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 By examining unpublished letters, notebooks, and taped conferences for the Trappist novices–previously unavailable to the general reader–the author breaks new ground in Merton studies,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)