Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Congratulations to the Winners of the Book Collector's Contest!


Clockwise from top-left: Albert Mann, Abby Miller, Elise Stewart, Diana Hamlin

Congratulations go out to all of the winners of the recent Undergraduate Book Collector's Contest sponsored by the Friends of the Rosemont College Library. The winners, with comments from the selection committee, are as follows:
1st Prize:          ELISE STEWART for her presentation and collection of books by various authors that were affected by World War II. As she stated in her essay, “Nothing is so painful and life altering as the truth of someone’s circumstances. And yet the character that forms from everyday life circumstances is so precious. It is with a memorable past that one can learn the true essence of being.”

                        Her chosen books highlighted the struggle of many World Was II victims of the Holocaust – individuals, the youth in Hungary, Jewish cultures transferred to America. To quote Elise again, “...These books profoundly outline the differences between cultures and the importance of tolerance...[they] emphasize the importance of history and living as an individual.”

2nd Prize:        ABBY MILLER for her varied collection of books directed towards creating a visual reference library that will support her goal as a visual artist and art teacher of adults interested in folk art. Topics covered: a Book of Symbols, Ukrainian decorative eggs, African Sculptures, works by Haitian, Russian, Japanese, & Spanish artists. Abby’s students are in for a treat and she has, most certainly, a good start toward her goal of having a reading room in her home.

Honorable Mentions:
                        ALBERT MANN tells us that his book collection usually falls under the genres of fantasy, science fiction or both. Several years ago he became caught up in the book world of Japanese Manga, where art and words are merged to create a unique medium, similar to the English genre of graphic novels. From then on he methodically collected the entire twelve book series known as Death Note. As Albert describes it, he finds a “deep and compelling story by using powerful themes and strong images that relate to morality and the nature of good and evil, culminating into one of the best cat and mouse detective tales.”

                        DIANA HAMLIN's book collection revolves around the mystical and magical world of strong female characters. As put forth by Diana, she has three books that were "inspired by or reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland." There are twists and turns as characters go through a magical world of fun and games. Diana was also introduced to a book series by Tamora Pierce a few years ago when she found herself caught up by the mystical adventures of Ally, age 16, whose mother is a female knight and her father is a spymaster in the realm of Torall.
Thanks to all of the participants for sharing your collections with us!


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Library Hours Extended During Finals

As the end of the year approaches, Kistler Memorial Library is expanding its hours to give you extra time to study or finish up your papers. During the Undergraduate College's final exam period, the Library will be open as follows:

Thursday, December 8: 8:30 AM - Midnight
Friday, December 9: 8:30 AM - Midnight
Saturday, December 10: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, December 11: 1:00 PM - Midnight
Monday, December 12: 8:30 AM - Midnight

Beginning on Tuesday, December 13, the Library will be open Monday-Friday from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM. We will be open on Saturday, December 17, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, and closed on Sunday, December 18.

So stop in for a quiet place to work, and don't forget to visit Eleanor's Cafe for that hot cup of coffee to keep you going!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Don't Throw Away Your Used Textbooks! We Want Them!

Kistler Memorial Library is sponsoring a textbook collection campaign that will run until the end of the semester to benefit the non-profit Breakthrough of Greater Philadelphia. They are looking for used textbooks to to benefit financially under-served 7th-12th grade students in the Philadelphia area. Breakthrough's goal is to make high school graduation a reality for those students and help them to attend college, as well.

There is a donation box in the Information Commons in the Library for you to drop off used textbooks and class materials. Breakthrough will accept any textbooks that are less than ten years old. This opportunity is an easy way to help an organization that enriches the Philadelphia community. Your old textbooks could make a huge difference in the school career of a promising student. Please do what you can. Thanks!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Holiday Book Sale


Looking for something to read during your break?
Need to do some holiday shopping? 
Come to the Library for our Holiday Book Sale!

Art, history, romance, mystery, fantasy, adventure, and more!
Paperbacks: $.50 each or 3 for $1.00
 Hardbacks: $1.00 each or 3 for $2.00
Purchase 5 books to be entered in a drawing for a
$25 Amazon Gift Card!

