Books in Print

Tarver Library is pleased to announce a university-wide subscription to Bowker's Books in Print, a premier collection development tool. Books in Print is useful for researching information about available and forthcoming books for curricula, personal study and entertainment, building the libraries' collections, and for new academic programs. Access can be found both in the library's database listing and on the GALILEO interface.

Hot Document in December

Condition of Education 2009

The Condition of Education 2009 summarizes important developments and trends in education using the latest available data. The report presents 46 indicators on the status and condition of education. The indicators represent a consensus of professional judgment on the most significant national measures of the condition and progress of education for which accurate data are available. The 2009 print edition includes 46 indicators in five main areas:

(1) participation in education;

(2) learner outcomes;

(3) student effort and educational progress;

(4) the contexts of elementary and secondary education;

(5) the contexts of postsecondary education.

Tarver Library has a print version of this document title in our collection.

ACM Digital Library

Jack Tarver Library is pleased to announce a university-wide subscription to the Association for Computing Machinery's Digital Library.

The ACM Digital Library is a collection of all ACM print and online publications. It provides bibliographic information, abstracts, reviews and full text for virtually all ACM journals, magazines, and proceedings.

Tarver Library's subscription to DL Core Package, DL Master SIG Package and the Guide includes:

• ACM DL Core Package, with 19 journals and magazines and 26 transactions.
• ACM DL Master SIG (Special Interest Group) Package, with more than 85 conference proceedings and all SIG newsletters
• The ACM Online Guide to Computing Literature ("the Guide"), a database of 850,000 bibliographic citations expanding beyond ACM's literature.

Holiday Films On DVD

Can you believe it’s that time of year again? I have compiled a list of holiday films that are available in the Tarver Media Center. Some of these titles are holiday classics, and some just feature holiday scenes that I consider worthy of this list. Many of these DVDs are on display on the shelves just to the left of the Media Center entrance (they can still be checked out even though they are on display). While I was compiling this list I noted some omissions that I am going to add to our DVD wish list. So far I have been unable to find any Hanukkah or Kwanzaa movies. If any of you would like to suggest a holiday film, then please feel free to send me an email.

Happy holidays,

Richard Marcum

Media Center Supervisor

marcum_rg@mercer.edu

*Christmas film

**New Year’s Eve film

After The Thin Man (Mystery starring Myrna Loy & William Powell), PN1997.9 STAR LOY .T4 1936 **

Amahl and the Night Visitors (Christmas Opera by Gian Carlo Menotti), PN1997.9 OPR DRA .A43 1955 *

The Apartment (Best Picture of 1961 starring Jack Lemmon & Shirley McLaine), PN1997.9 COM ROM .A6 1960 **

Bishop’s Wife (Classic starring Cary Grant, Loretta young & David Niven), PN1997.9 STAR GRT .B5 1947 *

Black X-mas (2006 remake of classic horror film set on a college campus), PN1997.9 SUS HOR .B6 2006 *

Curse of the Cat People (A sweet ghost story about childhood dreams), PN1997.9 SUS HOR .C38 1942 *

Desk Set (Classic comedy starring Spencer Tracy & Katharine Hepburn), PN1997.9 STAR HEP .D4 1957 *

Die Hard ("The greatest Christmas movie ever" - BlogCritics.org), PN1997.9 AA LEG .D54 1988 *

Elf (Will Ferrell at his best), PN1997.9 COM FAN .E4 2003 *

The Family Stone (The misadventures of a family at Christmas), PN1997.9 COM ROM .F3 2005 *

The Godfather II ("I know it was you Fredo; you broke my heart."), PN1997.9 DIR COP .G6 1972 v.2 **

Holiday (Wonderful Cary Grant & Katharine Hepburn classic), PN1997.9 STAR GRT .C3 2006 **

The Holiday (Starring Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron Diaz & Jack Black), PN1997.9 COM ROM .H6 2006 *

It’s A Wonderful Life (The quintessential Christmas movie with Jimmy Stewart), PN1997.9 DIR CAP .I8 1946 *

Just Friends (Starring Ryan Reynolds & Amy Smart), PN1997.9 COM ROM .J87 2005 *

Love Actually ("The best romantic comedy set at Christmas" - Richard Marcum), PN1997.9 COM ROM .L6 2003 *

