Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library

The Ritz Library Book Catalog - ANYWHERE!!!

2012-01-18T09:41:00.009-05:00

Looking for a book in the library stacks but can't find an open computer to use the online catalog? Would you rather use your mobile device or smart phone? Try out the new QR code we've placed on the ends of the library shelves throughout the 3rd floor. You'll need to install a QR code scanner on your smart phone - just look for it in the App Store on iPhone or iPod Touch or in the Market on an Android-equipped device. Once you've installed it, use it to scan the code & you've got instant access to the Ritz catalog anywhere, not just in the library!

Look for the code above & get scanning!!

Download free titles to your eReader device

2012-01-06T11:17:00.000-05:00

Project Gutenberg offers approximately 36,000 titles that are in the public domain as electronic downloads to your computer or other device. If you enjoy reading and are looking for a title, check out their selections. Click here for the link to their mobile site.

Another site that offers free eBooks for various readers is Manybooks which also offers public domain titles for download.

Kindle borrowing

2012-01-04T11:11:00.001-05:00

Are you a student at Dutchess Community College? Have you ever tried using an e-reader? If not, here's your chance. You can now borrow a Kindle and experience first hand what reading on an e-device is like. Perfect for vacations or for people on the move, e-readers such as the Nook, Kindle or even the iPad are easily portable with various capabilities for downloading titles on the fly. The device we have to loan is an early model Kindle, but it will give you a sense of what using one of these devices is like and if it suits your lifestyle. Stop by the Circulation desk to check out the Kindle and review the rules for borrowing the device.

Download that ebook!

2011-11-18T12:53:00.017-05:00

You can now download books and parts of books from ebrary, the Ritz's collection of over 70,000 electronic books, directly to your computer. Click on the links below to get detailed instructions on the options that are available for downloading

How to download a chapter or page range
How to download an entire document as an e-book

Keep in mind that you cannot download an ebrary title directly to iOS devices like smart phones or iPods. It is necessary to transfer them from your computer using these procedures Here's how to directly download an ebrary title onto an iPad.

The Big Read

2011-11-08T09:55:00.008-05:00

DCC is once again a proud partner of the Poughkeepsie Big Read.

The selections this year are Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Louis Rey and Our Town.

Stop by and see the Library's Big Read Display and pick up a copy of these books and other books written by Thornton Wilder.

Mobile access to the Ritz Online Catalog

2011-10-25T10:30:00.004-04:00

Looking to see if the Ritz Library has a book? A DVD? A magazine?

Now you can let your smart phone do the searching. A special Web site, optimized for access via mobile devices, has been created that will allow you to easily use the library's online catalog. Containing information on the books, media and periodicals at the Ritz' Hudson Hall location, the online catalog is configured for title, subject and author searches and also contains links to electronic books that can be read online.

So, whether you are at home, in a classroon or browsing the library's stacks you're never any farther than a wireless connection from finding out what the library physically owns.

The address to access is:

http://dut.sunyconnect.suny.edu:4670/F?func=find-b-0&local_base=DUT01_MOBILE

Introducing ILLiad online

2011-10-13T11:17:00.001-04:00

So what exactly is ILLiad? ILLiad is an online version of the Interlibrary loan process. OK, so what is Interlibrary loan? Interlibrary loan is the ability to request from a library, other than the library you are in, materials you wish to read or review. Using the old methodology you would have to fill out paper forms at the Reference desk and submit your requests through Reference. Now you are able to fill out a request from the comfort of your home or work computer. The back end process remains the same, but the front end is streamlined for your convenience.

In order to reach the Interlibrary loan system, log onto myDCC, head to the Library tab, and select the channel that is on the right hand side of the screen labeled Interlibrary Loan. When prompted for a username, enter your myDCC credentials again. There is a brief form with contact information that you need to fill out once, but after that you simply log on to review or submit your requests, both past and present. Any questions? Please feel free to contact the Reference desk at 845-431-8637.

Doing a cross cultural or anthropogy project? Try these resources!

2011-10-13T08:46:00.004-04:00

The SUNY system has set up a trial of two databases produced by Yale University through their Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) project. These databases cover all aspects of cultural and social life and contain material from books & articles.

Use the links below to try them, and then let Ritz Reference know what you think of them.

eHRAF World Cultures is a cross-cultural database containing information on all aspects of cultural and social life. The information is organized by cultures and ethnic groups
eHRAF Archaeology focuses on world prehistory. The databases is organized by regions and archaeological traditions.

In remembrance of September 11th, 2001

2011-08-30T16:35:00.009-04:00

In honor of the 10th anniversary of September 11th and , we offer access to a specialized list of electronic books from ebrary that commemorate the event. The list can be viewed here.

The Ritz Library has also created a display of books related to September 11th. You can see them in the display case near the Circulation Desk when you enter the Ritz Library.

Of special note to the entire campus community is an exhibit that has been installed in the 4th floor lobby of Hudson Hall. The exhibit consists of banners showing the history of the event as well as a timeline and an actual piece of aluminum from the World Trade Center, salvaged from Ground Zero. More information on the exhibit can be see here.

The Online Catalog Gets Personal!

2011-08-24T08:27:00.008-04:00

The Ritz' Online Catalog has just been enhanced to include "MyAccount". This function allows you to see what books you have out, when they are due back, and whether you owe any overdue fines.

MyAccount personalizes the Online Catalog in other ways too. Need to cite a book you've already returned? MyAccount displays a list of the books you've borrowed in the past. You can also use MyAccount to renew loans of books you have out, or to request a "hold," which reserves a book once it is returned. And remember: You cannot renew a book that is already overdue.

Another handy feature is the MyAccount "Basket" which allows you to save a list of books in the DCC Library. That list can then be emailed or downloaded and used to create a bibliography.

Ready to try it? Go to the Ritz Online Catalog. "MyAccount" appears as a tab on the upper right side of the screen. Students should login using their MyDCC usernames & passwords. College faculty & staff should contact Alice McGovern at 431-8631 for information about accessing their MyAccounts

New Playaways are in!

2011-08-04T15:47:00.000-04:00

Planning a vacation? Drive long distances each day? Enjoy reading but your eyes bother you? Have down time that you want to enjoy a book in? Feel like multi-tasking? For whatever reason, you may be interested in Playaways, portable audio devices that are simple to use. The Ritz Library has recently acquired 25 new Playaways, covering popular titles like Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich to classics such as William Shakespeare's Henry V and King Lear to comedic titles such as Tina Fey's Bossypants. Each playaway is about the size of a small cell phone, is easily slipped into a pocket and may be played using a headset or with an audio cable attachment for your car or other speaker system.

If you are interested, come view the audio collection located next to the Reference desk. To take out a book, bring your DCC id card up and your selection to the circulation desk and they will be happy to check your items out.

Wasdin, Howard E. SEAL Team Six Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper
Connelly, Michael, 1956- Fifth Witness
Auel, Jean M. Land of Painted Caves
Twain, Mark, 1835-1910. Autobiography of Mark Twain. Volume 1
Shirer, William L. (William Lawrence), 1904-1993. Berlin Diary the Journal of a Foreign Correspondent, 1934-1941
Brashares, Ann. Sisterhood Everlasting : a novel
Evanovich, Janet. Smokin' Seventeen
Logue, Mark. King's Speech : How One Man Saved the British monarchy
Brooks, Geraldine. Caleb's Crossing : a novel
Santiago, Esmeralda. Conquistadora : a novel
Lustbader, Eric. Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Dominion A New Jason Bourne novel
Bakewell, Sarah. How to live--or--a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
McMillan, Terry. Getting to Happy
Marlantes, Karl. Matterhorn : a novel of the Vietnam War
Junger, Sebastian. War
Franklin, Tom. Crooked letter, crooked letter : a novel
Horowitz, Alexandra. Inside of a Dog : What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
Bachman, Richard. Running Man
Fey, Tina, 1970- Bossypants
Dyer, Wayne W. 10 secrets for Success and Inner Peace

Our Shakespeare offerings for this year are: King Richard II, Much Ado about Nothing, Henry V and King Lear.

eBooks take off at the Ritz!

2011-07-27T14:35:00.005-04:00

Accessing electronic books at the DCC Library has just gotten a big lift. First, we've added more than 16,000 additional titles to ebrary, the Ritz' s main collection of ebooks. These books cover all academic subjects and include not only new titles, but classics as well.

Then there's the EBSCO eBooks Collection. While it contains only 1,600 books, many of the titles in this system were picked by SUNY based on "best book" listings.

Besides being able to search these collections separately, you can also access them, along with descriptions of our printed books, via the Ritz Online Catalog.

New for ENG 102 and above!

2011-05-20T13:24:00.007-04:00

The newly redesigned Twayne's Authors Online is a great place to start if you are looking for criticism and interpretaion of the literary works of major writers. Over 600 U.S., British and world authors are represented, and there's even a special section on short stories. Includes Twane's Masterworks, collections of essays on such works as Catcher in the Rye, Cry the Beloved Country & A Doll's House.

EBSCOhost mobile app is now available!

2011-05-06T15:09:00.011-04:00

The newest library app available for iPhone and iPod Touch is from EBSCO. With this app you can search for articles from all EBSCO databases. Need some articles at the last minute for your term paper but you're not near a computer? Use the EBSCO app to search & download articles & save them to your mobile device.

The app is currently available only for iPhone & iPod users.

Getting the confirmation email for the app is easier when you start by using a PC or laptop.

1. Click this link.
2. Click on the database called Academic Search Complete.
3. Find the link called EBSCOhost iPhone/iPod Touch application.
4. Click the link & type in your email address.
5. On your mobile device, go to the email account you just typed in.
6. EBSCO will send you a message with instructions & link to verify your request.

