At the Library with Calvin and Hobbes

Artwork from Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes series. The original
watercolor and ink illustration recently sold for over $107,000.

Libraries are great places for research, writing and study--all the components of great academic achievement.

TIME magazine's recent article on a Calvin and Hobbes illustration, however, reminded me that libraries--including the Blagg-Huey Library on the Denton campus of TWU--are also good places for other important activities.

The Blagg-Huey Library is a welcoming place for some downtime or a few laughs between classes (the library's collections contain Bill Watterson's The Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury; The Days Are Just Packed: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection; and The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury, as well as a number of other comic collections); quiet contemplation (the balcony on the first floor is a favorite, with its fresh air and views of nature); recreational reading (the study carrels and rooms on the Garden Level and upper floors, and the living room area on the first floor, are especially good for this; the Browsing Collection on the first floor contains bestsellers and other popular fiction; and current magazines such as Oprah and People are housed on the third floor); and snacks and socializing (the balcony and living room areas on the first floor are the places to go for these; bring your own drink and snack or find them in the vending machines in the copy room on the first floor).

Remember the Blagg-Huey Library (or the library near you) for a welcoming, comfortable place to rest and recharge--with or without your favorite stuffed tiger.

--Sandy Cochran

Off the E-Shelf: History E-books

Johnathan Wilson, History Subject Librarian, suggests the e-book titles below for history students, faculty and others interested in this subject area.

Valuable library resources pertinent to this field (including additional e-books, news, suggested databases for research, recommended reading and more) are available in the History Subject Guide, reachable from the TWU Libraries homepage under Research/Subject Guides/History.

Johnathan is available for questions, research consultations and class instruction sessions. Reach him at 940/898-3739 or jwilson16@mail.twu.edu.

Declarations of Independence: Encyclopedia of American Autonomous and Secessionist Movements
This work covers nationalist, secessionist and autonomist movements within the modern boundaries of the United States since the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775. Preface

A Dictionary of Contemporary World History

This authoritative dictionary distinguishes itself by providing informative and analytical entries on the most important people, organizations and events that have shaped our history--from 1900 to the present day. Oxford Reference Online Premium

Encyclopedia of Antislavery and Abolition, Volumes 1 & 2

The purpose of Encyclopedia of Antislavery and Abolition is to detail as accessibly as possible the historys of antislavery, abolition and emancipation and to illustrate the broad spectrum of forms these forces acquired as well as the courses they followed over time and space. Preface

The Great Depression in America: A Cultural Encyclopedia, Volumes 1 & 2
Readers will gain a sense of American life during the 1930s, from the onset of the Great Depression to the beginnings of World War II. The focus of this encyclopedia centers on popular culture--those activities, events, institutions and individuals that constituted the routines of normal, everyday life. Movies, radio programming, popular music, bestsellers, entertainers and celebrities—the elements that define popular culture—receive primary attention. Preface

The Nineties in America
The Gulf War, dot-coms, impeachment, grunge, Y2K—the 1990s were a time of both optimism and conflict, hope and worry. The decade began with a seemingly victorious war, fell into recession, bounced back with a strong bull market, and ended in political bitterness and scandal. The Nineties in America examines the iconic personalities and moments of this
important decade. Publisher's Note

--Sandy Cochran

Research 'Check-Ups' at IHSD Health Fair

A lively crowd of TWU students, faculty, staff and exhibitors took part in the 'Healthy Monday' Health Fair on February 27th at the TWU T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center.

TWU Dallas students had the opportunity recently to apply the springtime traditions of growth and renewal to their research skills.

Over 55 students got a research 'check-up' on February 27th at the TWU T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences-Dallas Center (IHSD) 'Healthy Monday' Health Fair. Under the guidance of Dallas Center Library staff, students were shown how to 'feel better' by utilizing options to get their evidence-based or peer-reviewed research done faster and more easily, and by using RefWorks to format their papers. Students also took advantage of free goodies, handouts and prize drawings for tote bags--all coordinated by Dallas Center Library staff.

The Dallas Center Library invites all TWU students, faculty and staff to come by the library anytime during library hours--or to contact us via email or Ask a Librarian.

The Dallas Center Library--helping people feel better about research, too!

--Janet Bickel-Burton

Happy Birthday, Leaplings!