March of the Wooden Soldiers (Laurel & Hardy classic a.k.a. Babes In Toyland), PN1997.9 STAR VAR .M3 1934 *

Miracle on 34th Street (Academy Award winning Christmas classic), PN1997.9 STAR VAR .M5 1947 *

The Nightmare Before Christmas (The dark and twisted fantasy by Tim Burton), PN1997.9 DIR BUR .N5 1993 *

Penny Serenade (Classic melodrama starring Cary Grant & Irene Dunne), PN1997.9 STAR GRT .P4 1941 **

Pocketful of Miracles (Final film by It's a Wonderful Life director Frank Capra), PN1997.9 DIR CAP .P6 1961 *

Scrooged (Comedic retelling of A Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray), PN1997.9 COM PAR .S37 1988 *

Sunset Blvd. (Film noir classic starring Gloria Swanson & William Holden), PN1997.9 STAR VAR .S8 1950 **

This Christmas (A Family reunites for Christmas), PN1997.9 COM SIT .T35 2007 *

We’re No Angels (Christmas Comedy starring Humphrey Bogart), PN1997.9 STAR BOG .W4 1955 *

When Harry Met Sally (Great comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan), PN1997.9 COM ROM .W34 1989 **

Dissertations and Theses Full Text

Tarver Library is pleased to announce that our Dissertations Abstracts database has just been upgraded to the Dissertations and Theses – Full Text database.

ProQuest Dissertations and Theses — Full text is the world's most comprehensive collection of dissertations and theses and is the official digital dissertations archive for the Library of Congress and the database of record for graduate research. PQDT — Full Text includes 2.4 million searchable citations to dissertation and theses from around the world from 1861 to the present day together with 1.2 million full text dissertations that are available for download in PDF format. The database offers full text for most of the dissertations added since 1997 and strong retrospective full text coverage for older graduate works.

More than 60,000 new full text dissertations and theses are added to the database each year through dissertations publishing partnerships with 700 leading academic institutions worldwide and collaborative retrospective digitization of dissertations through UMI's Digital Archiving and Access Program. Full Text dissertations are archived as submitted by the degree-granting institution. Some will be native PDF, some PDF image.

Each dissertation published since July 1980 includes a 350-word abstract written by the author. Master's theses published since 1988 include 150-word abstracts. Simple bibliographic citations are available for dissertations dating from 1637. Where available, PQDT — Full Text provides 24-page previews of dissertations and theses.

You can access PQDT – Full Text from the Tarver Library database listing or from GALILEO.

Workshop of the Month: RefWorks

The second round of the iPod Nano contest is about to begin!

Throughout the week of November 16-19, Tarver Library is offering four opportunities to participate in our next Workshop of the Month. This time, it's on RefWorks, a citation management program that allows you to organize your citations quickly and efficiently as you are getting ready to wrap things up in the Fall semester.

It is not too late to join the race for the grand prize of an iPod Nano!

Learn more at the Workshops page

Hot Document in November

The United States Government Manual 2009-2010

The United States Government Manual 2009-2010 provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees.

A typical agency description includes a list of principal officials, a summary statement of the agency's purpose and role in the Federal Government, a brief history of the agency, including its legislative or executive authority, a description of its programs and activities, and a "Sources of Information'' section. This last section provides information on consumer activities, contracts and grants, employment, publications, and many other areas of public interest.

The current edition of the U. S. Government Manual 2009-2010 is available at the Tarver Library Reference desk. The electronic publication is available both as ASCII text and PDF files.

Valerie B. Edmonds Student Research Award

Tarver Library is proud to announce the inaugural Valerie B. Edmonds Student Research Award. The award honors long-time librarian and student mentor, Valerie B. Edmonds, whose tireless service to students and faculty over a thirty-year career exemplified passion and commitment to scholarship and research.

If you have an inquisitive and analytical mind, value engaging dialogue on intriguing topics, and enjoy discovery through academic inquiry, then this award is for you! All Mercer (Macon campus and Macon RAC) undergraduate student projects are eligible. Submitted projects must contain an element of library research, i.e., demonstrate the use of primary and/or secondary University Library resources.

