Online Newsletter of Roxbury Community College Library

February 2007

NEW LIBRARY ENTRANCE

The library entrance has been spruced up to create a more inviting passageway. The ceremonial doors have been repositioned and the security system replaced.

Ceremonial Doors.

In the 1980s, the Massachusetts Art in Public Places Program commissioned artist Napoleon Jones-Henderson to create ceremonial doors to grace the library’s entrance. These 10-foot tall doors were dedicated in 1991. They are called “Nyame Biribi Wo Soro” which means “God There is Something in Heaven” in the Twi language of Ghana. The Art in Public Places Program said this about them:

“These two ceremonial doors of carved mahogany and porcelain enamel combine traditional African masks and symbols along with abstract objects to recall the myths and legends of African heritage. The two central figures, a Sphinx and a graceful blue Ibis, a stately row of Sunufu style figures and African symbols for wisdom, knowledge and hope represent the vision of the people of Roxbury whose steadfast determination helped establish” Roxbury Community College.

Unfortunately, the doors have not been displayed well for years because sagging ceiling tiles prohibited their being moved. One door was routinely covered and most people didn’t know that they were doors at all. Recently, the Facilities department raised these tiles. From now on, when the library is open, the doors will be displayed in a half open position. Students have already noticed the difference. “Wow!! Where did these beautiful things come from” is a typical comment. Members of the RCC community are encouraged to take a new look at these wonderful doors.

Security System.

There is also a new security system just inside the entrance. It has a sleek, unobtrusive design similar to security systems in retail stores. There are no gates to push open. Students can enter and exit by either lane. No more need for helpful library staff reminders. (“Please enter by the entry lane.” “PLEASE exit by exit lane.”) Perhaps best of all, the cumbersome bump on the floor is gone making it much easier for those pushing audio-visual carts and students in wheelchairs.

Ceremonial doors: old, new

Security system: old, new

AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

Every February is African American History Month. This year the library presents the following:

· African American Quilt Display

· Timeline of African American History

· Library website on African American history

· Large display of new African American books

Quilt Display

Come see a stunning display of 21 handmade contemporary African American quilts, hung around the library stairwell just inside the new entrance. The following generous spirits shared their creations with us---Michelle Harrell of the Early Childhood Education program and her quilting sisters: Michele David of Brookline, Hattie Jackson-Talley of Dorchester, Celeste Janey of Roxbury, Jonetta Jones of Randolph and Millie Maines of Randolph. Click here for some pictures of the display. Members of the Board of Trustees have already come to admire the quilts. Be sure you do too while they are up through the end of February.

About a dozen books on traditional quilting are also available for borrowing.

Thanks to Ken Hall and Jonathan Bruce who actually put up the exhibit, suspending some quilts from 15 feet off the floor.

Timeline

In 2003, library staff created a Timeline of African American History. This 35-foot long display illustrates the history of black people in this country with over 160 captioned pictures. The Timeline is updated every year for February and displayed in the library windows. This year the RCC community voted on what event should be added to the Timeline for 2006. And the winner is…..

Deval Patrick elected 1^st black governor of Massachusetts and only 2^nd elected black governor in U.S. history, after Douglas Wilder of Virginia who served 1991 to 1994.

Library Website on African American History

Reference librarian Bill Hoag created this new, well designed website filled with loads of information. The website is available from the main library web page or by clicking HERE.

Book Display

A large selection of new books on African American history is featured throughout the library this month. These are the first books purchased through a generous $30,000 grant from the Roxbury Trust Fund Committee Trust to the RCC Foundation to beef up the library’s materials on minorities. Click HERE for a list.

And speaking of African American History Month…

DO YOU READ THE JOURNAL OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY?

The library gets this journal in two formats:

· As a paper journal, on display in the Periodicals section, 1^st floor, and

· Online as part of Academic Search Premier database.

Recent Special issues:

· “The History of Hip Hop”—Summer 2005

· Brown v. Board of Education: Fifty Years of Educational Change in the United States, 1954-2004---Winter-Spring 2005

· New Directions in African American Women’s History---Summer 2004

· African Americans and the Urban Landscape---Spring 2004

· History of Black Student Activism---Spring 2003

· Cultural Capital and African American Education---Spring 2002

· New Perspectives in African American Educational History---Fall 2002

NEW ONLINE RESOURCES

Literary Reference Center will prove useful to all English classes especially for literary criticism. It contains an enormous amount of information on authors and literary works. For example, a search for Things Fall Apart, the very popular novel by Chinua Achebe, results in 69 specialized articles, three times that found in the library’s other literature database, let alone print sources. Using Literary Reference Center will enable students to find a wealth of information to create more satisfying and educationally engaging literature reports.

