September 17 is Constitution Day. Find out more about this day and the document it celebrates by taking a look at our Constitution Day Guide: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/ConstitutionDay_guide.htm

If you need help finding information on the Constitution, the Founding Fathers or any other topic, you can always contact the Reference Desk.

Labels: constitution, gov docs, resources

On Tuesday, February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This bill appropriates additional federal funds for job creation and preservation, aid for those most affected by the recession, infrastructure projects (transportation, environmental, etc.), and aid to state and local governments to reduce or eliminate service cuts and/or tax increases. This guide provides links to information about the stimulus bill, including ways to track how the money will be spent; you can find the permanent page at: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/FederalStimulus_guide.htm

For help locating resources, please contact Tamara Smith, Government Documents Coordinator, at 410-837-5072 or tsmith@ubalt.edu.

Websites

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (111st Cong., H.R. 1). http://fdsys.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr1ENR/pdf/BILLS-111hr1ENR.pdf
Read the text of the final (enrolled) version of the bill.

A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise. http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy10/pdf/fy10-newera.pdf
An overview of the FY 2010 Budget of the U. S. Government due to be released in spring 2009.

Recovery.gov. http://www.recovery.gov
Created by the White House to explain the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and to track stimulus spending.

Stimulus Watch. http://www.stimuluswatch.org
An unaffiliated, volunteer-built site that lists shovel-ready projects in cities nationwide and allows visitors to leave comments or vote on the importance of a project. The site uses data taken from the U.S. Conference of Mayors' MainStreet Economic Recovery Report, and the site's dataset is available as an Excel download.

U.S. Department of the Treasury. FinancialStability.gov. http://www.financialstability.gov/
Still a work-in-progress, this site provides links to information about the stimulus package.

U.S. Department of the Treasury. Internal Revenue Service. IRS Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204335,00.html
A short article highlighting some of the tax-related provisions that are being implemented.

Find Documents

Catalog USMAI [help]
Books, journals, government documents and other materials in the University System of Maryland, including UB. You may search up to six individual locations or the entire system.

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications [help]
Coverage: July 1976 - present. Search more than 500,000 records for electronic and print publications from the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the U.S. government. Includes links to full text where available.

FDSys [help]
Coverage: 1993 – present. Search for federal documents back to the 103rd Congress. Collections include: Federal Register; Congressional Record; Congressional bills, hearings and documents; Public and Private Laws, and the Compilation of Presidential Documents (now updated daily).

Google U.S. Government Search
Search for U.S. federal, state and local government information. Very helpful for locating specific documents.

USA.gov
The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal. Search for a particular document, or browse the topics.

Subject Databases

ABI Inform [on-campus] [help]
Coverage: 1970 - present. Indexes more than 1,300 journals on business, management, with 75% full-tex

BNA [on-campus]
Coverage varies. Variety of titles covering a broad spectrum of practice areas, including intellectual property, environmental law, federal securities, labor and employment, tax, and public contracts. Among the titles are U.S. Law Week, U.S. Patents Quarterly, and the BNA Tax Management Portfolios. Its daily publications, including Daily Tax Report, Daily Labor Report, and Daily Environment Report, are indispensable to the legal professional. NOTE TO OFF-CAMPUS USERS: In order to search for BNA journals in Research Port, you will need the exact title. You can find a complete list of titles at http://law.ubalt.edu/template.cfm?page=474

Business Source Premier [on-campus] [help]
Coverage: Varies - present. Business Source Premier provides full text for nearly 8,350 scholarly business journals and other sources, including full text for more than 1,100 scholarly business publications. Coverage includes virtually all subject areas related to business. This database provides full text (PDF) for more than 350 of the top scholarly journals dating as far back as 1922. Funded by the Maryland Digital Library (MDL). Includes company profiles, many of which contain SWOT analyses.

HEIN ONLINE: [On-campus]
Coverage: varies. A retrospective collection of over 90 law reviews, with over 200,000 articles. Full-text is available, in graphical image format.

Military & Government Collection [on-campus]
Coverage: various dates. Designed to offer current news pertaining to all branches of the military and government, this database offers a thorough collection of periodicals, academic journals, and other content pertinent to the increasing needs of those sites. The Military & Government Collection provides cover-to-cover full text for nearly 350 journals and periodicals and indexing and abstracts for nearly 450 titles.