If you have any problems or questions, call the Ritz Reference Desk at 431-8634 or come to the library.

ScienceDirect App Available!!

2011-05-02T15:31:00.010-04:00

The Ritz' largest database of scientific research is now accessible to mobile users. Through the ScienceDirect app you can search over 2,500 peer-reviewed journals for high quality academic studies on everything from astronomy to zoology. All full text documents are in .pdf format.

This free app is only available for Apple products and can be downloaded from the itunes store. To access the system through your mobile device, you must register with ScienceDirect using your sunydutchess.edu e-mail address

This week, on the BIG screen...

2011-04-21T11:37:00.003-04:00

The Ritz Library has recently installed LG flat panel TV screens in two of our group study rooms. Students who have a Mac or Windows laptop can now, when studying in a group, display any resources they have in electronic format.

Windows laptop owners can connect to the TV with a VGA cable available at the Circulation Desk; when you want to sign out the room, just tell the Circ staff that you have a Windows laptop and they will provide you with the proper cable.

Mac owners will need to specify which cable adapter they need depending on the age of your Mac. Show your Mac to the Circ staff and they should be able to determine which cable you'll need.

Mobile Access available for OmniFile database

2011-03-18T09:24:00.006-04:00

The Ritz Library now offers mobile access to OmniFile, a database that contains articles from almost 3,000 journals & magazines. With coverage begining in 1994, OmniFile allows you to get research material from a wide variety of publications, and a special emphasis upon the fine arts such as painting, photography & ceramics.

Access OmniFile by pointing your smartphone's browser to WilsonWeb Mobile. At the login prompt, put in your MyDCC username and password.

More information on DCC research services for smartphones and tablets is at the Ritz Mobile Access Guide.

Questions? Call 845.431.8634 or email Ritz Reference.

Ebrary goes to the Ritz!!

2011-02-28T14:10:00.006-05:00

Your ability to search many more books in your research just expanded. SUNY has added the electronic records of ebrary's 1000s of online books to the Ritz Library's book catalog.

If you'd like to search in the catalog specifically for electronic books, go to the Advanced Search page. Below the three search boxes you'll see a drop list labeled More Collections:. Change it from All Collections to Electronic Books. Go back to the search boxes and type in your subject or search terms. Click on go and allow the search to perform. All the books that come up will be online books.

The ebrary database also allows you to sign up for a free account. With a free account you are permitted to save any books you need to a "Bookshelf" list, allowing for quicker access the next time you need them. If you'd like to sign up for an account, click Sign In in the upper right corner then click on Create a new account to the left. Fill out the form and you're in!

Use your phone to help write a research paper!!

2011-02-15T13:31:00.009-05:00

It's not unusual for people to use their cameras to snap photos of pages in a book or journal for research purposes, but now there's a new smartphone app that turns your phone's camera into a citation generator

With Quick Cite you use the camera on your smartphone to scan the bar code on a book. The service then e-mails you a citation for the book in one of four styles, including APA and MLA, that you can then paste into your paper. This app is available for both Android and Apple products.

Want more info? Go to Quick Cite

Gale Mobile Database App now available for Android phones

2011-02-10T08:58:00.008-05:00

There's a new way to search some of the library's most popular databases from your mobile device. Gale Cengage is now offering a version of its Access MyLibrary app for the Android operating system . Some of the databases available through this app are:

Opposing Viewpoints

Literature Resource Center

Virtual Reference Library

Download the app through the title of this post. More on Gale's support for mobile access is at:

Gale Apps

Nursing Management Salary Compensation Survey

2011-01-28T14:50:00.004-05:00

Each year the journal Nursing Management sends a salary questionaire to subscribers. The results of the survey are then published in that publication and placed on the Web.

The results for 2010 have just been posted and include the graphs and tables that illustrated the printed report. These images can be downloaded as a Powerpoint presentation as well as copied individually.

Use the title link above to access the survey.

Let’s go on a (Pro)Quest!!

2011-01-19T10:32:00.005-05:00

One of the Ritz Library’s more widely used databases, ProQuest, has a new look this year – please don’t panic! The database’s designers have redone the interface to make searching for specific topics more effective when you do your research, and most of the same search options are still available and can be easily found on the Advanced Search page. The good news is that there are several brand new features that can also help you focus your search to find more specific results.

Most of the new features can be found over to the right of your search results list or when you bring up an article. There’s a Thesaurus which will help you find terms that are similar to those you’re searching on. When you’ve searched and brought up your list of results you’ll find the Sidebar containing additional functions that will allow you to limit your results to specific dates, source types (publication types), titles, companies and specific names. There’s also a new Share box which connects to social networking sites and services like Facebook, Twitter or StumbleUpon.

If you have any difficulties or you have any questions about the new ProQuest, please be sure to contact the Ritz Library Reference staff via email, phone or Meebo. We’ll be happy to help you out.

Mobile Access to ArtStor Now Available

2010-12-01T15:47:00.007-05:00

ArtStor,the Ritz's database of digital images of art works, can now be accessed through Apple's iPad, iPhone, & iPod Touch mobile devices using Safari.

Containing over 1 million images of paintings, sculpture, drawing and photographs, ArtStor is considered to be the best Internet source for images of art works. All images are in extremely high resolution. A special feature of mobile access is Flashcard View, which allows users to test their knowledge of artworks without descriptions of the object.

To use ArtStor mobile, set up an account on the system. You must do that by accessing ArtStor from a computer on the DCC campus. Start by going to http://library.artstor.org/library/welcome.html . Register for an account through the "Welcome to ArtStor" link.

More information on this resource is available from ArtStor's Mobile page.

Go to The Ritz Mobile Access Guide for a listing of all the Ritz library's mobile applications.

Get Appy!!

2010-11-02T13:16:00.011-04:00

Now you can easily get to some of the Ritz's best electronic resources from mobile devices!

Access My Library is an app for the iPhone Touch & iPad that allows you to search over 50 databases with millions of magazine & journal articles from the DCC Library. Interested?

Get more information on the app and download it for free from:

http://www.gale.cengage.com/apps/aml/CollegeStudent

Currency Conversion!!!

2010-10-26T15:13:00.007-04:00

Planning a trip to Europe or elsewhere in the world? Want to know how many euros are in a United States dollar? Would you like to know the name of the currency in, say, South Africa? (It's the "rand" by the way...). XE (whom call themselves "the world's favorite currency site") has several tools available for you. One of the first features you'll see is their Quick Cross Rates chart, which has values for the most common currencies of the world. Just below that is XE's Universal Currency Converter where you can convert currencies yourself.

Click on the XE link above or go here to visit the site.

By the way, if you were wondering about the image above, it's an Italian 1000 "lira" note, a defunct form of money since the introduction of the euro.

English vs Metric Measurement Conversion: NOW it's WAR!!!

2010-10-26T14:48:00.007-04:00

Ever wonder what the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees would be in Centigrade? Planning a trip to Montreal and you'd like to know how many liters are in a gallon? World Wide Metric has a pretty handy online Metric/English conversion device that'll change any English unit of measure to Metric with a few clicks. Find the unit of measure you want to convert, type the amount you have in the appropriate box and click on calculate.

Try it out here.

2010 Big Read: Edgar Allan Poe

2010-10-05T14:10:00.009-04:00

“Once upon a midnight, dreary...” – Poe, The Raven

It’s the Big Read time of the year again! This year’s Big Read is author Edgar Allan Poe and the Poughkeepsie Public Library District will be celebrating the works of the famous mystery author throughout the month of October. If you’d like to know more, go to their site for a schedule of events and locations.

The Ritz Library of Dutchess Community College will be featuring a display dedicated to Poe’s life and work, featuring books, curio objects and photographs of Poe’s homes. The Ritz Reference Department staff has also created a webpage for the event here.

On October 19th and 20th the Dutchess Community College Department of English presents “Poe Goes to the Movies.” Clips from film adaptations will be shown in conjunction with live readings of Poe’s works by DCC professors John Desmond and Richard Malboeuf. Light refreshments will be served and both events are free and open to the public. Times and locations for both dates are:

October 19: 7:30pm-8:30pm, in Bowne Hall, Rm 122

October 20: 9:30am-12pm, in the DCC Theatre, Dutchess Hall

Calling all Nurses

2010-09-23T10:29:00.020-04:00

The Ritz Library has just added electronic access to two new publications: AJN (American Journal of Nursing) and Nursing 2010. Coverage of AJN begins in 1996, Nursing coverage starts in 2001.

So what's the big deal? After all, we already have over 600 nursing journals available online. Well, AJN and Nursing are the two most important nursing titles out there. AJN, for example is both the oldest and largest circulating nursing journal in the world, while Nursing is one of the best sources for core clinical skills. To find out what's going 0n in the nursing profession, these are "must reads".

So how do you get to these journals? Start by going to the Ritz Nursing Research Guide . In the middle of the page there's a list of databases. The "Core Nursing Journals" database contains AJN and Nursing. If you do a search in any of the other databases (such as CINAHL) and do not limit the results to full text, there will be links to this database for any AJN or Nursing articles.

Credo Reference

2010-09-10T08:26:00.001-04:00

What is Credo Reference? Why should I be interested? How can I make use of this tool?

Credo Reference is a publisher who specializes in reference titles. A reference title is a book that is known to be a good source of information for research papers and is typically kept in the Reference section of the library. Usually Reference books are available for in-house use only. However, since Credo Reference is offered online, you are now able to access this material from the comforts of your own home.

The Ritz Library recently purchased a subscription to Credo. Per Credo's website, "Credo Reference puts the world's best citable information at your fingertips." What does it mean at the Ritz? In short, we now have access to 100 book titles that you can use for research online.

