JollyLibrarian

Emily Naff

Photography Faculty

Recommends

The Americans

By

Robert Frank

Why? 

“Robert Frank’s “The Americans” is one of my all time favorite photo books.   The book was controversial when first released because it showed a darker side of America that many people didn’t want to acknowledge existed at the time.   Jack Kerouac described it best, “…with that little camera that he [Robert Frank} raises and snaps, with one hand he sucked a sad poem right out of America onto film, taking rank among the tragic poets of the world.”  The work in this book is a powerful illustration of the fact that photographs can evoke the same emotions as poetry.”

The Kisber Library has many ways that you can ask us questions when you’re not in the library. There is the Ask-the-Librarian link on the library homepage. Furthermore, many of the NSCC web classes have embedded librarians where you can email questions about research projects in your classes. And you can email any of us individually using our campus email addresses.

But to make sure that we help you to the best of our ability, we need you to follow three simple guidelines when submitting questions:

• First, our purpose as an academic library is to help you conduct research. We are not allowed to answer the questions you have for homework, but we can direct you to sources that will help you answer them.
• Remember that, in many cases, we have not seen your assignment; therefore, we need you to state your question as clearly as possible.
  • For example, an ineffective question might be: “article on children”
    • Why is this ineffective? We would need the following information before we could provide you with any real help:
      • Is it any article or a journal article?
      • What class is this for? Education? Psychology? Sociology?
      • There are hundreds of thousands of articles on children. What aspect are you interested in?
  • An effective question would be more like this: “I have to write an article summary on children for my psychology class. It has to come from journal. I am interested in male preteens and depression.” This gives us much more to work with!
• Third, we are not miracle workers, and we’re not superhuman. We sleep and have downtime. So don’t send us a question that has to be answered in fifteen minutes because the assignment is due in a hour.  Monday through Friday, we answer questions the same day we receive them.  Questions submitted on the weekends will be answered on Mondays. We take school holidays, just the way you do. So look over an assignment and ask your questions early, so we’ll have time to answer them and you’ll have time to do your research before your assignment is due.

Self-esteem has gotten a bad rap lately, especially since some studies implied that American middle-class children often had excellent self-esteem, but it wasn’t translating into any sort of accomplishment. The days when everybody gets a ribbon may be over. Self-efficacy is now the new catch phrase.

According to Wikipedia, ”Self-efficacy is the belief that one is capable of performing in a certain manner to attain certain goals. It is a belief that one has the capabilities to execute the courses of actions required to manage prospective situations.” It is not just feeling good about yourself. Many goal setting theorists believe that self-efficacy is the cornerstone of success.

Therefore, it is not only important that we have self-efficacy, but it is crucial for those of us in  educational fields that we provide experiences to build the skill in our students as well. How can we build self-efficacy? Caroline Adams Miller and Michael Frisch in the book, Creating Your  Best Life, suggest four ways we can enhance our self-efficacy:

• Have role models.
  • Read biographies of people who have succeeded in your field of choice.
  • Look for people in your daily life who can serve as role models. If you want to be a better student, make friends with the good students in your classes.
• You need a cheerleader. But not someone who will praise you whether you succeed at your goal or not, or allows you to make excuse after excuse. A good cheerleader gives you realistic feedback  and then provides guidance for improvement.
• Learn to manage stress. Don’t let pain or bad moods get in the way of success.
• Have a series of winning experiences. One of the best ways to do this is to break large goals down into smaller steps. Achieving each small goal allows us to believe in ourselves and gives us the skills to take on bigger tasks.

Scott McRoberts

Art Faculty

Recommends

Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person

By

M.C. Richards

Why? 

“Centering by M.C. Richards is a wonderful, philosophical, work using pottery as a metaphor for the human experience.”

The library is always adding new books that will help you with your research, expand your knowledge, or simply entertain you. Here is a sample of what’s on the New Books Shelf now:

• 101 Facts about Bullying. Parents and teachers will find this book enlightening. Written in a simple format, Meline Kevorkian and Robin D’Antona present key information that anyone facing bullying needs to know.
• Earth Talk: Expert Answers to Everyday Questions about the Environment. Do you want to know if we’re really running out of oil? Or maybe you want to find out how to save energy in your own home. This book of selections from E-The Environmental Magazine is for you.
• What Every American Should Know about the Middle East. A lot of us talk about the Middle East, and a lot of us are misinformed. Melissa Rossi gives us a quick overview of the region, including the real facts behind our misconceptions, a brief history, and a country-by-country tour. It’s on the Jolly Librarian’s to-read list.

