Historical Newspapers: New York Times & The Wall Street Journal
Posted: February 29, 2012 Filed under: Databases 1 Comment »The UofL Libraries has online access to ProQuest Historical Newspapers: New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Both databases are great resources for finding primary source documents—that is, first-hand accounts about a particular event or person—a variety of historical topics from the 19th to 21st century. Features in both include:
- Full-text access
- Option to limit searches by specific dates
- New York Times Coverage: 1851-2008
- Wall Street Journal Coverage: 1889-1994
Just yesterday I helped a student find information about sources discussing reparations payments for Japanese Americans internments during World World II and that of African and African Americans for slavery. To give you an idea of the type of information found here are two sample citations from the New York Times:
- HOUSE VOTES PAYMENTS TO JAPANESE WAR INTERNEES. By. Nathaniel C. Nash. Special to the New York Times. Sep 18, 1987. p. A15 (1 page)
- BLACKS PRESS REPARATIONS DEMANDS. By Thomas A. Johnson. New York Times. Jun 10, 1970. p. 49 (2 pages)
The New York Times is also a place to find information about the 1937 Louisville Flood:
- LOUISVILLE FLOOD STOPS ALL TRAFFIC; With Large Sections of City Underwater. New York Times. Jan 23, 1937. p. 2 (1 page)
- LOUISVILLE FLOOD UPSET UNIVERSITY; Hundreds of Refugees Housed. By James Morgan Read. New York Times. Feb 14, 1937. p. 47 (1 page)
The Wall Street Journal is terrific place to find historical financial information such as that on the 1929 Stock Market Crash. Below are two sample citations:
- EMPLOYMENT GAINS CITED BY HOOVER; President Says Worst Effects of Stock Market Crash Will Have Passed in 60 Days. Wall Street Journal Washington Bureau. Mar. 8, 1930. p. 1 (2 pages)
- CORPORATE TRUST SHARES; More Than 95% of Stock Issued Sold to Public After Market Crash. Wall Street Journal. Jan 20, 1931. p. 8 (1 page)
Both databases are packed full of fascinating historical information including, some articles with beautiful black and white photos. You can access them in the Databases A-Z list under the letter “P”.
Take a look and see what you find!
Research Appointments for Students
Posted: February 27, 2012 Filed under: Services Leave a comment »Students can get an early start on finding sources for that research paper by scheduling a research appointment with a librarian. This is a time when librarians and students can meet in a one-on-one setting to explore useful ways to find books or journal articles on their topic.
Rewarding Experiences: If a librarian has spoken to your class, many can attest that large group sessions make it challenging to respond to every student. However, it’s not always every student who needs one-on-one help, but a select few. The one-on-one interactions enable librarians to witness students make it to the other side–something that is not regularly apparent during library instruction. We see you starting from the point of struggling with the library research process to find sources, but then you begin moving through to find success to complete that assignment.
Making it to the other side may be attributed to your finding that source which seemed all but hidden. It may be that you just needed to know how to limit to the full-text. Perhaps, it’s that we, the librarian and student, were able to go through that process together. Witnessing such levels of student growth particularly, when most of our interactions with students happen once, leaves me encouraged as a librarian. So, while we may not be able to reach every student during library instruction, the research appointments make for rewarding experiences that enable librarians to begin that journey by helping one student at a time.
During Research Appointments librarians can work with students on such things as:
- Finding scholarly journal articles in database.
- Narrowing searches to find reliable information in a timely manner.
- Learning how to use a bibliography to find related sources.
- Helping you take another step in being comfortable using library resources.
Appointments last from 15 minutes to one hour and will have you paired with a librarian or archivist familiar with the subject. If more assistance is needed follow-up appointments are welcome.
To schedule an appointment fill out the form here. For questions about this service call the Reference Desk at (502) 852-6747.
EBSCO Academic – Get More Out of Your Search, Pt. 1
Posted: February 24, 2012 Filed under: Databases 1 Comment »When searching in a database like, EBSCO Academic Search Premier, the normal process many of us go through reads like this:
- Type in a search term.
- Look through the results for relevant titles.
- If nothing useful is found, repeat steps 1-2.
Step 3 is where many can overlook the need to seek out areas that reveal more information about the source or ways to narrow the search. What’s useful about Academic Search Premier are the features that help you determine more about the relevance of a source by doing the following:
A. Limit Results to Full-Text and Scholarly Sources
Students and faculty, we know your time is important. Limiting to the full-text gives you access to the entire work—this is what most searchers need in a timely manner. The scholarly source option takes the guesswork out of trying to figure out which sources qualify as scholarly. More information about scholarly sources can be found on the Peer Reviewed 101 blog here.
