Thursday 11 November 2010

Turabian Style Tips

Since adopting the Turabian style at our school, PIU, there have been many frantic moments when, minutes before a paper is due, a students realizes they have not formatted correctly (if at all). Let me tell you, that is not the time to discover a new style.

Beyond the obvious advice of--START EARLY AND ASK FOR HELP!!!! I am including handouts of tips for adding footnotes to papers, finding publication data, and reading a Library of Congress call number. They will be on the right sidebar of the page and added as a slide show so, hopefully, you can easily download them if you like. I hope these help and if there are any corrections that need to be made, let me know.

Sunday 17 October 2010

I started writing my paper but then I shot myself in the footnote!



Ahh, the wonderful experience of research writing and learning new citation styles. Our school, PIU, has adopted the Chicago-Turabian style and footnotes are striking fear into the hearts of many a student.

Fear not!

There are a few simple guidelines to follow. Along with the A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th ed. I have found that Nancy Jean Vyhmeister's book Quality Research Papers is a wonderful addition for interpreting some of the more vague aspects of the Turabian style. Specifically for footnotes, here are a few simple guidelines:
  • Footnotes can be for content or just for reference. If used for content, place the reference, in the proper format, after the explanation.
  • If you are using the same source twice in a row, use the word "Ibid" to indicate that it's the same and note the page number.
  • If you use the same source more than once but it's separated by another reference, use the author's last name with an abbreviated form of the title and the page number.
  • Number all footnotes sequentially.

Like with anything: practice makes progress. Give yourself a ridiculously large amount of time to do the first paper and you'll find that it will be easier and go much faster for subsequent research endeavors.

Happy Footnoting!

Wednesday 28 July 2010

Are you sure this is the library?


In an effort to expand publicity for our school (and consequently my library), I decided the best way to do that was to join a parade! The annual Liberation Day Parade here on Guam.

This is a huge event on the island, celebrating the liberation of Guam from the Japanese in World War II. All entries are covered by radio, newspaper, and local television broadcasts. Is there any better way to let everyone hear your name?

Thursday 15 July 2010

Unexpected Award


What an unexpected surprise! I was awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by Jill Clark, author of the Clark Clan homeschooling blog.

I am excited to accept this award with its terms:
1. Thank the site that awarded it.
2. Write 7 things about yourself--although I interpret this to mean I can write about myself, my church, or my school.
3. Pass it on to someone else.

So, here are 7, hopefully, interesting things about my life.

1. We are a family of 5; my husband and myself, 2 boys and 1 girl.
2. I "library school" my kids. Which is to say, they accompany me to the campus at which I work and we do their schoolwork there.
3. I work (if you can call all the fun things I do work) at Pacific Islands University, a small Christian college on the island of Guam. I am the librarian on campus.
4. I am a fully certified (sometimes certifiable) librarian with a Master's degree in Library and Information Sciences. YES, there is a special degree!
5. My husband is active duty Air Force and will be retiring in a year and a half.
6. I have been a military dependent all my life; first my dad's and then my husband's.
7. I love to read, sew, stamp, and scrap. If it involves recycled materials, even better!

I would like to pass this award on to Jen Rydzik for her daily blog. Jen is a wonderful encouragement as one of the most enthusiastic missionaries I have ever met. She is always ready and willing to help in any way and her blog is constantly updated with heartfelt experiences from her life.

Keep watching while I update my library log each week; you never know when you might find something useful!

Monday 5 July 2010

Lisa's Library Lingo

Many people use a library and don't know some of the basic helpful vocabulary. Since this is a list of my own compilation, I have inserted my own interpretation of some of the definitions. Many of them are based on fact and all are skewed by my opinion!

Library--A magical place that can transport you to places you've never been, don't want to go, can't wait to return to, and is climate controlled. Also known as a place to borrow books, magazines, and other resources. Visit can be used as a resting point during a long day of errands, as a reward for a job well done or even for consolation when something doesn't go right.

