Your Dose of MSG

How truthful are politicians?

2012-02-01T15:42:00.003-05:00

With the current GOP presidential nomination process in full-swing, it seems especially relevant to assess the accuracy of statements made by U.S. politicians and other political figures, such as lobbyists, interest groups and GOP presidential candidates. Websites like PolitiFact.com and FactCheck.org are great resources to use if you want an unbiased analysis of politicians' rhetoric. PolitiFact.com is run by the Tampa Bay Times, and FactCheck.org is sponsored by the Anenberg Public Policy Center. Both are commented to a non-partisan evaluation of the facts.

A great feature of PoliticFact.com is the Truth-O-Meter, in which reporters and journalists from the Tampa Bay Times, fact check statements, and then rate their accuracy on a scale of "pants-on-fire" (liar liar) to "true."

Photos from Game Night

2012-01-31T10:57:00.001-05:00

There are a ton more at our Photobucket account. Thanks to all who came out!

Game Night @ Grafton is tonight!!!

2012-01-27T09:13:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to come to the library tonight (7-11 PM) to support Relay for Life with a $2 donation and...

Play awesome games like Glee Karaoke and Just Dance 2
Enjoy free drinks and food (including popcorn from the Dixie!)
Check out our bake sale
Possibly win a raffle prize
Beat your friends at Corn Hole or Ping Pong
...and more!

Hope to see you there!

Take our survey--chance to win $25 Amazon gift certificate!

2012-01-24T11:09:00.001-05:00

For the next two weeks Grafton Library will be conducting a survey on students' usage (or non-usage) of e-books. The Grafton Library E-book Survey can be found here or on the library homepage.

We appreciate your input! At the end of the survey you can enter your name in a raffle for a $25 Amazon gift certificate.

If you have questions, send them to ask@mbc.edu.

Project Muse has a new look!

2012-01-20T10:08:00.000-05:00

Those of you that use the Project Muse database regularly have probably already noticed the big changes! For those of you that don't know, Project MUSE provides full text, subscription access to current content from scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences.

The main search page looks a bit different than before. You will still use the search box to enter your keywords. You also have more choices in what types of sources to look for. If you only want journal articles, use the drop down menu to make that selection.

Once you complete a search, you'll see that the results page looks a lot different. The results are much larger and easier to read. You can use the limiters on the left hand side to narrow down your results. Use the full-text links to access the articles.

As mentioned above, you might see some book records in your search results. Unfortunately you can't get the full PDFs from Project Muse, so you can check our catalog to see if we own it. If we don't, use interlibrary loan to request it from another library.

Use the "Access" limiter to only see results that we have full-text access to in the Project Muse database.

Good luck, and let us know if you have any questions at ask@mbc.edu.

Game Night is January 27th!

2012-01-18T14:18:00.002-05:00

Which is next Friday! Mark your calendars!

Meet our student workers: Kolbe

2012-01-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

Where are you from?
Henrico, VA

What are you studying?
A little bit of everything

Favorite book?
The Vampire Kisses series

Favorite song?
Magia by Kalafina

Favorite thing about MBC?
It's nice to be able to get to know my teachers and the friends I've made are amazing.

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
Working with books

The Mary Baldwin Freshman-Sophomore Award for Excellence in Library-Based Research

2012-01-13T08:58:00.001-05:00

Freshmen and sophomores--have you written a research paper in the past year? If so, consider applying for the Mary Baldwin Freshman-Sophomore Award for Excellence in Library-Based Research. First prize is $250 and additional prizes may be awarded.

This award encourages the early pursuit of scholarly research and recognizes highly accomplished writing that makes use of library-based resources and services, particularly those provided through Grafton Library (including print and online sources).

At this time of year there are many opportunities for library research--as always, feel free to contact a reference librarian for help with your research by coming to the reference desk or emailing ask@mbc.edu.

For eligibility information and an application please visit: http://www.mbc.edu/grafton/LibraryResearchAward.php

The paper must be (or have been) written between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. This year's deadline is January 31, 2012.

Meet our student workers: Erica

2012-01-11T13:52:00.001-05:00

Where are you from?
Specifically, Henrico County, which is right outside the Richmond city limits

What are you studying?
I have a minor in Asian Studies, but my major is Accounting

Favorite book?
The Nightlife series by Rob Thurman

Favorite song?
Hate You by 2NE1

Favorite thing about MBC?
It's quiet

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
The student workers & staff are great

New television in the Group Study Room

2012-01-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

Need a place to practice presentations? Work on a group project without huddling over one small laptop? Or watch a movie for class as a group? Come to the group study room where we now have a flat-screen television and cords that will connect it to your laptop.

There are some guidelines to follow, which are also posted in the room:

The room is for academic use
The room is NOT soundproof
You can check out a remote from the front desk
The room is first-come, first-serve, unless someone has a reservation
To make a reservation, contact ask@mbc.edu or a staff member

As always, you can also use the room for general studying and group meetings. Let us know if you have any questions!

Study Carrel Sign-up this Monday @ 7:50AM

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

Sign-up for a study carrel this coming Monday, January 9th!
7:50AM in the library.

Update: as of 9:30 Monday morning, there are still a few spots left!

photo credit : sarah_browning

Library closed Dec 22 - Jan 1

2011-12-21T10:24:00.003-05:00

The library will close today at 4:30 pm and will re-open at 8:30 on the morning of January 2. Have a great break!

