Final Finish Strong

Final Finish Strong

                  Do you find yourself looking for a place to study late night on campus to get ready for finals?  Are you looking for a one stop shop where you can get academic support?  If you answered yes to either of these then Final Finish is the event for you!  Don’t be a procrastinator this semester, come to this event and let it be the jumpstart you need to start your finals preparation. 

            On Wednesday, November 29^th Langsdale Library will stay open until 1:00am for the Final Finish event.  There will be writing consultants, tutors in many disciplines, academic coaches, and librarians to provide you with academic support as you prepare for your finals or final projects.  The event starts at 6:00pm which is when you can start dropping by to see any of the services listed above.   Writing consultants will be able to help you with all of your writing needs such as brainstorming, reviewing various drafts, help with structure, organization, punctuation, grammar, style, etc.  Be sure to bring any papers or outlines that you may need help with.  Tutors will be able to help you with content specific questions regarding your classes.  Be sure to bring your notes, textbooks, and any other class resources so that your tutor can best help you.  Academic coaches will be able to help you with time management techniques, studying strategies, setting goals, getting organized, etc.  Coaches can help you set your final exam and project study schedule so you will most likely to succeed.  The librarians will be able to assist you with your research needs.  They are knowledgeable about the databases and other resources available to UB students.

            If you are planning to attend this event it would be helpful to start thinking about what it is that you are trying to achieve with each service.  The more specific your questions are to the various service the better help you will receive, so help the consultants, tutors, coaches, and librarians help you by preparing before the event.  We hope to see you there!

                 

Helping An Undergrad Illuminate Local LGBTQ+ History

Christine Wertz '17 takes a page from history

Many of the most crucial battles in the LGBT+ movement happened in the 1980s, and--as history major Christine Wertz discovered-- a number of them happened right here in Baltimore.  Christine already had a topic in mind when she received instruction in doing research for her senior capstone course. But in utilizing Langsdale Library’s various resources-- courtesy of sundry departments within the library--she was able to turn her research about the major legislative battles of the LGBT rights movement into an exhibition, currently featured in the Helen P. Denit Honors Lounge.

The Business Plans Handbook is the library ebook of the month

Do you have an idea for a business?  Maybe you want to develop a business plan?  If so, Langsdale Library has a number of resources that could help.  For example, we have information on industry trends, outlooks and barriers to entry in databases like IBISWorld and Mintel Market Research Reports.  Reference USA allows you to find potential customers or competition by letting you search for businesses of a certain type with a state, city, zip code or even a 50 mile radius.  PolicyMap will let you visualize a variety of demographic information on a map.  If you are looking at Baltimore, you might find articles from the Baltimore Business Journal or Baltimore Sun to be of use.

Plus, if you want to write an actual business plan, this month's featured ebook, The Business Plans Handbook provides examples of business plans for a variety of industries.  The video below gives a few more details.

Meet Mike - Reference and Instruction Librarian at UB

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For more videos by Langsdale's librarians click here.

iPhone Apps and Library Books

O. Von Corven "The Great Library of Alexandria

Last week I got an iPhone, my first. As you could probably guess, I've spent the past few days both trying to figure the thing out and browsing the insane amounts of everything on offer in the App Store. It turns out there are way more programs, games, and knickknacks of all kinds than I could have cared to imagine. Even when picking out what I thought would be a simple app, like a dictionary, there was more to choose from than I bothered to look at, probably in the hundreds. With this kind of selection it’s difficult not to think that I’ve picked the wrong one. Maybe there was a faster one. A more attractive one. One with more terms, or easier to understand definitions. One with a more complete etymology. One with pictures. One without advertisements. One that translates to the Spanish. One that translates to the Bantu. One that will read the pronunciation in a robot voice. One that will read the pronunciation in a celebrity voice. One that will read the pronunciation as a robot doing an impression of a celebrity voice. Etc. etc.

In the grand scheme of things, deciding what dictionary app to use is a pretty trivial decision. It isn’t something that I walk around regretting or even pondering as I’m in line grabbing a sandwich at Soup’s On. But I have noticed that I do, when I use the app, wonder if maybe I should go back and see if one of the others is more suited to my needs (whatever they are). Maybe it (that perfect-yet-ill-defined dictionary app) would make my life easier and me happier.

Need help researching for end of the year papers?

