A Peek Into the Archives: Georgia Conner Youngblood

Georgia Conner Youngblood is well-known at Nazareth for being the college's first black graduate in 1948.  Originally from Austin, Texas, she arrived at the age of 15 to study biology, and later pursued a career in the health sciences.  Her memory is honored at Nazareth with the Youngblood Scholarship for Diversity & Inclusion.

Out of curiosity, we took a look into our Archives to see what information we have that might reflect some light on what Georgia's life may have been like as a student at Nazareth in the 1940's.

According to archival documents, Georgia Conner participated in a wide variety of activities while at Nazareth.  She is listed as a supporting cast member in "The Plight of Priscilla" in April 1948 (Reference #1).  She is also listed as an active member of several clubs, including the "Joyce Kilmer Club" (a youth group), Biology Club, and the Field Day Ticket Committee (2, 3 and 4).

Image from 1948 yearbook, Sigillum

The 'gossip' column was a regular feature of The Gleaner during Conner's stay.  The Gleaner was the student newspaper for Nazareth College beginning in 1926.  Georgia's mentions include her spectatorship of the Army-Navy game in 1946 and a reference to the thickness of her Southern accent (5 and 6).

Georgia Conner's creative and non-fiction writing activities were also mentioned several times in the Archives.  In 1944 The Gleaner published a short story by Connor entitled “The Awakening."  Her story describes a man who, thanks to a thoughtful girlfriend, learns that medical service at home during World War II is as important as serving overseas (7).  In 1947 Conner entered the Interracial Justice Contest sponsored by the National Federation of Catholic College Students, along with a few peers.  To enter, students were required to submit a “one act play, a twelve hundred word essay, a lyric poem or a poster dealing with race relations" (8).  She wrote an article entitled “A Colored Girl in a Catholic College’ for The Torch, which was mentioned in The Gleaner as “simple and touchingly beautiful" (9).

Image courtesy of New York Heritage Digital Collections

Almost a decade after graduating from Nazareth, Georgia Conner Youngblood (now married) wrote an article for Catholic Digest in which she reflected on her college experiences.  Among other things, she noted that Nazareth provided a space for her to have conversations with people with very different experiences than her own, and the power of such conversations to change people's minds about racial stereotypes (10).

Further Resources:

Read every issue of The Gleaner (1926-2007) online via the New York Heritage Digital Collections website.  It's keyword-searchable!

Edwards, R. (Winter 1997). "Crossing the color line." Nazareth College Connections 10(2).

Russell, C. (1997, Feb 28). "A pioneering spirit." About ...Time 25(16). Retrieved from http://libra.naz.edu/docview/197950836?accountid=28167.  Ethnic News Watch Database.

References:

1. The Gleaner. 5/18/48.  "S.R.O. Delights Capacity Audiences." Page 3.
2. ibid. 11/13/47. "Murmurs." Page 5.
3. ibid. 11/13/46. "Biology Club Elects New Senate." Page 1.
4. ibid. 10/27/44. "Field Day." Page 3.
5. ibid. 12/18/46. "Gossipbird." Page 3.
6. ibid. 10/15/46. "You Don't Say!" Page 3.
7. ibid. 11/21/44. "The Awakening." Page 5.
8. ibid. 3/14/47. "Interracial Justice Contest Beckons." Page 4.
9. ibid. 3/14/47. "Peg Filler Dares to Be Different in Sun. Visitor." Page 3.
10. Catholic Digest. 1947. "Plea for Love." Pages 3-5.

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Reference Librarian Deborah Janetos for her help in locating archival material on Georgia Conner Youngblood!

Curriculum Library: A New Collection of Books!

The library is happy to announce the addition of a sizable collection of curricular materials to our shelves.  These materials can be used by students in Education and related fields to study and develop curricula, lesson plans, and instructional experiences for K-12 students.
















Many of these books were previously housed in the Golisano Academic Center by the School of Education.  The library has been happy to accept the books as a donation; over the past several months we have been busy cataloging the books so that they are easier for students to find and use.  With the help of Kathi Sigler at St. John Fisher's Lavery Library, we have also selected some additional books.  We will welcome faculty and student input on adding to the collection in the future.












Items from the Curriculum Library are shelved with the main collection.  So, for example, an Algebra textbook will be shelved with other books on Algebra (rather than in the Education section).


You can search for items in PRIMO by searching for "curriculum library" as a subject heading (see below).  There are currently 95 items assigned to that heading, but you can expect that number to grow!

When you click on a search result, take note of the call number, which will tell you where to find the book in the library collection.