The application deadline is February 15, 2010. Get your creative juices flowing. Don’t miss this chance to have your research celebrated! The winner and runner-up will be formally announced at the Honors Convocation on April 9, 2010, and further honored during National Library Week, April 11-17, 2010. Last but not least, the winner and runner-up will receive commemorative memorabilia and monetary prizes of $250 and $100, respectively. It is not about the money, though. It is about celebrating your true Mercer spirit,-- that of freedom of expression, steadfast integrity, and academic and personal advancement.

For more information on the application procedure, deadlines, eligibility, and evaluation criteria, please visit the Valerie B. Edmonds Student Research Award page.

We look forward to receiving your applications!

down under @ tarver library workshops begin October 26

Are you a Mercer student? Looking to enhance your research skills and get to know the Library better? Now you can do just that AND win an iPod Nano!

Beginning October 26, Tarver Library is pleased to announce down under @ tarver library, a series of undergraduate student workshops. Throughout the year, we will be offering numerous opportunities for you to learn some tips and tricks about the Library and its collections: from eJournals to RefWorks, from primary sources to government statistics, and more…

You can pick and choose various times and dates to attend any of the five monthly sessions. NB: Attend 3 of 5 “Workshops of the Month” and qualify to win an iPod Nano!!! Drawing is set for April 20, 2010.

Check out our topics for the upcoming months as well as workshop dates and times. The first workshop is right around the corner! And remember: just three out of five of these, and the iPod could be yours!!!

For information about the workshop schedule and agenda, please visit http://tarver.mercer.edu/about/DBofmonth.html

Government Information All in One Place -- USA.gov

Are you looking for one place to get fast answers to your questions about government benefits and services? From Social Security benefits to government jobs to tips on cutting energy costs, USA.gov has you covered. USA.gov is the official portal for all federal, state, and local government information -- all in one easy location.

This official source arranges Government information by topic. Topics cover: Benefits and Grants; Consumer Guides; Defense and International; Environment, Energy, and Agriculture; Family, Home, and Community; Health and Nutrition; History, Arts, and Culture; Jobs and Education; Money and Taxes; Public Safety and Law; Reference and General Government; Science and Technology; Travel and Recreation; and Voting and Elections.

This official web portal also provides direct access to government information by organization, such as A-Z Agency Index, Federal Government, State Government, Local Government, and Tribal Government.

You can easily locate the answers to more than 2500 questions in the FAQs. In addition, you may want to check out some news through links of Today's Government News and What's FREE This Month.

Ready to take advantage of this valuable resource? Please watch USA.gov Tutorials.

Today is Columbus Day

Columbus Day is the annual U.S. commemoration of Christopher Columbus's landing in the New World (at San Salvador Island, also known as Waitling Island, today part of the British Bahamas) on October 12, 1492.

This Day in History on Britannica Online, which Tarver library has access to (Encyclopædia Britannica Online), describes Columbus Day as "the New World was “discovered” this day in 1492 when land (most likely San Salvador) was sighted in the Caribbean from the Pinta, one of the three ships that participated in Christopher Columbus's historic first voyage. "

For more information about Columbus Day, please visit Today in History on Library of Congress American Memory website.

Oxford English Dictionary Online

Tarver Library is pleased to announce the addition of Oxford English Dictionary (OED) Online to our database listing. Access is available from our own database list and from GALILEO Scholar (on 10/6/09). The premier dictionary of our time, the OED:

• provides authoritative definitions of over 500,000 words
• traces the usage of words from their first recorded occurrence to the modern period through 2.5 million quotations from a wide range of international language sources
• offers the best in etymological analysis and detailed listings of variant spellings
• uses the International Phonetic Alphabet to show pronunciation

These features make OED Online the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference work of its kind for any language.

Hot Document in October

Deschler-Brown Precedents Volume 17 (Chapter 34 and 35)

Deschler-Brown Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives, Volume 17 (Chapter 34 and 35) is now available on GPO Access. Chapter 34 contains Constitutional Amendments and Chapter 35 covers Presidential messages and executive communications.

The early parliamentary precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives were published by Asher Hinds (1907) and Clarence Cannon (1936). The Deschler and Deschler-Brown Precedents of the U.S. House of Representatives document the parliamentary precedents and procedural practices of the House from 1936 forward. Please view this page for more information about Deschler's Precedents.