Albert Einstein
akg-images / Universal Images Group

Spring Break has come and gone. The countdown of the last 6 weeks begins now. It’s time to begin thinking about those final papers and projects that will be due soon. Research is usually an enormous portion of final papers and projects. Langsdale has resources to make things just a little bit easier for you. I will start with my personal favorite:

Databases: Need credible sources and reliable information? Langsdale’s databases are the best place to start. There are databases for every subject and major. You will be sure to get useful information

LibGuides: LibGuides is a research assistance tool, with subject guides and useful resources compiled by your friendly librarians. Find out what they know by searching through the LibGuides!

Easybib citation help: It’s a simple way to create citations. Citing properly is not always an easy task when you aren’t familiar with the format. Easybib allows you to copy and paste a website, book, Newspaper, Journal, or database. After you gather the information it correctly creates a citation which you can then print or turn into a Word document. This saves you time and ensures that you’re citing your sources accurately (though remember, it is always a good idea to double check the formatting just to make sure that everything is in its right place).

And of course we have a huge selection of books and ebooks to help you with any project.

You can always ask a librarian for help! There are several ways to get in touch with library staff, such as chat, telephone, e-mail, or just stop by.


As you can see we’re here to make these last few weeks stress free!

And as a side note to graduate students, remember you can submit your theses and dissertations to Special Collections and have them bound at a low cost.

Going Farther with Google Maps

Hi! I’m Pete Ramsey, one of the Reference and Instruction Librarians at Langsdale Library. I joined UB in August this year, and have been enjoying my work here very much. You may have seen me at the reference desk, in your class offering library instruction, riding my bicycle to campus, or playing indoor soccer in the Recreation and Wellness Center. If you see me, say hi! I’d love to get to know you.

A few weeks ago, I taught a class how to use Google Maps (http://maps.google.com) to build a collaborative class map. Google Maps is a map service you can view on an internet browser, and is also one of my favorite websites. As it turns out, a lot of the information we use every day is place-specific. In other words, new information either comes from one geographic place, or information we already have is only useful in one place. Google Maps is one of the best resources I can think of for getting to (and using) place-related information.

Some of the things you can do with Google Maps include:

• Get driving, walking, cycling, or public transit directions from one place to another. You can even choose between different recommended routes or click on "traffic" to see current travel conditions.
• Use "search nearby" to find businesses near an address. I use this when looking for food by cuisine (pizza, Chinese food, etc) or for businesses I need (Kinkos, Post Office, etc).
• Zoom to the street-level photograph of an address, to see what an unfamiliar place looks like from the ground.
• Search for user-submitted photos and videos near an address by clicking on the "more" button and selecting those options.
• Look up Wikipedia articles that relate to specific places the map using the "more" button.
• Search for a new home or apartment using the "real estate" option under the "more" button.
• Log in to create your own maps and share them with friends
• And a whole lot more!

For video tutorials on how to use Google Maps to do these things (and more!) visit http://maps.google.com/intl/en/help/maps/tour/. You can also "Ask a Librarian" if you want one of the Langsdale librarians to assist you in your place-related information needs.

Google Universal Search Launched Today

From Compiler: Wired Blogs:

Google To Add Embedded Videos to Default Search Results

We're here at Google's Searchology event in Mountain View. Google's Marissa Mayer has announced that the company is launching a new, integrated search experience Wednesday called Universal Search.

This means no more searching for videos, images or web results independently. Google will now combine search results for everything -- books, news, images and video -- onto default search result pages. Universal Search will re-draw Google's default search results pages as we know them, but the coolest development is that YouTube and Google Video players will now be embedded within search results.

Read the rest of the article: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/05/google_to_add_e.html

Out of curiosity, I tried a search for "Bob Barker," the soon-to-be-retired game show host. In the old Google, if you wanted to find an image of Bob Barker you had to click on the Image link above the search box and then type his name; if you wanted video of Barker telling contestants to "Come on down," that was a new search.

In the new Google, you only have to search once and then you can pull up the type of results you want. You still get the default Web results, but you can click on one of the menu options in the upper left-hand corner for images, video, news, and even maps (where Bob Barker's production offices popped up). There is also a pull-down menu with other results options, including Google Scholar; that's where I found a 1996 article from The American Economic Review entitled, "The Price is Right, But are the Bids? An Investigation of Rational Decision Theory" (and Google Scholar tells me the full text is available at UB in Business Source Premier).

While the new Google Universal Search may take some getting used to, it should make searching a lot easier.

Do you like the new Google? Give it a try and let us know what you think.