News/Current Events Databases

Baltimore Sun [on-campus] [help]
Coverage: Sept 16, 1990 - present. Full text of Baltimore Sun.

National Newspapers (NA5) with Washington Post [on-campus]
Coverage: Varies with each title back to 1984. Full text of 5 newspapers:
Baltimore Sun, Christian Science Monitor, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition and the Washington Post.

General Databases

Academic Search Premier [on-campus] [help] Coverage: 1990 - present. Provides full-text for over 3,400 scholarly journals covering the social sciences, humanities, education, sciences, and more. Funded by the Maryland Digital Library (MDL).

ArticleFirst [on-campus] [help]
Coverage: 1990 - present. Indexes journals in science, technology, medicine, social science, business, the humanities, and popular culture. Citations only. No abstracts or full-text. Now includes ContentsFirst.

Lexis-Nexis Academic [on-campus] [help]
Coverage: 1970 - present. Features full text of many newspapers and periodicals. Also offers business news, legal materials such as federal & state codes, case law and legal journals.

Masterfile Premier [on-campus] [help]
Coverage: 1990 - present. Indexes more than 3,100 magazines covering general subjects. Includes full-text for over 1,000 journals.

Labels: gov docs, langsdale, resources

In celebration of Women's History Month, Langsdale Library is highlighting works that touch on this year's theme: "Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet." We have also highlighted some other works by or about women that may be of interest. The permanent location for this guide is: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/whm/whm2009.htm; for more resources, please see our Women's Studies Guide.

For help locating these titles, or to locate additional resources, please stop by or contact the Reference Desk.

Books

Africa in My Blood: An Autobiography in Letters - The Early Years
Jane Goodall
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000
QL31.G58 A3 2000

An Atomic Romance: A Novel
Bobbie Ann Mason
New York: Random House, 2005
PS3563.A7877 A88 2005

A Companion to Feminist Geography
Lise Nelson & Joni Seager
Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2005
Net Library E-Book (Access to this electronic book is available to students, faculty, staff, and on-site users at USMAI institutions)

Courage for the Earth: Writers, Scientists, and Activists Celebrate the Life and Writing of Rachel Carson
Peter Matthiessen
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2007
QH545.P4 C684 2007

Ecological Politics: Ecofeminists and the Greens
Greta Gaard
Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1998
GE197 .G33 1998

The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement
Mark Hamilton Lytle
New York: Oxford University Press, 2007
QH31.C33 L98 2007

Reason for Hope: A Spiritual Journey
Jane Goodall
New York: Warner Books, 1999
QL31.G58 R45 1999

Saving the World: A Novel
Julia Alvarez
Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006
PS3551.L845 S28 2006

Silent Spring (40th Anniversary Ed.)
Rachel Carson
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002
QH545.P4 C38 2002

The Tree-Sitter: A Novel
Suzanne Matson
New York: Norton, 2006
PS3563.A8378 T74 2006

Women Pioneers for the Environment
Mary Joy Breton
Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1998
GE55 .B74 1998


Films & Documentaries (films written and/or directed by women)

Kissing Jessica Stein (2002)
Writers: Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt
PN1997.2 .K577 2002

Marie Antoinette (2007)
Director: Sofia Coppola
PN1995.9.H5 M3754 2007

Sherrybaby (2006)
Writer and Director: Laurie Collyer
PN1995.9.M45 S547 2006

Thelma & Louise, Special Edition (1991)
Writer: Callie Khouri
PN1997 .T485 2003

Vanity Fair (2005)
Director: Mira Nair
PN1997.2 .V36 2005

Waitress (2006)
Writer and Director: Adrienne Shelley
PN1997.2 .W258 2007

Women Behind the Camera (2007)
Director: Alexis Krasilovsky
TR849.A1 W66 2007

Websites

American Women: A Gateway to Library of Congress Resources for the Study of Women's History & Culture in the United States
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/index.html

National Women's History Museum Cyber Exhibits
http://www.nwhm.org/exhibits/index.html
While this museum awaits a permanent home in Washington, DC, the NWHM has created more than a dozen online exhibits celebrating women's contributions to American history.

National Women's History Project
http://www.nwhp.org/
Founded in 1980, this organization sets the theme for U.S. Women's History Month each year. The site also contains a list of Women's History Month honorees past and present, as well as links to other resources.

