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The newsletter of
Ellender Memorial Library
Nicholls State University
volume 4 issue 2
Library Hours
Monday
7:30 am – 12:00 am*
Tuesday – Thursday
7:30 am – 11:00 pm
Friday
7:30 am – 4:30 pm
Saturday
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Sunday
4:00 pm – 12:00 am
*Reference/Circulation sections
only. Others close at 11:00 pm.
Note: For changes to schedule
due to holidays or emergency
closures, please see the library
website. All patrons are asked to
leave the library 15 minutes prior
to closing. The phone number for
library hours is 985-448-4660.
On the Fly Classes
We offer On the Fly Classes
in Research Methods, Literature, Musicology, and
Culinary Arts Resources,
among others!
Contact
Melissa Goldsmith at 4484626 if you have a group of
three or more students who
would like a session we do
not currently offer.
Library Tip
The library has documentation
manuals for virtually every
style, located at the Reference
Desk. When you have documentation questions, you
should consult these sources,
or the online documentation
resources located on the library website. Simply click on
the link that reads Subject
Guides, and scroll down the
list until you see the documentation subject guide. However,
keep in mind that ultimately,
your professor is the best documentation resource that you
have available.
www.nicholls.edu/library
Spring 2008
Non-Traditional Students Rate
Library Services Highly
The Non-Traditional Women’s Student Organization (NTWSO) sponsored a survey of all nontraditional students at the end of the Fall 2007 semester. The purpose of this survey was to get
a snapshot of what members of the nontraditional population think about their experiences at
Nicholls. In addition, the survey can be used to give the group information on what services
should be provided. For example, the survey made clear the need for fact sheets on Health Insurance, Financial Aid, and Parking. This need has already been addressed, and NTWSO Faculty Advisor/Documents Librarian Cynthia DuBois will be meeting with administration in
February to discuss further needs identified by the survey results.
Out of the 1342 non-traditional students who were given the opportunity to take the survey on
Blackboard, 569 responses were received. Approximately 42% (316 respondents) were classified
as juniors or seniors. Seventy percent of the total responses were from female students, and
30% were from males, roughly corresponding to the university’s female to male student ratio.
Seventy percent of the students who responded live in their own home, and 77% are in the 2539 age group.
A total of 98.4% of the students responding to the survey knew of the Library. The remaining 16
respondents answered that they were either dissatisfied (13 respondents), or very dissatisfied (3
respondents).
Of the students who know of and have utilized the Library:
33% were very satisfied
41% were satisfied
11% were neutral.
Beats and Bongos 2
Cajun/Zydeco Festival
All cats and kittens are welcome to hang out
at the B. E. Bistro, April 23rd at 4:20, for the
second annual Beat Poetry Reading and Performance Happening. Kerouac and Burroughs
will be there in spirit, and some cats might
get hip to Lawrence Lipton and Diane di
Prima, maybe even Rod McKuen and Jim
Morrison. No one but Ellender Memorial Library will offer such a diverse Beat scene, so
if you’re not there man, you’re nowhere.
The 12th Annual Festival will be held in Ellender Memorial Library on Wednesday,
April 9. This year’s theme is Louisiana
Women Musicians. The Library invites participants and guests to attend the reception
and meet event essayist Ben Sandmel at 5:30
pm. Festivities include artist awards, refreshments, and live music by Bonsoir and Catin.
Come dressed in your favorite 1960s garb,
and bring your own poems, your best finger
snapping talents, and your own bongos! You
can’t play ’em if you ain’t got ’em. If you have
any questions, contact Melissa Goldsmith
(448-4626) or Tony Fonseca (448-4675).
The program continues in the Cotillion Ballroom of the Student Union at 7:00 pm, with
interviews, participant awards, and a dance
featuring the music of Rosie Ledet and the
Zydeco Playboys, Bonsoir, Catin with Anya
Schoenegge, Kristi Guillory, Yvette Landry,
and Christine Balfa Powell. Contact Anke
Tonn at 985-448-4633 for information.
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
www.nicholls.edu/library
PAGE 2
A Moving Experience . . .
In October of 2007, the staff of the Government Documents Department finished the shifting and rearranging of its
various collections, a project which began in the Fall of 2006.
The process began when work orders
were placed with maintenance back in
2006. These requests resulted in the
rearrangement of the Map Room, as
map and poster cabinets were relocated
there. In addition, shelves were erected
in another room so that the Louisiana
Collection could be housed. As part of
the project, Documents staff also had to
test all the compact storage shelves in
the department, to make sure that they
were in working order.
