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!

We Need Your Help!!!

Blazer Library has submitted an entry on YouTube in a contest sponsored by Gale and Librareo with emphasis on the theme "Power to the User." The contest is open until July 1, so make sure to visit The Librareo Group page and look for "Kentucky State University Entry." Rate our video and leave us some comments, because your ratings and comments are an important part of the equation in determining the winner. Thanks for your support, and here is the video!!




Remember to visit YouTube and rate our video!! We hope you enjoy!!

Three Books...

National Public Radio, wonderful for so many reasons, provided me with one more reason to cheer last week.

The station currently hosts the program "All Things Considered", and within that program there is a recurring feature - "Three Books" - which is bound to appeal to book lovers of all types. "Three Books" invites writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme. For example, last week was "Mining the Classics for Laughs", in which author Jack Murnighan swears that the secret to finishing- and actually enjoying - Moby Dick, Ulysses and The Sound and the Fury is to realize how much humor is packed into each, and let laughter get you over the humps.

Other past themes, each as intriguing as the next, have included:

• Stone Soup: Three Cookbooks For Lean Times
• For Night Owls Only, Books That Shine After Dark
• Three Books Explore Lincoln's Complex Genius
• 'Lost' Literature: Not Just for Desert Islands Anymore

If you are waffling about, unable to find just the right thing to read this summer while relaxing poolside, consider using "Three Books" as a reader's advisory resource. Check it out here:

What's Your Dewey?

Sorry for the long hiatus. With the end of the semester things can get pretty crazy. Anyway, I was taking a technology class as a requirement for my Master's in Library Science, and remembered a link that someone posted. It was a link to a quiz on what you Dewey Decimal Classification would be. I know, you are probably think that Blazer Library does not use Dewey, and you would be right. However, it is a fun little quiz. Here are my results:

rawlins's Dewey Decimal Section:

116 Change

rawlins = 8132949 = 813+294+9 = 1116


Class:
100 Philosophy & Psychology


Contains:
Books on metaphysics, logic, ethics and philosophy.



What it says about you:
You're a careful thinker, but your life can be complicated and hard for others to understand at times. You try to explain things and strive to express yourself.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

rawlins's Dewey Decimal Section:

402 Miscellany

rawlins's birthday: 4/20/1982 = 420+1982 = 2402


Class:
400 Language


Contains:
Linguistics and language books.



What it says about you:
You value communication, even with people who are different from you. You like trying new things don't mind being exposed to unfamiliar territory. You get bored with routines that never change.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

rawlins's Dewey Decimal Section:

023 Personnel management


Class:
000 Computer Science, Information & General Works


Contains:
Encyclopedias, magazines, journals and books with quotations.



What it says about you:
You are very informative and up to date. You're working on living in the here and now, not the past. You go through a lot of changes. When you make a decision you can be very sure of yourself, maybe even stubborn, but your friends appreciate your honesty and resolve.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Now you try!!
My Dewey is the link to follow, and don't forget to post your results.

Celebrating Words with an Affrilachian Poet

Affrilachian (af.ruh.LAY.shun) adj. Definition: Relating to an African-American who lives in Appalachia. Also: Afrilachian.—Affrilachia n.

It is National Library Week - Yay! As I celebrate the week, I find myself thinking not only about all of the libraries that I love, but also all of the books within them, and even more elementally, all of the words that comprise those very books.

I am a logophile - a true lover of words. For proof, let me offer as evidence that I sleep with a dictionary on my nightstand in case I should come across a word I don't recognize as I read before sleep.

As an avid reader and thesaurus junkie, I am always moved by writers with the gift of reinventing words. Whether through the sassy new use of a tired old word, or the creation of a brand new hybrid word, I am excited by those with a vision for the rearrangement of letters into something meaningful.

Frank X. Walker is one such linguistic visionary and it is for this reason that I chose him as the subject of one of Blazer Library's display cases for the month of April. Mr. Walker is a native of Kentucky, a graduate of UK, a professor and writer-in-residence at NKU, a contributor to National Public Radio, the recipient of countless fellowships and accolades, and the author of four poetry collections. He is a man of many accomplishments - too many to recount here - but of all of them, the triumph that impresses me most is his creation of the word "Affrilachia". To conceive of a new word in a world already full to the brim of words, and then for that word to be so useful, to make so much sense, and to be so easily embraced into our lexicon - well, that's sort of amazing.