Volume 17 of the Deschler-Brown Precedents incorporates an eclectic mix of chapters not logically placed in earlier volumes: constitutional amendments (ch. 34); presidential messages and executive communications (ch. 35); ceremonies and awards (ch. 36); resignations (ch. 37); deaths (ch. 38); recesses (ch. 39); and adjournments (ch. 40). As chapters 36-40 are completed with indices, each will be made available on the web through the GPO.

Please browse Deschler's Precedents on GPO Access.

Welcome to the Media Center's New Homepage!

The Media Center has a new homepage! Come on in and take a virtual look around! Our website provides links to the many items that we have available for your academic and leisure needs. Located on the first floor of Tarver Library, the Media Center houses scores, sound recordings, DVDs, audio books, and media equipment. We look forward to your visit!

Southern Israelite Archive

Mercer University Libraries have added the Digital Library of Georgia's Southern Israelite Archive to our database listings.

The Southern Israelite Archive spans the years 1929-1958 and 1984-1986 and includes over 22,000 images. Rabbi H. Cerf Straus established the Southern Israelite as a temple bulletin in Augusta in 1925. The publication was so popular, he expanded it into a monthly newspaper. Later in the decade, Straus sold the paper to Herman Dessauer and Sara B. Simmons, who moved the paper to Atlanta, where it began circulating state-wide and eventually throughout the South. In 1930, M. Stephen Schiffer, a former employee of the Atlanta Georgian, took over as sole owner of the Southern Israelite. Even in these earliest years, the paper not only covered the news of the southern Jewry, but also the issues that involved Jewish populations throughout the nation and world, including the Holocaust and later the creation of the Jewish state of Israel. In October of 1934, the Southern Israelite began publishing a four page weekly edition, supplemented by its established monthly magazine edition.

Ownership of the paper was turned over to a corporation headed by Israelite editor Adolph Rosenberg in 1951, while the paper continued its mission as the voice of the Jewish community in Atlanta. In October of 1958, the paper was at the forefront of the coverage of the Temple bombing in Atlanta, giving its readers a unique first hand perspective. The monthly edition of the paper was discontinued in 1973 in favor of its increasingly growing weekly edition. In 1987, the paper changed its name from the Southern Israelite to the Atlanta Jewish Times and guaranteed at least thirty-two page issues moving forward. The paper is today owned by Jewish Renaissance Media and continues as a weekly publication with a readership of over 25,000.

The Southern Israelite database is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia. Digitization is made possible by the Cuba Archives of the Breman Museum and the generosity of the Srochi family of Atlanta.

GPO’S Federal Digital System (FDsys)

The Government Printing Office (GPO) launched its Federal Digital System (FDsys) earlier this year. FDsys allows the GPO to receive information from federal agencies in all three branches of Government and create a repository for permanent, public access.

FDsys now posts congressional bills, documents and hearing testimonies; documents from the Federal Register; and bills and laws enacted since the 104th Congress.

The site also offers a daily online publication covering the president's orders, statements and remarks — the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents. Contributed by the Office of the Federal Register, it uses material from the White House Press Office.

FDsys offers incredible search capabilities for users such as: searching by Congressional Committee, by a Member of Congress's name, keyword, and date. Watch the GPO's FDsys online tutorials to know more about its search features.

This system gives the American people a one-stop site to authentic, published Government information. Recently GPO’S FDsys was named one of the best government web sites.

GPO makes government information available at no cost to the public through GPO Access (www.gpoaccess.gov), and through partnerships with 1,240 libraries nationwide participating in the Federal Depository Library Program. Tarver Library is one of the depository libraries.

Please watch this video about FDsys.

JSTOR Arts & Sciences III Collection

Tarver Library is delighted to announce the addition of JSTOR's Arts & Sciences III collection to Mercer's university-wide database holdings. Arts & Sciences III includes journals in languages and literature, as well as essential titles in the fields of music, film studies, folklore, performing arts, religion, and the history and study of art and architecture. There are 151 titles in this collection.

Mercer University's JSTOR holdings now include:
Arts & Sciences I, II, and III
Health and General Sciences.

