Vol. 15, No. 2
December 2000
Rebecca A. Wilson, Editor

Susquehanna University has successfully completed a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities! In the 1996 request cycle, we were awarded a $350,000 grant, and were one of only 10 institutions to be awarded a grant that year. The University had until June 30, 2000 to raise $1.4 million dollars in matching funds, a goal that was exceeded with gifts and pledges totaling $1,429,436. Income from the resulting endowment is becoming available and will have a positive and far-reaching impact on programs in the Humanities.

The three priorities for which funds were sought are: Library acquisitions in the Humanities, faculty development, and instructional technology to support Humanities instruction. University Librarian Kathleen Gunning worked collaboratively with Dr. Laura de Abruna, Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities and Communications, Martha Freeland, Director of Foundation and Corporate Support, and Ron Cohen, Associate Vice President of Development, to draft the final report on the successful proposal.

With funds from income to date, the Library has made significant purchases of books, videos and CD-ROMs in support of the Humanities curriculum, in areas such as Asian and African history, English and American literature, Jewish Studies, reformation studies, cultural studies, and contemporary Mennonite and Amish religion.

Faculty in the Modern Languages Department have organized and presented a series of Round Tables featuring contemporary writers on a variety of topics, such as "Creating on the Hyphen: A Cuban-American Perspective" with visiting writer Christina Garcia; "Germany and the Writer in Exile"; "Creativity in 'ex-ile': The Francophone Caribbean", which explored the works of Edwidge Danticat, Gisele Pineau and Maryse Conde. Additional programs are scheduled for spring 2001.

The full impact of the grant and the long-term benefits to students and faculty at Susquehanna University are yet to be realized. The Library recognizes with gratitude the generous gift from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and from members of the University's Board of Directors, alumni, faculty, staff and many friends who gave the matching funds.

A subscription index to 420 art publications accessible on the Web. It covers the same publications as the paper Art Index but has many advantages. All fifty-five years can be searched at once, using single or multiple terms by keyword, subject, personal and organization names, words in title, and publication year. Art Index Retrospective is available from any networked computer on the campus. Years after 1984 are covered in Art Abstracts, also available on-line through FirstSearch.

The Value Line CD presents the same information as the weekly paper version, but is easier to use. The CD, like the paper, cycles through all industries every three months, and is searchable by company name, ticker symbol and by industry. Searches proceed seamlessly across the CD and hard drive. The best feature of the electronic version is that users can create custom portfolios by industry, by combination of industries, or by a selection of companies. Data from these portfolios can be copied to disk and loaded into spreadsheet software for statistical analysis. The database is available on two computers in the library.

Faculty and Students: Please notify the Media Center if class is canceled for any reason, and you have scheduled multi-media equipment set-ups. Demand is heavy and equipment may be needed for another class. Thank you! --Dot Blankenship

Reference Librarian Kathy Dalton reports that over 300 students participated in the College 101 tours conducted this fall in the Library. Students had the option of taking a self-guided tour or being accompanied by one of the librarians, and had several questions they were required to answer about the Library. The tour was a required part of the Fall Freshmen Orientation Program.

Kathy has provided class instruction to over 48 classes so far this semester. With the addition of four computers in the networked database area, most classes can be accommodated so that students can engage in a hands-on session when learning to use the Library's online resources.

Faculty are encouraged to bring in their students for specially-tailored sessions whenever term papers or written class assignments are made. Kathy can be reached at x4160Faculty are encouraged to bring in their students for specially-tailored sessions whenever term papers or written class assignments are made. Kathy can be reached at x4160.

In Spring Semester of 2001, the Library plans to implement the Docutek E-Res System. E-Res is an electronic reserves software program that will enable Course Reserves to be accessed online via the web. Articles and chapters of books which faculty want students to read as supplemental course material will be scanned and stored on a server dedicated to this purpose.

Students can then access the documents electronically from any networked computer without having to come into the Library. Access will be limited to S.U. students to comply with copyright law. Several faculty members have agreed to participate in the Pilot Program which, if successful, will be fully operational in the fall.

We wish to acknowledge the support of Rob Dunkleberger, Software Support Specialist, for his assistance with this project. Purchase of the E-Res equipment and software was made possible through the generous gift of a benefactor of the Library, to whom we extend our sincere appreciation.

In anticipation of the new reference/circulation librarian (for which a search is currently underway), the Circulation Area will be enlarged and rearranged during term break. The large oak unit will be placed further down along the West wall and a glass enclosure added to create a quieter, more efficient, and attractive work area. A permanent part-time circulation assistant will work with the new librarian to oversee student timesheets and assist with the E-Res operation. Since two people will be sharing the workspace, it was necessary to increase the overall size of the office. All work should be completed by the beginning of Spring Semester.

The following CD-ROM databases are available in the Library. Most have been purchased at faculty request, and include a diverse and scholarly range of topics. Please remind your students that they are available for use.

*New titles installed on Computer A

In anticipation of the new reference/circulation librarian (for which a search is currently underway), the Circulation Area will be enlarged and rearranged during term break. The large oak unit will be placed further down along the West wall and a glass enclosure added to create a quieter, more efficient, and attractive work area. A permanent part-time circulation assistant will work with the new librarian to oversee student timesheets and assist with the E-Res operation. Since two people will be sharing the workspace, it was necessary to increase the overall size of the office. All work should be completed by the beginning of Spring Semester.

Reference Collection:

The Constitution and its Amendments. Roger K. Newman, Editor in Chief. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 1999. 4 Volumes.

A general reference for Constitutional topics and a basic text for people seeking an understanding of the Constitution and its Amendments. History, law, politics, and social controversies are covered.