To take a look at the titles that we have access to, check out the Ritz Library Guides which may be found by logging onto myDCC --> Library tab --> How do I find information for research projects? --> Ritz Research Guides. On most of the pages, the widget to access Credo can be found in the upper left hand corner listed under the title "Basic Information".

2010-09-09T11:11:00.006-04:00

With the introduction of the new Ritz Research Guides comes a new way to search our databases: 360 Search. You’ll find it on most of the research guides we’ve created to streamline searching our resources in order to get you the right information faster.

360 Search is a “federated” search engine, which means that it can search several databases on a single subject at the same time. So, instead of the more traditional way of searching your subject in all the applicable databases, 360 allows you to search them simultaneously and lists the results according to relevance.

You’ll notice that results come up in a list that is categorized according to database. At the top to the right above the shaded search summary area is a box to check if you’d like full text articles only. There is also a box to check for peer-reviewed articles if your interest is in getting articles written by professionals in a specific field.

The 360 Search does not appear on every RitzGuide, however, you can spot it by looking for a box at the top of the middle column, titled Search all [Subject] Databases. Enter your words in the search box, separated by “and” unless they form one term and click the search button to right.

If you have any questions about 360 Search or any of our other resource, please contact us at (845) 431-8634 or refdesk@sunydutchess.edu.

Introducing the Ritz Research Guides

2010-09-01T14:52:00.012-04:00

Over the summer the DCC Library has been busy with lots of important improvements in our research services.
The change you'll probably notice first is that our resources pages have a new look. Called the Ritz Library Guides, these are a series of custom designed collections of tools to that will make your research easier and more accurate.
Most of these guides are set up to highlight research in a particular academic area. For example, the Business Research Guide focuses on our databases and books that cover that subject. Most guides also have a "Best of the Web" section as well.
Some guides are set up to supply resources for specific assignments or projects, but all Ritz Research Guides are designed around one ideal: To get you to the right information as quickly as possible.
All of the guides have Meebo widgets so you can chat with our staff and are enabled for handheld devices like Iphones & Ipads. There are other enhancements that will be discussed here in the weeks ahead. So for the time being, take a look at the Ritz Research Guides and let us know what you think!!

PDF Creator

2010-07-21T15:35:00.000-04:00

In an effort to minimize printing and cut down on fileable materials, I've recently taken to using PDFCreator which can be downloaded from sourceforge.net for free. An open source software, the user is able to select PDFCreator from the valid printer list on your computer once installed. Once selected from the drop-down list, a grey box opens up with saving options. Name your document and hit save, specifying a destination. A neat function of PDFCreator is that you can combine saving a document and emailing a document in one step using the Email button. I particularly like this tool for documents that I want to store, but don't necessarily want to print. Give it a try!

New Playaways Make the Library

2010-06-09T15:25:00.006-04:00

Going on vacation? Never have a chance to read? Prefer audiobooks? Check out the Ritz library's collection of Playaways, portable audio devices that are simple and easy to use. They are self-contained units (headphones included or use your own) that fit in a pocket or can be plugged into a car audio cable, speakers or a tape deck adapter.

Stop on by and check out the new titles that have been added to the Playaway collection:

Olive Kittridge by Elizabeth Strout
25 Things to Say to the Interviewer to Get the Job You Want by Dexter Hawk
Leadership is an Art by Max DePree
Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell
The Art of War by Sunzi
Worst Case by James Patterson
Living Oprah: My One Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk by Robyn Okrant
4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Committment to Your Mate by Gary D. CHapman
Last Song by Nicholas Spark

Other titles that the Ritz holds are in the Thursday, October 19th blog entry.

The Ritz Library does have audio cables for loan.

Archival Newsreels added to Film on Demand

2010-05-18T14:07:00.004-04:00

Films on Demand, the Ritz's video streaming service has just added some 250 newsreels produced by United News during the 1940s. These newsreels are broken down into more than 1,200 segments that focus upon events during World War War II and how the war affected American life.

There are several ways to access the newsreels from the Films on Demand search screen. From the "View By Subject" bar, click on the link: "Archival Films & Newsreels" to browse through a list of titles. Use the Advanced Search function for keyword searches. Be sure to select "Archival Films & Newsreels" in the "Subject" drop-down menu when doing a keyword search.

How is the readability on that page?

2010-04-29T15:04:00.007-04:00

Have you ever found yourself wishing that the web page that you are on was a little less busy? Sometimes it's difficult to follow an article through the haze of advertisements, links to additional articles, searches and quizzes. There's a nifty tool called Readability which was created by the Arc90 Lab experiment group. Readability cleans up the screen so that you are looking at a 14 pt. text file with a white background and are able to focus on reading the article with no distractions. It is an easy tool to install; simply drag the button onto the browser that you are using. Installation is slightly different for IE users, but I was able to activate it in Google Chrome, Flock and IE in a matter of seconds. According to the documentation, it also works in Firefox and Safari without any problems. There are certain limitations: it does not translate a home page well, and should not be used for that purpose. It also eliminates any images and multi-media unless they are embedded in a particular fashion, and I am unsure as to what that fashion may be so you may or may not get images relating to your page in the Readability format. Each time you go to a web page, your original web page is displayed, so it does not automatically default to "readability" mode, so you must click the tool bar button again. There is also a print and email function. The email sends a link linking you to the original web page but the print option prints out in the "clean" format.

Need help writing a paper or doing research?

2010-04-16T09:48:00.006-04:00

For the next two weeks you can do both at the same time and at the same place. Starting on Monday, April 19 the Library’s computer lab will be open each weekday for research. What’s more Writing Center tutors will be there to assist you with your papers and assignments!

The Library’s computer lab is located on the 2nd floor of Hudson Hall in room H224. The open lab hours are:

April 19 - 30
Monday 10:00 – 3:00
Tuesday 10:00 – 4:00
Wednesday 9:00 -- 1:00
Thursday 10:00 – 2:00
Friday 10:00 – 1:00

Do you love books?

2010-04-08T13:37:00.003-04:00

If you love books and enjoy all things literate, you might want to check out this weekend's Empire State Book Festival being held in Albany, NY. Saturday's event is free and is open to the public and will feature a variety of activities and exhibits.

Historical Newspapers on HRVH

2010-04-01T13:57:00.010-04:00

Extra! Extra! Read All About It! or so the headline goes on the brochure to check out HRVH Historical Newspapers online. Ok, to be more specific, what is available is a 10 year span of The Kingston Daily Freeman from the years 1903 - 1913 (and 1895 also) - 2974 complete issues available for your perusal. The intention is to spearhead an effort in the Hudson Valley to digitize local historical newspapers with the Daily Freeman being the test sample. Full pages as well as individual articles are searchable and viewable. Take note, The Kingston Daily Freeman is an excellent place to look for primary sources when doing reseach about the Hudson Valley.

HRVH is a collaborative initiative sponsored by Southeastern NY Library Resources Council and local libraries, historical societies, archives, museums across 7 counties in NYS: Greene, Columbia, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Rockland, Orange and Putnam.

While you are at it, another project which may be of interest to scholars/researchers or casual lookers is the Sound and Story Project of the Hudson Valley. Sound and Story has digitized pieces of oral history collections and posted them online for your listening pleasure. According to their web pages, "Our stories come from many places. Some are in library and museum oral history collections. Some come from recordings we have made. Some have been found by people like you in shoe boxes in the backs of closets. And some have yet to be told."

Some of the information found in this entry comes from promotional material distributed by SENYLRC.

Adding YouTube videos to Powerpoint presentations

2010-03-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

Adding images from the Web to a Powerpoint presentation is as easy as cut 'n' paste. Incorporating video is different story. The best way to add media is to use the "Movie" option on Powerpoint's Insert menu, but you need to have downloaded the video in a movie file format like .wmd or .avi for it to work right.

That's not an option if you want to use a YouTube video. Of course, you can always put a link to the YouTube URL on a slide. It means extra loading time, though, as your computer brings up the browser and the playback can look awfully messy. Here's a better way.

Download the Powerpoint add-in, "YouTube Video Wizard". Install the add-in and a new tab under "Insert" called "YouTube Video"will appear on Powerpoint. Click on it, and a series of screens will take you through the process of inserting a YouTube Video into your presentation. Interested? the add-in is available to download at YouTube Video Wizard

Seeking book recommendations?

2010-03-25T10:52:00.004-04:00

As previously posted in this blog, several websites exist for recommending titles to read based on an author or an author/title. A recent suggestion that can be added to this list is The Book Seer which uses Amazon and LibraryThing as a back engine to come up with suggested titles to read. Book Seer works best with classic titles where more relevant data has been gathered, but it will list other books by a specific author even if it doesn't have any "outside" recommendations. Check it out!

What's in a word?

2010-03-19T14:08:00.009-04:00

Have you ever attended a meeting where acronyms were being tossed around? Ever wonder what some abbreviations mean? If so, check out the website, http://www.acronymfinder.com/. Enter the acronym or abbreviation that is stymying you and review the list of potential meanings. In a strange combination of functions, you can also use acronymfinder.com to search zip codes for the United States and Canada and retrieve a map of where they are located.

Speaking of definitions, if you get hung up on words occasionally or would like to look up the meaning of a word, here are two useful dictionary websites: Merriam-Webster Online and Dictionary.Com. M-W features a dictionary, thesaurus, Spanish-English dictionary, medical dictionary that contains an audio option and word games online. Dictionary.com features a dictionary, thesaurus, translator (which can be used with a variety of languages) and an encyclopedia online. Both are great resources to bookmark to your local machine or save to a social bookmarking site like Delicious.

