Celebrate the last day of National Poetry Month with a crossword! 

Printer-friendly puzzle: puzzlemaster_poetry.pdf (35.25 kb)

Don't peek yet but here's the solution!  crossword_poetry_sollutionfinal.jpg (13.41 kb)

A great deal of content was added to the Image Collection website during the month of April, much of it focused on the art of Africa.  Images added cover:

• Christian Art of Ethiopia
• Art of the Baule (Western African)
• Art from Zimbabwe and South Africa, including work by members of the Ndau, Tonga and Tsonga cultures.

We have also added images of work by American artist Robert Rauschenberg and photographer Robert Frank.

For more information about the Image Collection, or for assistance in locating images, contact the Image Collection staff.

There’s a room on the third floor you may not know too much about. You know the one I am talking about, room 314. You’re not sure you are allowed to go in, yet you see other students in there but have no idea why they get to use that space with a whole desk to themselves, getting the materials brought to them instead of hunting through the stacks, and pillows - for their books. Or maybe you have come across a book located: “Lincoln Park Special Collection (3rd fl.) –non-circulating” with a call number that started with the prefix SPC, SPCN, or ARDFAC and asked “what does this mean?” or thought “why bother if I cannot check it out?”

This is why: the Special Collections and Archives, or SpCA as I fondly abbreviate it, is one of the hidden treasures in the John T.  Richardson Library. Special Collections refers to the books with rare or unique content, format, or subject focus. Our Special Collections contains over 21,000 volumes, including unique collections like the Lemke Napoleon Collection, the Bradford Dickens Collections, the Vincentiana Collection, or Faculty Publications. The Archives contain documents and materials from different organizations or institutions- including those of DePaul University- arranged in an orderly manner to aid patrons in their research. 

Now that you know the way to this hidden treasure here is why you should check it out (even though you can not check out the material). The books and materials you find here are great ways to boost your bibliography. There may be information or illustrations that are not found in the circulating collection. You can bring your laptop and digital camera to take notes and photographs of illustrations to insert into your paper. The overall experience of  appreciating books and the work that goes into them is well worth it.

And finally, gone will be the days of aimlessly wondering the stacks thinking “where is this book?” We will bring it to you! 

Q. Are carrots really good for your eyes?

A. Mom was right! Carrots are loaded with Vitamin A, which is an essential vitamin needed to keep eyes healthy. 

"You never see any rabbits wearing glasses!" says Dr Stuart R. Dankner, a pediatric ophthalmologist and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "Seriously, carrots contain high concentrations of carotene and vitamin A, both essential ingredients for the retina to remain healthy."¹

But, carrots won't help you get rid of your glasses or contacts. You can also find high levels of vitamin A in milk and eggs, and spinach and broccoli are a good source of lutin, which is also great for overall eye health. 

  1. Cohn, Jessica. "Seeing and Believing." Current Health 2 34.2 (2007): 8-10.

Meebo is a web-based IM service that lets you IM friends on any service(AIM, MSN, Googletalk, etc.) from almost any web browser. All you need to do is set up a free meebo account, and link it to your existing IM accounts. There is nothing to download, so you can use it from almost any public computer. (Great for IM in campus labs or traveling!) All your buddies appear in one big list.

The DePaul Libraries use meebo's "meebo me" widget for our "Ask A Librarian" IM service. If you have a question for us ("Which database should I use to find articles on the global warming?" "How do I renew a book?"), you don't even need to have an IM account--you can just start talking to us via the widget on our "Ask a librarian" or Facebook pages. Of course, if you want to add us to you buddy lists, we are  dpulibrarian on Yahoo, AIM and MSN and  dpulibrarian on Yahoo, and dpulibrarian(at symbol)gmail.com.

Whether in the context of organic consumption, the slow food movement, simple living, the environment, or local business, community-supported agriculture cooperatives provide an avenue for conscious-minded individuals to consume with awareness. In this model of food production, individuals subscribe to a local farm before a growing season and become community “share-holders” in the harvest, receiving boxes of produce in season through the summer and fall. Chicago’s proximity to cornfields (and soy fields and vegetable patches) gives city and suburban residents a choice of CSAs.

A great place to find such organizations is at Local Harvest. Examples of CSAs with pick-ups in the Chicago area include Fresh Picks (Niles, IL), Angelic Organics (Caledonia, IL), and Homegrown Wisconsin (Madison, WI).

Among the questions to consider when reviewing organizations:

How frequently are produce boxes delivered and what is the cost?
What produce is available each week or month?
Should I share a subscription with friends or family?
Are there are any pick-up locations near me?

Don’t forget that the farmer’s market season is approaching! The Green City Market (1750 N. Clark and Stockton Drive) near DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus and the Federal Plaza farmer’s market (Adams & Dearborn) in the loop provide organic options for consumers with no commitment.

Help is available!  The library offers research assistance free of charge. Whether you’re having trouble finding books, articles and statistics or need help navigating the library’s databases, we can guide you. Stop by the reference desk or contact us through our Ask-A-Librarian email and IM reference services.  We’re always happy to answer your questions.     

For lengthy or complex questions, schedule a research consultation to work one-on-one with a librarian.  We can provide individual help with your research when you need it and we’ll spend the time it takes to help you find what you need in a friendly and efficient manner. 
Here’s what some former students have said about our research consultation service.

"The great thing about the DePaul Library staff is that they really seem to take an active interest in the student's topic and are willing to pick up the instruction from where the student is and go forward."

"…I have the highest regard for the library staff. In my experience it is singularly the best service available to students. MY HONEST OPINION."

Don’t spend hours at home struggling!  Schedule a research consultation this quarter.

Tomorrow marks the 38th celebration of Earth Day.  The event was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin, who also passed legislation to protect the Appalachian Trail and ban the use of the pesticide DDT.  Since its inception on April 22, 1970, Earth Day has grown from a national event with 20 million participants to an internationally recognized celebration.¹  The purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness of growing environmental concerns including global warming and the need for clean renewable energy sources.  Find out more about current environmental issues by following the links below.

• What won't you be taking home from Whole Foods?  Find out here.
• Is clean energy affordable?  Check out this article from the March 2008 issue of Business Week.
• Farmers are bowing out of U.S. government conservation program. Read more.
• Interested in tracking evironmental issues? Visit the Science section-environmental issues page at the New York Times or listen to environmentalist Lester Brown discuss biofuel and other current environmental issues on NPR's Worldview.
• Check out the libraries' holdings for books on sustainable living, environmental health, global warming or search the online catalog for other environmental issues.

Interested in what you can do to protect the environment?

• Start at home with energy conservation and recycling.
• Volunteer at a local organization such as Chicago Wilderness or the Chicago branch of the Sierra Club.

Have fun exploring the links that spark your interest and have a happy Earth Day!!! 

_{1 "Earth Day." Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 10 Apr 2008 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9442790>.}

Q: When is it apporpriate [sic] to capitolize [sic] the words "congress" and "president?"

A: You only have to capitalize "president" when it precedes a name.¹ For example, "President Bush." But you can say "The president arrived for the press conference." In the case of "Congress," you do capitalize it when you're referring to the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, but not for other groups that have "congresses."² For example, "Congress voted overwhelmingly against the bill." But, "Faculty and students formed a congress to examine the issue."

_1. "Civil Titles." The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.

2. "Governmental and Judicial Bodies." The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.

April 17th
National High Five Day

Don't leave us hanging!  Stop by the reference desk--we won't force you to give us a high five, but if you stop by, we will give you some treats in celebration of National Library Week!

Source: Chase's Calendar of Events, 2008 Lincoln Park Reference, R.905 C487A1