All posts by Ann

Librarian, Liaison for School of Public Affairs & Social Services; School of Advanced Manufacturing , Engineering & Applied Technology; School of Business & Logistics
Books, Websites

National Book Festival 2019 Videos released

Leave a comment

The Library of Congress is currently rolling out videos from author talks at the 2019 National Book Festival. This annual event is sponsored by the Library of Congress and takes place in Washington, D.C. at the end of August. (It is much more comfortable to view these talks online – August in D.C. is truly swampy!)

This year, there are many wonderful videos from the Science stage reporting current research, as well as popular writers on history, politics, biography, and of course fiction and poetry and children’s books. We have books by most of these authors in our collection.

Click on this link to access the list of videos. The easiest way to browse the list is to click on Sort by Title to see author names interfiled with titles.

Image showing how to sort the list by title
Books, Displays, Events

National First-Generation College Celebration, Nov. 8th

1 Comment
Library display about first generation college students

All this week we are celebrating first-generation college graduates. This includes many of our Ivy Tech staff, and graduates.

We have a display of selected books by famous first-gens, including neurosurgeon Ben Carson, First Lady Michelle Obama, Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Clarence Thomas, General Colin Powell, and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. The books are already getting checked out, so come take a look soon!

The most recent data available (from 2016) shows that 24% of all college students are first-generation. At community colleges, the percentage is 64%. Data also shows that while most first-generation students get financial aid, they do not partake of other college services like academic support and counseling at the same rates as other students (US Dept. of Education). As these helps are often crucial to success in college, this gap is concerning.

College is a new culture, no matter how academically prepared one is. We are having some fun with this by asking people to write down words or phrases that they had to learn – or learn a new meaning of – when they started college. My favorite is “citation”! (I’m sorry, Officer …)

What are some college words you had to learn? Leave a comment here, or come in to the library and help us out with this.

Books, Events

All Hallows Read

Leave a comment

Spooky Books our Staff Love

All Hallows Read is a world-wide event celebrating the delights of sharing scary stories. It coincides with Hallowe’en. Being spooked can be fun when you have someone to hold on to!

In the Library this month we are displaying books in a range of scary genres – mysteries, horror, gothic, crime – for you to check out. Our staff have some specific recommendations below.

So grab a book, grab a friend, and turn on your reading light in a darkened room …

Dracula by Bram Stoker. View Record in IvyCat

Ann Spinney recommends this because while the story is scary, Stoker’s descriptive passages of moonlight on mountains and other natural scenes are ravishing. It is all very much in the Romantic era style. We also have the Illustrated Junior Library edition of this classic in our collection.

The Skeleton Haunts a House. A Family Skeleton Mystery, Book 3. By Leigh Perry. View Free Kindle Preview

Diana Dudley recommends this one. Sid the Skeleton lives with the family of an adjunct professor. No one knows how he came alive again, but now that he is re-animated, he takes an interest in solving the mysterious deaths of others. On a visit (in costume, of course) to a Halloween Haunted House with his family, Sid is accidentally trapped inside when the police close the place down to investigate an actual dead body. Sid does some investigating of his own.

Diana also recommends Joyland and Duma Key by Stephen King – “they are not too spooky.”

Coraline by Neil Gaiman View Record in IvyCat

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. View Record in IvyCat

Liz Metz recommends these two young adult fantasy books by the masterful Neil Gaiman. They are in our Juvenile Fiction collection.

UnSub and Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner. View record for UnSub in IvyCat

Nicole Treesh writes, “The spookiest books I’ve enjoyed recently are crime thrillers by Meg Gardiner – UnSub books 1 and 2. The first, UnSub, is inspired by the real Zodiac Killer. It follows ‘a young detective determined to apprehend the serial murderer who destroyed her family and terrorized a city twenty years earlier’ (book jacket). It is in our fiction collection. The second, Into the Black Nowhere, is based on the real-life case of Ted Bundy, ‘an exhilarating thriller in which FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix faces off against a charming, merciless serial killer’ (book jacket). It is in our Baker & Taylor fiction collection.”

Events, Featured Materials, Websites

Constitution day September 17th

Leave a comment

Celebrate Constitution Day by spending some time with the document that grants US citizens their rights and privileges. An annotated online version is available from Congress.gov that aims to increase understanding of the Constitution and how it affects our society.