Book--An addictive experience that can make the user attempt to freeze time in order to eke out more adventures than one can experience in a single lifetime; also known as a set of bound pages containing information pertinent to particular subjects.

Stacks--The shelves of books that make up the confusing hallways and alleys in the library.

Circulation Desk--The desk, usually situated near the front entrance, where patrons can check out books, return books, pay fines, ask questions, etc. Sometimes call the front desk or the circ (pronounced: \sirk\) desk.

Librarian--1. A person that works at a library. 2. The person the patron believes is the source of all knowledge. 3. The person the patron believes is responsible for all problems, especially those related to books and education. 4. A person with a graduate-level degree in Library (and Information) Sciences.

Reference Desk--The desk that is not the front desk at which library personnel sit, look condescending, and make you feel like an awkward kid because you can't find what you're looking for.

Reference Section--The part of the library that has some of the coolest books but you are unable to check them out because the library doesn't trust you to bring back the medical dictionary without germs, the Encyclopedia of Tattoos without extra ink or the Female Nude: Art, Obscenity, and Sexuality at all.

Collection--The set of books, journals, DVDs, and other things that the library owns.

Plagiarism--The heinous crime of consciously or unconsciously taking credit for an idea other than your own.

Censorship--The controversial act of choosing one book over another based on your own sense of morality and quality. Many people deride it but everyone does it; there is no such thing as unbiased collecting.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Begat, Begotten and not Forgotten

I am blessed to have an immediate and extended family who are unashamedly Christian. When my middle son told one of his aunts that he was reading the bible a chapter at a time, she promptly found a fun, musical way to learn the genealogy of Jesus as written in the book of Matthew. Many of you have looked at, glossed over, and snored through all of the "begats" (although the King James version is the one famous for that and other versions have it listed differently as "the father of"). Listen to a song from this YouTube link and enjoy a musical lyrical way to become familiar with the family tree of Jesus.

Matthew's Begats

Thursday 17 June 2010

Can you hear me now? Audio books.

I am a big proponent of audio books. They are great for entertainment and for educational enhancement. I like to listen to audio books while I do my housework, the dishes go by much too quickly when I'm really excited about what I'm listening to and I even find myself looking for more chores to do to eke out another 10 minutes from my story.

I have had some questions as to where to find audio books to purchase, borrow, download, etc. I will list some of the places I have found to be helpful. This list is by no means exhaustive and if you have any additions or comments, please let me know.

  • netLibrary (now managed by Ebsco) is a great resource for downloading audio or ebooks for free for a certain amount of time. Check with your local library for access.
  • The Gutenburg Project at is another source for free electronic and audio books. This is a cooperative project to digitize materials from all over the world. This will not have current and popular titles but things that are in the public domain. It's worth a look.
  • If you are affiliated with the military, check the base library closest to you and ask about electronic and audio books.
  • Amazon is a powerhouse of audio books in a variety of formats. Just be sure to check the product description to make sure you're not purchasing 20 cassette tapes when you wanted CDs. Some of these books are available for instant download via MP3.
  • Barnes and Noble is along the same lines as Amazon. I would recommend comparing prices (of course, I am a confirmed tightwad!).
  • Audio Book Stand also has a variety of formats and offers a number of featured books at a great discount every week. They also have a section for WMA downloads so you can purchase your books and listen to them almost instantly.

Well, those are some of the sites I look to for audio book entertainment. I'm excited to return to my dishes tonight and keep listening to Terry Pratchett's Thud!

Happy listening!

Tuesday 15 June 2010

Welcome to my Library Log

Welcome!

This is my initial attempt at a blog and library "log". This is a venue for me to offer resources that I find helpful or interesting. Those resources may be academic, personal, or just plain fun. Please comment (positive or constructive only--you wouldn't want to hurt my feelings, right?) so I can offer things that really are helpful and interesting so I don't bore the people I have arm-twisted into reading this!

Happy reading!