When the infrastructure in each of these
areas was ready, staff began moving all
maps and posters into the Map Room, as
well as all items in the Federal Electronic Collection into the Documents
Office. Once the maps were moved, this
cleared the way for the relocation of the
Louisiana Collection, which in turn allowed space for a Louisiana Reference
section to be created.
Removing old material from compact
storage, as well as certain materials
shelved in stacks, freed up shelves for
the older Federal Registers and pre1950 documents in Documents Compact
Storage. Older Federal Registers were
combined with more recent ones.
Along with staff’s ordering of archival
microfiche, this will allow for future
growth.
Government Documents Librarian
Cynthia DuBois continued moving
older material into Documents Compact Storage, and began rearranging
legal material. She relocated the current Serials Set into the proper section,
while moving the 19th-Century Serial
Set from Archives to Documents.
Library Specialist Supervisor Angela
Graham started at the end of the alphabet and began working backwards
to reshelf the collection, while Library
Specialist Lynette Tamplain started
at the alphabetical beginning and
worked forward—until the entire collection had been shifted.
In June 2007, Documents received new
computer chairs, as well as plush sofa
chairs and a cube table. In September,
a new display cabinet was added to the
department, with the first display
highlighting Constitution Week. This
was followed by displays for Breast
Cancer Awareness Month, Louisiana
Indian Tribes, and the effects of Driving Under the Influence. Meanwhile,
DuBois had the ERIC microfiche
moved from the cabinets where they
were located to the microfilm reader/
printer area. This was also completed
in October of 2007. Finally, a Reference
Area for classes was relocated to a more
prominent location.
Once all of this was accomplished, a Wetlands Collection was located in a prominent area. This collection is the result of
a joint venture between the BaratariaTerrebonne National Estuary Program
(BTNEP) and the Documents Department, in order to raise awareness of the
crucial need for educating the public
about our vanishing coastline. In addition, free materials—books, teaching
items, videos, CDs, DVDs, maps, and
posters—are available to the public.
An older Grand Terre Wetlands Lab donation, which had been stored in boxes,
was moved from Technical Services into
the Wetlands Collection as well. Tamplain began a complete inventory of the
collection, and staff started binding materials that were not previously housed in
the department, and moving certain
items from Serials into Documents.
All of this hard work culminated in November 2007 when maintenance started
removing old equipment from Documents
(including the Map Room), so that it
could be inventoried. This created space
for the newest member of the department
staff, William Charron, to relocate the
microfilm reader/printer machines, along
with cabinets, tables, chairs, and laptopfriendly carrels. Thanks to Library staff
and volunteers, the project was a success.
Pump Up Your Searching Capabilities
Most of the Nicholls community is
aware of the fact that finding books in
the library can be as easy as A-B-C, or
more accurately, as easy as O-P-A-C.
However, almost none of the Library’s
patrons are aware of the fact that they
can make their search capabilities so
powerful that they can literally retrieve
results based on whether an item is a
book, DVD, or government document, as
well as based on exactly where in the
library the item is located.
Just as the best search engines—from
Google, to Altavista, to the EBSCO and
ProQuest database interfaces to which
Ellender Library subscribes—offer advanced searching options that let researchers limit their results based on
relevancy, the same can be said of our
Online Public Access Catalog (the
aforementioned OPAC). All researchers
need do to find the advanced version of
our catalog search is look for the link
that reads Power Search.
Once they have located and clicked on
this link, it will take them to our advanced searching page, where they will
see various searching possibilities, including the ability to list as many as
six terms. In addition, researchers will
see a diverse group of search limiters
near the bottom of the search page. Of
these limiters, two can be invaluable
when searching our catalog.
The first of these is a limiter called
Type. Using this limiter, researchers can
specifically search only books, or only
DVDs, or even only electronic books. The
choices are virtually limitless. What this
means to the researchers is that the days
of retrieving over 500 hits for every
search may be over.
An even better limiter is the one titled
Location. Using this limiter, researchers
can finally answer the question “what
books can I actually check out on my subject.” The two location limiters which are
most helpful are called Reference Stacks
and Standard Shelving Location. The
former retrieves only books in Reference,
while the latter will retrieve only those
books which can be checked out of the
library—with no ifs, ands, or e-books.
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
www.nicholls.edu/library
PAGE 3
Research Got You Down? Need Some Downtime?
It seems that the only thing we hear
these days is “The Britney Report.” Believe it or not, the library can help people
keep up with Britney.
However, Hollywood is not the only leisure reading subject patrons will find in
Ellender Library. They may also find that
they can whet their interests in the most
modern fads, the hottest rock groups, the
most recent developments in the world,
or even their favorite hobbies and pastimes. The library can be more than a
resource for addressing those stereotypical “serious research” questions, and
more than a place where people can be
seen cramming for that upcoming test or
working on the homework that should
have been done the night before. It also
serves as a place where one can find some
downtime—to relax those “brain muscles”
by leisure reading between stressful
classes.