Winter Break Hours

2011-12-08T14:03:00.001-05:00

Photo credit: Madeleine_

Winter break hours will start on Saturday. We will be closed on the weekends and open from 830 to 430 Monday-Friday.

Call us at 887-7085 or check the Hours page if you have any questions!

Exam week hours

2011-12-02T09:05:00.001-05:00

Photo credit: sobriquet.net

The library will be open extended hours during the first part of exam week:

Sunday, Dec 4: Noon - 2 am
Monday & Tuesday: 8 am - 2 am

You can always check the hours on the library website.

Good luck on exams!

Search Lexis-Nexis on your mobile phone

2011-11-30T10:21:00.001-05:00

We recently added a new article database to our mobile site (go to library.mbc.edu on your mobile phone to view). You can now search Lexis-Nexis for newspaper & magazine articles on your phone!

On the main website you'll find Lexis-Nexis under the Articles tab-- you can also search all the Ebsco databases (including Academic Search Complete), JSTOR, and a few others.

The L-N site is still in beta testing mode so let us know if you have any issues with it at ask@mbc.edu.

Meet our student workers: Simone

2011-11-28T09:55:00.001-05:00

Where are you from?
Baltimore, MD

What are you studying?
Social Work

Favorite book?
Boy Meets Boy

Favorite song?
One More Time by Daft Punk

Favorite thing about MBC?
Small student to teacher ratio

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
Quiet setting, not hectic

Thanksgiving Break hours begin tomorrow

2011-11-21T09:51:00.001-05:00

Photo credit: viamoi

The library will be closing early tomorrow for Thanksgiving Break and will reopen Sunday evening. Our hours will be:

Tuesday, 8 am - 6 pm
Wednesday - Saturday, Closed
Sunday, 4 pm - Midnight

Have a great break!

Deadline for ILL requests this fall is Monday!

2011-11-17T14:06:00.001-05:00

Monday (November 21) will be the last day for undergraduate Interlibrary Loan requests, so if you need non-Grafton resources for your research papers make sure to make your requests before that date!

To request materials through Interlibrary Loan, go here.

Send questions to Sean Crowley at scrowley@mbc.edu.

Get last minute research help!

2011-11-14T08:41:00.001-05:00

Photo credit: alancleaver_2000

Come to one of our 11th Hour Paper Power workshops! Grafton Librarians and tutors from the Writing Center will be there to help you finish up your research papers: bring all your questions about finding sources, citing, and avoiding plagiarism.

The workshops will be held in the Grafton Library Group Study Room (1st floor) on these dates/times:

Monday, November 14th: 6-8 pm
Tuesday, November 15th: 6-8 pm
Wednesday, November 16th: 6-8 pm
Thursday, November 17th: 6-8 pm

You can come in and leave anytime, the door will be open!

Meet our student workers: Kathryn

2011-11-11T09:17:00.001-05:00

Where are you from?
Virginia Beach

What are you studying?
Math

Favorite book?
Alice in Wonderland

Favorite song?
Fairy Tale

Favorite thing about MBC?
Beautiful campus.

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
Being around books.

Attention freshmen & sophomores!

2011-11-09T10:13:00.002-05:00

Have you written a research paper in the past year? If so, consider applying for the Mary Baldwin Freshman-Sophomore Award for Excellence in Library-Based Research. First prize is $250 and additional prizes may be awarded.

For eligibility information and an application please visit: http://www.mbc.edu/grafton/LibraryResearchAward.php

The paper must be (or have been) written between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. This year's deadline is January 31, 2012.

Looking for a computer?

2011-11-07T13:07:00.001-05:00

The computers on the main floor are not your only option! There are also computers on the 1st floor (just go one floor down)...

...and on the Mezzanine floor (in Room 302). Sometimes we have classes in the lab, just check the calendar on the door. All of these computers have printers, so if the main floor computers are occupied, you still have more choices!

Meet our student workers: Bri

2011-10-31T10:32:00.001-04:00

Where are you from?
Woodbridge, VA

What are you studying?
Studio Art

Favorite book?
Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton

Favorite song?
Raise Your Glass by Pink

Favorite thing about MBC?
My friends.

Favorite quote?
"Every yesterday is a dream, every tomorrow is a vision, but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope."

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
Not only learning a lot, but the people I work with & the time to study.

What is interlibrary loan?

2011-10-26T10:16:00.001-04:00

If you need a book or journal article that Grafton Library doesn't own, no need to feel ill about it- use ILL!

ILL (aka Interlibrary Loan) is a service where Grafton Library can borrow books from libraries all over the country and have them sent here for you to use. We can also get journal articles not available in our online databases.

How does this service work?

For books, do a search on your topic or the title of the book you need in WorldCat. WorldCat is an online catalog that connects you with library catalogs from all over the country. Once you find a book you would like to use, choose the ILL button at the top or click "borrow this item from another library."

Books can take anywhere from 4-10 days to arrive at the library depending on how long it has to travel, so begin your research early. Once the book is here, you will received an email informing you it is available. Just stop by the circulation desk and pick it up.

We can also get journal articles not available through our online databases or in our print collection. Some databases such as EBSCO have a convenient ILL form right in the database:

For other databases or articles you find in a citation list, you can use our online request form. In many cases journal articles are emailed directly to you within 3-5 days. Others arrive through the mail and you can pick them up at the circulation desk.

For more information about this service, please visit our ILL page.