Constitution Annotated allows users to browse through all the Articles and Amendments, providing links to Supreme Court decisions based on each. Users can also perform topic searches and find all the passages in the Articles and Amendments and the Supreme Court cases dealing with that topic. For example, I searched “religion” in the topic search bar at the top of the page, and a list is generated of all passages in the Constitution and in Supreme Court decisions that include the term.

Notice that all the State and federal laws held unconstitutional by the Supreme Court have been tabulated for easy cross-reference.

On the same site are links to digitized primary source documents from the Constitutional Convention. View George Washington’s copy of the constitution draft annotated in his own handwriting! Read a broadside “Ode” celebrating the Constitution. Peruse pamphlets published in state and national newspapers arguing for and against the national Constitution and its ratification process. There is a very helpful “Historical Note” on the formation of the constitution, that places all of these documents in context.

With all these resources, we can surely go forth and “form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

Books, Staff Profiles

Summer Reading at Ivy Tech Fort Wayne

Leave a comment

As we near the end of our summer term, a condensed semester that can be stressful for students and teachers, remember that Intersession break is coming! Here are some light reading recommendations from your library staff. Any of our staff can help you check them out. We wish everyone a relaxing, enjoyable break.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt. Fort Wayne General Collection F294 .S2B48 1994

I’ve been immersed in True Crime recently while creating displays on our forensics resources, and decided to try this old bestseller in the genre. It is perfect for summer reading, as it takes place in sultry Savannah, Georgia. There is nothing remotely gorey or scary about the story, even though it centers on a fatal shooting. The real-life characters are fascinating, and richer than many fictional people. (Ann Spinney)

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. (Available at four Ivy Tech libraries)

While delayed in an airport recently, I picked up this 1970 book, which has been reissued to capitalize on the Amazon Prime TV series. What a total delight! It is full of clever jokes, from the props – an angel eats deviled eggs while a devil eats angel food cake – to the dialog, the footnotes, and even the fonts. The story is one of the most goodness-affirming I have ever read, imagining how a child thwarts the Apocalypse. It centers on the power of friendship and kindness, through several subplots. The authors are giants of fiction and together they made a masterpiece while having a lot of fun. (Ann Spinney)

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Baker & Taylor leased books

Don’t let the lack of umbrellas and sand on the front cover fool you – this is totally a beach read! The entire book is formatted as a transcript from one of those “Where Are They Now?” shows. Daisy Jones was once the epitome of the beautiful, fearless Hollywood princess, and when she merged her voice with up-and-coming rockers The Six, they exploded onto the music scene in a way that’s never been forgotten. This book is a fun read, especially for those of us who remember the 70s fondly. (Carol Gibbs)

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. Baker & Taylor leased books

Linda Holmes of NPR fame has written her first novel, and it’s well worth a read. Yes, it’s a romance, but it’s so much more than just waiting for the gal and the guy to finally realize they’re the perfect couple. This gal and guy come off as real people with flaws and problems and hey, guess what – what passes for true love isn’t enough to fix them. They have to dig a little deeper in order to do that. The book deals with emotional abuse, abandonment, the “yips,” and how to start over. A wonderful, heartwarming, satisfying read. (Carol Gibbs)

The Department of Sensitive Crimes by Alexander McCall Smith. Baker & Taylor leased books

McCall Smith writes multiple book series, and this is the first title in a new one he’s recently launched. His writing is quietly humorous and full of meandering thoughts as his characters interact. This series is a parody of the Scandinavian Noir genre, such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It’s called Scandi Blanc, and no crime is too insignificant to investigate by the Sensitive Crimes Division. Why was someone stabbed in the back of the knee? Who do you call when an imaginary boyfriend goes missing? And of course: vampires. The fun isn’t found in solving the ‘crimes’ as much as following the preposterous conversations needed to crack the cases. (Carol Gibbs)

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes) by Lorna Landvik. Baker & Taylor leased books

This is the story of a long-time columnist for a small-town newspaper. When a stroke sidelines Haze Evans, the newspaper decides to rerun some of her columns written throughout the decades of her employment. What follows is a nice historical retrospective, reminding the reader of how many cultural changes this country has weathered. The people surrounding Haze read her words again and are sometimes able to use them to change their perspectives or see their lives differently. Fun to see how many people were connected through Haze and her words. (Warning: this book does slant to the left. If you’re a curmudgeon like Joseph Snell, one of Haze’s critical readers, this isn’t the book for you!) (Carol Gibbs)

