Women and Social Movements – March Database of the Month

Women and Social Movements in the United States Scholar’s Edition is a resource for students and scholars of U.S. history and U.S. women’s history. Organized around the history of women in social movements in the U.S. between 1600 and 2000, this collection seeks to advance scholarly debates and understanding about U.S. history generally at the same time that it makes the insights of women’s history accessible to teachers and students at universities, colleges, and high schools.

Engineers, Experience the New IEEE Explore

You may have already noticed that IEEE Xplore, the Institute of Electric and Electronics Engineer’s comprehensive database, has been upgraded.

The new IEEE Xplore is now easier to use and has more value-added features. You will be able to find articles faster with a new search engine and enhanced functionality.

What are the new features?

New interface design — intuitive, easy-to-navigate
New search engine — faster and more robust search results
Faceted search — post-search refinements allow you to narrow or expand your initial search
Personalization — set your preferences, save searchers, create alerts…and more

Visit the new IEEE Xplore at IEEE EXplore: IEEE/IEL Electronic Library.

Peace Week & the Conservative Movement

Week of February 22, 2010

In the News: It’s “Expressions of Peace Week” at Florida Atlantic University. The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet will give a public address on February 24th.

Also In the News: The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, took place in Washington, DC this past week. According to the American Conservative Union website, this “convention for conservative activists” draws about 10,000 attendees each year.

Peace

The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living
By the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler. Riverhead Books, 1998
Call Number: BQ7395 .B774 A78 1998

Building Peace: Practical Reflections from the Field
Edited by Craig Zelizer and Robert A. Rubinstein, 2009
Call Number: JZ5538 .B847 2009

The Contemporary US Peace Movement
By Laura L. Toussaint. Routledge, 2009
Call Number: JZ5584 .U6 T68 2009

Mardi Gras

Week of February 15, 2010

In the News: Mardi Gras is here! There’s more to it than just beads and imbibing. Learn about the Carnivals that are celebrated worldwide, traditionally between Epiphany and the start of Lent.

After the Dance: A Walk through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti
By Edwidge Danticat. Crown Publishers, 2002
Call Number: GT4226 .J33 D35 2002

All on a Mardi Gras Day: Episodes in the History of New Orleans Carnival
By Reid Mitchell. Harvard University Press, 1995
Call Number: PS3552 .R718 F37 1997

Authentic New Orleans: Tourism, Culture, and Race in the Big Easy
By Kevin Fox Gotham. New York University Press, 2007
Call Number: Available online via NetLibrary

Toyota – Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Week of February 8, 2010

In the News: Toyota issues safety recalls, what the company refers to as “Pedal” and “Floor Mat Entrapment,” on over 9 million of its vehicles. Federal investigations have commenced on the best-selling Prius hybrid after problems with its antilock braking system were reported. As a consequence, the top automaker is suffering from the aftereffects: negative PR, lawsuits, and a loss in sales after a halt in production was put in place on some car models.

Also: Top Pentagon officials have called for an end to the 16-year-old federal law, commonly referred to as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. armed forces. Supporters of the repeal include Defense Secretary Robert Gates, former Secretary of State and retired Army General Colin Powell, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen.

Toyota

40 Years, 20 Million Ideas: The Toyota Suggestion System
By Yuzo Yasuda. Productivity Press, 1991
Call Number: HD9710 .J34 T69313 1991 (At Jupiter)

Clean Car Wars: How Honda and Toyota Are Winning the Battle of the Eco-Friendly Autos
By Yozo Hasegawa. John Wiley & Sons, 2008
Call Number: HD9710 .J34 T621745 2008

Collision: GM, Toyota, Volkswagen and the Race to Own the 21^st Century
By Maryann Keller. Doubleday, 1993
Call Number: HD9710 .A2 K45 1993 (At Jupiter)

J.D. Salinger & Howard Zinn

Week of February 1, 2010

News Item: American author Jerome David Salinger (1919-2010), best known for the classic novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951), died of natural causes at his home in Cornish, NH. Historian Howard Zinn (1922-2010), author of the best-selling book A People’s History of the United States (originally published in 1980) and former professor at Boston University and Spelman College, also died this past week of a heart attack. Read their works and see what others have written about them.