Translate

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Subject Librarian Trading Card Instagram CONTEST - Ending Soon!

Are you studying English, Philosophy, or Modern Languages?  
Do you love free library swag?

This is your lucky week!

Alkek Library is hosting a Subject Librarian Trading Card Contest, and the deadline is SOON (November 16th, 11:59PM).

Psssssst.... Guess what? I'm your Subject Librarian!



Let's give the other Departments a run for their money! This is a short contest, so you have a very good chance of winning some Alkek Library swag! I'll even throw in an extra prize if a student in one of my subjects wins! Shhh... don't tell anyone.
 
HOW TO ENTER TO WIN:

Grab my trading card the next time you're in Alkek Library! (It's in the information stand located near the staircase on the main floor.) Hint: Look for the Cheshire Cat!


THEN:
Post a picture of you with my card (or just a picture of the card itself). 
Tag @alkeklibrary and use #myTXSTlibrarian in your post.
Post by Friday, November 16 at 11:59PM

We'll randomly select a winner and announce on the following Monday!

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Who is your Subject Librarian?

Did you know you have a Subject Librarian at Texas State University Libraries?


Subject Librarian Trading Cards

What exactly does a Subject Librarian do?

Just this semester, I've met with numerous students who needed assistance finding appropriate resources for their assignments. You can schedule a research consultation with your Subject Librarian.

We also teach information literacy classes, collaborate with faculty on library events, provide workshops on a multitude of topics, and maintain the library's print and electronic collections.

We also tell bad jokes... 



or...




I'll let myself out.



Friday, March 30, 2018

EXTENDED THROUGH JULY! Library Materials from FIL de Guadalajara International Book Fair

Visit our exhibit in the 2nd floor display cases at Alkek Library (near the elevators on the main floor)

Exhibit Poster
In November 2017, staff from Alkek Library attended FIL de Guadalajara, the 2nd largest book fair in the world, in Jalisco, Mexico to select materials for Alkek Library's collection. Over 100 books were added to our collection including photography, poetry, literature, art, history, sociology, politics, maps, and more!

Watch FILGuadalajara's video for a taste of the fair!



Our exhibit includes a curated selection from those materials and will remain on display through June 15, 2018. EXTENDED THROUGH JULY!

Co-Curators: Liz King, Tara Spies Smith, and Lorin Flores

View all of the books that were purchased from FIL 2017 here: http://guides.library.txstate.edu/guadalajarabooks
Also available as an RSS feed: http://bit.ly/FILbooks (best viewed in Firefox)


FIL de Guadalajara Exhibit at Alkek



Photo of Display Cases by Tara Spies Smith


Detailed photos of the display are available on the FIL de Guadalajara Book Exhibit research guide

The exhibit includes new library materials, fiber arts from Tlaquepaque, pottery from Tonalá, FIL de Guadalajara promotional materials, and photographs by Tara Spies Smith.

Stop by and sign the official exhibit guestbook! If you can't make it in person, check out the online photo album, and leave your comments for us in this blog post!


Researching Guadalajara and Mexico

If you are not using a university computer, you will need to login with your university credentials to access the following resources.

Our CultureGrams database is an excellent source of information about Mexico, including the country's background, land and climate, history, population, language, religion, customs, courtesies, and more!


Physical Map from CultureGrams Database

Also check out our CountryWatch database for another detailed review of Mexico, including overviews of the country, its politics, economics, sociological and environmental aspects. (You can also use this stable URL for CountryWatch database.)

Want to learn more about Guadalajara? You can find hundreds of reference materials about Guadalajara in our CredoReference database!


Humanities Librarian, Liz King, exploring Guadalajara

Friday, February 16, 2018

Your Voice


"Alkek has outstanding classical and contemporary poetry: Ovid, Rita Dove, Gwendolyn Brooks, Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Larry Levis, and Gregory Pardlo. I enjoy coming to the 6th floor and browsing the PA, PR, and PS call number areas for hours. I usually walk away with a stack of books as large as my torso. As a graduate student of poetry, being able to check books out for six months gives me the luxury of taking home material that I can peruse at later date. I also host the Lunch Poems series with Liz King, the English Subject Librarian."
- Wade Martin,  Masters of Fine Arts, Poetry

Friday, February 9, 2018

Film Talks: Get Out

What is it about art and films that helps make conversations flow a little easier?
"I love horror and the imagery is firmly rooted in what I know and love about horror," [Jordan Peele] told NBCBLK. "But it is a social thriller. It is like a psychological thriller. It's about the mind. Allegory is the best way to get people to talk. If we can have a shared experience in a movie theatre, it gives us more of a basis for conversation." - Jordan Peele, Director of "Get Out"
We are so thrilled (pun intended) to be showing "Get Out" as our first Film Talks title this semester. There is so much packed into this movie, we could probably talk about it for days, weeks, months... let's face it - we could talk about it forever.

