Showing posts with label shake library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shake library. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Guess what?



Whether you are building a website, creating a flyer for your club or event, building the latest iPhone app, or are just inspired now you can use this computer cluster to create eye-catching print and web content with industry leading software.

These computers are available to be checkout on a first come first serve basis while the library is open. Remember the library is open until midnight 5 nights of the week and our doors are open for over 99 hours per week!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Easter Holiday Hours at Shake Library

Thursday, April 21 - 7:30am- 4:30pm
Friday, April 22 - CLOSED
Saturday, April 23 - Noon -4pm
Sunday, April 24 - 6:00pm-Midnight

Regular hours resume on Monday, April 25

Front Entrance Doors & the Computer Labs close 15 minutes prior to the building closing.

Image: Stock.xchng- user: A. Laczek

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A vacation is...

...what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking. 

Spring Break is almost here. Whether you are vacationing in Cancun or planning the Staycation of your dreams. Why not take one of our new additions for some fun reading? Check these out:

Jay-Z, . Decoded. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2010. Print. [Call #782.42164 J42d 2010]
An excerpt: "When I first started working on this book, I told my editor that I wanted it to do three important things. The first was to make the case that hip-hop lyrics-not just my lyrics, but those of every great MC-are poetry if you look at them closely enough. The second was I wanted the book to tell a little bit of the story of my generation, to show the context for the choices we made at a violent and chaotic crossroads in recent history.  And the third piece was that I wanted the book to show how hip-hop created a way to take a very specific and powerful experience and turn it into a story that everyone in the world could feel and relate to."


Reagan, Ron. My Father at 100. New York: Viking, 2011. Print. [Call #973.927 R287re 2011]

The son of Ronald and Nancy Reagan presents an assessment of his father's life that features his childhood observations of the qualities that rendered the future fortieth president a powerful leader.

Cole, Teju. Open City: A Novel. New York: Random House, 2011. Print. [Call #Fiction: C689o]

Feeling adrift after ending a relationship, Julius, a young Nigerian doctor living in New York, takes long walks through the city while listening to the stories of fellow immigrants until a shattering truth is revealed.





Palumbi, Stephen R, and Carolyn Sotka. The Death and Life of Monterey Bay: A Story of Revival. Washington, D.C: Island Press, 2011. Print. [Call #333.72 P184d 2011]

Monterey began as a natural paradise, but became the poster child for industrial devastation in John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, and is now one of the most celebrated shorelines in the world. Monterey is thriving because of an eccentric mayor who wasn't afraid to use pistols, axes, or the force of law to protect her coasts. It is because of fishermen who love their livelihood, scientists who are fascinated by the sea's mysteries, and philanthropists and community leaders willing to invest in a world-class aquarium. The shores of Monterey Bay revived because of human passion-passion that enlivens every page of this hopeful book.


Heinrich, Bernd. The Nesting Season: Cuckoos, Cuckolds, and the Invention of Monogamy. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2010. Print. [Call #598.156 H469n 2010]

One of the world's great naturalists and nature writers, Heinrich shows us how the sensual beauty of birds can open our eyes to a hidden evolutionary process. Nesting, as Heinrich explores it here, encompasses what fascinates us most about birds- from their delightful songs and spectacular displays to their varied eggs and colorful plumage; from their sex roles and mating rituals to nest parasitism, infanticide, and predation.What moves birds to mate and parent their young in so many different ways is what interests Heinrich- and his insights into the nesting behavior of birds has more than a little to say about our own.


Zelizer, Viviana A. R. Economic Lives: How Culture Shapes the Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2011. Print. [Call # 306.3 Z49e 2011]

Economic Lives shows how shared cultural understandings and interpersonal relations shape everyday economic activities. Far from being simple response to narrow individual incentives and preferences, economic actions emerge, persist, and are transformed by our relations to others




Coggan, Philip. Guide to Hedge Funds: What They Are, What They Do, Their Risks, Their Advantages. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2011. Print. [Call #332.645 C676g 2011]

Hedge fund managers are the new "masters of the universe." The best earn more than $1 billion a year and are so sought after that they can afford to turn investor money away. The funds they run have, to some extent, established an alternative financial system, replacing banks as lenders to risky companies, acting as providers of liquidity to markets and insurers of last resort for risks such as hurricanes, and replacing pension funds and mutual funds as the most significant investors in many companies-even in some cases buying companies outright. The revised and updated second edition of this lively guide sheds much needed light on the world of hedge funds by explaining what they are, what they do, who the main players are, the regulations affecting them, the arguments as to whether they are a force for good or bad, and what the future holds for them.


