What's New in COM Library

Just in time for Black History Month: African American History LibGuide

2012-02-02T15:34:00.003-06:00

February is Back History Month. This year the them is Black Women in American
Culture and History. Read about the history of African Americans, including books, articles, media, primary and secondary sources. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more. Go to the guide!

Features:

-View historical photographs from the Library of Congress.
-Read a Google preview COM Library's print book Buffalo Soldiers in the West.
-Read and download full text classics like Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington.
-Watch playlist of historical events in African American history, starting with the 1968 King Assassination report from Walter Cronkite.

Book of the Month: In Defense of Science

2012-01-27T10:45:00.002-06:00

Today, only a few people outside of the scientific community are conversant with the tradition of science and its many breakthroughs. The rest are scientifically illiterate. So say Frank R. Spellman and Joni Price-Bayer, authors of In Defense of Science: Why Scientific Literacy Matters. This book explains why ordinary citizens need to have an understanding of science, its methods, and its groundbreaking discoveries. The authors introduce the most basic scientific concepts in accessible and straightforward language. Along the way they debunk several misconceptions of science and scientists, and arrive at a view of science as an integral part of society, policy, and everyday life… - from Amazon.com. See all our new books this month.

New LibGuide: Top (Free!) Tools For College Students!

2012-01-23T14:57:00.007-06:00

You're a college student, so you're always on the go. You may be doing course work at home, work, or in multiple spots on campus. Here are some of the top (Free!) tools that can help you out. Go to the guide.

-Articles & Books
-Citation Generators
-Free Web Email
-How to Manage Your Money
-How to Pay for College
-How to Succeed in College
-Office Suites, Presentation & File Storage
-Textbooks
-More Free Tools

LibAnswers: COM Library is #1!!!

2012-01-10T13:46:00.000-06:00

COM Library is now the #1 most active LibAnswers institution in the world out of 443!!!! That is a lot of help for our students.

What is LibAnswers?
LibAnswers is a knowledge base of all the questions and answers that we help our students with. Last year we helped students 3,912 times directly. Even better, by posting all our Q&A online, other students can get help just by reading the previously answered question—and they do—over 38,000 times last year! View our most popular Q&A.

How did we do it?
We are a small community college, how did we become the most active system? We did not just build a knowledge database, we made it accessible. Every page on every COM Library LibGuide gives students access to library help via live chat, text, twitter, email, phone and the LibAnswers Ask Us button. We make sure each LibAnswer is answered quickly. We associate each answer with all relevant topics and we embed them in the appropriate LibGuides. We also make sure that we provide a link from every LibAnswer to relevant LibGuides adding more value to the LibAnswer so that students can get even more information on their topic.

New LibGuide & Service: Scan & Go!

2011-11-30T14:41:00.000-06:00

We have QR codes in COM Library! QR stands for Quick Response and is a way to hyperlink the real world, so look for the signs throughout the library to get the info or help you need! You can learn about Qr codes, get a QR app for your phone, make your own QR code and more from the Scan & Go! LibGuide. Go to the LibGuide.

Find the Signs
Look for the signs throughout COM Library.
Ready
Get a QR app for your phone.
Scan
Scan the QR Code.
Go!
Get the info or help you need!

Book of the Month: Destiny of the Republic

2011-11-23T19:20:00.014-06:00

James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back. The unhinged assassin’s half-delivered strike shattered the fragile national mood of a country so recently fractured by civil war, and left the wounded president as the object of a bitter behind-the-scenes struggle for power—over his administration, over the nation’s future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care. As his condition worsened, Garfield received help: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, worked around the clock to invent a new device capable of finding the bullet. Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive... - from Amazon.com. See all our new books this month.

Library Closed for Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T12:22:00.000-06:00

COM Library will be closed Thursday, Friday and Saturday, November 24-27 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Normal hours (see below) resume Monday, November 28th.

Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Saturday, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Meanwhile, if you need to do research, you can find links to all our best online sources in the Distance Ed Student's Guide to the Library LibGuide.

Happy Thanksgiving!

New LibGuide: Native American History

2011-11-16T13:11:00.001-06:00

Learn about the history of Native Americans, including books, articles, media, primary and secondary sources. Go to the guide.

Features

-A selection of EBSCO eBooks and books in the library.
-Full text articles from COM Library's databases.
-A slide show of historical photographs collected by the Library of Congress, National Archives, Smithsonian, and more.
-An excellent collection of primary and secondary Internet sources.
-Google Books Preview of Everything you know about Indians is wrong

New LibGuide: The Paper Calculator

2011-10-24T12:47:00.001-05:00

Paper Troubles? Paper Calculator to the rescue! Type in start and end dates and let the calculator be your step by step guide to getting your paper done! Go to the Guide: http://libguides.com.edu/Paper

October is Information Literacy Month. Get the LibGuide!

2011-10-05T09:44:00.001-05:00

Learn what information literacy is, get articles, books, eBooks and web sites on information literacy and see how COM Library supports information literacy at College of the Mainland. Get the guide.

What is information literacy?
"Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information." Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education. American Library Association . 2006."

Information Literacy and COM Library
One of the missions of COM Library is to help our students become information literate. We do this through our LibGuides, library instruction classes and helping students one on one with their research. Most of our LibGuides have information literacy built in. Faculty can check out the Library Instruction page to see what kinds of library instruction we offer and schedule for their classes.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Get the LibGuide:

2011-10-04T08:37:00.003-05:00

The American Cancer Society estimates that 211,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year and 43,300 patients will die from the disease. For every 100 women with breast cancer, 1 male will develop the disease. The American Cancer society estimates that 1,600 men will develop the disease this year. Learn the facts about breast cancer.

Access Web sites, and get COM Only Resources like related eBooks and print books in COM Library. Get the LibGuide: http://libguides.com.edu/breastcancer.

Good News! Access to CQ Researcher Has Been Restored!

2011-10-03T13:46:00.001-05:00

Access it on the Hot Topics & News Tab in our Databases by Subject LibGuide: http://goo.gl/8MkXd or go there directly: http://goo.gl/JWfYn. Restricted to COM students, faculty and staff.

Access to CQ Researcher is temporarily down!

2011-10-03T12:20:00.000-05:00

We are sorry for any inconvenience. We are working hard to resolve this issue but don't yet know when it will be back up.

Banned Books Week, September 24−October 1, 2011. Get the LibGuide:

2011-09-26T09:47:00.001-05:00

Learn what banned books are, the history of banned, burned and challenged books, view an interactive Google map of the United States that shows where books are being challenged or banned even today! Go to the guide: http://libguides.com.edu/banned or see the display in COM Library.

