 |
 |
|
Regent University Library Acquires New Microforms Scanner Why Does the Library Have Atheist Books? Inside the Library* Undergraduate Research
The University Library thanks Constitution Day panelists Law School Dean Jeff Brauch, Government student Charlie Misseijer, and Law student Farmas Farkish, pictured here with Library Dean Sara Baron.
|
||||
And
Speaking of the Constitution...
Charlie Misseijer, a student in the Robertson School of Government, began his opening remarks by reminding the audience of the Founders’ spiritual heritage and their concern of balancing liberty against the sinful nature of humankind. Though the Constitution is irreligious in language, Misseijer said, in principle it recognized a Supreme God and Creator, lending legitimacy and felicity to a fledgling American republic two centuries ago.
Jeff Brauch, Dean of the Regent University School of Law, opened his remarks by referencing the political situation in Zimbabwe, a country which also has a constitution, but one that is largely ignored by a corrupt president. Quoting Thomas Paine, Brauch expressed his thanks that “‘In America, the law is king.’” Even amidst the dilemma of hanging chads in the 2000 presidential election, Brauch noted his confidence that America would enjoy a peaceful transition of presidential powers, because of the rule of law. Following
their remarks, the panel entertained questions from the audience
on a broad range of Constitutional
issues including:
abortion, same-sex marriage, wiretapping, and the First Amendment’s
establishment clause. The Constitution Day was established by Congress in
2005, requiring all educational institutions receiving Federal
funding to hold
an educational program pertaining to the Constitution on or around
September 17 of each year. This year’s event at Regent University
was sponsored by the University Library, the Law Library, and
Student Services.
Library
Acquires New Microforms Scanner:
Rich Historical Resources Now More Accessible What
comes to your mind when you hear the word “microform?” An
obsolete way to store information? Think again. Many What comes to your mind when you’re searching the library catalog and the very thing you need comes up with the location “ROOM 149 – MICROFORMS?” Uugh! Too much hassle!? Think again. Regent Library’s microform collections are now accessible for digital transfer to your own PC. The library recently installed a new microforms scanner just outside the microforms room behind the reference desk. The new machine’s two greatest features are the capacity to send images to your PC via email attachments, and a very helpful user guide with digital graphics. You can also print out images right at the scanner. The machine gives you access to all three formats of microforms in our collection: microfilm, microfiche, and ultra-fiche. To view ultra-fiche you must request a special lens at the reference desk. The reference staff will help you change the lens. The new machine has two user programs: “image.SCAN” and “CapturePerfect.” “image.SCAN” is definitely the place to start, and most users will find it does all they need. The “Capture Perfect” program may have advantages for some types of materials, or for the preferences of some researchers, but it will require more initiative to learn than “image.SCAN” which almost takes you by the hand and walks you through the process.
For example, see the scanned image here of the title page to Francis Hopkinson’s 1778 satiric ballad “Battle of the Kegs.” The ballad is a humorous description of the British navy’s over-kill response to the American’s failed attempt to blow up British ships with floating keg bombs. Apparently the ballad was still popular enough nearly 90 years later to be published in this 1866 edition. Hopkinson, a signer of the declaration of independence, was a satirist, poet, and known as America’s first native composer. Our Evans Early American Imprints series has a fascinating collection of Hopkinson’s satirical essays and music on microform. Other microform collections held here that are especially recommended by our Library faculty include the Library of American Civilization and Journal Backfiles. Regent Library’s new microforms scanner doesn’t
take quite all the minor hassles out of searching microforms,
but it does make a vast treasure of rich historical material
more accessible than ever before. If you don’t explore
it, you’ll be missing a great resource.
Why
Does the Library Have Atheist Books? Truth
will rise above falsehood as oil above water.
