Looking for leisure reading over the semester break? Stop by the OCC Libraries!

Visit your OCC Campus Library in person or online
to browse for books to help you relax over the semester break

Last chance this semester for free Success Seminars at Royal Oak

There are just two more free Library Success Seminars available before the end of the semester. These sessions cover a variety of topics related to library research. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Royal Oak Campus
(see all Fall 2013 seminars for Royal Oak)

• Tuesday December 3 - Help Me Discover Mel.org & MeLCat
  11:00-11:30 in Room C202
• Thursday December 5 - Help Me Find “Good” Web Sites
  10:00-10:30 in Room C202

Suspension of MeLCat service for the semester break

Please note that MeLCat services will be suspended for the upcoming semester break.  Thursday December 5 will be the last day to request an item through MeLCat before the end of the semester.  

All MeLCat items must be returned to the library by December 11 unless the due date is after January 2, 2014.

MeLCat services will resume as normal beginning January 2, 2014.

Thanksgiving Break Hours

The OCC Libraries will be closed for Thanksgiving break, Thursday November 28 through Sunday December 1. For our normal hours or if you have any questions, please see the campus library contact page.

Featured Database - Learning Express Library

Need to prep for a placement test, revise a resume, or peruse career profiles?  LearningExpress Library is a one-stop resource offering a wealth of occupational information and skill-building tools. Through interactive “Learning Centers” you’ll find:

• Self-paced tutorials to improve reading, math, writing, and interviewing skills.
• Practice tests with scores for college admissions exams (ACT, SAT), as well as civil service, military, licensing, certification, and TOEFL tests.
• Basic training modules for software and computer programs, including Microsoft Office, Adobe, and Windows & Mac operating systems.
• Step-by-step templates and “tip wizards” for resumes, cover letter, sample job applications, and other business correspondence.
• Over 130 e-book (electronic book) titles. 
• And much more!

Looking to land a job? Access the LearningExpress Job and Career Accelerator  to view real and current position postings, locally or nationally. Search by job title, skills, or company name.

Not quite sure what you want to be or do? Let the Occupation Matcher questionnaire  lead you to a list of detailed career descriptions that line up with your interests. You can also learn about school and training programs.

Create a FREE user account and begin exploring the many features of this database today! Please note that if you are attempting to access from off-campus, you may first be asked to enter your OCC online services user name and password before creating your free account.

 

Submitted by Darlene Johnson-Bignotti
Faculty Librarian
Royal Oak Campus Library

Free Success Seminars offered in November at the Orchard Ridge, Royal Oak, and Southfield Campus Libraries

Check out these free Library Success Seminars coming up in November. These sessions cover a variety of topics related to library research. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Fall 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday November 4 - Special Seminar: Pinpointing Keywords For More Relevant Search Results Get tips on how to choose relevant keywords to search by.
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library

Royal Oak Campus
(see all Fall 2013 seminars for Royal Oak)

• Monday November 11 - Help Me Narrow A Topic
  6:00-6:30 in Room C202
• Tuesday November 12 - Help Me Find Streaming Videos
  3:00-3:30 in Room C202
• Tuesday November 19 - Help Me Find Primary Sources
  11:00-11:30 in Room C202

Southfield Campus
(see all Fall 2013 seminars for Southfield)

• Wednesday November 6 - Library Research Basics
  12:00-1:00 in 212E
• Tuesday November 12 - Let Me Google That For You
  12:00-1:00 in 212E
• Wednesday November 20 - Citation Hustle
  12:00-1:00 in 212E
• Tuesday November 26 - Your Virtual Life
  12:00-1:00 in 212E

Library resources for the JFK Speaker Series at OCC

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination, the JFK Speaker Series will be taking place on the Royal Oak Campus on October 25 & November 8.  Visit the event site for more information and check out the great resources available at OCC Libriaries which, according to OCC faculty member Michael Vollbach who teaches a popular course on the JFK assassination along with part-time OCC faculty member Ron Burda, contain "...the best holdings of JFK literature in Southeast Michigan, not including Ron Burda’s personal library…"

For even more about the JFK assassination, try the OCC Libraries new Search Everything to see books, articles, and more available through OCC Libraries.

Alternatives for finding government information during the shutdown.