Women's History Month

2010-03-02T15:48:00.004-05:00

Visit the Ritz Library during the month of March and view the display sponsored by the Womens' Activities Committee featuring: Writing Women into History.

When you visit, please take a brochure directing you to the various women's activities taking place on DCC campus during the month of March:

March 1 to 26 - Women's Studio Workshop at Mildred I. Washington Art Gallery

March 4 - Courtney Lynch, Leading from the Front

March 6 - Math and Science Matter, Especially for Young Women

March 9 - Catherine Clinton, Mrs. Lincoln: A Life

March 12 - Dress Down Day for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

March 12 - Stretch and Relaxation Workshop

March 24 - Movie: Freeing Silvia Baraldini by Margo Pelletier

March 26 - Reading Women

March 27 - "Cinderella's Fairy Godmother"

More databases updated to include latest MLA citation formating

2010-02-16T14:58:00.003-05:00

The number of Ritz databases that will automatically generate a current MLA citation for an article has been increased to include the following Gale products:

Virtual Reference Library
Literature Resource Center
Twayne’s Authors Online

Keep in mind that these citations are computer generated and may have errors in them. Be sure to double check all database derived citations as you prepare your Works Cited list!

Black History Month

2010-02-03T16:04:00.003-05:00

February is Black History Month. Visit the Ritz Library, Hudson Hall, 3rd Floor and check out the display presented by the Black History Committee:

CONGRATULATIONS to the NAACP on their 100th Anniversary!

Stop by the Circulation Desk and pick up instructions to view the online exhibit entitled The Missing Chapter: Untold Stories of the African American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley presented by SENYLRC.

Haiti Earthquake Information

2010-01-21T08:51:00.002-05:00

The Middletown Thrall Library has put together a special coverage resource guide to the on-going situation in Haiti. Click here for information.

Check out our Oversize Books Collection

2010-01-20T10:19:00.006-05:00

When you have the opportunity, stop in the Ritz Library and take a gander past the Oversize Books collection. Found in our Oversize Collection are beautiful old and new books on wildlife, nature, birds, art, and architecture among others. For example, we have a 1944 edition of The Birds of America, featuring the original drawings of John James Audubon. The 435 plates of exquisite renderings of the bird life in America found in this volume were originally drawn between the years 1827 - 1838. Complementing the beautiful volumes that we have on birds are multiple books on wild flowers, such as Wild Flowers of the World with paintings by Barbara Everard and two volumes of Wild Flowers of Western Pennsylvania and the Ohio Basin with water colors by Andre Avinoff. Enjoying the beauty of the plates can enhance your day!

In another vein, Stubbs Anatomical Works is a fascinating look at early attempts at representative anatomical exactness. The drawings by Stubbs for The Anatomy of a Horse from 1766 are included, along with human and other animal anatomy drawings. For something completely different, take a look at General Dynamics book entitled Dynamic America. Published in 1960, Dynamic America follows the creation of the General Dynamics Corporation from 1880 until the publication date in 1960. By the way, General Dynamics Corporation still exists today. Dynamic America shows the changes in the United States from a rural nation to an industrialized one. The photos, drawings and pictures included show the effects of the various war efforts and the growth in this country. Included also are images and sheet music reproductions from war times such as George M. Cohan's Over There.

Besides these few great old gems there are various art books such as 30,000 Years of Art and other old books on artists and paintings, architecture, and other topics. Stop in the library and view our Oversize Books Collection!

A blast from the Past

2010-01-13T09:54:00.003-05:00

This month, the display case at the entrance to the Ritz is highlighting selected DCC memorabilia that was recently donated to the Jerry Lee Archives. Included is a Dutchess beer mug (from back in the days when liquor was served on campus!) sports decals, tickets from plays in the 70s, and even a book of matches with DCC's logo. Also on display are copies of student and alumni newspapers from the 70s and various other "Blasts from the Past"!

This display will run until January 31st.

Videos of Lyceums available at the Ritz

2009-11-24T12:05:00.002-05:00

Is there a DCC Lyceum that you missed and want (or need) to watch? Now you can stop by the Library to view videos of any of the Lyceum programs that have occured during a semester. They're available for both individual and group viewing in the Ritz's Instructional Media room on the third floor of Hudson. Programs ready now include:

Sonia Manzano" One, Two Three, Who Put Latinas on TV"
Amber Madison“What You Need to Know About Hooking Up”
Dr. Samuel S. Bowser “Two Decades on (and Under) Antarctic Ice”

Need more information? Call 431-8634 or e-mail RefDesk

iPods are on reserve in the Ritz Library!

2009-10-21T11:11:00.007-04:00

Have you ever wanted to experience music outside the realm of popular music? Perhaps listen to a classical or jazz piece? Well, here is your opportunity. The Ritz Library has two Apple iPod Nanos (portable multi-media devices) on reserve at the front desk that you can borrow for up to four hours for use in the library. Loaded with over 400 classical and jazz music selections, you can review this list and see if a piece you are looking for is available. If not, please let us know. We'd like to expand our selection in the future. If you enjoy using the iPods, please let us know that also. We welcome feedback! Any questions or concerns, please email tina.kiernan@sunydutchess.edu.

Gearing up for Translations!

2009-10-21T09:37:00.011-04:00

Do you enjoy art? Being creative? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", then you may want to learn more about Translations 2010 at DCC.

The purpose of Translations 2010 is to give students an opportunity to explore social issues of the past, present and/or future. So what's involved? Students will complete research through methods learned at DCC, whether it be in an academic discipline such as Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science, Sociology or through a professional program such as Education, Nursing or Paralegal Studies. They will create a research notebook which will then be interpreted through an artistic medium such as (but not limited to) film, performing arts, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry and play writing. A spring 2010 festival competition will be held where students can present their work.

In case you are wondering, you can work either individually or as a team! A sample application for submission can be found by clicking here.

Three categories of awards for artistic expression will be awarded: Performance Art, Visual Art, and Reading of Literature. ALL participants (students, staff and faculty) will be recognized.

Please contact Pete Phipps for more information or to ask any questions about the festival and how you can be involved. The deadline to enter the contest is April 9, 2010. Faculty and staff are encouraged to be involved as project advisors, mentors, and as judges for the competition.

Pete’s office is located on the 4th floor of Hudson Hall (H- 403-L) and his office phone number is 431-8341. You can also contact him via email at mailto:phipps@sunydutchess.edu.

Playaways are in the Ritz Library!

2009-10-15T09:02:00.012-04:00

The genesis of books on tape has been cassettes to CDs to downloads, but what is next? What appears to be next are Playaways - portable audio devices that can be hand-held or plugged into an audio jack (with an additional cable) for easy, convenient listening. The entire contents of a book are found in a case about the size of a traditional cassette.

The Ritz Library at Dutchess Community College is pleased to announce the addition of Playaways to our book collection. Located at the beginning of the McNaughton and New Books reading collections next to the periodicals, you can browse the Playaways for titles that might interest you. If you find a title you'd like to listen to, bring it to the Circulation desk at the front of the library and the staff will check it out to you for two weeks. If you need additional listening time, you may renew your titles once. Confused about how to operate the Playaway? The instructions are included on the inside cover of the box, but we have more detailed handouts, if desired. Hit the power button, hit the play button and you are good to go.

So what titles does the library currently have?

Walk Away the Pounds

Hamlet - John Gielgud's Classic 1948 Recording

NPR Driveway Moments - Baseball

The Sonnets

Elegance of the Hedgehog (NYT Bestseller)

100 Poems

Audacity of Hope, The

Drinking Coffee Elsewhere

Interpreter of Maladies

7 Habits of Highly Effective People & 8th Habit, The

Way We Eat, The

Billionaire Who Wasn't, The

Wave, The

Armageddon in Retrospect

Life and Works - Frederic Chopin

Voice of the Violin

9 to 5 Window

Louis L'Amour Collection

Father Knows Less, or: "Can I Cook My Sister?"

Credit Repair Kit for Dummies

Leadership Secrets of Colin Powell

Starship Troopers

Assassination Vacation

America's Great Depression

First 30 Days, The

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

Dead Witch Walking

K'wan Presents Bullet Proof Love

Joker One

Valley of Silence

The question has come up, "what if I want to listen in my car?" If you have a new vehicle, you can check out an audio cable at the front desk. If you have an older vehicle that has an iPod adapter already set up; for example, a cassette with an iPod wire attached, or an iPod speaker system at home, the audio cable will work with that also.

If you enjoy listening to Playaways, please let us know! We are looking to know what you think about this collection!

The Big Read

2009-10-14T09:54:00.006-04:00

This year Poughkeepsie's Big Read selection is Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. What is the Big Read? The "Big Read" is an annual event sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts whose purpose is to "restore reading to the center of American culture". A collaboration of local community organizations such as colleges, bookstores and public libraries join together to promote a particular book. Last year the book discussed was F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and this year it is Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Dutchess Community College has lead a compare/contrast discussion of the film adaptation of the book earlier this week and is also planning on hosting a discussion on "how Harlem grew to be considered the capital of Black America" on Thursday evening, October 15th at 7pm. George Stevens, Professor of History and Department Chair, is leading this talk on the history of New York City's African American community, so come and participate. The discussion will be held in Hudson Hall, room 406.

The reader's guide for Their Eyes Were Watching God can be found here as well as a hard copy may be picked up at the Circulation desk in the Ritz Library.

October is Fire Safety Month

2009-10-13T14:13:00.002-04:00

Come and visit the display case in the front lobby of the Ritz Library on the 3rd floor of Hudson Hall and view the various fire safety items provided by the Emergency Services Club.

