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Library Hours

The library will be closing at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday November 26 for the Thanksgiving holidays. We will reopen on Monday December 1 at 7:30 a.m.

Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Top Shelf

by Tony McGee and Karen Smith, SWC Librarians

Top Shelf is a weekly column where librarians share some of their favorite resources with you.

Book Selection
Chronicle Four-Year College Databook: A Directory of Accredited Four-Year Colleges with Their Major Programs of Study
Call #: REF L 901 C462 2008-09.

This directory of accredited four year colleges is arranged by college major and also a section by college location. This educational resource provides undergraduate enrollment figures for each school, financial aid information, a chart with average tuition costs, admissions information and type of degrees offered.

-Tony.


Website Selection
sierraclub.typepad.com/mrgreen/

Hey, Mr. Green! - Sierra Magazine’s Answer Guy Answers Your Green Living Questions

What changes can you make in your personal life to help the environment?

Should you drive to the farmers market 12 miles away or go to the supermarket closer to home?

Should you keep using your existing incandescent light bulbs until they burn out? Or put in compact fluorescents now?

-Karen.

This Week in CQ Researcher

Declining Birthrates by Sarah Glazer, November 21, 2008
Will the trend worsen global economic woes?

Nations around the globe worry that low or falling birthrates will cause severe economic problems, including shortages of workers to pay into social security systems to support growing numbers of retirees. The United States is exceptional among major industrialized Western nations because its birthrate produces enough children to maintain the population as elderly people die. Most of Europe as well as Japan and China are well below population replacement levels.

The current global economic downturn could worsen the situation by forcing young couples to postpone having children until the economy improves. Meanwhile, governments are discussing possible solutions, such as cutting spending on the elderly, requiring workers to stay on the job longer before drawing benefits and offering cash bonuses to families to encourage them to have more children.

• Will today’s low birthrates cause economic problems?
• Are falling birthrates good for the environment?
• Should government policies to increase birthrates be implemented?

To read this article and others visit our Articles and Databases webpage and click on CQ Researcher. Select the Remote Access link for information on how to access this resource from off campus locations.

Library Access from Off Campus

Need access to the library during the Thanksgiving holidays?
You can search over 20 different electronic resources from home using our Articles and Databases website

http://www.swccd.edu/~library/articles.htm

Currently enrolled students may request the list of off campus passwords be emailed to them using our Password Request Form. Students who are currently enrolled will receive the list of passwords within minutes.

Before leaving for the holidays drop by the library and create a NetLibrary e-Book account.
With your own account you will be able to access over 19,000 electronic e-Books in our collection from off campus.

ARTstor Community Mural Collection

The Timothy Drescher community mural collection includes nearly 5,600 photographic images of contemporary community murals in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. . Since these outdoor wall paintings are situated within living communities and exposed to the elements, many of the murals that Drescher photographed have been subsequently altered or destroyed.

To view the (Timothy Drescher) Community Murals Collection: go to the ARTstor Digital Library, browse by collection, and click "Community Murals Collection (Timothy Drescher)" or enter the Keyword Search: "timothy drescher".

To view ARTstor from off campus locations you need to create an ARTstor account at http://www.artstor.org/ from any on campus computer.

Top Shelf

by Karen Smith and Patty Gianulis, SWC Librarians

Top Shelf is a weekly column where librarians share some of their favorite resources with you.

E-Book Selection

90-Minute College Major Matcher : Choose Your Best Major for a Great Career.
by Laurence Shatkin
Indianapolis, IN Jist Publishing, 2007
Accessible via NetLibrary

Take a guided look at your interests, your skills, and your favorite high school courses. Print out some worksheets and fill them in. Create a Hot List of possible majors. Refer to the book’s list of 120 majors and related careers, which includes general outlines of career paths in those fields, expected salaries, and whether or not these are growing career fields.

Accessible from off-campus

-Karen.


Website Selection

I chose this website to coordinate with the Human Genome Sourcebook. It is a clear, well-organized site with information on gene therapy, genetic counseling and genetic diseases. It also includes ethical and social issues relating to genetic research and information for students and teachers. There is a detailed timeline of the human genome project and abstracts and full text of research papers.

From Librarians’ Index to the Internet (http://www.lii.org/):

Human Genome Project Information "Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health." This site provides background and updates on the project (data analysis is ongoing). Topics include medical and genetic implications, and ethical, legal, and social issues. Also includes material for teachers and students. From the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, Human Genome Program.”
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml

-Patty G.

Library Display: Children's Art Expressions

On display in the library is a collection of children's art work. These young artist are between the ages of 2 years to 10 years old working with acrylic paint.

Their painting will be on display in the library through the end of the fall semester December 19.

Library hours are:
Monday through Thursday: 7:30 am to 8:00 pm
Fridays: 7:30 am to 2:00 pm
Saturdays: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Got a Question? Need an Answer?

Try our Online Reference Chat Service

Real People - Real Help - Real Fast

24 hours a day, 7 days a week

http://www.swccd.edu/~library/ask.htm

And the College Book for 2009 is . . .

Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility by Patricia Santana has been selected as the College Book for 2009. It received 40% of the votes cast. Glass Castle received 33% of the votes and Water for Elephants 27%.