Meet our Team Leaders: Ashley

2011-10-21T08:58:00.001-04:00

Where are you from?
Virginia Beach, VA

What are you studying?
Nursing

Favorite book?
The Hobbit

Favorite song?
Too many

Favorite thing about MBC?
It's very small and easy to make friends.

Favorite quote?
"Smile, someone could be falling for you." :)

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
Everyone is very nice and helpful. It is also quiet so you get a lot of work done.

Finding statistics

2011-10-19T14:17:00.001-04:00

Statistics are a great primary resource when you're doing your research. They can almost always be used to improve the authority of your argument. But how do you find them? One place to try is our Finding Statistics research guide.

Some of the sources will be library sources, and some come from free websites on the internet. They are organized by discipline/area (see the orange tabs above).

You can also often find a 'Statistics' tab in the Research Guides by Subjec t.

If you're having problems or just need to ask a question, use the IM chat window on the right side of the screen, or send an email to ask@mbc.edu.

Meet our Team Leaders: Mariah

2011-10-17T10:30:00.000-04:00

Where are you from?
Snow Hill, MD

What are you studying?
French

Favorite book?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Favorite song?
Bring it All Back by S Club 7

Favorite thing about MBC?
The beautiful Shenandoah Valley and all the students. Apple Day!

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
Getting to sit in the tall chair behind the desk.

Fall Break Hours

2011-10-13T11:24:00.004-04:00

Photo credit: Blakkos

It's almost time for Fall Break! Today the library will be closing at 6 pm. Friday we'll be open from 8 am to 4:30 pm, and we are closed Saturday & Sunday.

Enjoy your fall break!

Check out our new FAQ page!

2011-10-11T14:21:00.003-04:00

Visit our FAQ page to get answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the library, doing research, and technology issues in the library.

Use the tabs to search for questions by category. If you don't see your question, send an email to ask@mbc.edu and we will get working on it!

Meet our Team Leaders: Candice

2011-10-06T13:27:00.005-04:00

Where are you from?
Baltimore, Maryland

What are you studying?
History; minors in Anthropology & Art History

Favorite book?
Looking for Alaska by John Green

Favorite song?
Rolling in the Deep by Adele

Favorite thing about MBC?
Apple Day

Favorite quote?
"To understand the future you first must understand the past."

Best thing about working at Grafton Library?
The people.

Happy Apple Day!

2011-10-04T14:21:00.002-04:00

Photo credit: venturout

And yes, the library is open tonight until Midnight, as usual!

Pics from Game Night Fall 2011!

2011-10-03T09:25:00.002-04:00

Game Night @ Grafton Tonight!!!

2011-09-30T09:10:00.002-04:00

The day has finally arrived! Come to Grafton tonight from 7 pm - 11 pm and get your game on. We will have tons of games, including but not limited to:

Just Dance 2
Guitar Hero
Kinect Adventures
Ping Pong
Twister
Cornhole
Mario Cart
Board games
And lots more!

2$ Requested donation to benefit Relay for Life. There will be free snacks and drinks as well as a raffle and bake sale.

We hope to see you tonight!

Friday's hours

2011-09-28T10:52:00.003-04:00

In case you haven't heard, Friday is GAME NIGHT @ GRAFTON which is kind of a big deal around these parts. We will be closing the library at 5 in order to get set up.

As always you can view the library's hours here.

Come to Game Night, from 7 - 11!!!

U.S. National Archives on Flickr

2011-09-26T09:52:00.002-04:00

The Lady and the Tiger, 11/07/1917

Here at Grafton we are always on the lookout for new places to find primary sources. The other day we stumbled upon the U.S. National Archives collection on Flickr. There is a lot of interesting stuff in there!

You can browse images of historical photographs & documents by group or time period. Of course, since this is MBC, we had to take a look at the women's history collection. The picture about came from the Women's Rights folder. A lot of the images are in the public domain, so you can use them without asking the copyright owner for permission.

If you are researching an American History topic, it might be worthwhile to check this out and see if there is anything you can use in your papers or presentations.

Meet our Team Leaders: Alex

2011-09-23T10:24:00.001-04:00

Where are you from? Williamsburg & Staunton, VA

What are you studying? Biology: Biomedical Emphasis; Chemistry Minor

Favorite book? Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Favorite song? AC/DC Back in Black

Favorite thing about MBC? The way it looks in the snow. So pretty.

Favorite quote? "A day without laughter is a day wasted." Charlie Chaplin

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? It's a quiet place to think. And take a nap (off duty, of course).

New Research Guides

2011-09-21T11:15:00.003-04:00

Over the summer we created some new research guides that we hope will be useful to MBC students!

Evaluating Sources: a guide to evaluating print and web resources. Find out what you should be looking for in credible, scholarly sources.
Primary Sources: a guide explaining the difference between primary and secondary sources. Essential information for research!
African-American Studies: a guide to research African-American history and culture. Combines sources in history, literature, art and more.

Take a look and let us know what you think!

Advance praise for Game Night @ Grafton

2011-09-19T14:28:00.000-04:00

"Game night is a great event to de-stress from the classes and assignments- even if you can only stop by for a few minutes you are supporting a good cause, laughing hard and having fun. Do it." --Anaya

Get more information at our Facebook event page.

September 30th, 7 pm - 11 pm. Mark your calendars!

Meet our team leaders: Anaya

2011-09-16T13:35:00.004-04:00

Where are you from? District 11

What are you studying? Agriculture & Production

Favorite book? "Fall of an Empire" -Plutarch Heavensbee

Favorite song? "The Weeping Call"

Favorite thing about MBC? The peacekeepers are very lax here--and we eat much more than at home.

