NEW -- Online access to The Chronicle of Higher Education

The Southwestern College Library has purchased an online subscription to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is one of the top sources of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. The online version of The Chronicle is published every weekday and features the complete contents of the latest issue; daily news and advice columns; thousands of current job listings; an archive of previously published content; vibrant discussion forums; and career-building tools such as online CV management, salary databases, and more.

You can access the Chronicle of Higher Education from the Southwestern College Library’s Articles and Databases page. From off campus locations you will be prompted for your mySWC username and birthdate (mmddyy) and then given full access.

Current Issues -- Need help getting started?

When choosing a topic for your research paper on some current or controversial issue, start with the SWC Library website.

Find the Current Issues Research Guide with direct links to credible sites and databases where you can explore different discussion topics and ideas.

Electronic databases make daily additions to their collection of news articles, analytical reports, images and videos on all major political, social and economic issues.

If you prefer to read something in print, check our library stacks: we have NEW nonfiction books on controversial topics!

Want to know more? Ask a librarian -- 24/7 chat reference assistance for SWC students.

Review by Svetlana Kondratenko, SWC Librarian

Are we still in a drought?

Are we still in a drought?

 

 

Check out this article from the New York Times! The article highlights a NASA project, from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, known as Airborne Snow Observatory. This project, which started in 2013, has been taking aerial imagery of the snow areas of California to gather data on snow packs. Melted snow in spring and summer is a very important source of water for California.

 “The snow observatory project, which began flights over the Sierra in 2013, is a groundbreaking initiative in California, where aging infrastructure, a warming climate and rapid population growth have made water management a high-stakes job.” If you'd like to look at the raw data -- how they collect it, the instruments used, etc -- check out the project at https://aso.jpl.nasa.gov.

The New York Times article includes impressive images, as well as interactive maps comparing bare mountains in 2015 with snow packed mountains of 2017.

So, maybe we are still out of drought but this snow is providing some relief and, for those who enjoy skiing and other winter sports, a prolonged snow season is in store.

Review by Laura Galvan-Estrada, SWC Librarian

Oscar Watch: Hidden Figures

Oscar Best Picture nominee, Hidden Figures, is based on a book that describes the experiences of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden -- four African-American women who, as mathematicians at NASA, contributed to some of America's greatest achievements in space.

Read the original inspiration for the movie, Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. It's available for four-week check out with your SWC photo ID card. You can find it in the New Book Area (call number:QA27.5 .L44 2016).

Interested in knowing more about these trailblazing women? Find detailed biographical information about each of them in the Library's Biography in Context Database.




There are even more resources available through your Library. Have a question? Ask a librarian!

What happened on the day you were born?

Want to find out what news events occurred on the day you were born?

You can view, download or print a copy of the front page of the New York Times for the date you were born!

Here's how:

1. From the Library's databases, select "Historical Newspapers New York Times (ProQuest)"
2. Select "Publications"
3. Select "New York Times (1923 - Current file)"
4. Under "Browse Specific Issues" click on the 10 year range of the year you were born (such as 2000 - 2009) and then select the year, month and day you were born
5. Under the first article displayed, click on "Full-text PDF"
6. Click the "Page View-PDF" tab
7. Under "Download PDF" click the Print icon to display the entire front page of the newspaper!
8. To download or print, click the Adobe Reader Download or Print icons

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

Rachael Smithey, SWC Librarian

Top Three Reasons to Use Library Databases

Number 3: "Online Pregnancy Test"





Seems like a good idea... but wait, how would that work exactly??! There is no such thing -- this is a fake website that looks real and sounds real, but is totally made up.

Library databases contain credible information from published sources such as journals, magazines, newspapers, books, and e-books. You won't find any fake information there!



Number 2: "List of Hoaxes on Wikipedia"

Here is a collection of deliberate hoaxes -- fake pages and incorrect information on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia page warns readers: "A hoax is considered notable if it evaded detection for more than one month or was discussed by reliable sources in the media. This list is incomplete, as many hoaxes remain undiscovered."

