for Kentucky State University Chapter of NAACP, and the Faculty Senate.

On a more personal note, when she is not at the library or the university she enjoys spending time with her family. Some other interests of Dantrea include interior design, singing, watching boxing, and participating in outdoor sports and activities. Dantrea, and the rest of the staff at the library, are eager to assist you with your information needs. If you have any questions feel free to stop by the Reference or Periodicals departments for assistance.

profile written by Benjamin Rawlins

Spotlight on: Oxford African American Studies Center Database

The Paul G. Blazer Library has a wealth of online databases to aid you in your research. Today I would like to introduce you to just one of those databases in particular, though, and that gem is the Oxford African American Studies Center Database.

With a tag line that declares it to be "the online authority on the African American Experience", you would expect the database to easily distinguish itself from other online resources. You would expect it, and you would not be let down, because it truly delivers with both a unique perspective and some hard-to-get source material.

My favorite part of the database is the section dedicated to Primary Source Documents. These items vary from slave narratives to transcripts of speeches to abolitionist petitions - and everything in between! These little snippets from history help bring history alive. More than that, though, they help take students beyond the limited interpretation of history that their textbooks offer while providing them insight into the point of view of those who came before us.

Equally moving is the section dedicated to images of the African American Experience. With more than 2300 images to choose from, history becomes flesh; what was once just fact on paper is suddenly illustrated. For example, this illustration titled "Slave Wearing an Iron Muzzle" says more about the cruel and inhumane treatment of slaves than most words ever could:



It would be impossible for a student researching the African American Experience to not find something useful in this database.

Wordle

Today, Dantrea mentioned an article in the School Library Journal about Wordle. You, like myself, are probably wondering what wordle or a wordle is. Here is the description from the Wordle website:

"Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends. "

You can paste a list of words into a box or post a URL of a blog or blog feed and it will generate a word cloud based upon the words used. For fun I decided to post the URL for the Blazer Library blog, and this is the result:



If you click on the image it will take you to the website to view the larger image. It can be used for brainstorming, research, classroom assignments, and various other things. You can arrange the letters in different ways and in different colors. So go ahead and try it, you know you want to!!

Blazer Library Hosts Young Scholars

Over the course of the last two weeks, Paul G. Blazer Library has been fortunate enough to host some of Kentucky's brightest young scholars. These students are on the Kentucky State University campus as a part of the PACT and REAP summer programs, and while the majority of their research has occurred in the field, we have been fortunate to assist them in their research when they visited the Library for bibliographic instruction. A little background about the programs:

The PACT Program began in July of 2006 and was created by the Land Grant Program of Kentucky State University. It was developed to motivate middle school students to pursue careers in technology, science, mathematics, and related fields of study. The program is centered upon a Problem-Based Learning Curriculum that encourages critical thinking and enhances interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Participants in the program do hands-on scientific research under the tutelage of resident scientists on campus while utilizing some of the latest technology in the field.

The REAP program provides a summer of learning to motivated students in grades 8-11 who are interested in gaining "first hand" experiences in the various fields of agricultural sciences and natural resources. Interns will learn about scientific research, agricultural extension, natural resources, and other related career opportunities. While gaining this experience interns spend approximately seven weeks on the KYSU campus, where their living expenses on campus are provided for, and on top which they earn a weekly stipend.

We at Paul G. Blazer Library have felt lucky to aid in the research endeavors of such inspiring young minds!

Memorable Books

Of all the books that a person will read in their lifetime, there are some that just stick with you. Most books that we read we will probably ultimately forget. However, that is not to say that the books that we remember will leave a positive impression on us. While on Facebook a few weeks back I was tagged in a note by my friend and colleague, Amanda, about 15 books that will always stick with you. Here is my list.

1. Kite Runner- Khaled Housseini
2. A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Housseini
3. Blood Done Sign My Name-Timothy Tyson
4. A Perfect Evil- Alex Kava
5. Night-Elie Wiesel
6. The Road- Cormac McCarthy
7. Hater- David Moody
8. Survivor- Chuck Palahniuk
9. Ordinary Men- Christopher Browning
10. Hannibal- Thomas Harris
11. The Historian- Elizabeth Kostova
12. Numbered Account- Christopher Reich
13. The Crisis of Islam- Bernard Lewis
14. The Coming of the Third Reich- Richard Evans
15. The Working Poor- David Shipler

Most of these on the list I really enjoyed, but there is one that I did not like (any guesses?). Here is Amanda's list.

1. a confederacy of dunces - john kennedy toole
2. jane eyre - charlotte bronte
3. are you there god? it's me margaret - judy blume
4. harry potter and the half blood prince - j.k. rowling
5. foxfire - joyce carol oates
6. cat's eye - margaret atwood
7. the time traveler's wife - audrey niffenegger
8. griffin and sabine - nick bantock
9. pride and prejudice - jane austen
10. jonathan strange and mr. norrell - susanna clarke
11. harriet the spy - louise fitzhugh
12. tunes for a small harmonica - barbara wersba
13. bridget jone's diary - helen fielding
14. the world according to garp - john irving
15. spellman files - lisa lutz

Now it's your turn. Let us know of a book or books that will always stick with you. We are interested to see what they are!!

New Computers at Blazer

The Paul G. Blazer Library is excited to announce the arrival of brand new
Dell desktop computers for public use.

We are sure that you are as happy as we are to say good-bye for good to those
"out-of-order" signs that plagued us last semester.

What an awesome way to begin a new school year!