Citing your sources… helpful tools from the CRC library!

It’s the last two weeks of school, and you are probably scrambling to finish your final papers and projects! Keep in mind that a crucial part of any research assignment is citing your sources, and the CRC library has tools to help you complete that task!.

Depending on the class you are taking and the preferences of your professor, you might have to create your citations according to MLA style, APA style, Chicago style, etc. As a student, it’s impossible to memorize all of the rules for these styles so the library has the official manuals for each of these citations styles in our Reference collection. Feel free to come by the CRC library to use any of these guides.

In addition to the official rule books for each citation style, the CRC library has created helpful handouts on MLA and APA citation styles. These handouts tell you the basic rules and provide examples for many of the sources you use in your research. You can come by the library to pick up a handout, or you can get your handout directly from the CRC library website. Click HERE to access the Library Handouts and Forms page.  

Finally, if you are having trouble figuring out how to cite your sources even after you look a the manuals or the handouts, come see a CRC librarian. We can help you figure out what type of source you have and which rules to follow.  Feel free to come by the Reference Desk for assistance or Email a Librarian.

Good luck on your finals everyone!

Posted by Emily Bond

Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Week!

This week, you will see Lion Dancing in the Cafeteria, hear Vietnamese Traditional Music, and smell an International Food Fair! These are just a few of the cultural celebrations for Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Week at CRC!. 

During Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage week, you can enjoy amazing cultural events, thoughtful lectures, interesting presentations, and great food! Come out and experience one of the events or exhibits of the week:

•  Opening Ceremony and Cultural Performance (Cafeteria-CAC) Tuesday 11:00am-12:00pm
•  Let’s Go: Asia & Pacific Islands travel experiences (BS-147A) Tuesday 1:00-2:00pm
• Mental Health Issues on Asian-Pacific Islanders (LRC-204) Wednesday 9:00-10:20am
• International Food Fair: (Cafeteria) Wednesday 11:00-2:00pm
• Tinikling: Filipino Traditional Dance/ Kung Fu Demonstration (Cafeteria) Wednesday 11:30-12:00
•  Zither Performance: Vietnamese Traditional Music (P47A) Wednesday 12:00pm-1:00pm
• The Art of Feng Shui (Recital Hall) Wednesday 12:00-1:00pm
• Experiencing Hiroshima (LRC-204) Thursday 9:00am-10:20am
• Asian Food Sale by the CRC Culinary Arts Program (Outside Library) Thursday 11:00am-1:30pm
• Student Leadership Recognition Night (Recital Hall) Thursday 6:30-8:00pm

Also check out these exhibits:

• API Display at the Art Gallery: Showcasing different artifacts of API culture
• Journey from Vietnam (P-47a): CRC students’ written account about their family’s journey to the U.S.
• Library Display (Main Library): Books and artifacts highlighting the culture and history of Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Don’t miss an exciting week full of food, cultural activities, and fun!

-Posted by Emily Bond

Celebrate Earth Week!

It’s Earth Week! And it’s time to celebrate the earth we live in and love. All week CRC faculty, staff and students will be considering our impact on the earth through a series of films, lectures, activities and displays.

During Earth Week, you are challenged to  Think, Change,  and Act!  I encourage each of you to think about the impact you have on the earth through your choices such as the foods you eat, the electricity you use, the products you buy. Change a habit and make  a difference for the future. Act now to protect the earth’s resources and to improve our future. If you are looking for real tips to change your habits, take a look at CRC’s Green Scene, a publication dedicated to CRC’s sustainability efforts both on and off campus.

Check out one of these Earth Week activities:

• Tuesday: Lecture and Film- ”The Kayapo: Indians of the Brazilian Rainforest” by Anastasia Panagakos (1:30-2:50 in LRC 104)
• Wednesday: Film- “Buyer be Fair” (2:30-4:00 in CAC 230)
• Thursday activities on the Quad (10:00am-1:00pm) Children’s Storytelling; Essay on Eco-criticism; Socratic discussion on Environmental Ethics; and myths, stories, and fables celebrating Mother Earth.
• Thursday Displays on the Quad: Greenforce Technology, educational displays by students, try solar cooked foods, and more!!
• Friday: Film-”Pirate for the Sea” (12:00-1:45 in CAC 230)

Also, come by the CRC library to see the Earth Week book display with books on recycling, green building, sustainable technology and more!

Enjoy Earth Week everyone!

-Posted by Emily Bond

National Library Week!

