Did you know…? We have a new book display!

We add new books to our collection all the time—both of the print and electronic variety. But how to find them? If you’re familiar with your subject area and have borrowed books from us before, then you might notice when a new book has been added to the shelves. And new books in our collection will also show up in searches in both WorldCat and NEOS.

But did you know that the library also has a New Books display? Located between the Circulation and Information desks on the main floor of the library, this display has an eclectic mix of new and interesting print books acquired by the library on a variety of subjects and across disciplines. It’s a great way to find books outside your subject area and it might even spark an idea for your next project! Come in and check it out. And check back often as it changes periodically.

Some titles currently on display:

The Impulse Economy: Understanding Mobile Shoppers and What Makes Them Buy by Gary Schwartz

Starting Your Career as an Artist: A Guide for Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, and Other Visual Artists by Angie Wojak and Stacy Miller

A Very Short, Fairly Interesting and Reasonably Cheap Book About Studying Leadership by Brad Jackson and Ken Parry

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

Renaissance People: Lives that Shaped the Modern Age by Robert C. Davis and Beth Lindsmith

Triathlon Training for Dummies by Deirdre Pitney and Donna Dourney

Refworks Update

Starting September 2013, RDC Library will no longer subscribe to Refworks.

If you currently use Refworks and wish to retain your existing references you will need to either export the information so it can be uploaded into a different bibliographic citation manager or continue with a paid individual subscription to Refworks. 

Trout Unlimited Supports Local Libraries

On Jan 8, 2013, Doug Pullan, Secretary of the Central Alberta Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada, presented donations to Kristine Plastow from Red Deer College Library and Ron Sheppard from Parkland Regional Library.

This is the third year that this chapter has provided funds to purchase books and DVDs that focus on fish, fish habitat and the surrounding riparian areas. The value of this year’s donation was $1500. The books that were approved by the chapter’s executive committee were tailored towards people of all ages as well as college level reference texts. The chapter has received encouraging feedback from the libraries indicating people are more concerned about our water resources and are looking at good stewardship in a different light.  The Central Alberta Chapter believes education is an important part of the mission and goals of Trout Unlimited Canada and will continue with further financial contributions to local libraries in the future.

Photo: Kristine Plastow (RDC Library), Doug Pullan (TUC’s Central Alberta Chapter), Ron Sheppard (PRL)

 

New Resources for Fall 2012

Since most people are settling into the thick of writing term papers, I thought it might be a good time to highlight some of the new resources available to RDC students and staff this fall…

It’s Nobel Prize Week

The Nobel Prizes are being handed out this week, with a new one announced each day.

So far, prizes have been awarded for:

• Medicine
• Physics
• Chemistry

Still to come this week: Literature, Peace, and Economics Sciences.  You can follow all the action on the official Nobel Prize website.

Want to know why the discoveries by the prize winners are so significant?  Check out the relevant RDC Library Subject guide to get more information.  Remember that you will need your NEOS barcode and PIN to access many of our resources from off campus.

Encyclopedia Britannica Stops the Press, Goes Digital

After 244 years, Encyclopedia Britannica is stopping the press, and will publish only online editions of its 32-volume encyclopedia set.

“The final decision to put it all online makes sense, of course. It’s costly and painstaking to produce a new edition of an enormous print product, a cultural symbol though it may be; meanwhile, a database is boundless and can be continually updated (and corrected) for relative peanuts. The company will concentrate on digital publishing and educational products, developing apps to make sure it’s everywhere you want to be. The brand may become the equivalent of Wikipedia with fact-checking: Britannica Online allows readers to revise its entries “which are then published after editorial review and revision if necessary.” —Time NewsFeed

Luckily for RDC students and instructors, RDC Library already subscribes to the online edition!

To access this wonderful resource, visit any of our Subject Guides, then go to the Find Background Info page, and look for the General Encyclopedias & Dictionaries box.

Ease Your Pain in March with an E-Book!

Tired of the back pain caused by hauling heavy textbooks and library books around?

Need a book to help you write an upcoming term paper?

Only able to do your research late at night?

Check out one of the library’s e-books!  Learn more…

February Freedom

Tour a world of art with ARTstor, our featured resource for February!

The ARTstor Digital Library is a visual resource collection of more than 1,000,000 images.  Learn more…

Rejuvenate in January

Rejuvenate in January by learning something new!

Check out a book from our Library New Books display.

Titles currently featured in our display will inspire a “new you” for the new year.

Learn More…

Look Up Tonight…Look Way Up

At about 6:28 pm EST tonight a giant asteroid will pass within 202,200 miles of Earth.   CNN published a nice piece on their website by astronomer Meg Urry explaining why we shouldn’t worry (it’s in no danger of hitting us), why this is so cool (it only happens every 100 years or so), and why scientists are really excited (they can use data gathered from asteroids to help them figure out how planets like ours form).

The event will apparently be visible through a standard telescope, so it looks like it’s time to dig yours out from the back of the closet and hope for clear skies!

Want to know more about asteroids?  Check out RDC Library’s Astronomy subject guide.