April 2013 Archives
American cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1890-1942) created many popular comic strips over the course of a career spanning nearly 40 years. Among his best-known strips are ones that involve characters Barney Google, a loveable ne'er-do-well and afficiando of gambling in various forms, and Spark Plug, Barney Google's blanket-covered racehorse (see the illustration to the right), but perhaps DeBeck's most enduringly popular character is Snuffy Smith, a moonshiner from the backwoods of North Carolina. While working on the Snuffy Smith strips, DeBeck amassed a library of more than 100 volumes of fiction, anthropology and folklore focusing on Appalachia, the Ozarks and the American South. In 1990 VCU Libraries acquired the Billy DeBeck Collection, including this library, from DeBeck's former secretary.
Paul Robertson, research assistant in James Brach Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives and a doctoral student in VCU's Media Art & Text (MATX) program, will give a presentation on Billy DeBeck and his library at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2013, in the second-floor Multipurpose Room in James Branch Branch Cabell Library. Robertson will look critically at the nature and extent of DeBeck's research and at the character of Snuffy Smith and DeBeck's intentions for him. The talk will be free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided. For questions, please call (804) 828-0593.
Studying for finals? The Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee (CLUAC) is offering a student-run study session with snacks on Wednesday May 1, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. in Room 250, James Branch Cabell Library.
Nearly 30 years of VCU history are represented in VCU Libraries newest digital collection, "VCU News Publications." The Office of University Relations produced these publications, which carried different titles over the years.
These periodicals tell VCU's official story in news articles, features, calendars and images of students, staff, faculty and leaders. Departments and schools submitted articles and news items. Letters to the editor, editorials and formal messages from deans and the president are also found in the 542 issues in this online collection.
The first of these official news organs was published in May of 1972 as the weekly VCU Today. (It was preceded on the MCV campus by the Medicovan, published from 1948 until 1973.) VCU Today was published on an irregular basis, often monthly, until the 1980s when it became a bi-weekly.
The staff included professional writers, photographers and editors, who represented the views of the university administration and highlighted news that the school wanted publicized. By the 1980s, the newspaper was circulated to full-time staff on both campuses and was also made available in a number of VCU buildings. It was probably the institution's best vehicle for communicating to the large university community.
In 1988, the newspaper became the VCU Voice. In 1998, it became the UniverCity News. In 2001, it became VCU News. It was published online in 2002 and is today's News Center.
The print issues are housed in the Special Collections and Archives departments in the Tompkins-McCaw Library on the MCV campus and in the James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus.
Dates for the publications:
- VCU Today: 1972-1988
- VCU Voice: 1988-1998
- UniverCity News: 1998-2001
- VCU News: 2001-2002
Copyright for the materials in this collection is managed by the VCU Libraries. The use of these materials is subject to the stipulations specified in the VCU Libraries copyright page.
The VCU Department of English has just announced the 14 semifinalist books for this year's VCU Cabell First Novelist Award:
- "Fobbit" by David Abrams (pub. Black Cat)
- "Hope: A Tragedy" by Shalom Auslander (pub. Riverhead Books)
- "No One Is Here Except All of Us" by Ramona Ausubel (pub. Riverhead Books)
- "The People of Forever Are Not Afraid" by Shani Boianjiu (pub. Hogarth)
- "A Land More Kind Than Home" by Wiley Cash (pub. William Morrow)
- "Forgotten Country" by Catherine Chung (pub. Riverhead Books)
- "The Book of Jonas" by Stephen Dau (pub. Blue Rider Press)
- "When Captain Flint Was Still a Good Man" by Nick Dybek (pub. Constable & Robinson)
- "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk" by Ben Fountain (pub. Riverhead Books)
- "Girlchild" by Tupelo Hassman (pub. Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
- "The Song of Achilles" by Madeline Miller (pub. Ecco)
- "The Yellow Birds" by Kevin Powers (pub. Little, Brown and Co.)
- "Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore" by Robin Sloan (pub. Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
- "The Girl Below" by Bianca Zander (pub. William Morrow)
This group was chosen from almost 140 submissions based on reviews by readers from the Department of English, the VCU Friends of the Library, and others in the VCU community. Thank you to everyone who served as a reader and helped to make such an exciting selection of novels. Shortly, the three finalists will be decided from among the 14 semifinalists, and those three will then be read by the judges, who will choose the winner.
During the spring semester, a group of students from the Department of Interior Design and the Department of Crafts and Material Studies met in Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives to participate in a collaborative project inspired by Special Collections and Archives itself. The students worked in teams composed of two Interior Design graduate students and one Craft and Material Studies major, and each team selected a particular focus of Special Collections and Archives to serve as the catalyst for a design for a functional LED light fixture. With Cabell Library preparing for the construction of a major new building adjacent and attached to the existing structure, the teams also engaged with the vision for the new building, trying to imagine their completed light fixtures installed inside it and incorporated into the architecture.