Favorite quote? "Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to...show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games." -Peeta Mellark

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? All the tall stacks of books.

**Editor's Note: this post will be most entertaining to fans of The Hunger Games. Haven't read it yet? Go do that!**

What is ARTstor?

2011-09-14T09:52:00.001-04:00

ARTstor is a digital collection of images in art, architecture, the humanities and the social sciences. You can search the collection by keyword, or you can browse by geography, classification (painting, photography, performing arts, etc.) or collection (Asia Society Collection, Egyptian Art, etc.).

Your results will show up as a group of images, each of which has accompanying information (such as date, work type, and measurements) and terms and conditions of use. Double click on an image to see a larger version, and click on the "i" icon to see information about it. The most interesting feature of ARTstor is the zooming capability--you can zoom in close enough to see the individual brush strokes on a painting!

See tips on printing and saving in ARTstor here.

ARTstor is an amazing resource that you can access via Grafton Library. You can find it in the Art & Art History Research Guide or on the Database list. Give it a try the next time you need access to images!

Meet our team leaders: Alli

2011-09-12T09:54:00.000-04:00

Where are you from? Hampstead, MD

What are you studying? Anthropology/Sociology

Favorite book? Dark Hunters series

Favorite song? "She Just Wants to Dance" by Keb Mo

Favorite thing about MBC? Great friends, small classes, good teachers

Favorite quote? "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." Jimi Hendrix

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? Gaining library experience since I want to work in a library & also being able to do schoolwork at work.

Understanding 9/11: Internet Archive

2011-09-08T19:44:00.002-04:00

Students, historians and researchers looking for primary sources related to 9/11 may want to take a look at the 9/11 Television New Archive, a collection of news coverage from September 11, 2001 and the following days. Here is a description from the website:

"The 9/11 Television News Archive is a library of news coverage of the events of 9/11/2001 and their aftermath as presented by U.S. and international broadcasters. A resource for scholars, journalists, and the public, it presents one week of news broadcasts for study, research and analysis.

Television is our pre-eminent medium of information, entertainment and persuasion, but until now it has not been a medium of record. This Archive attempts to address this gap by making TV news coverage of this critical week in September 2001 available to those studying these events and their treatment in the media."

The collection contains 3,000 hours of TV news from 20 different channels. In addition to these primary sources, it also includes secondary analysis by historians and experts.

Meet our team leaders: Jasmine

2011-09-07T13:40:00.006-04:00

Where are you from? Fort Meade, MD

What are you studying? Studio Art, emphasis in Drawing

Favorite book? "Castle in the Air" by Dianna Wynne Jones

Favorite song? "Twilight" by Electric Light Orchestra

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? It's fairly quiet and has many places within walking distance.

Favorite quote? "I wonder what happens if I do this..." (probably not the wisest quote, either)

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? I can do homework while on the job.

Update to Grafton's eBooks

2011-09-06T14:12:00.001-04:00

Grafton Library's eBook collection consists of more than 26,000 titles. These books can be accessed through the library catalog and read online. To access an eBook, click on the URL associated with the book title (as seen below).

Those of you that have used eBooks before will notice that the interface has changed a little bit. In order to see the eBook, you'll need to click on the eBook Full Text link.

As before, you can read the eBook on your screen or print out up to 60 pages. For more help, view the Viewing and Using E-books tutorial.

Meet our Team Leaders: Cierra

2011-09-02T09:13:00.001-04:00

Where are you from? Mechanicsville, VA

What are you studying? Asian Studies and English, with minors in Anthropology and Sociology

Favorite book? I have several favorite series, like The Dresden Files and The Wheel of Time

Favorite song? "Q" or "13" by Alice Nine

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? Apple Day

Favorite quote? "Duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather."

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? The staff and other workers as well as getting to work with and around books.

Research on the go

2011-09-01T13:58:00.003-04:00

We've created a mobile version of Grafton Library's website that allows you to do your research on your smart phone. If you are on a mobile device you will be automatically redirected when you go to the library website.

We've only included tools that work well on a small screen, such as the EBSCO article databases and JSTOR. Each link comes with access instructions and tips.

If you want to view the normal website, just click on the link under the "Get Started--Want Full Content?" tab.

If you have questions, please send them to us at ask@mbc.edu.

Meet our Team Leaders: Emily

2011-08-30T14:23:00.002-04:00

Where are you from? Long Island, NY

What are you studying? Arts Management, with minors in Public History & Spanish

Favorite book? The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Favorite song? Tiny Dancer by Elton John

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? The atmosphere and small size.

Favorite quote? "So little of what could happen does happen." Salvador Dali

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? The people.

Photos from the Honors Gateway orientation, Class of 2015!

2011-08-26T10:27:00.000-04:00

New database: Project MUSE!

2011-08-22T14:21:00.006-04:00

We are happy to announce that we purchased a new journal article database over the summer: Project MUSE! Project MUSE provides full text access to current content from scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences.

Project Muse covers a wide range of subjects and will be helpful to students studying:

history
literature
Asian studies
art
and more!

To search for article in Muse, type your keywords in the search box in the upper-right hand corner, or select "Advanced Article Search" for more options.

On the results page, select "PDF version" to see the full-text article in a print-friendly format. For better searching, take advantage of the subject headings by using them as new keywords.

Project MUSE is available on the All Databases page as well as many research guides by subject.