Title lists for these collections can be found at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/archives/collections.jsp

Constitution Day

Did you know that today, September 17, is the U.S. Constitution Day? The U. S. Constitution was signed on this day 222 years ago by thirty nine brave men who changed the course of history. To celebrate this historic day, please check out some of the many Tarver Library books related to the Constitution. To locate the relevant materials, you can use the library catalog and do a Subject search for "Constitution United States". Or just click on this link to view the available books.

Also check out our Constitution Day display near the Government Documents area on the second floor of the library.

In addition, the Library of Congress Constitution Day Resources features a rich collection of primary documents, lesson plans, kids' stories, and more. Finally, a webcast discussion of The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution by Linda Monk is available for your viewing pleasure.

National Climatic Data Center Online Document Library

Being a depository library, Tarver Library has access to a fee-based database provided by the National Climatic Data Center.

The National Climatic Data Center(NCDC) is part of the United States Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Environmental Sateliite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS). NCDC is the world’s largest active archive of weather data. The Online Document Library provides access to datasets and publications of the Center.

NCDC Online Document Library includes six components of the National Climatic Data:

Local Climatological Data
Climatological Data
Monthly Climate Data for the World
Monthly Normals
Storm Data
Hourly Precipitation Data

Access is only available from within the Jack Tarver Library. Please stop by and see a reference librarian for access.

DARTS - Depository Access to Reports, Technical and Scientific

A pilot project between NTIS and GPO, Depository Access to Reports, Technical and Scientific (DARTS) provides access to government-produced technical information.

DARTS features full text of over 240,000 online titles from 1964-2000 posted by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). NTIS's technical reports cover a wide variety of sciences, including physics, chemistry, environmental science, and the health, behavioral, and social sciences.

DARTS is provided by the Department of Commerce only to participating Depository libraries and requires a password that can only be obtained from librarians at the participating libraries.

Access is only available from within the Jack Tarver Library. Please stop by and see a reference librarian for access.

Hot Document in September

The World Factbook 2008

The World Factbook is a great source for information on countries and territories around the world. It provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities. It features full-color maps and flags of all nations and geographical entities.

The 2008 version features several new additions. In the Geography, two fields focus on the vital resource of water: Total renewable water resources and Freshwater withdrawal. In the Economic category, three fields added for: Stock of direct foreign investment - at home, Stocks of direct foreign investment - abroad, and Market value of publicly shares. Concise descriptions of all majors religious included in the Noted and Definitions.

Want to know more about this title? Please view this link for a brief history of how facts are gathered for The World Factbook. This book is also located in our Government Documents area.

Science Direct

Science Direct will be temporarily unavailable tomorrow, Saturday, August 29 from approximately 2:30pm - 10:00pm. Note from vendor follows:

"Dear Customer,

ScienceDirect, Scopus and The Admin Tool will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance for approximately 7.5 hours from 18:30 Saturday, 29 August to 02:00 GMT Sunday, 30 August (2:30 PM EDT Saturday, August 29 to 10:00PM EDT).

We apologize for the inconvenience."

Hot Document in August

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) provides a full listing of Federal programs available to State and local governments (including the District of Columbia); federally-recognized Indian tribal governments; Territories (and possessions) of the United States; domestic public, quasi-public, and private profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions; specialized groups; and individuals.

CFDA is available online through CFDA.gov website. You can search by keyword, by agency, by program number as well as fine tune your search requests using the advanced search feature.

The CFDA website will also contain a PDF file version of the Catalog that,
when printed by any user, will have the same layout as the printed document that the Government Printing Office (GPO) has provided. Tarver library has a print version in our documents collection.

GALILEO Toolbar

Please note the following new service from GALILEO:

"GALILEO is pleased to announce a new feature for all GALILEO users: the GALILEO Toolbar, a browser plugin that provides quick and easy access to GALILEO and the rest of your library's resources right from your Firefox or Internet Explorer web browser. Search in databases, find journals and magazines, and check your library catalog directly from the toolbar search box. Quick links are also provided to go directly to key GALILEO resources. Other features include a right-click menu for quick searching, OpenURL linking, and pushing URLs or reloading webpages through the GALILEO proxy for remote access authentication.

A unique toolbar has been created specifically for each participating GALILEO institution and is now available for downloading from GALILEO through the "Get Your GALILEO Toolbar" link in the Getting Started section of the GALILEO homepage."