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. Baker & Taylor leased books

College students attending college in a small California town begin to fall asleep. They can’t be awakened. Some of them die. And then the sleeping sickness spreads out to the rest of the community. The news media descends to cover the crisis, complete with special terminology and logos. Some think it’s all being faked. Everyone is terrified that they could be next. For such an alarming premise, the writing is amazingly soothing. It’s gentle, even calming. Maybe even dream-like. One of my favorite things about this book was the way the lives of the different characters were shown to be interwoven, even if they weren’t aware of it. I read this book months ago and still sometimes find myself thinking about it. (Carol Gibbs)

Our non-fiction recommendation comes from Elina Puckett, who writes: “This got exceptional reviews. I am listening to it now and have a hard time putting it down.”

Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life by Peter Gray. Baker & Taylor leased books

Events

July 4th: Visit Hawkins, Indiana

Leave a comment

img_4179-e1562191963166.png

Are you returning to Hawkins, Indiana this summer? You will want to prepare by browsing the library’s collection of books on the weirder aspects of our state. We have a Stranger Things-themed display this month with books on paranormal phenomena, the CIA, government conspiracy theories, the dangers of role-playing games, and more.

 

Books, School of Public Affairs & Social Services

New books for Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Sociology

Leave a comment

9780199989225Children of the Prison Boom: Mass Incarceration and the Future of American Inequality

By Sara Wakefield and Christopher Wildeman

Call number: HV 8886 .U5  .W35 2014

View record in IvyCat

“Drawing on broadly representative survey data and qualitative interviews, Children of the Prison Boom describes the devastating effects of America’s experiment in mass incarceration for a generation of vulnerable children. Parental imprisonment has been transformed from an event affecting only the unluckiest of children—children of parents whose involvement in crime would have been quite serious—to one that is remarkably common, especially for black children. Even for children at high risk of problems, Children of the Prison Boom shows that paternal incarceration makes a bad situation worse and substantially increases family instability and racial inequality in child well-being (Publisher).”

 

9781538102022Crimes that Changed our World: Tragedy, Outrage, and Reform

By Paul H. Robinson and Sarah M. Robinson

Call number: K 5032 .R63 2018

View record in IvyCat

“Sometimes the engine of reform kicks into gear simply because we decide as a society that we are no longer willing to tolerate a long-standing problem and are now willing to do something about it.”

This unique new book presents the concept of “trigger crimes” and analyzes 21 crimes that led to social reform. The authors’ thesis is that crimes define our society just as any other aspect of culture. Their focus is on the United States, with one example from the U.K.; and the twentieth century, from 1911 (the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire) to 2001 (the Enron financial scandal). Each discussion follows the format “tragedy – outrage – reform,” by first describing the case and its social context, then the societal outrage following the event, then the laws, systems, or institutions put into place to prevent recurrence. Many chapters go “beyond reform” to discuss broader implications. The authors provide extensive source notes for each case discussed, and use archival photos to illustrate them. The concluding chapter provides a systematic review and could stand on its own. The keyword index is extensive.

9781440835667Gun Control in the United States: A Reference Handbook, Second edition

By Gregg Lee Carter

Call number: HV 7436 .C36 2017

View record in IvyCat

“This book offers concise, understandable coverage of all aspects of the issue, including incidence of gun violence; gun control; gun rights; government regulation, legislation, and court decisions; gun organizations (for gun control and for gun rights); gun enthusiast subcultures—for example, hunters, target shooters, and collectors; and U.S. attitudes toward guns. Many of the covered topics are placed in historical and cross-cultural perspective … [to provide] a balanced view of the contemporary gun debate in the United States, explaining the positions of both gun rights proponents and advocates of stricter gun control without demonizing either. It draws on a vast array of research in criminology, history, law, medicine, politics, and social science to provide one of the most comprehensive single-source references on gun issues. [This new edition] presents current and historical data on U.S. gun violence—including homicides, suicides, and accidental shoots—and places these numbers against international statistics on gun violence, thereby providing the context to enable readers to reach their own opinion on the gun debate” (Publisher).