Let us know if you have any questions about it at ask@mbc.edu.

Printing in EEBO

2011-08-18T13:29:00.011-04:00

The Early English Books Online database (EEBO) contains the full text of about 100,000 out of 125,000 titles listed in Pollard & Redgrave's Short-Title Catalogue (1475-1640) and Wing's Short-Title Catalogue (1641-1700). It is an amazing resource, but sometimes printing the texts can be a bit tricky. Here is a step by step description of how to do it.

First, do your search, whether by keyword, author, STC number, etc. On the search results screen, add titles to your Marked List by checking the box next to the title name. When you're done finding all the titles you want to print, go to Marked List.

On the Marked List screen, select Download document image sets in PDF format.

On the Downloading page, decide whether you want to download the entire document or just a few pages, and select the appropriate radio button. Then select Download.

On the next page, you'll need to confirm that you want to open the PDF file.

Once you have the text as a PDF, it's easy to save or print!

Adjusted summer hours

2011-08-12T09:57:00.003-04:00

For the next two weeks (August 15-26), Grafton will be open from 8:30 am -4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Hours will change again once school starts, so keep an eye out for updates!

Library closed Friday, July 15 for Advising Day

2011-07-14T11:13:00.003-04:00

The library will be closed tomorrow, July 15, in order to accommodate students and their families as they come for Advising Day. Please call us at 887-7085 or email us at ask@mbc.edu if you need any assistance.

ADP Week!

2011-06-20T08:54:00.001-04:00

The library will be open extended hours this week for ADP week.

Monday - Thursday: 8:30 am - 8 pm
Friday: 8:30 am - Noon

Have fun!

Grafton's gone mobile!

2011-05-27T08:33:00.004-04:00

You can now access Grafton Library content using your mobile device or Smartphone! We've designed a special mobile site that provides access to all of our 'mobile-friendly' content. Just visit libguides.mbc.edu/mobile to take a look (make sure to bookmark us!).

Be sure to read the instructions carefully on the "Articles" tab, because using the databases on a mobile device can be a little tricky.

If you prefer to view the full Grafton website, click on "Get Started--Want full content?"

If you have any questions, email them to idatig@mbc.edu

Summer hours

2011-05-23T10:26:00.004-04:00

Photo credit: Autumnsonata

The library's summer schedule starts today!

Monday - Thursday: 10 am - 4:30 pm
Friday: 10 am - Noon
Saturdays & Sundays: Closed

As always, check the Hours page for exceptions. This year we will be open extended hours during ADP Week (June 20-24) so look out for that.

Have a great summer!

Exam day hours

2011-05-16T08:52:00.003-04:00

Photo credit: Kevin Bongart

Tuesday is Exam Day, and the library will be open from 8 am to 6 pm. Good luck on exams!

New books & DVDs

2011-05-10T12:41:00.003-04:00

Check out the new titles list for May, which includes a listing of all our new DVDs (look under "Audio Visual").

If you need to know how long you can keep a DVD, check out our Borrowing and Circulation page.

Do you live in a food desert?

2011-05-05T13:01:00.003-04:00

The US Department of Agriculture has released a great new tool for people interested in 'food deserts' and areas of food instability: the Food Desert Locator.

From their press release:

"The online Food Desert Locator, developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS), is a tool that can be used to assist efforts to expand the availability of nutritious food in food deserts, or low-income communities that lack ready access to healthy food. Expanding the availability of nutritious food is part of First Lady Michele Obama's Let's Move! initiative to address the epidemic of childhood obesity"

To use the locator, browse or click on "Find an Address" and search. When you find a food desert, double click to learn more information about it.

Student worker of the year!

2011-05-02T09:20:00.003-04:00

One of our team leaders, Anaya Jones, received the Mary Baldwin Student Worker of the Year award. Here she is receiving her award on March 31. Congratulations, Anaya!

May Term Hours

2011-04-26T10:32:00.003-04:00

Photo credit: Yellow Snow Photography

May Term starts Wednesday along with new library hours:

May Term, April 27 - May 16

Monday - Thursday	8 am - 10 pm
Friday	8 am - 6 pm
Saturday	Noon - 6 pm
Sunday	Noon - 10 pm

Exam week hours (updated)

2011-04-14T13:45:00.005-04:00

Photo credit: Alfonso Siloniz

Grafton will be open extended hours during exam week:

Exam Week and Pre-May Term Break, April 17 - 26

Sunday, April 17	Noon - 2 am
Monday - Wednesday, April 18-20	8 am - 2 am
Saturday, April 23	Noon - 6 pm
Sunday, April 24	Closed
Monday, April 25	8 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday, April 26	8 am - 4:30 pm

Good luck on your exams!!

Meet our student workers: Elizabeth

2011-04-11T09:09:00.003-04:00

Where are you from? Virginia Beach, VA

What are you studying? History and Psychology

Favorite book? The Great Gatsby and Huckleberry Finn

Favorite song? Too many to name!

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? The beautiful campus, and beautiful people. :)

Favorite quote? "I have not yet begun to fight!" John Paul Jones

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? Being able to help people, and to be behind the front desk!

"Use Your Networks" workshop rescheduled

2011-04-06T08:39:00.005-04:00

Photo credit: sjcockell

Tomorrow night will be the last Taking Your Liberal Arts to Work workshop this year! Together with the Career Services office we'll be talking about the final steps in finding employment: networking, resumes, and protecting your online reputation (including Facebook).