Elsevier's Dictionary of Biology. Compiled by Rauno Tiri et al. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier, 1998.

Approximately 10,000 entries provide brief definitions and explanations of all terms. There is greater inclusion of chemicals and physical processes than in earlier biological dictionaries because of the growing importance of molecular biology. For coverage of the language of contemporary biology, this is the best one volume dictionary available.

The Encyclopedia of Judaism. Edited by Jacob Neusner, Alan J. Avery Peck, and William Scott Green. New York: Continuum, 1999. 3 Volumes.

An international team of scholars, both Jewish and non-Jewish, wrote the 115 signed essays dealing with the history, literature, theology, and contemporary practice of Judaism. Covered areas, such as Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform Judaism, are given extensive discussion, but other areas such as cosmology and masculinity and femininity in Judaism also receive detailed attention.

International Dictionary of Black Composers. Editor, Samuel A. Floyd, Jr. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999. 2 Volumes.

Contains 185 multi-part entries on composers of African descent: classical, popular, and vernacular. Articles can contain: biography, portrait, bibliographies, list of compositions and discography, and critical essays.

Macmillan Encyclopedia of World Slavery. Edited by Paul Finkelman and Joseph C. Miller. New York: Macmillan Reference USA; Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1998. 2 Volumes.

A major addition to a growing literature on slavery in human history. The scope of this work is "all forms of human bondage," and it attempts to cover the entire world and all periods of history, with 555 entries.

The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences. Edited by Robert A. Wilson and Frank C. Keil. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999.

Organized into two parts. The first consists of six long essays covering the broad areas of: Philosophy, Psychology, Neurosciences, Computational Intelligence, Linguistics and Language, and Culture, Cognition, and Evolution. The second, about 85% of the book, consists of short, one to two page articles on particular topics. The work provides current, reliable information in one volume that otherwise would be scattered though at least half a dozen different specialized encyclopedias.

Mystery and Suspense Writers: The Literature of Crime, Detection, and Espionage. RobinW. Winks, Ed. NY: Scribner's 1998. 2 Vols.

It may seem irreverent to describe a staid reference set as fun, but that is exactly what reading the biographical/critical essays in this set provides. Mystery writers stress different aspects of their stories. Emphasis is on literary criticism, with 68 authors included. Edgar Allen Poe is the earliest. There are 14 essays on themes and sub-genres in volume 2. These cover Crime Noir, Ethnic Detective, Historical Mystery, Women of Mystery and other themes.

World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia. Editor, David T. Zabecki. Military History of the United States, 6. New York: Garland, 1999. 2 Vols.

This is the most comprehensive reference work on World War II ever published. It contains six large sections with individual articles arranged alphabetically in each: Social & Political Issues and Events; Leaders & Individuals; Units & Organizations; Weapons & Equipment; Strategy, Tactics & Operational Techniques; Battles, Campaigns & Operations.

Videocasette:

The Century: Decades of Change. Anchored by Peter Jennings. Produced by ABC News in association with The History Channel. Princeton: Films for the Humanities & Sciences, 1999. 15 Video Cassettes.

As the end of the twentieth century approached, a number of television networks broadcast programs and series on its history. This fifteen part series broadcast on ABC in 1999 is one of the best because the presentation is balanced; the creators decided to pick a single theme for each period covered and to tie everything in that episode to it. The first does an excellent job of setting the stage for what is to come by considering life in the early part of the century in terms of the changes that would take place later. Other programs are generally good but some stand out for their careful treatment of a period. This is true of the two episodes on the depression years, the two episodes on the World War II years, and the episode on the Reagan Era. Anyone who viewed the whole series will feel that some events were omitted that should have been included or that some events were under or over emphasized, but on the whole it is a fair and accurate video history of America in the twentieth century and well worth watching.

Jane Conrad Apple Room for Rare Books and Special Collections:

The Classics, Greek and Latin: The Most Celebrated Works of Hellenic and Roman Literature, Embracing Poetry, Romance, History, Oratory, Science, and Philosophy, Translated into English Prose and Verse by Distinguished Men of Letters, with Critical Appreciations by an International Council of Classical Scholars. Marion Mills Miller, Editor in Chief. Parnassus ed., … limited to seven hundred and fifty numbered and registered sets … of which this set is No. 5. New York: Vincent Parke & Co., 1909. 15 Volumes, bound in leather, stamped in gold.

The purpose of the set was to publish together classical writings that were regarded by current scholars as the best and most representative works. The translations were new and specially commissioned for the publication. Many became the standard English version. The editor was a distinguished member of the faculty of Princeton University with an international reputation for scholarship. Several other editions issued around that time were not limited. The Parnassus edition was aimed at an elite clientele and has become rather rare. The collection is divided into two sections: Greek works and Latin works. Both contain general introductory essays on the literature followed by translations. Critical essays precede individual works. There are hand colored plates throughout. This copy is in remarkable condition. The Library is indebted to Mr. Richard L. Kisslak of Bellefonte, PA, Susquehanna Class of 1958, for donating the set to us and for taking such good care of it while it was in his possession.

REMINDER For copyright compliance reasons, the Library can not place books received through Interlibrary Loan on Course Reserve. We will, however, purchase books that you need. Please direct your book order requests to Ann Marie Rompolski in time for her to order them by the date needed.

The librarians have completed gathering data for the Standing Orders Review project currently underway. These are books and serials received on an annual basis, or as published. Departments which have Standing Order titles with fewer than 11 counted uses over the past 10-year period will be contacted during Spring Semester to review and evaluate those titles.