Welcome to the Charles Sturt University Library blog.
Here you will find info about new Library books and DVDs, great websites,
blogs and podcasts, Library services, recommended and new resources,
handy study tips and much more.
The Lieutenant - A remarkable story about the poignancy of a friendship that defies linguistic and cultural barriers, and shows one man that he is capable of exceptional courage. Check Availability
Recognising & treating skin conditions - How to recognise and treat scabies, skin sores, tinea and other skin conditions in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Check Availability
United Nations Criminal Justice Standards for United Nations Police - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations. Check Availability
The complete list of new titles added to the collection this week is here.
This research from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations discusses the views and experiences of students and early career teachers and the use of technology in Australian education. (Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline) Read the full report here
In a trail-blazing move, the Swedish Research Council has made it mandatory for researchers to publish their materials so that it is freely available to the public.
"We consider that publication of research which has been paid for out of public funds should be made freely accessible to all" says Professor Pär Omling, Director General of the Research Council. Open Access is an important condition if research results are to be disseminated for the benefit of society.
What this amounts to, is that from 2010, researchers will not get funded unless their work is published open access within six months of the publication. This applies to all academic articles and conference reports, but not monographs or chapters in books.
So what do you think? Is this a good idea? Should Australian researchers publish in open access journals? Vote below and leave us a comment.
Climate change advocate, and leading British academic Lord Stern, believes that people must turn to vegetarianism in an effort to conquer global warming.
Direct emissions of methane from cows and pigs is a significant source of greenhouse gases. Methane is 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a global warming gas.
UN figures suggest that meat production is responsible for about 18 per cent of global carbon emissions, including the destruction of forest land for cattle ranching and the production of animal feeds such as soy.
Lord Stern believes that public attitude will evolve until meat-eating is unacceptable, saying "I am 61 now and attitudes towards drinking and driving have changed radically since I was a student. People change their notion of what is responsible. They will increasingly ask about the carbon content of their food"
Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we're educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.
The Crafts of Contrast Exhibtion is currently showing in the Foyer of the Wagga campus library. The two artists behind the exhibtion are: Bachelor of Fine Arts student Melanie Evans and Masters of Jewellery student Wayne Simon. Melanie's black and white photographs are based on a brief for a photography class - the day you were born. Titled My Heritage, the photos represent her cultural roots. White areas represent hospital, family and culture while a woven mat is used to represent land, which for Melanie is the Northern Territory. A grinding stone symbolises her mother and the boomerang her father with a quandong seed representing herself. Wayne's stunning jewellery is created using the ancient art of "Mokume Gane" a 300 year old Japanese metal-fusing technique. Wayne has also displayed the hand made tools he used to create the amazing jewellery. The exhibition was officially opened by Ray Eldridge, Manager, Indigenous Student Services and a Welcome to Country delivered by Aunty Sandy Warren. Library staff members Jane Heazlewood and Tanya Trebilcock have worked closely with Indigenous services staff to bring this exhibition into the library and it is sure to inspire those who are lucky enough to view it. Photos from the opening are below.
Walt Disney Co. is close to unveiling technology, code-named Keychest, which would allow consumers to pay a single price for permanent access to a movie or TV show across multiple digital platforms and devices—from the Web, to mobile gadgets like iPhones and cable services that allow on-demand viewing. It could also facilitate other services such as online movie subscriptions.
Keychest uses the same "cloud computing" logic that underlies Web-based applications, such as Google Docs, permitting users to store files and photographs on remote Internet servers and access them from anywhere, rather than keeping them on their own computers.
With Keychest, when a consumer buys a movie from a participating store, his accounts with other participating services would be updated to show the title as available for viewing. The movies wouldn't be downloaded; rather, they would reside with each particular delivery company, such as the Internet service provider, cable company or phone company.
This report considers the federal government's interim legislative response to recent controversay over international education services in Australia.
In 2009, the closure of several private education providers and allegations of corruption and substandard education services revealed weaknesses in the regulation of training providers in the international education sector and questionable practices by some education and immigration agents. A small number of unscrupulous operators have been able to operate resulting in damage to the reputation of the industry overseas.
The bill is a transitional measure intended to address immediate matters of concern regarding regulation of the industry while longer term issues are considered by the Education Services for Overseas Students Act Review underway. (Text adapted from AustalianPolicyOnline).
This issue reveals that extra hours, multiple jobs and weekend work are all cutting into Australian family life. People may also find it hard to balance employment and care while Australia's links to China and India continue to grow through migration, trade and education. (Text adapted from Australian PolicyOnline) Read this Australian Bureau of Statistics report here
Is it true that significantly more asylum claims are being made in Australia than in comparable countries? According to the latest figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the reverse is true. (Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline) Click here to read this APO Inside Story which was written by Peter Browne.
This report from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations draws on the new National Unit Record Data Collection. It contains statistics relating to the number of applicants for undergraduate study at university, the number of offers received and the number of offers accepted.
While the Library is working hard to make the entire Library Website compatible with mobile devices, there are currently a number of resources already available to use on your handheld devices.
At the Library, we recognise that students on Practicum Placements have special needs. That's why we offer all our regular services, customised for the unique circumstances that Prac students face.
If you're about to go on Prac Placement, be sure to find out exactly how the Library can help you, by viewing our handy Watch-It tutorial, or visiting our Information For... page.
Once you're on Prac, and need to contact the Library, why not try the Live Chat service? No downloads, no hassles. The right answers in real time.
Janaki Bahadur, an Indian-born journalist living in Australia, discusses some aspects of this year’s controversy about the welfare of Indian students in Australia. (Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline) Read the full report here
Need to contact the Library? For an instant response, use the Live Chat service. Or for a more in-depth answer, use the Ask A Question Web Form, where questions will be answered within 24 hours.
Health care access for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders People living in urban areas, and related research issues - M. Scrimgeour. Check Availability
Library Management Systems Study: a evaluation and horizon scan of the current library management systems and related systems landscape for UK higher education - Joint Information Systems Committee. Check Availability
Each week CSU Library adds hundreds of new resources to our catalogue, including books, DVDs, CDs, and electronic resources. The following selection highlights some of the new books and DVD's added to the collection last week. Click on a book's title to read more information about the book or DVD, or click on 'Check Availability' to find the item in the Library Catalogue. Click here to view the complete list of new titles.
English Grammar for Dummies - Geraldine Woods [et al.]. Getting tangled up with grammar rules and misplaced apostrophes? This book will help you straighten things out. Check Availability
The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis - Jack Whyte. Just one of Jack Whyte's science fiction/fantasy titles available. The Camulod Chronicles is his greatest work, a stunning retelling of one of our greatest legends: the making of King Arthur's Britain. Check Availability
DVD's
Stuff - Wendy Harmer. From the cradle to the grave, Stuff examines the abiding passion all of us have for stuff - the stuff we buy, treasure, desire and the stuff that is most important to us. Check Availability
Lust, Caution. Set during the Japanese occupation of China during WWII when a young student becomes embroiled in patriotic politics. Check Availability
Read the latest New Media Consortium Horizon project report. This 2009 report describes promising emerging technologies and highlights their relevance to education. Text adapted from AustralianPolicyOnline. Read the full report here
Cinema in the Digital Age - Examines the fate of cinema in this new era. Check Availability
ings out. 