Library databases contain credible information from authors who have the appropriate education and background that makes them uniquely qualified to write articles, books, or reference book entries.You won't find any hoaxes!



Number 1 Reason to Use Library Databases: THEY ARE FREE

Library databases are free for all currently-enrolled SWC students and staff! They are also accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Search for credible information from thousands of sources at once!

Have a question? Ask a librarian! We are happy to help.

Library Databases - What are they?

Many library databases contain the full text of articles from periodicals (journals, magazines, and newspapers). The majority of these articles are not available for free on the Internet. But they're available online and for free to all SWC students and staff.

A wealth of information is at your fingertips! Read about a current or historic topic from a dependable source. Research a medical condition or a business. Find out what topics are of concern to other countries -- what are their newspapers writing about?

There are other types of resources in library databases too -- images, videos, statistics, speeches, and more! Ready to explore?

Go to the library’s databases webpage, select a database, and input your username and password. 

Student Username: WebAdvisor login (example: js0123455) 
Student Password: Birthdate (MMDDYY)

Staff/Faculty Username: WebAdvisor login (example: jsmith) 
Staff/Faculty Password: Birthdate (MMDDYY) 

This Week in CQ Researcher

Future of Homeownership: Should government do more to help homeowners?
by Barbara Mantel

"The housing market is finally showing signs of recovery after the housing crash and Great Recession of the late 2000s. The number of foreclosed homes is shrinking, sales of homes are climbing, prices are rebounding and builders are ramping up construction. Yet the share of Americans who own their homes dropped to 65.5 percent in the third quarter — the lowest since 1997. Many of today's buyers are investors who are snapping up houses in some of the hardest-hit neighborhoods and converting them into rentals, which experts say is a new trend. Analysts wonder whether many Americans are permanently rejecting homeownership in favor of renting. Meanwhile, policymakers are weighing how much the government should help the millions of remaining distressed homeowners and how to reform mortgage financing to avoid another housing debacle."

Read more about this topic and many others in CQ Researcher, accessible from off-campus with the current passwords.

This Week in CQ Researcher

Assessing the New Health Care Law: Will it improve care and reduce spending?
By Marcia Clemmitt
September 21, 2012 • Volume 22, Issue 33

"In June, the Supreme Court upheld most of the Obama administration's 2010 health care law, allowing the government to fine people who decline to buy medical insurance. But the court barred cutting off Medicaid funds for states that refuse to participate in a new program expanding health care for the poor. Some Republican governors have balked at the expanded coverage, undermining the administration's goal of adding 30 million people to the health insurance rolls. Meanwhile, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, along with many congressional Republicans, vows to repeal the entire Affordable Care Act, arguing it is too costly and abridges individual freedoms. The law's supporters, however, say its benefits already are evident, as children with pre-existing illnesses can no longer lose coverage and young adults can enroll in their parents' health plans."

Read the entire report in the CQ Researcher library database. Access is available from off campus with the current semester's passwords.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

Hispanic Heritage Month

"Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America."

National Hispanic Heritage Month - History, current projects, and related links. Brought to you by the Library of Congress, the National Archives and Records Administration, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery of Art, the National Park Service, and the United States Holocaust Museum.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Endowment for the Humanities

SWC Library has many books and articles related to Hispanic Heritage Month. Have a question? Ask a librarian!

Overwhelmed?

via Flickr madartist

We can help.

Ask a Librarian! 24/7

Do your research from home. Visit the library's full-text databases for e-books and articles from reliable sources.

Cite your sources. Handy guides for APA and MLA citation formats.

Britannica Online Encyclopedia: UFW

Farm worker ties bags of onions, May 1972

"United Farm Workers of America (UFW) is a labor union founded in 1962 as the National Farm Workers Association by Cesar Chavez, a migrant farm laborer. The union merged with the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in 1966 and was re-formed under its current name in 1971 to achieve collective bargaining rights for farmworkers in the United States. In 2006 the UFW disaffiliated from the AFL-CIO and joined the labor federation, Change to Win."

