Library Newsletter - Fall 2000
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Hyperlinks work as of December 1, 2000

“The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history.”—Carl Rowen

REX: The Library’s New Catalog

Students and staff wishing to use the catalog and other library services from home or office, from a mountain hideaway, a desert oasis, or from aboard a cruise ship can do so if they have a computer with an Internet connection.  We’re never far away!

Access Research Databases Anytime, Anywhere

To prepare your computer for connection to the proxy server, you must determine the type of browser you use and then follow the steps outlined for your particular browser.  Common browsers are Netscape and Internet Explorer.  This setup takes a few minutes, but you only have to do this once.  [NOTE:  Netscape 6 has a bug that interferes with using a proxy server.  We recommend you use a lower version.]

To read the directions, go to the following site: http://www.pcc.edu/library/proxy/wamproxy.htm  The page will tell you what browser you are using and list the steps needed to determine the version of your browser.  Next, follow the instructions based on your browser and version number.

Now you should be prepared to access any of our databases.  Visit http://www.pcc.edu/library/databases.htm for a list of links.  Among our more popular databases are Magazine Articles Online, aka EBSCOhost, The Oregonian, and CQ Researcher, all of which have articles available online in full-text.  Full-text means the entire article is available, not just a summary.  Other more specialized databases are available in such fields as biology, psychology, literature, and many others.

After you select a database, you will be asked for your name.  Use your first or last name because sometimes the use of both causes problems.  Enter your barcode number in its entirety without spaces.  If you don’t have a barcode, you may get one at the checkout desk of any campus library or order one through our website: http://www.pcc.edu/library/forms/barcode.htm.

Off-campus access to these databases is an exciting step into the future for the PCC libraries. Many of our students work full- or part-time, and the convenience of research on your own time and in your own space is invaluable. Should you have any problems, please call the reference desk at your campus for help.--Alan Cordle

Shelf Talk

Culturgrams: The Nations Around Us  R 909.829 C85 @ S,C,RC This extraordinary 2-volume book profiles the cultural characteristics of more than 160 countries around the world.   Volume I deals with The Americas and Europe; Volume II deals with Africa, Asia, and Oceania.  Each four-page briefing is written by a group of individuals either native to or having experience in each country.  It is designed to introduce readers to the daily customs and lifestyles as well as the political and economic structure of a nation.

Culturgrams does not focus on statistical data.  Information on each country is arranged as follows:

• Background:  land, history, and climate
• People:  population, language, religion, general attitudes, and personal appearance
• Customs and Courtesies:  gestures, visiting, greeting, and eating
• Lifestyle:  family, dating and marriage
• Society:  government, economy, education, health, transportation, and communication.

Students doing research on different countries will find this series invaluable.  Instructors, students, and staff looking for a better understanding of cultures worldwide will be fascinated with this outstanding resource. 

The 2000 edition, which has been totally revised, has been ordered.--Schola Njoku

Encyclopedia of the Korean War: a Political, Social and Military history.  Ed. By Spencer C. Tucker.  R951.904203 E52, 2000, @ RO.

Utilizing an A-Z format, this 3-volume set offers extensive coverage of military events and the  political and social climate of the time.  Primary source documents, a broad selection of maps, a detailed time line, numerous cross-references and a selected bibliography make this a valuable single- source title. 

Understanding the Contemporary Middle East, ed. By Deborah Gerner.  956 U53, 2000 @ C.

With an emphasis on the 1990s, the book provides an introduction to the Middle East as a whole, rather than concentrating on a specific area.  It addresses a range of issues facing the region—the status of women, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the issues of class, ethnicity, and patterns of population.  Numerous maps and photographs are featured.

Flora’s Year Off

The Reality. Well, maybe I was over-optimistic.  The house and office are still pretty cluttered.  Website revisions take more time than you would ever believe.  And I just didn’t get as far as I hoped on the matter of electronic journals.  

On the fun side, I finished a quilt started several years ago.  I made great progress on my family history research and “met” several new relatives on the Internet.  I did lots of walking and reading.  And yes, I even got enough sleep.

The Bottom Line. One day, many years ago, I was working hard in my garden and getting more exhausted by the minute.  My elderly neighbor was working in his yard at the same time.  As I complained that I had to stop and take a break, he remarked that a change is better than a rest.  I wasn’t sure I believed it at the time, but this sabbatical year has proven it true.  I was still working, but not doing my usual teaching and reference desk duty.  I deliberately spent the year doing things I enjoyed.  Some were work-related and some were not.  What a gift to have the opportunity for this kind of renewal!--Flora Lippert

Discover a Whole New Way of Looking at Books:  EBooks, netLibrary, and You

Books are not just printed on ink and paper anymore, they're also available electronically. Thanks to sophisticated technology, a wide range of scholarly and reference materials are available online. This means that you can access these materials at your convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Imagine not having to worry about returning items on time; they “return” themselves when you are done using them, or the checkout period expires. You can search not only by author, title, keyword, and subject fields, but also full-text, publisher, publication year, and ISBN. Find precisely what you want, when you want it.