Presidential Proclamation for Women's History Month 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Womens-History-Month-2009/
Read President Obama's proclamation, which was signed on March 3.

Smithsonian Education - Women's History Month
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month/whm/index.html
Find a list of resources, events, and visitor information.

Women's History Month
http://womenshistorymonth.gov/
This page links to online collections and exhibits, events, multimedia files, and information for teachers. Sponsors include the Library of Congress, National Endowment for the Humanities, Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Holocaust Museum, and the National Park Service.

Women's History Month Free Resources Site (Gale)
http://www.gale.cengage.com/free_resources/whm/index.htm
Includes screensavers, calendars, activities, biographies, a quiz, and other materials.

Labels: langsdale, resources, women's history month

The aim of Irish American Heritage Month is to bring to the attention of all Americans the contributions made throughout America's history by Irish immigrants and their descendants. Langsdale Library presents the following resources, among many, that showcase the rich customs and history of Irish American culture.

For help locating these titles, or to locate additional resources, please stop by or contact the Reference Desk.

Books

The Irish Americans: A History
Jay P. Dolan
New York: Bloomsbury Press, 2008
E 184 .I6 D59 A44 2008

Looking for Jimmy: A Search for Irish America
Peter A. Quinn
Woodstock:Overlook Press, 2007
E 184 .I6 Q56 2007

Making the Irish American: History and Heritage of the Irish in the United States
J.J. Lee and Marion Casey
New York: New York University Press, 2006
E 184 .I6 M23 2006

Special Sorrows: The Diasporic Imagination of Irish, Polish, and Jewish Immigrants in the United States
Matthew F. Jacobson
Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002
JV 6477 .J33 2002

Irish America: Coming into Clover: The Evolution of a People and a Culture
Maureen Dezell
New York: Doubleday, 2001
E 184 .I6 D49 2001

Fork in the Road: A Novel
Denis Hamill
New York: Pocket Books, 2000
PS 3558 .A4217 F67 2000

Princes of Ireland, Planters of Maryland: A Carroll Saga, 1500 - 1782
R Hoffman
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2000
F 184 .C37 H64 2000

My Father's Gun: One Family, Three Badges, One Hundred Years in the NYPD

Brian V. McDonald
New York: Dutton, 1999
HV 7911 .A1 M33 1999

The New Irish Americans
Ray O'Hanlon
Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart, 1998
E 184 .I6 O47 1998

Irish in America
Michael Coffey
New York: Hyperion, 1997
E 184 .I6 I684 1997

Cabbage and Bones: An Anthology of Irish American Women's Fiction
Calendonia Kearns
New York: Henry Holt, 1997
PS 647 .I74 C33 1997

Films & Documentaries

The Irish in America: Long Journey Home (1997)
E 184 .I6 I68 1997 VHS

Out of Ireland (1995)
JV 7711 .U6 O88 1995 VC

Websites

Presidential Proclamation of Irish American Heritage Month 2009
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Irish-American-Heritiage-Month-2009/

Irish American Cultural Institute
http://www.iaci-usa.org/
The Irish American Cultural Institute is a not for profit organization committed to the exploration and appreciation of Irish culture whose mission is to provide leadership and resources to preserve, interpret, and promote Irish and Irish American culture.

Irish American Heritage Center
http://irish-american.org/
The Irish American Heritage Center is one of the premiere Irish cultural organizations in the United States.

Irish American Heritage Month: Facts for Features
Facts for Features
Facts for Features and Special Editions consist of collections of statistics from the Census Bureau's demographic and economic subject areas intended to commemorate anniversaries or observances or to provide background information for topics in the news.

Labels: langsdale, resources

Langsdale Library is pleased to announce the addition of Environment Complete and Greenfile to the list of over 70 electronic databases available to the UB community.

Environment Complete offers deep coverage in applicable areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, pollution & waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more. This database contains more than 1,772,000 records from more than 1,680 domestic and international titles going back to the 1940s (including 1,108 active core titles), over than 100 monographs and full text for more than 650 journals.

Greenfile offers well-researched information covering all aspects of human impact to the environment. Its collection of scholarly, government and general-interest titles includes content on global warming, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, recycling, and more. The database provides indexing and abstracts for more than 384,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 4,700 records.

