National Information Literacy Awareness Month

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 2009 as National Information Literacy Awareness Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the important role information plays in our daily lives, and appreciate the need for a greater understanding of its impact.

Think Lila is yanking your chain? Well, such reputable sources as the Office of the Press Secretary and the American Library Association aren't known for their tomfoolery. Lila encourages you to take advantage of the services we provide to help you develop strong information literacy skills. Read about our information literacy program and contact us with any questions!

Contemporary Japan in 100 books!

The Bunch Library has been selected as a recipient of the Nippon Foundation's "100 Books for Understanding Contemporary Japan." Dr. Ernest Heard, Library Director, prepared the application and Dr. Ronnie Littlejohn, Chair and Professor of the Philosophy Department, wrote a supporting letter. The Library was notified of its success in late August.

The Nippon Foundation is a philanthropic organization, active in Japan and abroad. The goal of the foundation's 100 Books program is to "expand contemporary international knowledge and understanding about Japan reaching a wider audience than ever before, supplementing in a more substantial and long-term way the things that people have seen about Japan in movies and television...It puts good quality books about Japan on library shelves that are within reach of ordinary people. The result, it is hoped, will be a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of contemporary Japan that transcends stereotypes and out-dated ideas."

Stop by and show your appreciation by checking out one of these beautiful and fascinating new books, currently on display on the first floor of the library!

Microsoft 2007 Questions?

Lila gets questions about using Excel and Access from students on a pretty regular basis. For all that stuff that wasn't covered in computer proficiency, check out these downloadable guides. Of course, you're still welcome to ask Lila for help!

Reading Out the Banned.

Lila is hosting a Banned Books Week Reading. Although ours will not feature the vocal stylings of famous authors and actors, some of your professors, librarians, and peers will be sharing passages from their favorite banned, censored, challenged books. Join us for convo credit on Monday, September 28th at 2pm!

Making Connections

Lila encourages you to attend the Community Connections Fair next Monday, Sept. 28th, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m in the Neely Dining Room. 50 community organizations will be on hand to share information about volunteer opportunities for our campus. Lila is, of course, partial to literacy initiatives...but any act of service to your community is appreciated!

Convo Credit--get some!

Join Bunch Library's Reference Librarians for fun-filled and informative convocations this fall. All convos will be held from 10:00-10:50 in McWhorter.

Monday, Sept. 21 - APA Style: What’s New? Judy Williams
APA (American Psychological Association) is the citation style of choice for many professors, especially in the social sciences. The latest edition (6th) of the association’s style manual provides new guidelines for citing electronic resources, and more examples of reference citations for on-line sources. The APA web site has also been updated to include tutorials and other useful guides. If you have a paper due this semester, chances are these are things you need to know!

Wednesday, Sept. 23 - Really Big Books! Rachel Scott
What are all those really big books that clutter up the first floor? Stop by to find out about some of these reference books and to learn how to use them. *Warning* audience participation required!

Monday, Oct. 5 - Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style Rachel Scott
Citation styles are not often named after people, so Kate Larimore Turabian (1893-1987) must have done something right. Come to this convo to learn how to channel your inner Kate and use
Turabian and Chicago style in your papers.

Wednesday, Oct. 7 - Snooper Web Sites: How Private is Your Private Life? Judy Williams
It seems that every day a news story breaks about another invasion of privacy – someone’s (or a million someones’) personal information has been posted on the Internet. Whether unintentionally or deliberately, much about our private lives is no longer private. Find out about how your personal information gets onto the Web, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Monday, Oct. 19 - Google It! Jenny Rushing
Yes, a librarian is telling you to Google it! Librarians use Google all the time, especially Scholar and Books. Become a more effective Google searcher by using various features, creating more sophisticated searches, and using Google along with library resources for optimal results!

Wednesday, Oct. 21 - MLA 2009 Style Guide Courtney Stephens
MLA (Modern Language Association) style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities. A new edition (7th) has just been released and there are some major changes. In this convo learn to use MLA style in your papers and impress your professors!

Monday, Nov. 2 - LexisNexis Academic: An International News, Business, and Legal Database Jenny Rushing
LexisNexis Academic is one of the library’s largest and most useful databases. Access the full text of newspapers from around the world, tv and radio transcripts, and book, movie, and music reviews. Look up business information such as company profiles and reports. And finally, look for legal information such as state or federal court cases. This convo will give an overview of the many uses of LexisNexis.

Book Banning...coming to a town near you!

An American Library Association news release recently announced: "New book censorship map reveals national problem." It seems that no geographic region is free from book challenges. You can check out the map to find some challenges pretty close to home (Murfreesboro and Huntsville, AL).



p.s. Lila is planning a Banned Book Week Bash...More later!