Due to the government shutdown, some Federal government websites are unavailable. The Census Bureau and The National Center for Education Statistics are just two examples.  Thomas.gov (which will transition to Congress.gov in November 2013) is still accessible. Other sites allow some browse and search capabilities.  However, content from most Federal government websites will not be updated until government operations resume.  This includes but is not limited to:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics
• The CDC
• Medline Plus

We encourage you to search our print government collection via the OCC library catalog. You can view a video on how to do this here.  The print government documents collection is housed at the OR campus library. For your convenience, items may be requested via the “Request Copy” feature in our catalog and sent to another OCC campus library.

From the OCC Library homepage, go to the Find Articles/Databases tab and select “All Databases” to access and search ERIC (Access via Ebscohost) for full text articles. Look for those labeled as Linked Full Text, HTML Full Text, or PDF Full Text. 

You may also visit any OCC campus library to view a print copy of ProQuestStatistical Abstract of the United States, call number  REF HA 202 .A52 2013

If you have questions or for other ideas, please contact an OCC Librarian. 

Orchard Ridge & Royal Oak Campus Libraries offering free Student Success Seminars in October

The Orchard Ridge & Royal Oak Campus Libraries are offering free Library Success Seminars in October. These sessions cover a variety of topics related to library research. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Fall 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday October 7 - U.S. Government Resources @ Your OCC Library
  Discover how to enhance your research papers using Government resources.
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday October 14- Google Tricks & Tips
  Improve your search results using Google Advanced Search.
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday October 21- Evaluating Web Pages
  Evaluating Web Pages Learn techniques to determine if a web site has reliable information.
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday October 28- Special Seminar: Choosing A Research Topic
  Need a research topic? OCC Libraries have great resources to help you out.
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library

Royal Oak Campus
(see all Fall 2013 seminars for Royal Oak)

• Wednesday October 16 - Help Me Find Books (print & ebooks)
  6-6:30 in Room C202
• Wednesday October 30 - Help Me Find Pro-Con Articles
  3-3:30 in Room C202

Featured Database - VAST: Academic Video Online

VAST: Academic Video Online is one of the OCC Library’s newest databases, offering a growing selection of over 20,000 streaming videos.  The videos cover a broad range of subject areas and include documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, field recordings, commercials, and raw footage.

The new VAST interface makes it easy to browse or search the collection. You might also create a personal account to take advantage of some of the special features of the database, such as saving video clips and creating playlists to share with others.

See an introductory video to VAST, or go to the datbase now to take a look at what VAST has to offer.

Tuesday September 17th is Constitution Day!

The Orchard Ridge Campus King Library is a Federal Depository Library and provides free access to print and electronic documents created by the United States Government. While supplies last, the Orchard Ridge Library will be giving out free pencils and sticky note pads in honor of Constitution Day. Be sure to check out our display table featuring government publications and books about the United States Constitution.

Want to learn more?

• Read a transcript of the U.S. Constitution
• Learn more about the 39 delegates who signed the U.S. Constitution
• View a signed copy of the U.S. Constitution

To locate books or articles related to U.S. Constitution or for more information about accessing the Government Documents collection, visit the reference desk at any OCC campus library for assistance.

Free Student Success Seminars in September

Free Student Success Seminars for the Fall 2013 semester begin this month. These sessions cover a variety of topics related to student success, including library research, study skills, and interview skills. Ask your instructor about extra credit for these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information.

Orchard Ridge Campus Library

• Monday September 16 - Getting To Know Your OCC Library
  12pm-12:30pm in King Library: Learn about the library, our web page, how to get research help, and more!
• Monday September 23 - The OCC Library Catalog
  12pm-12:30pm in King Library: We’ve made changes to our catalog! Learn how to navigate your way around.
• Monday September 30 - Free Articles @ Your OCC Library
  12pm-12:30pm in King Library: Learn how to search for magazine, journal, and newspaper articles.

Upcoming Library Website Changes

Much of the OCC Library website will be updated on Friday August 16.  The changes were brought on by the introduction of some new online library services (EBSCO Discovery Service and LibGuide Research Guides in particular) and feedback from our users.  These changes are intended to make the library website more user-friendly while incorporating some of the latest library research technologies.