Facts on File and the historical coverage of the Wall Street Journal (pre-1984) have been dropped. Langsdale offers coverage of news and current events through and direct links to the LexisNexis Academic, Baltimore Sun, New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

For analysis of current events and social issues, such as Gun Control, Genetic Engineering, Censorship, Endangered Species, and Terrorism, you might want to start with Opposing Viewpoints. The Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center brings together viewpoint articles, contextual topic overviews, government and organizational statistics, biographies of social activists, court cases, profiles of government agencies and special interest groups, newspaper and magazines articles, as well as links to more than 1,800 reviewed and subject-indexed web sites.

Labels: resources

Have you ever wanted to know if Langsdale Library owns a particular journal, newspaper or magazine? Try the Journal Finder, a searchable list of all of the journals, newspapers, and magazines that Langsdale Library owns, whether they are in print or online.

Journal Finder: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/journalfinder.cfm

Not quite sure how the Journal Finder works? Take a look at the Journal Finder (Visual Guide), a step-by-step explanation of how to use the Journal Finder.

Journal Finder (Visual Guide): http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/journalfinder.pdf

Labels: resources

Here are some of the new titles that you can find in the Langsdale Government Documents Collection:

State of Maryland Documents (shelved in the general collection)

• State of Maryland Children’s Cabinet & Governor’s Office for Children. Maryland’s Results for Child Well-Being. 2007. (Reference HV742. M3M371 2007)

Print/CD/DVD (online version linked when available)

• The Constitution of the United States of America as Amended: Unratified Amendments, Analytical Index. (Y 1.1/7: 110-50)
• Empowering Local Communities: Through Leadership Development and Capacity Building. (HH 14.2:EM 7)
  A report on the universities that received grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of University Partnerships, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
• MACV: The Joint Command in the Years of Withdrawal, 1968-1973. (D 114.7/3:J 66)
• Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Fall 2007. (L2.70/4: 51/3)
  Special Issue: Charting the Projections: 2006-16. This issue contains charts that project changes in occupational employment, industry employment, the labor force, and the overall economy.
• The Redesigned Naturalization Test. (HS 8.2: T 28)
  This brochure folds out to a two-sided poster that lists the questions and important terms on the revised test.
• Schneller, Robert John. Anchor of Resolve: A History of U.S. Naval Forces General Command/Fifth Fleet. (D221.2: F62/3)
• Seniors, Protect Yourself Against Investment Fraud: A Guide for Seniors. (SE 1.36:SE 5)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Programs in Brief, October 2007. (HE20.402: P94/4)
  Gives a one-page brief of all DHHS programs organized by topic (i.e., “matrix area”).

Hearings from the 110^th Congress

• Evolution of an Economic Crisis? The Subprime Lending Disaster and the Threat to the Broader Economy. Hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, September 19, 2007. S. Hrg. 110-250. (Y4.EC7: S.Hrg. 110-250)
• Is Market Concentration in the U.S. Petroleum Industry Harming Consumers? Hearing before the Joint Economic Committee, May 23, 2007. S. Hrg. 110-202. (Y4.EC7: P44/3)

For a list of new electronic titles available in April, please go the Catalog of Government Publications.

Labels: gov docs, new titles, resources

The end of the academic year is always a busy time for book ordering at the Langsdale Library. This spring has been no exception. Here is a list of computer-related books purchased for the library in April.



Design of Sites: Patterns for Creating Winning Web Sites
Duyne, Douglas Van
Stacks - 3rd floor | TK5105.888 .V36 2007




Designing the Obvious: a Common Sense Approach to Web Application Design
Hoekman, Robert
Stacks - 3rd floor | TK5105.888 .H618 2007





Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond
Bruns, Axel
Stacks - 3rd floor | ZA4482 B78 2008




Communication Technology and Social Change
Lin, Carolyn
Stacks - 3rd floor | HM851 .C66 2007




Inside the Machine: an Illustrated Introduction
Stokes, Jon
Stacks - 3rd floor | TK7895.M5 S76 2007




Microsoft Windows Server 2008
Sosinsky, Barrie
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.76.O63 S654736 2008




Ruby Programming Language
Flanagan, David
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.73.R83 F584 2008




Easier, Simpler, Faster
Cunningham, Jean
Stacks - 3rd floor | HD30.2 .C86 2007




Game Writing Handbook
Chandler, Rafael
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.76.C672 C447 2007