African American Funeral Programs (Augusta, GA area)

Tarver Library has added the African American Funeral Programs database from the East Central Georgia Regional Library online collection to its database listing. African American Funeral Programs consists of funeral programs primarily from the Augusta area. A promotional information sheet can be found at http://www.usg.edu/galileo/docs/mats/DLG-FuneralPrograms.pdf

An announcement from the Digital Library of Georgia describing this database is available below.

------------- ANNOUNCEMENT -------------
The Digital Library of Georgia is pleased to announce the availability of a new online resource: African American Funeral Programs from the East Central Georgia Regional Library.

The African American Funeral Programs from the East Central Georgia Regional Library online collection consists of over one thousand funeral programs ranging from 1933 to 2008 (with the bulk of the collection beginning in the 1960s) from the Eula M. Ramsey Johnson Memorial Funeral Program Collection. A majority of the programs are from churches in Augusta, Georgia, and the surrounding area, with a few outliers in other states such as New York and Florida. The programs typically contain a photograph of the deceased, an obituary, a list of surviving relatives, and the order of service. The collection provides extensive genealogical information about the deceased, including birth and death dates, maiden names, names of relatives, past residences, and place of burial. Alongside this genealogical information, the obituaries provide a rich source of local history about African Americans. Many of the people included in this collection were prominent in their communities, and many were involved locally in the struggle for civil rights.

The African American Funeral Programs from the East Central Georgia Regional Library is a project of the Digital Library of Georgia in association with the East Central Georgia Regional Library as part of Georgia HomePLACE. The project is supported with federal LSTA funds administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Georgia Public Library Service, a unit of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Columbus Enquirer Archive

Tarver Library has added the Columbus Enquirer Archive to its database repertoire. This database is produced by the Digital Library of Georgia and is available on the GALILEO Web site or the Tarver Library database listing.

The Columbus Enquirer Archive provides online access to early issues of the Columbus Enquirer ranging from its inception as a weekly newspaper in 1828, through the daily issues of the late nineteenth century. Consisting of over 30,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date.

Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive

Tarver Library has added the Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive to its database repertoire. This database is produced by the Digital Library of Georgia and is available on the GALILEO Web site or the Tarver Library database listing.


The Milledgeville Historic Newspapers Archive provides online access to eleven newspaper titles published in Milledgeville from 1808 to 1920. Consisting of over 49,000 newspaper pages, the archive provides historical images that are both full-text searchable and can be browsed by date. Because Milledgeville served as the state capital from 1804 to 1868, during the antebellum, Civil War, and Reconstruction periods in the state's history, the site will provide researchers with particular historical insight into Georgia politics during the nineteenth century.

Hot Document in July

Digest of Education Statistics 2008

The 2008 edition of the Digest of Education Statistics is the 44th in a series of publications initiated in 1962. The Digest's primary purpose is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The Digest includes a selection of data from many sources, both government and private, and draws especially on the results of surveys and activities carried out by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The Digest contains data on a variety of topics, including the number of schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, and federal funds for education, libraries, and international comparisons. Supplemental information on population trends, attitudes on education, education characteristics of the labor force, government finances, and economic trends provides background for evaluating education data.

The Digest contains seven chapters:
Chapter 1. All Levels of Education
Chapter 2. Elementary and Secondary Education
Chapter 3. Postsecondary Education ( Part 1 and Part 2)
Chapter 4. Federal Programs for Education and Related Activities
Chapter 5. Outcomes of Education
Chapter 6. International Comparisons of Education
Chapter 7. Libraries and Educational Technology
Appendixes

Tarver Library has a print copy of the Digest of Education Statistics 2008 in the government documents reference collection.

Digital TV Transition

DTV.gov - what you need to know about the digital TV transition

The historic technological transition to digital television is in progress. Television stations that are still broadcasting in analog will make the complete transition to digital by June 12, 2009. Need help with the transition? Get information and resources from a federal government web site DTV.gov. This site is sponsored by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Please view the links to learn about what DTV is and FAQs.

Web of Science: Cited Reference Search & Citation Mapping

Do you know Tarver Library has a wonderful electronic resource Web of Science which you can use to discover who is citing your published article and how your research is influencing newer research? You can locate this resource via our Tarver Database List. Your Mercer University ID (MUID) number is required for off-campus access.