More on Universal Search from Google Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/05/behind-scenes-with-universal-search.html

The Official Google Press Release: http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/universalsearch_20070516.html

NEW: Black History Month Resources Page

In celebration of Black History Month, Langsdale Library is highlighting works that touch on this year's theme: “From Slavery to Freedom: Africans in the Americas." We have also highlighted some other works by or about African-Americans that may be of interest.

Here's a link to the page: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/bhm_guide.htm

You can also get to this guide and others by looking under the gray Use It menu on the library's homepage; click on Research Help by Discipline.

New Reference Books

Cite Right
PN171 .F56 L55 2006
"Includes comprehensive coverage of the following citation styles: MLA; APA; CSE (biological sciences); AMA (medical sciences); ACS (chemistry); Bluebook and ALWD (law); AAA (anthropology and ethnography)."


Greenwood Dictionary of World History
D9 .B88 2006
"An indispensable, handy, and easy-to-use A-to-Z first-stop reference resource of essential information on over 2,000 people, events, places and ideas in world history indexed by region, period, and theme."


American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia
E743 .A44 2006
"With contributions from more than two hundred leading scholars, this volume offers information and insight on over 600 major persons, schools, concepts, organizations, events, and publications that have contributed to the development of the conservative intellectual movement since World War II."


Global Health Watch 2005-2006: An Alternative World Health Report
RA441 .G575 2005
This report is a collaboration of leading popular movements and non-governmental organizations comprising civil society, activists, community groups, health workers and academics offering a comprehensive survey of current knowledge and thinking in the key areas that influence health.


Shorter Encyclopedia of Real Estate Terms
HD1365 .A233 2004
"The encyclopedia defines and explains over 7,500 terms supplemented by more than 1,000 citations (cases, statutes and other authorities), 20,000 cross references and over 400 bibliographical references drawn from English and American real estate practice."

Encyclopedia of American Women in Business
HD6054.4 .U6 K753 2005
"A brilliant biographical encyclopedia tracing the accomplishments of more than 325 American business women from 'profit-making enterprises' over the past 400 years."

Encyclopedia of Serial Killers
HV6245 .N49 2006
This second edition contains comprehensive information on hundreds of serial murderers and murder cases, from early history to the present with more than 60 new and updated entries.

National Party Conventions 1831 - 2004
JK2255 .N373 2005
This new edition covers the complete history of U.S. nominating conventions, offering summaries of all major political party conventions from 1981 to 2004.


Race Relations in America: A Reference Guide with Primary Documents
E184.A1 D283 2006
This work outlines and illustrates the broad structure and sweep of race relations in fifteen extended historical moments marking the landscape of U.S. history.


Native American Issues
E98.T77 T56 2005
In this second edition much is new in terms of policy developments and discussion, but the greatest change is in the extensive treatment of the gambling enterprise on reservation lands.

New Reference Books

Almanac of American Education
LB2846 .A45 2006
"This latest edition gives the facts, figures, and observations of the
state of education in America at the national, state, regional, and
county levels."



American Attitudes: What Americans Think about the Issues that Shape Their Lives
HN90 .P8 A527 2005
"The fourth edition of this unique reference book chronicles the changes
and consistencies in the attitudes of the public over the past thirty
years."


Encyclopedia of the City
HT108.5 .E63 2005
"The Encyclopedia of the City is an essential resource examining the
idea of the city from an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
perspective including fields such as politics, sociology, history, urban
design, cultural studies, and psychology."


Oxford Companion to the Supreme Court of the United States
KF8742 .A35 O93 2005
"The indispensable reference work for anyone interested in the workings
and significance of the nation's highest court---the cases, the issues,
the justices, the details, the broad sweep of the history of the
Supreme Court."


Historical Encyclopedia of American Labor
HD8066 .U57 2005
"Thoroughly cross-referenced and illustrated, the Encyclopedia offers
almost 400 entries covering unions, union leaders, labor-related events,
important statutes and court cases, and labor terminology."

Atlas of Poverty in America
HC110 .P6 G543 2006
"This reference volume, intended for students and researchers trying to
understand on of the most pressing and longstanding social problems in
America, provides a comprehensive portrait of poverty in the United
States from the beginnings of the Great Society to the present."


Oceans
GC11.2 .S76 2006
"This fascinating, fully cross-referenced and indexed volume covers all
areas of oceanographic knowledge and research in hundreds of
photographs, diagrams, maps and charts."


Oxford Dictionary of American Quotations
PN6081.A623 2006
"In this new revised edition, with nearly 6,000 quotations and
annotated extensively, you’ll learn not just who said what, but get the full
story behind the quote."