The completed light fixtures will be on display on the first floor of Cabell Library from April 26 to May 10 for all patrons and visitors to see. An opening reception will take place on Friday, April 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the designers and to discuss the project. Both the exhibit and the opening reception will be free and open to the public.
The Commonwealth Times reports on a new career resource for students that collects VCU Libraries resources in a handy guide. The article.
VCU Libraries introduces new databases useful to students of business, advertising, mass comm and researchers interested in business trends, entrepreneurship and corporate work and in getting the facts about private and public firms.Some highlights:
- IBISWorld Reports for all 723 U.S. industries categorized by NAICS include market size, competitors, forecasting, business valuations, benchmarking, business environment and global industry reports. A new module includes specialized industries such as: Forensic Accounting Services, Popcorn Production, Psychic Services, Ice Cream Making Machinery Manufacturing, Fantasy Sports Services and Medical Marijuana Growing.
- Plunkett Research Online Analysis and market research for industry sectors include trend analysis, statistics, organizations, company profiles and information for job-seekers. VCU Libraries has long offered some of the Plunkett print and online materials but in this new format they are easier to use and more accessible. Plunkett covers some 30 industries plus Asian companies, Canadian industries, international companies and middle market companies. Both IBISWorld and Plunkett are great additions to the Industry Research Guide.
- PrivCo Business and financial data on major, non-publicly traded corporations, including family-owned, private equity owned, venture backed, and international unlisted companies pulls back the curtain on private businesses such as Subway, pinkberry, IKEA, J. Crew, Levis, Arby's, Brooks Brothers, Twitter, Chanel and 80,000 more businesses that make up most of our major corporations. See Company Research Guide.
- WARC Global advertising and marketing trends, including market intelligence, case studies, conference reports, articles, expenditure data, profiles of major brand owners and consumer insight. This publisher's portfolio includes Admap, Market Leader, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research and International Journal of Market Research (full text). This database includes marketing case studies, advertising spending date, some content from sources like Gale American Industry and Emerging Industry Overviews, Nielsen, and more, as well as exclusive content such as a collection of advertising campaign videos.
- Best's Library Center Offers full-text insurance reports, credit reports, and other in-depth insurance industry information and statistics. It's great for any research on the insurance industry, whether you need basic information or in depth research.
For further information:
Bettina Peacemaker
bjpeacemaker@vcu.edu (804) 828-8960
Just as VCU embarks on a year-long celebration of its 175th 
anniversary as an institution of higher learning, it has a new university archivist: Jodi Koste of VCU Libraries.
"VCU has entered a time of transformation throughout the institution," said University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider in announcing Koste's appointment. "The pace and scope of change underscore more than ever the importance of a strong university archives program that captures and describes the rich history of our institution while informing and grounding its move ahead."
As University Archivist, Koste will work closely with VCU Libraries' leadership and colleagues and staff throughout VCU to create a policy and procedure framework for a comprehensive archives program appropriate for a major research university in the 21st century. Koste will also identify staffing and other resource needs and educate the university community about the role of university archives in contemporary research universities.
As a first step in the process of developing her new role, Koste is working with the Office of the President on setting up systems for managing the presidential papers as well as the official record of the Board of Visitors. "There will be many uses for these materials from the perspectives of the administration and to those interested in VCU's story and its history," Koste said.
"These records are the institution's legacy in many ways and we want to ensure that this legacy is here 50 years from now."
In her association with VCU Libraries, Koste has long been involved in outreach and in helping people on both campuses find and use materials about VCU. As Head of Special Collections and Archives at Tompkins-McCaw Library she retains responsibility for special collections initiatives related to the MCV Campus and its academic programs, which already have a large archival component.
"Her distinguished career has earned her the esteem of historians, archivists and librarians across the country and the deep respect of VCU faculty and leadership throughout the institution," Ulmschneider said. "I am grateful that Ms. Koste has agreed to take on the important new responsibilities of University Archivist at a time of such profound change at VCU. Her combination of skills, experience, and expertise will ensure that VCU's new university archives starts with the best possible foundation."
Like the forever stamp, one of your library services stays with you, at the same price (free) forever.
One of the many tools VCU Libraries provides students is RefWorks. This web-based citation management tool stores citation and reference information in personal databases. The individual can manage references in folders for individual topics, courses, grants or collaborative projects. It automatically generates bibliographies in various formats (MLA, APA, Chicago).
All VCU-affiliated users who have VCU and/or MCVH-VCU email accounts may set up free accounts.
If you have a RefWorks account, your references are yours forever. Whether you go onto graduate school at another institution or go into the workplace, you can still have access to your references via the RefWorks Alumni Program. You can continue to use RefWorks to manage research materials of all kinds--whether you are in school or on the job.
Members of the class of 2013: Remember to set up a RefWorks Alumni account before graduation to continue to have this benefit of your VCU Libraries relationship.