B. View the Abstract by Clicking on the Magnifying Glass Icon
When searching for information the title plays a critical role—it’s like the online curb appeal that draws us in to indicate if a source is relevant. Still, title’s can be misleading. Therefore, something else you can do is click on the magnifying glass icon in each record to view the abstract, which summarizes what the article/book is about. This extra information further clarifies whether the source is related to your topic.
C. Type Questions about the Library in the Red Library Chat Box
Technologies, like databases, are great. But, when they don’t work or there is confusion, the human touch is invaluable. If you have questions while searching just type your question in the Library Chat box, which is visible when searching, and a Reference librarian will respond. Library chat runs Monday-Friday, 10am to 5pm. We can answer questions about databases or other aspects of the library.
These are ways to get more out of your searches in Academic Search Premier.
Databases with Scholarly Journal Articles
Posted: February 21, 2012 Filed under: Databases Leave a comment »When you need to find a scholarly journal article in a database, do you know what that means? For an explanation about scholarly sources visit the Peer Reviewed Sources 101 blog here. As for databases, well, there are many things we can say about databases but for the sake of simplicity keep these things in mind:
1. Databases are accessible from the library’s webpage under Databases A-Z. Some examples include, JSTOR, IEEE, and PsychInfo.
2. Databases provide access to sources like, journal articles, magazines, and newspapers. Hence, as tools their function is as collections where faculty and students go to find academic materials.
3. Unlike search engines such as, Google and Yahoo, whose content is available from any computer with Internet access, many databases require a paid subscription by the UofL Libraries to access–this is why when you’re searching in databases from an off-campus location login with the ulink I.D is required.
Here are a few places to begin your search for scholarly articles:
It’s a favorite among students and faculty due to its reputation of being a main hub for scholarly materials. The majority of journal articles and book reviews are available in the PDF full-text. JSTOR is useful for locating information across a range of topics including, education, history, religious studies, and the humanities.
Related databases: Academic Search Premier, ProQuest, WorldCat Local
Use this database when searching for information on psychology, nursing, social work, and linguistics. One useful feature is the option to limit searches based on research methodology such as, empirical, quantitative, and qualitative studies. Coverage of items published range from 1887 to 2012. Citations and summaries of book chapters, dissertations and technical reports are also included.
Related databases: Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, CINAHL, MEDLINE
Really! What does Google have to do with scholarly sources or databases? Well, at times, quite a bit. Google Scholar is also a useful place to find scholarly journal articles. What’s great about this is many of the articles are accessible in the full-text and are linked directly from the library’s databases.
More Databases:
You can find more subject specific databases on our Subject Guides page here. If you still have questions about finding scholarly sources contact an Ekstrom Reference librarian at (502) 852-6747.
We’ll be glad to help you!
Calling all ideas…Calling all ideas…
Posted: February 19, 2012 Filed under: Books, Libraries, Services Leave a comment »Are you there ideas? It’s me, [insert your name here]. You’ve heard of those things called ideas, right? Well, forming ideas for some of us happen instantly. For others, a little encouragement is needed in this process. In either case, the neat thing about the UofL Libraries is there are many people, places, and things in which one can find inspirational ideas for a paper, presentation, or just for the sake of learning.
Consider how these 3 things in the UofL Libraries can help you formulate ideas:
1. Browse through Reference lists.
Reference lists, also known as, Works Cited or Bibliography, are found in sources like journal articles and books—both are located in the UofL Libraries. So, how can Reference lists help generate ideas? For example, say you’re writing a paper on the topic of Facebook, but you’re not sure what specific aspect. There is Facebook Friending. Facebook privacy issues. Facebook and marriage. Wow, there are just so many options. Well, find an article or book about Facebook and browse through the Reference list to see how other authors have titled their writings about Facebook. This is a useful way to give you ideas on how to narrow your topic.
FYI: Reference lists in journal articles are located at the end of the document. In books, they can found be at the end of each chapter or near the back of the book.
2. Schedule an appointment with the Writing Center.
Go here to get assistance with writing your papers. The Writing Center staff can help at any stage of the writing process including, brainstorming ideas for possible paper topics. As you begin drafting the paper in this process consider scheduling a follow-up meeting to discuss how your writing has progressed.