Title Quote: Earl Wilson.
Images: WorldCat

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Spring Break Hours at Shake Library

Please note that our hours will change for Spring Break:

March 4 (Friday): 7:30am-4:15pm
March 5 (Saturday): Closed
March 6 (Sunday): Closed
March 7-10 (Monday-Thursday): 8am- 4:15pm
March 11 (Friday): Closed
March 12 (Saturday): Closed
March 13 (Sunday): 6pm- 11:45pm


We will resume regular hours on Monday, March 14, 2011

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Let the library set you up on a blind date!

Blind Date Corner @ Shake Library
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Shake Library has entered the matchmaking business. No, not in the sense of helping people romantically. Instead we challenge you to go on a blind date with one of our favorite books, sight unseen. 
That’s right, pick out a wrapped book from our display at the circulation desk. Don’t worry… they’ve each got a little profile to give you a hint of what’s in store for you. Want to take a peek? Head over to our Facebook page and look at their profiles in our photo album. 
Loved it, hated it? Tell us what you thought by emailing us your review to libref@vinu.edu. We’ll post them on our FB page at the end of the week.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Pets, Lincoln, Edison, and Chocolate!

This weekend is shaping up to be a busy one for big celebrations.

You may have already seen the Google doodle for today commemorating Thomas Edison's 164th birthday.


At Shake library you can explore lots of Edison's inventions from the light-bulb to the electric chair. Why not flip through his biography in our ebook collection?

  • Dyer, Frank L. Edison, His Life and Inventions. Champaign, Ill: Project Gutenberg, 1990. Ebook.

Image: Worldcat
Tomorrow we celebrate Lincoln's birthday! There's no shortage of books on him in our library (over 100 so far). Newly published is Richard Campanella's treatment of Lincoln's Flatboat Voyages which took him through Vincennes!

Campanella, Richard. Lincoln in New Orleans: The 1828-1831 Flatboat Voyages and Their Place in History. Lafayette: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 2010.


In 1876 the abolitionist Frederick Douglass observed, "No man can say anything that is new of Abraham Lincoln." but that hasn't stopped scholars from continuing to explore the legacy of this incredible president. Curious to know more? You might want to check out Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008.) by Eric Foner. Here you'll find essay's on Lincoln's views on race and citizenship, political acumen, his literary style, religious beliefs, and family life. 

Well, enough about these individuals, let's turn to this Monday's Valentine's day festivities. Whether you are eagerly anticipating the holiday or generally dreading the influx of red & pink, you'll find some great resources in the library. Such as: 

Critical Thinking About Sex, Love, and Romance in the Mass Media by  Mary-Lou Galician &  Debra L. Merskin. (Media Literacy Applications. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007.) This book explores how romantic coupleship is represented in books, magazines, popular music, movies, television, and the Internet within entertainment, advertising, and news/information. 

Image: Worldcat
not interested? Well how about....Mort Rosenblum's Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light. (New York: North Point Press, 2005.)

Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. It's the Valentine's Day drug of choice, has more antioxidants than red wine, and triggers the same brain responses as falling in love. Nothing, in the end, can stand up to chocolate as a basic fundament to human life. In this scintillating narrative, acclaimed foodie Mort Rosenblum delves into the complex world of chocolate. From the mole poblano--chile-laced chicken with chocolate--of ancient Mexico to the contemporary French chocolatiers who produce the palets d'or--bite-sized, gold-flecked bricks of dark chocolate--to the vast empires of Hershey, Godiva, and Valrhona, Rosenblum follows the chocolate trail the world over. He visits cacao plantations, meets with growers, buyers, makers, and tasters, and investigates the dark side of the chocolate trade as well as the enduring appeal of its product. (Publisher's Description)

Whatever you celebrate over the next 3-4 days don't forget that this month is Responsible Pet Owner Month!

