No one is using libraries anymore?

That's clearly not true at MCTC...

Door stats:

2010	275,756
2009	271,502
2008	250,617
2007	242,417
2006	207,507

eBook Reader Wars Heat Up

From NPR:

Sony Corp. plans to offer an e-book reader with the ability to wirelessly download books, injecting more competition in a small but fast-growing market by adopting a key feature of the rival Kindle from Amazon.com. (Full article)

Do you have a Kindle or other eBook reader? If so, what do you like and/or dislike about using it? Libraries, including the MCTC Library, are increasingly providing access to electronic books; have you ever used an ebook through a library account? Do you think you ever would? Add your comments to this message, or post your thoughts in D2L.

Poll Results: Library BlogTalkRadio Show

Some of you have found our MCTC Library streaming radio show!

Yep, listen all the time!	2 (33%)
I've listened once or twice	1 (16%)
No, I've never listened	2 (33%)
The library has a what?	1 (16%)

Votes so far: 6

Our View From the Park - President Phil Davis

Tomorrow on the library's BlogTalkRadio show, Our View From the Park, I'll be talking with MCTC President Phil Davis about who knows what. Probably the budget situation for the college and the state, not sure what else.

The show streams live from 11-11:30 a.m. on our BTR web site at:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MCTC-Library

You can call in with your questions during that time, or you can log in with an account and post questions to the live chat that will be open during the session. The call-in number is:

(646) 200-4753

After the show, you can go to the above link and listen to the archived show. You can also download the show or subscribe using iTunes. Hope you'll join us!

Global Issues in Context

This new MCTC Library database offers global perspectives on issues of international importance and current world events and topics in the news related to these issues. It includes a variety of international periodicals and news sources that provide information seekers with a framework to better understand 21st-century issues and events while highlighting global connections and the interdependence of all nations.

Global Issues in Context focuses on broad issues, such as war, genocide, terrorism, human rights, poverty, famine, globalization, and global warming, as well as more specific events and topics in the news that are related to these broader issues, such as genocide in Darfur and changing weather patterns across the globe. It also includes profiles and news about nations.

Try the database out and let me know what you think of it. Is it easy to use? What do you think of the Overviews? What do you think of the organization and the content? Notice that the world news articles are very recent, and that the results of a search done in the main search box at the top of the screen are different from the results that you get when you use the search box in the World News part of the page. What intrigues you or pleases you or annoys you about this database? How might you use it with your classes? What questions do you have about it?

Use this link to try it out, or go to the library home page and find it in the complete list of databases and in the Politics/Government category.