Book of the Month: Unbroken : a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption

2011-08-30T16:18:00.002-05:00

Eight years ago, an old man told me a story that took my breath away. His name was Louie Zamperini, and from the day I first spoke to him, his almost incomprehensibly dramatic life was my obsession. It was a horse--the subject of my first book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend--who led me to Louie. As I researched the Depression-era racehorse, I kept coming across stories about Louie, a 1930s track star who endured an amazing odyssey in World War II... It is a tale of daring, defiance, persistence, ingenuity, and the ferocious will of a man who refused to be broken. The culmination of my journey is my new book, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. - from Amazon.com

New LibGuide: EBSCO eBooks

2011-07-21T09:42:00.001-05:00

Access over 38,000 eBooks in COM Library's EBSCO eBooks collection. eBooks can be viewed online in COM Library, on your computer and in many cases downloaded to computers or mobile devices. Go to the Guide!

Features:

EBSCO eBooks Basics
How to download EBSCO eBooks
How to transfer EBSCO eBooks to a mobile device such as nook, Sony reader or many smart phone.
Watch COM Library's EBSCO eBooks YouTube Playlist.

New LibGuide: How to Use EBSCO

2011-07-15T13:02:00.004-05:00

EBSCO offers many individual databases as well as interfaces that search multiple databases simultaneously. This guide will show you how to best use EBSCO and many of its features. Go to the Guide!

Features:

COM Library's EBSCO Playlist
Find out if specific journals are in EBSCO
Link to EBCO articles
Cite from EBSCO
Get the EBSCO Mobile App

Book of the Month: The Oxford Guide to Library Research

2011-06-30T15:23:00.001-05:00

With all of the new developments in information storage and retrieval, researchers today need a clear and comprehensive overview of the full range of their options, both online and offline, for finding the best information quickly. In this third edition of The Oxford Guide to Library Research, Thomas Mann maps out an array not just of important databases and print sources, but of several specific search techniques that can be applied profitably in any area of research. From academic resources to government documents to manuscripts in archives to business Web sites, Mann shows readers how best to exploit controlled subject headings, explains why browsing library shelves is still important in an online age, demonstrates how citation searching and related record searching produce results far beyond keyword inquiries, and offers practical tips on making personal contacts with knowledgeable people. Against the trendy but mistaken assumption that "everything" can be found on the Internet, Mann shows the lasting value of physical libraries and the unexpected power of traditional search mechanisms, while also providing the best overview of the new capabilities of computer indexing. - from Barnes & Noble

New LibGuide: Library Lab

2011-06-24T11:37:00.002-05:00

Find out what hardware and software are available, lab hours, get help with computer and tech issues and ask us a tech question. Go to the Guide!

Features:

What's Available in the Library Lab.

Library Lab Guidelines.

Email to go, email for COM students.

MS Office help, tips and how to.

Your Library Lab questions answered.

And more!

It all started in Galveston, Texas: Read About it in the Juneteenth LibGuide

2011-06-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Access Web sites or COM Only Resources like related eBooks and print books in COM Library. Go to the Guide!

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer." --Major General Gordon Granger, Galveston, June 19th, 1865

Features:

Books in COM Library on Juneteenth

COM Library Juneteenth Slideshow

Google Books preview of Juneteenth Texas

Links to other great Juneteenth info like a video of Bill Moyers on Juneteenth

Hurricane season is here! Get the latest from our Hurricanes LibGuide

2011-06-06T13:23:00.004-05:00

Access the latest hurricane news, find out what to do before and after a hurricane, learn how hurricanes work, and see images or read accounts of Hurricane Ike and the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 and get hurricane apps for android and iOS. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Get live feed on current hurricanes from the National Hurricane Center, NASA and Google news on the home page.

Get great advice for preparing before a hurricane and what do after on the Before & After a Hurricane page.

Watch a video on how hurricanes work on the About Hurricanes page.

Read the full text of The great Galveston disaster: containing a full and thrilling account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times embedded on the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 page--or download as PDF or EPUB.

Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: Biblioteca de COM

2011-06-01T09:15:00.002-05:00

New from COM Library, Biblioteca de COM LibGuide! Learn all about COM Library, including Library hours, who can use the library, what you can do in the library and more. Go to the Guide.

For those of you who don't read Spanish but are curious, our About COM Library LibGuide covers the same information in English--plus a little bit more. Go to the About COM Library LibGuide.

Features:

What's New. Get the latest news about the library.
What's in the library?
Who can use the library?
What can you do in the library?
Real question from COM students answered by COM Librarians (in English).

Book of the Month: Come Juneteenth

2011-05-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Sis Goose is a beloved member of Luli's family, despite the fact that she was born a slave. But the family is harboring a terrible secret. And when Union soldiers arrive on their Texas plantation to announce that slaves have been declared free for nearly two years, Sis Goose is horrified to learn that the people she called family have lied to her for so long. She runs away--but her newly found freedom has tragic consequences. Includes an author's note. - from Amazon.com

Library Hours Through June 3rd

2011-05-14T02:11:00.003-05:00

During the interim library hours are as follows:

Monday and Tuesday: 8 - 7 for registration
Wednesday-Friday: 8-5
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Monday, May 30th: Closed for Memorial Day

Normal hours resume Saturday, June 4th.

New LibGuide: Mobile Research

2011-05-09T12:17:00.001-05:00

Many mobile devices can access the full version of databases, journals, eBook and news sites, but collected here are those sites that have gone the extra step and created versions optimized for mobile devices or apps. Go to the Guide.

Features:

-Access mobile versions of LibGuides & LibAnswers.
-Get the EBSCO app and EBSCO mobile how to.
-Get the Gale app and more mobile article sources.
-Mobile Books and eBooks sources.
-Access mobile news & local resources.
-Download free Mobile library apps.

New LibGuide: Distance Ed Student's Guide to the Library

2011-05-03T13:18:00.002-05:00

If you are taking COM's online or Internet courses, this guide is for you! It can be difficult for Distance Education students to get to the Library so COM Library has created this guide that brings together the best resources for Distance Ed students. Go to the Guide!

Features:

-See real DE questions from COM students answered by COM Librarians.
-Access thousands of full text articles from our databases available from the articles tab.
-Access thousands of full text eBooks from our Find eBooks tab.
-How to get the good stuff for your research on the Internet from the Find Internet tab.
-Ask a Librarian for research help via live chat, email, text, phone or face 2 face from our Ask a Librarian tab.

Book of the Month: The Art & Craft of Ceramics

2011-04-30T15:20:00.000-05:00

Beginners eager to explore the world of ceramics, as well as experienced potters seeking new techniques and ideas, will find this colorful, technique-packed manual absolutely inspiring. Lavishly illustrated and visually attractive, it provides both practical and creative information on tools and materials, production processes, glazing, and decorative techniques—including detailed explanations of clays, kilns, and accessories. Explore essential methods for modeling (hand building, wheel turning); for decorating the pieces (slips, glazes, colored engobes); and for properly firing the finished piece at both low and high temperatures. Put all that new knowledge to work on six step-by-step projects—from a large, oval sculpture formed by extrusion and wheel-throwing to a beautifully simple functional vessel—all created by top ceramists.

Book of the Month: The Weather of the Future

2011-04-26T11:24:00.004-05:00

This engrossing study predicts global warming scenarios for seven hot spots around the world--and evaluates the responses of communities, governments, and international organizations. Cullen, a climatologist, notes that "just as our brain is hardwired to perceive threats that are most immediate to us, we are hardwired to devote more energy to caring about the weather than to caring about the climate," and that "by the time you see it in the weather... it's too late." With some ecosystems, such as the overtaxed Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, which the entire state of California depends on for water, "people would rather simply hope for a happy ending." In contrast, in the Arctic, the Inuit are responding to climate change and incorporating technology into their traditional hunting methods, and New York City "has decided to fix the climate bug now" with its Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. Despite the worry among scientists that humans will follow "the woolly mammoth, the symbol of a climate that no longer exists," the book presents a surprisingly optimistic view of humanity's determination to come to terms with a daunting future. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. - Amazon.com

Get Your Green On! Going Green LibGuide

2011-04-25T12:10:00.026-05:00

This COM Library LibGuide provides access to the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources and media on Going Green.COM Library's LibGuides are LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide.

Features
-Watch Al Gore explain climate change with Google Earth climate simulator video.
-Find out what you can do at home and work--including several carbon footprint calculators & how to offset.
-Get Full text articles from EBSCO.
-Get books & eBooks on climate change and things you can do about it.
-Watch a video of Global Warming 101 from National Geographic on the Find Media page.
- Watch a slideshow of images of Earth from NASA on the home page.
-Get the full text of Report of the National conservation commission (to President Roosevelt 1901-1909) on the eBooks page.

Texas Wildflowers

2011-04-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

This time of year wildflowers are everywhere. Of course Texas is most famous for its bluebonnets, but there are lots of varieties of wildflowers out there. The blooms pictured here are Pink Evening Primrose. See more varieties.

Most people know that Ladybird Johnson was responsible for the Texas Wildflower Program, but not everyone knows that it continues to this day. TxDOT continues to sow wildflower seeds everywhere, beautifying the highways of Texas. Mowing is only done during this time when necessary for public safety. Great for the environment and great for the scenery!

Get more information on the program, or check out the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. To find them and see for yourself, get sighting info fromWildflowerHaven Community or Lone Star Internet - Wildflower Sightings. See some great Texas wildflower pix at Flickr.

Limted Time Only, Free Databases for National Library Week!

2011-04-12T10:37:00.007-05:00

Don't --wait to try them out, these databases from Gale and ProQuest are free during National Library week only! To access, go the the Databases by Subject LibGuide and click on the Free Databases for National Library Week tab.

Gale Databases

-Gale NewsVault
-Global Issues in Context
-GREENR
-Powerspeak Languages
-Science in Context
-Slavery and Anti-Slavery

ProQuest Databases

-ProQuest® Civil War Era, 1840-1865
-ProQuest® African American Heritage
-Public Library Complete
-School Collection
-eLibrary
-CultureGrams™
-SIRS® Issues Researcher
-SIRS Discoverer®
-Bowker® Books In Print®

Celebrate National Library Week with our Libraries LibGuide!

2011-04-11T13:11:00.008-05:00

Watch Mr. Bean go to the library, access free databases during National Library week, read a journal edited by Melvil Dewey (yes, that Dewey--as in Decimal) learn about libraries, library history, library associations, library careers and more. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide.

Features

-Events in COM Library during National Library Week: Guest speaker Dr. James Templer, discusses his new novel Virion; guest speaker Elizabeth Park will read to children of the COM Lab School; guest speaker Johanna Liska will discuss the motorcycle adventure of Danny Liska as he traveled through Africa and Latin America. All free to the public! See the National Library Week Events tab for more info.

-Free databases you can access this week only. See the National Library Week Events tab on the Libraries LibGuide and Free Databases for National Library Week tab on Databases by Subject LibGuide.

-The Song of the Library Staff embedded on the Library History page.

-A video of Mr. Bean visiting the library.

-An 1878 version of The Library Journal, edited by Melvil Dewey embedded on the Library Periodicals page.

Just in Time: Poetry LibGuide

2011-04-06T10:24:00.001-05:00

April is National Poetry Month. This COM Library LibGuide provides access to the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources and media on Poetry. Read full text poems, watch or listen to poetry readings, find books and articles that explain poetry and more. Go to the guide!

Features:

-View historical photographs of poets collected by institutions like the Library of Congress on the home page.

-Access the best COM Library and free literature databases on the Find Articles page.

-Read a Google preview of COM Library's print book Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman on the Find Books page.

-Read and download full text classics like the Chicago Poems by Carl Sandburg or John Donne's love poems from Google books on the Find eBooks page.

-Watch Alan Rickman read The Long War on the Find Media page.

New LibGuide: Bullying

2011-04-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

Get the latest news, view images, listen to podcasts, get books, articles and good quality websites on bullying. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more. Go to the LibGuide.

Book of the Month: Texas State Parks

2011-03-28T15:44:00.001-05:00

Whether you enjoy looking at scenic landscapes, touring historical sites, camping, fishing, hiking, backpacking, swimming, boating, horseback riding, rock climbing, or almost any other outdoor recreation, there's a state park in Texas where you can pursue your pleasure. From the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, the Pineywoods to the Big Bend, some 125 state parks offer you a natural escape from fast-lane living. This book is the only official and complete guide to the state parks of Texas. Loaded with accurate, up-to-date information from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, it describes the attractions of each park and gives details--including a locator map--about camping and lodging facilities, types of recreation offered, and addresses and phone numbers for more information. So if you want to watch the sunset over Enchanted Rock, fish in the surf on the beach at Galveston, or listen for a ghostly bugle among the ruins of Fort Lancaster, let this book be your complete guide. Don't take a trip in Texas without it. - Amazon.com

New LibGuide: Japan Earthquake & Tsunami

2011-03-11T11:39:00.000-06:00

Get the latest news on the Japan Earthquake & Tsunami, view images and videos, how to help or use the people finder. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more. Go to the LibGuide.

