Northern Maine Community College Library Blog

Recent PEW Report

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:56:00 +0000

College Enrollment Hits All-Time High, Fueled by Community College Surge

Read report here.

Ghost Stories

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:29:00 +0000

Nothing like a good ghost story. Stop by the library on Thursday, October 29th at 1:00 to hear some Aroostook county ghost stories read by NMCC English instructor Jen Graham.

Read the Bangor Daily News story.

Are they talking about you?

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:22:00 +0000

You might be interested in the following study by ECAR on undergraduate students and information technology. Many of you will clearly see yourself in this study, others might be interested in learning more about new technologies.

At the library, we are always interested in finding news ways for students to access information they need in the most efficient way.

Stop by the library and let us show you some ways you can make school life easier by learning
and using technology to find and access the information you need.

Read the report here.

ECAR
EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research

Since 2004, the annual ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology has sought to shed light on how information technology affects the college experience. We ask students about the technology they own and how they use it in and out of their academic world. We gather information about how skilled students believe they are with technologies; how they perceive technology is affecting their learning experience; and their preferences for IT in courses. The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2009 is a longitudinal extension of the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 studies. It is based on quantitative data from a spring 2009 survey of 30,616 freshmen and seniors at 103 four-year institutions and students at 12 two-year institutions; student focus groups that included input from 62 students at 4 institutions; and review of qualitative data from written responses to open-ended questions. In addition to studying student ownership, experience, behaviors, preferences, and skills with respect to information technologies, the 2009 study also includes a special focus on student ownership and use of Internet-capable handheld devices.

Maine Humanities Reading Council Series Continues

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:05:00 +0000

The Maine Humanities Reading Council Series continues.

Two talks left in our series: Maine Wilderness: Defining Maine.

Join us on Tuesday, October 20th at noon. Forester, Tim Scott will give a presentation and lead a discussion on Campfires Rekindled by George S. Kephart.

Final presentation in the series is scheduled for Monday, November 9th at noon. NMCC instructor, Jan Grieco will lead discussion on We Took to the Woods by Louise Dickinson Rich.

Stop by and visit our Maine Collection and learn more about the area where you live.

Come talk to us

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Next time you visit a library, stop and ask a librarian for help. Many seem to just come in and look around and leave. Would you go to a store and leave without getting what you wanted? Of course not. Then why come to the library and leave without getting what you need?

We try to ask everyone if they need help or if they are finding what they need, but sometimes we may just miss you. So, don't be shy. Come talk to us.

We really are interested in your research topic and we can direct you to great sources of information. Finding good information is a great start in writing your papers. Spend some time with a librarian and let us help you.

We think you'll be impressed with the results and we know that your instructor will be impressed with the information you have found.

Finding good information is the first start of any research project. Once you have your topic, come on in and talk with a librarian. You'll be glad that you did.

Maine Libraries Snapshot Day

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 11:18:00 +0000

All libraries throughout Maine collected statistics, photos, and library stories on one day (September 30, 2009) and submitted the information to the Maine State Library. This one day snapshot is intended to show the value of libraries and how people use libraries every day for a variety of reasons.

Want to see some amazing photos of libraries throughout Maine? Take a look here:
http://www.maine.gov/msl/snapshot/index.html

Can you spot the NMCC library?

Statistics to follow.

College Advice From People Who Have Been There

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:51:00 +0000

From the New York Times:

College Advice From People Who Have Been There

http://tinyurl.com/m6bbba

Starting College Words of Wisdom:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/opinion/l13college.html

NMCC From the Air

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:33:00 +0000

Our thanks to Capt. Ray Burby and the Civil Air Patrol for sending a copy of this wonderful photo they took on September 12th while up in the air.

The photo was taken on Saturday morning, September 12, 2009, around 9:20 am and from 4500 feet in the air.

If you look to the left of the photo, you'll see the library!

Photo is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without the owner's permission.
Photo credit: Captain Ray Burby and the Civil Air Patrol

Native Cultures Books

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 11:15:00 +0000

We just added some wonderful new books on Maine Native Cultures. Stop by the library and look through our Maine Collection.

In the meantime, you can read about Wabanaki Ethnography free online here:

http://www.nps.gov/acad/historyculture/ethnography.htm

We are also in the process of planning an event for November--Native American Month.
We would welcome your input. Look for information sometime in October.

Fall Winter Expo 2009 and Passport Information

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 23:26:00 +0000

Join us at the Fall Winter Expo 2009 in the Forum in Presque Isle on Saturday Sept 26th from 10-6 and Sunday, Sept. 27th from 10-4.

The Mark & Emily Turner Library and the NMCC Library will be sponsoring a passport booth. Stop by and pick up an application, get your questions answered, or apply on the spot.

Don't keep putting off getting your passport card. It's easier than you think.

We'll be raffling off a great gift basket with plenty of treats and a $25 gas card.

Bangor Metro Magazine

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:42:00 +0000

Check out page ten of the September issue of Bangor Metro. There you'll find a photo of NMCC's Wind Technology Instructor Wayne Kilcollins atop a wind turbine. If you don't like heights, the photo just might make you a bit dizzy.