"The UFW seeks to empower migrant farmworkers and improve their wages and working conditions. It also works to espouse nonviolence and to educate members on political and social issues."

From Britannica Online. Accessible from off campus with the current passwords. Have a question? Ask a librarian!

CountryWatch: Syria

courtesy CountryWatch

Syria is this month's featured country in the CountryWatch database.

CountryWatch contains information about every country in the world, including demographic, political, economic, business, cultural and environmental information. You can also find daily news coverage about each country. To access CountryWatch from off campus, use the current semester's passwords.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

Visit the Online Library

The Online Library is always open!

• Full text research databases
• E-books
• Off campus access to resources
• Tutorials and Guides
• 24/7 chat assistance from a librarian

CQ Researcher: Whale Hunting

Should whale and dolphin hunting be outlawed?
by Daniel McGlynn
CQ Researcher
June 29, 2012 • Volume 22, Issue 24

"For hundreds of years, the United States and countries around the world relentlessly hunted whales and other marine mammals for their oil, blubber and other byproducts. But today whales, dolphins and porpoises are widely viewed as intelligent creatures worthy of conservation and protection from commercial hunters. Scientists describe marine mammals as social animals that share characteristics with humans, including the ability to communicate in sophisticated ways. But Japan, Norway and Iceland still hunt whales, and Japan continues its controversial slaughter of dolphins for their meat, as dramatized by the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove. Efforts to ban commercial whaling by the International Whaling Commission have failed because of political bickering and competing national interests. Meanwhile, climate change, entanglement in commercial-fishing gear and ocean noise pollution are adding to the peril facing marine mammals."

Read more about this topic and many other current issues in CQ Researcher. Full-text access is available from off campus with the current semester's passwords.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!

Britannica Online

Need an encyclopedia? Beginning in 1768, Encyclopedia Britannica has been collaborating with experts and scholars to create an authoritative and accurate encyclopedic source. Information is updated daily, and each entry undergoes a rigorous editorial review.

Free access to this encyclopedia is available for all SWC students, staff, and faculty. Use the current semester's passwords for off-campus access.

Database of the Month

EBSCOhost Newspaper Source Plus

Did you know? More than 38 million newspaper articles, nearly 913,000 TV and radio news transcripts and more are at your fingertips?

Faculty, staff and currently enrolled students have access to EBSCOhost Newspaper Source Plus, a database filled with more than 1,000 full-text newspapers and more than 38 million full-text articles! And that's not all; if you create an account, you can set customized alerts for specific titles or publications, receive real time updates (updated every 15 minutes), and download free applications to your iPhone or Android!

This database is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you haven't stopped by the Library to pick up the database passwords for Spring 2012, simply fill out the Password Request form and get started today.

This database includes major national newspapers, as well as nearly 913,000 television and radio transcripts including ABC News, CBS News, CNBC, CNN International, FOX News, MSNBC, National Public Radio, and PBS.

Have a question? Ask a Librarian!

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!

Have you seen the new Twilight movie?

What about Arthur Christmas or the new Marilyn Monroe movie -- My Week with Marilyn?

After watching these movies, you may be curious to know more about Robert Pattinson, Adam Sandler, or Marilyn Monroe. Or there might be other people of interest to you -- Michelle Obama, Anna Pavlova, Bob Marley, or Plato.

Whether it's a historical figure, a politician, a scientist, a musician, a dancer, a philosopher -- there are a million interesting people (literally!) that you can learn about in the library's Biography Resource Center database.

Look up a person by name, occupation, or nationality. You'll find a complete collection of information about them -- such as articles, book chapters, audio files, videos, websites, images, and more.

Access Biography Resource Center from off-campus with the current semester's passwords.

Have a question? Ask a Librarian!

Featured Database of the Month

EBSCOhost Regional Business News

Regional Business News provides comprehensive full-text coverage for more than 80 regional business publications covering all metropolitan and rural areas within the United States.

Access this database and many others with the current semester's passwords, available to SWC students, faculty, and staff.

Have a question? Ask a librarian!