December 2002
LIBRARY USE WAY UP
Library
use statistics for 2002 are just about complete and they show resurgence in the
use of the library during the past year.
- Library gate count statistics measure
how often people enter the library.
- Gate count for spring 2002 is up 25%
over spring 2001;
- Summer gate count is up 26% compared to
comparable figures last year;
- Gate count for fall is up 27% over last
year.
- The use of the library’s top 3
electronic database utilities is up 321% from a paltry 3033 searches in
2001 to 9725 searches in 2002.
There seem to be 3 main reasons for these figures:
·
The
commitment of the college over the past year to expand computer technology in
the library,
·
The
ability of the library to offer over 3 times as many library instruction
sessions, including training in searching electronic databases,
·
The
partial success by the library in creating a quiet college library atmosphere
where students can concentrate.
By one
measure, however, there was no growth and even a decline. The number of books circulated during the
last year declined 12%. Circulation
figures nationally have been declining in academic libraries reflecting student
enthusiasm for computer-based information sources. Circulation decline here, however, is exacerbated by a lack of
interest by the college, until very recently, in building the library book
collection. The average publication
date of books in the collection is 1980. In other words, the average library book
here was published before most RCC students were born! Needless to say, a library collection of
this age cannot adequately support the curriculum, especially in newer areas
where the college has interest, like biotechnology. This is an issue that will have to be addressed if the college
hopes to expand.
DID YOU KNOW THE LIBRARY HAS BEST SELLING BOOKS?
A well-kept secret for many in the RCC community is that the library has a collection of about 450 recent edition popular books including books from the New York Times Best Seller List. The library’s book jobber sends new books weekly on a subscription basis. Each title stays in the library for about 6 months before being sent back. The collection is therefore constantly refreshed. This arrangement allows the library to offer popular books to RCC students and staff at moderate cost to the college. All members of the RCC community are eligible to borrow books from the library. Stop at the circulation desk at the library entrance and sign up for borrowing privileges.
Current
top-10 fiction and non-fiction books on the New York Times Best Seller list
available in the library:
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FICTION |
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NON-FICTION |
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Chesapeake Blue Nora Roberts PS3568.O243 |
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Journals Kurt Cobain ML420.C59A3 |
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Answered Prayers Danielle Steel PS3569.T33828.A84 |
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Leadership Rudolph W.
Giuliani with Ken Kurson HD57.7.G58 |
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Visions of Sugar Plums Janet Evanovich PS3555.V2126.V57 |
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My
Losing Season Pat
Conroy PS3563.O5198Z465 |
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The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold PS3619.E26L68 2002 |
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The Conquerors: Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945 Michael Beschloss E807.B46 |
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Skipping Christmas John Grisham PS3537.R535555 |
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A Long Way From
Home: Growing Up In the American
Heartland Tom
Brokaw PN4874.B717A3 |
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Reversible Errors Scott Turow PS3570.U754R48 |
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Live From New York: An Oral History of Saturday Night Live Tom Shales and James Andrew
Miller PN1992.77.S273S52 |
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The Christmas Train David Baldacci PS3552.A446C57 |
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Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy Jane Leavy |
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Q is for Quarry Sue Grafton PS3557.R13Q15 |
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I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It: Some Things I've Learned So Far Charles Barkley GV884.B28 |
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Quentins Maeve Binchy PR6052.I7728Q46 |
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Let's Roll!: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham HV6430.B43A3 2002 |
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Blackwood Farm Anne Rice PS3568.I265B533 |
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Stupid White Men: And Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation! Michael Moore E903.3.M66 |
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OUR THANKS TO---
- Dr. Terrence Gomes, Acting Executive Vice President of
Academic Affairs, for ensuring that the library has had a budget for the
purchase of books this semester, the first time in two years.
- Holly Guran, Career and Transfer Services, for
setting aside $25,000 for the purchase of library books as part of a
grant.
- Dr. Rudy Jones, Director of Admissions, for
volunteering a space in the Learning Center for students who need to do
group study. On November 14, President Bromery also announced that space in the
Student Center would be made available for group study in the coming
year. These efforts help ensure
that the library can be reserved for quiet study.
- Judy Kahalas of the English Department for
advertising a library research training session for adjunct faculty in
November.
THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON, WE ALSO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING GENEROUS DONORS OF
BOOKS AND MATERIALS TO THE RCC LIBRARY DURING THE PAST YEAR.
Virgilio Acevedo, Social Sciences Department
Roxbury Community College, Roxbury
Crossing, MA
Janey Arrington
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA
Dr. James F. Austin
Harvard Business School, Boston, MA
Robert H. Craven, Sr., Chairman
F.A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, PA
Frank Fernandes, Bookstore Manager
Roxbury Community College, Roxbury
Crossing, MA
Dr. Leon Kamin, Psychology
Department
Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Thu Khong, Webmaster
Roxbury Community College, Roxbury
Crossing, MA
Clayton Jones, Chief Executive Officer
Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc., Sudbury, MA
Elizabeth Lee-Hood
Arlington, MA
Deborah K. Mayer, RN, MSN, Chief Medical
Officer
CancerSource.com, Waltham, MA
Nate Nickerson, Managing Editor
Fast Company, Boston, MA
Chiso Ndukwe Okafor, Professor of
Computer Information Systems
Roxbury Community College, Roxbury
Crossing, MA
David Pallai, President,
Charles River Media, Hingham, MA
LIBRARY LOSES 4 DATABASES
About half
of the databases, which the RCC library provides to the college community, are
made available in cooperation with the Massachusetts regional library
system. Because of state budget cuts,
the library system will drop 4 databases effective January 1, 2003. They are:
- Info Trac One-File
- Promt
- Health and Wellness Resource Center
- Business and Company Resource Center
In the
spring, the library asked members of the RCC community to petition their state
representatives regarding cuts in state library funding. We appreciate all those who responded. Similar petitions were sent in from all over
the state. The dropping of these
databases is a direct result of the legislature having other priorities. We apologize for any inconvenience occasioned
by this retrenchment.
Kwanzaa, (matunda ya kwanza,
Swahili for “first fruits”), is an African American holiday observed by African
communities throughout the world that celebrates family, community, and
culture. It is a seven-day holiday that
begins December 26 and continues through January 1. Kwanzaa has its roots in the ancient African first-fruit harvest
celebrations from which it takes its name.
However, its modern history begins in 1966 when it was developed by
African American scholar and activist Maulana Karenga.
(This
is part of an article on Kwanzaa from the MSN Encarta Encyclopedia. To read the rest of it or to check out other
online encyclopedias from the RCC library web site, choose Resources, then
E-Reference Tools, then the encyclopedia you want. The library’s web site is at http://www.rcc.mass.edu/lib.)
GALE DATABASES FOR CHILDREN:
·
Info
Trac Kids Edition
·
Info
Trac Junior Edition
The
emphasis of the holidays is on kids.
Therefore, this month’s featured databases are those designed especially
for them. Since the RCC library
receives these databases as part of a package deal when we get other databases
intended for college students, the children of students and staff may as well
take advantage of them.
- Info Trac Kids Edition is a periodical database for elementary
school children. It has
easy access to full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for
information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health,
people, government, history and sports. During the
holiday vacation from school, they may want to go into the Just for Fun
section for games, arts and crafts, magic tricks and much more.
- Info Trac Junior Edition is intended for those in middle
school. It contains magazine,
newspapers and reference book articles on subjects of interest to those in
this age group.
These two
databases and all of the other Gale databases are available not only from all
RCC computers but from home as well.
First, choose any Gale database from the Electronic Resources
option on the library web page (the children’s databases do not appear
here). Next, key in your library
barcode ID number and select the database you want. If you do not have a RCC library barcode ID, stop in at the
circulation desk and sign up.
LIBRARY CLOSED FOR SEMESTER BREAK
The
RCC library will close December 19 and reopen January 22 after semester
break. All library materials, including
books, media materials and media equipment are due back by December 19. Avoid the irritation of late fees. Plan to have your items back on time.
To build a better college library
and provide superior customer service, we need your comments. Send both praises and gripes to mlawrence@rcc.mass.edu.
If you
missed earlier issues of Welcome to the Library, you can find
them in the “What’s New” section of the library website http://www.rcc.mass.edu/lib.
Welcome to the Library, published by Roxbury Community College Library,
Roxbury Crossing, MA
Designed
and written by Mark Lawrence
Roblyn
Walker Honeysucker, Library Director