Learn more about NMCC's new Wind Power Technology program by visiting our webpage or contacting the admissions office.

Don't have your own copy of Bangor Metro? Stop by the library to read our copy.

Book Signing September 15th from 11-1

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Come and meet Jim Carter, author of Six Decades of Wildcat Basketball: A History of Boys and Girls Basketball Presque Isle High School 1950-2009.

Jim will be signing copies of his new book ($22 +tax) and will be happy to talk sports with anyone who stops by.

For additional information, click here.

Thoreau Sept 14th at 6pm

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:29:00 +0000

Join us in the library at 6 pm on September 14th for a talk on Thoreau.
As part of the reading series sponsored by the Maine Humanities Council, David Raymond will give an entertaining lecture on Thoreau.

The series is entitled: Maine Wilderness: Defining Maine.
Click here for additional information about the series.

To learn more, visit NMCC webpage and click on reading series link or contact Gail Roy at 768-2718 or groy@nmcc.edu

Book Signing September 9th

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:22:00 +0000

Join us in the library on September 9th from 11 -1 for a book signing by author, Wendy Koenig. Wendy's recent book of poetry, Lions in the Closet, is a book which deals with the strength within women. The book features cover artwork by Heather Nunez. The book also features art by Koenig, as well as by Shelby Wilcox, Jason Grass, Tammy Bragdon, Carol Ayoob and Carola Ertel.

Wendy is a graduate of the University of Maine Presque Isle and has garnered national awards for several of her science fiction pieces. Titles of her other books are: Under the Twin Suns, One to Lose, and her first poetry book These Burning Stones. She also co-authored Breathe Vol. 1.

Hope to see you there!

The Maine Woods

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:06:00 +0000

First meeting in the reading series will be held on Monday, September 14th at 6 pm in the E. Perrin Edmunds library at NMCC.

NMCC Humanities Instructor, Mr. David Raymond will give a talk on Thoreau. Discussion about the book will follow.

Please contact Gail Roy at groy@nmcc.edu or at 768-2734 for additional information.

Copies of the books in this reading series are available for loan through the library.

Defining Wilderness: Defining Maine

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Join us the fall for a Maine Humanities Council Let's Talk About It Reading Series in the library.

The series title is Defining Wilderness: Defining Maine. The series examines Maine wilderness and looks at how various people have experienced it and written about it over time.

Books in the series:

The Maine Woods / Henry David Thoreau, The Wilderness at Chamberlian Farm: A Story of Hope for the American Wild / Dean Bennett, Fly Rod Crosby: The Woman who Marketed Maine / Julia A. Hunter, Campfires Rekindled / George Kephart, We Took to the Woods / Louise Dickinson Rich.

Where on Campus?

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:44:00 +0000

Can you identify this spot on campus?

Quiet spots on campus

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:30:00 +0000

Need to find a quiet place on campus to study? You can always start with the library. It is sunny, comfortable, pleasant, and a great place to study and do your research. Empty classrooms are another great place to go. Schedules are usually posted on the door so you'll know when the room is empty. The Academic Success Center has private study rooms you can reserve and is a wonderful place to go for tutoring help.

In the nice weather, we have outdoor seating, the gazebo and lots of grassy areas around campus to sit and relax.

If you don't mind a little noise, check out the space near the bookstore and you can always sit in the dining commons and do a little studying while eating.

There are also nice little hidden areas in buildings on campus where you'll find a couch or some chairs tucked away in a nice little corner or in the hallways.

Newspaper Donation to College

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 18:44:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, 93-year-old Harold Quass of Presque Isle was cleaning out a closet in his Maple Street home when he came across a cardboard box with a typewritten index card neatly labeled “keepsake newspapers.” It was a box packaged by his late wife Dorothy before her death in January 2002, and enclosed was a collection of two dozen well-preserved newspapers from key moments in U.S. history dating back to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

“I didn’t know she (Dorothy) was collecting these newspapers and certainly didn’t know the box was in the back corner of the closet all these years. When I first came across it, I thought ‘there is some junk that should go to the dump’, but when I looked at the label and realized there was something of value inside, I knew I couldn’t throw it away,” said Quass.

Instead, Quass knew immediately where the papers belonged – Northern Maine Community College – a place where they would be preserved and available for future generations to appreciate, and a place he knew well and thought highly of from his more than two decades as a faculty member in the automotive technology program. In fact, Quass was the second-ever instructor hired by then Northeastern Maine Vocational Institute when the college first opened its doors to students in 1963.

“I’ve got a great love for this place and it was the first place I thought of when I realized what I had found,” said Quass in presenting the collection to Gail Roy, who serves as NMCC’s assistant dean of learning resources. “The events chronicled in these newspapers in my lifetime unfolded while I was here at the college. I remember a student coming into my classroom to tell me that the President (Kennedy) had been shot.” Indeed the collection of papers, which extend from November 23, 1963 through November 7, 1984, begin with Bangor Daily News editions covering the assassination of Kennedy and the immediate aftermath, including the BDN edition featuring the famous photo of Jack Ruby shooting Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald on the cover.

