The Dewey Library Blog

Today is the fall fixed due date for Ph.D. candidates to return or renew their books. Avoid library overdue fines by renewing your books on MyMinerva or by bringing them back to the library today. Ph.D. students are able to renew books a maximum of 8 times, and this can be done through your MyMinerva account. This fixed due date applies to Ph.D. candidates only.

If you are a Master's level student or other type of borrower, please view our circulation loan policy for applicable lending periods.

If you have questions, please call the Dewey circulation desk at 442-3693. The Dewey Library appreciates your cooperation.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Melville Dewey introduced the Dewey Decimal Classification system in 1876 and since then libraries have been using it to organize books and other resources. However, libraries are beginning to rethink the efficacy of Dewey and some, including the new Albany Public Library branches, have replaced the Dewey Decimal Classification system with a broad subject based organization system designed to simplify patron browsing. Most of these newer classifications are based on the Book Industry Standards and Communications (BISAC), which is used in bookstores. BISAC consists of an alphabetical list of categories and is less complex than the Dewey Decimal’s system of classes and subclasses.

Patrons are generally happy with the BISAC shelving in libraries. Feedback indicates that they find it easier to locate items that they want and enjoy browsing to find other items of interest. However, many librarians are relunctant to relinquish Dewey. Some are concerned about adopting a retail model for an entity whose primary motive is not to make a profit. Others feel that BISAC will not help researchers find specific information in their disciplines. There is also concern for non English speaking patrons who may have difficulty understanding the BISAC categories.

Librarians have begun to propose compromise classification systems that will enhance Dewey without replacing it. For example, The Darien Library in Darien, CT. uses Dewey classification for its travel books but then disregards Dewey and places language books next to the travel section * The Phoenix (Arizona)Public Library kept Dewey but used BISAC to enhance the catalog record**.

What do you think? Has Dewey outlived its usefulness? Visit an Albany Public Library branch for the “Deweyless��? experience. Then weigh in with your opinion.

______________________________________________________
*Fister, B. (2009). The Dewey Dilemma. Library Journal. 134 (16), 22-25.
**Ibid

Blog post created by Deborah Bernnard

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A wide variety of workshops and seminars are offered by the Dewey Library throughout the semester. Here are this week's offerings. Pick up the complete schedule from the library Reference Desk or view it online.

• Finding Information Online


• Wednesday, September 29, 2:00pm: Evidence Based Practice


• Thursday, September 30, 11:00am: Introduction to EndNote


• Thursday, September 30, 2:00pm:Introduction to Research Databases

You can register for workshops with our Online Registration Form, at the Reference Desk, by sending email to Dewclass@albany.edu, or by calling the Reference Desk at 422-3691.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Use your smartphone to text messages to your heart's content, but please be considerate of others and take phone conversations out of the building, and put your ringer on 'vibrate'. We appreciate your cooperation.

Photo Credit:Morris Stilson

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Works that are not protected by copyright law are in the public domain. Works in the public domain are available for any use without permission from the original creator. The University of California web site on copyright describes the public domain this way:

“The public domain is generally defined as consisting of works that are either ineligible for copyright protection or with expired copyrights. No permission whatsoever is needed to copy or use public domain works. Public domain works and information represent some of the most critical information that faculty members and students rely upon. Public domain works can serve as the foundation for new creative works and can be quoted extensively. They can also be copied and distributed to classes or digitized and placed on course Web pages without permission or paying royalties. “

One way to discover if copyright has expired for a work is to use the chart provided by Peter Hirtle of Cornell University: “Copyright Term and the Public Domain in the United States��?. Another way is this digital slider, designed by staff of the American Library Association, which provides similar information to help you determine the status of a work and whether it is in the public domain according to U.S. copyright law.

Some authors and creators wish their works to be available in the public domain and they attach licenses to the work indicating that it is available for use. This way there is no doubt for users of the work regarding its status. The Creative Commons web site provides licenses that make clear the terms under which the author/creator will allow the work to be used without permission. These licenses are clearly described on the Creative Commons site: these licenses eliminate the need to request permission in order to use or make copies of the work.

Other works which are created for the public domain and are not protected by copyright include most U.S. Government publications. The U.S. Government produces thousands of publications using tax and other revenues, and so royalties are not charged for copying these works.

