UST Libraries News

UST Libraries now has access to a database of online videos called Films on Demand. An initial group of 20 films are available via an on-demand video stream from the Media Resources Collection's Web site, the CLICnet library catalog, the Libraries' Databases and Indexes page, or directly.

Videos from this pilot project are available for classroom or individual viewing via a Web browser and are accessible from on or off campus (off-campus users will need to log in with UST username and password) using broadband high speed (i.e., cable modem or DSL) Internet connections.

This pilot project will test whether streaming videos can better meet curricular needs of faculty wishing to assign in-class or asynchronous viewing and determine whether this mode of video delivery is feasible without excessive consumption of computer network bandwidth resources.

See the Web site for usage tips, including minimum computer, browser and media-player software requirements. If you have questions on how to access the videos or comments, how well this streaming video content meets your needs, and whether you think this effort should expand beyond a pilot project, contact Cindy Badilla-Melendez, UST media resources librarian, (651) 962-5464.

Posted by John Heintz at 02:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As part of their celebration of the state's sesquicentennial, the librarians at the Minnesota Historical Society are blogging about their selection of the greatest 150 Minnesota books. "All works chosen as the 150 Best Minnesota Books will have been published in some recognizable form, and will either be about some aspect of the state or will have been written by a Minnesota author. We define Minnesota authors the same way we do for inclusion into the MHS library collections: the author will either have been born in Minnesota or will have spent enough time here to have been influenced by the culture or to have influenced the culture."

Check it out and applaud or argue with their selections!

Posted by John Heintz at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're aware that RefWorks was unavailable from about 2 AM to 10 AM this morning. We apologize for the inconvenience, and users should be able to access their RefWorks materials now.

Posted by John Heintz at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week, Archbishop Ireland Memorial Library has put up a display about the Index of Prohibited Books, published for centuries by the Catholic Church. Beginning in 1557 and issued regularly until 1948 (officially abolished in 1966), the purpose of The Index was to protect Catholics from books deemed dangerous to their faith and morals.

Displayed at Ireland Library are different editions of The Index and some interesting books that were on the list. Among the notables writers appearing on The Index were Galileo, Erasmus, Gibbon, Kant, Voltaire, Flaubert, Swedenborg, Descartes, Locke, Sartre, Balzac.

In the aftermath of Vatican II, the Church’s position had evolved and The Index was eventually discontinued. Canon Law 212 (section 3) now obtains:

They [the faithful] have the right, indeed at times the duty … to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ's faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.

Some trivia:
No American novelist (and very few American non fiction works) was ever on The Index.

Jean Steinmann’s La Vie de Jesus had the distinction of being the last work ever prohibited (1959). This book is on display at Ireland Library, this week.

Posted by Jan Malcheski at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It is the start of another week which means another trivia question. We know that if you don't know the answer off of the top of your head it is tempting to use Google, but with the new Quick Search feature in Central Search it is now possible to search multiple scholarly databases at the same time to find the answer to this weeks question. You can access Central Search from this page and as always if you have a question about Central Search, trivia or class research always feel free to contact a librarian.

No matter how you find the answer you have until this Friday @ noon to reply. Remember no prizes will be awarded for corrent answers, just the satisfaction knowing that you are one of the premier experts in Broadway history on campus.

What classic play and movie written by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur was recently revived on Broadway in 2004?
Reply back to arhudson@stthomas.edu

Good luck!

Posted by Andrea Hudson at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I know the song that at least three people were humming this first full week of school. The famous song 'School Days' is 100 years old yet the Gus Anderson tune is still very much known along with its equally famous chorus

School days, school days
Dear old golden rule days
Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic
Taught to the tune of the hickory stick
You were my queen in calico
I was your bashful barefoot beau
And you wrote on my slate
"I love you, so"
When we were a couple of kids

The correct answerers are Zachary Wefel, Linsey Hines and Barbara Rath. Congratulations!

Thank you all for playing and get set for a new question to be posted next Monday afternoon.

Posted by Andrea Hudson at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

While you are all filling your head with important, useful information in classes why not take some time to learn something pointless or show off how much pointless information you already know. The UST Libraries are kicking off a weekly trivia challenge that will be hosted on or very close to this blog.

The question will be posted on Monday morning, and the deadline for guesses is the following Friday at noon.

There are absolutely no prizes for correct answers! The winners' names will be posted on Friday afternoon along with the correct answer and that is reward enough.

Without further ado here is the question for the week -

Submit (or sing) the very famous chorus of this nostalgic ode to school composed by Gus Edwards which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Submit your answers to arhudson@stthomas.edu

Good luck and happy guessing!!

Posted by Andrea Hudson at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check these out and comment via our Database Trials page.

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Browse the free content available in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography – 55,000 biographies of people who shaped the history of the British Isles and beyond, from the earliest times to the year 2003.

Social Work Abstracts
UST libraries also have a trial for Social Work Abstracts from Ebsco. The library would like to know if users prefer this new user interface for SWA or the version from its current vendor. E-mail your preferences, comments, etc., to Jan Orf, by Monday, Aug. 6.

Posted by John Heintz at 04:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You are invited to take advantage of many opportunities to learn about various instructional technologies, including numerous workshops on aspects of using Blackboard; an Introduction to RefWorks; Faculty Research Tools; and others. See the Bulletin article from July 16th, or faculty and staff can register via the HR Department's Leadership Academy--Training Online web site.

Posted by John Heintz at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Summer Reading recommendations of library staff are listed here for you!

Posted by John Heintz at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The UST Media Resources Center is providing a new trial to the Films Media Group (FMG) On Demand online video database. Over the next two months, you can use your computer to watch educational videos on a vareity of subjects. Details here.

Posted by John Heintz at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)