The workshop will be held in Grafton 302 from 7:30 - 9 PM Thursday, April 7. Pizza & drinks will be provided, so please RSVP to ask@mbc.edu so we know how much to order.

More information about the workshops and finding careers can be found at our Careers guide.

UPDATE: We will be rescheduling this workshop in a few weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for announcements.

2 more opportunities for intense research help!

2011-04-04T09:10:00.003-04:00

If you're working on a paper and need help with writing, citations, research, or anything in between, remember to come to 11th Hour Paper Power tonight or tomorrow! The Writing Center and the Library will be there to help you--dates/times are:

Monday, April 4 from 7:30 - 9 pm
Tuesday, April 5 from 6 -8 pm

Come see us in the Group Study Room!

New US Government Database

2011-03-28T12:48:00.004-04:00

ForeignAssistance.gov provides users with "a view of U.S. Government foreign assistance funds ...to examine, research, and track aid investments in a standard and easy-to-understand format."

View yearly U.S. foreign aid (going back to 2006) by sector, year, county, or office. Here is a sample breakdown by sector:

This website should be of use to students studying human rights, international relations, and other foreign affairs. You'll also note that this information comes directly from the US government, which makes it a reliable source.

Meet our student workers: Autumn

2011-03-25T08:58:00.003-04:00

Where are you from? Norfolk, VA

What are you studying? History

Favorite book? Gone with the Wind

Favorite song? Anything catchy

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? Smaller classes

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? I absolutely adore books! :)

11th Hour Paper Power is back!

2011-03-23T09:56:00.002-04:00

Need last minute paper writing help? Come to one of our 11th Hour Paper Power workshops! Grafton Librarians and tutors from the Writing Center will be there to help you finish up your research papers: bring all your questions about finding sources, citing, and avoiding plagiarism.

The workshops will be held in the Grafton Library Group Study Room (1st floor) on these dates/times:

7:30—9:00 PM Monday, March 28
6:00—8:00 PM Tuesday, March 29
7:30—9:00 PM Monday, April 4
6:00—8:00 PM Tuesday, April 5

You can come in and leave anytime, the door will be open!

March is Women's History Month

2011-03-21T15:29:00.003-04:00

The theme of this year's Women's History Month is Our History Is Our Strength. Check out the National Women's History Project site for more details.

If you come to the library you'll see our display of books showcasing women's history.

The Women's History Month website from the Library of Congress is one great resource for doing research on women's history. You can access images, audio and video, and unique exhibits and collections. The website comes from a governmental institution and so has a ".gov" web address--one factor in identifying an authoritative website.

In addition, if you're doing research on women, a good place to start is our Women's Studies Research Guide page.

New Computers!

2011-03-16T09:32:00.002-04:00

Those of you who've been to the library since spring break may have noticed our new, faster computers! The new computers should take less than a minute to log in, a large improvement over the older models.

We now also have 2 extra computers on the 1st floor, which means there are 10 computers on the main floor, 10 computers in the periodicals room, and 12 computers in Grafton 302 for student use.

Meet our student workers: Alli

2011-03-14T10:48:00.004-04:00

Where are you from? Hampstead, MD

What are you studying? Undeclared, but probably Anthropology

Favorite book? Acheron

Favorite song? Smile

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? The people.

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? Being able to do school work at work.

Spring Break Hours

2011-03-04T08:51:00.003-05:00

Photo credit: morning_rumtea

Friday, March 4: 8:30 - 4:30 pm
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Monday - Friday, March 7-11: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

You can always find information about the library's hours here.

Enjoy your spring break!

Finding articles just got easier!

2011-03-03T14:37:00.002-05:00

We are happy to announce that we have a new search tool for MBC students: Integrated Search. The IS tool allows you to search multiple databases with one search, which should help make your search time faster and more efficient!

You'll find the IS box on the Research Guides when you click on the Articles tab, and also on the All Databases page (listed under each subject).

Just enter your search terms into the box and you are off and running.

Keep in mind that you still aren't searching every database when you use the IS box, so if you aren't finding information you might need to search some other databases individually.

So you want to be a...

2011-03-01T13:56:00.004-05:00

Photo credit: QnD2011

So you want to be a....

(Finding resources and information on your future career field)

Taking Your Liberal Arts to Work Series

Workshop #2

Grafton Library – Room 302

7:30—9:00 PM

Wednesday, March 2nd

Brought to you by: The Rosemarie Sena Center for Career Development and Grafton Librarians

Questions? Call 887-7225 or email ask@mbc.edu

Get more info at libguides.mbc.edu/careers

Human Rights Watch

2011-02-24T16:23:00.004-05:00

Human Rights Watch is a great resource for students interested in human rights and international affairs. HRW is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization involved in fact-finding and activism in the area of human rights. From the website: "By focusing international attention where human rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their crimes. Our rigorous, objective investigations and strategic, targeted advocacy build intense pressure for action and raise the cost of human rights abuse."

Right now, HRW is a great place to keep track of what is going on in the Middle East, since they have live updates. The Publications tab is a great place to find information on current topics: current reports include information on parental leave in the United States, torture in Egypt, and terrorism in India. You can also get access to their World Report 2011, which summarizes the current state of human rights around the globe.

Meet our student workers: Samantha

2011-02-22T19:08:00.004-05:00

Where are you from? Montgomery County, MD (Rockville, MD)

What are you studying? History & Political Science :)

Favorite book? Frederick Douglass's life narrative

Favorite song? "Something More" Sugarland or "Say What's Real" Drake

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? It's small but friendly & inviting.