Don't know how to use the Cited Reference Searching to locate the citation information? Please view this online tutorial (06:54 minutes).

Citation Mapping is another great feature offered by Web of Science. This powerful new tool allows you to visualize citation connections between articles and their citations. Go forward and backward in time to track citing and cited references; color code, re-configure and organize your citation maps to discover trends in citation activity.

Please view the Citation Mapping Online Tutorial (06:27 minutes).

Hot Document in June

Budget of the United States Government 2010

Issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Budget of the United States Government is a collection of documents that contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year. Other related and supporting budget publications are included, which may vary from year to year. About the Budget of the United States Government.

GPO has signed and certified the PDF files to assure users that the online documents are official and authentic. The digitally signed PDF files should be viewed using Adobe Acrobat or Reader version 7.0 or higher. Download the most recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Here is the Description of Budget Documents Fiscal Year 2010.

The Budget of the U.S. Government for Fiscal year 2010 is also available on GPO's Federal Digital System.

The printed version of the President's Budget is available in our collection. The display of Budget of the United States Government 2010 will be at the Tarver Library Government Documents area soon.

Hot Document in May

Health, United States, 2008

Health, United States, 2008 presents national trends in health statistics on such topics as birth and death rates, infant mortality, life expectancy, morbidity and health status, risk factors, use of ambulatory and inpatient care, health personnel and facilities, financing of health care, health insurance and managed care, and other health topics.

The report includes a chartbook and trend tables that may be viewed and printed using Adobe Acrobat. Trend tables are also available as downloadable spreadsheet files for data manipulation or graphical analysis. Data trends may be more complete in spreadsheet files than in pdf files.

The Preface describes changes and additions to the current report. Major findings are presented in the Highlights. Appendices include Data Sources and Definitions and Methods. The Index is a topical index with cross references to such topics as child and adolescent health, elderly population, nutrition related, specific race and ethnic groups, State data, and women's health.

Current and previous editions are available through the National Center for Health Statistics web site, starting with Health, United States, 1975. Tarver library has a print version of the current Health, United States, 2008 in our collection.

Access to Homeland Security Digital Library

As a selective Federal Depository Library, Tarver Library recently gained access to the Homeland Security Digital Library (HSDL) database. The Homeland Security Digital Library is the nation's premier collection of documents related to homeland security policy, strategy, and organizational management.

HSDL provides quick access to over 63,000 important U.S. policy documents, presidential directives, and national strategy documents as well as specialized resources from universities, organizations and local and state agencies. Please view the link of About the Homeland Security Digital Library to learn more about this database.

Due to license restrictions, this database is only available at Mercer Macon campus and off-campus access is limited to Mercer Macon undergraduates, graduates, faculty and staff. This does not include any students attending Regional Academic Center classes. Your MUID is required for off-campus access. To use this resource, click on the Database (Articles) link on the library home page to get access to the database under the Browse Titles.

Hot Document in March

A Decade of Discovery
U.S. Department of Energy, 2008

A Decade of Discovery provides a fascinating account of some of the most significant scientific discoveries and technological innovations coming out of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratories. This remarkable book illustrates how the men and women of the National Laboratories are keeping us on the cutting edge.

Though few Americans are familiar with the scope and scale of the work conducted at these National Laboratories, their research is literally changing our lives and bettering our planet. Through highly vivid and accessible stories, this book details recent breakthroughs in three critical areas: Energy and Environment, National Security and Life and Physical Science. It describes how this government-funded research has resulted in more energy-efficient buildings; new, cleaner alternative fuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions; safer, more efficient, nuclear power plants; improved responses to disease outbreaks; more secure and streamlined airport security; more effective treatments for cancer and other diseases; and astonishing discoveries that are altering our understanding of the universe and enabling scientific breakthroughs in fields such as nanotechnology and particle physics.

A Decade of Discovery is truly a recent history of discovery—and a fascinating look at what the next decade holds. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy website)

A print copy of this document is available in the Government Documents collection at Tarver Library.

Hot Document in February

Statistical Abstract of the United States, 2009:
The National Data Book (128th Edition)

The Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, published by the U.S. Census Bureau since 1878, is the standard summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. It is designed to serve as a convenient volume for statistical reference and as a guide to other statistical publications and sources. Serving as the official Federal summary of statistics, it is derived from many statistical sources, both government and private.