Thursday, December 8 - Sunday, December 11, 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Library Hours for Thanksgiving

In recognition of the Thanksgiving holiday, the Library's hours will be adjusted as follows:
Tuesday, November 22: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday, November 23: 8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Thursday, November 24 - Saturday, November 26: CLOSED
Sunday, November 27: 1:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Thursday, November 17, 2011

New in the Library: Orlando: Women's Writing

The Library has begun a subscription to Orlando: Women's Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present. Orlando is an online reference source that provides information on the life and writing of 1275 authors from Sappho to J.K. Rowling and beyond. Despite the title, related information on many influential men and non-British women is included. The entries are extensively cross-referenced to allow researchers to follow connections between authors, such as influences, associations, places, and organizations, facilitating research on the full history of British women's writing. The project takes its name and inspiration from Virginia Woolf's 1928 novel Orlando: A Biography. To find Orlando: Women's Writing in the British Isles on the Library's home page, click on Online Resources, and then Electronic Databases.

Monday, October 31, 2011

Pre-Register for INT-0200: Research Methods Across the Disciplines

Do you find libraries to be intimidating? Would you like to navigate the research process more smoothly? As you choose your courses for next semester during Pre-Registration, think about signing up for INT-0200: Research Methods Across the Disciplines. In the first part of the course, Reference Librarian Joseph Tresnan will teach you how to develop a strategy to tackle research projects; how to identify, find, and evaluate information in print and online; and how to document sources properly. Reference Librarian Judith Graeter Cayer will then prepare you to master the advanced research skills needed for successful completion of upper level coursework and senior projects, as well as preparation for graduate school. INT-0200 is a 3-credit course that will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:10 to 3:20 throughout the Spring semester. The class can be used to partially fulfill the Problem Solving and Critical Thinking requirement of the Undergraduate College's General Education program.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Enter the Undergraduate Book Collector's Contest!

Do you collect books on a particular topic, by a favorite author, or of a particular genre? Then you should enter the Undergraduate Book Collector's Contest sponsored by the Friends of the Rosemont College Library. Your collection could earn you the first prize of $200 or the second prize of $100. All you need to do is write a brief essay and make a presentation about your books.
  • The 250 word essay is due before Thanksgiving break.
  • Submit your entry at the Information Desk.
  • Presentations will be held in the Library on 11/30/11 and 12/01/11.
  • You will be contacted regarding your scheduled time.
  • Full details and rules are available at the Library.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Free Coffee at the Library October 24!

In celebration of first anniversary of the opening of Eleanor's Cafe in the Library's Information Commons, we are pleased to offer you a free cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa on Monday, October 24. We will also have special sweet treats available. Choose from several varieties of Green Mountain Coffee or Celestial Seasonings Tea. And as the temperature continues to drop, come on in to brew yourself a fresh hot beverage for just $.75 per cup at Eleanor's Cafe.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

All Library Computers Now Printing to our Savin Printer

All of the public access computers in the Library have been set to print to the Savin printer next to the DVDs in the Information Commons. This includes the laptops in the Information Commons, the Main Reading Room, and the Upper Reading Room, which were previously not connected to a printer. We also have new desktop computers in the Information Commons loaded with the latest software, including Office 2010. Our thanks go out to the Rosemont Information Technology Department for getting everything set up for us.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Library Hours for Fall Break

During the Undergraduate College Fall Break, the Library's hours will be adjusted as follows:
Sunday, October 9: CLOSE
Monday, October 10-Friday, October 14: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday, October 15: 1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, October 16: 1:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Cathy Fennell to Receive Award from Catholic Library Association

Rosemont's own Cathy Fennell, Executive Director of Library Services, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Catholic Library Association's Mary A. Grant Award. Here are the details as reported on the Rosemont College website:
Rosemont College is pleased to announce that executive director of library services Catherine Fennell is the recipient of the 2012 Mary A. Grant Award. Given by the Catholic Library Association (CLA), the award recognizes outstanding volunteer work for the organization by one of its members. A past CLA president, Fennell continues to serve now as chair of the Academic Libraries, Archives, and Library Education Section.
Fennell came to Rosemont in 1977 as the coordinator of circulation for Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library. She left briefly to earn a master’s degree in library science at Drexel University, and returned in September 1984 as the part-time evening reference/circulation librarian. She became the full-time systems librarian in 1996, then director of the library in 1998.
In addition to her work at Rosemont, Fennell is the vice president/president elect of the Tri-State College Library Cooperative, and a board member and secretary for the Lower Providence Public Library Board. She has taught courses on children’s and young adult literature, and is a reviewer for The Catholic Library World.
On being recognized, she said, “To receive the Mary Grant Award is an unexpected honor. I try to assist the Catholic Library Association as much as possible because it is an organization that truly emanates the heart of librarianship – service to others.”
The award, named for past CLA president Mary A. Grant, was first given in 1996. It will be presented to Cathy Fennell at the association’s annual convention, to be held in Boston in April 2012.
Congratulations, Cathy, on being recognized for all your good work!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Changes to Online Resources on the Library Website