These and many others are on the new book exhibit in the Kisber Library, just waiting for you to check them out!

According to the book, Every Monday Matters:

• The United States produces 4.5 pounds of waste per person per day.
• 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown away every hour.
• An average of 750,000 photocopies are made every minute.
• Only 2 man-made structures on earth are large enough to be seen from outer space: The Great Wall of China and the Fresh Kills Landfill in New York.

So our goal for this week is to reduce, reuse, and recycle:

• Reduce our need for new things. See what can be used or worn another season or year.
• Reuse or fix rather than throw away things. Maybe we don’t need a new phone or computer every two years. Maybe the coat that’s too big can be worn  by someone else.
• Recycle. Take cans, papers, plastic bags to the recycling centers. Donate clothes and household goods to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Donate books to libraries.

Even if our individual contribution is small, it makes a difference.

As one of our ongoing exhibits this year, we’ve asked faculty and staff members to recommend books. Each week, I’ll share one with you. This is one of my favorites:

Leslie Angel

Tutor in the Learning Center

Recommends

A Lesson Before Dying

By

Ernest Gaines

Why? 

“It was one of the books I required my reading students to read–that is, they had a list to choose from, and this was one of them. One student was reading the book, but couldn’t understand the references or some of the vocabulary, so he asked his grandmother to explain what was going on (the book is set in the 40s or thereabouts). He began to visit her regularly, and they talked about the book and what life was like then for African Americans. While he was there, she started teaching him how to cook. Because of the book, a young man and an older woman came together and found a pot of gold.”

Most of us start the semester with grand ideals. We’re going to study hard, make all A’s, and never procrastinate. But because we don’t have a solid plan, we see those hopes melt away as the semester goes on. One of the best ways to finish strong is to start strong. So here are some things to keep in mind as you start the semester:

• Get a calendar or use the calendar on your cell phone, computer, etc. Write down the dates of all your tests, assignments, etc. I like the fact that due dates pop up in my Outlook calendar, so I can’t forget about them.
• Attend every class. There really is no substitute for being on time and paying attention. That holds true for web courses as well. Even if there are no set deadlines, you’re probably not going to learn as much if you try to do all your work in one or two weekends.
• Take good notes. Notetaking is becoming something of a lost art in the days of presentation software lectures. Students often just download or print the slides. But taking  notes is a valuable skill. The process makes you summarize and constantly evaluate the importance of information as it’s presented.
• Ask questions. Instructors often tell students that there is no such thing as a stupid question. And that is very true. If you don’t understand something, ask. Get clarification on assignments that confuse you.
• Get help. Full-time instructors have office hours that are set aside for you to go by and ask questions. The Learning Center has tutors in many of the academic areas. And Smarthinking is an online tutorial service that is free to all NSCC students. So take advantage of the help that is available to you.

This is a new beginning. Make the most of it!

Good luck and welcome to NSCC.

At this point in the semester, the second day, the library staff will have answered the following questions about 3000 times:

• Where is my class?
• How do I get in my web course?
• Do you have my textbook?
• Where is the bookstore?
• How do I print?

Needless to say, after the first hundred or so times of answering the same question, the temptation is to be a little short. Instead of walking out to the printer with the student, it is easier just to give quick verbal instructions and expect the student to print with no problems. I always remind my staff that, although it may be our hundredth time to answer the question, it is the first time for that particular student to ask it. And the hundredth student deserves the same attention and courtesy as the first.

Teachers are fond of saying that there are no stupid questions, and that is true. But sometimes we might give students the impression through our tone or body language that the question is stupid. We don’t even have to be rude to the student; a hurried answer or a heavy sigh can send that message as well.

So this week, when you’re answering the same question for the tenth or twentieh or two hundredth time, take a breath and remember that the person is new and the question is new for him or her.

Welcome to new students! Welcome back to those of you returning! The library staff is happy you’re here and would like to make your first week as painless as possible.

One change this semester: The Computer Services Help Desk has moved into the library temporarily, so if your “A” and pin numbers aren’t working, you can stop by and get help in the library.

How can we help you this first week of class?

• If you left your schedule at home, we can print one for you.
• If you don’t know where your classroom is located, we will tell you.
• We can help you get into your web courses.
• We have textbooks (if the division has placed them on reserve) that you can use in the library until yours arrive.

So come by and say hello. We want to get to know you and help your semester be a successful one!