Do you love your library? Well, National Library Week is time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide!. Your campus and public librarians and library staff members work hard to help our community thrive and to offer great services that help you improve your life.

We believe that students and scholars should have free access to information, and so we work hard to select useful books, to connect you to up-to-date information sources, and to provide services that make your life more convenient!

Here are some things that you can do in honor of National Library Week!

• Read a book! Come by the CRC Library and take a look at our New Books for something fun to read!
• Come by the CRC Library and check  our Earth Day sustainability book display!
• Check out the Sacramento Public Library’s events calendar to find a fund activity! You could read to a dog (seriously), enjoy storytime with your kids, participate in a writer’s workshop, learn about being a first-time homebuyer and more!
• Bring a flower or some cookies to your favorite librarian! (Ok, I’m just kidding- but if you appreciate a library staff member, tell them about it!)

Whatever you do this week, remember that your library is working hard to help you succeed!

-Posted by Emily Bond

Easy to use E-Books!

 Easy to use E-Books!

     The Los Rios Libraries provide you with access to thousands of E-Books . These E-Books are easy to use through the Library Catalog or Online Research Databases.  You have convenient access to the library’s collection of electronic books 24 hours seven days a week.  You can read an E-Book with Internet access at the library or from home with your student identification number and password.   Click HERE to see a video on using E-Books!

What is an E-Book 

     An E-Book is an electronic book just like a “regular” book with chapters and a table of contents, but you can read it online! 

How to Find E-Books 

     Finding E-Books in the Los Rios Library Catalog is easy.  Find an E-Book title by searching the  Library Catalog .   Each E-Book is clearly marked by the location (Online E-Book), and the icon (Just look for the book, with a green computer screen and the word E-Book).         

You can also find E-Books the library’s Research Databases with NetLibrary and the ACLS Humanities E-Book Project!  

Reading E-Books Online at home 

     Reading E-Books on your home computer is easy to do.  Once you find an E-Book in the Library Catalog, select the “View E-Book” link, and you will be prompted to enter your student identification number and password in the Research Databases: Login for Off-Campus Access screen.   Select the E-Book you want to read and you can instantly read the book online!  

Note: If you try to access an E-Book and it isn’t available, check back later. Only one person can view the E-Book at a time. 

It is as easy as that!  If you need additional help using E-Books, please ask your librarian!

-Posted by Caroline Harker

That’s the sound of the police…!

No this is not an advertisement for Cop Out or an homage to KRS-One, today we’re talking about what could happen if you fail to return a library book. OK, just to reassure you the CRC library is not going to have you arrested for not returning library books, but some libraries across the country are resorting to extreme measures like this.

On March 11th, ABC News ran a story about libraries across the country who are seeking legal action to recover overdue library books and fines. You may be thinking to yourself, “Whaaat?!!- that’s crazy”, and that was my first reaction too.  There are a lot more important things for our police officers and court systems to be dealing with.

But what is the bottom line issue here?

Books that are not returned to the library = $$ lost for the library and resources lost for YOU to use!

Libraries often spend thousands of dollars each year replacing items which are checked out and never returned. Yes, they charge overdue fines to patrons, but some patrons just ignore the fines and never pay. In addition to the monetary loss, other patrons miss out when books aren’t returned on time. Think about it, it’s disappointing when you need a book for your class or for your research paper, but someone else has it checked out and didn’t return it on time. Overdue books make life harder on you!

What are the penalties at CRC for not returning library books? Well, if your library books are late, you are charged the following fines:

Circulating Collection:

3 week Circulating item ……..	$0.50 per day (maximum of $20.00 per item)
1 week Circulating item ……..	$1.00 per day (maximum of $20.00 per item)
1 week Circulating DVD/Video .	$2.00 per day (maximum of $25.00 per item)

Reserve Material:

2-hour Reserve ……	$0.50 per hour (max of $50.00 per item)
1-day Reserve ……	$1.00 per day (maximum of $25.00 per item)
3-day Reserve ……	$1.00 per day (maximum of $25.00 per item)
1-week Reserve …..	$1.00 per day (maximum of $25.00 per item)

What other penalties apply? If you don’t pay library fees you won’t be able to check out books, and you may even be blocked from registering from classes.

Why does the library charge overdue fines? Well, books that are never returned or are returned late have a negative effect on YOU, the student. If we have to spend money replacing materials, less money is spent on buying new up-to-date materials. If the book isn’t returned on time, other students miss out on the opportunity to use it. All in all, it doesn’t pay to return your books late.