Book of the Month: Wicked

2011-03-03T15:23:00.001-06:00

When Dorothy triumphed over the Wicked Witch of the West in L. Frank Baum's classic tale, we heard only her side of the story. But what about her arch-nemesis, the mysterious witch? Where did she come from? How did she become so wicked? And what is the true nature of evil?

Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to be the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil. - Amazon.com

Just in Time: Women's History LibGuide

2011-03-02T09:33:00.004-06:00

March is Women's History Month. Read about the history of women, including books, articles, media, primary and secondary sources. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more. Go to the guide!

Features:

-View historical photographs of women collected by the George Eastman House on the home page.

-Access the best COM Library and free history databases on the Find Articles page.

-Read a Google preview COM Library's print book Encyclopedia of Women in the Renaissance: Italy, France, and England on the Find Books page.

-Read and download full text classics like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and the Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony. from Google books on the Find eBooks page.

-Watch Alfre Woodard read Sojourner Truth on the Find Media page.

The Book as Art

2011-02-14T10:44:00.001-06:00

Where do outdated books go when replaced with new editions? In this case they get new life as art. Check out the creative use of books as sculpture from COM instructor George Bowes’ sculpture students. See the exhibit in our Flickr slideshow or in the Library on exhibit until March 17th.

Black History Month on Display

2011-02-12T11:42:00.002-06:00

COM Library celebrates Black History Month. This year it's all about the music. See the display in our Flickr slideshow, also posted in our African American History LibGuide. The books you see in the slideshow are available for check out in COM Library. You may also be interested in this great collection: Library of Congress Gottlieb Jazz Photos.

COM Library Closing at 5:00 Today, Feb 9th

2011-02-09T14:53:00.001-06:00

Due to inclement weather, COM Library will be closing at 5:00 today along with the rest of the College.

COM LIbrary Closed at 5:00 Thursday, reopens Monday

2011-02-03T12:04:00.002-06:00

Due to weather conditions and the predicted forecast, College of the Mainland will close at 5pm today and re-open at the regular time on Monday morning, February 7.

COM Library Closed

2011-02-02T10:27:00.003-06:00

Along with the rest of the College, the Library is closed due to a power outage.

New: African American History LibGuide

2011-01-31T12:35:00.006-06:00

This COM Library LibGuide provides access to the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources and media on African American History. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide.

Features
These are just some of the features you will find in this media rich guide:

-A collection of eBooks from NetLibrary and Google Books on the Find eBooks page.

-Full text articles from COM Library's databases on the Find Articles page.

-A a slide show of historical photographs of African Americans collected by the Library of Congress on the home page.

-An excellent collection of primary and secondary sources on the Find Internet page.

-Video Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture from the Smithsonian on the Media page.

-Students and faculty can "like" any LibGuide, leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Book of the Month: Holidays on Ice

2011-01-25T15:02:00.000-06:00

HOLIDAYS ON ICE collects six of David Sedaris' most profound Christmas stories into one slender volume perfect for use as a last-minute coaster or ice scraper. This drinking man's companion can be enjoyed by the warmth of a raging fire, the glow of a brilliantly decorated tree, or even the backseat of a van or police car. It should be read with your eyes, felt with your heart, and heard only when spoken to. It should, in short, behave much like a book. And, oh, what a book it is!

Author Biography: David Sedaris is the author of the books "Me Talk Pretty One Day," "Barrel Fever," and "Naked," and is a regular contributor to Public Radio International's "This American Life." - Barnes&Noble

Book of the Month: Oaxaca al Gusto

2011-01-25T14:56:00.001-06:00

No one has done more to introduce the world to the authentic, flavorful cuisines of Mexico than Diana Kennedy. Acclaimed as the Julia Child of Mexican cooking, Kennedy has been an intrepid, indefatigable student of Mexican foodways for more than fifty years and has published several classic books on the subject, including The Cuisines of Mexico (now available in The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, a compilation of her first three books), The Art of Mexican Cooking, My Mexico, and From My Mexican Kitchen. Her uncompromising insistence on using the proper local ingredients and preparation techniques has taught generations of cooks how to prepare--and savor--the delicious, subtle, and varied tastes of Mexico. An irreplaceable record of the infinite world of Oaxacan gastronomy, Oaxaca al Gusto belongs on the shelf of everyone who treasures the world's traditional regional cuisines. -Amazon.com

New: About COM Library LibGuide

2011-01-15T12:09:00.000-06:00

Library hours, who can use the library, what you can do in the library and more. Go to the Guide!

Features

Your questions answered about the library. Real question from COM students answered by COM Librarians.
What's New. Get the latest news about the library.
What's in the library?
Who can use the library?
What can you do in the library?
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Library Hours Through January 18th

2011-01-04T16:13:00.005-06:00

January 3-8
Monday and Tuesday, 8-7
Wednesday - Friday 8-5

January 10-15
Monday* and Tuesday, 8-7 for registration
* Monday closed for Convocation from 9am to around 11:30 am, or whenever Convocation ends.
Wednesday - Friday, 8-5
Saturday, 9-1

January 17
Campus closed in observation of MLK day

January 18
Normal hours resume Tuesday, January 18th

Monday - Thursday, 8-9
Friday, 8-5
Saturday, 9-1

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-17T13:00:00.002-06:00

COM Library will be closed for the Holidays from Saturday, December 18th through Sunday, January 2nd along with the rest of the campus. The campus and the library will re-open on Monday, January 3rd.

New: Journals Online LibGuides

2010-12-14T15:42:00.014-06:00

Two new LibGuides on journals from COM Library:

COM Library Journals Online
The emphasis here is on COM resources, including journals available online through EBSCO, Gale and Literature Online databases, The Chronicle of Higher Education and the TexShare Electonic Journals tool. Learn step by step how to find out if COM Library has your favorite journal online or what journals are available in your field. These journals can be accessed on or off campus 24/7. Go to the Guide!

Public Journals Online LibGuide
The emphasis here is on publicly accessible journals, magazines, and newspapers. Includes library, news, medical and science journals as well as Google Scholar, Google Magazines and Google News Archives. All journals listed include full text articles, varying from one or two sample articles to all the articles contained in the print version. Go to the Guide!

Explore European Culture with Europeana

2010-12-09T16:10:00.000-06:00

The beta version of Europeana recently launched, a joint effort of EU countries. It is a wonderful digital library that is archiving European culture. One may view paintings, full text literature watch video, more. Great collections. Check out the Reading Europe or Art Nouveau exhibits.