U.S. Copyright laws protect most works whether they are published or unpublished, so it is wise to know enough about copyright so that you will not be accused of infringement. To find out more about copyright and the public domain, see our Library Guide: Intellectual Property, Copyright and Fair Use Resources .

Blog post created by Lorre Smith

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Social workers and social welfare researchers are increasingly studying the effects of trauma on individuals and groups. Although the study of trauma is recent, understanding trauma and trauma reactions can be an important part of providing treatment and interventions for disadvantaged populations and others. At the macro-level, understanding trauma can inform one’s strategies for dealing with national emergencies and disasters.

The University Libraries have many helpful resources to learn more about assessing and treating trauma sufferers. A good place to start is the Encyclopedia of Social Work which is available in the Dewey Library (Reference: HV 12 E53 2008) and online. For further information, check out the following resources at the University Libraries:

Brom, D., Pat-Horenczyk, R., Ford, J. (2009).Treating traumatized children : risk, resilience, and recovery. London: Routledge.
Science Library RJ 506 P55 T75 2009

Bentovim, Antonin. (2009). Safeguarding children living with childhood and family violence: evidence based assessment, analysis, and planning interventions. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Dewey Library: HQ 784 V55 S23 2009

Chu, J. A. (1998). Rebuilding shattered lives: The responsible treatment of complex post-traumatic and dissociative disorders. New York: Wiley.
Science Library RC 569.5 C55 C48 1998

Greenstone, James L. (2008). The elements of disaster psychology: managing psychosocial trauma: an integrated approach to force protection and acute care. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Dewey Library: RC 480.6 G7193 2008

Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery. New York: Basic Books.
Science Library RC 552 P67 H47 1992

Kennedy, J. McCarthy, C. (1998). Bridging worlds : understanding and facilitating adolescent recovery from the trauma of abuse. Binghamton, NY : Haworth Maltreatment & Trauma Press. Dewey Library RJ 507 A29 K46 1998

Reyes, Gilbert, et.al., eds. (2008) The encyclopedia of psychological trauma. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Dewey Library Reference: RC 552 P67 E53 2008

Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Online / Periodical: RC 552 P67 P78X

Also check out these online resources:

Social Work Resources on Disaster, Crisis and Trauma
Department of Veterans Affairs: National Center for PTSD
Trauma Information Pages

For more information on trauma research please contact our bibliographer for Social Welfare, Elaine Bergman. She can be reached by email at ebergman@uamail.albany.edu, or by calling 442-3695.

Blog post created by Katie Farrell and Elaine Bergman

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A wide variety of workshops and seminars are offered by the Dewey Library throughout the semester. Here are this week's offerings. Pick up the complete schedule from the library Reference Desk or view it online.

• Tuesday, September 21, 10:00am: Social Welfare Research Seminar


• Wednesday, September 22, 4:00pm: Library Services and Resources


• Friday, September 24, 2:00pm: Library Services and Resourcse

You can register for workshops with our Online Registration Form, at the Reference Desk, by sending email to Dewclass@albany.edu, or by calling the Reference Desk at 422-3691.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here is a selection of some of the dictionaries you will find in the Dewey Reference Collection.

Photo credit: Morris Stilson

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Most people know what a dictionary is, and have used one at some point in their lives. You may have noticed the large dictionary sitting atop one of the reference stacks here at the Dewey Library. This volume, Websters Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged, is certainly very helpful in many situations. But there may be other situations when other sources may be more accessible or helpful.

For example, there are a multitude of e-dictionaries and you can access them right on our library Online Reference page. Here, you will find English language dictionaries, such as the Oxford English Dictionary, probably the most comprehensive dictionary of English available today (even more comprehensive than that behemoth sitting on the Dewey reference stacks!).

Also take a look at the specialty dictionaries: the downtown campus may be particularly interested in the Law dictionaries (lawdictionary.com, and A Dictionary of Law ). Social Welfare Students may find the American Sign Language Browser of interest.

There are also foreign language dictionaries and thesauri which include Lexicool and Free Translation . These foreign language dictionaries will help you translate words and sentences from English into another language or from another language into English.