by Ashley Lierman

The Library website has been undergoing some changes. In the left-hand links sidebar from any library page, you can now find all of the electronic resources the library offers under Online Resources. These resources are divided into three pages:

  • Electronic Databases: Formerly the Online Resources page, this page lists all the subscriber-only databases to which Rosemont has purchased access.
  • Websites By Subject: This page, containing free web resources that come highly recommended by the academic community, has been moved to a sub-page of the Online Resources page.
  • Research Guides: Still under construction, this page will contain specially-designed guides to Rosemont resources on a variety of subjects, created by Rosemont College librarians.

The Library website will continue to change and improve in the near future. Make sure you keep checking back to find out what’s new!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

NetLibrary is now eBooks on EBSCOhost

NetLibrary, an electronic book service which many of you may have used in the past, has been acquired by EBSCO Publishing. The new owners have moved the NetLibrary catalog over to their popular EBSCOhost platform under the new name eBooks on EBSCOhost. All the great content that you are used to is still available with a new, easy to use interface.

Through eBooks on EBSCOhost, we are able to provide access to electronic versions of nearly 1000 books published from 2002-2010, primarily in the fields of Business, Education, and Psychology. The full text of these books can be read 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also create a free account to keep track of the books you've read and to take notes on what you are reading. If you previously had a NetLibrary account your favorites and notes were not carried over to the new platform. You will have to create a new account to save information in eBooks on EBSCOhost.

You can begin exploring the eBooks on EBSCOhost collection by selecting the link on the Library's Online Resources page or find records for the books in our Library Catalog.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

More Content Coming to Project MUSE


Project MUSE has added back issues for ten journals to the collection. Nine of these titles now have their complete runs available in MUSE, bringing the total number of full-run titles to 46 of the more than 400 Project MUSE journals. The ten journals adding back issues are:

  • Asian Bioethics Review, December 2008 Inaugural Issue-current issue;
  • Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, Vol. 1, 1991-current issue;

  • Eighteenth-Century Fiction, Vol. 1, 1988-current issue;

  • Genocide Studies and Prevention, Vol. 1, 2006-current issue;

  • Late Imperial China, Vol. 1, 1965-current issue;

  • Minnesota Review, No. 1, 1973-current issue;

  • Nka: Journal of Contemporary African Art, Iss. 1, 1994-current issue;

  • Northeast African Studies, Vol. 1, 1994-current issue;

  • Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Vol. 111, 2007-current issue;

  • Tenso, Vol. 1, 1985/86-current issue
Project MUSE has also announced that the following 25 titles will be added to the collection starting in 2012.
  • Comitatus: A Journal of Medieval and Renaissance Studies

  • Cultural Politics

  • Dante Studies

  • Digital Philology: A Journal of Medieval Cultures

  • Eugene O'Neill Review

  • German Studies Review

  • Indonesia

  • Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization

  • Interdisciplinary Literary Studies

  • Journal of Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness

  • Journal of Dramatic Theory and Criticism

  • Journal of Human Resources

  • Journal of Korean Religions

  • Journal of Moravian History

  • Journal of Religion and Popular Culture

  • The Jurist: Studies in Church Law and Ministry

  • Land Economics

  • Mediterranean Studies

  • Milton Studies

  • Preternature: Critical and Historical Studies on the Preternatural

  • Revista de Estudios Hispánicos

  • The Scriblerian and the Kit-Cats

  • Soundings: An Interdisciplinary Journal

  • Traditio

  • Transportation Journal
Project MUSE is a full-text collection of over 400 scholarly, peer reviewed journals in the arts, humanities, and social sciences from nearly 30 university presses and scholarly societies, including The Johns Hopkins University Press and The Brookings Institution. You can start exploring Project MUSE by clicking here or you can always find a link on the Library's home page under Online Resources.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Free Access to Cambridge Journals until August 30

