Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Library Research Awards Announced

In conjunction with the Undergraduate Symposium, College Library awarded two library research prizes to Matthew Pesko and William Marquardt.

The Undergraduate Research Awards are designed to celebrate excellence and creativity in undergraduate library research—one for a completed project, the other for research-in-progress.

Matthew received the Library Research Award for his project: “Increasing Economic Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities in Northwest Rural Wisconsin.” William received the Research-in-Progress Award for his work: “The Depiction of Off-Reservation Indian Community Life in Wood County in the Early Twentieth Century.”

See the complete story with pics!

Congratulations!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Parking Alternatives

There is nothing as frustrating as searching for campus parking. Ditch the car, if you can, and consider your options. The Transportation Office will be hosting some match-making events--matching you to your best alternatives--during the week of April 28-May 2.

During this week, you can also enjoy free bagels and coffee each day and bike tune-ups from 11:00-1:00 (Monday, Wednesday & Thursday) as provided by the Budget Bicycle Center.


Schedule of hours and locations:

Monday, 7:00 am-1:30 pm, Library Mall

Tuesday, 7:00 am-1:30 pm, Welcome Center (21 N. Park elevator lobby)

Wednesday, 7:00 am-1:30 pm, Union South Courtyard off Dayton

Thursday, 7:00 am-1:30 pm, Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences off Linden

Friday, 7:00 am-1:30 pm, UW Hospital (Clinics Entrance)


The Transportation Office is thanking the following area businesses for their support: Budget Bicycle, Einstein's Bagels, Bagels Forever, Espresso Royale, EVP Coffee, Electric Earth, and Indie Coffee.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Laptops and Group Study Rooms!

You want them; we got them! Check out a laptop or reserve a group study room at Steenbock Library.

Click here for an overview of Steenbock group study rooms and Infolab services.

Visit the Laptop Checkout System page to find an available laptop from campus lab locations. In addition to PC or Mac laptops, you can use this system to find available cameras (still or video) and projectors.

Reserve a group study room online with the Study Room Reservation system page. This online system can enable you to search for rooms by date and location, find amenities and policy information regarding use of the rooms and place reservations, as needed, at College, Ebling, Memorial and Steenbock libraries.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Writing Center Assistance

It’s a busy time of the semester and we know you likely have some papers to write. The Writing Center can help you with the mechanics of organizing your thoughts and materials to complete writing assignments for your classes. The center offers several options for individual consultation including email or face to face instruction and live chat conferencing.

Online “Chat” Conferences

Face to Face Instruction

Email Instruction


The Writing Center office is located in Helen C. White Hall, Room 6171. Drop-by assistance is offered at several campus locations including Memorial Library (West Corridor) and several residence halls.


The Writing Center may also have a free class that fits your needs. Click here to check out the class list.


Steenbock librarians are happy to help you find information to inform your papers and projects and to assist you with using a citation manager to organize citations to the research literature and to format bibliographies/reference lists. (Citation managers include such products as EndNote and RefWorks). Contact us!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

World Food Situation (FAO)

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) offers the latest information (news, reports and statistics) on food commodity prices, supply, demand, and factors—such as climate change—that affect the market and food security.


Visit the World Food Situation portal.


Monday, April 21, 2008

No Place Like Earth!

Earth Day--a significant grassroots movement to raise awareness of the state of the environment--was first observed in the spring of 1970.

While April 22 now serves as a focal date for celebration and consciousness-raising, the lessons and spirit of Earth Day ideally generate everyday efforts to practice Earth-friendly stewardship.

Explore events worldwide!

Read Gaylord Nelson’s accounting of the first Earth Day efforts.

Explore Science Reference Guides and Earth Day-related materials from the Library of Congress


Sunday, April 20, 2008

All Campus Party (April 19-26)

Each spring, the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the Alumni Student Board (WASB) team up with student organizations, University departments, area businesses and national corporations to sponsor the All-Campus Party (ACP).

Check out the week of events.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Science Watch

The Science Watch site supplies trends and performance measures on current and emerging research. Browse the site for interviews, data and rankings on hot papers in biology, chemistry, medicine and physics.

Check out the Emerging Research Fronts for 2008!

(Trend analysis and performance data have been drawn from the Thomson Scientific database, Essential Science Indicators).

Monday, April 14, 2008

Green Week

Going green and need some inspiration? Check out the list of speakers and discussion forums, activities and campus service projects during Green Week, April 11-22.