9781440839627Understanding Juvenile Justice and Delinquency

Edited by Marilyn D. McShane and Michael Cavanaugh

Call number: HV 9104 .U475 2016

View record in IvyCat

“Understanding Juvenile Justice and Delinquency provides a concise overview of the most compelling issues in juvenile delinquency today. It covers not only the range of offenses but also the offenders themselves as well as those impacted by crime and delinquency. All of the chapters contain up-to-date research, laws, and data that accurately frame discussions on youth violence, detention, and treatment; related issues such as gangs and drugs; the consequences for scholars, teachers, and students; and best practices in intervention methods.

“Presents analysis and evaluation of techniques used and programs employed, enabling readers to be better advocates for law and policy impacting youth. Includes discussion questions appropriate for classroom settings and lists of additional resources, related websites, and supporting films that guide students in investigating the subject further. Supplies updated data and information on policy and law that will serve as a vital resource for students writing papers or scholars teaching in the field of juvenile justice” (Publisher).

9781138648180Routledge Handbook on Offenders with Special Needs

Edited by Kimberly D. Dodson

Call number: HV 9469 .R68 2018

View record in IvyCat

“The Routledge Handbook on Offenders with Special Needs is an in-depth examination of offenders who are learning-challenged, developmentally disabled, and mentally ill, as well as substance abusers, sex offenders, women, juveniles, and chronically and terminally ill offenders. Areas that previously have been neglected are explored: the treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender offenders, and racial and gender disparities in health care delivery, as well as pregnancy and parenthood behind bars, homelessness, and the incarceration of veterans and immigrants. In addition, the book covers legal and management issues related to the treatment and rehabilitation of special populations in prisons/jails and the community, including police-citizen interactions, diversion through specialty courts, obstacles and challenges related to reentry and reintegration, and the need for the development and implementation of evidence-based criminal justice policies and practices regarding these groups.

This is a key collection for students taking courses in prisons, penology, criminal justice, criminology, and related areas of study, and an essential resource for academics and practitioners working with offenders with special needs” (Publisher). Each chapter is written by a specialist and contains an extensive bibliography. A cumulative index is provided.

Books, School of Public Affairs & Social Services

New books for Criminal Justice and Legal Studies

Leave a comment

 

The Criminal Justice Student Writer’s Manual, Sixth Edition

By William A. Johnson, Jr., Richard P. Rettig, Gregory M. Scott, and Stephen M. Garrison

Call number: HV 9950 .J643 2015

View record in IvyCat

Now in our Reference collection for use in the library, “this comprehensive manual can be used throughout the reader’s college and professional careers to help improve research and writing skills.  It includes common types of criminal justice papers, covers the writing process, grammar, writing mechanics and page formatting, and focuses on research strategies” (Publisher).

Animal Law in a Nutshell, 2nd edition

By Pamela D. Frasch, Katherine M. Hessler, and Sonia S. Waisman

Call number: KF 390.5 .A5 F73 2016

View record in IvyCat

Designed for students or practicing lawyers as “a succinct exposition of the law … by outstanding authorities … in a compact format for convenient reference.” Each chapter includes suggestions for further reading. Indices include an alphabetical table of case titles, and a cross-referenced key word index.

The book is arranged topically and covers: “animal anti-cruelty laws, industrial and agricultural uses of animals, torts and other claims for harm done to animals, as well as federal, state and local regulation of animal ownership and use, animal rights activism, hunting, fishing and other recreational uses of animals, animals in entertainment, issues arising when animals are the subject of a contract or the intended beneficiary of a will or trust, remedies for harm done to animals, international animal law, and anticipated future legal developments in the field” (Publisher).

Essential Supreme Court Decisions: Summaries of Leading Cases in U.S. Constitutional Law

 By John R. Vile

KF 4547.4 .V55 2018

View record in IvyCat

“The only reference guide to Supreme Court cases organized both topically and chronologically within chapters so that readers understand how cases fit into a historical context, the 17th edition has been updated with 20 new cases, including landmark decisions on such topics as campaign finance, Obamacare, gay marriage, the First Amendment, search and seizure, among others. Updated through the end of the 2017 Supreme Court session, this book remains an indispensable resource for undergraduate and law school students, lawyers, and everyone interested in our nation’s laws and Constitution” (Publisher).

It contains over 500 case summaries. Appendices include a list of Supreme Court justices since 1789, the Constitution, and a glossary of legal terms. Cross references include an alphabetical list of cases, and the cases indexed by Chief Justice, as well as a comprehensive key word index.

