Website of the Week

Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) 

http://dp.la/ 

“What is DPLA? The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is an all-digital library that aggregates metadata — or information describing an item — and thumbnails for millions of photographs, manuscripts, books, sounds, moving images, and more from libraries, archives, and museums around the United States. DPLA brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world.”

If you take a few minutes to explore the DPLA I’m sure you will agree that the digital archives collected here are massive. There are various ways to search and browse over 11 million digital items.

On the home page you can do a basic search and when you get your results you can sort and refine them. An advanced search does not appear to be available at this time. The site has a few interesting ways to browse items. There are a number of exhibitions that can be viewed such as the “Golden Age of Radio in the US” and “Urban Parks in the United States.” An interactive map feature, a timeline with items dating back to 1045 B.C., and a virtual bookshelf are other innovative ways of browsing content. In addition, at the bottom of the page there is a tab for browsing by subject area. There are 17 pages which can be sorted by Number of Results or alphabetically by subject.

The DPLA offers developers a way to get involved by using something they call open API. It allows developers to come up with new ways to access content by creating Apps. This is beyond my technical knowledge but for those interested more information is available here http://dp.la/info/developers/codex/.

The DPLA has so much content there is truly something for everyone. Students and Faculty will find it particularly useful. History buffs beware; you may lose yourself once you start exploring. With creative ways to search and browse, and a massive digital collection the DPLA is a very interesting resource.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0ngLBa4ewM#action=share

Review by Nate Martin, SWC Librarian

The Right to Vote

Did you know -- it's been almost 100 years since women have been able to vote in the U.S.! On August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

This milestone didn't come quickly or easily -- active protest and struggle to gain the right to vote began a full 70+ years before 1920. Many of the original supporters of the movement never lived to see their dream realized. The persistence and vision of early voting advocates is inspiring.

But believe it or not -- "Just when women gained the vote, voter participation declined nationally. Fewer men and women were attuned to national political issues which, increasingly, were defined by special-interest groups and lobbies." (Source: The Women's Rights Movement, 1848-1920, U.S. House of Representatives: History, Art, and Archives)

As we watch the primary season unfold, don't forget that every vote counts. If you aren't registered to vote in California, there's still time. Go to sdvote.com to register to vote, and to read about the primary and general elections.

Check It Out

March 2016 is National Nutrition Month! 

Did you know in the Library’s glass display case on the upper floor that there's a great title emphasizing this theme to check out? It is called, What the Fork Are You Eating?: An Action Plan for Your Pantry and Plate. It was written by Stefanie Sacks and published in 2014. Its call number is: TX369 .S23 2014. It can be found through the SWC Library’s Search the Library Catalog webpage. Just type in the title in the search box and you can find it in the results list.

This book discusses a wide range of issues involving nutrition, such as how processed food is made to offering grocery shopping strategies. What the Fork Are You Eating? suggests an action plan you can follow to improve your nutrition and overall health. It advocates for eating natural foods, avoiding certain food additives, reading food labels to discover what is in your food, and offers sustainable food options.

You can check out this book for four weeks with your SWC photo ID card.

Come to the Library to see more Nutrition-related titles on display this month.

Review by Arnold Josafat, SWC Librarian

Library Jedi Academy: Thursday!

Join us this Thursday for the Library Jedi Academy! Use The Force in your research for better, faster results.

The Library Jedi Academy workshop will be held at noon, Thursday, March 17, in L-244. No sign up is required, and you can ask your instructor if extra credit is available for attending.

See you at the Library!

San Ysidro? Visit the Library!

Taking a class at San Ysidro? The Library offers a variety of great resources for you!

• Research help from a Librarian
• Research databases, e-books, and books to check out
• Books delivered from main campus
• Textbooks for some classes on Reserve

San Ysidro SWC Library

Spring Semester Hours

Monday: 1 pm - 5 pm

Tuesday: 10 am - 2 pm

Wednesday: 10 am - 2 pm

Thursday: 10 am - 12 pm; 1 pm - 5 pm

Friday - Sunday: Closed

Hours for all four SWC Library locations are posted on the Library's Hours webpage.

See you at the Library!

Website of the Week

CyArk

http://www.cyark.org/

Xochicalco, Mexico: The Plaza of the Stele the of Two Glyphs, with the stele and its altar visible at center and the western pyramidal temple behind. Source: http://www.cyark.org

CyArk is a multimedia project that aims to digitally preserve heritage sites throughout the world primarily through the use of 3D scanning technology. As growing civil unrest, vandalism, and environmental disasters threaten heritage sites, CyArk provides a practical, important, and unique service. In addition to 3D renderings, the website provides access to lesson plans, historical facts, high-resolution photographs, and restricted access to data point clouds. CyArk appears to be the only major endeavor with an educational as well as a conservational motive that documents sites across the globe.

Review by Phillip Ballo, SWC Library Staff Member. Read his full review here.

To learn more about CyArk and its mission, view the TED Talk by Ben Kacyra, Digital Preservationist.

Book or Movie -- which was better?

Ever wonder where Hollywood gets some of its movie ideas? If you said BOOKS, you are correct!

Throughout the years, books have been the inspiration for many blockbusters.

Stop by the Library during spring semester to check out some of the staff's favorite "Books to Movies."

Which one was better? The book or the movie? You can join in the fun and vote on our interactive white board.