American Scientists
Q141.C214 2006
"This book offers a glimpse into the professional careers and
accomplishments of almost 300 individuals such as Paul Berg, Wernher von Braun,
Annie Jump Cannon, Linus Pauling and many equally extraordinary women
and men."

New Head of Reference

Langsdale Library has named Jeffrey Hutson as its head of reference. Hutson, who had served for the previous 16 months as a reference librarian and manager of the reference collection in Langsdale, will be in charge of an ongoing program that over the next year will establish new and innovative services for students, faculty and other users of the library.

Hutson received a master's degree in library and information studies from Simmons College in 1999, where he graduated with honors. He also holds a master's in theology and a bachelor's in education, from St. John's University School of Theology and St. John's University, respectively.

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Posted by Michael to langsdale at 6/22/2006 09:53:00 AM

New Reference Books

Here are some of Langsdale's latest acquisitions:

Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, 3rd ed.
H62 .H2455 2005
"Built upon the foundations of the landmark first and second editions, this volume moves qualitative research boldly into the 21st century; it represents the state of art for the theory and practice of qualitative inquiry."

2006 Auditing Standards
HF5667 .A13 2005
"This up-to-date, user-friendly auditing manual delivers a comprehensive compendium of the latest authoritative auditing standards with special emphasis on practical applications."

Directory of Unpublished Experimental Measures
BF431 .D57 1996
"This reference book provides researchers with ready access to experimental measurement scales and descriptions of basic test properties."

The Federal Reserve System: An Encyclopedia
HG2563 .H235 2005
"Over 250 entries define and describe topics related to the 'Fed' and United State monetary policy. Numerous appendices supplement the A-to-Z entries, providing insight into the secretive and powerful Federal Reserve Bank, the keepers of America's monetary system."

Oxford Handbook of Work & Organization
HD4901 .O933 2005
"This volume aims to bring together, present, and discuss what is currently known about work and organizations and their connection to broader economic change in Europe and America."

America Discovered: A Historical Atlas of North American Exploration
G1106 .S12 H3 2004
"Using more than 280 original maps and dozens of historic illustrations, this remarkable atlas shows how geographical myths were slowly shattered."

Great Playwrights
PN1623 .G67 2005
"This volume presents great playwrights from around the world and across the centuries who have mastered the art of artificial reality, creating moving and memorable imitations of life for the stage."

Critical Companion to John Steinbeck
PS3537 .T3234 Z86623 2005
"This essential reference to Steinbeck's life and work contains among other elements, detailed synopses of, and critical commentary on, Steinbeck's works including his novels, short stories, dramatic works and nonfiction."

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Posted by Michael to langsdale at 5/22/2006 04:43:00 PM

New Reference Books

Elements of Style Illustrated
PE1408 .S772
William Strunk and E. B. White's classic writing manual has been enriched to include the vibrant, witty, and instantly recognizable images of Maira Kalman in a beautiful illustrated edition.

Black's Law Dictionary
KF156 .B53 2004
The new 8th edition has more than 43,000 definitions, plus almost 3,000 quotations. Alternative spellings or equivalent terms and expressions are provided for more than 5,300 terms and senses, serving a thesaurus-like function. The extensive appendix on legal abbreviations is a major addition.


Annual Statement Studies: Financial Ratio Benchmarks
HF5681 .B2 R6 2005
Annual Statement Studies is the only source of financial ratio benchmarks derived directly from more than 190,000 statements of financial institution borrowers and prospects.


The Progressive Era
E661 .J395 2005
This volume from the acclaimed Eyewitness History series provides hundreds of firsthand accounts of the period that illustrate how historical events appeared to those who lived through them.


Multicultural Films
PN1995.9 .M56 W45 2005
This first comprehensive resource dedicated to all types of films for major minority groups in the U.S. identifies and discusses over 150 films arranged by race/ethnic group.


Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary
PE1591 .M415 2005
The book for when you know what it is, but not what it is called.


Vital Signs 2005-2006: The Trends That Are Shaping Our Future
TD193.2 .B76
Vital Signs provides up-to-the-minute information on global warming, population growth, military spending, HIV/AIDS, economic equity, the trade in drugs and a whole range of other environmental, developmental, social, political and economic issues.


Hoover's Handbook of American Business 2006
HF3010 .H6 2006
The latest edition of this book profiles 750 major U.S. business enterprises, including more than 650 publicly held companies and more than 50 large private companies.