Cambridge University Press is providing free access to all articles published in Cambridge journals in 2009 and 2010 for six weeks, from July 15 to August 30, 2011. Cambridge University Press publishes journals in a wide range of disciplines. To access the journals visit journals.cambridge.org, or follow these links to browse Cambridge journals by subject or by title.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Extended Library Hours During Finals

The Library will be open longer throughout the Undergraduate College's finals to meet your late night research and studying needs. Hours will be extended as follows:
Thursday, April 28 - Friday, April 29:  8:30 AM - MIDNIGHT
Saturday, April 30:  8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, May 1:  1:00 PM - MIDNIGHT
Monday. May 2:  8:30 AM - MIDNIGHT
Tuesday, May 3 - Friday, May 6:  8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday, May 7:  1:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Sunday, May 8:  CLOSED

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Beach Reading Book Sale

Get a jump on picking up your summer reading.
Come to the Library for our Beach Reading Book Sale!

 Romance, mystery, suspense: we have something for every taste! 
Hardbacks: $1.00        Paperbacks: $.25

Tuesday, April 26 - Wednesday, May 4
Come early for the widest selection!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Library Hours for Easter

In recognition of the Easter holiday, the Library hours will be adjusted as follows:

Wednesday, April 20 - Thursday, April 21: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday, April 22 - Monday, April 25: CLOSED
Tuesday, April 26: 8:30 AM - 11:00  PM

Friday, April 1, 2011

Eat and Drink for Japan Relief

Looking for a way to support the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan? Stop by Eleanor's Cafe in the Kistler Memorial Library and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea for $0.75 and fresh baked sweet treats for $0.25. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to relief efforts sponsored by our friends at Ferris University in Japan and at the Nippon Foundation, who donated dozens of books on Japanese culture and history to our library last year. Our fundraising efforts will continue until Friday, April 8. Thank you for your support!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

New DVDs at the Library

If you visited the Library in the beginning of February, you may have noticed and/or contributed to the DVD suggestion box. We wanted your opinions regarding which movies we should add to the Library collection. There were over one hundred submissions! We used your suggestions when ordering, and these films are the first to arrive:



  • EASY A
  • THE GODFATHER-THE COPPOLA RESTORATION SET
  • INCEPTION
  • PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END
  • SHERLOCK HOLMES
  • SIXTEEN CANDLES
  • SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
  • SUMMER WARS
Did you know that the Library will accept DVD contributions? We are trying to expand our collection, so if you have films that you no longer want, won't you please consider donating them to the Library? These DVDs have been contributed within the past month:
  • MARCH OF THE PENGUINS
  • THE SOCIAL NETWORK
  • UNREST
  • GET BACKERS
  • SPIRITED AWAY

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Expanded Content Added to Art Full Text

H.W. Wilson’s Art Full Text database is expanding to provide even more full-text sources. With the addition of 82 full-text journals, bringing the total to 370 full-text sources out of the 580 art journals and magazines indexed in the database. The new journals will enhance Art Full Text’s coverage of contemporary art, film, photography, architecture, and design.

In addition to the journals, full-text reference sources have been added to the database.Over 8,500 full-text biographies of artists and related persons are now available through links to Wilson’s Biography Reference Bank. Art Full Text is also providing access to entries from The Hutchinson Dictionary of Symbols in Art that clarify the meanings of religious and mythological themes and symbols in paintings and sculptures.

Art Full Text is available through the Library’s Online Resources page. Click here to start exploring the new content.

See the full press release from H.W. Wilson.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Complete the Library Network User Survey

The Library is conducting a brief survey to assess the speed of computers in the Library. Next time you're in the Library, please take a moment to answer five questions to let us know how our technology could be improved. Return your survey form to the Information Desk and receive a lollipop as your reward!

Friday, January 7, 2011

New in the Library: American Theatre

The Library has begun a subscription to American Theatre, a professional magazine published by the Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre. In ten issues a year, American Theatre features articles, book reviews, production reviews, and new full-length plays. Stop by the Library to read each new issue, or find more information and selected articles at www.tcg.org/americantheatre.