The winners, chosen at random from all who voted, of copies of the winning book are Thelma Llorens-Corrao of Arts & Communication; Jenny Freeman of Fiscal Services; Carol Wiley of Small Business Development and International Trade Center; and Yolanda Yslas of Math, Science & Engineering.

Classroom activities and suggestions for extra credit by discipline will be available before the spring semester begins.

This Week in CQ Researcher

Juvenile Justice
by Peter Katel,
November 7, 2008

Are sentencing policies too harsh?

As many as 200,000 youths charged with crimes today are tried in adult courts, where judges tend to be tougher and punishments harsher – including sentencing to adult prisons. But with juvenile crime now on the decline, youth advocates are seizing the moment to push for major changes in iron-fisted juvenile justice systems nationwide. Above all, they want to roll back harsh state punishments – triggered by the crack cocaine-fueled crime wave of the late 1980s and early ‘90s – that sent thousands of adolescents to adult courts and prisons.

Many prosecutors say the get-tough approach offers society the best protection. But critics say young people often leave prison more bitter and dangerous than when they went in. Moreover, recent brain studies show weak impulse control in young people under age 18, prompting some states to reconsider their tough punishments. Prosecutors respond that even immature adolescents know right from wrong.

• Should states roll back their tough juvenile crime laws?
• Did tough laws lower crime rates?
• Does the prospect of facing the adult court system deter juveniles from crime?

To read this article and others visit our Articles and Databases webpage and click on CQ Researcher. Select the Remote Access link for information on how to access this resource from off campus locations.

Check It Out - Which college is right for you?

The College Solution by Lynn O'Shaughnessy

New Books Shelf, SWC Main Library

Leisure Reading, SWC Otay Mesa Library

Call #: LB2343.32 .O82 2008

After skimming the pages of this book, I found it to be a great resource for students and parents who are beginning to research potential colleges. Parents and students should pick this book up before any other because it provides a realistic starting point in the college application process without being overwhelming.

Readers won't find the same extensive, detailed information about college programs and college rankings that can be found in The College Blue Book and other similar resources. But you will find an easy-to-follow roadmap to beginning the quest for the appropriate institution. Financial advisor Lynn O'Shaughnessy presents financial and academic information in a way that fits the student's profile to the appropriate college, rather than trying to fit a prestigious, "over-hyped" college to a student's personal needs. It's a great common-sense start to the college application process.

Book review by Tanya Carr, SWC Librarian

November eBook of the Month

Foreclosure Survival Guide: Keep Your House or Walk Away With Money In Your Pocket
by Attorney Stephen R. Elias NOLO, September 2008

The No. 1 topic of conversation in the news and around the office today and tomorrow? Foreclosures. They rose in the U.S. by over 79 percent last year—and over two million more are expected in the next two years.

Written by a practicing lawyer who has helped hundreds keep their homes or come out of foreclosure financially sound, Foreclosure Survival Guide provides practical solutions and information that can help readers make the best decisions possible, including what to expect from foreclosure, whether it's worth trying to keep the house and using Chapter 13 bankruptcy to save a home.

If you have already established a NetLibrary account through Southwestern College Library, visit http://www.netlibrary.com/ and log in to read "Foreclosure Survival Guide" or any of our other 19,000 electronic book titles.

If you do not have a NetLibrary account, you can create your own account from any computer on the Southwestern College campuses. Visit our NetLibrary information page .

College Book voting extended

The deadline for voting for College Book has been extended through Friday, November 7. For information about the three finalists and instructions on voting, go to the College website.

Top Shelf

by Patty Gianulis and Tanya Carr, SWC Librarians

Top Shelf is a weekly column where librarians share some of their favorite resources with you.

Book Selection
The Human Genome Sourcebook
by Tara Acarya and Neeraja Sankaran
Greenwood Press, 2005
Call #: REF QH 437 A245 2005

This guide to the human genome is designed for the general reader who does not have advanced knowledge of genetics but is interested in understanding the science behind the human genome and what the possibilities are for future research.

It is organized in five sections. The first section is an introduction to genetics, a brief history of genetic research from Mendel to today with a timeline of major discoveries and finally some social and ethical considerations for the future of genomics.

The second section is a glossary explaining terms from “allele” to “zygote” to provide an overview of the terminology in this fast developing and changing field.

Part three is an explanation of the chromosomes and a detailed table explaining the function of each chromosome and some of the associated diseases linked to each chromosome.

Parts four and five make up the major part of the book. First genes of normal function are discussed. This is not intended to be a complete catalog but rather representative examples of genes from a broad spectrum of activities. For example, blood types and taste sensation are two topics covered.

Part five discussed aberrations in genes that cause the gene product to be absent or faulty, or in some cases, confer new activities on the gene which result in disease. This section is arranged alphabetically and includes, for example, diseases such as alcoholism, diabetes and muscular dystrophies.

There is a list of books and websites for further reading and research and a detailed index.

- Patty G.


Website Selection
America in Caricature: 1765-1865
http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/cartoon/cartoons.html

Although this website doesn't include current events, it provides an easy-to-use online exhibition of historical American political cartoons ranging in date from 1765-1865. Albums include "Colony & Early Republic 1765-1798," "War of 1812," and "Abraham Lincoln 1860-1865." The exhibition is provided by the Lilly Library at Indiana University, Bloomington.

Unlike some websites, I was able to copy and paste the cartoons into Word- no copyright issues!

-Tanya.