Library Buzzz

Do you like to make sure you read all the books in a series (better yet, in the right order)?  There is a great online tool posted by the Kent (Michigan) District Library.  It is called the What’s Next database  http://www2.kdl.org/libcat/WhatsNextNEW.asp.  By entering a title, author, or series you can see all the books in a series in the order they were written.   While the Sac State Library may not have all the books in your favorite series, the Sacramento Public Library might.

Have fun!

The digital version of the Sokiku Nakatani Japanese Teaware Collection is now available from the Library website or http://digital.lib.csus.edu/teaware/.  This new digital collection presents images and descriptions of the 147 ceramics, scrolls and other tea utensils collected and used by Sokiku Nakatani in her studies and as a teacher of Chado (the Way of Tea). 

Mrs. Nakatani, was a resident of the Sacramento area and of Los Angeles and a dedicated, long-time student and teacher of Chado who earned numerous licenses from the Urasenke Headquarters for her mastery in tea. Her Japanese teaware collection was given to the California State University, Sacramento and is housed in the Department of Special Collections and University Archives of the University Library.  It reflects her expertise, her interests and her aesthetics and also complements the Tea Room and Garden at California State University, Sacramento named in her honor. 

Take a fresh look at the NewsBank database (get to it from “Database and Article Searching”).  There is much more available here than many realize — much of it also new to me.  Explore the section labeled “California Newspapers.”  This section offers what one would expect, i.e., Sacramento Bee and the major newspapers from Fresno, Modesto, San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Rose supporting our area.  Then click on “California Titles.”  The coverage is impressive — all over California.   Huge list!   Explore “America’s News Magazines” — also quite a list!  Finally click on “United States.”  Here you also get access to newscast videos from across the country, e.g., CBS, Fox, NBC, etc.  There is even some international access offered on NewsBank.  What a rich resource!  Enjoy your browsing!

The University Library is excited to announce that the EUREKA library catalog has gotten a bit of a facelift. The upgraded interface includes a cleaner page layout, single-page item records, and even book jacket images. Links and buttons may have shifted around a bit, but all the search capabilities have remained the same.

After giving the new interface a whirl, we would love to hear what you think!

News report on the swine flu got you curious about flu symptoms? Maybe you want to know how flu spreads?  An authoritative web site from the National Library of Medicine includes information and a video concerning the swine flu, precautions, symptoms, and advice.  Information is located on the Medline Plus database and is sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/swineflu.html

Wondering how GeoRef in Process is different from the classic GeoRef database? It contains records that are in the process of being indexed prior to their addition to the GeoRef database. Some of the records are from older, non-English literature and other records are current, but not yet complete.

My recommendation–search both databases at the same time to ensure you don’t miss anything.

Depending on which type of subway you are looking for, lots of information can be found in the Library. Did you know that the  EUREKA: Library Catalog has 57 entries under the heading “subway,” or that you can search for journal articles about subways in a myriad of our subscription databases?

Or, if you are hungry and looking for a sandwich, walk to the south side of the Hornet Bookstore, opposite Parking Structure II and you will find that a ”Subway” recently opened.

The Selected Resources on California Native Americans page is now available at the following link: http://library.csus.edu/services/inst/California%20Native%20Americans.html. The site is intended to act as a Sacramento State University Library-specific resource to finding books and journals articles on California’s Native groups. It is not a comprehensive listing of resources by any stretch of the imagination. Users can search specific tribes via an image-map (used with permission from the Smithsonian Institution’s Handbook of North American Indians 8, California), an alphabetical list, or a generally North/South listing of tribes as well. [more...]