Check back soon for more exciting news from the Pearson Pipeline!

Break is over although many of us wish that it would have never ended, but now it’s back to school! So how do we get into a good rhythm with classes after a relaxing worry free winter break? The Pearson Library offers many services that will help you get back into the swing of things. Get a jump start on your research papers by taking advantage of the many resources available  from thousands of hard copy books, over 150 online databases, to hundreds of  DVDs .

With the library’s Interlibrary Loan Service, you can request to loan materials which are unavailable at Pearson Library. So if we don’t have a book or item that your looking for, don’t worry we can get it for you!

Probably the most visited department in the library is the Circulation Desk or “Circ Desk” for short. The Circ Desk provides many services including checking library materials in and out, accessing course reserves, and, of course, assistance in locating items. Did you know that you don’t have to call or contact the Circ Desk to see the items that you have checked out and/or to review your items? That’s right! All you have to do is log in to access your library account. Have questions? Ask the Circ Desk.

Also if you just have a question or don’t know where to start on finding help for your research, our Information Commons Desk will provide you with the answers you looking for. You can just walk up and ask them virtually anything. If you don’t have the time to visit the library to ask your question – that’s not a problem – send them an instant message.

Last but not least, if you have any trouble at all with your student account, Black board, or any technological problems our Help Desk will be glad to assist you.

Now you have all of the basic tools that you’ll need to get a jump on a great semester!

Did you ever hear that there is something in turkey that makes you tired? Or maybe you felt for yourself that tired or drowsy feeling after the big Thanksgiving feast. Well it’s true that turkey does contain an amino acid called L-Tryptophan (el-trip-toh-fan) which is known to be a  natural sedative, as stated in an article called, “Effects of L-tryptophan on sleepiness and on sleep” by Ernest Hartmann in the Journal of Psychiatric Research. This amino acid travels through the blood stream up to the brain, then the brain converts the L-Tryptophan into a chemical called Serotonin (sare-uh-toh-nin) which calms us down and helps us sleep. However, L-Tryptophan would have to be taken by itself with no other protein or amino acid in order to make you drowsy, and since there is plenty of protein in turkey, the turkey is not the culprit! In fact, in an article from Physiology and Behaviortitled “Meal composition and its effect on postprandial sleepiness” nutrition experts, William C Orr, Gregory Shadid, Michael J Harnish, and Sigrid Elsenbruch believe the reason you are really tired after that Thanksgiving feast is because of all the consumption of carbohydrates found in bread, potatoes, yams, and pumpkin pie. So next time you hear someone say that turkey makes you tired, know that its all just a myth.

You can find these articles and much more using just one of our many  library databases. These articles were found using ScienceDirect, which provides full-text access to peer-reviewed journals on health and life sciences topics. This database and many others can be found on the Pearson Library Information Sources page.

If you just want to relax with your friends or family and watch a scary movie, we also offer a wide varity of  horror films. From the classic “Halloween” the Micheal Myers story to more recent thrillers like “The Fourth Kind.” Search for these movies and many more popular DVDs in our Online Catalog! 

 Halloween (DVD)

Falcon International Productions ; Moustapha Akkad presents ; produced by Debra Hill ; screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill ; directed by John Carpenter. 

 In 1963, six-year-old Michael Myers brutally killed his older sister. The silent child was incarcerated in the Smith’s Grove Sanitarium under the care of psychiatrist Sam Loomis. Michael’s hometown of Haddonfield was slowly beginning to forget the tragic crime. That is until Loomis returns to the town to warn them of Myers’ escape from Smith’s Grove. With Michael set on killing a group of high school students, Loomis gets the hesitant town sheriff to help him stop Michael before it’s too late.  

The Fourth Kind(DVD)

Universal Pictures and Gold Circle Films present a Chambara Pictures & Dead Crow Pictures production, an Olatunde Osunsanmi film ; produced by Paul Brooks, Joe Carnahan, Terry Lee Robbins ; story by Olatunde Osunsanmi & Terry Lee Robbins ; screenplay by Olatunde Osunsanmi ; directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi.

Halloween

   With our growing eBooks collection, ebrary covers all academic subject areas. For the month of September a wide variety of subjects were viewed from Psychology and Religion to Pop Culture. Some of the top viewed books include:  “Children in Family Context: Perspectives on Treatment” by Combrinck-Graham, Lee and “Action Chicks: New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture” by Inness, Sherrie A.  

  Using the ebrary’s Infotools you can highlight text,  take notes,  link to online resources to expand your research and even share folders with your peers. If your tired of reading yourself , all you have to do is highlight some text and ebrary’s Unity Reader will read it for you. With ebrary’s Bookshelf feature you can save and organize your research for future reference. The best part of all is that you can access ebrary from ANYWHERE!

For more help and information about ebrary check out the Trainnig Video!

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS ARE REQUIRED TO USE THE ADDED FUNCTIONALITY OF THIS DATABASE: Once on the Ebrary website click Sign In link (upper right corner) to utilize the Bookshelf functionality. Also, Ebrary’s Plug-in has to be downloaded by clicking on Ebrary Reader button located by the title.

Poetry Reading with BrianMcGackin!

Join us on Monday, October 3rd, from 1:30 – 3:00 PM in the Lundring Events Center, as poet Brian McGackin reads from his new book Broetry: Poetry for Dudes. Mr. McGackin will be available to sign copies of his book after the reading. You can purchase your own copy of Broetry: Poetry for Dudes at either the CLU bookstore or at the event. In the meantime enjoy the cover poem of Broetry: Poetry for Dude, a clever “broetry” riff on William Carlos Williams’ “This Is Just To Say.”