And we should. Did you have the opportunity to see Bryan Stevenson speak this week, as our LBJ Distinguished Speaker? He encouraged us to "have uncomfortable conversations" as a way to make the world better. I think "Get Out" is a great movie to start some uncomfortable conversations.

Why is it so difficult to talk about race? Why do we usually shy away from these conversations at the very moment we should be having them most?

The Film Talks crew has been hard at work preparing discussion questions in advance to help spark a conversation after the screening. We're fortunate to have the university community surrounding us to help us in starting, and continuing, these uncomfortable conversations. 
"If something unsettles you, you're left to deal with why it unsettled you." - Jordan Peele
We may not have any of the answers, but a good place to start is by asking the right questions, and being open to discussion. I hope you can join us on Tuesday, February 13, from 2-5pm, at Alkek Library for the "Get Out" screening and discussion. Entry is limited to the first 100 to arrive (due to room capacity). The film is available streaming on our SWANK database, so you can watch it in your own time if you're not able to attend.

 




Tuesday, January 23, 2018

How to stream Oscar winners and nominated films

The full list of 2018 Oscar nominations was announced today!

"Get Out" was nominated for Best Picture, Director, and Lead Actor.



Did you know you can watch "Get Out" on our SWANK streaming database?


If you're interested in watching award-winning films, Alkek Library has a film screening and discussion series called Film Talks. Don't miss out on the chance to attend our screenings and participate in the conversation after with faculty, research librarians, and other university community members.

Friday, December 8, 2017

Snow in San Marcos!

Taken earlier today in San Marcos!

JK... It's from the 1930s! But it may as well have been taken today!
 

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Celebrate Open Access Week!

Open Access Week is being celebrated from October 23 - 29 this year!
Learn more here: www.openaccessweek.org

Alkek Library has an Open Educational Resources (OER) Guide to help you learn more about and navigate OER in your subject area. Your Subject Librarians can help you learn more.

Related (and exciting) news about Open Access Week: Stephen Hawking's thesis has been made available on Cambridge University's website (and so many people wanted to download it, they crashed the site!)

Open Access is pretty awesome. Take some time to learn more about it!

via GIPHY






Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Free Movies, Expert-Led Discussion, and PRIZES!

Have you heard about 'Film Talks' at Alkek?

Watching a blank screen by Kenneth Lu
Watching a blank screen by Kenneth Lu, used under CC BY 2.0 / Text added to original and image cropped


Our new series, Film Talks, starts this month, with our kick-off event:
The Great Dictator showing on Sept 20th from 2-5pm in Alkek 105/106.
Join the Film Talks Facebook group to RSVP, share, and follow future events.

Event Details:

  • Film starts at 2pm, with an introduction by Dr. Louie Valencia from the History Department.
  • Dr. Valencia will lead a discussion following the film
  • PRIZES will be given away in a social media contest, thanks to Kanopy Streaming database! Details to enter giveaway will be given out at the event.


Prizes include:

Roku Streaming Stick
Cnet editors' choice 2016

Kanopy lined notebook, with elastic closure and ribbon bookmark


For more information about Film Talks please visit the library guide: bit.ly/alkekfilmtalks

Fall 2017 Film Talks Line-up




Wednesday, September 6, 2017

"Only Boring People Get Bored."

When I was a little kid, and spent time with my Grandmother ("Mema"), I used to say, "Mema, I'm boooorrreeed." She let me know real quick, "Elizabeth, only boring people get bored."

Harsh words for a 7 year old? Maybe. But she had a point.

Here at Alkek Library, we've gone above and beyond with planning events to keep you from the dreaded boredom that sneaks in from time to time.

via GIPHY

Or maybe you never get bored, but you've got a big assignment in the back of your brain, and you wish you had some way to procrastinate just a bit more...?