Universal Usability
Lazar, Jonathan
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.9.U83 U535 2007





Emergence in Games
Sweetser, Penny
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.76.C672 S94 2008




Herb Schildt's Java Programming Cookbook
Schildt, Herbert
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.73.J3 S35 2008




Intranets for Info Pros
Kennedy, Mary
Stacks - 3rd floor | HD30.385 .I58 2007




Network Security Assessment
McNab, Chris
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.76.O63 M36 2008




Oracle Database 11g DBA Handbook
Bryla, Bob
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.9.D3 B7987 2008




Ruby by Example
Baird, Kevin
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.64 .B27 2007





Core Java
Horstmann, Cay
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.73.J38 H6753 2008




Pervasive Information Systems
Kourouthanassis, Panos
(coming soon)




Contemporary Chief Information Officers
Hunter, M. Gordon
Stacks - 3rd floor | HD30.2 .H863 2007




Contemporary Issues in Database Design and Information Systems Development Siau, Keng
Stacks - 3rd floor | QA76.9.D3 C67135 2007


I tried to select books to support all of the computer-related programs at the University of Baltimore: Management Information Systems, Applied Information Technology, Simulation and Digital Entertainment, and Interaction Design and Information Architecture.

Many of the books were recommended by the faculty. I'd like to thank Kathleen Harmeyer, Charles Sykes, and Kathryn Summers for their excellent suggestions.

If you'd like to recommend a book for the library to purchase, and you are a UB student, staff, or faculty member, please contact Thomas Arendall-Salvetti at tarendall-salvetti (at) ubalt (dot) edu.

Coming soon: a list of the computer books purchased for Langsdale Library in the month of May!

Labels: resources

Here are some of the new titles that you can find in the Langsdale Government Documents Collection:

Print/CD/DVD (online version linked when available)

• Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book, Fall 2007. (PrEx 28.2: L52)
  Collects important legislation and legal guidelines used by the Intelligence Community. From the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
• IRS Tax Products CD & DVD. (T 22.51/4:2007/REV. 2008/FINAL)
  Current and previous year forms and instructions on CD; historical tax forms and instructions in PDF format on DVD. Includes all iterations of forms and instructions (Example: All versions of Form 1040 from 1913 - present, plus the first tax form used in 1864).
  
  All pubs are available in PDF form 1994-present; older ones are not available in PDF format, so they are not included here.
  
  For 2007, multilingual products are included, along with Title 26 (Internal Revenue Code), IRS e-File information, Tax Map, and Tax Topics.
• Occupational Injuries and Illnesses: Counts, Rates, and Characteristics, 2005 (L2.3/11:2005)
  Includes a spiral-bound book and 2 CDs.
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009. (GP 3.22/2: 270/2008-2009)
• Our Flag. (Y 1.1/3:109-18)
  This booklet includes a history of the U. S. Flag and rules on how to fly it, as well as a section on state flags and a copy of the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2008. (C 3.134:2008)

For a list of new electronic titles available in March, please go the Catalog of Government Publications.

Labels: gov docs, new titles, resources

Here are some of the new titles that you can find in the Langsdale Government Documents Collection:

Print/CD/DVD (online version linked when available)

• Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2009. (Y1.1/7: 110-84/v.1-4)
  Includes the following volumes:
• Volume 1: Budget
• Volume 2: Appendix
• Volume 3: Analytical Perspectives (supplemental materials on enclosed CD-ROM)
• Volume 4: Historical Tables
• Economic Report of the President. (PR43.9: 2008)
• State Magazine, February 2008. (S1.118: 520)

For a list of new electronic titles available in February, please go the Catalog of Government Publications.

Labels: gov docs, new titles, resources

For those of you who miss being at Camden Yards on opening day, we recommend getting your baseball fix at the library.

To get you in the mood, here are several books available in Langsdale you may want to peruse:

• Beard, G. (1967). Birds on the Wing; the Story of the Baltimore Orioles. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday.


• Eisenberg, J. (2001). From 33rd Street to Camden Yards: An Oral History of the Baltimore Orioles.Lincolnwood, Ill: Contemporary Books.


• Felber, B. (2007). A Game of Brawl: The Orioles, the Beaneaters, and the Battle for the 1897 Pennant. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.