From the about us page:

Ideas and inspiration can be found within the more than 14.6 million items on Europeana. These objects include:

Images - paintings, drawings, maps, photos and pictures of museum objects
Texts - books, newspapers, letters, diaries and archival papers
Sounds - music and spoken word from cylinders, tapes, discs and radio broadcasts
Videos - films, newsreels and TV broadcasts

Some items and topics are world famous, like Isaac Newton's book about the Laws of Motion, the drawings of Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Vermeer's painting of the Girl With A Pearl Earring or objects about the Berlin Wall. Others are hidden treasures, waiting for you to discover them.

International Poetry Display

2010-12-08T10:19:00.004-06:00

College of the Mainland celebrated International Education Week in November. Come to the Library and check out our International Poetry books and novels from Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa!

Book of the Month: November

2010-12-08T10:00:00.001-06:00

Baker has incorporated all the available research on Thanksgiving and enriched it with his unparalleled access to original sources as the former director of research at Plimoth Plantation. Most appealing about this book is that it has been produced by an expert on the topic, and one who is also a Plymouth, MA, native. He shows us how Thanksgiving is seen through each generation's reality, having morphed from a holiday for pilgrim hats and turkeys to a cause for Native American protests to a holy day to several ancient holidays combined and a full-scale orgy of food and football. Thanksgiving is not the holiday you think it is and will not be the holiday you know now in 100 years, but it can be whatever holiday you need. There is now a desire to make it an international holiday—Who knows? VERDICT This is destined to become the accepted text for research on the history and myth of this most American holiday, and it will be an enjoyable, fascinating read both for students and for anyone looking for a good story.—Suzanne Lay, Perry H.S., GA

Book Display: Scary Books

2010-10-28T12:21:00.000-05:00

Halloween arrives this Sunday, but it still isn’t too late to get in the “spirit” of this Holiday. If you are looking for books to help you get ready, or to get you in the Halloween mood, check out the display at the library entrance. It features horror books – classics and recent bestsellers.

Book Display: Breast Cancel Awareness Month

2010-10-28T12:17:00.000-05:00

Come and check out our new display in the Library Leisure Reading area!

Book of the Month: October

2010-10-28T12:11:00.000-05:00

Can the recent influx of immigrants successfully enter the mainstream of American life, or will many of them fail to thrive and become part of a permanent underclass? Achieving Anew examines immigrant life in school, at work, and in communities and demonstrates that recent immigrants and their children do make substantial progress over time, both within and between generations.

From policymakers to private citizens, our national conversation on immigration has consistently questioned the country's ability to absorb increasing numbers of foreign nationals--now nearly one million legal entrants per year. Using census data, longitudinal education surveys, and other data, Michael White and Jennifer Glick place their study of new immigrant achievement within a context of recent developments in assimilation theory and policies regulating who gets in and what happens to them upon arrival. They find that immigrant status itself is not an important predictor of educational achievement. First-generation immigrants arrive in the United States with less education than native-born Americans, but by the second and third generation, the children of immigrants are just as successful in school as native-born students with equivalent social and economic background. As with prior studies, the effects of socioeconomic background and family structure show through strongly. On education attainment, race and ethnicity have a strong impact on achievement initially, but less over time.

Looking at the labor force, White and Glick find no evidence to confirm the often-voiced worry that recent immigrants and their children are falling behind earlier arrivals. On the contrary, immigrants of more recent vintage tend to catch up to the occupational status of natives more quickly than in the past. Family background, educational preparation, and race/ethnicity all play a role in labor market success, just as they do for the native born, but the offspring of immigrants suffer no disadvantage due to their immigrant origins.

New immigrants continue to live in segregated neighborhoods, though with less prevalence than native black-white segregation. Immigrants who arrived in the 1960s are now much less segregated than recent arrivals. Indeed, the authors find that residential segregation declines both within and across generations. Yet black and Mexican immigrants are more segregated from whites than other groups, showing that race and economic status still remain powerful influences on where immigrants live.

Although the picture is mixed and the continuing significance of racial factors remains a concern, Achieving Anew provides compelling reassurance that the recent wave of immigrants is making impressive progress in joining the American mainstream. The process of assimilation is not broken, the advent of a new underclass is not imminent, and the efforts to argue for the restriction of immigration based on these fears are largely mistaken.

Book of the Month: September

2010-10-19T11:09:00.001-05:00

In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman--and never went home again.

Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly through her pavé au poivre, the steak'spink juices puddling into the buttery pepper sauce? LUNCH IN PARIS is a memoir about a young American woman caught up in two passionate love affairs--one with her new beau, Gwendal, the other with French cuisine. Packing her bags for a new life in the world's most romantic city, Elizabeth is plunged into a world of bustling open-air markets, hipster bistros, and size 2 femmes fatales. She learns to gut her first fish (with a little help from Jane Austen), soothe pangs of homesickness (with the rise of a chocolate soufflé) and develops a crush on her local butcher (who bears a striking resemblance to Matt Dillon). Elizabeth finds that the deeper she immerses herself in the world of French cuisine, the more Paris itself begins to translate. French culture, she discovers, is not unlike a well-ripened cheese-there may be a crusty exterior, until you cut through to the melting, piquant heart.

Book of the Month: August

2010-10-19T10:32:00.003-05:00

I wrote this book with deepest respect and affection for my Amish heritage and have focused on the genuine virtues and values that best depict their slow-paced, horse and buggy way of life. I have highlighted the stress free lifestyle of the "gentle" Amish and have described their many soul soothing personal qualities along with their religious beliefs, ceremonies, child rearing practices and other aspects of their unique culture. In sum, this book is concerned with the customs and moral code of the Amish culture as written by those best qualified to do so--myself as a former Old Order Amish sect member along with Amish children and adults who are current participants in the Amish faith. The Amish are a unique, stress free, peace loving community of people living a slow-paced, patient, non violent lifestyle where force and retaliation are replaced by forgiveness and confession. Their daily life is void of the many stresses and strains so evident within the majority culture and research indicates that there is a low rate of depression among members. While society at large has suffered tremendous personal costs due to the discarding of many traditional, old fashioned, time proven values, the Amish embrace and live by such values seven days a week. ~ Joe Wittmer, Ph.D.

eBooks LibGuide

2010-10-14T10:49:00.004-05:00

eBooks are electronic versions of print books. You can read the full text online 24/7 on or off campus. COM Library has access to both free eBooks and eBooks available only in COM Library or to COM Library patrons. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Access over 38,000 eBooks from COM Library's NetLibrary collection, including how to find the downloadable NetLibrary eBooks.
Access free full text public domain books from Google Books.
Read some of the world's great literature and historical documents online free.
Download free eBooks to computer or mobile device.
Learn more about eBook readers software and devices.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-09-30T13:58:00.000-05:00