Writing Center Location: Ekstrom Library, 3rd floor behind the elevators Contact: (502) 852-2173
3. Check out books on ideas. Here are some to get those ideas flowing:
Title: 10,000 Ideas for Term Papers, Projects, Reports & Speeches
Location: Ekstrom Library, Reference Desk, 1st floor
Call Number: LB1047.3.L35 1995
The oldest books in the Art Library, Part V
Posted: February 16, 2012 Filed under: Art Library, Books | Tags: rare books Leave a comment »This post continues the series on some of the earliest books in the Art Library’s collection, all of which are housed in the Art Library’s rare book room. If you want to see any of them, just ask at the desk.
The next book to consider is by Antonio Tempesta (1555-1630), a Florentine painter and printmaker, known for hunting and battle scenes and depictions of nature, particularly animals. After working in Florence, he went to Rome where he was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII to paint religious scenes in the Vatican Palace and a chapel fresco at S. Stefano Rotondo. This was followed by commissions for several palazzi and villas.
Tempesta created more than 1000 prints which were widely distributed. They covered subjects from the Bible, to Alexander the Great, to the book discussed today: Metamorphoseon, Sive Transformationum Ovidianarum Libri Quindecim, Aeneis Formis ab Antonio Tempesta Florentino Incisi, et in Pictorum Antiquitatisque Studiosorum Gratiam Nunc Primum Exquisitissimis Sumptibus a Petro de Iode Autuerpiano in Lucem Editi. Published in Amsterdam, probably in 1606, the book is comprised of a series of engravings illustrating Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Metamorphoseon was often used as a model book for artists. Students received their initial training using model books and artists often used model books as a source for elements in new compositions. It is possible to trace the imagery in works of even well-known artists, (Jacques Callot, Peter Paul Rubens and Diego Velázquez, for example) to particular model books. Once it became common for sketches to be made for every commission, model books were no longer used by painters, although they continued to be used by artisans and decorative artists.
Below are the title page of Metamorphoseon and a typical page from the book.
Why does the library collect rare books? Because they are primary source materials of art history, offering a first-hand account of an artist’s life, the first critical response to a building or painting, or a new theory of art or architecture. As the building blocks of art history, they remain relevant sources for researchers.
African American Newspapers
Posted: February 15, 2012 Filed under: Books, Databases, Libraries, Photographs Leave a comment » African American newspapers like,“Freedom’s Journal and The Colored American covered the everyday lives of its readers, providing them with a positive reflection of their lives—something they did not find in the white press.” —(Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895, p. 182)
Photo from the Louisville Defender photographs Collection: Frank L. Stanley, Sr., was the editor and publisher of the Louisville Defender for 38 years.
Newspapers represent a medium where readers can experience more of the native flavor of places like Louisville or New York. The dialect of the people, events, and local stories of daily life are covered in ways that is sometimes beyond the reach of content found in magazines or journals. African American newspapers are part of this rich tradition.
The first African American newspaper published was, Freedom’s Journal in 1827, according to the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895 (p. 182). Developed with an emphasis on reporting about life in the black community, black newspapers became a platform not just for local news, but served the “social, moral, and intellectual” activisms of its day (Finkelman, 2006, p.182). As a result, black citizens were able to stay informed; a noteworthy point considering the various periods of hostility in America, whether politically or socially, toward African Americans. While, the flow of information today is not as restricted as those that marked the Antebellum and post-Civil War period of the 19th century, and Jim Crow during the 20th century, the function of current publications of African American newspapers remains similar to those in previous centuries.
Availability of African American Newspapers in the UofL Libraries:
1. Louisville Defender newspaper
- Available in Print and on microfilm.
- Weekly African African newspaper published in Louisville, Kentucky in 1933.
The Louisville Defender photographs collection is also available in the Photographic Archives, located on the ground floor of the Esktrom Library. Or, call them at (502) 852-6752.
2. African American Newspapers: The Nineteenth Century
- Available online in the Databases A-Z listing under the letter ‘A’.
- Full-text narratives of African American life in the 19th and 20th centuries. Coverage from newspapers such as, Freedom’s Journal and the Frederick Douglass Paper, are included.
3. African American Newspapers (1827-1998)
- Available online in the Databases A-Z listing under the letter ‘A’.
- Full-text coverage of cultural life and history of African Americans in the 1800s.
