CRISIS!

[Disclaimer: The publishing company mentioned in this post and its respective content are fictional.]

Imagine that you have a research paper due in a couple of weeks. You have already done some preliminary research by scanning through a few abstracts online in order to come up with a decent topic. As you look through the abstracts, and maybe a few of the more relevant articles, you are ready to submit your topic. Later, you embark on your quest for relevant research in order to start writing. You’re fully equipped with a computer screen and a cup of coffee. As you read through the articles and abstracts, you begin to develop new ideas and start to think about how you want to construct your argument. This leads to the need for more specific research in a pool of relevant and semi-relevant articles that you have accumulated through a few hours of diligent burrowing through GALILEO and Google Scholar. But wait, you read an abstract that illuminates the figurative light bulb directly above your cranium. There it is…the article that will provide essential support for your main argument. Click. Excitement turns sour when you are redirected to a link to a traditional publishing site: “Welcome to The Far-Too-Expensive Publishers, Inc. website, where we are happy to charge you out the nose in order for you to access scholarly content!” You locate the link to the article that will be the source of the crux of your central argument, and potentially your paper’s salvation, under a muddle of pop-ups that encourage you to sign up for a 30-day trial of the journal for a very “reasonable” fee. You are disappointed to learn that you can purchase the article (and thus, have access to it), for only $43.99. Disgusted, you look click the “Find It” tab below that article in GALILEO to see if the article is available anywhere else in any other journal or database. Negative. You quickly think to use InterLibrary Loan but then realize that there might not be enough time to procure the article before the paper is due.  You try to find an article that is similar, and you find some interesting points that are useful to your research, but are nothing compared to the content in the elusive article shackled with the expensive ball and chain of traditional publishing.
This is but one example of the crisis of scholarly communication. A student denied access to an article for a research paper is bad enough. However, imagine this scenario applied to professionals. For example, if healthcare professionals cannot have access to updated scholarly information pertinent to their field, they cannot do their jobs effectively, and the same goes for any working professionals who conduct research on a regular basis. This affects anyone with any reason for learning, whether it is for professional or personal development.

What can we do about this? Open Access is the answer. Scholarly material that is open access is that which is available to all viewers and users. As opposed to traditional publishing, which charges users for access, open access is free for everyone’s use. This week is Open Access Week! Ask a Librarian today about how you can get involved to promote and support open access on your campus!

Guest Blogger: Charlotte Davis, CSU Student

McNaughton Collection: Featured Book

On July 23, 2011, an extremely remarkable and talented artist passed. On that day family, friends, and fans all around the world mourned the death of Amy Winehouse. In this personal account from her father, Mitch Winehouse, all factors that shaped her rebellious personality and even her distinct look are uncovered.

Her father held nothing back when referring to Amy’s issues with drugs and alcohol. He describes the realities of her dependencies and the toll they took on the family and friends who refused to give up on her. Mitch also cleared up the tabloid rumors about her marriage with Blake Fielder-Civil. He explains that the greatest tragedy was that she had just seemed to be overcoming her demons.

This book is filled with a different perception of Amy Winehouse’s life through photographs and insights to her music, and stories of the real Amy. I feel all fans of Amy Winehouse should read this book. Not only to get an inside look at her life, but also to experience the love between a father and daughter. While her death was, as described by some, “a half-expected tragedy”, it was nevertheless devastating. She was definitely one of the greatest artists of this time.

The McNaughton Collection can be found near the stairs leading to the second floor of the main library. Every month up to 20 new books will be added to the shelves. So if there isn’t anything that catches your attention now, revisit the shelves next month for more interesting titles.


Guest Blogger:  Tiana Chatmon, CSU Student

Vietnam Era Lecture Series Continues



Dr. John Lupold

Vietnam Era Lecture Series Continues
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
12:30 p.m.
1st Floor Forum Area
Schwob Memorial Library (Main Campus Library)

Dr. John Lupold, Professor Emeritus of History at Columbus State University, will present, “The Way We Were: Columbus during the Vietnam War” on Tuesday, October 16th, at 12:30 p.m. in the Schwob Library on CSU’s main campus. This is the second lecture in a year-long retrospective on the war, “The Vietnam War: Reflections on an Era” presented by the First Year Experience Program at Columbus State. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 12:00 noon.


This lecture will discuss a number of events that occurred in Columbus during the war, including the trial of Lt. William L. Calley, the Orphan Airlift, and the relationship between Fort Benning and the city of Columbus during that time.

Dr. John Lupold’s service at CSU spans 32 years, with seven spent serving as the Chair of the Department of History and Geography before retiring in 2004. He has been recognized for his contributions of service, research and leadership earning the CSU Educator of the Year Award in 1997 and as a recipient of the Georgia Humanities Council Award. His published works includes a biography of Horace King (Bridging Deep South Rivers: The Life and Legend of Horace King) and other works which chronicle and highlight the history of Columbus, Georgia.

Fun and Fright!

There’s something about October that has some students looking for fun and fright. If that sounds like you, be sure to check out the virtual display of seasonal selections from the CSU Libraries: In the Stacks.

You may wish to bookmark the In the Stacks link as the theme is scheduled to change monthly -- http://columbusstate.libguides.com/inthestacks

If you do find yourself afraid of the dark, plan to leave the lights on!

"WoooooOOOoooOOOoWwwwooooOOOOO"

Special thanks to LuMarie Guth, CSU Librarian.

Wow!

All I can say is “Wow!” The Main Campus CSU Libraries launched the Google ChromeBooks in late April. Between May and September 2012, we have seen a spike of 484.5% in the use of laptop computers and Google ChromeBooks combined! We expected an increase in student use during the library renovations in August. However, between August and September 2012, student use of ChromeBooks and laptops increased by roughly 143%! With these numbers, it is difficult to believe that not everyone has tried a Google ChromeBook. In the event you’re one of the few, why not try a ChromeBook today? (I have it from a very reliable source that they are the hottest things around!)

Happy Discovery!
--Simone

Source: CSU Libraries