Entries by Joel Seewald

Today is release day!

Where: Henry Ford Estate, at or near the garden south of the house (to the left as you are looking at the main entrance).
When: Today, just after noon.

Black Studies in Video features award-winning documentaries, newsreels, interviews, and archival footage surveying the evolution of black culture in the United States. In partnership with California Newsreel, the database provides unique access to their African American Perspectives collection, and includes films covering history, politics, art and culture, family structure, social and economic pressures, and gender relations.

ProQuest Digital U.S. Bills and Resolutions 1789 – 2013 has been added to our ProQuest Congressional database.

Digital U.S. Bills and Resolutions 1789 – 2013 offers one place to go for the full text of ALL versions of ALL U.S. public and private bills and resolutions from 1789 – 2013. You no longer need to search multiple sites or books to find the version of a bill you are looking for. The comprehensive coverage is ideal in providing the big picture for researchers looking to see how a bill changed between versions of a bill, or those just looking to see the final version.

Sometime over the weekend, butterflies emerged from their cocoons. I missed it. Did anyone see the butterflies emerging? Did you see them drying their wings? If so, when did it occur?

I saw three butterflies in the flight cage. Can you see three in the picture?

We are hoping to release the butterflies on Wednesday at noon, weather permitting. Watch our blog for details.

On May 13, 1913, Igor Sikorsky test piloted the first four-engine aircraft. However, he is better known for his work on helicopters, including the Sikorsky R-4, which became the world's first mass-produced helicopter in 1942.

The library has several online books about helicopters as well as chapters in online books through ENGnetBASE.

       

On May 10, 1863, one of the most famous figures of the Civil War died. Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jackson, better known as "Stonewall" Jackson died of pneumonia after having been shot by his own troops at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863. He was only 39 years old. The library has several biographies about Jackson (both books and e-books) and the history databases have much information about both him and the Civil War.

       

On May 9, 1813, British soldiers and Canadian militia the command of General Henry Proctor and Indians led by Chief Tecumseh ended the first siege of Fort Meigs on the Maumee River in Ohio. The library has a book with a chapter about Fort Meigs and there are hundreds of articles available if you search Summon. But, wouldn't it be much better to visit the fort to learn about its history and importance during the War of 1812? The 100th anniversary event commemorating the first siege was last weekend, but there are many more events and reenactments throughout the summer at Fort Meigs, which is only about an hour from Dearborn.

   

Did you start reading something for fun now that summer has started? I just started reading The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach. The book is set at a Division III college on the shore of Lake Michigan near Green Bay, Wisconsin. So far, the book is primarily about a phenomenal college shortstop who's about to set the college record for consecutive games played without an error, his roommate, his mentor (I think that's the best way to describe Mike Schwartz), the college president, and the president's daughter.

I'm enjoying this book, but what are you reading? Share with us.

On this date in 1963, the James Bond movie Dr. No was released. This was the first James Bond movie starring Sean Connery.

The Mardigian Library does not have a copy of Dr. No, but you can order both the movie and the book the movie was based on -- and many other movies and books -- through MeLCat.

If you would like to find out more about Dr. No -- or another movie -- check our Film databases for plot descriptions, cast lists, production credits, and lots of other information. For example:

We've moved the chrysalises to the flight cage, where they will remain until they become butterflies. We're expecting butterflies to emerge sometime between Friday and Monday.

Students, remember that you can win a $25 gift certificate for Club Cappuccino by entering our butterfly trivia contest. Entry forms are available online and on top of the display case; all answers can be found within the display. Entries must be returned to the box at the Circulation Desk or submitted online by May 30. The winner will be chosen at random from among all the entries with the most correct answers.

On May 7, 1763, an attack on Fort Detroit by the Ottawa Chief Pontiac was thwarted by British Major Henry Gladwin. Pontiac and his men entered the fort with weapons under trading blankets. Their goal was to attack the unwitting soldiers. However, the plot had been previously uncovered and the men of the fort were prepared. Without the element of surprise, Pontiac exited the fort, but then laid siege for several months. The attempt to take Fort Detroit was part of what is known as Pontiac's Rebellion. In the following weeks, allies of Pontiac took 10 of the 13 British forts in the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region. Fort Detroit was one that did not fall during the rebellion.

To find out more about the events that lead up to the rebellion and about its aftermath, check out some of the library's resources. We have several books about Pontiac's Rebellion. We also have newspaper accounts of Pontiac from the 1700s in 17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers and Accessible Archives. (Note: Pontiac is usually spelled "Pondiac" in these newspaper accounts.)

     :  :

Collaborative group work is a key factor for student engagement and the integrative learning experience. User input drives many changes at the Mardigian Library, and recent student surveys and Library Master Planning activities identified group study rooms as a missing resource in high demand. In the library’s continual efforts to support the curriculum and the needs of UM-Dearborn students, I am happy to announce the library will have group study rooms in Fall 2013.

To make these rooms a reality, the library partnered with the Academy of Retired Faculty and Staff, which generously provided office space formerly allocated for the academy’s sole use. This and a second office will be transformed into spacious 8-10 person group study rooms. The academy will provide monetary support to equip the rooms with necessary technology, such as big screen televisions for projecting presentations, class notes, and large diagrams.

Further, the library will pilot modular panel study rooms this fall. This pilot project will create study spaces that serve groups of four students and will include extra electrical outlets and whiteboards. These modular rooms are a building block for future renovation of the library. Both the group rooms and the modular study spaces will be for the exclusive use of UM-Dearborn students. In the future, we intend to establish an online reservation system that gives students the ability to schedule rooms using their UMID.

We encourage the campus community to continue providing us with valuable feedback. We are committed to identifying and addressing the needs our students and faculty, collaborating with our campus partners to tackle issues whenever possible.

All five of our caterpillars are now pupae (or chrysalises). Soon, we will move the chrysalises to the flight cage and they will remain in the flight cage until they become butterflies. We expect to have butterflies sometime between Friday and Monday.

The library is closed Saturday and Sunday, May 4 and 5. Our regular Spring/Summer hours start on Monday.

Building Hours for Spring/Summer
Sunday:               Noon - 6:00 p.m.
Mon. - Thurs.:       8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday:                 8:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday (Summer): 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday:             Noon - 6:00 p.m.

Library Research Center Hours for Spring/Summer
Sunday:                   Noon - 5:00 p.m.
Mon. - Thurs.:           10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Friday:                     10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Saturday:                 Noon - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday (Summer): Closed

The Computer Lab in the library is closed for the summer.

The metamorphosis has started - the caterpillars are becoming pupae (or chrysalises). The one in front has nearly completed this transformation. There is still one caterpillar in the back that hasn't started. Early next week, we will move the chrysalises to the flight cage (on the right of the picture), where they will remain for another 6 days or so until they become butterflies.