Dr. Don Coldsmith to Speak at DeGruson Lecture

Dr. Don Coldsmith, Physician, Novelist and Historian, to Speak at the 9th Annual Gene DeGruson Memorial Lecture

Don Coldsmith, prolific novelist and writer of the “Spanish Bit Saga”, historian, professional physician (retired), tireless lecturer, journalist (his syndicated column on horse care and breeding, Horsin’ Around, has run for 40 years), rancher, former professor of English at Emporia State, disc jockey, piccolo player, director, in his own youth, of youth services at the YMCA, former soldier in the Pacific theater and father of five will take time from his busy lifetime schedule to deliver his Circle of History address for the 9th annual Gene DeGruson Memorial Lecture on October 3, 2006.

This lecture, funded by the Kansas Humanities Council deals with, according to the description in their catalog, “Spanish explorers, famous outlaws, mountain men, Indians, radical reformers—[who] all left their mark [on] Kansas, a state linked with a rich western past of frontier forts, pioneer trails, cattle towns, and Civil War battles.” The lecture will take place at 7PM in the Special Collections Department in the basement of Axe Library. Afterwards, attendees can retire to the first floor and enjoy cookies and punch and socialization with Don.

Proceeds will fund ongoing activities of Friends of Axe, namely, a new edition of A Closer Look, the Friends’ history book of the campus, and a sculpture to be placed in the courtyard before the entrance of Axe Library.

Hope to see everyone there.

Axe Recovering After Grueling Renovations

After making room during the Dog Days of August for carpenters and paperhangers who denuded the Circulation and Browsing Areas to put up new and beautiful wall coverings and carpeting, the entrance to the Library looks a little sane again.

Here is the Browsing Area on the first day of school (August 21st), still a little bare and untidy, but recovering slowly.

More good news - the “Axe Grind” coffee shop re-opens today after a summer long hiatus, so come by, get a cup of coffee, bring your laptop and enjoy the new surroundings!

-JV

News Briefs from Friends of Axe Library

The following are news briefs from Friends of Axe Library. For complete
descriptions see the Fall 2006 ed. Of A Chat Between Friends, available on
the Axe Library web site after Labor Day.

Fall 2006 Meeting – Will take place on Thursday, August 23, 2006 in the
conference room on the 1st floor of Axe Library at 3 PM.

DeGruson Memorial Lecture – Will take place on October 3, 2006 at 7PM in
the Special Collections Dept. of Axe Library. (Stairs or elevator to the
basement, left through the double doors, then right.) Dr. Don Coldsmith of
Emporia, physician, journalist, historian and novelist,  will deliver his
Circle of History address about the many interesting people who, for good
or bad, shaped the history of Kansas.

New Edition of "A Closer Look" – The Friends are getting ready to update
their history of the PSU campus.  The book, prepared by Graduate Assistant
Shannon Phillips and Curator of Special Collections Randy Roberts, has
been expanded several pages since it now includes outdoor art, markets and
memorials around campus.  A few interior pages in color may also be
included.  It should be ready to go to the printer at the beginning of
October, 2006.

Community Bazaar and Fall Booksale -  From September 28 to the 30th, 2006,
Friends of Axe will have a table at the Community Bazaar at Meadowbrook
Mall.  Besides memberships, the Friends will sell leftover books from the
Children’s Book Festival and donated paperbacks.  Proceeds will support
the Friends’ ongoing activities.
-J.V.

Axe Adds Oxford Reference Online

Most of us probably know and appreciate the famous publisher of reference for the College and University market, the Oxford University Press. Oxford is famous for its huge collection of encyclopedias and dictionaries which cover the sciences (biology, mathematics, chemistry), social sciences (law, politics, geography), technology (computers, astronomy) the fine arts (literature, visual arts, music) and just about every other subject. Well, for a number of years, Oxford has been putting many of its fine reference books, such as the venerable Oxford Companion... series, the Oxford Guide to United States Supreme Court Decisions, the Oxford Dictionary of Sports Sciences and Medicine, the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation, and many others online.

Oxford has made over 200 of its venerable reference works available online to libraries as well as to the public. And it is the privilege of Axe Library to make The Oxford Reference Online available to the students, teachers and members of the public who enjoy using our library. Brief Instructions on the use of the database are available on Axe Library’s Oxford Reference Online handout (ask at the reference desk.). Also, the Oxford Reference Online database has numerous easy to use help screens. Try it out. Instead of one brief encyclopedia article on George Washington for your English 101 paper, the Oxford Online starts you out with more than one hundred!

-J.V.

Axe Library Adds New Services to It's Film Collection

The Axe Library, which in recent years has been adding titles to its budding
film collection, has added new services to assist patrons in finding what
they want.

Browsing Shelf 
Since for security reasons the films are held behind
the circulation desk, the library staff has created a "browsing shelf"
right next to the "New Reference Books" shelf on the first floor of the
library. The covers have a description and a picture of the contents.  A
patron looking for a film to use in class, do research or just for an
evening's entertainment can browse through the titles at his or her
leisure and after making a choice can go up to the circulation desk and
request the title.  This does not include Government Documents films
(yet!).

Handouts
Axe Library has a number of handouts to assist patrons in
finding a film of their choice.  All are free of charge.
1. Circulating Films at Axe Library - Complete list (as of August,
2006) of all films in Axe Library, including Government Documents Films.
2. Friends of the Leonard H. Axe Video Collection - All films bought
with funds raised by the Friends.  Includes annotatations.
3. How to Find Videocassettes, DVDs and Other Films in Axe Library -
This handout gives the patrons advice on tracking down our films in
our online catalog.

Online Films
Due to the generous donations from Annenberg Media
(1,545 films) and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
(100+ films) we have films available online free of charge.  You can also
view them at home (no password is needed.)  The Annenberg collection is
heavy on education, history and social science. The NARA collection has
vintage newsreels of pivotal events in American History (Japan's
surrender, Apollo 11).  Use our "How to find Videocassettes..." handout or
just ask us to help you track them down.
- J.V.