The JKM Library Blog

October 2011

Throughout the month of November, Chatham will be celebrating Native American History Month, which includes horseback riding and a trip to the Carnegie Museum of Art. At JKM Library we will provide you with intellectual stimulation and cultural and historical appreciation. While living under individual tribal sovereignty, Native Americans have always been very much a part of the wider America culture, in language, food, art, and community. The First Nations people of North America have insisted for centuries to remain respected, dignified, and autonomous in dealings with traders, colonizers, and governments. Sometimes these relations were peaceful and appreciative, other times they were disparaging, ruthless, and bloody. Today the struggles for equal respect still continue. NPR recently reported a series on the how the foster care system adversely affects tribes and Native children, and
Native women are often ignored by the local law enforcement on issues of domestic and sexual violence. However, Native Americans still refuse to be marginalized and continue to fight for their civil rights, to honor their culture and traditions, and have their voices be heard. The beautiful and varied traditions within Native American cultures can be found in our books on the different tribes, literature, and mythology. The darker side of
humanity can also be considered with books that discuss racism, unethical trades, slavery, and land removal. For current issues and practices among the tribes see our databases and for some wonderful images and exhibitions see the Library of Congress webpage. The JKM Library has an expansive collection of Native American materials, browse our catalog or stop by!
~Display and blog post by Donna Guerin, Reference Associate

October 2011

It’s that time of year again…leaves are falling from the trees, the air is getting chilly, and you need to find full-text articles for an end-of-semester assignment. Not to worry! Getting journal articles through interlibrary loan is a pretty painless process, once you get used to it. First, make sure to check if the library has access to the article you are looking for in our print collection or through our online journal subscriptions. To do this, go to the library website and check the List of Print and Online Journals to see if we have access to the journal (or magazine or newspaper) that published the article in question. If we do have access to the journal that published the article you are looking for, make sure that we have access for the year the article was published – for instance, we sometimes don’t have access to articles published in the most recent 12 months.
If we don’t have access to the article, the next step is easy: simply fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request for a Journal Article. Be sure to fill the form out as completely as possible, which will insure that the request will process quickly. As always, check in with any of the Jennie King Mellon librarians if you have any questions about this process!
Contributed by: Lora M. Dziemiela, Reference Associate

October 2011

In 1969 twelve women in Boston decided to hold a symposium on “women and their bodies”. By 1970 a small booklet was published, and in 1973 it was picked up by a major publisher and renamed Our Bodies, Ourselves. This was the first comprehensive volume to speak frankly about health issues specifically related to women. It was information by women, for women with the intention of educating women and girls about their bodies and
giving them the language to talk openly with their doctors. This October a new edition was published to focus on women’s health, physical, mental, and emotional. Each edition expands on topics that affect women in particular from menstruation to breast cancer to body image. The
2005 edition brought women’s issues into the 21st century with a companion website and discussion board for wider access and sharing. With the advent of the Internet women and girls now have more access to information than ever before, but also have access to more misinformation and hurtful images. Our Bodies, Ourselves has proven to be a trusted source of information and leader in women’s health initiatives nationally and around the
world.
The 40 year anniversary of Our Bodies, Ourselves reminds us of the privilege we have as women, young and old, to be educated about our bodies. At Chatham we are proud to offer many resources on women’s health, women’s rights issues, family and relationships, and gender studies. The JKM Library will put that information in your hands.

October 2011 

Now on display on the Library’s first floor art wall is an exhibition of selected archival photographs and newspaper articles highlighting life at Chatham during the years of the Vietnam War. All of the materials were culled from the Chatham University Archives and specifically emphasize student and faculty opinions on U.S. involvement in Vietnam. The title of the display, “The Age of Protest”: Chatham During the Vietnam Era, comes from the 1966 commencement address of Robert S. McNamara, who served as Secretary of Defense from 1961-1968. McNamara, a major player in the escalation of the war, was the father of Kathleen McNamara Spears, who graduated from Chatham in 1966, the year her father was invited to speak at graduation and receive an honorary degree. Also included in the exhibition are images of student protests, campus peace groups, and evidence of student involvement in demonstrations for women’s liberation and civil rights. While prepared for the upcoming Alumni Reunion Weekend, the display will remain on view throughout the Fall semester.  

October 12, 2011

The JKM Library will be open during regular hours for Fall Break:
Monday-Thursday: 7:45am – midnight
Friday: 7:45am to 5:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am to 7:00pm
Sunday: noon to midnight
Enjoy your time off! If you need us, we’ll be here.

October 2011

JKM Library celebrates LGBT month with a focus on gay and lesbian authors and gay and lesbian literature. While the library holds many books that cover everything from civil rights issues to queer theory, we have decided to lend an ear to those that have given voice to perspectives
of gay and lesbian persons and the struggles, mundanities, and triumphs they live every day. To celebrate the
storytellers that share and enrich our humanity and broaden our understanding of each other.
Gay Lit has come into its own over the past few decades and, while not a fringe genre, many authors have had
mainstream success. Of course this has not always been the case. Most nineteenth century authors, artists, and
poets were apt to keep their lives secret or very quiet, often marrying and having families as would have been
expected. Oscar Wilde is probably most famous for his lifestyle, which eventually led to serving time in prison.
However, Wilde wrote one of his most moving and enlightened works at this time, “De Profundis”. Authors
such as Melville and Mann, of whom it is unclear of their sexual orientation, created characters that explored
their sexuality on the page. In the twentieths century, some author’s such as Capote were openly gay, while
others still conformed to a heterosexual lifestyle, only to come out later in life. Some writers like Elizabeth
Bishop did not hide their sexuality, but did not focus on it either. Bishop wanted to be judged solely as an artist,
regardless of her gender or orientation.
The books on display are just a sampling of titles. For a more complete list of LGBT works, check out this site,
or ask a librarian!
~Display and blog post by Donna Guerin, Reference Associate

October 2011

Chatham and the JKM Library are proud to welcome speaker Sonia Shah to campus on Tuesday October 4. Ms. Shah is the author most recently of Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years. Her lecture will discuss this title as well as women’s involvement in environmental issues. Sonia has been at the forefront of investigative journalism taking on such big industries as oil and pharmacy. Now she looks to Mother Nature and the ways in which malaria has plagued and decimated populations around the world and when measures have been take to try and control it. As a feminist, Ms. Shah writes and presents with women in mind, both as oppressed in the often under-developed countries where malaria is prevalent and as the empowered, taking initiative to protect themselves and their families. For more on Sonia Shah, as well as links to her articles and interviews, see her website at soniashah.com. Stop by the library for an excerpt of Fever and make sure to hear Sonia speak at 8:00pm at Eddy Theater.
~Display and blog post by Donna Guerin, Reference Associate