Learn the facts about breast cancer. Access Web sites, and get COM Only Resources like articles, eBooks and print books in COM Library. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Get full text articles from EBSCO and Gale.
Access NetLibrary eBooks.
Get the latest headlines.
See what books COM Library has.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: Banned Books Week

2010-09-22T08:22:00.000-05:00

Read Banned Books--It's Your Freedom We're Talking About! Learn what banned books are and the history of banned books. Many classics have been banned or challenged in the past and continue to be challenged at other libraries or even by governments. Find out which of your favorites have been banned and why. COM Library call numbers are included so you can check them out and read them. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Watch a video made by a real COM student with interviews of COM faculty and local teachers.
Download free eBook versions of classic banned books
View the interactive Google Map of banned books.
Watch COM Library's YouTube Playlist on banned books.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: Research Tutorial

2010-09-01T12:50:00.006-05:00

The Research Tutorial is your key to research success! This guide introduces COM students to college level research. Go to the Guide!

Features:

How to find the sources your instructors want you to use and evaluate them as appropriate for college level research as well as you research assignment.
Learn about citation and where to get citation help.
How to save time and find articles in COM Library’s online databases.
How to get the good stuff on the Internet.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Library Closed Monday 9-11:30

2010-08-20T08:53:00.005-05:00

Just a friendly reminder that the library will be closed during Convocation om Monday, August 23 from 9-11:30.

New LibGuide: Google

2010-08-17T11:57:00.009-05:00

OK, let's just say it: Google rules! It's the quickest and easiest way to get good search results. What you may not know is that you can get a lot more out of Google than a quick search. This guide describes how to get the best out of Google searches and much more. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Set Google up to alert you for new results in a search.
Save Word documents to Google and access them anywhere you can access Google.
Make your own Google Maps.
Take your favorites and bookmarks with you.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

And don't forget COM Library's Google Books, Magazines & News Archives LibGuide, where you can discover Google’s hidden library of full text books, magazines and even newspapers.

Which Came First? The Movie or the Book?

2010-08-11T09:23:00.004-05:00

"Which Came First? The Movie or the Book?"

Come and check out our new display in the Library Leisure Reading area!

New LibGuide: Find Articles

2010-08-09T09:11:00.009-05:00

Save Yourself Some Time: Use a Database!
The best way to find articles is using online databases. Databases collect articles from print periodicals and may include abstracts or full text articles. Content of the article can be printed, downloaded or emailed. Go to the Guide!

Features:

How to get started.
Real articles questions from COM students answered by COM Librarians.
COM Library Databases v. Google.
How to get more or fewer articles.
Hot Topics and all COM Library Databases.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: Databases by Subject

2010-08-05T09:30:00.016-05:00

Our most popular COM Library page, Databases, has been converted to a LibGuide, Databases by Subject: Google is great, but COM Library's databases get you the college level articles you need for your research faster. Search for articles in the best databases for your subject. Go to the Guide.

Special Features:

Real database questions from COM answered by COM Librarians, updated as they come in on the main page, and the appropriate subject page.

All our great databases listed by subject so our students know which are the best to use for their research. Subjects include: business, education, en Español, government & law, health & nursing, hot topics, humanities, kids, literature, multidisciplinary, reference, science, speech, social science, technology and Texas.

Relevant LibGuides on the subject will be conveniently listed on the database subject page so students can find even more resources on their topic.

Select high demand subjects have in depth LibGuides of their own: Hot Topics, Literature and Reference with instruction on the use of the best database for the subject, with more to come!

Special sections for great free databases too! Feel free to suggest any good free databases that you’d like us to add for your students.

New LibGuide: Reference Databases

2010-08-03T10:26:00.006-05:00

Online reference sources are great for finding quick, reliable and authoritative facts about everything under the sun. This LibGuide shows you how to use the top 3 Reference databases: Encyclopædia Britannica, Oxford Reference, and Facts On File World News Digest. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Special features for each database.
Databases are searchable directly from guide.
Access to all COM Library reference databases.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Book of the Month

2010-08-02T15:57:00.002-05:00

In this exhaustive study of the credit card industry, Geisst (Undue Influence) delivers a scathing critique of the routine practices that led to the current consumer debt crisis. He details the origins of credit cards, a path pioneered by merchants bent on making loyal customers, including Sears Roebuck, which established a consumer credit business in 1911, followed by General Motors and Ford opening finance divisions to facilitate car purchases. The banks followed their profitable example, creating finance subsidiaries through their parent holding companies. The book highlights the sweeping financial deregulation in the 1980s and 1990s, the backdrop of the rise in credit card offers, adjustable rate mortgages and, ultimately, the current poor state of consumer financial affairs. Given the crippling debt load that many Americans now carry, this important discussion of the troubling marriage of consumer credit and mortgage lending is long overdue. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New Books in our Leisure Collection

2010-07-30T16:20:00.002-05:00

New Books in the Leisure Collection

COM Library Rarian's favorite books »

New LibGuide: US Government

2010-07-27T09:40:00.009-05:00

Learn about the US Government, including the best books, eBooks, articles and media available from COM Library. Special sections on the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches as well as elections. COM Library's LibGuides are LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the Guide!

Features:

Access the best COM Library and free government databases on the Find Articles page.
Read a Google preview COM Library's print book Baptism by Fire on the Find Books page.
Watch Facts of Congress: How a Bill Becomes Law or listen to classics like the Constitution of the United States, Common Sense, and the Gettysburg Address on the Find Media page.
Find your current elected officials, election and candidate information on the Elections page, as well as how to vote in Texas and Galveston County.
Get live feed from the White House on the Executive Branch page.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Book of the Month

2010-07-14T15:01:00.006-05:00

Remarkable, hilarious and unsettling re-imaginations of reality by "a dynamic writer of extraordinary talent " (Jennifer Levin, New York Times Book Review).

