Coloring Evening - Tuesday, April 19th!

Moree Receives 2016 Library Prize for Undergraduate Research

From the Office of Marketing and Communications:

Hartsville, S.C. –  Coker College student Mollie Moree ’16 is the recipient of Coker College’s 2016 Library Prize for Undergraduate Research. With support from the Charles W. and Joan S. Coker Library and Information-Technology Center and the Coker College Undergraduate Research Program, the Library Prize was established to encourage the use of library research techniques and to honor the best research project produced each year by Coker College undergraduate students.

Moree’s thesis, "The Cause of Offred's Complacency in Gilead," a study of “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood, was supported by a range of scholarly resources. It was written for ENG 400 – Senior Seminar and won high praise from the course’s professor, Margaret Godbey. In her nomination letter, Godbey noted, “What sets Mollie’s study apart from the majority of scholarly work on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ is her decision to apply Freudian theory … [She] demonstrates her ability to read complex primary sources, synthesize multiple ideas and apply them to the text in sophisticated ways.”

Moree is majoring in English education and is a member of the English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. She is the daughter of Crystal Paschall and David Paschall and graduated from Andrews High School in Andrews, S.C. Entries for the prize are judged on originality, depth and breadth. In addition, the applicants must demonstrate a sophisticated use of library collections; the ability to select, evaluate, synthesize and use library resources in the creation of a project and evidence of personal growth through the acquisition of newfound knowledge.

For more information about resources at the Library Information-Technology Center, contact Associate Professor of Library Science and Director of the Library Alexa Bartel atabartel@coker.edu. For information about undergraduate research programs at Coker College, contact Associate Professor of Biology and Director of Undergraduate Research Joe Flaherty atjflaherty@coker.edu.

Website is down! But here are the links you need to know!

Due to an issue with the main Coker.edu's website update, the library's website is unavailable.

If you need library resources, here are some links:

All Databases (including EasyBib, E-books, and other e-resources): http://libguides.coker.edu/AllDatabases

Library Catalog: http://pailssc.org/search~S3

Interlibrary loan (article request): https://docs.google.com/a/coker.edu/forms/d/1OM8oaATWajTZjbtHw1mw9bKIuXbcVRbG8jalauOSStQ/edit?usp=drive_web

Interlibrary loan (book request): https://docs.google.com/a/coker.edu/forms/d/1HZk-vicNQSddAZOMzYgWpH86CKXzhwnVhve3lAtOEs4/edit?usp=drive_web

Proquest and Library catalog outages this weekend!

Welcome back to Coker!

We've got a couple of product outages that might affect some of our patrons.

First, on 16 January (Saturday), ProQuest will be upgrading its services from 10:00 PM EST to around 6:00 AM EST on Sunday. Services that will affect Coker users:

• ProQuest database platform
• CultureGrams

Secondly, our library catalog system will be undergoing server maintenance on Monday, 18 January. This will include both our local catalog as well as the PASCAL Delivers catalog. The estimated downtime is "several hours, to be completed that morning." We'll keep you posted when it's back up and running.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

All Things Must P.A.S.S.

The tutoring center is now called Peer Assisted Study Support, or PASS.

PASS is located in the space directly above the computer alcove on the second floor - the former home of the Art collection.

Current tutoring schedule:

Biology  ........................   Mon through Thu    7 – 9pm

Chemistry  ...................   Mon through Thu    7 – 9pm

Chinese  .......................   Mon through Thu    7 – 9pm

Math  ............................   Sun through Thu     6 – 9pm

Spanish  .......................   Sunday                    6 – 9pm

                                                Mon through Thu    6:30 – 8:30pm

Writer’s Studio  ..........   Mon through Thu    3 – 10pm (Still meeting in LITC 223)

Tutoring Begins Tonight!

From Robin Richardson, Director of Learning Support Services:

Beginning tonight, peer drop-in tutoring will be available in LITC 228 for LASP classes in math, sciences, Spanish and Chinese. No appointment is needed and services are free for all Coker students.

Occasionally changes to the schedule below occur, so keep an eye on your Coker email for announcements. And please remember to sign in when you come for tutoring—Your professors love to know how hard you’re working to do well in their classes.

Current Tutoring Schedule:

      Biology.................................... Mon through Thu      7 – 9pm

Chemistry................................ Mon through Thu     7 – 9pm

      Chinese.................................... Mon through Wed    7 – 9pm

                                                Thursday only           5:30 – 6:30pm

      Math......................................... Mon through Thu     6 – 9pm

      Spanish.................................... Mon through Thu     6 – 8pm

      Writer’s Studio...................... Mon through Thu     3 – 10pm

(Writer’s Studio is in LITC223; all other tutoring is in LITC228)

Quick Tutorial on accessing the New York Times as a Coker student, faculty, or staff member

Remember, if you have questions let us know at reference@coker.edu or chat with us here.