(Am I the only one who gets motivated to clean out my entire closet as soon as I have something I *really* need to do?)

Without further ado, here are some of the fine happenings coming up soon at Alkek Library:

September 11 - Maker Day
  
 EVERY MONDAY - Monday Movie Night

September 20 - November 2 - Film Talks
 
 September 7 - April 19 - Visiting Writers' Readings

September 25 - 29 - Banned Books Week 
Sign up to read

September 27 - Lunch Poems

September 27 - Game Night


but wait there's more...






Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Welcome #txst21 Bobcats! Hit the ground running with mad research skills!

So... you're all moved into your dorm? Found a few friends while getting lost on campus? Made it through the tropical storm in one piece?

Now what? Go to class, and get started on your homework, right? But where do you go to find credible information for your assignments?
Google? Wikipedia? Google Scholar?

Jon "Snowitall" with some great advice on Game on Thrones (image source @EmilySluder)

Alkek Library has ah-mazing resources - if you haven't explored the databases and catalog, you're missing out!

Research can be challenging, but the Librarians at Alkek are here to help! Sign up for my upcoming workshop - Scholarly Research - Literary Topics - and learn to do research about film, fiction, poetry, drama, etc..





Monday, August 14, 2017

The Search for Justice



The Common Experience at Texas State University is a yearlong initiative designed to cultivate a common intellectual conversation on a theme, enhancing student participation and fostering a sense of community throughout the campus and beyond.
 
The 2016-2017 Common Experience is: “The Search for Justice:Our Response to Crime in the 21st Century”

In light of recent events in Charlottesville,Virginia, I would like to highlight some selected resources available through Alkek Library.

It can be increasingly difficult to find reliable and trustworthy sources of information. The Subject Librarians at Alkek are here to help.

Note to TXST students: The following resources are available through our library's web site. You may need to enter your university login to access the information.

Credo Reference - Over 600 reference books, including encyclopedias, dictionaries (English and foreign language), thesauri, books of quotations, as well as a range of subject-specific reference books




Civil Rights March on Washington, 1963. A crowd of marchers at Union Station prepares for the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King's famous “I Have a Dream” speech would make this march one of the most important demonstrations in the nation's history. © FLIP SCHULKE/CORBIS.

The American Mosaic: The African American Experience - African American history & culture from its African origins to the present day. Contains over 8,000 primary documents, including slave narratives, speeches, court cases, quotations, advertisements, statistics, 1,500 photographs, maps, and other images.
  • You can view photographs, timelines, biographies, court documents, and more on your research topic.

Desiree Griffiths, 31, of Miami, holds up a sign saying "Black Lives Matter", with the names of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, two black men recently killed by police, during a protest Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, in Miami. People are protesting nationwide against recent decisions not to prosecute white police officers involved in the killing of black men

Academic Video Online: Premium - Comprehensive video collection covering American History, Area Studies, Art & Architecture, Asian Film, Black Studies, Business & Economics, Counseling & Therapy, Criminal Justice & Public Safety, Current Affairs, and more...

Alt-Press Watch - Multi-subject. Showcases unique, independent voices from many respected and cited grassroots newspapers, magazines, and journals.

Search Results for "Black Lives Matter" in Alt-Press Watch database


AP Images - Current and historical photographs, audio clips, & news from the Associated Press.
  • Example: Search for images from the Civil Rights Movement and filter by event

Filter by events on the AP Images database


The top of the Washington Monument and part of a U.S. flag are reflected in the sunglasses of Austin Clinton Brown, 9, of Gainesville, Ga., as he poses at the Capitol where he joins others in the March on Washington, Aug. 28, 1963. (AP Photo)

Web of Science - Comprehensive citation index covering the leading scholarly literature around the world.
  • Example: Search for an article on your topic, see how how many times that article was cited, and set up a citation alert for continued research
Article record in Web of Science, with citation information on the right side

Article available through Harvard Business School




Explore our full list of databases here.

What if you're looking for more general information or a book on your topic?

Alkek Library also has thousands of ebooks on the subject of Racism.
If print books are more your thing, check out our print resources here.
And don't forget to browse our streaming media collection.

 

What about using Google to search for your topic?

Of course, sometimes you'll be looking for a web resource instead of an academic database. In those cases, you can use Google's "search tricks" to search for .org and .edu web sites. Simply search for your topic, and add "site:org" after.