Their message to us this month is:

Change your smoke detector battery twice a year!

Banners along the Hudson

2009-10-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

The Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library is pleased to host Banners along the Hudson!

This exhibit contains reproductions of prints, paintings, and drawing selected from more than 250 prints and over 100 paintings and drawings from the private collection of President Franklin D. Roosevelt a renowned collector of books, ship models, and stamps, President Roosevelt also enjoyed collecting art, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and artifacts related to the history and people of the Hudson River Valley.

Join us now through October 26th below the mobile on the second floor of the Library.

Banners Along the Hudson is jointly presented by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum and the Home of the FDR National Historic Site with support from the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial federal funds.

The text of this posting was taken from Campus email, dated 10/6/2009.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

2009-09-09T10:53:00.002-04:00

Would you like to view the Gods and Goddesses of the Hispanic World?

OR

Read about the Sun Stone and Aztec Calendar?

You can do all this by visiting the display case in the
Francis U. & Mary F. Ritz Library
located on the 3rd floor - Hudson Hall

Trouble printing from Angel?

2009-09-04T15:21:00.002-04:00

Have you been experiencing difficulties printing from Angel? If so, check out this document provided by Chrissie Mitchell in the Teaching Learning Center on how to print from Angel.

Looking for the taxonomy of an Animal??

2009-09-04T08:15:00.000-04:00

Use the links below to get information on the full taxonomy of an animal and the origins of its scientific name:

NCBI Taxonomy Browser
National Center for Biotechnology Information Web site. HINT! Look at the "lineage" section to trace the taxonomy.

A Mammalian Lexicon
Michigan State University site which gives the meanings of the roots of taxonomic terms

Greek & Latin Roots
Meanings of Greek and Latin wordroots with the focus on their use in taxonomy

Ritz Library offers new streaming video service

2009-07-14T10:17:00.002-04:00

DCC’s Ritz Library is pleased to provide staff
and students with a new way to watch videos on academic topics. Films on Demand, a Web based streaming video service, includes over 5,000 individual titles that can be accessed 24/7. Best of all, the videos can be viewed both on and off campus.
Some of the subject areas covered are business, health, humanities and the sciences.

All programs are broken down into short segments, which make them perfect for showing to a class. Special features allow the user to organize and bookmark clips and to create and share playlists of programs.

To use Films Demand, logon to MyDCC. Then click on the “Library” tab. From the Library screen, click on the link for Films on Demand in the “How do I find information for research projects?” channel.

Questions? Comments? Contact Ron Crovisier or Tom Trinchera at 431-8634 or email refdesk@sunydutchess.edu

BNET: business resources at your fingertips

2009-06-22T15:43:00.003-04:00

Gale Cengage Learning and CBS Interactive have joined forces in producing website, BNET which provides free articles and information for business and business related issues. Used as a research tool, you are able to look up various topics relating to business, management, communications, strategy, technology and even free video links are provided. There are also links to their paid services and plenty of advertisements, but basically because the content is provided by Gale Cengage Learning, there is a level of accountability associated with the material that is not necessarily found on other websites. No logons are necessary although you can create one and customize your experience if you are so inclined.

Reminder: if you are working on a research paper, use the Ritz Library electronic resources which can be found by going through myDCC, Library tab, Search our Electronic Resources and then selecting the databases you wish to search through.

View the library!

2009-06-18T16:11:00.003-04:00

Take a few minutes to log onto your myDCC account and check out the new channel located in the upper right hand corner of the Library tab. Click on the link and go on a virtual tour of the Ritz Library and when you have a chance, stop on in and visit us in person! A librarian will be happy to help you with all of your research needs!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2009-05-14T11:45:00.002-04:00

Spring 2009 begins the 80th birthday commemoration of Anne Frank. On display at the DCC Library is an Anne Frank exhibit sponsored by PVAC. The material on display is from Steve Press's private collection. You can pick up a free copy of the article written by Steve Press for the Actors' Equity Association commemorating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Broadway play, The Diary of Anne Frank . There are also free brochures available from the Anne Frank Center of New York.

Visit the Francis U. & Mary F. Ritz Library on the 3rd Floor of Hudson Hall.

World Digital Library Up and Running

2009-05-01T14:25:00.008-04:00

A few weeks ago I mentioned an exciting new resource that was to debut on April 21st for scholars and interested persons - the World Digital Library. Located online at http://www.wdl.org/en/ the WDL taps into international library and university primary source content from around the world. Materials have been digitized from such prestigious institutions as the Central Library, Qatar Foundation, Library of Congress, National Diet Library (Japan), and the Center for the Study of the History of Mexico (CARSO), among others.

The interface is simple and easy to use allowing for searching via 5 different methods:

place; for example, China, Brazil, and Australia
time line; for example, 8000 BC - 499 AD, etc.
specific topic: philosophy, religion and social sciences, among others
type of item: maps, manuscripts, motion pictures, for example
institution: Bibliotecha Alexandrina, Iraqi National Library and Archives, for instance

There is a high powered zoom function associated with each item so that you can enhance the image you are looking at. Digitization quality is excellent on the books and photographs which makes for an enjoyable experience. The high level description enables you to understand what you are looking at, and if you chose you can read about the item in 7 different languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic and Russian. All in all, the WDL helps make the world a smaller place and enables unique and rare content to be shared internationally.

Translations, part 2

2009-04-23T15:30:00.015-04:00

Back in October, the Ritz Library posted information pertaining to Translations, the annual competition whose purpose is to "explore social concerns through art". As a result of this festival competition, some of the artwork and literature submitted will be on display in the Ritz Library display case from Monday, April 27th through Friday, May 8th.

This year, Translations judged three categories: Visual Art, Reading of Literature and a special category for Social Concerns about the Hudson River. 32 entries were submitted by DCC students .

The Visual Winner was an impressive piece by Nathan Garcia. It was ceramic fishes symbolically representing how cell phone technology interferes with genuine human communication. Honorable mention in the Visual category went to Marykate Monroe’s painting “Welcome to the city that never sleeps.”

The Written winner was JonnaLynn Rouse’s moving poem “What does my future hold?” Honorable mention goes to John Zamierowski’s untitled short story about a milk jug floating in the Hudson.

The Social Concerns about the Hudson River winner was John’s story about the milk jug followed very closely by MaryKate’s painting, "Welcome to the city that never sleeps".

Congratulations to all the festival competition winners and to all the students who chose to participate in this year's event!

Stop by the Ritz Library on the 3rd floor of Hudson Hall to view some of this year's entries! To view some photos of the entries, click here.

Special thanks to Dr. Peter Phipps for putting together the bulk of this blog entry.

Try Credo for quick access to facts

2009-04-22T11:25:00.005-04:00

The Ritz is testing a new service that provides fast access to accurate and up to date factual information. Called Credo Reference, this service brings together the the full text of hundreds of encyclopedias and reference books on every subject from astronomy to zoology.

To see how Credo works, logon to MyDcc. From the "Library" tab, go to "Search our Electronic Resources". Credo Reference is the first choice on the page.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!

2009-04-08T10:15:00.004-04:00

On April 21st, the World Digital Library (WDL) will be unveiled through a collaborative effort of the Library of Congress, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and 32 partner organizations world-wide.

The WDL will present primary sources in multiple languages from countries around the world, and the interface will allow for searching in 7 different languages.

For anyone looking for primary source material, this should be a good source of original items. For further information on primary sources, check out this blog entry from April 11, 2007.

HIV/STI AWARENESS

2009-04-01T09:31:00.003-04:00

WHEN YOU GIVE THE GIFT OF LOVE, MAKE SURE IT IS WRAPPED PROPERLY!

The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society is sponsoring the Library Display Case for the month of April in conjunction with HIV/STI Awareness. They have provided a supply of informative pamphlets regarding HIV and Aids along with several complimentary handouts.

Visit the Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library Display Case, 3rd Floor, Hudson Hall, and get the information you need to give the proper gift of love.

Microsoft Works, Microsoft Word

2009-03-31T09:05:00.003-04:00

Ever face a document saved in a .wps format instead of a .doc format and wonder how you are going to open it? Most of the time when you go to open a file, the computer will automatically pick up the extension and open the file with the correct application. In some cases, this does not occur. This was the situation I encountered this morning.

Typically, .wps files are created using MS-Works. If you forget to save the file with the .doc extension, you may encounter a problem trying to open the file on another computer. Double clicking a file with an extension that the computer does not recognize will give you a list of possible applications you can use. In this case, MS-Word, the application I was looking for, was not in the list and all other "open" options led to gibberish in the file. After searching online, I found MS-Office online help which rectified the problem. Click here for the link. No one had ever attempted to open a Works file from the computer I was on this morning, so the MS-Works to Word converter had not been enabled. Enabling the converter took less than a minute and now when trying to open a .wps file, MS-Word is recommended program in the list of programs to choose.

Looking for health information?

2009-03-03T15:15:00.005-05:00

Have you ever been faced with a medical issue you've wanted to research? If so, be aware that The Ritz Library at DCC offers several databases covering health related information. In myDCC, click on the Library tab, then click on "Search Our Electronic Resources", Health. The Health and Wellness Center database provides consumer health information, including alternative medicine. The Nursing link provides access to clinical information through the CINAHL database or through Medline.
Speaking of Medline, according to the brochure published by the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the MedlinePlus.gov website was "created for consumers ... and offers free, high quality health information." Other websites touted are: ClinicalTrials.gov, DailyMed, Dietary Supplements Labels, Genetics Home Reference and NIHSeniorHealth.gov. Check out these websites for information on FDA approved drugs, testing information on new drugs, vitamin and mineral supplement contents and more.