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Posted by Michael to langsdale at 3/15/2006 08:23:00 AM

New Reference Books

Timetables of History: A Horizontal Linkage of People and Events

D11 .G78 2005

The world famous reference that tells who did what when from 4500 B.C. to the present day – now updated for the 21st century.


2006 Writer's Market

PN161 .W83 2006

This 85th annual edition comprises over 4000 listings for book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, literary agents and more. Also included are interviews with writers, agents and other publishing professionals on the business of writing.



Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang

PE3721 .O94 2005

From ambulance-chaser to zoot-suit, this lively and authoritative dictionary of modern slang covers over 5000 slang words and phrases from throughout the English-speaking world.

Handbook of U.S. Labor Statistics: Employment, Earnings, Prices, Productivity, and Other Labor Data

HD8064 .H38 2005

This treasure trove of information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics maintains and updates the content of the previous edition. New features include Business Employment Dynamics (BED) data and the first results of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS).

Marketing Scales Handbook Volume IV: A Compilation of Multi-Item Measures for Consumer Behavior and Advertising 1998-2001

HF5415.3 .B785

This is the first of two books composing the fourth volume of the series. In particular this book concentrates on scales for use with consumers and for studying advertising-related issues.


The Screenwriter's Manual: A Complete Reference of Format and Style

PN1996 .B68 2006

The Screenwriter's Manual offers an unrivaled, systematic approach to master the complexities of composing for the screen. This text is designed for beginning and intermediate students and based on a unique step-by-step approach.

Dictionary of International Trade: Handbook of the Global Community, 6th ed.

HF1373 .D53 2005

This well-respected and large-selling dictionary of trade is in use in more than 100 countries by importers, exporters, bankers, shippers, logistics professionals, attorneys, economists and government officials.


World Development Report 2006

HC59.7 .W659 2006

World Development Report 2006 presents evidence on the inequality of opportunity, within and across countries, and illustrates the mechanisms through which it impairs development. It is essential reading for understanding how greater equity can reduce poverty, enhance economic growth, advance development, and deliver increased opportunities to the poorest groups in our society.


Posted by Michael to langsdale at 11/11/2005 03:44:00 PM

[langsdale] New Reference Books

Cybercrime: A Reference Handbook
This handbook examines many forms of computer exploits—some positively motivated and some negatively motivated—from the Hacking Prehistory Era before 1969 to the present.
HV6773 .S3547 2004


The Handbook of Negotiation and Culture
This book, which provides an in-depth review of the field of negotiation theory, expands current thinking to include cross-cultural perspectives.
BF637 .N4 H365 2004


Oxford Dictionary of Idioms
Did you know that 'off the cuff' refers to the rather messy practice of writing impromptu notes on one's shirt cuff before speaking in public? This volume takes a fresh look at the idiomatic phrases and sayings that make English the rich and intriguing language that it is. Contains entries for over 5000 idioms, including 350 entirely new entries and over 500 new quotations.
PE1460 .O94 2004


Great Jobs for Business Majors
“Designed to help you put your major to work, this handy guide covers both the basics of a job search as well as detailed profiles of possible careers in your field.”
HF5382.7 .L347 2003


Careers in Marketing & Market Research
For those interested in marketing careers, this WetFeet Insider Guide explores the opportunities within and beyond the consumer products industry what it takes to succeed typical career paths and how to navigate the recruiting process like a seasoned professional.
HF5415.35 .C37 2005


Dictionary of Literary Characters
This new edition of Chambers Dictionary of Literary Characters has been revised and expanded to bring it thoroughly up to date. More than 6,500 entries provide a guide to the wealth of characters created by writers in English — from the Wife of Bath to Bertie Wooster, from Tom Sawyer to Harry Potter.
PR19 .D52 2004

The Ultimate Accountants' Reference Including GAAP, IRS & SEC Regulations, Leases, and More
“The perfect daily answer book for the practicing accountant offers a single-source tool of best practices and control systems related to accounting regulations for all aspects of financial statements, accounting management reports, and management of the accounting department.
HF5616 .U5 B713 2005

Dictionary of Historic Documents
Still the only reference of its kind, this revised edition provides basic factual information about more than 2,400 significant documents in world history.
D9 .D525 2003

Business Cards : The Art of Saying Hello
This is the ultimate business card book, bringing together the best examples of cards created by designers around the world. Over 300 cards are grouped into sections reflecting different design approaches: typography, photography, materials, illustration and found objects.
NE965 .D67 2004

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Posted by Michael to langsdale at 10/05/2005 11:46:00 AM