Monday, September 17, 2012

Battle of Antietam Remembrance



It has been 150 years (September 17, 1862) since one of the bloodiest and deadliest days in American History.  Depending upon which side you were on, it was called the Battle of Antietam (Union) or Battle of Sharpsburg (Confederate).  Much has been written about the battle itself, the role it played in prolonging the war, and its role on President Abraham Lincoln’s issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation in early 1863. 

The Ort Library is pleased to be able to showcase several of the many books the library offers on the Battle of Antietam. Photographs of the dead taken just two days after the battle by Andrew Gardner are also in the display.  Andrew Gardner was the first to photograph the aftermath of a battle prior to the dead being buried.  Through this Friday (September 21st), a short video produced by the National Park Service will be shown that provides more information on the battle and the photographs taken by  Alexander Gardner. 

The display and video are both available on the 3rd floor (main floor) of the library.

Constitution Day Display



Every 4 years, during the Presidential Election Cycle, the Constitution of the United States is put into the spotlight, with the 1st and 2nd amendments being the most common.  Most people know the Bill of Rights, the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution, but when was the last time you read the full US Constitution?  

September 17, 2012 is the 225th anniversary of the Constitution of the United States.  The Ort Library has put together a display showcasing some of the books that are available in the library on the topic of the US Constitution.  The display also highlights some of the Articles of the US Constitution.  How familiar are you with these?  

The display is located on the 5th floor of the library through the end of September.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Featured Online Resource: Purdue Online Writing Lab



This week’s Featured Online Resource is the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL at Purdue).  OWL at Purdue is a great online resource to get help with APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles.  The site provides examples of how to cite within the body of your paper and create the references/bibliography/works cited page.  Each citation style also provides a sample paper highlighting page format, in-text citation format, and bibliography format.  Owl at Purdue also provides information on conducting primary research and evaluating sources that you have found.

The Ort Library also offers additional links for help with citation formatting.  It can be found here: http://www.frostburg.edu/lewis-ort-library/style/.

Every week, the Ort Library brings you a new and outstanding resource from the Web or from one of the library's databases. To get an archive of all FOR entries, click here. Also, you can suggest a website that provides well-organized access to useful info.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Library Highlights: Maryland AskUsNow!



Welcome back students, faculty, and staff.   The beginning of a new semester is a great time to get to know the services the library offers.  In this post we highlight:

Maryland AskUsNow! 
         Our 24/7 chat reference service 

Imagine this:
It is 1 am and you are working on an assignment that is due at 11 am.  You need to find additional resources (articles) and you are not sure where to look and need some help.  The library is closed, so what can you do to get some help?

You can use Maryland AskUsNow!  It is your access to 24/7 reference assistance.  You can access it from the link on the library’s homepage.  Once you click on the link, you can ask your question and be chatting with a librarian in no time. 

The librarians will be able to show you how to find the information you need and perhaps even work with you on what search terms will bring the best results.  No question is too tough!

Here are some sample questions that have been asked recently:
·         I am looking for a reference that will give the names of prisoners on death row in 1926 and 1927.
·         I am looking for articles from the Wall Street Journal that discusses challenging Organizational Behavior situations.
·         Can someone help me find scholarly articles for the Speech Language Pathology field?

We encourage you to try out the service yourself.  Click on the picture below to access Maryland AskUsNow!