Stored In Dusty Boxes

The Federal Writers Project was stopped overnight by the Congress and the work of the writers was placed in boxes in the state archives and left there. Dr. Cecelia Bucki, one of the scholars on Thursday's "Soul of a People" Scholar Panel, went through these boxes for information for her book on immigrant life in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She spoke about the high quality of the oral histories done by the Federal Writers' Project.
You can learn more about the Federal Writers' Project and oral histories on Thursday, October 22 from 11am to 12:20pm in Room 808. Assistant Professor, Dale Griffith and her students will be doing presentations and offering light refreshments.
For more information:http://www.mxcc.commnet.edu/Content/Soul_of_a_People_Program.asp

We're closed for remodeling!

That's right, the library's getting a facelift! Library facilities will be closed to the public starting today, Tuesday August 4th, through Friday August 21st.

However, staff will be available to offer assistance, answer questions, and accept returned items - just follow the signs to find us.

And be sure to come ooh and ahh over our update once we reopen Monday August 24th!

Dive Into Blue August!

Do you want to learn more about the oceans, how to protect manatees from extinction, or the water quality at vacation beaches? Would you like to watch PlanetGreen's special TV programming on Blue August hosted by Philippe and Alexandra Cousteau? If so, visit PlanetGreen.

Feeling stressed? Try watching the YouTube hit "Kuroshio Sea" to help calm your nerves.

Take control of your growing social networks.

Do you have password fatigue? virtual photos scattered everywhere? forget if you've already signed up for an account? multiple online personality disorder? Here are some tips for managing your virtual self.

Nothing beats a live performance!

One more weekend to see live outdoor theater right here at MxCC! Bring a picnic and enjoy Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew put on by Art Farm. There is live music at 6pm and the play at 7pm.

Apollo Moon Landing - 40th Anniversary

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. To see this monumental misson of "One Small Step, One Giant Leap', click here. If you are looking for moon-related movies, the library has several...Apollo 13, In the Shadow of the Moon, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Also, check out "Trip to the Moon" from 1902 on YouTube. This movie, by French director Georges Melies, set the standard for moon-related movies.

Want a fun way to learn how to do things?

Like survive a bear attack or make a fruit smoothie? Here are three sites :

• http://www.howcast.com/
• http://www.about.com/ : Search a topic and then look for video on the right
• http://www.ehow.com/videos.html

Get smarter and feed the hungry at the same time!

Be like Polly, and put your "summertime procrastinating mood to some good use." Go to Free Rice and play online quizzes in art, chemistry, English, geography, language learning, and math. For every right answer, they donate 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program! To learn more, see their FAQ and About pages.

Network with other bibliophiles this summer.

Visit one of these sites and you’ll be able to organize your collection, participate in book groups, share, collaborate, and socialize.

4 things to celebrate the 4th

Happy 4th of July! Here are some suggestions for celebrating Independence Day:

Check out local parades and fireworks shows;


Visit a few historic sites;


Cook up some great food for family and friends;


Educate yourself about this important national holiday.

Welcome to Students in Summer Film Industry Training Program!

The library staff welcomes you and hopes that our resources may be of use. To see pictures/testimonials from last year's program, click here.

The library catalog has a new look.

It includes lots of improvements with citation style entries, a "Filter your Search" box, a link to Google Book Search and an easier to use "My Account" display.

Need a short break? Listen to a short story!

Fiction Podcast: A monthly reading and conversation with The New Yorker’s fiction editor. Well-known writers read other writers' work. You can listen or download it, or subscribe via iTunes. http://www.newyorker.com/online/podcasts/fiction

Planning a trip this summer?

Whether it's for a day or for few weeks, here are some great sites to get you started. Have fun!

• Appalachian Mountain Club
• CT DEP: Outdoor Recreation
  
• National Park Service
  

• AAA
• Rough Guides
• Schmap
  
• Tourcaster
• Traveldk

Welcome to Summer Session!

To get a head start, check out "10 Must-Try Social Media Sites for College Students." Compiled by a SUNY senior, this useful list covers everything from buying textbooks to landing an internship.

Green Fest at Middlesex Community College

Did you miss the Green Fest Last Sunday, May 17th - a celebration of going green in our community, a libraries' county-wide "Greening Our Valley" initiative? Or do you want to re-experence some excitements of the festival? Follow the link to the library's presentation.