In addition to the original and full editions of the Bangor Daily News, some of the other papers in the collection chronicling the major news events are the Maine Sunday Telegram and the Boston Sunday Globe. Included are the June 6, 7, 8 and 9, 1968 editions which detail the shooting death of Robert F. Kennedy and the events that followed; the June 21, 1969 special edition of the BDN previewing the Apollo Moon Landing, which was remembered this summer on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the event; July, August and September 1974 papers reporting the impeachment and resignation of President Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford becoming the nation’s 38th President, as well as his pardon of Nixon; and the January 21, 1981 edition with the frontpage headline “Hostages Freed”, at the end of the Iran Hostage crisis, which culminated
at the same time President Ronald Reagan was inaugurated.

“NMCC is delighted to receive this donation for our library’s archives. The newspapers will be used by students conducting research, put on display in the library for special events throughout the year, and will be available for use by anyone in the community wishing to review them,” said Roy. “The historical information and photos in these newspapers are valuable research resources. We are very grateful that Mr. Quass thought of contacting the college and appreciate his generous donation.”

Quass, who served on the faculty at NMCC between 1963 and 1985, is a native of Independence, Iowa and first came to Presque Isle in January of 1942, when he joined the military and was assigned to the Presque Isle Army Air Base. At that time, Quass recalls, the base was being built and other than the runways and a few buildings there wasn’t much to the site.

“I was assigned to snowplowing duty to keep the runways clear of snow,” said Quass. “It wasn’t long before I let folks know about my work as a mechanic in Iowa, and I was reassigned to the vehicle maintenance shop.” Quass spent three years at the PIAAB and during that time met and married the former Dorothy King of Presque Isle. After brief stints in Gander, Newfoundland, where he was assigned prior to being discharged from the military, and a short period with
Dorothy back in his home state of Iowa, the couple permanently located in Presque Isle.

After working as a mechanic for just over 15 years, Quass was hired by Keith Thompson, the very first principal (now president) of NMCC to teach as an auto mechanics instructor. It was during his 22 years at the college that his wife Dorothy, unbeknownst to him, was collecting the keepsake newspapers. “She was the kind of person who would hold on to things. She never threw
anything away,” said Quass of his late wife, who served as Presque Isle’s city clerk for a number of years. “I am pleased that the students at NMCC and the local community will benefit from her foresight.”

Library of Congress on Flickr

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:51:00 +0000

Visit the Library of Congress Flickr Historic Photos Pilot Project:

LC on Flickr

See a sample of the wonderful photos in their collection.

From the Library of Congress Flickr page:

"The Library of Congress invites you to explore history visually by looking at interesting photos from our collections. Please add tags and comments, too! More words are needed to help more people find and use these pictures.

By way of background, Library of Congress staff often make digital versions of our popular image collections available online as quickly as possible by relying primarily on the identifying information that came with the original photos. That text can be incomplete and is even inaccurate at times. We welcome your contribution of names, descriptions, locations, tags, and also your general reactions.

The Library’s Prints and Photographs Division houses some 14 million items, ranging from historical photographs and architectural drawings to advertising labels and posters from all over the world. You can find more than one million pictures among the digitized collections in the Prints and Photographs Online Catalog at the Library of Congress Web site. You might also enjoy the special presentations of photos also appear in American Memory and Exhibitions.

For more information or to ask a question about the sets of photos in flickr, please visit the Prints and Photographs Reading Room home page."

NMCC Graduation Photos

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:34:00 +0000

Here are some wonderful photos from graduation.

A few campus photos

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Also recently donated to the library

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:05:00 +0000

We just received a wonderful stuffed Cat In The Hat from NMCC instructor Heidi Broad-Smith.
He sits out near the children's books and is there for any child who visits the library.
The adults like having him around too.

Just donated

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Thanks to Rick Flannery for his donation of the book Birds and Wind Farms to the library.
It is a wonderful addition to our collection of books for the Wind Technology program.

The library accepts donations of books and monetary donations in support of our collection.
If you wish to donate a book in honor or memory of someone, please contact Gail Roy at 768-2734 or email.

Weeding a collection

noreply@blogger.com (NMCC Library) — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:15:00 +0000

Annually we do a thorough review of all that sits on the shelves in the library. We look at items to see if they should be pulled due to condition, relevancy, age, etc. The books are either offered to other libraries or put out on our free shelf in the library.

Some works are easy targets for removal. Medical, computer, technology, and other areas where information changes rapidly will need to be updated more often. English literature, history, art, and children's books have a longer staying power.

As we cull the collection this year, I'd like to post a few of my favorite "withdraws" and offer up their replacements.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was in desperate need of replacement. Our 1977 copy of the book (below) is well worn and has been read many many times. The pages are dog-eared and the paper and cover are warped. The cover art is intriguing though and I may just save it for a book display. The newer 50th anniversary edition replacement appears below as well.