• Hamilton, B. W., & Johns Hopkins University. (1996). Baltimore's Camden Yards Ballparks.
  Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Economics.


• Lieb, F. (1955). The Baltimore Orioles; the History of a Colorful Team in Baltimore and St. Louis. New York: Putnam.


• Maryland. (1992). Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Baltimore Orioles' 1992 Season in Maryland. Baltimore, MD.


• Richmond, P. (1993). Ballpark: Camden Yards and the Building of an American Dream. New York: Simon & Schuster.


• Solomon, B. (1999). Where They Ain't: The Fabled Life and Untimely Death of the Original Baltimore Orioles, the Team That Gave Birth to Modern Baseball. New York, NY: Free Press.

If you don't feel like coming to Langsdale, you can also access several baseball related journals and magazines through ResearchPort. Here are a few:

• Baseball Digest


• The International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship


• Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports


• SportsIllustrated

Finally, while I am sure a baseball fan will know about ESPN, MLB.com and the like, here are a few websites with information about the history of baseball that you may want to check out.

• The Library of Congress' Historic Baseball Resources
  


• Sports Illustrated Vault - Sports Illustrated has put 54 years worth of its articles online. Included in the archive is a copy of every cover, and links to related videos and photographs, although the photographs from the artices themselves are largely absent. However, they make it pretty easy to do things like search for covers featuring the Baltimore Orioles.

Do you have a favorite baseball related book, journal or website not listed here? Let us know in the comments.

Labels: langsdale, resources

Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries provides reviews of materials of interest to those in higher education. Each year they publish over 7,000 reviews of books, electronic resources and Internet sites. These reviews are one tool used by many librarians across the country, including those at Langsdale, to aid in discovering new resources and deciding which ones to purchase.

Now, students and faculty can view the Choice reviews online. Whether it helps determine which book to purchase for oneself, or to recommend that Langsdale purchase a book for the library, Choice can be a valuable tool.

Currently this is available on campus only at http://www.cro2.org
Contact Susan Wheeler at x4299 or swheeler@ubalt.edu for more information.

Labels: langsdale, news, resources

LexisNexis is reporting that the newest version of Safari for the Mac will crash if you conduct a search in LexisNexis Academic.

LexisNexis is trying to fix the problem, but it sounds as if the problem might be more with Safari. Suffice it to say that if you search Google for "safari crashes" you will have to go through several pages of results before you find anything about a plane crashing in the jungle.

In the meantime, Mac users who want to search LexisNexis Academic are advised to use Firefox.

Labels: resources

Here are some of the new titles that you can find in the Langsdale Government Documents Collection:

Print/CD/DVD (online version linked when available)

• The 2007 World Factbook. (PREX 3.15:2007)
  The Factbook has been updated since publication; you can find the most current information on the CIA website (permanent link): http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS552
• America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2005. (PR 43.8: C 43/2005)
  Published by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, this annual publication includes population and family characteristics and indicators for economic security, health, education, and behavior & social environment. For the 2007 report and previous years (1998-2006), go to: http://www.childstats.gov/pubs.asp?yr=am2007
• America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2006. (PR 43.8: C 43/C 43/2006)
• Civics and Citizenship Toolkit: A Collection of Educational Resources for Immigrants. (HS 8.2:C 49/2/TOOLKIT)
  Contains the following publications:
• Welcome to the United States: A Guide for New Immigrants
• Bienvenidos a los Estados Unidos de América: Guía para inmigrantes nuevos (NOTE: This document is available in other languages at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website: http://www.uscis.gov/newimmigrants)
• Civics Flash Cards
• Learn About the United States: Quick Civics Lessons
• The Citizen's Almanac & Pocket Declaration of Independence and Constitution of the United States
• Library Services for Immigrants: A Report on Current Practices
• DVD | A Promise of Freedom: An Introduction to U.S. History and Civics for Immigrants
• Flash Presentation on CD-ROM | Becoming a U.S. Citizen: An Overview of the Naturalization Process
• Long Hard Road: NCO Experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. (D 101.2: AF 3/2)
• Monthly Labor Review, June 2006. (L2.6: 130/6)
  Featured article on Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the New Orleans economy.
• Prologue: Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration (2007, Vol 39). (GS 4.23: 39)

For a list of new electronic titles available in January, please go the Catalog of Government Publications.