Citation Builder from

The library has a new online assistant for those doing research papers, located on the library web page. It is Citation Builder from SourceAid. Citation Builder helps students format bibliographies and footnotes. Just enter the parts of the bibliographic record (author, title, date, publisher, etc.) and Citation Builder formats them in whatever style is required: APA, MLA, CMS or CSE. Using Citation Builder permits students to concentrate on the intellectual content of research papers while letting citation formatting take care of itself. All members of the RCC community can use Citation Builder from home or college and save citations in online files.

What to do:

• Go to the library web page, www.rcc.mass.edu/lib and select Online Reference Tools. Scroll down to Style Guides and select SourceAid--Citation Builder.
• As a first time user, enter your RCC email address (either staff/faculty or student), hit Register and then create your own password.
• On subsequent visits, enter your RCC email address and password to logon.
• Build your citations:
• Select Style: MLA, APA, CMS or CSE.
• Select Source: e.g. Book, Magazine or Journal Article, Website, or Internet Database (i.e. online library database).
• For each reference, fill in Reference fields and hit Next. The correctly formatted reference appears at the top of the page.
• Select Save option at top left. Give project a Project Name, then hit Save. The reference project is saved online for you to add more citations later.
• Use your citations:
• Select Download option at top left to download finished bibliography into a Word file which can then be added to your research report.
• To add footnotes or endnotes, select these option tabs.
• Select Download to a Word document. Use footnote/endnote features in the Word version of your research report to cut and paste footnote/endnote entries.

If you have questions using these new features, speak to the library reference staff.

NEW JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES

The library continues to reevaluate the periodical collection. Over a dozen titles have been dropped that no one cared about. New titles being added are shown below including three requested by Jan Jenkins for RCCs new Radiologic Technology Program. Visit the library’s pleasant new periodicals reading area on the 1^st floor and take a look. Remember, you can now borrow past issues of any periodical.

		Not pictured: · Radiologic Technology · Criminal Justice Studies · Metropolitan Universities · AJR: American Journal of Roentgenology

PHAROS IS HERE!

The library, in conjunction with IT, has initiated the state-of-the-art Pharos computer management system for the 30 new library student computers. The Pharos system is used successfully in academic and public libraries around the country. Students sign up for the computer they want using their student ID card number. Signup is now faster for students and time saving for staff members who are taken out of the signup loop. When all computers are in use, students can reserve the next one available. Although students can stay on computers as long as they want if no one is waiting, the system limits usage to an hour if there is a waiting queue. This helps ensure optimal use of computers and encourages priority for those doing academic work over recreational usage. The system has housekeeping features, such as automatically turning on and shutting off computers on a preset schedule and alerting staff of computer malfunction. The system also has a reporting feature that allows monitoring usage patterns. The library only has the signup module of the system. Another module, in which students control printouts, possibly with a debit card, may be added in the future. One advantage of a printing module is that students tend to print only what they really want saving a host college reams of paper. The system is also modular and could be extended to computer labs around campus if the library experience is successful. It is flexible enough so that different usage policies from lab to lab would be possible.

PLANTS EVERYWHERE--IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER

There are plants everywhere in the library. Library staff members do a good job keeping them watered and healthy. Recently, evening library assistant Carmen Soto repotted several that needed help and spiced up the rest. New plants were added over the past year including this attractive palm donated by English professor (and library advisory board member) Nancy Teel. Plants have been in the library since 1988 and many of the more than 60 now on display amazingly are offshoot descendants of those originals. If you’re feeling grim in the middle of winter, come in for a little greenery pick-me-up.

RECENT RCC FACULTY/STAFF PUBLICATIONS

Clark, W. (2006). Backbone, broken bones and character: Growing up bi-racial in the South Bronx. KH Publishing. Library location:

F128.68.B8 C53 2006

Walter Clark is Dean of Enrollment Management.

Amy-Mareno, A. (2005) Latin Americans. In B. Feintuch and D.H. Watters (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of New England (pp. 380-381). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. Library location: Ref. F4.E53 2005. Professor Angel Amy-Moreno is on the faculty of the Social Sciences Department.

The library is collecting copies of faculty and staff publications, whether books, book chapters or articles. Please send your publication information right here.

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, click on “Read the Library’s newsletter” on the library website http://www.rcc.mass.edu/lib.

Welcome to the Library, published by Roxbury Community College Library, Roxbury Crossing, MA

Mark Lawrence, Library Director