Internet: Urban Legends

Urban legends/myths may or may not be related to scams, they may or may not be fun or funny, but they are apparently a constant of everyday life, as well as a source for serious academic study. One web site (http://urbanlegends.com/ ) is especially useful, no matter what your need or reason, since it lists other web site and is kept up to date.

Specific sites which appear to be stable and contain large enough files to be useful are: http://www.snopes.com/snopes.asp

The (in)famous Darwin Awards folks have a section on urban legends, since their awards are so often imitated, see it at: http://www.darwinawards.com/legends/

http://www.museumofhoaxes.com is a site of famous hoaxes of the past, one I love to look through.

To check out reported computer virus and related matters, you can find out about both real and imagined problems at http://vmyths.com

And, along the same lines there is “scam busters” which attempts to warn consumers about unscrupulous business scams http://www.scambusters.com/backissues.html

Adrien Taylor, Reference Librarian

Watch it!

The library is a great place to relax and get your research done. Unfortunately, relaxing too much may provide someone an opportunity to steal your things, such as laptops, cell phones, or other valuable items. While Boise and Boise State are in general very safe places, recently several incidents of theft have been reported on campus and in the Library.

We want you to get the most from our library, but caution you to keep your eyes open and your belongings close at hand. Help us keep the library a safe and relaxing place to study; if you notice anything suspicious or questionable, let a nearby staff member know.

Library Hours & Spring Vacation

The library will be open limited hours during Spring vacation starting this Saturday, March 25:

• Saturday, March 25: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
• Sunday, March 26: Closed
• Monday, March 27 thru Thursday, March 30: 8:00 am - 7:00 pm
• Friday, March 31: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Saturday, April 1: Closed

Normal operating hours will resume on Sunday, April 2, when we will be open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. A complete list of library hours for the Spring and Fall semesters is available at: http://library.boisestate.edu/hours/

Internet: Online Books

We here in the Library get asked sometimes about sites of online, full-text books. There isn't any one place to which we can refer people, since such sites are a combination of paid and free, and there are truly a moving target as their developers add, subtract and alter the contents. But, here are a some suggestions which might be of use.

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/ Is a page of links to full text works which appears to be fairly current and which appears to emphasize recent publication.

Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ has an almost opposite point of view, it seeks to have volunteers enter the text of works on which the copyright has expired, so here one finds, almost exclusively, old books. This project has been underway for a long time and the file is huge, claiming to have the full text of over 17,000 titles now, and growing. There is a catalog which one may search, but, personally I find it somewhat awkward to use as a subject resource, works just fine if you are after a book for which you know the author or title, though.

Employing a different tactic a University of Ohio sponsored site has sound recordings. http://wiredforbooks.org/ The emphasis is on shorter works, such as poems, children's books, and even book reviews, some of the longer works considered to be classics are included, though. But, remember, your computer has to have sound for this to be useful for you.

And, lastly, there is http://netlibrary.net/WorldHome.html which claims to have over 250,000 books available (I haven't counted them) They arrange the books into “collections” and one has to register to use them. Frankly I don't think I want to read PDF files of some of the longer works of the world's literature, but, my eyes aren't what they used to be. For a lengthier list of online resources visit the library's Ebooks page.

Adrien Taylor, Reference Librarian

Reference: Browsing Books

Every once in a while someone asks me where the 'fun books' are located. I never really know how to answer that question because I've learned that one person's 'fun book' may very well meet another person's definition of terminal tedium.

However, often what the questioner means is, where are the popular reading books? The Library has a collection of (mostly paperback) books we call the Browsing Collection, and these books are arranged by the authors' last name. These tend to be of the lighter reading category and can been a good way to spend a pleasant hour or two reading in the Library, or the source of books to check out for a long weekend of not so serious reading time. The collection is located on the second floor next to some extremely comfortable chairs.

Adrien Taylor, Reference Librarian

Library Summer Work? Read This!

Important Changes to Summer 2006 Work-Study

To earn work-study funds between May 12th - June 17th, you must be enrolled at least half-time in summer classes.

Half-time is:
6 or more credits for undergraduate and applied tech students
5 or more credits for graduate students

Other Summer Work-Study Details

• If you are graduating at the end of the spring semester, you may not work after May 12th using work-study funds
• June 17th is the last day you may work using your 2005-2006 work-study award
• If you are employed as a work-study student on or after June 18th, you must have an accepted 2006-2007 work-study award
• Starting June 18th, in order to work using work-study funds, you must be registered at least half time as a degree-seeking student for fall 2006.
  

Remember that you must be "eligible" for the aid awarded to you, and you must have submitted all required documents and have allowed time for these documents to be reviewed prior to being placed in a work-study position. If you have one or more financial aid holds indicating that you are ineligible for aid, you are also ineligible to work using work-study funds.

Work-study employers must fill out new WS Employee Action Forms (EAFs) for the 2006-2007 award year for all work-study employees, including continuing work-study employees, as the current WS EAF only applies to the current award year which ends June 17th.

For all work-study students, both new and continuing, you will need to review and complete a W-4 form, in the Human Resources Office, for correct withholding for the year, as well as completing all other required HR hiring paperwork.

Events: Faculty Author Recognition photos

The February 9th Faculty Author Recognition reception was a tremendous success! We would like to thank the Boise State community for honoring over 140 faculty and staff who published or created a work between September 2004 and August 2005.

Check out the reception pictures at the Faculty Author page. If you are faculty and would like to be part of this exciting event and be honored at next year's reception, you will be able to submit your citation(s) to us online starting May 2006.

Events: Brown Bag Luncheon

Please join Albertsons Library and International Programs for the next International Connections Brown Bag Luncheon Seminar, to be held in the SUB Lookout Room on Wednesday, March 8th, 2006 , from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

Christy Babcock Quintero, International Programs: Gender Roles in Cultures Around the World. A panel of international students will share information about the roles that males and females play in their cultures and discuss their impressions of these roles in the US.Visit the International Connections website for future presentations.

Research: BNA Tax Management Library

The Library has acquired a new tax database, the BNATax Management Library, from the Bureau of National Affairs. Recognized as "America's Tax Authority," BNA offers U. S. Income Portfolios with detailed and extensive analyses of legal and regulatory tax issues.

Also included are the Daily Tax Report Hightlights and the Weekly Report provide up-to-the-minute overviews of tax topics from the IRS, the U.S. Legislature, current cases pending, and other tax information resources. Estate, gifts, and trust information; an examination of the structure of the U. S. Tax System; the IRS Code and documents; Treasury regulations, and myriad of other current and archived information can be found here. To access, go the library's Articles Indexes and Databases page and click on BNATAX management library.