If you would like to filter your search results further, use the Advanced Search page to include relevant keywords, such as "Language Arts," "Mathematics," or "History."

For questions and comments about the curriculum library, feel free to contact the library and we will direct you to the right person!

And the OED Word of the Year 2016 is....

...POST-TRUTH.

What is post-truth?

From Oxford Dictionaries (published by Oxford University Press):

Post-truth is "adjective defined as ‘relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief’.

Why is it the Word of the Year 2016?

Basically, although the term has been around since the 1990's, it has really taken off in 2016 in the context of global politics.  According to OD, "Oxford Dictionaries has seen a spike in frequency this year in the context of the EU referendum in the United Kingdom and the presidential election in the United States. It has also become associated with a particular noun, in the phrase post-truth politics."

Chart from Oxford Dictionaries

Does this have anything to do with libraries?

Absolutely!  Libraries are many things to many people, but one of our most important jobs is to be a place where people can investigate, research, and find out more about topics that are interesting and important to them...in other words, libraries are a place where we search for truth.  To hear that post-truth has become popular is a bit disconcerting.  On the other hand, libraries are now more vital than ever to ensure that people have access to authoritative, timely, and scholarly information.  And we will keep providing it!

Okay, back to the fun stuff.  What other words were in the running?

A few of the other terms on the short list this year:  

Adulting:  Do I have to adult today?

Woke:  Who is your favorite woke bae?

Coulrophobia:  I didn't realize I had coulrophobia until all those clowns started scaring people at Halloween!

Further reading:

Dreid, Nadia. "Meet the professor who's trying to help you steer clear of clickbait." (2016).  The Chronicle of Higher Education. LINK.

Fox, Claire. "In defence of post-truth politics: is it really a betrayal of democracy to vote with your heart?." Spectator 18 (2016). Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.  LINK.

Metz, Steve. "Science Practice In The Post-Truth Era." The Science Teacher 6 (2016): Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 18 Nov. 2016.  LINK.

Reader, Ruth.  "How We Got to Post-Truth." (2016).  Fast Company.  LINK.

Schuessler, Jennifer.  "The Word of the Year:  Can You Believe It?"  (2016).  The New York Times.  LINK.

Viner, Katharine. "Long Read:  How Technology Disrupted the Truth." (2016).  The Guardian.  LINK.

New Open Access ebooks on JSTOR

JSTOR, one of the most popular databases for scholarly articles, books, and primary sources, has recently announced that it is releasing an initial set of 63 book titles in it's new Open Access monographs program.

What is Open Access?

Open Access is a huge trend in scholarly publishing right now.  As you may know, the bulk of scholarly publishing is subscription-only.  Institutions, such as libraries, pay a fee for their communities to be able to access high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarly information.

Many people are beginning to push back against the high prices of scholarly information.  These people are urging scholars to publish their work in Open Access formats so that anyone can access them without paying a fee.  They are also pushing publishers to allow for more Open Access options.

SPARC defines Open Access as "the free, immediate, online availability of research articles coupled with the rights to use these articles fully in the digital environment. Open Access ensures that anyone can access and use these results—to turn ideas into industries and breakthroughs into better lives" (2016).

In an article on Open Access publishing trends, Poltronieri et al argue that "Over the last decade, the open access option for strengthening the spread of scholarly literature is becoming progressively attractive for both publishers and authors in almost every field of science" (2016).  Organizations like JSTOR are therefore becoming interested in making at least some of their information Open Access.

What books are they releasing?

Some great titles from highly influential publishers, including Cornell University Press, University of Michigan Press, and University of California Press.

Here are just a few:

Equity, Growth, and Community:  What the Nation Can Learn from America's Metro Areas by Chris Benner and Manual Pastor.

Christianity, Islam, and Orisa-Religion:  Three Traditions in Comparison and Interaction by J.D.Y. Peel

Discrimination at Work:  Comparing European, French, and American Law by Marie Mercat-Bruns

Find more information and a press release here on the JSTOR website.

References & Further Reading:

Bonn, Maria. "Maximizing the benefits of open access: Strategies for enhancing the discovery of open access content." College & Research Libraries News 76.9 (2015): 491-494. LINK.

Nature. "Open Access at NatureResearch."  Retrieved November 11, 2016 from http://www.nature.com/openresearch/about-open-access/benefits-for-authors/

Poltronieri, Elisabetta, et al. "Open access publishing trend analysis: statistics beyond the perception." Information research 21.2 (2016).  LINK.