Spring Into Summer - Library Book Display

The library has a very nice book collection on display for your summer leisure time - Cooking Up Some Fun, Play in the Dirt, Enjoy the Great Outdoors, and so on. Please come pick up the one you like most. First-come, first-served.

MxCC is the place to be this weekend!

Listen to a podcast of the exciting events taking place this weekend by clicking here.
On Friday, May 15, starting at 6:00 p.m., in the Library (Chapman Hall), there will be an opening reception for the 2009 MxCC Arts & Media Festival. Come see student works displayed in the library and then at 7:00 p.m. watch the film and multimedia project screenings (upstairs).
This is always a great night...don't miss it!

On Sunday, May 17, the Eco-Fest will take place in Chapman Hall from 1:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. This free family-friendly festival will includes lots of fun activities, giveaways, and circus-themed food. ArtFarm will perform Circus for a Fragile Planet at 3:00 pm. It is sure to be a great "going green" celebration!

Current Library Displays

The library displays for May are: Art From Asia and Resources for Surviving Finals Week.
Since May is Asian-Pacific Heritage Month, two of our displays feature batik screens, vases made of pottery, clay, and cloisonne, Tang Dynasty tri-color glazed horse pottery and Qin Dynasty terracotta warriors. Thanks to Landi and Yi for contributing to the display.

Be sure to also check out the student art work on display throughout the library.

Love Google but hate weeding through a mountain of questionable hits?

Search more efficiently by using Advanced Search and limiting sites, or go directly to Google Scholar or Google Government.

Smart research before you buy:

You have full online access to Consumer Reports (including the Buying Guide) via a number of library databases including Academic Search Premier. Type keywords in the search field (e.g., laptop computer) and Consumer Reports under 'Publication'.

Great job! Thank you

A big thank you to our library student workers and our library intern for all your help this semester. Thank you Kelsey, Marin, Michelle and Oliver and thank you Lora.

Slideshow of how MxCC is keeping it 'green'

Thanks to everyone who came to our 'Green' Community Over Coffee event on April 15th! We asked people to write on a whiteboard what they do to be “green”, and here's a slideshow of their responses. Hurray for keeping it 'green,' MxCC!

The Librarian is In!

Need help with research, search techniques, citing sources, etc?

Come see a librarian in the student lounge in Founders Hall:

• Thurs, 4/16, 1-3pm
• Mon, 4/20, 1:30-3pm

Or, if you're on the Meriden campus, come see a librarian in room 404:

• Thurs, 4/16, 9-10:30am
• Tues, 4/21, 1:30-2pm
  

Library Displays

Library has mounted a few new displays: From Trash to Treasure, to continute our Greening Our Valley effort; and Check Out Librarians on Film and in Print, to celebrate National Library Week.

MxCC's Own Poets

To celebrate the National Poetry Month, the library has mounted a display. It showcases poems written by our own poets - English professors McNulty and Ruggiero. Please come and read their poems, such as Never Generation, Returning, the Big Bend, and many more.

Celebrate Earth Day, April 22

Want to know more about saving the earth? Use the search box below to access articles and eBooks on environmental issues and policies. Also be sure to check out our Greening MxCC site, and join us at book club on Wednesday to discuss Greasy Rider!

"Green" Community Over Coffee 4/15, 12:30

COC will be held on April 15th from 12:30 – 2:00. Theme will be “greening our valley.” See the READ Poster of President Nieves. You will be able to write on a whiteboard what you do to be “green” and get a token gift. The library will take your pictures for a slideshow. You'll have an opportunity of watching Wastebusters and What is the DEP? A lot of GREEN food, too. Enjoy and participate!

April - National Poetry Month

April is the National Poetry Month. Beginning April 1, Poets.org sends one new poem to your inbox each day to celebrate National Poetry Month. The poems have been selected from new books published in the spring. Visit the website of the Academy of American Poets to subscribe to the Poem-A-Day,

Join us at Bookclub 12:30 Wed 4/22

To celebrate Earth Day, we'll be talking about Greg Melville's Greasy Rider.

Facebook Users: 10 Privacy Settings

you should know about here.

Need to design and conduct a survey for class?

