Reference Assistant Spotlight: Ruth

Ruth cheerfully helping a patron “old school”.
Name: Ruth
Year: Senior
Major: Religion

Favorite Library Resource: Summit and being able to use all the electronic resources when I’m off campus!

Favorite Place to Work in the Library: North Ref

Reason you wanted to be a reference assistant: I want to utilize everything I’ve learned at Reed by helping other students with the research process!

Hardest thing about research: Narrowing unbridled interest and enthusiasm into a focused topic with a limited dataset… while maintaining the initial interest and enthusiasm.

Favorite thing about Reed: The canyon, the scrounge, and the Religion department! (Editor’s note: Ahem. I think you forgot something….)

Cool class you’ve taken at Reed: Last fall I took a 300 level English course on the literature of the Black Panther party, which changed my entire worldview. Pancho never repeats his classes, so email me if you want the syllabus!

Reference Assistant Spotlight: Claire

Claire using our beloved Library of Congress Subject Headings.

Name: Claire
Year: Junior
Major: English

Favorite Library Resource: The thesis tower or the photographs in the Reed College Archives.

Favorite Place to Work in the Library: North Reference. The old-school green desk lamps make me feel like Elle Woods during her Harvard days. An Elle Woods with endless table space. (Editor’s note: Legally Blonde is one of my favorite guilty pleasures!)

Reason you wanted to be a reference assistant: Reed has given me a lot, so I want to pay it forward! Also, being the bookworm that I am, the library is my home away from home.

Hardest thing about research: Narrowing down my list of sources! I always want to squeeze a nugget of information from every article I find into my papers.

Favorite thing about Reed: The small student body has allowed me to jump on an amazing array of opportunities, from working on multiple publications to interning with Reed alumni in different countries. To give a less cheesy answer, living in the Spanish House on campus has been the most rewarding and ridiculously fun experience of my Reed career.

Cool thing you did during break:  My sister gifted me a collection of poems by Ada Limón over the holidays, and I raced through it (mistake! poems should be treated like a four-course meal, not a snack—don’t worry, I’m rereading it now). (Editor’s Note: Some of her poetry is available here. And the library has two of her collections: Lucky Wreck and Bright Dead Things.)

Trial of American Antiquarian Society Historical Periodicals

What’s old is new again!  We are pleased to offer a trial of the American Antiquarian Society’s Historical Periodicals, a comprehensive primary source collection of more than 500 American periodicals between 1684 and 1912.  The collection includes digitized images of the pages of magazines and journals not available from any other source and provides content detailing American history and culture. These specialized collections cover advertising, health, women’s issues, science, the history of slavery, industry and professions, religious issues, culture and the arts, and more.  Explore and enjoy!

Our trial is available through March 1st. Please send questions and trial feedback to Erin Gallagher, Director of Collection Services.

Spring thesis desk lottery

Random numbers for the Senior thesis desk lottery will be drawn from the official 470 list.  If you are a senior, but are not yet registered for 470, and want to be included in the drawing, please come to the circulation desk and have your name added to the lottery list by Monday, February 5.  Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Studio Art, and Psychology, majors are not eligible for thesis desks in the Library.

The list of numbers will be posted Tuesday, February 6 along with a map of thesis desk locations so that you can have preferences in mind before the actual selection.

The choosing of desks will begin at noon on Wednesday, February 7 in the library lobby.  You, or your proxy, must be present when your name is called.  Lottery numbers are not transferable.

NOTE:  Some desks, as indicated on the map, will be shared.  In order to help create the most pleasant sharing arrangement possible, the person with the better number may bring in as a partner another senior on the list who has a less desirable number.  Please make those arrangements before the noon time selection and let us know that is your plan when your name is called.

Any questions contact Brian Kelley

Better Together: Academic Support & Library Workshops

Each semester, Academic Support Services and Library staff host workshops for students on general study skills, research skills, quantitative skills, and senior thesis-writing. In an effort to make it easier for students to find out about upcoming workshops, the DoJo and the Library have created a combined workshop list.

You can find it on both the Academic Support Services and Library websites.

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks to Public Affairs and Conference & Events Planning for their help in creating the combined workshop list!

An Identity Crises: Images of Dissent at Reed, 1966-1972

Like any institution, Reed College has always been shaped by the individuals who care about it most. Founded out of Progressive Era ideals, Reed’s early years were fueled by a desire to reject the status quo of other institutions. This Reedie way of life, however, was not always interpreted in the same way. In the 1960s Reed was beginning to undergo an ideological schism between the Old Guard, Reed’s established faculty and administrators, and the Young Turks, the younger, often un-tenured faculty. This exhibit and corresponding website uses items from the college archives to give an overview of Reed’s identity crisis and the global issues which pitted the young thinkers against the status quo.

The exhibit runs from December 8th 2017- February 1st, 2018. Curated by Emily Jane Clark, Social Justice Exhibits and Research Intern.

See the online exhibit here (http://blogs.reed.edu/an-identity-crisis/)

Trial of Black Abolitionist Papers

We are pleased to offer a trial of Black Abolitionist Papers, a primary source collection that comprehensively details the extensive work of African Americans to abolish slavery in the United States prior to the Civil War. Covering the period 1830-1865, the collection presents the  international impact of African American activism against slavery in the writings and publications of the activists themselves. The approximately 15,000 articles, documents, correspondence, proceedings, manuscripts, and literary works of almost 300 Black abolitionists show the full range of their activities in the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and Germany.

We are also conducting a trial of the Black Studies Center, a cross-searchable gateway to Black Studies including scholarly essays, recent periodicals, historical newspaper articles, reference books, and much more.

Our trial is available through December 14th. Please send questions and trial feedback to Erin Gallagher, Director of Collection Services.

Reference Assistant Spotlight: Hayfa

Hayfa clearing a printer jam.

Name: Hayfa
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science

Favorite Library Resource: The New Books shelf (It has all the exciting new literature in all different fields)

Favorite Place to Work in the Library: Basement Group Study Room.

Reason you wanted to be a reference assistant: I enjoy doing research and digging for information and would like to be able to help others through this process. I also worked in the library since my first year at Reed. I learned so much about the resources available and wanted to share that knowledge with others.

Hardest thing about research: Knowing how to narrow down your topic while keeping it intriguing and interesting.

Favorite thing about Reed: The International community.

Cool thing you did this summer:  I visited couple of rivers and waterfalls in Oregon.

Reference Assistant Spotlight: Elaine

Elaine with one of her favorite books.

Name: Elaine
Year: Senior
Major: Environmental Studies – Biology

Favorite Library Resource: Web of Science. Also the Databases page.

Favorite Place to Work in the Library: North Reference tables with the classic green lights.

Reason you wanted to be a reference assistant: I wanted to help people access all of the cool resources that Reed has and fulfill my dreams from freshman year.

Hardest thing about research: Coming up with an inclusive list of search terms.

Favorite thing about Reed: Moss*

Cool thing you did this summer:  I taught myself to tie fancy knots and made fish glow.

*I went through >10 different ideas for my favorite thing about Reed, but moss is part of the reason I decided to apply here and I’m so incredibly grateful to have had the most intense and rewarding experiences of my life at Reed.