Do you know how to protect your pets in an emergency?  Click here for information from the CDC



Thursday, January 27, 2011

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD), an annual day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Nazi era. This year's theme is “Women and the Holocaust: Courage and Compassion”


“The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. ‘Holocaust’ is a word of Greek origin meaning ‘sacrifice by fire.’ The Nazis, who came to power in Germany in January 1933,  believed that Germans were ‘racially superior’ and that Jews, were deemed ‘life unworthy of life.’ During the Holocaust, the Nazis also targeted other groups because of their perceived ‘racial inferiority’: Roma/Sinti (Gypsies), the handicapped, and some of the Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians, and others). Other groups were persecuted on political and behavioral grounds, among them Communists, Socialists, Jehovah's  Witnesses, and homosexuals.” (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
If you would like to know more about the events of the Holocaust we, at Shake Library, recommend you take a look at this guide provided by Yad Vashem, the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust. This guide will help answer questions like:

  • Is the Holocaust a singular event in history?
  • How many Jews were murdered in each country?
  • Who were other victims of Nazism?  
  • Why didn't more Jews leave Europe before the war began?
  • When and how did the Nazis decide to murder the Jews under their control?
  • What were the extermination camps?  When did they start to function?
  • How did the Nazis try to hide their atrocities?
  • What did the Jews of America do to help European Jewry during the war?
  • Why didn't the allies bomb Auschwitz? 
  • What is Holocaust Denial?

You can view women's testimonies of the Holocaust by Clicking here.

Participate in the 2011 International Holocaust Remembrance Day

- Add your name to the list of people showing their support at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

More Resources
You can find more information about the Holocaust at Shake Library by searching our library catalog, VU Webcat


Saturday, January 22, 2011

A New Look for an Old Favorite


The New ProQuest Platform is here!


One of our most popular databases just got a face-lift. ProQuest is one of our biggest journal databases. In fact, chances are you provided one or two of the quarter of a million hits this database received last year! 

With the all-new ProQuest platform you can:

  • Research topics for papers
  • Browse within and across databases that Shake Library subscribes to from ProQuest
  • Select specific databases or cross-search databases across subject areas for comparative studies 
  • Find full-text-articles and scholarly resources with links to similar materials
  • Search specific document types—including primary sources, peer-reviewed journals, dissertations, images, graphs, and tables
  • Get formatted citations for a paper
  • Cite, customize, manage, and share results via email and social networking links
  • Set up alerts and RSS feeds to stay up to date with developments in the field
The New ProQuest can be found on the VU Libraries homepage: http://www.vinu.edu/libraries by clicking on the "Find Articles" link.

Don't forget to login to MyVU first if you are using our databases from off campus. You will need to authenticate yourself first in order to get access to the resources. 

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Early closing 1/20/2011


Due to the inclement weather the library will be closing at 10pm today

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

ARTstor: 1000 uses and counting



What is ARTstor?
ARTstor is a nonprofit digital library of more than one million images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences with a suite of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and teaching purposes. The collections comprise contributions from outstanding museums, photographers, libraries, scholars, photo archives, and artists and artists' estates.


What can I use it for?
When you need to put together any kind of quality presentation nothing makes your ideas hit home like a strong and relevant image that ties your points together. Using ARTstor will impress not only your classmates but also your professors. 


How can I find images? 
You can Search by:
  • Keyword- So you can begin by finding images about the French Revolution by entering those two key words. 
  • Advanced Search - This allows you to filter your search by date, collection, geography and more.
You can also Browse. This allows you to navigate through many categories at once to find images of interest. There are three way to browse:
  • Browsing by Collection: Useful for when you want to browse existing groups of images. (example: Latin American Art, or Illuminated Manuscripts)
  • Browsing by Classification: This database option divides the image library into sixteen broad classifications, including "Architecture and city planning", "Decorative arts", "Drawings and watercolors", "Maps, charts and graphs", and "Graphic design and illustration." Each classification can be sorted further by geography.
  • Browsing by Geography: Allows you to focus on works created by an artist from a specific country or, in the case of architecture, the location of the work. Each county or region is further subdivided types of materials. So you can find images of Italian sculptures quickly without having to look through Italian paintings or tapestries.

How do I get images into my presentation?


Where can I find it?
ARTstor can be found via the VU libraries website: http://www.vinu.edu/libraries  under the Find Media link. 
(If you are connecting from off campus don't forget to sign in to MyVU first in order to authenticate yourself as a student at VU.)


What if I don't have time to search the collections?
Checkout the Subject Guides: African American to Women's Studies  and jump to the subject area you want to look at!


What if I have more questions?
Ask Ariela, your Lending Services Librarian, for help.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Coming Soon!

Welcome back everyone. We are excited to be starting the semester up again and hope you are too. This semester we are looking forward to a number of new exciting changes in the library. Read all about them here!