Right to Research Coalition.  "Why Open Access?"  Retrieved November 11, 2016 from http://www.righttoresearch.org/learn/whyoa/index.shtml

SPARC. "Open Access." Retrieved November 11, 2016 from http://sparcopen.org/open-access/

Roughly 40% of Americans don't vote!

Election Day is right around the corner!  We all know how important it is to vote.  But were you aware that the United States trails most other developed countries when it comes to voter turnout in Presidential elections?

A report from Pew Research Center (a non-partisan think tank) shows that the US ranks 31st out of of 35 highly developed countries when it comes to voting.

From Pew Research Center

Some of this is due to the fact that citizens in the US are not automatically registered to vote, as they are in some other countries.  And, of course, some people who live in the US are not eligible to vote.  However, even when voting-ineligible people are taken into account, only about 58% of people voted in the 2012 Presidential election, para. 8).

So Get Informed and Vote on Tuesday, November 8!

• Election 2016 Research Guide from Nazareth Library

• Non-Partisan Candidate Guides from the Campus Election Engagement Project

• New York State Board of Elections

Book launch for "Thomas Merton and the Celts" on Monday November 14th

On Monday, November 14th, the library will be hosting a book launch from 4-5 pm.  There will be refreshments!

We are celebrating the release of Thomas Merton and the Celts: A New World Opening Up by Nazareth Professor Emerita of English Monica Weis.

Here is the publisher's description:

"Thomas Merton and the Celts offers a new lens through which to view Merton’s life and spirituality. By examining unpublished letters, notebooks, and taped conferences for the Trappist novices–previously unavailable to the general reader–the author breaks new ground in Merton studies, revealing Merton’s growing fascination with his Welsh ancestry, Celtic monasticism, and early Irish hermit poetry. Merton, having immersed himself in reading about Celtic Christianity–not just about liturgy, but about household rituals, illuminated manuscripts, high crosses, and hermit poetry as well–recognized in these ancient hermits who lived on “water and herbs,” experienced kinship with creatures, and wrote poems about the birds a mirror of his own desires. Indeed, in a profound way and at a deep level, Merton discovered himself in Celtic Christianity." (Pickwick Publications)

The Thomas Merton room in Lorette Wilmot library is a favorite of students, faculty and staff.  You can find more information about it on our Services page.

More information:

• Book Launch Announcement

Ribbon Cutting at the Charles Mills Writing Center

The Writing Center is holding a Ribbon Cutting ceremony tomorrow, Friday October 21st, from 4-5pm.  You should go!

The Writing Center recently moved to the lower level of the Library, Room 129, and it is a great resource for any student looking to improve their writing skills.

You can find out more about the Writing Center on their website.

And just for fun, here are some articles on the links between utilization of writing centers and student academic achievement. Enjoy!

• Bielinska-Kwapisz, A. (2015). Impact of writing proficiency and writing center participation on academic performance. The International Journal of Educational Management, 29(4), 382-394. Available at:  http://0-search.ebscohost.com.libra.naz.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=eric&AN=EJ1061478&site=eds-live 

• Bredtmann, J., Crede, C.J. and Otten, S. ( 2013 ), Methods for evaluating educational programs - does writing center participation affect student achievement?, Evaluation and Program Planning , Vol. 36 No. 1, pp. 115 - 123.  Available through Interlibrary Loan:  http://0-search.ebscohost.com.libra.naz.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.310714388&site=eds-live

• Jones, C. ( 2001 ), The relationship between writing centers and improvement in writing ability: an assessment of the literature, Education , Vol. 122 No. 1, pp. 3 - 20.  Available at:  http://0-search.ebscohost.com.libra.naz.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=edsgbc&AN=edsgcl.80856249&site=eds-live 

• Lerner, N. ( 2001 ), Choosing beans wisely, Writing Lab Newsletter , Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 1 - 5.  Available at:  https://wlnjournal.org/archives/v26/26.1.pdf 

Coloring for stress relief--is there any scientific basis?

A Google Image search for "mandala"

Over the past few years, the adult coloring book market has increased dramatically.  Coloring is not just for kids anymore!  Many adults are enjoying the meditative state that coloring complex designs can bring.  But is there any scientific basis to this effect?