We have many print dictionaries as well, many of which are subject specific and are designed to help you understand terms and phrases within your field. Dewey has a variety of dictionaries in both print and online to help you with your area of study.

Those interested in law and public policy may find these dictionaries helpful:
Black’s Law Dictionary (9th edition), Dewey REF KF 156 B53 2009
Dictionary of Public Policy and Public Administration, Dewey REF H 97 S483 2004
Prince’s Dictionary of Legal Citations (7th edition), Dewey REF KF 246 P73 2006
Safire’s Political Dictionary, Dewey REF JK 9 S2 2008

There are also several criminal justice dictionaries which can help you during research:
The American Dictionary of Criminal Justice: Key Terms and Major Court Cases, Dewey REF HV 7411 C48 2005
The Concise Dictionary of Crime and Justice, Dewey REF HV 6017 D38 2002
Prentice Hall’s Dictionary of American Criminal Justice, Criminology, and Criminal Law, Dewey REF KF 9223 A68 F35 2010
National Criminal Justice Thesaurus

For social welfare research please look at these sources:
A Dictionary of Nonprofit Terms and Concepts, HD 2769.15 S63 2006
APA Dictionary of Psychology, Dewey REF BF 31 A63 2007
Legal and Ethical Dictionary for Mental Health Professionals, Dewey REF KF 3828 A934 2003
The Social Work Dictionary, Dewey REF HV 12 B37 2003
Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms (11th edition), Dewey REF Z 695.1 P7 T48

There are also a number of dictionaries on library and information studies topics:

International Dictionary of Library Histories, Dewey REF Z 721 I572 2001
Dictionary of Information Science and Technology, Dewey REF T 58.5 D499 2007
Dictionary of Information and Library Management, Dewey Z 1006 S748X 2006
OLDIS: Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science

Reference resources like dictionaries can help refresh your memory about a term or concept, clarify a term more precisely for your particular specialty and assist in beginning the process for researching a paper or project. If you would like more information on the dictionaries we have here at Dewey, please stop by the Reference Desk, email dewref@albany.edu, or call 442-3691.

Blog post created by Jill Parsons, Katie Farrell, and Elaine Bergman

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hurricaine Earl did not turn out to be as severe as we might have feared, but there have been a number of disasters (both natural and man made) in recent years: floods, tornadoes, blizzards, wildfires. In fact, there have been 65 designated disasters in the United States in 2010 alone. In New York State, most of our disasters are from floods or snowstorms. Both the federal and state levels of government have administrative organizations to coordinate activities when disaster strikes.

FEMA stands for Federal Emergency Management agency. FEMA helps prepare for disasters and responds to them when they strike. The Congressional Act of 1803 was the very beginning of what FEMA is today. The Congressional Act of 1803 supplied assistance to a town in New Hampshire that had suffered from a devastating fire. After this act, many other disaster-related organizations were formed and FEMA was the merger of all of these in 1979. September 11th proved to be a great challenge for FEMA and homeland security has become a new focus of the agency. FEMA’s vision is “to lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters with a vision of ‘A Nation Prepared’.��?

SEMO is the New York State Emergency Management Office. This office has been around for more than 50 years and coordinates the of the State agencies in order to keep the residents of New York State safe during disasters and emergencies. Similar to FEMA, SEMO is an agency on the state level that focuses on preparing and recovering from disasters.

For more information on FEMA and SEMO check out these articles:

Belasco, A. (2010). FY2010 supplemental for wars, disaster assistance, Haiti relief, and other programs. Retrieved from GalleryWatch CRS Reports database.

Jones, N.L. (2010). The Americans with Disabilities Act and emergency preparedness and response. Retrieved from GalleryWatch CRS Reports database.

McCarthy, F. & Keegan, N. (2010). FEMA’s pre-disaster mitigation program: overview and issues. Retrieved from GalleryWatch CRS Reports database.

McCarthy, F. (2008). FEMA disaster housing and Hurricane Katrina: overview, analysis, and congressional issues. Retrieved from GalleryWatch CRS Reports database.

