Student survey results: Thanks for participating!

Thanks to the over 700 students who participated in our survey--we really appreciate it!  Winners of the Amazon gift card raffle have been notified.  Here are some of the highlights of the survey, and a few things that we're looking into doing based on student feedback.

You can also view the infographic here.

Any questions or comments can be sent to Ilka Datig, Head of Instruction & Outreach, at idatig5@naz.edu.

Right to Write: NYS Constitutional Convention 2017 (September 27)

The library, in conjunction with the Political Science Department, the Writing Center, and the Center for Civic Engagement, will be holding another Right to Write event on September 27 from Noon-5 pm in the Writing Center.

This time our focus is on raising awareness for the upcoming vote on November 7, 2017, regarding the Constitutional Convention.  At the ballot, New Yorkers will be asked to vote "Yes" or "No" to holding a Constitutional Convention.

Every 20 years, New York residents have the right to vote on whether or not to hold a Constitutional Convention to rewrite our state’s constitution. In advance of this year’s referendum, we will be holding a Right to Write session in the Writing Center to garner awareness about this crucial vote. During the session, students will have the opportunity to learn more about the pros and cons of having a constitutional convention —should we break up New York state? Should we change New York labor laws? Should New York guarantee access to healthcare? We will also be registering students to vote, making posters, eating pizza, and writing our representatives to endorse or oppose the convention.

You can find more information about the Constitutional Convention vote on our Research Guide for Right to Write.  We hope to see you there!

National Library Week is April 9-15!

There is no better time to show your love of school, public, and college libraries!

All this week you can show your support for all the wonderful work that libraries do in our communities.  Here are a couple of ideas from the American Library Association:

• Visit your local library and see what they're up to!  And we don't mean just us...the Pittsford Community Library is just down the street!
• Show your support on social media:
• Use hashtags #nationallibraryweek and #librariestransform on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
• Follow I Love Libraries on FB and Twitter
• Add the Libraries Transform Twibbon to your profile pics on FB & Twitter

• April 13 is Take Action for Libraries Day
• Libraries need your help, so consider getting involved by talking to your elected representatives about the importance of libraries to your community.
• Take time to reflect on how a library or librarian has helped you achieve something in life.  Then share that knowledge with someone else!

Above all, go out and enjoy your libraries! 

References:

American Library Association:  Celebrate National Library Week

ilovelibraries:  Celebrate National Library Week April 9-15, 2017

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.