Favorite quote? "I do not fear failure only the stalling up inside of me, the voice that says someone has to be on top, why not you." General Patton

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? Study opps plus all the great books!

Postcards from the Hill

2011-02-16T15:00:00.008-05:00

The newest display in the library foyer features historic postcards of Mary Baldwin College. Many date from the period in which the college was still the Mary Baldwin Seminary.

If you search the library catalog for "Mary Baldwin College" and you'll see that we have a number of books on the history of Mary Baldwin College. You can access many of these books (as well as volumes of the college yearbook, The Bluestocking) online through the Internet Archive.

To learn more about the postcards, please contact our archivist, William Pollard, at wpollard@mbc.edu.

Listen to the 'Tolkien Professor' via podcast

2011-02-14T15:49:00.003-05:00

A recent Washington Post article profiles 'Tolkien Professor' Corey Olsen who, in addition to publishing literary criticism on The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien in established scholarly journals, also publishes a respected website and podcasts on the same subject.

If you're doing research on Tolkien, you'll also want to check out our article databases in English, such as MLA International Bibliography and Literature Resource Center.

Meet our student workers: Mariah

2011-02-11T09:13:00.003-05:00

Where are you from? Snow Hill, MD

What are you studying? French

Favorite book? The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? The people learning in an environment surrounded by strong, loving young women is motivating and amazing. It makes you want to learn, want to succeed, want to be great.

Favorite quote? "Knowledge without motivation is a bird without wings."

Watch presentations from some of the smartest people in the world

2011-02-09T08:49:00.005-05:00

TED, which stands for Technology/Entertainment/Design, is a non-profit organization that sponsors talks and conferences from major figures in many different intellectual fields, and makes the videos free and available to the public on their website: www.ted.com

You can search for videos on a particular topic, or you can browse by subject, most popular, or even by ratings such as "jaw-dropping," "beautiful" or "funny."

For example, students in peacemaking classes might be interested in Zainab Salbi's talk, "Women, wartime and the dream of peace" which was rated "inspiring," "courageous" and "persuasive."

New titles in February

2011-02-07T10:09:00.001-05:00

Check out our list of new books here. Look under the Audio Visual category to see our new DVDs.

Meet our student workers: Kolbe

2011-02-04T11:10:00.003-05:00

Where are you from? Richmond, VA

What are you studying? Science

Favorite book? Nightroad

Favorite song? "Shiver" by The Gazette

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? The students and the campus.

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? The peace and quiet. Working with books.

Pics from Game Night 2011!

2011-02-02T09:25:00.000-05:00

Deadline extended for Library Research Award

2011-01-31T09:05:00.001-05:00

If you wrote any research papers during your Freshman or Sophomore years, consider submitting a paper for the Mary Baldwin Freshman-Sophomore Award for Excellence in Library-Based Research. This award encourages the early pursuit of scholarly research and recognizes highly accomplished writing that makes use of library-based resources and services, particularly those provided through Grafton Library (including print and online sources).

See more information and an application here.

Deadline extended to February 4 (this Friday)!

Game Night This Friday!!!

2011-01-27T14:06:00.004-05:00

Game Night is tomorrow! Come out and have fun the night before Sig Ball. We'll have tons of games on the big screens, plus board games, Corn Hole, Twister and more. Plus Free Food and Raffle Prizes, and a bake sale.

PLUS, Gladys will be there so you can challenge her to a dance-off! Cost is just $1 with MBC ID and $2 for guests.

Fun starts at 7. All proceeds go to support Relay for Life!

MLA Language Map

2011-01-24T09:00:00.002-05:00

The MLA Language Map is a free resource from the Modern Language Association that gives detailed information about linguistic diversity in the United States. From the website: "The MLA Language Map uses data from the US Census 2000 to display the locations and numbers of speakers of thirty languages and three groups of less commonly spoken languages in the United States."

The website also includes the Data Center, which includes information on the over 300 languages that are spoken in the US. Find out where the greatest concentration of Tagalog speakers in the US resides, the average age of Swahili speakers, and other interesting information. You can also find links to immigration maps and teaching resources. A great source for students interested in education and applied linguistics!

Meet our student workers: Theadora

2011-01-21T10:52:00.003-05:00

Where are you from? Wilmington, Delaware

What are you studying? MAT in Art Education

Favorite book? The Hunger Games Trilogy

Favorite song? "Ambulance" by Eisley

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? Location, beautiful mountains

Favorite quote? "If you can not give, help. If you can not help, smile."

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? Quiet time to focus, relax & work.

Game Night is Coming!

2011-01-19T09:10:00.002-05:00

This year's Game Night will be January 28 (the night before Sig Ball). More details to come!

Our new Citation & Style Guides page

2011-01-18T13:14:00.005-05:00

If you haven't seen our new Citation & Style Guides page, take a look here! It has all the tools that were on our old page, plus a lot more. Use the tabs at the top to navigate to the style you need help with, such as APA, Chicago, or ASA.

As an example, here is what the Chicago tab looks like:

As you can see there are sections on books at Grafton (use to find style guides in the library), citation builders (such as Noodlebib), and our handouts (which give you pointers on basic citation rules). If you have any questions, you can IM a librarian right on the page.

Use the Feedback box on the Home page to let us know what you think and suggest ways to make the guide better!

The deadline is approaching...