New Multimedia Computer Cluster (MCC)

The MCC will be made up of four computers, a dedicated color printer, and Adobe Design Premium Software (CS5). We hope students can create competitive, eye catching, and creative projects while gaining skills and exposure to programs that are transferable to many jobs in the private and public sectors. We hope this project will extend and expand learning for students, faculty and staff by providing them with a dedicated productivity center in the library to maximize their efforts in producing print media and web projects.  


CREDO Reference: Topic Pages

One of our most popular databases is getting a makeover. CREDO reference is a go to database that will get you reference articles from all kinds of materials such as encyclopedias. Well now it's getting even better with the addition of over 9000 Topic pages which will provide you not only with the encyclopedia entries, but also with articles from our databases like EbscoHost, along with images and also books from our catalog.  Think about it... a one stop shop for all your research needs! Take a look at the picture to the right: Those categories will work for almost any class you have (business, history, literature, law enforcement, geography, nutrition, health and more). You can find Credo under "Find Articles" on our webpage.

We hope to see lots of you around this semester checking out our materials or just enjoying the comfy couches.

Don't forget our hours change for MLK weekend:
Jan 15 Sat   OPEN 12Noon-4 PM
Jan 16  Sun  OPEN   2-8 PM
Jan 17 Mon  OPEN  6pm -Midnight. Martin Luther King Day. No Classes.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Monday, November 29, 2010

Alright Brain...It's all up to you.


We hope you had a happy Thanksgiving holiday! Now, before you panic about those three papers & four exams coming up, read our survival tips. They're short and sweet.

Our Best Advice:
Take care of your computer & files. Please, please, please for the love of all that is holy SAVE any paper you're writing on a library computer and save it frequently. Don’t walk away from a library computer without saving your files to a thumb drive, your GoogleDocs, or emailing them to yourself (or all three). The library computers don't automatically save your work, and the TempStore drives on our computers are wiped clean every night. If you lose your work, we will want to get it back for you, but we won't be able to.


When Studying or Writing a Paper:
Avoid temptation. Give yourself the best chance at success by creating a study zone for yourself now: Before finals sneak up on you. My little brother deflated his basketball one year because he knew he wouldn't be able to finish his 15 page paper without that added incentive. I personally like the method of deleting shortcuts to games from my desktop. What this means is that I am not tempted to open a game too often because I have to go into the program menu to get to it. Whatever you decide... reduce your stress by creating a temptation free zone in your study area.

The library is a good temptation free zone...If you move into the library, we ask you to please keep the headphones low enough so they don’t drive the next person crazy and put the trash in the bins to help out our janatorial staff. The library has an added bonus: personal help from a research guru (AKA your librarian). We can save you time and frustration at the best of times, and we’ve probably had more sleep these last few weeks than you have. Walk up, IM, email, or call. We're here to help.

Secret Tip
Speak with your professors. I know sometimes it's scary approaching people in authority, but believe me... they are not cops! They want you to succeed and if you make the effort to ask for help they will come through for you. The trick is to show them what you've got as opposed to asking them to re-explain the entire semester of material. So...
  • Stuck on a paper? Show them what you've written so far (even a rough outline!) and they may be able to jog your mind into a coherent argument, or maybe point you to that 5th source you need in your bibliography!
  • Didn't understand a lecture? Show them the notes you took or explain what you did understand. This will allow them to "fill-in-the-blanks".
  • Test studying? Outline what you've focused on to make sure you're on the right track.
Anyway you look at it, asking for help shows your professor that you are serious about succeeding in their class, and they are far more likely to help you with a question if you are proactive and come in during their office hours. Bring a pen and paper and take notes while they talk.

Last Tip
Find Rest. Cooler temperatures = more sick people. That's because we are all inside and sharing more germs. Don't skimp on your sleep. Lack of sleep leads to a lower immune system and a higher chance of getting sick. Catch those Zzz's!



Source: "Alright Brain... It's all up to you." - Homer Simpson

Friday, November 19, 2010

“Thanksgiving, man! Not a good day to be my pants."


You're almost there... Thanksgiving break is just around the corner and you can do it!
Hopefully you are planning to enjoy the break, eat some great Thanksgiving food and relax. Before you head out of town, why not check out some of the cool materials we have at the library?

We have traditional fare for Thanksgiving:

Baker, James W. Thanksgiving: The Biography of an American Holiday. Durham, N.H: University of New Hampshire Press, 2009. [Call No. 394.2649 B167t 2009]

This is the first in-depth study of the most American of holidays, the author sweeps away lingering myths and misconceptions to show how this celebration day was born and grew to be an essential part of our national spirit.