Scholars in the field of Art Therapy have been looking into the scientific background of coloring in order to discover how and why it might affect stress levels.  For example:

• Scholars van der Vennet and Serice (2012) found that coloring mandalas (traditionally Indian or Sanskrit, but now the term denotes any geometric pattern that replicates the universe) was more effective at stress relief than coloring plaid patterns or plain sheets of paper.  LINK.
• Kersten and van der Vennet (2010) studied how students chose different types of color (warm or cool) to color mandalas, and whether that might correlate with their stress levels.  LINK.
• Curry and Kasser (2005) also studied undergraduates, and found that coloring pre-illustrated patterns was more effective than working on blank sheets of paper in reducing anxiety levels.  LINK.

Overall, it seems that there is at least a correlation between coloring and a reduction in stress and anxiety levels, although there is definitely room for more research in this area!   

You can find more sources (both popular and scholarly) on our Study Breaks Research Guide.  Enjoy!

The scientific benefits of pet therapy

Melo, the therapy dog, is coming to visit us on Thursday, September 29 from 6-730 pm!  Have you ever wondered about the science behind pet therapy?  Read on!

According to Berek (2013), "the idea that animals could play an important part in human well-being was first considered seriously in 1980, when E. Friedmann and colleagues conducted a ground-breaking scientific experiment that showed that people who owned pets lived longer than people who do not own pets. This study became the catalyst for many more studies documenting the ways in which animals can help people heal physically and psychologically. The concept of animal-assisted therapy (AAT) holds that animals can positively impact a patient’s cognitive, emotional, or social well-being. Toward this end, many facilities encourage interaction between patients and specially trained or chosen animals to brighten moods, lower blood pressure, and alleviate anxiety" (para. 1).

Pet therapy is often referred to as animal-assisted therapy (AAT) in the scholarly literature.  A systematic review published in 2014 of the literature on AAT has shown that "overall it was associated with moderate effects in improving outcomes in four areas: autism-spectrum symptoms, medical difficulties, behavioral problems, and emotional well-being" (Kamioka et al, p. 371).

AAT has been studied in a wide variety of contexts (as you can see from the Recommended Reading list below) including undergraduates on college campuses, elderly people with dementia and pregnant women.

To find more articles on AAT, try searching the library databases for "pet therapy" or "animal-assisted therapy."  Add in more keywords if you are interested in a particular demographic group or disorder.

If you are particularly interested in the health benefits of pet therapy, you may also want to try some of our Health and Human Services databases, such as CINAHL or Medline.  Future teachers may want to try ERIC, an educational database.

References and Recommended Reading:

Berek, D. M. (2013). Animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Salem Press Encyclopedia.  LINK.

Crump, C., & Derting, T. L. (2015). Effects of Pet Therapy on the Psychological and Physiological Stress Levels of First-Year Female Undergraduates. North American Journal Of Psychology, 17(3), 575-590. LINK.

Kamioka, H., Okada, S., Tsutani, K., Park, H., Okuizumi, H., Handa, S., & ... Mutoh, Y. (2014). Effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Complementary Therapies In Medicine, 22(2), 371-390. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2013.12.016. LINK.

Lynch, C. E., Magann, E. F., Barringer, S. N., Ounpraseuth, S. T., Eastham, D. G., Lewis, S. D., & Stowe, Z. N. (2014). Pet therapy program for antepartum high-risk pregnancies: a pilot study. Journal Of Perinatology: Official Journal Of The California Perinatal Association, 34(11), 816-818. doi:10.1038/jp.2014.120.  LINK.

Olsen, C., Pedersen, I., Bergland, A., Enders-Slegers, M., & Ihlebæk, C. (2016). Effect of animal-assisted activity on balance and quality of life in home-dwelling persons with dementia. Geriatric Nursing, 37(4), 284-291. LINK.

Stapleton, M. (2016). Effectiveness of Animal Assisted Therapy after brain injury: A bridge to improved outcomes in CRT. Neurorehabilitation, 39(1), 135-140. doi:10.3233/NRE-161345. LINK.

Register to vote by October 14th in New York State!

Photo credit:  League of Women Voters

Voting is the cornerstone of democracy in the United States of America, and a fundamental right of all citizens.  Make sure you exercise your rights by registering and voting in the upcoming November election.

Applications to Register to Vote in New York State (either by mail or in-person) are due by OCTOBER 14TH.  

You are eligible to vote if you are a United States Citizen, meet your state's residency requirements, are 18 years of age on or before Election Day, and register to vote by your State's deadline.  

More information is available at:

• Voter registration deadlines in New York State:  http://www.elections.ny.gov/VotingDeadlines.html 
• General information about elections and registering to vote in New York State:  http://www.elections.ny.gov/ 
• New York Voting Guide from the League of Women Voters:  http://www.vote411.org/state_guide?state_id=New%20York#.V-QzsPkrJhE

If you are not from New York State and are wondering where you should register to vote, check out the STUDENT VOTING GUIDE 2016 at Brennan Center for Justice.  This page has helpful, state-by-state information for students and other young people who are voting for the first time.  Remember to give yourself extra time if you need to file for an absentee ballot.  