Women's History Month

2009-03-02T15:38:00.002-05:00

Visit the Ritz Library today and view the display sponsored by the Women's Activities Committee featuring Women Taking a Lead to Save Our Planet.
When you visit, test your knowledge of women's history.

Kris Carr is an award-winning actress, best-selling author and film-maker.
Her book, Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips, can be found in the New Book Section of the DCC Library.

Internet Public Library

2009-02-18T10:44:00.004-05:00

Have you ever heard of the Internet Public Library? It is a great online resource for information: basically, it was the first library created specifically to support the internet community. It began in 1995 as a project for the University of Michigan School of Information and over time became a well-established entity on the internet for research. ipl.org connects you to a world of librarian-approved online resources. For instance, ipl.org links directly to the Librarians' Internet Index whose tag line is "websites you can trust". Broken down into subject areas, the IPL connects you to a variety of digital sources, including websites, podcasts and other information. They have a special section for Kids and Teens Resources, Reading Rooms, Ready Reference materials such as encyclopedias and dictionaries, FAQs, Special Collections and other helpful tools. The IPL helps bring a level of comfort for website integrity when conducting research. Check it out!

BLACK HISTORY ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 9TH

2009-02-10T10:02:00.006-05:00

Black History Month activities continue the week of February 9th. See attached schedule for activities available this week.

Check out the display at the Ritz Library, Hudson Hall, 3rd Floor presented by the Black History Committee. View the online exhibit entitled The Missing Chapter: Untold Stories of the African American Presence in the Mid-Hudson Valley presented by SENYLRC.

Black History activity sheets and calendars are available in the Library while supplies last.

BLACK HISTORY ACTIVITIES FOR WEEK OF FEBRUARY 2nd

2009-02-02T15:34:00.007-05:00

Come celebrate Black History month at DCC!
See attached schedule for activities available the week of February 2nd.

Check out the display at the Ritz Library, Hudson Hall, 3rd Floor presented by the Black History Committee.

Black History activity sheets and calendars are available while supplies last.

DID YOU KNOW?

2009-01-13T14:37:00.004-05:00

Did you know that the Ritz Library subscribes to paper versions of over 300 magazines, newspapers & journals? These publications are kept in the Current Periodicals section on the 3rd floor of the Library. This area has lots of soft seating to stretch out to browse through magazines like People, Vibe or Cosmo. You'll also find today's Poughkeepsie Journal, New York Times & Wall Street Journal.

Visit us on the 3rd floor of Hudson Hall.

Do you like to Doodle?

2009-01-05T12:56:00.007-05:00

Do you remember when doodling meant putting pen to paper and drawing funny shapes? These days "to doodle" has a completely different meaning.

Doodle is an easy scheduling tool that anyone can use. Suppose you have ten people at different locations that you want to get together for a meeting, but you are unsure as to what dates/times work best for the participants. Using Doodle you can create a poll which allows people to select the dates/times that work best for them. Doodle organizes the results into a table for easy review.

You do not need to create a Doodle account to make use of their scheduling tools, but you can more easily manage your polls if you do. Doodle will track your polls and results if you create an account. A poll is the survey created by the administrator and sent through a participation link to the desired email addresses. The recipient follows the link back to the poll and selects what works best for him or her. Different options exist for the administrator to have control over the polling options, for example, you can create a basic yes-no-ifneedbe poll. Doodle account manager then tabulates the results so that you can easily see your options.

So, if you have a situation where people need to make a choice or schedule a meeting or event, you may want to try out Doodle. Recently, I was a participant in a Doodle poll and thought it was both a clever and useful tool. Try it out and see if it will work for you.

RSS feeds

2008-12-18T11:41:00.002-05:00

RSS - Really Simple Syndication - what is it really all about? In essence, it's a way of creating your own personal daily newspaper. Ever notice this symbol on a web page? It's the symbol that indicates that a "feed" is available for that page. What's a "feed"? A feed is sent by the publication to a reader which allows you to read a summary of the article.

A reader is online software supplied through companies such as bloglines, google, yahoo, aol, etc. which allow you to set up an account to create your own daily "go to" site. In other words, instead of checking LibraryThing news every day, the New York Times book review, multiple papers, and several blogs daily, I can sign onto my bloglines account and see which feeds have been updated and which ones I would like to read. The bloglines reader presents the list of subscriptions on the left and on the right side of the reader you can see the summary of the articles for that URI. Each reader works slightly differently, but the overall concept is similar.

Like most tools available on the internet, the best way to understand it is to make use of it. For anyone who spends time going from website to website daily, it's indispensable.

Glories of the Hudson

2008-12-17T14:20:00.008-05:00

Are you a student interested in writing about the Hudson Valley and about history? If so, you may be interested in this call for papers:

Glories of the Hudson

The Quadricentennial Olana-Cedar Grove Joint Symposium

Hosted by the Fisher Center, Bard College

Sunday April 26, 2009

Call For Papers

“The site is a result of a careful study of the river-banks, and commands so many views of varied beauty that all the glories of the Hudson may be said to circle it.”^[1^]

“Glories of the Hudson” is a joint symposium convened by Olana State Historic Site and the Thomas Cole National Historic Site and hosted by The Fisher Center at Bard College in celebration of New York State’s 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial. The goal of this particular symposium is to expand and enrich our collective understanding of the Hudson River School of Art through the exploration of interdisciplinary intersections between art and other fields of inquiry in Hudson Valley history during and throughout the 400 years celebrated. The Hudson Valley has long been at the forefront of popular movements in American history; the Hudson River and its surrounding communities have served as witness to four centuries of changing views in American culture, society, politics, and environment. In this call for papers, “Glories of the Hudson” seeks papers that demonstrate the interconnectivity between the art and architecture of the Hudson Valley and the larger historical narratives of Hudson Valley cultural, social, political, and environmental history.

This symposium is open to undergraduate and graduate students within a fifty-mile radius of Olana, Cedar Grove and Bard College. Candidates should submit a 300-500 word abstract and resume in MS Word or Adobe PDF format. Longer submissions will not be considered. Abstracts must contain a title page with author identification, but there should be no reference to the author's identity elsewhere in the abstract to enable blind review

All abstracts must be sent via email to: gregory@thomascole.org by Feb 13th, 2009. Please do not send abstracts via postal mail.

Your e-mail must contain:

your name, school, its address, your major(s), anticipated date of graduation, and degree
contact phone, address and email,
short abstract of your manuscript,
permission for Olana State Historic Site, The Olana Partnership, The Thomas Cole National Historic Site and/or Bard College to reproduce and/or publish your abstract in print or digitally for marketing and/or educational purposes
one page resume

Authors will be notified of the results of the blind peer review by March 1st, 2009.

The symposium, Glories of the Hudson, occurs in conjunction with River-themed exhibitions opening in 2009 at both Olana and Cedar Grove. The inaugural exhibition for Olana’s changing exhibits gallery, Glories of the Hudson: Frederic Church at Olana, lends the symposium its name. The paintings, oil sketches and pencil drawings chosen document Church’s passion for the Hudson River as transformed by the seasons, weather and light. In addition to the material by Church, there will be a small selection of works by contemporaries inspired by the view of the River from Olana. A similar exhibition of over a dozen Hudson River School paintings depicting the Hudson River and its tributary streams will also be on exhibit at Cedar Grove.

Submission given by Andrew Rieser for :

Gregory Rosenthal, Education Coordinator, Thomas Cole National Historic Site, (518)-943-7465 ext. 2, gregory@thomascole.org &

Carri Manchester, IPA/Director of Education, Olana State Historic Site, (518)-828-0135 ext. 305, carri.manchester@oprhp.state.ny.us

Nursing Student Alert!

2008-12-11T15:32:00.001-05:00

Alert for Nursing Students:

Do you have an assignment that requires you to find out about nursing license requirements? The website below (from the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions) has invaluable information for prospective nurses.

It gives the NYS license requirements for RNs, LPNs, and Nurse Practitioners. There is a listing of all nursing programs accredited by the State, and links to scholarships, grants and loans available to students.

There are descriptions of the Child Abuse Training and Infection Control Training mandated for nurses.

You can also find here the laws, rules and regulations that apply to nursing in New York State.

Just go to the following web address, and then click on Nursing in the list of professions:

http://www.op.nysed.gov/proflist.htm

Open Computer Lab in Library

2008-12-02T09:43:00.004-05:00

Need to write a research paper? Create and try out a PowerPoint Presentation? Make a Brochure using Publisher?

The Ritz Library's Computer lab will be open to students during the first week of December. Library staff and Help Desk aides will be there to assist you in doing research and using Microsoft Office applications. The open computers are located in Room H224 on the 2nd floor of the library. The hours are:

Tuesday, Dec 2 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Wednesday, Dec 3 1:00 -- 4:00 pm

Thursday, Dec 4 1:00 -- 4:00 pm

Friday, Dec 5 1:00 -- 4:00 pm

Monday, Dec 8 9:00 am --Noon 1:00 -- 4:00 pm

Tuesday, Dec 9 9:00 am --Noon 1:00 – 4:00 pm

Questions or comments? Call (845) 431-8639 or email Reference

Library Extended hours!!

2008-12-02T09:30:00.003-05:00

The Ritz Library will be open late Monday through Thursday and on Saturday for the first two weeks of December. Extended hours of operation are:

December 1 - December 13

Monday -- Thursday 8:00 am -- 10:00 pm
Friday 800 am -- 5:00 pm
Saturday 1:00 am -- 5:00 pm

Questions or comments? Call (845) 431-8639 or email Reference

OpenOffice.org

2008-12-01T15:26:00.009-05:00

Do you use a laptop or a desk top that does NOT have Microsoft Office installed?