This year’s Statistical Abstract includes many new tables covering a variety of currently relevant topics, including:

• Refugee Arrivals and Individuals Granted Asylum by Country of Nationality: 2005 to 2007
• Religious Composition of U.S. Population: 2007
• Outcomes of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Procedures: 2000 to 2005....
• Public Schools Using Selected Safety and Security Measures, by School Characteristics: 2000 to 2006.
• Coastline and Shoreline of the United States by State
• Military Retirement System: 2007
• Household Financial Assets in IRAs, by Type of IRA: 2007
• Supply, Disposition, and Ending Stocks of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products: 2006.
• Household Internet Usage In and Outside of the Home, by Selected Characteristics: 2007
• Expenditures for Wildlife-Related Recreation Activities: 2006
• Percent of Women in National Parliaments by Country: 2007
  

The Statistical Abstract is a rich compendium for statistical reference as well as a guide to other valuable statistical publications and sources. It is everyone's one-stop shopping source for statistical information on all aspects of American life - direct from the U.S. Government. 2008.
Source: GPO Access website

The current edition of the Statistical Abstract of the United States is available at the Tarver Library Reference desk. The online version is available at U. S. Census Bureau web site. View the book in PDF format.

Digital Karl Barth Library

Jack Tarver Library has added the Digital Karl Barth Library (DKBL) to our e-resource repertoire.

The first major online collection of Karl Barth's works, The Digital Karl Barth Library combines comprehensiveness with a carefully crafted set of text-analysis tools, The Digital Karl Barth Library will support a new generation of research into the works of one of the twentieth century's most influential theologians.

The current release features the English translation of Barth's magnum opus, The Church Dogmatics, in its entirety. The original German version, Die kirchliche Dogmatik, is also included as are the first 43 volumes of Barth's Gesamtausgabe, which includes hundreds of letters, sermons, lectures, conversations, and academic writings. These volumes are supplemented by seven additional German works that have not yet been published as part of the Gesamtausgabe and English translations of thirteen important texts by Barth. New content will be added on a quarterly basis.

If you have any questions or access problems, please let us know.

EBSCO Database Service Interruption

EBSCO has announced possible service interruptions to its EBSCOHost databases:

"Please be advised that this weekend, from January 31 through February 1, 2009, you may notice some intermittent access interruption, due to planned system maintenance.

We are conducting this necessary system maintenance during off-peak hours in order to minimize the impact it will have on our customers, and apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause. "

This will affect a number of our databases, so please plan your research activities accordingly.

Thanks.

2008 Tax Forms Available

Tax season is upon us. Need federal or state tax forms and instructions? Please visit the tax display at the Government Documents area in the Tarver Library or use the links below. Please note only forms are available, no one in the library can offer tax advice or assistance with filling out the forms.

Most standard IRS federal forms, instructions and schedules in paper are available at Tarver including IRS 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ and some instruction booklets. We also have the Georgia state Form 500, Form 500EZ, and its instructions. Master reproducible copies of all IRS tax forms including many lesser-used federal forms are available for photocopying at the circulation desk by the end of March.

You can also download federal or state forms in PDF format using the links below.

Federal Forms and Publications

Internal Revenue Service Home Page

Georgia Tax Forms and Information

Georgia Department of Revenue

Other State Tax Forms - Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA)

Please visit the Tarver Library Government Documents website for more information.

Recyle your old electronics!

Do you have an old TV lying around or VCR that doesn't work? Want to get rid of it, but want to do so in a way that's conducive to the environment? Well take a look at myGreenElectronics. The website features a ZIP ZIP code look-up for electronics recycling facilities and listings of electronics that are energy efficient, made of recycled materials, or have other green properties. What other ways can you help your world go green?

Chinese Jade

Jade the ancient stone that captured the hearts and minds of many cultures, but most famously that of the Chinese. It came to represent royalty, wealth, and powerful in death, protecting the body from decay. It has a long history in China dating back to 5000 BC and still going to this day. If you have an interest in learning more about the history of jade in Chinese culture, take a look at this interactive tour from the British Museum that illustrates example showing the envelopment of Jade from around 5000 BC to the modern period.



Image from: http://tinyurl.com/6zmzcx