Food for Fines

It's that time of the semester!  Bring in a canned food item and get up to $2.50 per item in fines waived!  (Repair/replacement costs cannot be waived, however).

All canned items will be donated to a local charity, the Harvest Hope Food Bank.

Image courtesy of nyclovesnyc.blogspot.com

Today in History: Rodney King Verdict

On this day in 1992, a jury in Simi Valley, CA found three of the four arresting officers innocent of use of excessive force during the arrest of Rodney King. The trial brought to close a year-long investigation of King's arrest during a traffic stop.

After the announcement of the verdict, rioting and looting broke out across Los Angeles, causing fifty-four deaths, thousands of injuries, over 7000 arrests, and close to $1 billion in property damage.

The National Guard was mobilized by then Governor Pete Wilson to quell the violence and restore order. President George H.W. Bush hinted at a federal prosecution, which would end in April 1993 with a split verdict between the four officers.

“20 Years Ago, the Rodney King Traffic Stop Changed L.A. Forever.”      
ContraCostaTimes.com. N.p., 2 Mar. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2015.

"King, Rodney (1965--2012)." Culture Wars in America: An Encyclopedia of Issues, 
Viewpoints, and Voices. Eds. Roger Chapman and James Ciment. London: Routledge, 
2013. Credo Reference. Web. 29 Apr 2015.

Happy Birthday, Samuel Morse!

On this day in 1791, the inventor of the telegraph and the standardized code used to transmit messages (later called Morse code) was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts. A Yale graduate, Morse was also a renown historical style and portrait painter.

The burgeoning field of electricity became a hobby, and began working on the telegraph in 1830s. The first message, sent from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. in 1844, was "What hath God wrought!"

For more information:

"Morse, Samuel Finley Breese." The Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia 

     University Press, 2015. Credo Reference. Web. 27 Apr 2015.

"Samuel F.B. Morse." Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 

     Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015. 

Board Games and Pizza Tonight!

Come join us from 6-9 tonight for classic board games, pizza, and free drinks!

Food for Fines 2014

It's that time of the semester!  Bring in a canned food item and get up to $2.50 per item in fines waived!  (Repair/replacement costs cannot be waived, however).

All canned items will be donated to a local charity, the Harvest Hope Food Bank.

Image courtesy of nyclovesnyc.blogspot.com

November is Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month, created in 1990 and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.  From the National Congress of American Indian's Heritage Month website:

November is Native American Heritage Month and it’s an important time to celebrate the current and historic role the Native American voice has played in the United States. It’s a time to celebrate the modern and traditional cultures, people, and societies of Native American peoples. It’s also an opportunity to highlight the important contributions of Native peoples and the shared histories between tribal nations and other communities.

Today, Native American cultures, people, and communities are strong and vibrant. According to the 2010 Census, there are over 5.2 million American Indian and Alaska Native people (in combination or alone) and there are 566 federally recognized tribal nations - that exist as sovereign nations within 33 states of the United States.

The strength of culture and community comes from a myriad of voices. Like many American citizens we too, are doctors, athletes, artists, leaders of nations, leaders of businesses, active duty soldiers and military veterans, elders, teachers, government employees, women and men, children and young adults.

We have a history of story and our voice remains. In the past many tried to quiet our voices, we could not be silenced. Today we celebrate; to remember and recognize our past, to bear witness to what our people face today; to give voice to great work and contributions we make; and to share our promise for the future generations. 

Fall Tutoring Hours

Greetings, Cokerites!

Here are the Fall semester tutoring* hours:

Subject	Days	Time
Accounting and Economics	Mon. & Thu	8-9 PM
Biology	Tue & Thu	6-8 PM
Chemistry	Tue. & Thu	7-9 PM
Chinese	Mon. & Wed.	7-9 PM
Math	Mon.- Thu.	6-9 PM
Spanish	Mon. - Thu.	6-8 PM
Technology Help	Mon. & Thu.	5-7 PM

All tutoring sessions are held in LITC 228.  Writer's Studio is available from 3-10 PM, Monday - Thursday, just around the corner. *May cause increased knowledge and elevated GPAs. Your experience may vary.  Times subject to change.

Database Access Issues

Post by Charles W. and Joan S. Coker Library-Information Technology Center.

Library Staff Day

Americans value their libraries, and they show that appreciation by using their libraries in large numbers and by supporting library funding. The library is seen, quite correctly, as both a benign and benevolent pillar of the community and is one of the very few places you can go and be provided with educational, recreational, and/or useful materials for free. You can walk out the door of a public library with hundreds of dollars worth of your tax money all because you have a library card! 

In these challenging economic times, libraries are being used more than ever, and with less financial backing. Therefore, the same amount of library staff, almost all with fewer resources, are providing more services such as story hours, reference and outreach.