Labels: gov docs, new titles, resources

The Library is excited to present 2 new, innovative services to the UB community.

Streaming Videos
As part of a pilot project we are providing streaming video access to a selection of 50 academic-oriented documentary and educational films. These streaming videos can be used in your classroom or you can have your students view the videos from any PC on or off campus.
We invite you to visit our FAQ.

Watching DVDs on Reserve Over the Internet
Another project we are piloting allows students to watch DVDs that have been placed on Reserve for a class from the comfort of their own home. We have purchased something called a SlingBox which provides the ability for someone to watch a DVD (located in a DVD player in Langsdale) over the Internet. There are some limitations: the Slingbox is not a streaming service and will not allow multiple people to view it at the same time like the educational films mentioned above. However, it will allow people to watch a DVD without having to come into Langsdale, and we can even arrange viewings when Langsdale is closed.

Labels: langsdale, resources

Here are some of the new titles that you can find in the Langsdale Government Documents Collection:

Print/CD/DVD (online version linked when available)

• The All-Volunteer Military: Issues and Performance. (Y 10.2:M 59/16)
• Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, "The Art and Science of Grant Writing", March 2006. (HH 1.2:C 73/51/2006)
• New Realities: Law Enforcement in the Post-9/11 Era. (J 26.35:L41/CD)
  CD-ROM contains four monographs:
• Assessing and Managing the Terrorism Threat
• Engaging the Private Sector to Promote Homeland Security: Law Enforcement-Private Security Partnerships
• Intelligence-Led Policing: The New Intelligence Architecture
• Mutual Aid: Multijurisdictional Partnerships for Meeting Regional Threats
• Offender Employment Specialist, Building Bridges. (J 1.100:OF 2/DVD/CD)
  From the back cover: "Offender Employment Specialist, Building Bridges is a multi-DVD/CD set that presents an entry-level training program for practitioners who assist offenders in securing and retaining employment. The target audiences for this training include, but are not limited to, those who work in prisons, jails, probation, parole, one-stops, career resource centers, government agencies, and faith-based and community organizations."
  
  The set includes introduction, facilitator training and guide book CDs, plus 5+ hours of video training on three DVDs. From the National Institute of Corrections Video Library.
• Serve, Support, Simplify: Report of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, July 2007. (PR 43.8:W 25/C 18)
• Serve, Support, Simplify: Subcommittee Reports and Survey Findings: Report of the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, July 2007. (PR 43.8:W 25/C 18/REPORTS)
• A Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop DVD, February 2006. (T 22.69:V 81/2006)
  From the IRS.gov description: "A Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop DVD is an innovative DVD designed to help new and existing small business owners understand and meet their federal tax obligations. The workshop provides information and resources in an interactive format. The workshop consists of ten lessons and is subtitled in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. The DVD running time is 3 hours and 43 minutes."

For a list of new electronic titles available in September, please go the Catalog of Government Publications.

Labels: gov docs, new titles, resources

In honor of Constitution Day (Sept. 17), Langsdale Library has created a display on the first floor of the library; we encourage you to stop by and see it before the end of September. As part of the exhibit, the library is giving away FREE pocket-sized copies of the U.S. Constitution (including the amendments). To get your copy, please stop by the Reference Desk on the first floor.

There is also a new Constitution Day Guide: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/ConstitutionDay_guide.htm

For questions about other resources available at Langsdale, please contact the Reference Desk at langref@ubalt.edu or 410-837-4274.

Labels: celebration, constitution, gov docs, resources

Gen. David H. Petraeus and Iraq Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker are testifying about Iraq before a Joint Hearing of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Armed Services. The text of their statements (plus graphics) is now available online:

• Gen. Petraeus (slides included): http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/pet091007.pdf
• Ambassador Crocker: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/cro091007.pdf

For more about the hearings, check out these sites:

• U.S. House of Representatives, House Armed services Committee: http://www.house.gov/hasc/hearing_information.shtml
• U.S. House of Representatives, House Committee on Foreign Affairs: http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/testimony.asp?subnav=close
• Status of War in Iraq -- C-SPAN (live feed): http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan3_wm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS3
  

Labels: gov docs, Iraq, primary_sources, resources

The Election Resources Guide has been updated with information on the upcoming Baltimore City Primary and General Elections, as well as links to local media coverage. Surf on over to: http://langsdale.ubalt.edu/howto/election_guide.htm