TWUniversal Search (accessible from the TWU Libraries homepage, at the bottom of the maroon column on the left) is a useful tool for all types of research--scholarly, popular and the just-for-fun.

As a Leap Day demonstration, a search for 'leap year' in TWUniversal Search yields sources containing the following 'leap' info that will make you the most popular person at your Leap Day gathering:

LEAPLINGS
Someone born on Leap Day may be called a 'leapling'. Leaplings usually celebrate their birthdays on February 28th or March 1st.

BLESSING OR CURSE?
In non-leap years certain countries legally recognize February 29th birthdays on February 28th or March 1st--resulting in hassles with birth certificates, driver's licenses and entry fields on websites. Many Leap Day babies report benefits to playing the 'leap day card', however--receiving discounts and free meals and admissions.

FAMOUS LEAPLINGS
--1980: Simon Gagne, Canadian hockey player and NHL All-Star
--1976: Ja Rule, American rapper and actor
--1972: Saul Williams, American rap poet and actor
--1972: Antonio Sabato Jr., Italian-born soap star whose credits include 'The Bold and the Beautiful', 'Melrose Place' and 'General Hospital'
--1968: Bryce Eric Paup, football player, named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1995 and a four-time Pro Bowl selection
--1952: Sharon Dahlonega Raiford Bush, America's first African-American weather anchor
--1944: Dennis Farina, ex-Chicago policeman-turned-actor with memorable roles in 'Get Shorty' and 'Law & Order'
--1940: Billy Turner, successful trainer of thoroughbreds including Seattle Slew (winner of the U.S. Triple Crown in 1977)
--1940: Gretchen Christopher, vocalist and songwriter who founded 'The Fleetwoods', one of the most popular doo-wop groups of the 1950s
--1936: Jack Lousma, astronaut who was a crew member of the Skylab 3 flight in 1973, and of the Columbia Space Shuttle in 1982
--1932: Newel Kay Brown, who wrote the children's song 'I Hope They Call Me On A Mission' (which every child in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints since 1970 has sung)
--1916: Dinah Shore, American singer, actress and television personality
--1904: Mr. Wolfe Plus 585 Sr., person with the longest official name. With a name for every letter of the alphabet, his full name is Adolph Blaine Charles David Earl Frederick Gerald Hubert Irvin John Kenneth Lloyd Martin Nero Oliver Paul Quincy Randolph Sherman Thomas Uncas Victor William Xerxes Yancy Zeus Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenberdorft Sr.
--1904: Jimmy Dorsey, prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter and big band leader
--1736: Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement (which she brought to America in 1776)
--1712: General Montcalm, hero of the French & Indian War

LEAP YEAR MATH
A leap year is a year in the Gregorian calendar with one extra day added to the end of February, making the month 29 days long. The day was established to keep the seasons and the calendar in sync. A year is measured by the amount of time it takes the sun to return to the spot directly above the Earth's equator. Although it actually takes 365.2422 days, we round it to 365. This results in an error of 0.2422 days, or almost 6 hours, per year. After 100 years this calendar would be more than 24 days ahead of the seasons; Leap Day makes up for the inaccuracy. Years that end in '00' can only be a leap year if they are divisible by 400 (so 1900 was not a leap year, but 2000 was).

LEAP YEAR BY THE NUMBERS
--Between 1904 and 2096 Leap Day occurs on the same day of the week every 28 years (so the last time February had five Fridays was in 1980, and the next time will be in 2036).
--The odds of having a leap birthday are 1 in 1,461.
--The longest possible time between two leap years is 8 years. The last time this happened was between 1896 and 1904--and it won't happen again until 2096 to 2104.
--According to the 2000 U.S. Census there are about 200,000 Americans (and 4.1 million people worldwide) who were born on February 29th.
--Norway's Henriksen siblings are recognized by the 'Guinness Book of World Records'. The three siblings were born on three consecutive Leap Days (Heidi Henriksen in 1960; Olav Henriksen in 1964; and Leif-Martin Henriksen in 1968).

Sources: http://www.leapyearcapital.com/; http://www.leapyearday.com/content/famous-leapers; and http://www.timeanddate.com/date/leapyear.html.

From TWU Libraries and TWUniversal Search--Happy Leap Day.

--Sandy Cochran