There will be events every day; some selected ones include:

Monday, April 14

Clean Car Show and Fair-trade Coffee and Chocolate Tasting
(11:00AM - 4:00PM)
Library Mall


It's Not Easy Being Green: The Role of Narrative and Myth in Ecological Economics with speaker, Professor Timothy F.H. Allen
(beginning at 6:00 PM)
180 Science Hall


Conscious Consumerism Discussions
(three during the week with first meeting at 4:00-5:00PM)
Memorial Union, Lakefront on Langdon


Wednesday, April 16

Wisconsin’s Inconvenient Truth
An Inconvenient Truth tailored to Wisconsin-specific environmental issues
(5:00-6:30PM)
Room 1A, Gordon Commons


Saturday, April 19

Environmental Justice Mini Conference
(noon-5:00PM)
Grainger Hall


Sunday, April 20

Earth Festival
Music, performances and information tables
(9:00AM – 5:00 PM)
Library Mall


Film Screening of The 11th Hour
Film explores how humanity impacts the earth's ecosystems and what can be done to change a destructive course. Narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio.
(2:00 PM)
Memorial Union, Play Circle Theater

Thursday, April 10, 2008

READ Posters, Personalized

To celebrate National Library Week (April 13-19), the CIMC Library will be creating personalized READ Posters. Strike a pose with your favorite reading materials!


The library will take the photos between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Monday through Friday (April 14-18). Posters will be produced at 11x17 in size and cost $1.50, as charged to your library/lab debitcard. The library requests one poster per person and that you allow up to 72 hours for its creation.

View the flyer for this event.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Farm Breakfast (April 13)

The annual Breakfast on the Farm will be served Sunday, April 13th from 8:00 AM until noon outside the campus Stock Pavilion. Breakfast will include pancakes, eggs, applesauce, mushrooms, sausage, milk, juice and ice cream. Tickets can be purchased at the door; $7 for adults, $6 for seniors (65+), $5 for students and $3 for children (5 years and younger).


This event, sponsored by the Association of Women in Agriculture, includes an educational area and petting zoo and entertainment to be provided by a polka band and cloggers.


For more information about this event, visit the AWA Website.

See other CALS Week events.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Hoe, Hoe, Hoe!

For some, spring cannot come soon enough; the green thumbs among us have been clamoring for some frost-free days and diligently planning their gardens. If you are similarly inclined to indulge this interest, come browse Steenbock’s gardening collection.


The library has books suitable for the novice and practical gardener and academic texts examining garden history and landscape design.


The library also maintains a collection of seed catalogs useful for recording ideas to particular garden products and locating suitable vendors. Current issues of these seed catalogs can be browsed in-house and are located on the first floor near the rear stacks and vending area.


To get you oriented to the stacks, you can generally find gardening books shelved in the vicinity of call numbers SB300…and SB400…

Otherwise, do speak with a librarian to assist you with determining specific titles and call numbers within topics of interest using the MadCat catalog.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

National Poetry Month

A well-crafted poem, with its message and rhythm, has the power to inspire, provoke or comfort. As April is National Poetry Month, it seems only fitting to suggest some means by which you may add some poetry to your days.

Get a Poem-a-Day (for each day in April). Submit your email address at the Poets.org website for said feature.

Consult the Undergraduate Research Guide to Poetry to find resources about poetry and poets.

Visit the Gaus Collection at College Library and make a selection or two from the stacks.


To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.

--William Blake, Auguries of Innocence


Have some favorite poems or poets? Let us know with a reply to this post!

(Two of my favorites are Sherman Alexie and Sandra Cisneros).

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Dinners On Wisconsin

Would you enjoy dinner and conversation with area alumni about a topic of work or research interest? If so, then sign up for Dinners On Wisconsin, organized by WASB (Wisconsin Alumni Student Board).

Each semester the program invites area alumni, from a wide range of professional backgrounds, to host dinners and discussion. This semester, the dinners will be held on Monday and Tuesday, April 14-15 and welcome groups of 10-12 students for each dinner. The spring semester lineup features 30 dinner topics and hosts. Click here to select and register for a dinner.

A great opportunity for networking and off-campus dining!

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

UW Sues Sesame Street....

…For using the letter “W”—or so reports The Daily Cardinal.

Enjoy some lighter reading today with April Fools’ Day treatment from area news sources. In addition to the Cardinal, check out the Badger Herald’s Dirty Bird and the Onion—where every issue is good for a laugh.

All three papers are also available on newsstands near Steenbock’s front entrance, second floor.

Enjoy!