Labels: baltimore, elections, resources

In case you missed these, here are some of the new titles that you can find in the Langsdale Government Documents Collection:

Print (online version linked when available)

• America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being. (PR 42.8:C 43/C 43/2007)
• Changes in the Economic Resources of Low-Income Households with Children. (Y 10.2:EC 7/19)
• Citing Records in the National Archives of the United States. (AE 1.113:17/2007)
• Comprehensive Revised Report with Addendums on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (Duelfer Report). (PREX 3.2:IR1)
• Congressional Pictorial Directory. (Y 4.P 93/1:1 P/110)
• Elisha Jones House and Shed: Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord, Massachusetts. (I 29.88:J 71)
  Part of the Historic Architecture Program series issued by the National Park Service. Other reports can be found in Langsdale Government Documents.
• Federal Resources on Missing and Exploited Children. (PR 42.8:C 43/R 31/2007)
• The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research. (Y 3.N 21/29:2 H 34)
• Military Service Records at the National Archives. (AE 1.124:109)
• National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in Private Industry in the United States, 2005. (L 2.3:2589)
• The National Export Strategy: Annual Report to the United States Congress. (C1.1/6: 2007)
• Research in the Land Entry Files of the General Land Office: Record Group 49. (AE 1.124:114)
  From the introduction: "The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository for records of the U.S. General Land Office, a predecessor of the Bureau of Land Management, that document the transfer of public lands from the United States to private ownership. The case files generated by over 10 million such individual land transactions, known as land entries, and the tract books and various name indexes used to access them are located in the National Archives Building, Washington, DC."
• Source Book of Statistics of Income. Active Corporation Income Tax Returns July 2004-June 2005. (T 22.35/5-2:2004)

For a list of new electronic titles available in June, July and August, please go the Catalog of Government Publications.

Labels: gov docs, new titles, resources

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

Labels: Google, news, reference, resources

The Library of Congress is hosting a new website called Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. They currently have articles from several newspapers in California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Utah, and Virginia. At the present time they have articles from 1900-1910, but their goal is to expand their coverage to include newspapers from every state from the period from 1836-1922.

You can also look up information on about 140,000 current and historical newspaper titles and see which libraries have them available in some form.

Labels: history, resources

Great news! The New York Times recently announced that it will give free access to Times Select, including their archives (back to 1851) to people with a .edu e-mail address.

Here's the press release (via the ACRLog):

Beginning on March 13, subscriptions to TimesSelect will be available for free to all registered college students and faculty with a .edu in their e-mail addresses. TimesSelect is NYTimes.com's paid offering that provides exclusive access to 22 columnists of The Times and the International Herald Tribune as well as an array of other services, including access to The Times's archives, advance previews of various sections and tools for tracking and storing news and information. Current student subscribers will receive pro-rated refunds for their previously paid subscriptions. College students interested in registering for free TimesSelect subscriptions should go to www.nytimes.com/university for more information.

This should be wonderful for students and faculty members in History--easy access to primary sources (newspaper articles) online. It also gives you access to the op/ed pieces which are not available on the public side of the New York Times website.

You have to register directly with the New York Times to access this (it doesn't go through Research Port), but it's fairly painless.

In the past, libraries would have to pay thousands of dollars a year for this type of online access to the Times. Now, you can get it for free. Go out and try it!

Update 4/3/07: The free account with TimeSelect no longer includes articles from before 1981.

Please note: your complimentary university subscription to TimesSelect does not provide access to articles published before 1981. You may be able to access this material through your university intranet or library.

For older articles, the library has microfilm of the New York Times. Many of the public libraries in the area also have subscriptions to ProQuest Historical Newspapers, which will provide access to the New York Times back to 1851. It's not free, but your public library is footing the bill.

Labels: news, NewYorkTimes, primary_sources, resources

In celebration of Women's History Month, Langsdale Library is highlighting works that touch on this year's theme: "Generations of Women Moving History Forward." We have also highlighted some other works by or about women that may be of interest.

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

For more resources, please see our Women's Studies Guide.

You can get to these guides and many others by looking under the gray Use It menu on the library's homepage, then click on Research Help by Discipline.

Labels: history, resources, UB, women's history month

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.

Labels: black history month, history, langsdale, reference, resources