Also check out these materials at the Dewey Library and online:

Anderson, C.V. (2002). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Hauppauge, NY : Nova Science Publishers. Dewey Library / HV 555 U6 F43 2002

Cooper, C. & Block, R. (2006). Disaster : Hurricane Katrina and the failure of Homeland Security. New York : Times Books. Dewey Library / HV 636 2005 G85 C66 2006

United States Congress. (2010) FEMA Independence Act of 2009 [electronic resource] : report (to accompany H.R. 1174) (including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office). Washington : U.S. G.P.O. Online / GovDoc: J 85 Y 1.1/8:111-459/

United States Congress. (2010). The new FEMA [electronic resource] : is the agency better prepared for a catastrophe now than it was in 2005? : hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Tenth Congress, second session, April 3, 2008. Washington : U.S. G.P.O. Online / GovDoc: J 85 Y 4.G 74/9:S.HRG.110-1021

For more information on researching disaster management in the United States please contact our Public Administration and Public Policy librarian Richard Irving at rirving@uamail.albany.edu or 442-3698.

Blog post created by Katie Farrell

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There are many library workshops and seminars this week. Students are encouraged to attend one or more of these workshops to familiarize themselves with what the library has to offer.

• Monday, September 13, 10:00am: Library Orientation Tour


• Tuesday, September 14, 4:00pm: Library Services and Resources


• Wednesday, September 15, 2:00pm: Social Welfare Research Seminar


• Thursday, September 16, 4:00pm: Introduction to Research Databases


• Friday, September 17, 11:00am: Resources for Information Science Research

You can register for workshops with our Online Registration Form, at the Reference Desk, by sending email to Dewclass@albany.edu, or by calling the Reference Desk at 422-3691.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Check the LCDTV Slide Show for library news, study tips, info about events and library resources.

Photo credit: Morris Stilson

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Database Interfaces: Introduction to Ovid
The Libraries’ Databases and Indexes are the best starting place to locate journal articles and sometimes reports and other materials. UA Libraries subscribes to a large number of databases. Although the content for different databases varies by subject, sometimes different databases use the same search interface. For example, if you’re using the Social Work Abstracts or PsycInfo databases, you’ll be dealing with the Ovid interface. Here are some tips for working with this interface to better help you locate the information you need.

For both PsycInfo and Social Work Abstracts, the Ovid interface defaults to the multi-field search option. Here you can enter multiple search terms and search all fields, or limit to specific fields such as title, journal, author, keyword, and so forth. The multi-field search is useful for searches which require a combination of terms in order to obtain relevant results. Place one term in each box, select the field you want and connect the search using “AND��? (when you want both terms), “OR��? (when you want either term), or “NOT��? (to exclude a term). Note that there is the ability to add more rows if you need more than three terms.

Sometimes you want to limit the type of material you are receiving based on other types of criteria. It’s possible to limit your searches to options such as full text, peer-reviewed, and publication year. These limiters will help you narrow your search so you get what you want. To view additional limits, click on the additional limits button, located underneath publication year. You will see there are a wide variety of choices for narrowing down your search.

As you enter different search terms, your search history will be displayed at the top of your screen. You can revisit your previous searches here by clicking on the icon next to the word display under actions. The four most recent search histories are shown on the page. To display them all, click on expand written in red and located on the right-hand side next to the word actions. If you want to then hide these search histories, click contract which is located in the same place. You can also combine searches, by clicking the check boxes next to each search, and then clicking “AND��? or “OR��? where it says “combine searches using:��?

These are only a few of the many ways you can get better use out of the Ovid interface. If you need help using Social Work Abstracts or PsycInfo please drop by the Reference Desk, call 442-3692 or email dewclass@albany.edu. For more in-depth queries, contact our Bibliographer for Social Welfare, Elaine Bergman. She can be reached by email at ebergman@uamail.albany.edu, or by calling 442-3695.

Blog post created by Katie Farrell and Elaine Bergman

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you are a new Criminal Justice student, or a returning student who needs a refresher on criminal justice research, here are a few tips for getting started.

