RAMble: WCU Libraries News & Views

Thursday Dec. 1: "Christmas Poetry: Holiday Cards from Aralia Press"

From 4:00-5:00 on Thursday December 1,

the Friends of WCU Libraries invite you to a presentation by

Michael Peich, Professor Emeritus and founder of Aralia Press at WCU. 

The event will be held in Philips Autograph Library, Philips Memorial Hall, 700 S. High Street.

For more information, see the Friends of the Libraries blog

H.W. Wilson databases migrating to EBSCO

Due to the merger of H.W. Wilson with EBSCO Publishing, the Wilson databases are moving to the EBSCO database platform.

(news release here: http://www2.ebsco.com/en-us/NewsCenter/Pages/ViewArticle.aspx?QSID=462 )

As these databases are migrated, the links to both the EBSCO platform and the Wilson platform will be available on the library's database pages.

The databases will continue to be available on the Wilson platform through December 2011

(see http://support.ebsco.com/support_news/detail.php?id=718&t=h ).

These databases have been migrated to EBSCO thus far (11/28):

• Education Full Text

• Education Index Retrospective: 1929-1983

• Essay & General Literature Index

• Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective: 1907-1984

• Play Index

• Reader's Guide Retrospective:1890-1982

Local Foods, Then & Now: Whetting Your Appetite for the Holidays!

West Chester University’s Library Services is showcasing some of Pennsylvania’s traditional recipes and quick fixes in its newest exhibit, Local Foods, Then & Now: Whetting Your Appetite for the Holidays. Located on the second floor of Francis Harvey Green Library, across the elevators, it contains many local cookbooks such as Pickles and Pretzels, A Quaker Woman’s Cookbook, Fruit of the Land, Hershey’s 1934 Cookbook, Mennonite Community Cookbook and more! Many of these cookbooks can be found in FHG’s Special Collections or in the main collection under the call number of 641.5. 

Also, included in the exhibit are many interesting local cooking utensils and pottery.  Some of the pottery is marked or engraved with scripture which is characteristic of traditional Pennsylvania Dutch and Quaker roots.  For instance, “Give us this day our daily bread,” is inscribed on the inside of a wide, silver, rectangular bowl, along with the picture of a man working in the fields.   The utensils surround the various foods presented in their old fashion style; these foods being locally produced pumpkins, potatoes, Indian corn, apples, pure maple syrup, four bean salad, and Wos-Wit sauerkraut.  The exhibit is meant to whet your appetite for the upcoming holiday season. Come check out the exhibit from now until January 2012 during normal library hours!

Can’t get enough information on cooking and food?  Check out some cookbooks in our main collection (Call #641.5).  There are also some interesting online books through Creedo Reference, check out:  Cambridge world history of food by Kenneth F. Kiple and Kriemhild Coneè Ornelas, Dictionary of Food: International Food and Cooking Terms from A to Z by Charles G. Sinclair, and The new food lover’s companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst.  Also available for your viewing pleasure through Films on Demand is Food and Obesity: What We Eat, which includes a segment on the history of food in North America.

Happy Holidays and Good, Local Eats from the faculty and staff of West Chester University!

Fall program from Friends of the Libraries

The WCU Friends of the Libraries announce their December 1 fall program, Christmas Poetry: Holiday Cards from Aralia Press

For more information see the Friend of WCU LIbraries blog (right-side link under WCU Community or http://ramble.wcupa.edu/fol/ )

fall prog

update: Alexander Street databases now available

Access to all the Alexander Street databases from WCU Libraries - including music content - has been restored.

service interruptions: Databases from Alexander Street Press

The Alexander Street music databases are currently unavailable (Friday 11.11).
You may be prompted for an Alexander Street username/password at the first or second screen - but that just means that we do not have access.  We are checking into the problem - and updates will be posted here.
These databases include:
Music Online
Classical Music Library
Contemporary World Music
Smithsonian Global Sound

Other Alexander Street databases (e.g. Opera in Video) are available.

However, ALL Alexander Street databases will be unavailable Sunday November 13, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. during a re-scheduled database maintenance outage.

WCU Library Services Showcases Native American Heritage and Culture

West Chester University Library Services presents an exhibit honoring Native American Heritage Month. The exhibit showcases hand-made jewelry, clothing, pottery, paintings, musical instruments and more. Some items are on loan from Professor of Social Work, Dr. Rick Voss; Cataloging Librarian, Jean Burton; and Print Cataloging Assistant, Regina Braidotti; and Professor of History, Dr. William L. Hewitt, while others featured are part of the library’s Special Collections.  Special Collections materials are part of the following collections: Marshall Becker’s Collection, the Works Project Administration (WPA) Collection, and the Chester County Cabinet Collection. The exhibit on the 2^nd floor of the FHG library, across from the QVC Information Commons can be viewed during normal library hours.

West Chester University is also sponsoring an event titled Wo ‘Kik’ Suye, “Live and Remember,” which includes a performance by Deer Chaser, a Lakota Dance Troupe.  The free event will be held TODAY, Tuesday, November 8^, 2011 from 12:30-3:30 in Sykes Ballroom C.

For more information about Native American Cultures and traditions check out our materials:

Bibliography of Native North Americans -- a database that covers all aspects of native North American culture, history, and life. 

Encyclopedia of North American Indians -- an encyclopedia available through Credo Reference Online that provides excellent entries on Native American culture, customs, and history.

Pennsylvania Native Americans -- a website for educators, providing resources for lesson plans as well as information on Pennsylvania Native Americans.

Sunday 11/6: Alert for Alexander Street Databases

Due to scheduled maintenance by Alexander Street Press, library databases from that vendor will be temporarily unavailable on Sunday Nov. 6 from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST). 

These databases include:

• Music Online (Classical Music Library, Smithsonian Global Sound, etc.)
• video databases such as Dance in Video, History in Video, Theatre in Video, etc.
• drama databases such as Asian American Drama, North American Theatre Online
• ....and more  (any library database described as "Available from Alexander Street Press.")