Fred Schaaf, writer of 11 popular astronomy books, guides amateur stargazers through the heavens in The 50 Best Sights in Astronomy and How to See Them. Schaaf picked these 50 sights based on "the width of the field of view necessary to enjoy the sight best", from widest to narrowest (1). That's why the first section includes the starry sky, total eclipse of the sun, and the northern lights---all sights you can see with the naked eye. It progresses to sights that require binoculars and then telescopes, such as Orion's Belt and the surface of the moon. The book features explainations of each sight, several beautiful color pages of the night sky, and a glossary of terms. This is a great introductory manual if you're looking for a new hobby.
(Vairo Library QB63.S389 2007)
If you only have time to read one book right now, make sure it's What Was Asked of Us: An Oral History of the Iraq War by the Soldiers Who Fought It. Author and investigative reporter Trish Wood worked with Iraqi War veterans for more than two years compiling in-depth interviews for this emtionally powerful book. In the introduction, Bobby Muller (a marine infantry officer in the Vietnam War and cofounder of Veterans for America) clearly states that this book is not politically motivated, but "a simple recounting of experiences that are very personal" to soldiers who served in Iraq (XVI).
As the book jacket states: "They tell us about their lives and careers, their families back home, their days and nights, the Iraqis they've encountered, the fear and the courage, and the challenges of fighting a war when the enemy is everywhere and nowhere at once."
What Was Asked of Us is a book everyone should read.
(Vairo Library DS79.76.W47 2006)
We received notification from the University Libraries Cataloging Department that Springer Engineering eBooks records from the SpringerLink database (usually accessed from the A-Z database list) has been added to The CAT. Read about the details in their announcement below:
"Over 900 records for individual titles in the Springer Engineering eBook Collection have been added to The CAT. Publishing over 300 new titles annually, Springer is one of the world's leading sources for engineering monographs. The Engineering eBook Collection includes works on mechanical, electrical, control, and biomedical engineering as well as many other aspects of the discipline."
Search for Engineering (Springer (Firm)) in The CAT and click on "details" to view The CAT record. Then click on the "Online Content" link to take you to the eBook on SpringerLink database where you can read books split up into PDFs. If you need any help, feel free to ask the library staff at the circulation desk.
Extra, Extra! Now you can read articles from University Park's student newspaper The Daily Collegian from over 100 years ago online. The Historical Digital Collegian now includes 100 years of the University Park student newspaper (1887-1987). You can access Penn State's Digitized Collection of newspapers from the link below or from the University Libraries website www.libraries.psu.edu and click on "Digitized Collection" under the FIND OTHER MATERIALS category. http://apps.libraries.psu.edu/digital/projects.cfm?type=newspapers
Other Penn State student newspapers in the digital collection include the Hazleton Collegian and the Behrend Beacon.
Attention history buffs! We just received word from the Cataloging Department that a series of American broadsides and ephemera from the Archive of Americana database (usually accessed from the A-Z database list) has been added to The CAT. Read more about it in their announcement:
Over 29,000 records for items in the collection American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I, have been added to The CAT. Based on the American Antiquarian Society's collection of American broadsides and ephemera, this resource offers fully searchable facsimile images of broadsides printed between 1820 and 1900 and ephemera printed between 1760 and 1900. The remarkably diverse subjects of broadsides range from contemporary accounts of the Civil War, unusual occurrences and natural disasters to official government proclamations, tax bills and town meeting reports. The collection also includes autobiographies and dying confessions of convicted criminals, theater playbills, sheet almanacs, publishers' prospectuses, advertisements, newspaper carriers' addresses, patriotic and popular songs and poems, and items illustrating political party organizations and controversies.
A Begins With (Browse) search of Series or Title with the string "American broadsides and ephemera, Series I" will retrieve the records.
To view these documents, click on the online content link on the CAT record. This will pull up a new window where you can view, print, or save (as a PDF) both the item and the document source.
If you're looking for something a little different, try this cool title:
"The Simpsons, the world's most popular and longest-running animated series, is a treasure-trove of scientific ideas and a clever mixture of fact and fancy. Now there's a guide to the science behind the show. In What's Science Ever Done for Us? What the Simpsons Can Teach Us about Physics, Robots, Life and the Universe you'll find answers to an amazing array of scientific questions raised in 26 classic episodes, including:
- Can genetics explain Homer's dimwittedness and Lisa's brains?
- Are shrink-rays and teleportation devices possible along the lines of Professor Frink's inventions?
- Could androids, like the one that replaced Bart in one episode, ever have consciousness?
Whether you're a Simpsons fan, a science buff, or both, get ready to laugh and learn as Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, and the entire town of Springfield prove that science isn't just fun--it's hilarious!"(back cover)
(Vairo Library Q162.H3154 2007)