If yes,
then go to http://www.openoffice.org/
else
go to end.

OpenOffice.org is a free productivity suite offered by Sun Microsystems. As open source software, it is available in multiple languages for download and, let me repeat, is free! Open Office offers word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and database creation similar to Microsoft Office. It is also MS-Office compatible, meaning you can save files in the format used by Microsoft. However, OpenOffice.org version 3 does not offer the ability to store files in the new Microsoft 2007 formats yet.

Not sure what option to use once you've downloaded the software? OpenOffice Writer is the equivalent of Word, OpenOffice Calc equates to Excel, OpenOffice Impress can be used to create presentations like Powerpoint does, OpenOffice Base allows you to build databases like Access, and OpenOffice Math lets you create and edit scientific formulas.

Enjoy!

It's easy to be Green!!

2008-11-12T15:16:00.006-05:00

The Ritz Library has added Green File to its collection of research sources. This database contains scholarly & general interest material originally published in magazines, journals and government reports. All aspects of environmental sciences are covered, from global warming to recycling.

Green File contains about 5,000 full text documents and indexes over 200,000. To use this source most effectively, un-check the "full text" box before searching, If a document looks promising and is not available full text, click on the "Article Linker" button to search for that document in all other DCC databases.

Interested? Go directly to Green File if you're on campus. From off campus, connect through MyDCC.

Copyright, cont.

2008-11-11T11:10:00.004-05:00

About a week ago I posted an entry on copyright, what it is, why you should be concerned, and where you could go to get more information on the topic. One of the issues of copyright concern to educators is fair use of media resources in publications and education. American University's Center for Social Media has come up with a document entitled "The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education" defining media literacy education. The website clearly states what the intended pdf covers and does not cover. You can access the document and a video on the subject from here.

Doing a report about a country?

2008-11-11T10:23:00.006-05:00

A new "Quick Link" has been added to the Ritz's resources page, Doing A Report about a country?, which gathers together electronic resources to help you write a paper on a world nation.

A major souce at the link is the "Country Reports" section of the Business Source Premier database. These yearly reports focus on the economic, political and cultural aspects of countries and cover a range of years from 1998 until the present. Another source to look at is "Virtual Reference Library," a collection of 20 electronic encyclopedias with information on countries.

To directly get to this link on campus go to http://libraryreference.sunydutchess.edu/er/countries.htm.

Access from home should be made through the Ritz's MyDCC "Off campus database access" link.

Problem with ProQuest "Cite this" function

2008-11-10T10:35:00.006-05:00

Be careful using the "Cite this" function in the Proquest Databases (ABI Inform, Health Management, Research Library, New York Times & Wall Street Journal). We've found that the system has problems formatting the authors when generating citations. Often the citation will begin with the author's first name. Here's an example:

John M Dunn. "Growing Stronger and Greener. " Florida Trend : 2009: BusinessFlorida 1 Jan. 2009: 33. ProQuest Newsstand. ProQuest. 7 Nov. 2008 <http://www.proquest.com/>

Since all documentation styles state that authors are listed last name first in citations, this is a major error. So be sure to look at ProQuest citations carefully and adjust the author entry if necessary.

Questions? Call 845.431.8634 or email refdesk@sunydutchess.edu

Brundibar

2008-11-04T13:36:00.003-05:00

See the Brundibar exhibit at the Ritz Library, Hudson Hall, 3rd Floor

Do you know Brundibar?

It is one of the most important (I think the most important) children’s musicals of the 20th Century. It had its first production in 1943 in the concentration camp at Terezin. After the final performance most of the young performers in that original cast and the composer, Hans Krasa, were murdered! The paragraph below tells more of the story but even more has developed over the last couple of days. Two years ago, while doing my research for the production, I visited Terezin outside of Prague in the Czech Republic. Recently I have been e-mailing with people there. They sent me some material for a small exhibit I have created in the DCC library. In one of the e-mails I found out that one of the children, Ela Weissberger, lives in Tappan Hill! I spoke with her a couple of days ago. What an amazing woman! She is the author of a book about her experiences, “The Cat with the Yellow Star, Coming of Age in Terezin.” We are trying to arrange her coming to one of our performances! And yesterday I spoke with Maurice Sendak’s secretary – Mr. Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are, etc.) is the co-author with Tony Kushner of the new and special translation I am using. Brundibar is one of the most unique of all theatre stories. DCC is one of the first theatres in America to get the rights to produce it. Google reveals over 100,000 sites about Brundibar! Even Wikipedia tells the story. You Tube has pictures from around the world.

Brundibar is one of the most joyous, charming & funny children’s musicals ever written! Is it just for children? No! Definitely no! It is for the happy “forever-after” child in all of us! It is for any child/adult from 5 to 105. In the 1940s Brundibar’s happy story and delightful music tried to illuminate a world of terrible darkness – one of the darkest moments in world history. Google Brundibar for its history but come to the James & Betty Hall Theatre at Dutchess Community College on November 14 at 7:00 pm, November 15 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm and Sunday, November 16 at 2:00 pm. Come for its joy & laughter but never forget its history. This production uses the new translation by famed children’s book author Maurice Sendak and noted playwright Tony Kushner. It is directed by Steve Press who held the Greenspan Trust Handel Family Foundation Endowed Chair in Holocaust & Genocide Studies at Dutchess Community College. The musical director is Dr. Christopher Brellochs. The choreographers are two former DCC students, Susie Riefenhauser & Samantha Dahowski. The production is produced by the college Department of Performing Arts & the Masquers Guild. As a free bonus the college will present a brief curtain raiser before Brundibar: In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Steve Press’s delightful comedy, The Spider and the Bee, five talented actors directed by Will Szigethy will perform the story of The Spider and the Bee. Go to the college’s web site for directions to the Theatre and telephone 845 431-8696 for additional information. Children and seniors $5.00. DCC students and staff are free. General admissions is $10.00. No advance reservations – all tickets sold at the door at the time of the performance.

I’m proud that DCC is producing Brundibar for our community. I hope you will inform others about this important college project.

Steve Press

Copyright copy-right!

2008-11-03T10:25:00.004-05:00

Confused about copyright laws? Concerned that you may be infringing on someone else's intellectual property rights? Columbia University has produced a website titled "Columbia University Libraries/Information Services Copyright Advisory Office" to help individuals and organizations understand what current copyright laws are and how to apply them. Included on the website are case studies and a Copyright Quick Guide link to help people understand how the law applies in their situation. Besides written works, copyright applies to creative works including choreography, images, computer programs, websites, art and music, among others. While fair use allows for use of much materials in an educational setting, it is important to understand what constitutes fair use, and what might be ruled an infringement of copyright law.

Student Essay Contest!

2008-10-30T11:20:00.007-04:00

Have you had a wonderful college experience? Has a particular professor, staff member or administrator gone out of their way to assist you at Dutchess Community COllege? If so, you may be interested in entering the first annual Community College Week - NISOD Student Essay Contest.

The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is pleased to announce the first annual Community College Week–NISOD Student Essay Contest. The winning essay is awarded a total of $3,000+ in prizes to be shared with the student author, the outstandingfaculty/staff/administrator featured in the essay, and the student’s community college.

The essay contest is an opportunity to celebrate teaching and leadership excellence on college campuses by recognizing those who are making a difference in the lives of students. This is also an opportunity to recognize the community colleges who are the proud recipients of these exemplary faculty, staff, and administrators.

Click here to access the entry form and get additional details about the contest!

Also, I'd like to thank Peter Phipps of BHS for this posting.

Translations 2009 at Dutchess!

2008-10-10T10:38:00.005-04:00

Do you enjoy art? Being creative? Do you like to volunteer to help out at events? If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", then you may want to learn more about Translations 2009 at DCC. The purpose of Translations 2009 is to give students an opportunity to explore social issues of the past, present and/or future. This year the focus is on social concerns relating to the Hudson River. So what's involved? Students will complete research through methods learned at DCC, whether it be in an academic discipline such as Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Science, Sociology or through a professional program such as Education, Nursing or Paralegal Studies. They will create a research notebook which will then be interpreted through an artistic medium such as (but not limited to) film, performing arts, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry and play writing. On April 18, 2009, a festival competition will be held where students can present their work.

In case you are wondering, you can work either individually or as a team!

Three categories of awards for artistic expression will be awarded: Performance Art, Visual Art, and Reading of Literature. A monetary award will be given for the best in each category and ALL participants (students, staff and faculty) will be recognized.

Please contact Pete Phipps for more information or to ask any questions about the festival and how you can be involved. The deadline to enter the contest is April 3, 2009. In addition to submitting research-to-art projects, students can be involved as volunteers in a number of capacities. Faculty and staff are also encouraged to be involved as project advisors, mentors, and as judges for the competition.

Pete's office is located on the 4th floor of Hudson Hall (H403-L) and his office phone number is 431-8341. You can also contact him via email at mailto:phipps@sunydutchess.edu.

To print a hard copy of the application, click here.

This post was created by information liberally borrowed from Pete Phipps.

Speeches En Regalia

2008-10-08T15:43:00.009-04:00

An election year is a banner opportunity for political candidates to show off their oratorical skills. It's also a banner year for instructors to assign papers on speeches. So where's a comprehensive place to go for speeches?

A great source is Vital Speeches of the Day. This publication has collected the best in oratory since 1934. It contains speeches & addresses by important public figures on topics of national & international interest.

Searching is straightforward. To look for all speeches by an individual, search on the person's name, last name first. For example, "Radloff, Toby".