Cheers to Frank X. Walker, Affrilachian Poet and Artist!



Learn more about Mr. Walker at his website: http://www.frankxwalker.com/

Library of Congress YouTube Channel

The Library of Congress has launched a YouTube channel that features some of the library's collections of films, broadcasts, and sound recordings. The channel has more than 70 videos available with topics on Langston Hughes and his poetry, Rosie the Riveter, and Oral Histories of Pearl Harbor to name a few. Other playlists and videos include Westinghouse industrial films from 1904, scholar discussions from the John W. Kluge Center and the earliest movies made by Thomas Edison. You can check these videos and playlists by going to the Library of Congress YouTube Channel

Library Study Room

Starting this week the Library Study Room (located off the entrance to the library) will be open. The study room will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday-Friday.

Schindler's List found in Australian Library

For all those history buffs out there this is a story of what happened to one of the copies of the list compiled by Oskar Schindler during the Holocaust. If you have ever read the novel or seen the movie (or had a history course) you will know who Schindler is. What is amazing is that the library that had this list as part of its collection was totally unaware. It had been in possession of the library since 1996. It goes to show you that you never know what jewels are hidden in a library collection. Here is the link to the story http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090406/en_afp/australiagermanyhistorywwiiholocaustschindler_20090325134441.

Make your own READ poster!

National Library Week is a mere 9 days a way (April 12-19). With that in mind, and because it is Friday and I'm feeling slap-happy about the approaching weekend, I thought a little library-related levity was in order.

Available for free from the ALA (American Library Association) website is an awesome READ poster generator. Visit it here and taste a bit of reading fame for your self: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/graphics/READ_Mini_Posters.cfm

All manner of celebrities, from film to sports, from musicians to authors, have starred as spokespeople for the READ campaign over the years. Now it is your turn!

I couldn't resist making my own!

Edit: Since no one has been brave enough to make their own poster, I thought I'd take the liberty.

Sharon Reads!

Ben Reads!

Sheila Reads!

Database Searching: EBSCOHost

Searching databases can often be confusing for users. Results vary, and users sometimes are not aware of certain "tricks" that may lead to better and more relevant search results. Posted below are two videos related to searching EBSCOHost. Please note that the library addresses will differ as these videos were developed by other libraries. However, they offer a good overview of what EBSCOHost is and how to search it. The link to Blazer Library's database page is http://www.kysu.edu/academics/library/librarydatabases.htm.

Library Survey

In an attempt to gauge the quality of the services and resources at Blazer Library, the library will be conducting a survey for the next few weeks. We want to know what you think. The link to the survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bYPhz_2bX50JeElfpRI33fmg_3d_3d. We encourage students, faculty and staff to take the survey. We look forward to your comments and suggestions, as we strive to make the library as best as it can be.

Free Stuff for You.

A famous quote declares that "nothing in life is free". Well, I beg to differ.

In the Education Curriculum Lab, located in the basement of Blazer Library, we have an entire shelf filled with free materials for the taking.

These items are educational in nature and have been given to us as free samples by textbook publishers through the program which we participate in where we serve as a repository for state textbook samples.

The items vary from textbooks to videos to leveled readers, and everything in between, and are constantly changing.

If you work with kids, have kids, or just plain value learning, then stop by and browse the shelf. The shelf is located immediately to the left of the service window in the Education Curriculum Lab, and has a yellow sign on it advertising the materials on it as free.

100% free. You can't beat that.

Welcome!!

Blazer Library would like to welcome eveyone to our blog!! In addition to our quarterly newsletter, this blog was created to offer continuous updates about library events and services. We would also like to hear from the university community regarding any suggestions about services or events that you would like to see the library develop or host. We also have a IM feature that will allow you to message a library staff member that is online using this blog. We hope that this will provide the library and the university community (students, staff and faculty) with an open dialogue of how the library can better serve the university.