Curtin, Kathleen, and Sandra L. Oliver. Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving Recipes and History, from Pilgrims to Pumpkin Pie. New York: Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2005.

This book explores the delicious, fascinating history of Thanksgiving, complete with trivia, recipes, and an amazing collection of archival imagery of the holiday's history.

We also have a few non-traditional choices as well...

Westhoff, Patrick C. The Economics of Food: How Feeding and Fueling the Planet Affects Food Prices. Upper Saddle River, N.J: FT Press, 2010.

What are the hidden relationships between the food on your plate and the gas in your car? Will economic recovery lead directly to massive inflation in both food and energy? What do food prices have to do with world hunger? Find out here!

Wissing, Douglas A. Indiana: One Pint at a Time : a Traveler's Guide to Indiana Breweries. Indianapolis: Indiana Historical Society Press, 2010.

This year, Doug spoke on the VU campus about his experiences in Afghanistan. Here's his newest book about something completely different! A travel guide to our craft breweries, interweaving their stories with Indiana architecture, ethnicity, and regional specificity, connecting the dynamics of today with the luster of the past.

We want you to be safe too... so here's a link to Let's Talk Turkey—A Consumer Guide to Safely Roasting a Turkey: Every facet of getting a turkey from the store to the dinner table is included—buying fresh vs. frozen, safe thawing methods, stuffing, roasting, storing leftover turkey and reheating the leftovers.

We also want you to impress your family and friends... especially that know-it-all-uncle!

Thanksgiving Facts and Statistics  – Last year, the major pumpkin-producing states brought us 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins. Read more Thanksgiving fun facts from the Census Bureau.

and here's a lesson with some "real world" use: Turkey Carving 101.



We also want you to be healthy during the holiday... Check out PubMed articles about the effects of the holidays on our health:

Hull HR, Hester CN, Fields DA. The effect of the holiday season on body weight and composition in college students. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2006;3:44. doi: 10.1186/1743-7075-3-44.

If you're staying on campus... don't despair!

VU Campus Thanksgiving Dinner -Harrison Hall Basement. 11am-1pm November 25th. Eat Thanksgiving Lunch with CCF! They would like to send a warm invitation out for RA's, Campus Police, International Students, VU Maintenance & VU faculty/staff. Join them for a great meal on campus! The meal is fully provided and completely free!Sponsored by Christian Campus Fellowship (882-1261).

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Source: Title Quote by Kevin James

Monday, November 15, 2010

I'm looking over your shoulder... only because I've got your back.

Meet our new librarian!

She's new! Well.. kinda new... since August new... Whatever, you should meet her!
Name: Ariela Berstein

Job title: Information Services Librarian

Location in Shake Library: Shake Library Room 117, the Reference desk, wandering the Computer Commons,  fighting the vending machine.

Tell us what you do in 75 words or less: I deal with electronic databases & make sure they work. I buy materials [books, dvds etc.] for the Business/Public Services and Technology divisions. I go into classes & show students our resources & how to get an A on an assignment. I do website maintenance, beta testing, & I run our Facebook page too [Like us!]. I also work on the reference desk answering people’s questions in person, on the phone, via chat or email.
Choose one service that your department provides that you want the VU community to be aware of: Group study rooms! We have two nice study rooms you can check out for 4 hours. They’re great for groupwork or when you need to practice a presentation.

What is your favorite website? www.thedoghousediaries.com . I love these comics! They are hilarious and I eagerly anticipate their musings on all manner of things: From color swatches to their commentary on the love life of sandwiches
.
What is your favorite book in the Shake Library collection? Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (C527g, 1st floor -fiction) has been a favorite for a number of years. I love the mix of history, art and mystery. I also love movies and music and I’m really excited about two new books we got at the library. Sondheim on music: minor details and major decisions by Mark Eden Horowitz. (782.14 S698h 2010) and Complete guide to film scoring: the art and business of writing music for movies and TV by Richard Davis (781.542 D263c 2010). The second looks at the history of film scores, how the process works, and also has interviews with some of the most amazing composers today.

When I'm not at work, you can find me... Stuffing my face, planning vacations (5 continents and counting!), on ColbertNation, donating via Kiva, or teaching myself to play guitar.
One thing few people know about you… I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Title Source: the Colbert Report.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Smart Investing (AKA stuff they don't teach you in school, but that you'll use everyday)


Today's post is all about real life. Sure you have a paper to write, but once it's turned in are your really going to talk about interracial adoption again? Maybe, maybe not. What I 100% guarantee is that you will have to deal with your money. Not just getting it out of an ATM, or deciding how much to spend on your new honey's Christmas present. No, I'm talking about how do you save for your spring break trip? How do you budget so you have enough money at the end of the month? How do you make sure you have some savings for an emergency bus ride home?