Wallace caused a critical stir with his first novel, The Broom of the System , and this volume of stories is likely to attract equal attention. His publisher talks about post -postmodernism, whatever that means, but there is a highly unusual eye and ear at work here, and an impressive armory of writerly skills. All too often, however, the stories seem like dazzling exercises, show-off pieces designed to provoke applause rather than expressions of a consistent vision. Two stories about the morbidly incestuous world of TV, ``Little Expressionless Animals'' and ``My Appearance,'' catch perfectly the obsessiveness and fatuity of quiz- and talk-show people, and ``Lyndon'' is a tour de force in which the late president looms very large indeed. The title story is an experiment in the outre, about a grotesque Los Angeles yuppie and his punk friends, that seems designed to shock rather than illuminate. In ``Say Never'' Wallace enters an Isaac Bashevis Singer world, though naturally he gives it an odd twist. Wallace has talent to burn, and is an endlessly inventive storyteller, but one wishes he wasn't also such an exhibitionist. - from Publisher Weekly

Summer II Hours

2010-07-09T13:33:00.001-05:00

Library hours for Summer II are:

Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

You can always find the library's hours here: COM Library Hours.

"A minor gap in the student's information...led to a major problem in finding the material"

2010-07-01T09:40:00.015-05:00

The Problem
From: Overdue at the Library: Good Guides on How to Use It
"According to Mr. Asher, the researchers found that small gaps in knowledge—e.g., how to tell from a catalog number where to look for an item in the library—created larger difficulties. He showed slides of a student trying to find a particular video in the stacks; it took her six steps (including asking library workers who didn't know the answer), 10 minutes, and three trips up and down the stairs to find the right spot. "Very few students will persist that long," Mr. Asher said.

"A minor gap in the student's information-literacy knowledge led to a major problem in finding the material," he added. "We saw this over and over again."

The Solution
COM Library's LibGuides and Ask a Librarian.

New LibGuide: Hot Topics Databases

2010-06-29T12:56:00.009-05:00

The best COM Library databases for hot topics and controversial issues are CQ Researcher, EBSCO: Academic Search Complete, Facts on File and Gale: Opposing Viewpoints. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Database comparison chart.
Search techniques to get more or fewer articles.
Tips on ways to find a topic.
Tips on ways to find pro and con articles.
Databases are searchable directly from guide.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Coming Soon to a Library Near You!

2010-06-28T08:46:00.003-05:00

Book Trailers. The idea is to make a trailer for books and generate excitement just as they do for movies. Some publishers are creating their own, others are being made by book lovers. There are even awards for them. Check out the 2010 Moby Awards (scroll down to second blog entry for links to trailers). Here is a really creative one.

COM Library has a new Book Trailers box on the Best Sellers & Book Reviews tab of the New Books LibGuide. Or you can go to Delicious and see all the Book Trailer sites saved, including how to make your own.

The Hobble Is The Latest Freak...

2010-06-16T13:49:00.017-05:00

History fans, check out this fascinating site: http://sundaymagazine.org/. The “most interesting” stories from the New York Times Sunday Magazine 100 years ago.

Here are a few examples:

New LibGuide: Information Ethics

2010-06-10T11:53:00.010-05:00

Why do you need to evaluate? It's one of your jobs as a college student. Your instructors expect you to be able to determine what sources are appropriate for college level research, as well as what is appropriate for your specific assignment. Go to the Guide!

Features:

Wikipedia Case Study on the Why You Need to Evaluate page.
Find out what to look for to evaluate, watch the Credible Sources count video or take the CRAAP Test on the 5 Steps to Evaluate page.
Watch the You quote it, you note it! video on the Cite Your Sources page.
Learn how to paraphrase, watch the Plagiarism: Don't Do it Video or take the OOPS, I Plagiarized tutorial on the Plagiarism: Don't Let This Happen To You page.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

Vampire Books in COM Library

2010-06-09T10:44:00.007-05:00

Supernatural fiction is very popular lately, especially when it involves vampires. If you’re in the library, be sure to check out our vampire fiction display in the Leisure Reading area!

Here are two of the most popular vampire novels from COM Library:

Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark is the first book in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries, also known as the Sookie Stackhouse series. In this page turner, set in fictional backwoods Louisiana town, Harris creates a fantasy world where humans and vampires coexist (somewhat) successfully, if not entirely believably. If you enjoy this genre and can suspend some serious disbelief, this book might be for you. The HBO series True Blood is based on this series of novels; fans of the book might like to check out the television show, and vice versa.

The Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn

Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling “vampire love saga” features vampires, werewolves, forbidden love, and lots of romantic angst. The books are not for everyone – the story requires some serious suspension of disbelief – but if you’re willing and able to do that, you may well enjoy it. Recommended for teenage girls, fans of YA romantic fantasy, and those who want to see what all the fuss is about.

Review was posted at http://hunterleisure.wordpress.com

New LibGuide: Juneteenth

2010-06-08T11:20:00.020-05:00

It all started in Galveston, Texas. Access Web sites or COM Only Resources like related eBooks and print books in COM Library. Go to the Guide!

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer." --Major General Gordon Granger, Galveston, June 19th, 1865

Features:

Books in COM Library on Juneteenth
COM Library Juneteenth Slideshow
Google Books preview of Juneteenth Texas
Links to other great Juneteenth info like a video of Bill Moyers on Juneteenth

APA Style Blog & COM Library's Cite APA Style LibGuide

2010-06-08T10:12:00.017-05:00

If you use APA for citation, you may want to check out the APA Style Blog. You can get answers to questions like this one:

How to Cite the U.S. Constitution in APA Style by Chelsea Lee “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union....” —U.S. Constitution, pmbl. Those immortal words open the U.S. Constitution. But how to cite it in an APA Style paper? The answer...

Get the latest from the blog on the homepage of COM Library's Cite APA Style LibGuide with more citation help!

New LibGuide: Hurricanes

2010-06-04T11:36:00.007-05:00

Get live feed on current hurricanes from the National Hurricane Center, NASA and Google news on the home page.
Get great advice for preparing before a hurricane and what do after on the Before & After a Hurricane page.
Watch a video on how hurricanes work on the About Hurricanes page.
Read the full text of The great Galveston disaster: containing a full and thrilling account of the Most Appalling Calamity of Modern Times embedded on the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 page--or download as PDF or EPUB.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: Drama

2010-06-03T10:49:00.005-05:00

This COM Library Libguide provides access to the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources and media on Drama and Theater. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide!

Features:

Books from COM Library's collection
Movie scripts and screenplays
Reference sites
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don't hesitate to provide feedback!

The Humanities Go Google

2010-05-28T09:52:00.003-05:00

A very interesting project from Stanford University's new Literature Lab uses digital versions of books (as in Google Books) to analyze trends in literature and identify how works of literature have evolved.

"It's like the invention of the telescope," Franco Moretti, a Stanford professor of English and comparative literature, says of Google Books. "All of a sudden, an enormous amount of matter becomes visible."