Readers may be thinking to themselves,
“Where can I find this area of the Library?” The answer is almost anywhere,
but a good place to begin is the Serials
Department, on the third floor. Immediately inside the entrance, patrons will
find a plethora of magazines and newspapers along the entire right side of the
wall. This is the browsing section; it consists of 73 of the most current issues of
various magazines, and 19 of the most
recent issues of local and national newspapers.
And thanks to generous donors like
Popes for Parts and Subway, we guarantee there is a magazine for every different
kind of interest, everything from Acadiana Profile to Woodenboat. We have Astronomy and Discover for those whose
imaginations go beyond “the great beyond.” For those thinking about getting
those muscles toned, we have Fitness
Management and Dance, which just may
reveal some enlightening moves and exercises that are perfect for between
classes. For those who are remodeling, we
subscribe to Good Housekeeping, House
Beautiful, and This Old House. Even
“Britney” gurus can appease their appetites for knowledge about what she is
doing these days, with Entertainment
Weekly and People—magazines filled
with the latest Hollywood scoop and eyecatching pictures of those stars we love,
and love to hate.
The browsing section is often so
popular among students that the
Serials Department has recently
added an area called Leisure Reading. It includes a bin filled with back
issues of fascinating popular culture
based magazines—surrounded by
large, comfortable burgundy (the
color, not the wine) chairs. Those
who wish to relax and skim through
the articles without having to leave
the comforts of a snug, cozy seat will
be in heaven.
So those in need of a break should
feel free to take advantage of the
downtime possibilities that Ellender Library has to offer, and make
a special trip to Serials, grab one of
our incredibly inviting chairs, kick
their feet up, grab a magazine or a
newspaper, and just “mellow.” The
best part is that once patrons have
their energy back and are again
ready to become scholars, researchers, and academics, they can simply walk to the back of the department and get a head start on that
research paper or article.
Lyricism at the Library
Thursday, March 13, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16, 6:00 p.m.
Ellender Archives
Ellender Archives
Reference librarian Jean-Mark Sens
will host a poetry reading featuring four
Poets: Martha Serpas, who is originally
from Galliano and has recently published
The Dirty Side of the Storm (Norton);
Richard Collins, LSU Alexandria poet-inresidence and recent past editor of Xavier
Review; Dave Brinks, manager of New
Orleans’ Gold Mine Saloon and author of
The Caveat Onus (in the aftermath of
Katrina); and Denise Rogers, University
of Louisiana-Lafayette professor and author of The Scholar’s Daughter
(Louisiana Literature Press ). Sens refers
to the lineup as an attempt to assemble a
quartet of "Sturm und Drang" poets. Students, staff, faculty, and all members of
the larger Nicholls community are encouraged to attend this free reading.
Sens hosts The International Poetry
Reading, with special guest Dr. Phanuel Egeiuru. This biannual event is
part of Poetry Month and Jubilee’s
International Day. Individuals whose
native language is one other than
English are invited to select a poem
from their country, along with a
translation in English by a recognized English or American Poet, if
possible, and read both the translation and the poem in its original version. Readers may also briefly explain what they feel is relevant to the
appreciation of the poem, emphasizing aspects such as the poet’s life, the
context or quality of the poem, or the
nature of the language and wordplay.
VOUME 4 ISSUE 2
Library News
Sandi Chauvin (Serials) participated on a
panel for the CAFÉ Symposium and recently
celebrated her 60th birthday!
Cynthia DuBois (Documents) recently served
as a BTNEP consultant for L. E. Fletcher
Technical Community College.
Sherrill Faucheaux (Cataloging) chaired a
session for the CAFÉ Symposium.
Tony Fonseca (Serials) was recently elected
2009 President for the Louisiana Chapter of
the Association of College and Research Libraries. He recently presented a paper titled
“Emphasizing Research Strategies Using
Nosich’s Theories of Fundamental and Powerful Concepts,” at the Southeast Philosophy of
Education Conference (SEPES 60). He has
published reviews of four novels and short
story anthologies for Dead Reckonings: A Review of Horror Literature, and a review of Uncanny Bodies: The Coming of Sound Film and
the Origins of the Horror Genre for Screening
the Past (LaTrobe University, Australia).