Today, Tuesday April 15, 2014, during National Library Week, schools, campuses and communities across the country will celebrate the second National Library Workers Day and the valuable contributions of our librarians and library support staff. Libraries are part of the American dream – places for opportunity, education, lifelong learning and free and equal access to a world of resources no matter your age, income or background -- but that dream would not exist if it were not for the people who work in libraries.

Library workers organize and maintain everything that is in the library. Materials need to be selected, ordered, processed, and then made available for users. From a book for research or leisure reading to a laptop that can be checked out to a display for Black History Month, dedicated human is responsible for its presence in the library. Library workers—catalogers, circulation clerks, reference librarians, evening supervisors, and student assistants, to name a few, provide access to the past while preserving the present.

They plan for the libraries of the future and Banned Book Week displays. They choose, order, catalog, label, and shelve all of the books, media, serials, and other materials. They lobby for funding and crusade against censorship. Library workers read stories to children and books to the blind. They suggest good reads, organize book clubs, and drive bookmobiles. They advise vampire slayers, fight crime, and throw fabulous parties (Think Buffy's Mr. Giles, Bat Girl, and Party Girl).  In the local college or university they provide the educational support for students, faculty, and staff.

Those in public service, whether it's in a public, school, or university library, are skilled and knowledgeable researchers who know how just which tool to use for which information need, navigating through a variety of electronic and print resources: almanacs, bibliographies, catalogs, databases, dictionaries, gazetteers, encyclopedias, reviews, and yearbooks. And they know! More and more those who work in libraries need to know how to use technology. Sometimes locating just the right answer appears so simple that the users do not realize that it is isn't easy. Often times library workers are drawing on education and experience that make it look that way.

Library workers do all this and more, even though they are rarely thanked. Yet, working in the library is rewarding for most people because it involves giving a service that contributes to the overall quality of life in a community. It is positive work that should be recognized in a society that values knowledge, learning and opportunity.

Take a moment today to thank our library workers for the services they provide and to remind our campus officials that libraries and library workers provide vital services, programs and collections each and every day. The Charles W. & Joan S. Coker Library works because Brandy, Jared, Margaret, Nancy, Veronica, Todd, and Emily do!

This week, the Charles W. & Joan S. Coker Library at Coker College joins libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week, a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians and library workers.  

Libraries today are more than repositories for books and other resources. Often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study.  Libraries are trusted places where everyone in the community can gather to reconnect and reengage with each other to enrich and shape their communities and address local issues. 

Librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students, college administrators, faculty and the public at large to discover what their communities needs are and meet them.  Librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond.

The Charles W. & Joan S. Coker Library serves Coker College by providing print, audio visual and electronic resources that support the curriculum and the academic research of our students and faculty. Service to the college community has always been the focus of the library. While this aspect has never changed, our library has grown and evolved in how we provide for the needs of every member of the Coker College community.  We are celebrating National Library Week with daily activities. Stop the library and check out the egg hunt, giveaways and food.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.  

For more information, visit library’s Web site at https://coker.edu/library.  Libraries hours this week are Monday through Thursday 7:30am to 12:00am; Good Friday 10:00am to 5:00pm; Saturday 12:00pm to 5:00pm; and Easter Sunday 1:00pm to 12:00am.

 Thursday April 10 at 7pm as part of the Civil War 150 exhibition, the movie, Glory will be shown at the Hartsville Memorial Library.

Starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Cary Elwes and directed by Edward Zwick, this is one the best US Civil War movies to be made. The movie tells the story of the Captain Robert Shaw and the first all-black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The program is free and open to the public.

Click here for a review of the movie from American Heritage Magazine.

Bruce Blackmon will present a lecture entitled "Tsars, Vain Men, Bad Women and the Myth of the Ragged Rebel" in conjunction with the Civil War 150 exhibition in the Charles W. Coker Auditorium on Monday, April 7 at 7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

The Civil War in South Carolina boasted of several prominent women who would make  the fictional Scarlett O'Hara look tame. Bruce Blackmon will talk about the tumultuous lives of these fiery women (along with a few vain men)  and how they impacted, not only what the average S.C. soldier wore during the conflict, but also the myths that arose about them after the war. 

Blackmon is a native of Hartsville, S.C. and has been a civil war re-enactor for over 15 years. He has participated in countless reenactments on over 25 original battlefields. Currently, Blackmon serves as 'Colonel' of the Palmetto Battalion, a reenacting organization in the state that boasts over 400 members. It includes branches of infantry, artillery and cavalry.

Blackmon graduated from Coker in 1985. He double majored in communications and political science and was first honor graduate of his class. He received his master’s in public administration from UNC-Pembroke in 2005.

This event is a part of Civil War 150, a national traveling exhibition from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History from Mar. 31 to Apr. 21 hosted by The Charles W. and Joan S. Coker Library. The Gilder Lehrman Institute developed the exhibition to mark the Civil War Sesquicentennial.