All Around I See it Changing

Tech Magnate Google has decided to at least beta test another game changer. On Wednesday Sept 30th, Google launched the beta test of Google Wave. Now what is Google Wave we may be inclined to ask? Well, no one really knows. What is known is that it uses something the engineers refer to as “waves” of data which is apparently revolutionary and that the product will be open source and able to grow and evolve through User developed extensions. Google launched it’s beta test to about 100,000 accounts, and some, like myself are still clamoring for an invite to this new internet platform. But Google has managed to create  rampant demand for something which most people can’t even understand what exactly it does. But, the company has a proven track record of being innovative and making things far superior then other available solutions, FOR FREE. Google provides a video here explaining what Google Wave is. Apparently it is quite lengthy so grab yourselves a bowl of popcorn, and  there are no commericals. Also for any of you out there reading please contact me if you have any extra invites.

No Family History Film Screening

Next Tuesday, October 13th, the NU Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the Northeastern Environmental Justice Research Collaborative, and the Northeastern Facilities Department of Sustainability and Energy will be joining forces to present a free screening of the film No Family History. This film, made by environmental sociologist Sabrina McCormick, addresses the environmental causes of breast cancer, such as toxins in personal care products. It also looks at the movement to improve regulations to prevent breast cancer as opposed to focusing on finding a cure. Sabrina McCormick, who has done extensive research on the connection between environmental toxins and health will be giving a talk after the screening. This event ties in well with both NU’s Sustainability Week and Breast Cancer Awareness Month and is sure to be an eye opener. The screening will be held October 13th from 6:00 – 8:30 PM in 105 Shillmam.

Try Mango Languages to Learn a New Language Online

Buongiorno! Guten Tag! Ni hao! As the librarian at Snell for foreign languages and literatures, I’ve received quite a few requests for the library to provide online language-learning products to the NU community. So I’m very pleased to report that we are currently offering a free trial of Mango Languages, a completely web-based language-learning system that focuses on actual conversation skills. The trial will last until the end of October. The languages currently available from Mango are Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Russian, Spanish, and English as a Second Language for speakers of Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, or Polish. They plan to add more languages in the future. Mango is a very popular product with many public libraries and is supposed to be very easy to use. We are running the free trial now with the hope that we will be able to buy either this product or one like it. So, we need your feedback! Try Mango Languages and let us know what you think!

New York Times Historical Archive now at NU Libraries

All the news that’s fit to print just got easier to read. The Library has made an important addition to its digital assets with the appearance of the New York Times Historical Archive with Index. At present the database contains the fully digitized and indexed paper from 1851 – 2006; it is regularly updated with a three year lag. The archive is fully searchable, and articles can be displayed as pdf images of individual articles or in full page view. Abstracts are also available for many articles. The detailed indexing permits highly flexible searching in the advanced search, and results can be limited to, for instance, the Book Review, or the Sunday Magazine. But the most exciting feature is the presentation of history in its immediacy. Browse for the momentous: ALLIED ARMIES LAND IN FRANCE IN THE HAVRE-CHERBOURG AREA; GREAT INVASION IS UNDER WAY New York Times New York, N.Y.: Jun 6, 1944. p. 1 (1 page) THEY ARE COMING,’ NAZIS SAY CURTLY By Cable to THE NEW YORK TIMES. New York Times Jun 6, 1944; …or the quirky: BROOKLYN IS WRATHFUL; The Sunday Shaving Law Looked Upon as a Great Indignity. BARBERS TALK OF A MASS MEETING Citizens Must Shave Themselves, Come to New-York, or Raise Beards — May Increase Church Attendance. New York Times Jun 1, 1895. p. 9 (1 page) . Try out the New York Times Historical Archive

Archives reveal Co-op Centennial history

Co-op Centennial
The University Archives and Special Collections here at the NU Libraries are a treasure trove of information about the history of the Co-op program, now in its 100th year at Northeastern University. In celebration of  the Co-op Centennial, we’ve assembled a Guide to Co-op Centennial Resources, describing the Archives’ photos, videos, manuscripts and books relating to NU’s Co-op program through the years.  We hope you enjoy it!