To search this database on campus, click on this link: Vital Speeches of the Day and go to "Search within this Publication". To find out how to search it from home, call 431-8634 or send e-mail to Reference.

Also remember that the Ritz Library owns a number of collections of speeches that you can take out or copy. Here's a list of those books.

Economic woes?

2008-10-06T14:45:00.004-04:00

Looking for information on the current global economy? Worried about where the market goes from here? What makes up an economic crisis? How does it affect us locally and abroad? Middletown Thrall librarians have put together comprehensive resources to help you find answers and understand what's going on nationally and internationally these days. Click here .

Introducing Research...

2008-10-02T10:15:00.006-04:00

Not sure where to start or how to approach researching a topic? Ron Crovisier, our head of Reference Services, created a PowerPoint presentation on Introduction to Research which I am liberally borrowing from to create this entry.

Ask yourself, what subject(s) is my topic about? What do I mean by "subject"? The subject is "the field of knowledge into which the topic fits". Typically, fields of knowledge can be broken down into the sciences, social sciences and humanities. Sciences include physical sciences such as biology, chemistry, math and physics. Social Sciences are psychology, sociology, civilization. Humanities cover art, English literature, philosophy. Jot down your possibilities and try to note how the topic relates to a specific field of knowledge. What kind of question are you trying to answer? Is it one of direct measurement (physical science)? Is it a philosophical question (humanities)? Or is it a social science question?

When you think you know what you're looking for, search online using our catalog, electronic books or databases for information pertaining to your subject. Are you finding suitable resources? If not, narrow or widen your focus to include additional ideas. SUBJECT headings or SUBJECT terms in the databases and catalogs can greatly help you focus in on what really interests you. When in our catalog, if you click on the title of a book, it will take you to the bibliographic record. Three-quarters of the way down the page you'll see links that say SUBJECT. Those links can lead you to additional books on your topic of interest. In the databases, the subject terms will be either on the left hand side or in a box at the top of the screen. Check out this pdf for quick notes on using the databases in the library.

We have 80,000 books in the library, 30,000 electronic books through ebrary, and 60 databases for people to access. Among the books are encyclopedias, dictionaries, and specialized guides on different subjects. Our databases allow for simple or complex searches to be built, and also allow for access to both primary and secondary sources of information. See blog entry on primary sources. In essence, primary sources are first hand accounts of a situation as related in newspapers, diaries, photos. Secondary sources use primary sources to draw conclusions, examine or interpret primary info and may be written years after the event occurred.

Once you've gotten a grip on your research material, you can start outlining and writing your paper. Remember the all important fact to cite your sources! There are a number of citation generators available out there, including KnightCite and there is citing functionality built into the databases and also ebrary. Remember to give us a call, email or meebo us if you are having any trouble, and we'd be glad to help!

About the library

2008-09-25T15:32:00.002-04:00

Need a brief reminder about library hours, services, contact us details, and how to look information up in databases? Check out this pdf!

Microsoft Word 2007 blues...

2008-09-25T14:59:00.003-04:00

You haven't upgraded to Office 2007 because you like Office 2003 and are quite comfortable with it. The only problem is, you are now receiving documents in a .docx format that it's impossible for your computer to open. If faced with this situation, download this converter to rectify the problem and you can continue using 2003 without having to worry about compatibility with newer documents!

Uh, I can't get the Header to work on my Word document!

2008-09-16T14:53:00.007-04:00

Ok, you're in Microsoft Word 2007, typing up that paper for your BHS class when you realize your instructor has requested, in no uncertain terms, that you MUST include your name in a header at the top of each page.

To further compound your misery, you must also include the page numbers. No problem, except that "1" is appearing on your first page & your instructor probably doesn't want that there.

By this time you're probably ready to put your forehead through your expensive hi-def LCD monitor, right?

Don't panic! Before you commit PC monitor hara kiri, take a look below & you'll see some instructions that should guide you through the process. They're somewhat detailed, so read them through once before you sacrifice your Word document.

And away we go:

1. Click on Insert in the top menu

2. Click on Page Number in the Header & Footer box, avoid clicking on either Header or Footer, you have to access a different function.

3. Click on Top of Page (or the position you prefer).

4. Select the position you’d like the numbers to appear in – Plain Number 3 is the most common choice.

5. The top menu will change to the Header & Footer Tools menu & Design will be highlighted in green.

6. Just underneath the word Design you’ll see Different First Page, put a checkmark in that box – this will remove the page number from the 1st page of your document.

7. Down below, on the document, you’ll see the page number has been inserted on the 2nd page. Click to the LEFT of the page number.

8. Type in the text of your header, typically, your last name only.

9. Hit the space bar once to separate your name from the page number.

10. Click on the red X button on the right to close the Header/Design menu & return to your paper.

1960 at Dutchess Community College

2008-09-16T09:56:00.005-04:00

Hudson River Valley Heritage has an amazing collection of prints, media and objects digitized online for students, teachers and the general public to access. This collaborative effort across the Hudson Valley has created a comprehensive database of digital media, primarily photographs. Recently, seventy plus photos from 1960 at Dutchess Community College were added to the collection. Click here to check them out. See what Dutchess looked like in its early days!

For the full collection of HRVH images, click the HRVH logo.

For all of Dutchess' collection, click here.

The Big Read

2008-09-12T22:45:00.006-04:00

Check it out - the BIG READ is here! What is the Big Read? The Big Read is an annual event which spans the United States that encourages reading. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, different organizations within a community who support reading pick a classic work of literature to read and then discuss. This year in Poughkeepsie the book of choice is F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby. Local colleges, stores, libraries and schools are part of this collaboration, including Dutchess Community College. We have multiple copies of The Great Gatsby in the Francis U. and Mary F. Ritz Library, so stop by and grab a copy!

Open the PDF of the Poughkeepsie Public Library District's The Rotunda Big Read events by clicking here.

Stop by and see our Big Read display as you walk into the library and pick up a Reader's Guide to F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby to enhance your reading experience.

Google Chrome

2008-09-04T15:42:00.008-04:00

I admit it. I'm a browser-a-holic. I like using different web browsers depending upon the mood I'm in. Sometimes I'll stick to one for awhile and sometimes I'll use two or three different browsers during the day. In general, Mozilla Firefox tends to win out over all the other browsers because it's fast, it's simple, it has great extensions and it's free from clutter. However, not all applications work with Firefox (although more and more of them now do), so I occasionally need to use IE. Then, a few months ago I wrote about the social networking browser, Flock, which truly is a one of a kind browser replete with pictures and ins to Facebook, delicious, mySpace, and all sorts of web 2.0 tools. Netscape Navigator used to be in the loop, but it's been supplanted by the developers by Flock. Opera is an interesting critter, and I mention that one because Google's Chrome has a similar feature to one that I really love about Opera - speed dial. On Chrome it's called "Most Visited". With speed dial you select the pages you want to store and a visual image of the page is displayed, with Google Chrome, the browser stores the pages "most visited" automatically.

Like the Google search engine, the look of Google's browser, Chrome, is one of simplicity. The youTube video describing the new browser touts "speed, stability, and security". Watch the video here. One of the features that I like about the new Chrome is called "new incognito window". That feature allows you to open and download files without cookies being stored and information logged into the browsing history. If you download a file, a giant arrow slides down the browser indicating that data has been downloaded.

I've only been playing with Chrome for a couple of days now, and I have noticed a couple of difficulties: not all applications play nice with Chrome, and my back button hasn't always gone back, but I'm assuming that the little issues will clear themselves up as Google releases new versions of their browser. For further discussion of the "battle of the browsers", check out this PC World article. So take a look at Google Chrome and enjoy running your own comparisons of browsers!

2008-09-04T15:27:00.005-04:00

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Visit the Francis U. & Mary F. Ritz Library

Display Case in Front Lobby

3rd Floor - Hudson Hall

The theme this year is Child's Play Around the Hispanic World. Members of the DCC Hispanic Heritage Committee display dolls and toys purchased from Hispanic countries. They also feature juvenile books written in Spanish which can be borrowed from the DCC library.

Not just for history majors!

2008-08-27T10:17:00.002-04:00

From June, 2007 to June, 2008, Dutchess Community College celebrated its 50th anniversary. As part of this landmark event, the Dutchess County Historical Society published a special issue of their yearbook that focused on the history of the college.

Last September I was asked by Dr. Andrew Rieser to write an essay that told the history of DCC's Ritz Library. It turned out to be a semester-long project that found me poring through news articles, library director's reports and photographs in search of info telling the story of how the library came to be an integral part of the campus.

It turned out to be more intriguing that I'd imagined.

The most interesting part of my research was interviewing several past staff members of the library's lengthy existence. They were all very helpful & had many fascinating details to share with me.

The essay has been uploaded to this blog. You can read it here.

Textbooks at DCC!

2008-08-25T08:53:00.004-04:00

Looking for textbooks at DCC? The college bookstore is located on the 2nd floor of Dutchess Hall past the theater. You can also look online at http://www.dccbookstore.com/ where you can select the course you are taking and be directly taken to the materials needed for that course. For example, if you are in BIO 101 section 10, follow these steps:

1. Click the Textbooks link on the left
2. Fall 2008 is automatically selected for the term
3. Check the department(s) that you need to look up textbooks for. In this example, check BIO
4. Click the Continue to "Get Course Materials" button on the bottom of the page
5. Check the course number(s) that you need to look up text books for; for example, BIO 101, section 10
6. Click the Continue to "Get Course Materials" button
7. Select the books you are interested in purchasing, either new or used and add them to your shopping cart OR click on the "Print Book List" link
8. Check out your materials or click "Print Course Materials List" button

and voila! Now you have a list of the materials necessary for your class which you can do with as you will.