Why would a Christian library have such a book in its collection? There are several reasons for collecting books with false or even offensive content. The American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights affirms that libraries have a responsibility to provide materials from all points of view:
A statement in the University Library’s Resource Development Policy also speaks directly to this issue: “The University Library attempts to provide collections supporting the free exchange of ideas. The collections are available to all patrons of the library and offer the widest range of viewpoints and treatment, regardless of the popularity of those viewpoints or of the sex, religion, political philosophy, or national origin of their authors. The sole test of the suitability of any item is its contribution, direct or indirect, to the academic programs of the university and to the research and information needs of library users.” A second reason for collecting books like An Atheist Manifesto has to do with the University’s mission. If Regent graduates are to fulfill their calling to change the world, they must be able to engage with a multitude of viewpoints held in the world. One need look no further than the opening chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians to see how important to his missionary success was his ability to speak with Jews and Greeks on their own terms: Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24 (NIV) Finally, as Christians, the Library faculty do not believe that books promoting atheism, paganism, or heresy can really pose a threat to members of the Church Militant: We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. 1 John 4:6 (NIV) The Apostle
John believed that members of Christ’s mystical
body recognize the truth through the Spirit of Truth, or the
Light of Christ, “the true Light, which lighteth every
man that cometh into the world” (John 1: 9, KJV). At
the University Library, we are firm in our conviction that
books filled with error and falsehood do not threaten our community,
but in fact are necessary resources for the understanding of
a world in need of the truth Regent proclaims. *Joseph Lewis, An Atheist
Manifesto, (New York:
Freethought Press Association, 1954) Inside
the Library The Curriculum Section:
Ever
been to Regent University Library’s Curriculum section? If
you ascend the stairs to the
second floor and turn to the right, passing that group of study
carrels, the copier, and the ladies restroom,
you’ll head to a room where you’ll see a bunch of red
and blue bound books. Keep going, and in that same room you’ll
see our Curriculum section, a plethora of books, tapes, and kits
that are sure to help out Education students, parents, and kids!
We have many curriculum guides and workbooks for teachers to use
with children of all ages, pre-K to 12th grade. Also, to supplement
your lesson plans, check out our extensive
collection
of Undergraduate
Research Should I Use Wikipedia in My Research?  Should
you use Wikipedia as documentation in academic writing?
An answer to this question
may be found in the citation help that accompanies every article: “Most
educators and professionals do not consider it appropriate
to use tertiary sources such as encyclopedias as a sole source
for any information.” In other words, the use of any
encyclopedia in a scholarly article should be selective and,
if possible, backed up by other sources in the list of references.
But this question brings to mind a more basic question about
Wikipedia: is the content trustworthy and reliable?
Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia to which anyone can contribute (its name is derived from “wiki,” a kind of website that allows visitors to edit content). Like Google and Yahoo, the site is a phenomenon of the World Wide Web that has fundamentally changed the way people around the world seek information. Launched in January 2001, Wikipedia now has more than five million entries in 229 languages. The encyclopedia now ranks 16 among the most visited websites worldwide and 9 in the United States. In 2005, the science journal Nature conducted a study of the accuracy of Encyclopaedia Britannica Online versus Wikipedia 1. Entries across the range of scientific disciplines were sent to experts for peer review. Out of 42 entries reviewed, Nature’s experts found four serious errors, such as misinterpretation of important concepts, in each encyclopedia. In addition, the reviewers also identified 162 (about three per article) factual errors in Wikipedia and 123 (about four per article) in Britannica. In March 2006, Britannica issued a statement criticizing Nature’s methodology and demanded a retraction2. Nature stands by its investigation3. In a similar investigation by the Guardian of London, the newspaper sent Wikipedia entries (without the corresponding one from Britannica) to experts in the relevant subjects4. In general, the Guardian’s panel was less concerned about factual inaccuracies than in what they saw as the amateurishness of the entries, which may point to the biggest challenge for Wikipedia: writing. Called by one scholar the “Achilles’ heel of Wikipedia,5 ” the encyclopedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales has admitted some of