2011-01-14T09:52:00.003-05:00

...to apply for this year's Library Research Award! Don't miss your chance to win $250 dollars for your research!

If you wrote any research papers during your Freshman or Sophomore years, consider submitting a paper for the Mary Baldwin Freshman-Sophomore Award for Excellence in Library-Based Research. This award encourages the early pursuit of scholarly research and recognizes highly accomplished writing that makes use of library-based resources and services, particularly those provided through Grafton Library (including print and online sources).

See more information and an application here.

John F. Kennedy Digital Archive

2011-01-14T09:42:00.005-05:00

On the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy's inauguration to the presidency of the United States, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has released a searchable collection of digitized historical documents, images, audio, and materials from the JFK administration.

According to the JKF Library website, this collection will be the "nation’s largest online digitized presidential archive, providing unprecedented global access to the most important papers, records, photographs and recordings of President John F. Kennedy’s thousand days in office."

If you're a history buff, a history student, or interested in taking a photographic journey through the life and times of John F. Kennedy, you won't want to miss out on this exciting new resource!

Search the JFK Digital Archive now.

Meet our student workers: Simone

2011-01-12T10:04:00.005-05:00

Where are you from? Baltimore, MD

What are you studying? Social Work

Favorite book? "Boy Meets Boy"; graphic novels

Favorite song? "Getting Over You" by David Guelleta; "What Do You Want From Me?" by Adam Lambert

Favorite thing about Mary Baldwin College? The art classes

Favorite quote? "Dare to be different"

Best thing about working at Grafton Library? Quiet and not stressful; calming atmosphere

Check out our new research guides!

2011-01-06T09:04:00.010-05:00

Our research guides have a new look! The research guides are tools to guide you to great resources within a particular subject, such as Economics, Sociology, Education, etc. When you go to the Research Guides page, you'll be able to select a subject on the left-hand side. That will take you to a list of all the guides we have related to that subject. On any page you'll have the option of chatting with a librarian through IM, so if you have a question you can contact us immediately.

Within the guides, you'll navigate through the pages using the yellow tabs. You can see we have tabs for dictionaries/encyclopedias, articles, books, websites, citation help and more. The tabs will be different according to what subject you're studying.

There are lots of cool tools within the guides, so make sure to explore. And let us know what you think using the feedback box on the Getting Started pages, or suggest a link that we should add!

Enjoy winter break!

2010-12-14T09:06:00.002-05:00

Photo credit: D. Sharon Pruitt

The library will be closed from December 23rd to January 2. We will also be closed briefly this Friday (the 17th) from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. You can see our hours here. Have a great break!

A "literary Facebook" for teens

2010-12-07T08:58:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, a new social website, Figment, launched. Its a place where teens can share books they're reading, contribute their own creative musings, browse through books that their peers have read, recommended and written!

The inspiration for Figment came from the development of cellphone novels, compositions which are written on cellphones! The founder of Figment, Mr. Lewis, a former managing editor for The New Yorker, said that in developing Figment, he hopes that people will be able "to write whatever they wanted in whatever form they wanted.” (Bosman).

Signing up for Figment is free, and as a member you can save your written musings and work on them any time, in any location, as long as you have internet access and a keyboard!

Bosman, Julie. "Website for Teenagers with Literary Leanings." The New York Times. New York Times online, 5 December 2010. Web. 7 December 2010.

Extended hours during exam week!

2010-12-03T14:09:00.003-05:00

Photo credit: steve.grosbois

As usual, the library will be open longer hours during exam week: We'll be open from Noon - 2 am on Sunday, December 5 and from 8 am - 2 am Monday through Wednesday.

Good luck on your finals!

New titles in November/December

2010-12-01T08:44:00.002-05:00

Check out our new titles list to see new additions to Grafton, including new DVDs (located under Audio Visual)!

You know it's time to get reference help...

2010-11-29T09:23:00.003-05:00

...when you're reading your book upside down.

Reference librarians can help you with:

developing research questions/thesis statements
finding sources
citing and paper structure
using library databases and the catalog

So ask us for help anytime! You can find us at the reference desk, call us at 887-7085, email us at ask@mbc.edu or IM us. No question too big or too small!

Step right up, get your circus history here!

2010-11-23T11:20:00.006-05:00

Do you love going to the circus? Are you interested in the history of the circuses the world?
Then direct your internet browser to Circopedia! "The International On Line Circus Archive."

Ciropedia was created by the Big Apple Circus in 2007. The purpose of the website is to demonstrate the importance of the circus as a "global artistic and cultural phenomenon."

Browse through specific artists, acts, circuses, owners, directors, and festivals. For primary source material, check out their oral histories page, and galleries of photographs, videos and artwork about circuses throughout history.

Another chance for last minute writing & research help!

2010-11-22T14:00:00.003-05:00

Come to tonight's 11th Hour Paper Power workshop! Grafton Librarians and tutors from the Writing Center will be there to help you finish up your research papers: bring all your questions about writing, finding sources, citing, and avoiding plagiarism.

The workshop will be held in the Grafton Library Group Study Room (1st floor) from 730-9 pm.

You can come in and leave anytime, the door will be open. If you can't make it, remember you can always contact a reference librarian for help at ask@mbc.edu.

Have you taken our survey yet?

2010-11-18T13:04:00.001-05:00

We need your input! Let us know what you think about Grafton Library, and also enter to win a $25 gift certificate to iTunes or Amazon. Click on the link on the homepage or just go here.