Please use the feedback form on the updated library home page if you have any questions or comments about any of the changes, which you can preview at https://www.oaklandcc.edu/library/newsite

New Library Resources from the Oxford University Press

Oxford English Dictionary Online
Widely acknowledged to be the most authoritative and comprehensive record of the English language in the world, the Oxford English Dictionary Online is now available through the OCC Library. Updated four times a year, the Oxford English Dictionary Online includes:

• More than 600,000 meanings of words, using more than 3 million quotations to show how words have been used over the entire history of the English language.
• The Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary which allows users to explore themes meanings, and ideas through the history of English.
• Definitions in British, American, and other varieties of English, and all type of usage from formal to slang.
• Etymological analysis, listings of variant spellings, and pronunciations using the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Try it now or view an introductory video

Oxford Scholarly Editions Online - Shakespeare
The Oxford Scholarly Editions Online - Shakespeare collection provides searchable, annotated online versions of all of Shakespeare's works.  Each title is overseen by an authoritative editor, accompanied by the editor’s record of important variations in that text, and interpretative and explanatory notes.  Most titles include introductions placing the work and the author in a historical context, and explaining the editorial principles and the history of the text.
Try it now

Don't miss these free Library Success Seminars coming up in June

Make time for these upcoming Library Success Seminars. These sessions are free and cover a variety of topics related to student success, including library research and study skills. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Summer I 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday June 3 - The OCC Library Catalog
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday June 10 - Free Articles @ Your OCC Library
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library

Royal Oak Campus
(see all Summer I 2013 seminars for Royal Oak)

• Thursday June 13 - Library Research Quickstart
  2:00-3:00 in C202

Southfield Campus
(see all Summer I 2013 seminars for Southfield)

• Tuesday June 4 - Library Research Basics
  5:00-6:00 in 212E

Featured Database: Opposing Viewpoints In Context

Opposing Viewpoints in Context is a hidden gem on the OCC Libraries Website. Available to students, staff and faculty, this subscription-only electronic database offers a treasure trove of information on today’s hottest social issues.

More than 5,000 controversial topics are covered including cloud computing, Western diets, and designer babies. Searchers are rewarded with 14,000+ viewpoint essays penned by authors either for or against an issue, thus giving the database its name. In addition, Opposing Viewpoints in Context has articles, podcasts, images, visual data and primary source documents—collected all in one place so readers can make their own informed decisions. Anything retrieved can be downloaded, printed, e-mailed or shared to social media.

Hunting for the same amount and quality of sources on Google is simply impossible. The overwhelming majority of information presented is unique to Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Off-campus access to the database is easy and requires an OCC username and password. By encouraging critical thinking, Opposing Viewpoints in Context is perfect for students writing argumentative papers--or anyone wishing to stay current on today’s issues. Contact an OCC Librarian for help or a demonstration.

Submitted by Terri Frank
Adjunct Librarian
Auburn Hills Campus Library

New Library Resource - ITPro Collection on Books24x7

The OCC Libraries now provide access to the ITPro Collection on the Books24x7 database. The ITPro Collection provides full-text ebooks and desktop videos on a wide variety of technology topics including networking, programming languages, desktop and office applications, the Web, computer hardware and software, databases and more.
Connect to Books24x7 now.
See a video introduction to Books24x7

Free Library Success Seminars in May

Make time for these upcoming Library Success Seminars. These sessions are free and cover a variety of topics related to student success, including library research and study skills. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Summer I 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday May 13 - Getting to Know Your OCC Library
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday May 20 - Choosing A Research Topic
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library

Royal Oak Campus
(see all Summer I 2013 seminars for Royal Oak)

• Thursday May 30 - Library Research Quickstart
  11:00-12:00 in C202

Downtime For Library Resources This Week

Due to scheduled maintenance, the OCC Library Catalog will be unavailable on Thursday morning, May 2nd, 2013 beginning at 8:30am until 12:00pm.

Additionally, on Saturday, May 4th from11:30am through Sunday, May 5th 12:00am, the following services will be interrupted for scheduled electrical maintenance in the Auburn Hills data center:

• Auburn Hills Phones & voicemail
• Internet connectivity at www.oaklandcc.edu
• Infomart, Colleague, and password reset
• Student email
• IT Support Center

 All services are expected to be restored by Sunday, May 5th 2013 at 12:00 midnight.

Library Hours For The End Of Winter Semester

The OCC Libraries will be open normal hours through the end of classes on Monday April 29. Please see the the campus libraries page for intersession hours April 30 - May 5. OCC Libraries will begin normal Summer I hours when classes resume on May 6.