Additional resources:
4. The Frank L. Stanley, Sr., Papers 1933-1985 Frank L. Stanley Sr. was editor, general manager, and publisher of the African American newspaper Louisville Defender for thirty-eight years. Includes Stanley’s personal papers from the period while he was editor of the Louisville Defender, as well as office records of the Louisville Defender newspaper. Location: University Archives & Records Center, Ekstrom Library, 4th floor 5. Book: Pride, A. S. (1997). A History of the Black Press. Howard University Press: Washington, D.C. Call Number: PN 4882.5 .P75 1997 Location: Ekstrom Library, African American Collection, 2nd floor 6. Book: Finkelman, P. (2006). Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895: From the colonial period to the age of Frederick Douglass. Oxford University Press: New York. Call Number: PN 4882.5 .H87 1992 Location: Ekstrom Library, Reference stacks, 1st floorExperience the Darker Side of Love
Posted: February 14, 2012 Filed under: Ekstrom Library, Reviews | Tags: movie review, romantic dramedy, valentine Leave a comment »by Brittney Thompson
How could one not celebrate Valentine’s Day this year without watching a movie guaranteed to emit second-hand embarrassment from its blundering characters? The Girl in the Cafe is one of those movies that reminds viewers (should one’s February 14th not go swimmingly) things could always be worse. Screenwriter Richard Curtis (Love Actually, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary) never fails to do just this to audiences. David Yates (Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows parts 1&2) directs Curtis’s painfully awkward romantic dramedy, The Girl in the Café, starring Bill Nighy (Pirate Radio, Love Actually) as Lawrence: a socially backwards gentleman who works for the British Prime Minister as a well-paid and prestigious number cruncher for the global economy. Lawrence is tired of being alone and by a random twist of fate meets Gina (Kelly Macdonald) in a coffee shop where he decides to take a chance on a follow up date. He eventually brings her along to a G8 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. This becomes problematic when Lawrence learns of Gina’s outspoken nature. Their relationship is one to make viewers cringe with the highly intense romantic tension that begs resolution. This movie is an emotional train wreck that incites the audience to peek at the screen through fingers—it is a story in which one must see what happens next even though you almost certainly know it won’t be good for any of the characters. Along with the romantic emotional dilemma the main couple experiences, Curtis and Yates provide audience members a lesson on the more cold-hearted side of how Foreign Policy and Globalization is viewed by those in charge and how it is organized and considered.
A very happy un-Valentine to you, indeed!
This film is available for checkout by members of the University community in the Media Resources department in Ekstrom library. It’s a part of the SGA Video Collection.
Vintage Valentines
Posted: February 13, 2012 Filed under: University Archives & Records Center | Tags: postcards, valentines Leave a comment »In honor of Valentine’s day I thought I’d share with you some vintage valentines from the Newton Owen Postcard Collection. These postcards were collected by the Bayne, Foell, and Owen families. The collection includes many travel postcards, but also contains special holiday postcards.
Here are a few of my favorites for Valentine’s Day.
My love, I send you by express / Pray treat my love, with tenderness (1912)
Valentine wishes : don't hesitate (1913)
Poppies sweet dreams define : wilt thou be my valentine? (c1910)
To my Valentine, With Sunshine always in your heart / May every joy combine, To brighten all your future days, My Own Dear Valentine
Google Scholar Works with EndNote
Posted: February 9, 2012 Filed under: EndNote, Google, Technology 1 Comment »Have you ever searched on Google Scholar and found citations that would be useful additions to the References in your EndNote Library? Well, citations from Google Scholar can be imported into EndNote. Just follow the screenshot of steps below to see how.
1. Go to Google Scholar. On the top right corner click the Options icon (the round cog next to Sign in) and select Scholar Preferences.
2. The Preferences page gives you a variety of options to set including, Finding a Library. At the bottom under the heading Bibliography Manager, select EndNote in the drop down list. Click Save Preferences on the right. Doing this will enable the import links to be shown within each record.
3. Perform a search. Each record now contains an “Import into EndNote” link located below the abstract. Click on that link for each citation needed and the citation will be imported directly into your EndNote Library.
4. Remember: If you’re using the Internet Explorer browser a File Download box will appear. From there, click open.
If using the FireFox browser, a similar box will appear. In the open with drop down list, select EndNote (whichever version of EndNote is currently installed on your computer will be listed).
That’s it!
Interested in learning more about the EndNote Citation Management software? Visit the Beginning EndNote guide here. Information about workshops in the UofL Libraries and how to download the software (which is free for UofL faculty, students and staff) is included.
If you have questions about this process call the Reference Desk at (502) 852-6747.