Remember that voting is just as important in non-Presidential election years.  Always keep your voter registration and address up-to-date and pay attention to the Board of Elections in your home state. 

See even more information on our Election 2016 Research Guide.  

"Elementary, my dear Watson!"

Photo credit:  dynamosquito

"Evening silhouette of Sherlock Holmes's statue at Baker street, the real place where he never lived..."

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most well-known characters in all of English-language literature.  The Nazareth Library recently received a large donation of Sherlock Holmes-related books from Fairport resident Edward Hahn.  

The collection includes original books by Arthur Conan Doyle, literary tributes from other authors, reference works, and popular culture items based on Sherlock Holmes (including a deck of Tarot cards!).

All of the items are available to check out--you can find them in the library catalog by searching "Sherlock Holmes" as a keyword. 

There are a number of great reference articles on Sherlock Holmes in the Gale Virtual Reference Library (search for "Sherlock Holmes" in the search box at the top of the page).

P.S.:  Did you know that Sherlock Holmes never actually said, "Elementary, my dear Watson!"?

Get access to more e-books and databases through NYPL!

Screenshot of SimplyE app

Did you know that any person who lives, works or attends school in New York State is eligible for a free New York Public Library card?

An NYPL library card gives you access to many of their electronic books and databases--including Project Muse, Early English Books Online, and others that Nazareth does not have access to!

To sign up for a card, go here:  https://www.nypl.org/help/library-card

You'll receive a temporary pin and will be able to access some electronic content immediately!  Your physical card will arrive by mail in a few weeks.  You will then need to provide proof that you live/work/study in New York State.

More information:

The New York Public Library Makes It Easier Than Ever To Borrow Free eBooks with New App SimplyE

New York Public Library E-Book Central

New York Public Library Articles & Databases (note that only the databases with the "Home" icon are accessible from outside of an NYPL location)

Welcome to the new academic year!

Here's a reminder of the Top Ten Things Students Can Do In The Library:

1. Research!  Search our online catalog and check out books, DVDs and more.  Access electronic article databases from on- or off campus.
2. Study!  The library has a number of “quiet study” zones.
3. Collaborate! We have group study rooms on both floors of the library, or open space for groups to work together.
4. Get Help!  Get help at our Reference Desk. Ask us your questions any time, or arrange for an individual research consultation with one of our librarians.
5. Print!  We have copiers available to scan and print on both floors of the library, as well as Macs and PCs for you to do your academic work.
6. Use ILLIAD! Our interlibrary loan service can help you request books, media and articles we don’t have and get them to you..
7. De-stress!  Our leisure collections of new, bestseller books are in the McNaughton section, and popular movies are in our NazFlix collection.
8. Print posters! Visit Media Resources on the lower level of the library for large-format photo and laser printing, instruction on using tech equipment, and more.
9. Pet Therapy! We bring in therapy dogs to visit during finals week each semester, to bring a little bit of home into the library.
10. Take a Coffee break! Visit Millie’s, the coffee bar in the atrium of the library for a snack or a caffeinated beverage to perk you up.

As always, feel free to let us know if you have questions about using the library. We are here to help!

What do you wish you'd known about the library when you were a freshman?

Last week we asked our upperclassmen to give some advice to new students on what they wish they had known about the library.  Here are some of the responses we received.

Come in to the Library during Orientation to give & get advice!

View our newest e-books!

Check out our newest electronic books via Ebrary.  Click on a title to learn more about it.  Read them online from the comfort of your home!

View our newest e-books!

Check out our newest electronic books via Ebrary.  Read them online from the comfort of your home!

Full Text Finder - new library holdings and link management tool

The library is pleased to announce that we have implemented Full Text Finder.  This is a service which replaces A-to-Z, our holdings management, and LinkSource, our link resolver.  Full Text Finder is integrated into our Discovery Search service, and our subscription databases which support link resolvers.  Look for the green and blue Full Text Finder logo when browsing our databases to access full text articles.

Full Text Finder introduces a higher standard for library holdings and link management. With robust features including a knowledge base, holdings management tools, a state-of-the-art publication search service, as well as a fully-functional link resolver, Full Text Finder was designed to replace EBSCO A-to-Z and EBSCO LinkSource services.