What's in the news?

Often, it's a government publication that's in the headlines!

Such as the recently released Financial Crisis Inquiry Report. You couldn't come within 10 feet of any media for a few days last week without hearing about this massive report of the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States.

Since we are a federal Depository Library, we will get a paper copy of this report sometime in the next few weeks. But you can take a look at it online if you can't wait. Here is a link to what you'll notice is the official government version, made available by the Government Printing Office.

This isn't the only high-profile government report to make the news lately. You might remember at the end of last year there was quite a buzz about this report to the President—Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of Offshore Drilling.

You can also see the official version of this one right now, courtesy of GPO. We'll soon be getting a paper copy of this commission's recommendations (the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, that is).

Keep informed! Follow up on what you hear on the news by checking with us at the Blume Library.

Welcome Back!

As the Spring 2011 semester begins, I want to give you an idea of how the library can help you with your research assignments.

Tips

1. Get Help: Do you have a research paper and you don’t know where to start? Ask one of the reference librarians for help. Our primary purpose is to help you figure out where to find information on topic. You will find librarians at the Reference Desk in the Blume Library. You can also give us a call (210-436-3508), or contact us by email. In addition, you will get some great resource tips from our online Research Guides, created by Blume librarians, which focus on popular research topics.
2. Find materials online: The library subscribes to over 100 online databases that include articles, e-books, e-reference books, reports, statistics, videos, images, and more. Our website includes a links to some of the most popular databases, a complete list of databases, and a links to databases by academic subject.
3. Find books, videos, and cds: Search the Library Catalog to discover the books, videos, cds, government documents, etc. that we have on your topic. You will use your Rattler ID card to check out from the library. By the way, we also buy popular books, movies, and music. Looking for something fun to do? Borrow free entertainment from the library!

Need more information? Take a look at the library website or contact us at the library. We can help you succeed!

How are we doing?

If you have a few minutes, take a quick survey and tell us about your experience with government information.

The Blume Library is a Federal Depository Library, and has been one since 1964. The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information. Since becoming a Depository, we have accumulated what we hope is a valuable collection of print resources from the Congress and many government agencies. We have reports from Censuses back to 1960, Statutes at Large (pictured on the right) back to 1964, primary diplomatic source material in the Foreign Relations of the U.S. back to 1914, and the Congressional Record (and antecedents) back to 1789! Plus much, much more.

In recent years, the government has been increasingly making its information available online and the Blume Library offers guidance in navigating these resources through tools available on our website. We offer a Government Information on the Web Subject Index, a State Government Information Index, a series of guides to government information, and more.

So take our survey! It covers access, services, and collections. Results of the survey will contribute to efforts by the Government Printing Office, the agency which operates the Depository Program, to address the value of Depository Libraries. Let us know how you have used government resources in the Library and online, what works for you and what could be improved. Thanks!

Library Subscribes to Value Line online

The Louis J. Blume Library recently subscribed to the online Value Line Research Center. The Research Center provides research on stocks, mutual funds, options, and other types of investments. The Value Line Research Center is available on-campus and off-campus to currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff at St. Mary’s University.

The Blume Library also subscribes to several other databases that provide investment information. These databases are:

• Morningstar Investment Research Center – mutual funds, stocks, portfolio analysis tools
• NetAdvantage (Standard & Poor’s) – stocks, mutual funds, company and industry information
• Business Source Complete – business journal articles, newspapers, magazines, etc.

You can find the Value Line Research Center, and the other databases, on the Blume Library website at http://library.stmarytx.edu/acadlib/indexes/bus.htm.

Contact any Reference Librarian if you have questions about this subscription or any other Blume Library database.

Voter information and links to campaign websites

Are you are registered to vote in Bexar County? Take a look at http://stmarytx.libguides.com/vote for links to candidates' sites, where available.

If you have already voted, thank you for voting. For those who haven't, Early Voting runs through Friday, October 29 in Bexar County. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2 and your local polling site will be open 7am-7pm. Links to the Bexar County Elections Department information about voting is available at http://stmarytx.libguides.com/vote

Participate in LexisNexis® QuizWhiz student competition for a chance to win valuable prizes!

Current St. Mary's University students are invited to participate in the LexisNexis Academic (one of the Blume Library's subscription services) QuizWhiz contest. Win points and prizes while exploring the content of LexisNexis Academic.

Sign up today. Registered students answer multiple choice questions on legal, news, business and more. Each correct answer earns points that may be redeemed by students for a variety of gift cards from national retailers in values of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100.

Competition runs from September 13 through November 15, 2010 with questions updated as frequently as twice a week for opportunities to earn more.

See http://www.lexisnexis.com/quizwhiz/ for more information!

33 Years of Magill's Literary Annual Reviews Online

With the receipt of our 2010 Magill's Literary Annual, we have online access to 33 years of past Magill's Literary Annuals. The database includes over 6,900 reviews and essays covering fiction and nonfiction, across subjects, genres, and countries. Each year, Magill's Literary Annual critically evaluates 200 major examples of serious literature, both fiction and nonfiction, published during the previous calendar year. You can find the link to this database under Salem Literature on our web site or linked in our catalog record for Magill's Literary Annual. Search this resource to learn about recent publishing trends or to see how your favorite contemporary author or work of contemporary literature has stood the test of time.