So what’s the moral of the story here?

Return your library books and nobody gets hurt! =)

 

Posted by Emily Bond

March Now for Your Educational Future!

With increasing fees, cuts to course offerings, and limitations on services at community colleges and universities state-wide, students are concerned about their educational futures; and this coming Monday, March 22nd they are standing up and marching to the capitol!.

As you have probably seen in the news or perhaps experienced first-hand, budget cuts have forced many educational institutions in California to make tough decisions on cutting classes, limiting enrollment, instating furloughs, and more. What does this mean to your educational future?

Well, more students are competing to get in to courses both at the university and community college levels. Some schools are limiting enrollment which makes it challenging to transfer to the four-year school that you were planning on. In some cases the courses, programs, and student services that you need are being cut drastically as institutions attempt to deal with the challenging financial times.  If you aren’t happy with the situation, get involved to support your educational future.

If you want to learn more about the March in March, click HERE to view the Student Senate for California Community Colleges website. If you are interested in marching, contact the Student Development office to find out about the group from CRC who will be attending the march or just come out to Raley Field on Monday morning at about 8 or 9am and look for the Los Rios Community College banner. Wear orange to represent your school.

If you can’t make it to the march on Monday, I still encourage you to take a look at the website listed above for more information on how you can take a stand for your education!

Posted by Emily Bond

Women’s History Month!

It’s Women’s History Month, a time to consider the accomplishments and contributions of women in our society, and all month long we have been celebrating WHM across the CRC campus! Hopefully, you have had the opportunity to enjoy some of the Women’s History Month presentations from the past couple of weeks, but, if not, there are still a few more things to check out.

Come to the CRC library to see the Women’s History Month book display, which features a variety of books on the experiences of women in our society throughout history. We couldn’t possibly fit all of the books on women in history on one table, so come talk to a librarian if there is a person or topic you would like to know more about. Also, check out the quick facts on women posted by the display.

Next Wednesday there is an Exploring Global Culture film showing of these titles, “Persepolis/The Day I Became a Women/The Apple: Iranian Women Filmmakers.” This showing will be held from 12-1:20pm in L111.  

Whatever way you choose to celebrate Women’s History Month, take a moment to consider the women who have impacted your life and who have shaped US history.

Posted by Emily Bond

Library Tip of the Day: Online Encyclopedias!

Do you need quick and basic information on a topic? Has your instructor asked that you not use Wikipedia?  Where are you supposed to go for information? Well- through the library you have access to some great Online Encyclopedias that can give you what you need!.

Encyclopedias provide you with quick overviews of topics without all the muss and fuss of looking through an entire book or scrolling through pages and pages of websites. Through encyclopedias you can generally find helpful facts like WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and WHEN. You can also often find related entries which help you expand your search and jumpstart your research for a paper or project. Here are a few of the online encyclopedias available through the CRC library.

Encyclopedia Britannica (with Merriam Webster Dictionary entries and a directory of related websites).  Find brief entries, definitions, quick facts, related websites and more through this online encyclopedia!

Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia: This encyclopedia not only has tons of information, but it’s also easy to search, print, email, and even cite your sources from this database!

Oxford Reference Online Premium: Not only do you have access to encyclopedias (several of them), but also you can easily access a dictionary, thesaurus, timelines for history, maps, quotations, and more!

You can access all of these encyclopedias by selecting the “Find Articles with Research Databases” link on the CRC Library website. Then select the Reference and Statistics section. From there select the encyclopedia you would like to use. You will be prompted to sign in with your student ID and unified password (the same password you use for eServices).

Remember in addition to all of the great, convenient online encyclopedias, the CRC library also has tons of great printed encyclopedias in our collection. Come by the library and check out our Reference collection. Don’t forget to ask librarian if you need help!

Happy searching everyone!

Posted by Emily Bond

Take a study break, support the Theatre Arts & Music departments, and have fun!

One of the great things about being on a college campus is the wide variety of events going on all the time, and right now you have the opportunity to see a great play put on by our Theatre Arts and Music Departments: The Little Shop of Horrors!. Take a break from studying, researching, and writing papers to have a fun and relaxing afternoon or evening. This play combines humor and music for an enjoyable experience.

The Little Shop of Horrors will be playing in the Black Box theater through March 14th. Click HERE to find showtimes, ticket prices, and more information about this wonderful production!

Posted by Emily Bond