What are challenged books, you say? These are books that have been asked to be removed from libraries, schools, museums, etc. If a challenge is successful, the item will be removed from the library, school, museum, etc. and be listed as a banned book. Book challenges and bans often come from concerned parents. They are worried that the material is too sexually explicit, contains offensive language and violence, or is unsuited to any age group. It is completely understandable but censoring an author and/or censoring ideas is not. Concerned parents should monitor what their children read and apply rules accordingly.

Celebrate banned books week with us (Sept. 24 – Sept. 30) by standing up against the injustice and read a banned book. Most (if not all) of the titles are available at the Pearson Library or at the Thousand Oaks Library.

Oh yes, the answer to the question above. Here’s the top 5:
1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
2. Alice series, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
3. The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
4. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell
5. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
(Reference: American Library Association wesite)

Below are the top 5 questions that get asked at the Pearson Library. Have you ever asked these questions before? And, are there other questions you want to ask? 

Top 5 FAQs at Pearson Library (countdown)

5. Is the writing center in the library?
Yes, CLU’s Writing Center is in the library. Their knowledgeable staff will help you with developing a thesis statement, working on syntax and grammar, and every other writing need you may have. It is recommended that you schedule an appointment with them on their website.

4. I need research help! How can I get research help?
There are lots of ways to get research help. You can call us at 503.493.3255, send us a text message at 209.LIB4HLP (or 209.542.4457), send us an IM from the library webpage, find us on facebook and/or twitter. You can also come into the library too.

3. Where should I go to start finding sources for my research project?
You have access to 244,8800 books and ebooks, 158 databases, and 2166 DVDs/movies. It can be overwhelming. Start with WorldCat Local (WCL) where you will find everything you need, including books, ebooks, full-text articles, and videos. If you  need help using WCL, see the tutorial page we have put together for you.

2. I need to research for chem but I’m an art major, where can I go to find information quickly?
All of the majors at CLU have their own research guide. The guides have information on the best databases for the subject, how to cite sources, and who can help you with your research, making it easy to find sources on any topic.

1. What are the library hours?
Generally, the library’s hours are Monday-Friday 8:15am-11:45pm and Saturday-Sunday 10:15am-11:45pm. There are some variations in the schedule because of holidays, breaks, etc., so look at the complete schedule to make sure.

It’s called a “discovery tool” because it enables you to do a simple keyword search and access a vast array of content including books, eBooks, full-text articles and video from the Pearson Library AND from libraries worldwide.

Learn more about WorldCat Local and watch some brief tutorials featuring the library staff explain and demonstrate its cool features.

GRAD SCHOOL / INTERNSHIPS

• Admissions exam: We’ve got the test prep books that you need: GRE, GMAT, and more!  Some titles include GRE : graduate record examination (Reference LB2367.4 .G747), Writing skills for the GRE and GMAT tests (Reference PE1114 W754 2002), How to pass the GMAT: unbeatable preparation for success in the Graduate Management Admission Test (eBook), GMAT Prep Course Ebook (eBook), Barron’s how to prepare for the Medical college admission test, MCAT (R838.5 .S45 1990), and McGraw-Hill’s LSAT, 2009 Edition (eBook).  Check with your local public library for more titles.
• College/University rankings: For those interested in rankings, the U.S. News & World Report’s website gives the complete list for free.  But for more information (average test scores, average GPA, etc.): America’s best colleges (LB2331.63 .A43).
• Personal Statements and Essays: Pump up your personal statements or essays with these great books: Great personal statements for law school (eBook) and How to write a winning personal statement for graduate and professional school (LB2351.52.U6 S74 1993).
• Scholarships: Getting into grad school is one thing, but how will you pay for it?  Scholarships 101: the real-world guide to getting cash for college (eBook) can help as well as Scholarships, fellowships, and loans (Reference LB2338 S35).

FINDING A JOB
Prepare for the job search by thinking about what you want: From school to a career : a student’s guide to success in the real world (LC1037 .J44 2005) and After You Graduate: Finding and Getting Work You Will Enjoy (eBook).

• Resumes and Cover Letters: A variety of resources to help with resumes and cover letters: Resumes for First Time Job Hunters (eBook), Get the interview every time: Fortune 500 hiring professionals’ tips for writing winning resumes and cover letters (eBoook), 202 Great Resumes (eBook), Resumes for College Students and Recent Graduates (eBook), Guide to basic resume writing (eBook), 201 Killer Cover Letters (eBook), 2500 Keywords to Get You Hired (eBook), and Electronic Resumes and Online Networking: How to Use the Internet to Do a Better Job Search (eBook).
• The interview: Some great advice is available here: Manager’s Book of Questions: 1,001 Great Interview Questions for Hiring the Best Person (eBook), 24 Hours to the Perfect Interview (eBook), How to Ace the Brainteaser Interview (eBook), and Boost Your Interview IQ (eBook).

For more resources or personal advice, contact Career Services on campus.  They offer graduate school fairs, career counseling, internship workshops, and a slew of links to help with applying for grad schools or internships and many tips on finding a job.

Lastly, congrats to the California Lutheran University class of 2011
from the staff at Pearson Library/Information Systems and Services!

Don’t forget, even as Alums, the library still offers a lot of great resources and services to you: including checking out library books for free and access to two library databases.  Which ones?  Find out by clicking on this previous post.

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