The eBook collection features books that the library has purchased as well as selected public domain eBooks. We will be adding additional titles yearly. To checkout an eBook, you must first select the netLibrary option to create your individual account. If you wish to preview an eBook, just locate the title you want to view in netLibrary and follow the prompts. 

To learn more about netLibrary and experience for yourself this convenient new way of tapping into research sources, contact your campus reference librarian and ask for a QuickStart brochure.

On-campus users can find the books at http://0-www.netlibrary.com.library.pcc.edu/
Off-campus users will find instructions at http://www.pcc.edu/library/access.htm

Plagued by Plagiarism?

Here are some strategies from the Bibliographic Instruction mailing list (BI-L) on dealing with plagiarized research papers. You may want to share this with instructors at your campus. I’m not assuming that all of our students cheat, but the ease of copying text and the sheer volume of material out there insures that some students are willing to take the risk.—Michael Rose

 From Monica A. Ollendorff  mollendo@westga.edu
Software Screening Program: 
Glatt Services http://www.plagiarism.com 
This program blanks out every fifth word. You give the paper back to the student. If they can fill in the blanks/ or if they do and the "fit" score is low, they didn't write it.

From Tom Hanifan <thanifan@eiccd.cc.ia.us> I've heard about 2 sites that may help. All I know about them is that they enable instructors to compare key portions of the student's paper to others on the Net. At least it will be faster than searching each term paper service.
http://www.plagiarism.org
http://www.findsame.com

From Sarah Burns <SBurns@pace.edu>You can sign up for a free trial at http://plagiarism.org and use that to search for one paper. You get "five complimentary uploads." I've had a couple of faculty here do that. There is also a free site at http://www.howoriginal.com/.  It is more limited as you can only submit paragraphs, but it might be worth a try.

From Karen Michaelsen <karenm@seaccd.sccd.ctc.edu>
Here is a site that should help: 
http://www.albany.edu/cetl/resources/plagiarism.html

WorldCat Statistics

Must-see websites

http://www.movieflix.com. Features digitized movies and trailers that play on your computer screen—free!

http://www.sdao.com/.  Special Districts Association of Oregon.  There are over 30 special districts, with over 800 units in Oregon-- click on "Resource Links" to find web pages of offices like Soil and Water Conservation, Sanitation, or Health and Hospital districts.

Our Gang

Bernice Owen, head of Technical Services, received a much-deserved award from the college’s Employee Suggestion Awards program for her exceptional work as “chief engineer” in the selection and implementation of REX, the library’s new web-based catalog. She managed all phases of the project, kept us on task, on schedule, and in good humor. Congratulations, Berniece!

Lynda Noland Many of you are already acquainted with Lynda because she has been working on-call in Circulation Services at all three campuses, and she filled in for Geri Mitagyow in the library’s main office during Geri’s maternity leave.  As of November 1st we officially welcomed her as regular member of the Rock Creek staff.  She is replacing Paula Simon, who accepted a position outside the college.  Lynda has a BA in Literature and many years of customer experience, both in the library and in business.  Lynda owned and operated an antique shop in Multnomah Village and still has a small antique business she operates in her spare time.  You will find Lynda at Rock Creek Monday thorough Thursday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. Come by and say hello and pick up a few tips about antiques.

Phi Le. Phi is our new academic computing specialist, providing computer support and training for the campus libraries. Phi has transferred his interests from the inner workings of automobiles (he worked for PCC in the automotive department) to the inner workings of computers! He is working on his BA degree in Information Systems through Linfield College and enjoys weekend jaunts to the mountains, beach, or to wherever he hears the call of the road.

Giang Chau Phan has worked for the college since 1995, beginning in Information Technology Services, supporting the college’s central computer system. She is currently responsible for providing technical support in the Drop-In Center and Tutor Programs Lab, and AV support and computer skills instruction for instructors, staff and students at the SE Center. Chau received her Associate degree of Applied Science in Computer Information Systems from PCC and was on the National Dean’s List in 1998.  She is currently attending classes at PSU. Her interests include traveling, furthering her computer skills, listening to music, and dining out.

Roberta Richards is already hard at work at Cascade campus.  Some of you may also know Roberta because she taught Philosophy at Rock Creek Campus in 1995.  Roberta has a Ph.D. from UCLA in Social Ethics, an M.A. from Vanderbilt in Religious Ethics, and a B.A. from Marshall University in Basic Humanities.  She is currently taking graduate courses in Library Science at PSU.  She says she is on the "slow track" toward a new career in libraries. (She has two young children)  We are happy that her career track has intersected with the Cascade Library.  Roberta works Wednesday and Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, Friday from 9:30 - 2:00 pm, and Saturday 9:00-2:00 pm. When you are at Cascade be sure to stop and introduce yourself.

The Library newsletter is published three times a year under the direction of Leslie Riester, Director of Instructional Technology and Learning Resources. Editor: Maris Bishoprick. Thanks to all who contributed to this edition.