From the Chronicle: http://chronicle.com/article/The-Humanities-Go-Google/65713/

New LibGuide: Library Jargon

2010-05-27T11:18:00.006-05:00

Baffled by Boolean? Confused about call numbers? Every field has its jargon. Get library jargon defined. Go to the Guide.

Features:

Multilingual Library Jargon Glossary for ESL Speakers
Library Jargon Flash Cards
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don't hesitate to provide feedback!

After keeping us waiting for a century, Mark Twain will finally reveal all

2010-05-27T08:21:00.002-05:00

Exactly a century after rumors of his death turned out to be entirely accurate, one of Mark Twain's dying wishes is at last coming true: an extensive, outspoken and revelatory autobiography which he devoted the last decade of his life to writing is finally going to be published. Get the full story.

New Leisure Books in May

2010-05-26T10:36:00.002-05:00

COM Library's New Leisure Books

COM Library Rarian's favorite books »

Library Catalog Down Thursday for Upgrade

2010-05-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

COMCat, the library’s online catalog, will be down Thursday, May 27 for upgrading. It is expected to be back up by Friday morning.

New LibGuide: Music

2010-05-20T15:27:00.007-05:00

This COM Library LibGuide describes resources available for Music. Find the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources on music. Go to the Guide.

Features:

Books from COM Library's collection
Free digital sheet music
Reference sites
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don't hesitate to provide feedback!

New LibGuide: New Books

2010-05-20T15:20:00.006-05:00

See what new books are available in COM Library, suggest books, or access best seller lists and book reviews. Check the monthly tabs for new academic books. Browse the covers of our leisure books. Go to the guide.

Leisure book of the month: I am Ozzy

2010-05-18T10:28:00.003-05:00

Frank Skinner delivers a perfect performance of Osbourne's memoir of his long and colorful career—from his humble beginnings to his days fronting Black Sabbath and rise as a successful solo artist. Skinner captures Osbourne's slurry drawl in an intimate performance that transports the listener to a quiet pub where Ozzy is holding court and swapping stories about family, factory jobs, stints in prison, drugs, sex, alcohol, guns, chickens, more drugs, band breakups. Equally compelling are Skinner's renditions of Osbourne's friends and bandmates—his Geezer Butler is a knockout. A must for fans of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, and the rock 'n' roll memoir; highly memorable and recommended. A Grand Central hardcover. (Jan.) from Publisher Weekly.

Title: I am Ozzy
Call number: ML 420 O825 A3 2010 Leisure Book Shelf

Book of the Month: 10-Fold Origami: Fabulous Paperfolds You Can Make in 10 Steps or Less

2010-05-18T10:20:00.006-05:00

Every charming paper sculpture in this collection, from the traditional pinwheel and sailboat to the romantic valentine and picture frame, requires only 10 steps. And with three levels of difficulty to choose from, both beginners and more skilled origami crafters will find plenty of enjoyment. Full color.

Some origami projects can have as many as 50 folds...but not these Every charming paper sculpture from the traditional pinwheel and sailboat to the romantic valentine and picture frame requires only ten steps. And with three levels of difficulty to choose from, both beginners and more skilled origami crafters will find plenty of enjoyment. Paper master Peter Engel calls his models "playful art and artful play," and the beautifully photographed designs are organized into such appealing categories as Wild Kingdom, Delectables, and Just for Fun.

New LibGuide: British Literature

2010-05-12T16:01:00.005-05:00

This COM Library LibGuide provides access to the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources and media on British Literature. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide.

Features
These are just some of the features you will find in this media rich guide.

A video of Mr. Darcy proposing to Lizzy on the Find Media page.
The full text of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man embedded on the Find eBooks page.
Links to podcasts of authors like Aldous Huxley and Samuel Beckett reading their works on the Find Media page.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

On the Road with JFK--via Twitter

2010-05-10T17:46:00.005-05:00

The JFK Library tweets JFK's progress on the campaign trail--50 years later, creating a unique timeline to this historical event. Go to the site to view the tweets, follow or subscribe to the RSS: http://twitter.com/Kennedy1960.

New LibGuide: Google Books, Magazines & News Archives

2010-05-05T14:00:00.004-05:00

Discover Google’s hidden library of full text books, magazines and even newspapers. You can even download the classics in EPUB or PDF format to computers and mobile devices. Go to the Guide.

Faculty & Google Books
Get “how to” instructions on embedding full text or previews of books into your Blackboard courses that students can read within the course, or link to any Google book, magazine or news archive resource.

New LibGuide: Gulf Oil Spill

2010-05-05T12:01:00.003-05:00

Get the latest news on the Gulf oil spill, view images and videos and find out how to help. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide.

New LibGuide: Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

When the Mexican army beat the French. Access Web sites, slideshow, video, COM Only Resources like related eBooks and print books in COM Library. Go to the guide.

Asian Pacific American History LibGuide

2010-05-03T11:51:00.007-05:00

This COM Library LibGuide provides access to the best books, eBooks, articles, Internet resources and media on Asian Pacific American History. COM Library's LibGuides are media rich and feature embedded videos, podcast feeds, RSS feed, books from the library catalog, and more! Go to the guide.

Features
These are just some of the features you will find in this media rich guide.

A video of what it means to be Asian American from Asia Society on the Find Media page.
A slideshow of historical images of Asian Americans from the Smithsonian and Library of Congress on the home page.
A link to Ansel Adams’s Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanaron the Find Media page.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!

How Tweet It Is! Library of Congress Acquires Entire Twitter Archive

2010-04-14T14:27:00.006-05:00

Have you ever sent out a “tweet” on the popular Twitter social media service? Congratulations: Your 140 characters or less will now be housed in the Library of Congress.

That’s right. Every public tweet, ever, since Twitter’s inception in March 2006, will be archived digitally at the Library of Congress. That’s a LOT of tweets, by the way: Twitter processes more than 50 million tweets every day, with the total numbering in the billions. Get the rest of the story.

Just in Time for National Library Week: Libraries LibGuide

2010-04-12T14:27:00.004-05:00

Activities in COM Library during National Library Week: Mexican Revolution Exhibit, Family Literacy Night, Delicious workshops, all free to the public!
Free databases you can access this week only on the National Library Week page.
The Song of the Library Staff embedded on the Library History page.
A video of Mr. Bean visiting the library.
A slideshow of Carnegie Libraries on the Library History page.
An 1878 version of The Library Journal, edited by Melvil Dewey embedded on the Library Periodicals page.
Students and faculty can leave a comment on any box on any page, review the entire guide or suggest more resources on the topic. Please don’t hesitate to provide feedback!