its entries are “a horrific embarrassment.” Undeterred, Wales is nothing if not ambitious about Wikipedia’s future, claiming that he would regard Britannica as a competitor, “except that I think they will be crushed out of existence within five years.”6 Writing for The Atlantic Monthly, Marshal Poe suggests that the ultimate significance of Wikipedia maybe as a depository of “common knowledge,” a place where information about objects of widely shared experience will be negotiated, stored and renegotiated….archived and updated and made freely available.”7 The up-to-the-minute currency nature of Wikipedia, is certainly one of its key strengths, but can prove a weakness as a scholarly source. Within six hours of the outbreak of hostilities, an article was posted on the “2006 Israel-Lebanon Conflict,” which was subsequently edited more than 4,000 times in the next twelve days. It seems unlikely that an article on a controversial subject so ferociously edited by writers of unknown credentials and biases would be helpful to a student seeking an objective introduction on the conflict. To return to the question, whether Wikipedia is an appropriate source for scholarly papers, Wales himself gives probably the best advice to students: “…you’re in college; don’t cite the encyclopedia.”8 ___________________ 1Jim
Giles, "Internet Encyclopaedias Go Head to Head," Nature 438, no. 7070 (15 Dec. 2005): 900-901. Collection
Spotlight--A
History of Violence, a film by David Cronenberg
As with most of David Cronenberg’s films, A History of Violence is exactly what the title implies: violent. There is enough gore, guts, and gruesome effects to make anyone a little queasy. However, while this film is definitely not for the faint of heart, it does pose several thought provoking questions and discussion starters: Despite our best efforts, can we ever truly escape the sins of our past? Could you truly keep your commitment of “until death do you part” after finding out that your spouse could possibly have an unspeakable history of shame and malicious activity? Once we have become new people, is it appropriate for us to ignore the stains of our former selves or must we always be reminded of who we were before we became anew? Although it’s a redemptive story of the world, A History of Violence actually illustrates the truth that without Christ, we can never truly be set free from the stains of our past. No matter how far we run or how hard we try to look past what we’ve done, it is only through Christ that we can be forgiven and find peace. Cronenberg does a fantastic job of showing the cruel reality of violence and crime in our world, and how the sins of the father actually do impact his family, even after his past has been buried. However, the film ends on an awkward note, possibly because it offers no real resolution to the family’s tragic dilemma – a dilemma that only Christ could resolve. Film students might enjoy A History of Violence because screenwriter Josh Olson offers several instances of clever foreshadowing and parallelisms, while die-hard David Cronenberg fans should thoroughly enjoy the special features on this Platinum Series DVD. It has all of the usual bonus features such as deleted scenes and director commentary, but it also has several gruesome featurettes that include a side-by-side comparison of violence in the International Version with the violence in the United States Version. This film is rated R for strong brutal violence, graphic
sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use.
Congratulations
to Rob Nutt, the winner of our Student Services Fair Drawing
of an iPod shuffle!
Past Issues
|
|||||
Over
120 people gathered at the Library Atrium on Tuesday, September
19 in observance of Constitution Day and to listen to a panel of
Regent faculty and students speaking about the United States Constitution.
The event began with prayer and a recitation of the Preamble to
the Constitution.
Farmas
Farkish, a Regent University law student, spoke briefly about
some rights not enumerated in the Constitution,
specifically
a “right to privacy.” Farkish spoke about other rights
being created in the “penumbras” of the Constitution
by an activist judiciary. As an example, she cited the majority
opinion of the Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey: “At
the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of
existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human
life.”
panelists agreed that more education
about the Constitution is essential to safeguarding the freedoms
enshrined in that document.
archivists
believe it is our best hope for long-term preservation in a
world of frequently changing and quickly obsolete digital programs
and formats. 
Ultra-fiche, the smallest of the formats, may still be a challenge
for some users. There are so many pages of old publications
crammed on the little sheet of film that finding what you want
may test your patience, especially if you are addicted to the “click
and see” experience of surfing the Internet. But there
are plenty of treasures there to reward the persistent researcher. 
Have
you read 
 |
|
|
|
|
1000 Regent University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23464 800.373.5504 | 757.226.4127 Contact Us | Privacy | © 2007 |
|