SWC Library @ San Ysidro campus

The Library at HEC/San Ysidro is located in room 5105 and is open 13 hours per week.

Tuesday: 9:30am-12:30pm
Wednesday: 8am-11am and 2:30pm-6:30pm
Thursday: 9:30am-12:30pm

The library collection includes basic print reference sources (dictionaries, atlases, etc.), class textbooks that have been placed on reserve by instructors, a leisure reading collection (mostly fiction and children's books in English and Spanish), and a large collection of books for English learners grouped by level of English language proficiency.

Five computer stations provide full access to all SWC library resources including Ebooks and full text databases. Several tables provide users with a quiet place to study. Students may ask to have books from the main campus library stacks delivered to San Ysidro for their use.

A librarian is available to assist users during all hours that the library is open.

Have a question? Ask a Librarian!

This Week in CQ Researcher

Youth Volunteerism by Marcia Clemmitt,
Jan. 27, 2012

Should schools require students to perform public service?

After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, Tulane University made volunteering for community projects in the ravaged city, such as restoring parks or tutoring grade-school students, a requirement for graduation. Since then, applications to Tulane have shot up. Schools and colleges nationwide have increased volunteer opportunities for students, and nearly 90 percent of colleges offer service-learning programs that tie class work with volunteer activities.

Researchers see ample evidence that at least some service programs encourage students to participate in civic life as they grow older. Experts worry, however, that volunteer opportunities are far more prevalent for middle-class and affluent students than for those from low-income families. Meanwhile, many school districts continue to mull whether to require volunteer service for high school graduation. Courts have upheld the constitutionality of such requirements, but some students and parents resist them.

• Does community service lead to greater civic engagement?
  
• Should students be required to perform community service?
  
• Are more young people volunteering today?

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

Magazines, Journals or Newspapers

Southwestern College library currently subscribes to over 120 print periodical titles. We display more than 50 of our most popular titles for you to browse and read in the library.

Next time your in the area drop by and read an article or two.


Library hours
Monday - Thursday 8:00 am to 7:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
Saturdays: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

Database of the Month

Auto Repair Reference Center

The Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC) database contains the most comprehensive collection of automobile repair reference information in the market. ARRC contains information on most major manufacturers of domestic and imported vehicles.

The database covers more than 37,000 vehicles from 1954 to present. Content includes millions of drawings and step-by-step photographs, approximately 110,000 technical service bulletins & recalls issued by the original equipment vehicle manufacturer, and over 180,000 enhanced wiring diagrams for easy viewing and printing.

Look up your vehicle and read about its specifications & maintenance schedules, including Quick Tips (a complete guide to vehicle ownership & maintenance). The Labor Time Guide & Estimator allows you to determine the time it takes to do a repair and estimate the cost of the repair. Diagnostic troubleshooting information based on symptoms and ODBII codes is also available. New repair procedures, TSBs, and updates are continually added to the product. All of the content in Auto Repair Reference Center has been created by ASE certified technicians.

This database is provided free to all SWC students, faculty, and staff. To access the database from off-campus, fill out the password request form.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

SWC Library @ Otay Mesa campus

The SWC Library at the Otay Mesa Higher Education Center is located on the upper level of the 4200 building. The library is open 30 hours a week.

Monday 11AM -6 PM
Tuesday 9 AM -6 PM
Wednesday 9 AM -6 PM
Thursday 12-5 PM

A librarian and library technician are available for assistance and there's a self-checkout machine as well. The library offers a leisure reading collection, reference books for library use, books and textbooks for checkout from the general and from the reserves collection, as well as videos, periodicals and access to online databases.

The library has 26 computer workstations for students, 5 group study rooms and 5 multimedia stations. There is a black and white printer and also a color copier, a scanner, and a pay-for-print card management unit in the library. Since the Otay Mesa Higher Education Center’s main programs are EMT/Paramedic/Fire science, Nursing and Police Academy, the library has a particularly good collection of resources in these fields.

The Otay Mesa Higher Education Center campus is on the route of the 905A bus line.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

College Book Essay Contest -- Win an iPad!

Once again the Friends of the SWC Library are sponsoring an essay contest for currently enrolled SWC students. The prize for the winner is an iPad.

The essay prompt is based on this year’s College Book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Copies of the College Book are available for check out at the SWC Library.

Here is the essay prompt:
Should Henrietta’s family be financially compensated for the HeLa cells? Why or why not? If yes, who do you believe the money should come from?

Please note that only original submissions that are the student’s own work will be considered.

Essays must be in English, no more than three pages, and submitted by email to essaycontest@swccd.edu before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 29, 2012. Late entries will not be accepted! A separate page (not counted in the three maximum) must give the student’s name, SWC ID number, email address, and telephone number. This page will be separated from the essay and a code will be assigned to it so the judges will not know the identity of the student. No identifiers (name, ID number, etc.) are to appear in the essay itself.

Questions? Contact Diane Gustafson in the Library at (619) 482-6433 or dgustafson@swccd.edu.

ARTstor- Chinese New Year

The Year of the Dragon begins January 23rd, marking the end of the winter season. The traditional Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements; the year begins with the night of the first full moon of the lunar New Year and ends on the 15th day. This year is signified by the dragon, the bringer of rain and good luck, and the only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac.

The ARTstor Digital Library features extensive collections of Chinese art, architecture, and culture. Some notable examples include:

• Rob Linrothe: Tibetan and Buddhist Art collection; Seattle Art Museum (Asian art, including works from Japan, China, Korea, India, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia);


• Asian Art Collection (Connecticut College) (Chinese art);


• Asian Art Photographic Distribution (AAPD) (University of Michigan) (Chinese painting, sculpture, and decorative arts );


• The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (Chinese ceramics);


• Mellon International Dunhuang Archive (Buddhist cave shrines in Dunhuang, China).

To view these collections, visit the ARTstor Digital Library and click on “Browse by Collection.”

To view ARTstor from off campus locations you need to create an ARTstor account at http://www.artstor.org/ from any computer on the Southwestern College campuses. Next time your on campus drop by the library and create your ARTstor account.