Essentials of the Reid Technique: Criminal Interrogation and Confessions, Second Edition

By Fred E. Inbau, John E. Reid, Joseph P. Buckley, and Brian C. Jayne

HV 8073.3 .I53 2015

View record in IvyCat

“Designed for students taking an interviewing course, law enforcement and government investigators, corporate security officers, attorneys, and loss prevention professionals,  this updated second edition of the best-selling Essentials of the Reid Technique: Criminal Interrogation and Confessions teaches readers how to identify and interpret verbal and nonverbal behaviors of both deceptive and truthful people, and how to move toward obtaining solid confessions from guilty persons using the Reid Technique. The Reid Technique is built around basic psychological principles and presents interrogation as an easily understood nine-step process. Separated into two parts, What You Need to Know About Interrogation and Employing the Reid Nine Steps of Interrogation, this book will help readers understand the effective and proper way that a suspect should be interrogated and the safeguards that should be in place to ensure the integrity of the confession” (Publisher).

A new chapter discusses legal issues concerned with interrogation and confessions. This edition contains new photos throughout, and real-world scenarios and examples including insights into how people behave when they are trying to lie. Each chapter concludes with exercises to aid in learning.

Books, School of Public Affairs & Social Services

New Forensics books

Leave a comment

 

Forensic Botany: A Practical Guide

Edited by David W. Hall and Jason H. Byrd. Essentials of Forensic Science series

Call number: QK 46.5 .F67 H25 2012

View record in IvyCat

“An accessible introduction to the way in which botanical evidence is identified, collected and analysed in criminal cases … This book is written for those who have no formal background working with plants. It can be used as a practical guide for students taking forensic science courses, law enforcement training, legal courses, and as a template for plant collection at any scene where plants occur and where rules or laws are involved. Veterinarians, various environmental agencies, anthropologists, and archeologists are examples of disciplines that are more recently in need of plant evidence … The format of the book is designed to present the reader with all the information needed to conduct a botanical analysis of a crime scene; to highlight the forensic significance of the botanical evidence that may be present; how to collect that evidence in the correct manner and preserve and store that evidence appropriately; [and] how to conduct a laboratory analysis of the plants.” (Publisher) Illustrated throughout with high resolution photographs, the book also includes model lab and evidence data logs, chapter summaries, references, and an index.

Forensic Microbiology

Edited by David O. Carter, Jeffrey K. Tomberlin, M. Eric Benbow, and Jessica L. Metcalf. Forensic Science in Focus series

Call number: QH 313.5 .F67 .F68 2017

View record in IvyCat

“This book is intended as a resource for students, microbiologists, investigators, pathologists, and other forensic science professionals. Forensic Microbiology focuses on newly emerging areas of microbiology relevant to medicolegal and criminal investigations: postmortem changes, establishing cause of death, estimating postmortem interval, and trace evidence analysis. Recent developments in sequencing technology allow researchers, and potentially practitioners, to examine microbial communities at unprecedented resolution and in multidisciplinary contexts. Detailed study of microbes facilitates the development of new forensic tools that use the structure and function of microbial communities as physical evidence. Chapters cover: experiment design, data analysis, sample preservation, the influence of microbes on results from autopsy, toxicology, and histology, decomposition ecology, and trace evidence.” (Publisher) Illustrated throughout with high resolution photographs. Each chapter is written by specialists and includes its own extensive references.

Fundamentals of Fingerprint Analysis, Second Edition

By Hillary Moses Daluz

Call number: HV 6074 .D353 2019

View record in IvyCat

“Building on the success of the first Edition—the first pure textbook designed specifically for students on the subject—Fundamentals of Fingerprint Analysis, Second Edition provides an understanding of the historical background of fingerprint evidence, and follows it all the way through to illustrate how it is utilized in the courtroom. [The book is in three sections,] with each chapter building on the previous one using a pedagogical format. The first explains the history and theory of fingerprint analysis, fingerprint patterns and classification, and the concept of biometrics […] The second section discusses forensic light sources and physical and chemical processing methods. Section three covers fingerprint analysis with chapters on documentation, crime scene processing, fingerprint and palm print comparisons, and courtroom testimony …[New to this edition are] such topics as the biometrics and AFIS systems, new and emerging chemical reagents, and more” (Publisher). Illustrated throughout with high resolution photographs. Appendices include procedural diagrams, potential hazards of the chemicals mentioned, and model testimony.