Volver

Volver – (v) to return; to come back.

The title of Pedro Almodovar’s recent film, Volver (DVD 2783), resonates with his fans. Volver; to return. It’s how we feel when we stumble out of a theater after seeing one of his releases. Well, it’s how I feel. I get the urge to queue up again at The Charles; plop down another eight bucks for a ticket; and spend a few more hours with my eyes glued to the screen.

Continue reading Volver…

Online Encyclopedias: Free and Otherwise

You have probably noticed there are several new entrants into the free online encyclopedia business. Wikipedia is the best known of these types of reference works. Wikipedia allows anyone to add content to its pages, thus creating a bit of concern about the quality of its information.

Groups of scholars are now working on free online encyclopedias, and they provide much more control over the content posted. Two examples are Encyclopedia of Life and Encyclopedia of Earth. We encourage you to examine and use these new offerings. Free online encyclopedias that provide reviewed, scholarly information will be linked on our database pages.

The library also purchases online encyclopedias for your use. They cover a wide range of disciplines, providing overviews in subjects as diverse as engineering, immunology, art, and religion. Go to our Encyclopedia page to see the complete list.

Goodbye to 24 Hours, Summer Hours Begin

Finals are ending today and so the library moves to its summer hours. Congratulations to all graduates and to everyone, have a great summer! Hours are as follows:

Monday through Thursday: 8 am to midnight
Friday and Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm
Sunday: 1 pm to midnight

The library will be closed on Wednesday, July 4.

Film Friday

I’m torn. Along with the list of new movies in the AV Center, should I review one of the most intriguing films that came in last month, the documentary Keep the River on your Right, or go with my gut which says, “It’s Spring! Everything’s in bloom! Review something magical!”? For me, that translates to recommending one of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated movies. Two just arrived in the AV Center: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke.

Because I am chronically indecisive, you get both. Enjoy!

Continue reading Film Friday…

New Catalog Search Plugin for Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2

With this plugin, you will be able to search the library catalog from the toolbar in your browser. Click on the link below to add the search plugin to your toolbar in Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2. (The link will not work if you do not have the correct browser version.)

JH Catalog Search - Basic Keyword

More instructions are available after the break.

Continue reading New Catalog Search Plugin for Internet Explorer 7 or Firefox 2…

Get Graphic!

I recently received this anonymous comment in the suggestion box on M Level:

“Thank you for the graphic novels we have at MSEL, but is it possible to get more of these type of texts? Comics are no longer just for children. In fact, they have become very intelligent and well written…” — A Reader

Too true! There are some really great comics out there, and the selection seems to get better and better every year. And it’s not just the old-school publishers like DC Comics, Drawn & Quarterly, and Fantagraphics that are putting comics on the shelves. Big publishing houses like Pantheon and Random House have finally realized what so many of us have known all along: comics are a visual and textual art form that have a unique and subtle way of communicating stories and ideas. They’re complex, moving, and entertaining.

MSE Library doesn’t have a large collection of graphic novels, I know, but we are buying more all of the time. Here are just a few that came in this month (the starred ones I personally recommend). Continue reading Get Graphic!…

Must Read for Pre-Meds and Medical Students

Pauline Chen , a young liver transplant surgeon and former UCLA faculty member, has written a wonderful book that anyone contemplating or beginning a career as a doctor should read. Dr. Chen’s Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflections on Mortality is an amazing and inspiring read about the arduous and rigorous training she underwent to become a surgeon. Like most doctors, she was focused on saving lives and was unprepared for dealing with death.  She noticed that her teachers and colleagues, with few exceptions, tended to flee terminal patients and were focused on preserving and extending life rather than trying to ease suffering and helping patients and their families prepare for a good death. This book gives the reader a peek not only into the challenges that doctors must face, but also what goes into making a doctor great.

MSEL has two copies of this beautifully written and compassionate book; one is in the McNaughton Collection, and the other is in the stacks under RD27.35.C47 A3 2007.