The University at Albany Libraries have extensive collections of criminal justice books, journals, reports and databases, and it can be challenging to know exactly where to start the research process. We’ve created a research guide for just this purpose. To find it, go to the Research by Subject tab on the left side of the University Libraries’ main web page, and select Criminal Justice. Here are some of the features of the Criminal Justice Research guide:

1. Databases / Electronic Resources
   • Connect to Databases for Criminal Justice -- When you want to do a keyword or subject search to find journal articles and reports, these are your best resource.
   • Database Descriptions -- If you’re not sure which of our many databases is the best one for your topic, this section provides more in depth descriptions of useful databases for criminal justice.


2. Research Guides
   • Criminal Justice; Finding Information -- This is a general guide to information for criminal justice, with tips on how to start your research – basic reference sources are included for a variety of subtopics.
   • Criminal Justice Statistics -- This guide specifically focuses on finding statistical materials, and includes UAlbany’s own Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics.
   • Topics in Criminal Justice -- Finding reliable information on the web can be trickier than it seems. This page provides vetted, authoritative Internet resources on various criminal justice topics.


3. Collections at the University at Albany
   • About the Criminal Justice Collection -- This section gives an overview of what types of materials we purchase for the collection here at UAlbany.
   • Special Collection: Criminal Justice & Prisons -- Get some basic information on our archival material about organizations and people key to criminal justice history and policy.
   • Special Collection: National Death Penalty Archive – Get some basic information on ournationally recognized archive of primary source materials on the death penalty.


4. Other Useful Resources
   • Dewey Blog Entries for Criminal Justice – Then Dewey Library blog provides regular updates on various topics of interest to Dewey Library patrons and the Downtown Campus community. This link provides just the blog entries on our resources for criminal justice, including many pointers for doing criminal justice research.

   Be sure to check out the Criminal Justice Research Tutorial to test your knowledge on Criminal Justice research.

   For help and additional information, contact the Criminal Justice Bibliographer Mary Jane Brustman at 442-3540 or email her at mbrustman@uamail.albany.edu.
   

   Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you been out of school for a number of years? Are you unsure where to start with library research? Did you do undergraduate work at a smaller college which did not have as many options on the library's website? Do you just need a refresher or maybe to learn how to make better use of what the library has to offer? If so, our workshops can be just the thing to get you started. The investment of an hour at the beginning of the semester familiarizing yourself with the library can save you untold hours as the semester progresses.

This week we are offering the following workshops:

Tuesday, September 7, 4:00 pm: Library Services and Resources. This workshop is a basic overview of the online resources and services you can find at the library's website. It is not recommended for MSW students looking to fulfill the information literacy requirement.

Wednesday, September 8, 10:00am: Introduction to Research Databases. This workshop will teach you how to locate scholarly journal articles and other materials using the library databases. You will learn advanced searching skills and strategies that will help you in your research.

You can register for workshops with our Online Registration Form, at the Reference Desk, by sending email to Dewclass@albany.edu, or by calling the Reference Desk at 422-3691.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The friendly staff of the Dewey Library would like to welcome you to the new semester. We're here to help and your questions are welcome!

Featured: Back row, L to R: Ryan Gill, Morris Stilson, Christopher Masella. Front Row, L to R: Lindsay Van Berkom, Elaine Bergman. Not shown:James Asare, Deborah Bernnard, Richard Irving, and Mary Jane Brustman.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your student ID, or SUNYCard is more than just identification. It has many uses on campus and is critical to using the library.

First and foremost, Your SUNYCard is your library card. Present your SUNYCard when you are checking out books from the library.

If you add money to your card, it will come in handy for several tasks. Your SUNYCard pays for printing, photocopying, and library fines.

The place where you add money to your card is called your Podium account. You can put money into your Podium account in many ways. The Dewey Library has a Podium Machine near the Reference Desk where you can add money to your account. Should you forget your SUNYCard, you can purchase a Podium card for $1.00 but then you will need to add money to the account itself. Also the Podium card simply allows printing and photocopying – you cannot borrow materials with it. To save yourself $1.00, remember to bring your SUNYCard when you come to the library!

There are several other ways to put money on your card: you can go to the SUNYCard office in the Campus Center (Room B-52), by call the SUNYCard office at 442-5989, mail a check or your credit card number on the appropriate form, or add money with a credit card online at PodiumNet.

For more questions about how the SUNYCard can be used at the library, stop by the Circulation Desk or call 442-3693.

Posted by Elaine Lasda Bergman at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)