Well, there are a lot of tools to help you learn more about smart investing. These tools are geared towards you and they help you learn and plan in fun interactive ways. So without further ado here they are:

Are you female? If you are, you should check out LearnVest. Aimed at women, this website will help you achieve maximum financial health through its dynamic Checklists, fun “bite-size” daily newsletter (takes 2 minutes to read), and straightforward, easy-to-read content. You can take their boot-camp series or you can just use their calculators and tools. They send you really useful tips on decorating, traveling and banking efficiently while on a budget. I like that they don't fill up your inbox and that they keep everything simple. 

Are you in the military? If you are, you know that financial preparedness is a key component of military readiness. FINRA developed SaveAndInvest.org as a financial education program to improve the saving and investing knowledge of military service members. Here you will find an online resource center that serves as a centralized, trusted source for unbiased information on saving and investing, including original content, interactive tools/games, links to financial education resources, frequently asked questions, and more. These resources are aimed at military personnel that are deployed and at home.

FINRA or The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States. FINRA’s mission is to protect America’s investors by making sure the securities industry operates fairly and honestly. They have extensive information for investors in easy to follow formats geared towards everyone (men, women, young, old). Here you will find information on how to protect yourself from scams, as well as calculators to help you save for college, big purchases and retirement. You'll also find lots of information on how to choose a banker or financial advisor too.

But wait! Don't forget you can also find lots of great resources at Shake Library. Titles like:


Making the most of your money now : the classic bestseller by Jane Bryant Quinn. [Call # 332.024 Q7m 2010]


New Money book of personal finance : saving, planning, investing, and borrowing-- all the information you need in one easy-to-follow guide edited by Sheryl Hilliard Tucker and the editors of Money magazine. [Call # 332.024 N532m 2002]


AARP retirement survival guide : how to make smart financial decisions in good times and bad by Julie Jason. [Call #332.024 J39a 2009]

Busy family's guide to money by Sandra Block, Kathy Chu & John Waggoner. [Ebook]

Bridal bargains : secrets to throwing a fantastic wedding on a realistic budget by Denise & Alan Fields. [Call # 395.22 F461b 2009]

Lastly, hopefully you will learn lots about credit and how to protect yourself by checking your Credit Report. Don't be fooled by gimmicks on TV. You can get this information for free. Here is a video from the Federal Trade Commission to set the record straight.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Voting Resources: or Educate Yourself With Interactive Inforgraphic Fun

Election Day (November 2nd) is around the corner! Still trying to make up your mind? Here are some resources available online and in the library.

Vote Easy is an interactive website that helps you figure out which candidate best aligns with your values. It's a very useful tool with the election coming up next week. After you choose your location, the VoteEasy site looks up the candidates specific to your area.  By entering your opinions on 12 critical issues and how important each issue is to you, the site shows you which candidates most closely match your beliefs.  Some candidates have submitted their answers, and the rest are inferred from the public records. The site is designed by Project Vote Smart.

Can I Vote? - Run by the National Association of Secretaries of State, Can I Vote contains state-by-state voting and voter registration information including polling places, and absentee voting.

FactCheck.org - A nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

Rock The Vote - Rock the Vote has combines efforts from those in the entertainment community with youth activities to encourage young people to be involved in the political process.

and just for fun:
The Living Room Candidate - This site is operated by the American Museum of the Moving Image and provides an archive of historical Presidential television ad campaigns.
Want to learn more? Check out VU Webcat for some books on voting and its trends and history!
  • Connery, Michael. Youth to Power: How Today's Young Voters Are Building Tomorrow's Progressive Majority. Brooklyn, N.Y: Ig Pub, 2008. [Shake Library Call Number: 324.973 C752y 2008]
  • McCaffrey, Paul. U.S. Election System. The reference shelf, v. 76, no. 4. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2004. [Shake Library Call Number: 324 U58e 2004]
  • Percy, Herma. Will Your Vote Count?: Fixing America's Broken Electoral System. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2009. [Shake Library Call Number: 324.6 P431w 2009]
  • Thernstrom, Abigail M. Voting Rights-and Wrongs: The Elusive Quest for Racially Fair Elections. Washington, D.C: AEI Press, 2009. [Shake Library Call Number: 324.62 T411v 2009]