Details about the RefWorks Alumni Program
Students, faculty and staff with RefWorks accounts who leave VCU may continue to have access to RefWorks through the RefWorks Alumni Program. As a participant in the program, you receive:
- One free RefWorks account
- New updates and feature releases
- 200 MB of file attachment storage
- Use of RefShare to share your folder(s) or account
- Free Web-based training
- Technical support from RefWorks staff
To request participation in the RefWorks Alumni Program, submit an Ask Us email or contact your RefWorks administrator:
- Marilyn Scott, James Branch Cabell Library, mjscott@vcu.edu, (804) 828-9049
- Jennifer McDEaniel, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, jamcdaniel@vcu.edu, (804) 827-1150
Charting your after-graduation or summer path? Finishing your academic program and planning the next steps? Looking for a job or internship? Thinking about launching your own business or starting a nonprofit?VCU Libraries, in partnership with University Career Services, now offers a handy, one-stop, online guide about how to use library resources to research companies and industries.
- annual reports
- up-to-date business news (Dow Jones Factiva)
- company profiles (Hoover's, Mergent Online, Company Research Guide)
- industry trends (IBISWorld, Plunkett Research Online, Mintel, Sandard & Poor's Net Advantage)
- profiles of private and public companies
- job seeker resources and tools
- information about nonprofits and government jobs (A-Z Index of U.S. Government and more)
- an inside look at jobs and companies (Glassdoor)
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings (EDGAR)
For one-on-one coaching on how to use the new careers guide, contact Peacemaker at bjpeacemaker@vcu.edu or (804) 828-8960.
The research guide augments the career center's existing programming, which includes a wide range of services to support students and alumni in career development. These include assisting at every stage of the job-search process--from choosing a major, to assessing strengths, from referring and managing recruiting events to helping candidates prepare for interviews. About the University Career Center
Members of the Friends of the Libraries and others with VCU electronic ID have access to materials.
Health Sciences literally watched their step entering the building due to rough and uneven stairs.Film and Television Literature Index with Full Text is an exciting resource for film, television and new media research. Maintaining international coverage with a North American focus, this database provides comprehensive indexing and abstracts for more than 680 academic journals, magazines and trade publications, with full text entries for some 120 journals. Also included are book chapters, industry reports, Variety movie reviews (1914-present), and more than 36,000 images and movie stills. Through Film and Television Literature Index, researchers can explore the spectrum of media scholarship from theoretical aspects and technical elements to critical reception and popular culture impact.
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences opens "Rams Reaching Out," a photography exhibition featuring contest entries about the outreach activities of VCU health sciences students from urban Richmond to rural Southwest Virginia to the faraway shores of West Africa.
All are invited to the reception at the library, 509 N. 12th St. RSVP Thelma Mack, mackta@vcu.edu or 804-828-0017
From the Commonwealth Times:
"Jack D. Spiro, director of the VCU Center for Judaic Studies, attempted to answer the eternal question of what exactly is the meaning of life ... during the 28th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture on Thursday night.
Spiro summarized that the importance of life lies in being a part of the community and helping others."
Thanks to our Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee for hosting the annual Cabell Life Forum April 3. We had a room full of students who posed many ideas and raised many interesting questions about today's library services and the proposed new building. Coverage from The Commonwealth Times
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences will host a live simulcast of TEDMED 2013, April 16-19, during regular library hours. The University community is invited to join colleagues to listen to this provocative series of short, inspiring talks, curated by the well-known TED (technology, entertainment, design) conference series, which began in the mid-1980s.
TEDMED focuses on health and medicine. The conference meets at the Kennedy Center in Washington, for a 31/2 day program.
According to organizers, "TEDMED believes that the future of health and medicine will be shaped by vital input from leading medical colleges, teaching hospitals, government agencies and non-profit institutions around the world." In this spirit of collaboration and information sharing, the TEDMED event is broadcast free to these institutions.
This is the first time VCU has participated in TEDMED Live.
- John Maeda, Rhode Island School of Design President: "How can design principles lead to more discovery and better treatment?"
- America Bracho, CEO and President, Latino Health Acesss: "What happens when patients become leaders on the health team?"
- Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine: "What is the U.S. health disadvantage?"
- Amy Abernathy, Director, Duke Center for Learning Health Care: "Can patient data have a second life?"
- Sally Okun, VP Advocacy, Policy and Patient Safety, PatientsLikeMe: "Does anyone in healthcare want to be understood?"
- Francis S. Collins, NIH Director: "Can science take the next leap?"
- Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco: "Attention stressed-out docs: Can the consumer be the 'cavalry'that rescues you?"
- Elizabeth Marincola, President, Society for Science and the Public: "With open access, who translates medical research?"
- Elazer Edlman, Senior Physician, Harvard-MIT Biomedical Engineering Center: "The Big Bang in Medicine and Engineering - will the knowledge explosion actually hurt innovation across disciplines?"
- Laura Deming, Partner, The Longevity Fund: "How do we make prevention a $1 trillion business?"
- Isaac Kohane, Professor of Pediatrics and Health Sciences Technology, Harvard Medical School: "How can every clinical visit be used to advance medical science?"
