Survey says … College Students Still Prefer Print Textbooks

“Last winter, Hewlett Packard conducted a 10-minute online survey at the San Jose State University (SJSU) to measure student preference for e-textbooks and printed version. A total of 527 students were involved in this survey …

Of the 527 respondents, two-thirds of which have used both e-textbooks and printed version, 57% said they prefer print. Only 21% of those polled favor the e-version. The remaining 21% stated that they prefer both formats.

This survey also revealed reasons for preferring print, which ranged from “ease of use” (54%), “note-taking ability” (35%) to “physical feel of book” (11%). For those favoring the e-version, factors cited include “light weight” (34%), “convenient access” (23%) and “search function” (16%). “Cost” was cited by only 15% of the respondents as a factor in purchasing the e-version.”

Read complete article …

50 Cult Novels Worth Reading

Emily Temple writes: “Just what is a cult novel? Well, like so many literary terms, the edges blur whenever you try to look right at them, but in the end, you sort of know one when you read one. Sometimes a cult novel is one that the critics panned but the fans love, or sometimes it’s one that both readers and critics love, but a certain contingent of readers really love. Any book with a squadron of rabid fans swearing that it changed their lives quickly seems cultish. Cult novels often come from the fringes, they often represent countercultural perspectives, they often experiment with form. But again: you sort of know one when you see one, and this list contains 50 of the best (or at least the most notable) …”  Read rest of article

— Flavorwire, July 9, 2014

Did your “must read” list just get bigger?  Mine did!

 

eBook of the Week

Hooman Majd, born in Tehran to an upper-class diplomat family that fled after the overthrow of the shah, decided to take his American wife and baby son back to Iran for a year-long visit in 2011.  This is his story of going home again.

The Ministry of Guidance Invites You to Not Stay: an American Family in Iran by Hooman Majd

“With U.S.–Iran relations at a thirty-year low, Iranian-American writer Hooman Majd dared to take his young family on a year-long sojourn in Tehran. [This book] traces their domestic adventures and closely tracks the political drama of a terrible year for Iran’s government …  a sparkling account of life under a quixotic authoritarian regime that offers rare and intimate insight into a country and its people, as well as a personal story of exile and a search for the meaning of home.”

Check it out! Beyond Library Walls Digital Collection

Library Databases Available

The EZProxy update went smoothly and the Library’s databases are available again.

If you encounter any issues/problems, please contact us.

Library Databases Unavailable Today – 1-4 p.m.

The Library’s databases will be unavailable today (Thursday, July 17) between 1 and 4 p.m. for an EZProxy update.

The update may not take the full three hours; we are allowing extra time for “just in case” issues and testing.

What’s New at the Library & Featured Arrivals

What’s new and noteworthy at the Library? 

To see the latest additions to the collection, visit What’s New at the Library.

For titles we think are especially interesting or noteworthy, visit Featured Arrivals.  [Note: If you want to go back in time, click on the “More Featured Arrivals” tab to find lists from 2010-2013.]

eBook of the Week

BSC takes innovation seriously.  This book explores how we form insights to solve problems and get things done. It also looks at the kinds of things that get in the way to block creativity and disruptive ideas.

 

Seeing What Others Don’t: the Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights by Gary Klein

“Both scientifically sophisticated and fun to read, Seeing What Others Don’t shows that insight is not just a “eureka!” moment but a whole new way of understanding.”

Check it out! Beyond Library Walls Digital Collection

BSC Library Databases Unavailable – July 17, 1-4 p.m.

On Thursday, July 17, the Library’s databases will be unavailable between 1 and 4 p.m. for an EZProxy update.

The update may not take the full three hours, but we are allowing extra time for “just in case” issues and testing.

7 Surprises about Libraries from Pew Research

  Lee Rainie writes: “The Pew Research Center’s studies about libraries and where they fit in the lives of their communities and patrons have  uncovered some surprising facts about what Americans think of libraries and the way they use them.”

          7 Surprises about Libraries …

 

4th of July Holiday Weekend Hours

The BSC Library will observe these hours for the 4th of July holiday weekend:

 

• Friday, July 4 — CLOSED
• Saturday, July 5 — CLOSED
• Sunday, July 6 — CLOSED

 

Regular summer hours will resume on Monday, July 7.

Even when the library is closed, the ODIN library catalog and PRIMO and our databases are available 24/7.

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend!