Friday, September 29, 2006

Celebrate Freedom - Read a Banned Book Today!



This is Banned Books Week (Sept. 23-30). What better way to celebrate than to dip into a scientific treatise that was denounced and banned by the Roman Catholic Church, yet revolutionized human understanding and paved the way for modern astronomy? On the new book shelf now:
Dialogues concerning two new sciences / by Galileo Galilei ; edited, with commentary, by Stephen Hawking. Hawking's initial commentary is a quick and fascinating read, and provides the social context and historical perspective for Galilei's work.

This title is part of On the Shoulders of Giants, which also includes the works of Copernicus, Einstein, Kepler and Newton.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Massive Star Forms by Absorption, Not Collison


From Scientific American science news September 27, 2006:

"Astronomers have captured the strongest evidence yet that the growth of high-mass stars occurs by the rapid absorption of hot gas and not by the collision of several smaller stars. Researchers observed a young high-mass star that seems to be pulling in a rotating disk of gas and spraying some of that gas outward in jets, as modeling predicts." Read more at Scientific American.com
Image: M. BELTRÁN AND L. CARBONARO

Two relatively new books in the library provide background information:
From Dust to Stars by Norbert Shulz
and The Origin of Stars by Michael D. Smith. Read all about it!

Friday, September 22, 2006

Women in Academic Science Face Discrimination

From Science News of the Week

U.S. universities foster "a culture that fundamentally discriminates against women," says a new report by the National Academies on the status of women in academic science and engineering. Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering cites research demonstrating that women are paid less, promoted more slowly, bypassed for honors, and subjected to implicit gender bias from both their male and female colleagues. (Read more.)



A new book in the library might help women address those inequities: Success Strategies for Women in Science - a Portable Mentor. Edited by Peggy A. Pritchard, it was received Sept. 18 and is now on the new book shelf.

Also on the new book shelf is a volume of advice for succeeding beyond the academy: Alternative careers in science - leaving the ivory tower / edited by Cynthia Robbins-Roth. There are many other intriguing titles as well. Check out the new book shelf or browse online.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

OhioLINK Welcomes You to a New School Year

We are part of the amazing and bountiful consortium, OhioLINK. All Oberlin students, staff and faculty have access to this fantastic state-wide collection and superb services. This Welcome to Students from OhioLINK tells more!

It's a partnership.
OhioLINK works with Oberlin College Library to provide you with the books, articles, music, multimedia and other information you need to be successful in your studies. Check out the OhioLINK video, brochure (pdf), or news site for more info.

Research at all hours of the day.
Use the library’s Web site or the OhioLINK site anytime, anywhere to access 45 million library books and other items, millions of electronic journal articles, thousands of e-books, hundreds of educational videos and multimedia. Read more about off-campus access.

Jump start your assignment.
Try Quick Search @ OhioLINK to search multiple library databases at the same time. Quick Search will help you quickly find articles, books and other materials that are acceptable for class and research. For more quick tips on finding books and articles, choosing a database or citing a source, visit OhioLINK's tips for students page.

For all sciences, ISI's Science Citation Index is a great place to begin.

Chat with us! Or IM, email... or come to the library (it's a great place to be).
If you need help finding something, getting started with your research, or you have any questions, chat with an OhioLINK librarian online or visit the science library contact us page.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Find a Carrel to Park Your Stuff and Study

Study carrels are available in the science library. Any student is welcome to apply to have a carrel all semester; assignments will be made on September 11 to those who apply between now and then. We'll continue assigning carrels throughout semester, as longs as they are open, but those with the best view of north quad get requested early! More info and application form.