New Library Resource: BuildingGreen Suite

The BuildingGreen Suite features comprehensive, practical information on a wide range of topics related to sustainable building, from energy efficiency and recycled-content materials to land-use planning and indoor air quality.  You can use BuildingGreen Suite to find a wide variety of information on sustainable building including:

• The full text of articles from Environmental Building News.
• A searchable GreenSpec  product guide with over 2,200 environmentally preferable products.
• Green building case studies of residential homes, commercial buildings, and even whole campuses and neighborhoods.
• Educational and teaching information, including a sample syllabus.

Try BuildingGreen Suite now, or take a look at our introductory video.

Human Library @ the Highland Lakes Student Center

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be deaf?  What it is like to live with a mental illness?  What it was like to grow up in the segregated South in the 1940s?  Or what it was like to grow up Jewish in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s?  At the OCC Highland Lakes Campus Diversity Fair on March 28, 2013, the HL Campus Diversity Committee and OCC Libraries will host our fifth Human Library event that allows “readers” to checkout volunteer “books” who represented multiple areas of diversity.  Human Books represent a cross section of society that have been stereotyped.  “Books” are not asked to be experts, but instead asked to be themselves and tell their story in response to questions asked by the “Reader”.  This exercise allows “Books” and “Readers” alike to meet people from other walks of life that they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to meet.

The Human Library was started several years ago in Denmark to help break down barriers and end prejudice.  The idea was simple: if you meet people from other walks of life, people different than yourself, they become real and no longer belong to a faceless group.  Once people start talking and getting to know one another, it becomes harder to discriminate against others as we realize we are more similar than we are different.  For more information, please go to www.humanlibrary.org .

On Thursday March 28th, at the OCC Highland Lakes Campus Student Center from 12-3pm, our Human Library will have 15 Human Book titles.  Please come and check them out.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

The OCC Womencenter and Libraries invite you to celebrate Women’s History Month through recognizing women who have made significant contributions to our world.

Please visit the OCC Women's History Month Blog and consider submitting a nomination recognizing an extraordinary woman who has made our world a better place through her contribution as an educator, scientist, head-of-state, politician, environmentalist, civil rights advocate and some other significant way.

All members of the OCC community – students, faculty, and staff – are encouraged to participate. Submitted nominations may cover the range of local-to-global and include individuals from any time period.

For more resources related to this initiative, take a look at the OCC Libraries Women in Literature, History, Current Events research guide.

Free Library Success Seminars coming up in March

Check out these free Library Success Seminars coming up in March. These sessions cover a variety of topics related to library research. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Winter 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday March 4 - Evaluating Web Pages
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library

Royal Oak Campus
(see all Winter 2013 seminars for Royal Oak)

• Thursday March 7 - Library Homepage Hunt
  10:00am-11:00am in Room C202

Southfield Campus
(see all Winter 2013 seminars for Southfield)

• Tuesday March 19 - Library Research Basics
  12:00-1:00 in 212E

Free Library Success Seminars coming up in February.

More free Library Success Seminars are coming up in February. These sessions cover a variety of topics related to library research. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Winter 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday February 4 - FREE Articles @ Your OCC Library
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday February 11 - U.S. Government Resources @ Your OCC Library
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday February 18 - Google Tips & Tricks
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library

Celebrate Black History Month through reading

OCC Libraries in partnership with The OCC Diversity Committees are proud to participate in the 24th National African American Read-In the week of February 4-12, 2013.

OCC Students and employees are invited to hear readings or read a brief passage aloud from books written by African American authors. The goal of this event is to celebrate Black History Month and bring awareness about the contributions African Americans have made to the literary world. For more information, contact your OCC campus  library or checkout our flier!

See a list of reading resources

More about the 21st National African American Read-in

Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation - January 30th

The 2013 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation will take place on January 30 at the Orchard Ridge Campus Smith Theater from 6:30pm-8:00pm.  Admission is free, see the flyer for more information.

You might also be interested in some of the selected OCC Library resources on Martin Luther King, Jr., including information on the MLK portrait on display at the Orchard Ridge Campus King Library.

Free Library Success Seminars coming up

Make some time for these upcoming Library Success Seminars: free sessions covering a variety of topics related to student success, including library research, study skills, and interview skills. Ask your instructor about extra credit for attending any of these seminars. See the Library Instruction page for more information about future seminars at all OCC campuses.

Orchard Ridge Campus
(see all Winter 2013 seminars for Orchard Ridge)

• Monday January 14 - Getting to Know Your OCC Library
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday January 28 - The OCC Library Catalog
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library
• Monday February 4 - FREE Articles @ Your OCC Library
  12:00-12:30 in the King Library