Melissa Goldsmith (Reference/Instruction)
has recently presented
the
papers
“Perspectives on Jim Morrison from the Underground,” at the American Musicological
Society Annual Meeting; “Applying Theories of
Shared Critical Thinking in Music,” at the
CAFÉ Symposium; and “Learner-Centered
Theories, Cognitive Flexibility Theory and
Cognitive Shifting in Teaching Research Education in the Library” at SEPES 60. She has
published reviews of Funny, It Doesn’t Sound
Jewish: How Yiddish Songs and Synagogue
Melodies Influenced Tin Pan Alley, Broadway,
and Hollywood for The Journal of Film Music
and of Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in
Popular Music for Choice.
www.nicholls.edu/library
Neil Guilbeau (Archives) recently attended
the SOLINET workshop on Managing and
Preserving Digital Libraries, and the Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association
Conference.
Jeremy Landry (Automation) served as a
Technical Advisor for the CAFÉ Symposium.
Jean-Mark Sens (Reference/Collection Development) published a review of The Tennessee Williams Encyclopedia in Resources for
American Literary Study. He has also had
poems published in The Southern Poetry Anthology, The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review,
The Dalhousie Review, Trumpet, and The
2007 Jubilee Anthology.
Clifton Theriot (Archives) presided over the
Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association Conference as the association’s president. He has recently submitted two articles
for the Lafourche County series (The Lafourche Heritage Society).
Anke Tonn (Interlibrary Loan) recently
received a grant for the Annual Cajun/Zydeco
Music and Dance Exhibit. She presented on
German Culture as part of the Student Programming Association’s Diversity Week, and
she chaired a session for the CAFÉ Symposium.
Van Viator (Reference/Instruction) published a review of novels by John Farris and
Lee Thomas for Dead Reckonings: A Review
of Horror Literature. He recently presented
an introductory lecture to Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon for The International Film
Club, and served as a panel member on generational learning in academic libraries at
the CAFÉ Symposium. In addition, he is
currently working on an article (for Louisiana Libraries) that deals with the usefulness
of a stage acting background for academic
librarians who teach library resource sessions.
PAGE 4
Symposium Success
On November 14, 2007, Ellender Library co-hosted the CAFÉ’s (The Center
for Advancement of Faculty Engagement) First Symposium: Teaching Engaged Learning: Understanding Our
Students’ World. The day-long event
focused on how faculty, by learning
about the cultural and societal expectations of today’s students, can better develop strategies for inspiring and motivating them to learn. Presenters included Nicholls faculty, and faculty from
six other universities. Most sessions had
student respondents on the program, to
give the student point-of-view.
Some of the cultural issues discussed
included learning music differently,
working as teams to interpret concepts
into dance, and whether or not faculty
had a moral imperative when it came to
cultural and societal issues, including
education reform. Presentation topics
included the use of Youtube in the classroom, wireless student response systems, and teaching French to today’s
students.
The nineteen sessions attracted faculty,
students, and members of the larger
Nicholls community. The most popular
topics included Youtube, teaching dance
to generational learners, meeting students halfway, counterculture issues,
paradigm shifts, critical thinking versus
rote learning, and advising. Over 80
total participants crowded the halls of
Elkins and Ellender Library.
Join the Ellender Library Friends Group!
Jubilee presents the 12th Annual Dance with Geno Delafose
and The French Rockin’ Boogie on Friday, March 28. The cash
bar opens at 6 pm, and dinner begins at 7 pm, with the dance
from 8-11. Contact Anke Tonn at 448-4633. The deadline for
ticket purchase is March 17, 2008. The menu will include
roast pig, sausage jambalaya, and bananas foster. Join us to
celebrate the Cajun French and the Creole of Color heritages
of the area. Tickets are $40.00 ($30.00 for students).
The Friends of Ellender Memorial Library Membership Meeting and Luncheon is scheduled for Thursday, March 6, 2008
in the Plantation Suite of the Student Union. The luncheon
will be held from 12:00 noon-1:30 pm. Annual memberships
and renewals, between now and the end of February, include
a reservation to the luncheon. The annual membership form
is available in the Library and through the Office of the Library Director.
Lunch will be followed by a brief membership meeting and a
short informational program about Government Documents.
Last year, ninety-nine students, faculty and community members joined the Friends. Please show your support for the Library by joining, or renewing your membership today. Call
448-4646 if you have any questions.
Contributing Writers this Issue: Cynthia DuBois, Documents; Angela Graham, Documents; Danny Gorr, Serials; and Tony Fonseca, Serials. Managing Editor:
Tony Fonseca. Editorial Staff: Sandi Chauvin, Melissa Goldsmith, Danny Gorr, Carol Mathias, Daisy Pope. Technical Consultant: Jeremy Landry. Please e-mail
comments and/or suggestions to Tony Fonseca (tony.fonseca@nicholls.edu). The statements and opinions included in these pages are those of the newsletter staff
only, and not those of Nicholls State University or the University of Louisiana System.