Many classes require you to design and conduct market research surveys. There are many resources available to teach you effective survey design skills - here's one from StatPac. While the company would ultimately love you to purchase their online software, a 20-page tutorial packed with good info may be accessed for free!

Cool images from Vote Earth

Did you join the world in raising awareness about climate change by switching off your lights for Earth Hour 2009 on 3/28? Check out these amazing photos from around the world - click on the images to watch the lights go out from China to Las Vegas!

Middletown Reads Water for Elephants

Save the date: Wednesday March 25 at 12:30. Every March our college joins the entire city of Middletown in reading one book and sharing activities around that book. The year we will talk about Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Join us on Wednesday March 25 in the library periodical room. Check our display and take a bookmark which lists all the events, including a talk about P.T. Barnum here on March 26th.

Celebrate Women's History Month!

Click here to access biographies of famous women, test your knowledge of women's history, view a timeline of important events, and more!

March Displays

March sure did come in like a lion, but don't let that stop you from coming in to the library to see our three latest displays:

• Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet (for National Women's History Month)
• Caught Any Good Books Lately? (Come see Fishy, the live goldfish!)
• All That Jazz

See you soon!

Attn Art and Nature Lovers - Time is Running Out...

... to view 'Reflections: An Interior Journey', drawings and paintings by Aleta Gudelski in the Pegasus Art Gallery, Chapman Hall. This is the last week - exhibit ends March 13. Listen to an interview with the artist and visit her website. Online images are beautiful but the artist's colors and technique soar in the Gallery!

It's Read an eBook Week

Check out this site to learn about the future of eBooks, eBooks and the environment, and more. Also take a look at our NetLibrary eBook collection (available to MxCC students, faculty, and staff only; you will have to sign on with your NetID to access).

Feeling mystifed by math?

Check out these books for help:


Pre-Algebra Demystified;





College Algebra Demystified;





Math Proofs Demystified;





Probability Demystified.

MxCC Resource Fair, Monday, 2/23, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm

MxCC Resource Fair, Monday, February 23 (snow date: 2/25), Student Lounge, 11:00am – 1:00pm.

Staff from various student service departments on campus will be on hand for any and all information a student will need to know about their experience here at MxCC and to help them succeed!

At the Library Information Resources Booth, you will have the opportunity to watch the library slide show, meet our friendly and experienced librarian, get a nice token gift and much more ...

Please join us!

Can You Withstand the Lie?

Local authors Roger and Nicole Brewer will be discussing their new book, Withstanding the Lie in the Student Lounge (Founders Hall) on Wednesday, Feb 18th, 2009 at 12:30 pm. The book deals with themes of bigotry, acceptance, self-esteem, and withstanding hurt. Hosted by the President's Committee on Diversity, this important and timely event is open to all. To find out more, listen here.

February Displays

Stop in to see our new displays:

• Bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin, Feb. 12, 1809-2009
• Black History Month
• Coffee Break
• Books With Heart

Also, be sure to check out our “Greening Our Valley” bulletin board near the copier. It has “green” ideas, websites, and events and is constantly being updated.

African American Biography Database available during February

Connecticut Libraries have access to this database for the month of February.
Click here to view it.

Did you miss library orientation?

No worries. You can watch this 3-minute tutorial. (Use headphones and listen to the music too!)

First Week, Spring 2009

Check out student pictures under "Greening MxCC" (button, left below).

Welcome to the spring semester!

Stop by the library to learn about the Greening our Valley program, check out our displays, and more!

New students: be sure to get a library card! Bring your MxCC ID to the circulation desk and sign up for an account.

Computer Equipped Group Study Rooms

Good News! The library is going to provide two rooms (707 and 708) for group study. Each room will be have two computers installed with Internet access. Please visit the library and find more ...

January Displays in the Library

MxCC Library has some great displays for January. Please visit the web page for more information.

Ø Let’s Go Green (Greening Our Valley)
Ø Celebrate His Life: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ø Forensic Science
Ø Resolutions You Can Keep

For those of you participating in the “I’m Losing It Challenge” or anyone who wants to get in better shape, the library has some books/DVDs on diet, nutrition, and fitness.

Hope to see you in the library at the start of the spring 2009 semester….or sooner!

Best Careers 2009

U.S. News & World Report released their annual listing. Also check out the top overrated, ahead-of-the curve, and best-kept secret careers!