Kettering University Library

Hiding under the ice

Check out this story from NPR that reveals the secrets of what Antarctica is hiding underneath all that ice:

Radar Reveals Dynamic World Under Antarctica's Ice

by Jon Hamilton
November 4, 2009

A NASA DC-8 plane equipped with lasers, ice-penetrating radar, and a gravity meter is revealing a dynamic and complex world beneath the massive ice sheet that covers Antarctica.

The plane is flying over Antarctica for six weeks as part of a mission to use airplanes to replace a dying NASA satellite that's been monitoring polar ice.

But the stopgap measure is providing a major scientific bonus: The DC-8 flies just 1,500 feet above the ice and carries instruments that let scientists see right through the ice.

"It's going to change the way that we look at Antarctica," says Thomas Wagner, a NASA Cryosphere Program scientist.

The Antarctic ice sheet covers an area larger than Europe. In places, it's miles thick. If the sheet ever melts, sea level will rise by dozens of feet.  Read more...

50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years

Over the past 50 years a number of new car styles have been put on display, and it is no surprise that while some of them are praised for their beauty, others send people screaming into the night.  Check out this slide show of the 50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years and see if your favorite comes out clean.   

Looking for a job, check out these resources.

It's a tough job market out there, and sometimes the biggest hurdle to finding a job is knowing where to look.  Best Colleges Online offers their assistance with a list of 100 Places to Plan and Research Your Next Career Move.  With links to everything from resume writing and job search sites, to how to successfully transition to a new career, this list has a little for everyone. 

Celebrate Halloween at the Library!

Bobbing for apples not your style?  Come to the Library for camaraderie and Halloween goodies.

Date:     Friday, October 30

Time:    11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where:  The Library, 2-202 AB

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Library and Scharchburg Archives (FOLA).

 

Underwater basket weaving, a real course? You bet.

Most of us have probably heard the jokes about majoring in underwater basket weaving at college, but you may be surprised to learn that it is an actual course at Reed College.  But the underwater weaving is not alone in its strange course status, there are also courses around the country that cover the Age of Piracy, Harry Potter Literature, or Superheroes. OnlineUniversities.com offers a list of 100 hilarious college courses that really exist, some of which "walk the line between useful knowledge and the ridiculous, though many others offer great educational opportunities despite having names that don’t do them justice."  Check out the list to see what is out there.

Gaming Night Photos

Thanks to the participation of Kettering students, faculty and staff, our gaming night continues to be a great success! Once again, the ping pong table was a huge hit and Rock Band won as the most popular game of the night!  You can view photos here from throughout the night. 

A very special thank you goes to the Student Housing Dept for allowing us to borrow their games, the Business Department for loaning us their ping pong table and to FOLA for sponsoring the event.

Gaming Night will return in January.

Windows 7 Released Today

Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, is making its worldwide debut in New York City this morning.  This is a long awaited debut by Microsoft users since many were disappointed by Microsoft's Vista operating system.  Microsoft's future may be riding on this release and all eyes are upon Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer, founder Bill Gates is no longer involved with the day to day operations of the corporation.  "Gates stepped down 10 years ago as the CEO of the company he co-founded, then left the firm in mid-2008 to devote more time to the charitable foundation that bears the names of Gates and his wife, Melinda. Windows 7, then, is Microsoft's first post-Gates Windows." (Computerworld)

Don't miss out, Gaming Night is tonight!

Can't decide what to be for Halloween, a boxer, a dancer, or a race car driver?  Why not be all in one night?  Gaming Night at the library is back on tonight, Wednesday October 21st from 5:30pm-9:00pm.  Practice your rock star moves with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, or challenge friends to bowling, boxing or racing on the Wii, Play Station or X-Box 360! Board games or cards more your style, we have those too.  Have a different favorite game, bring it with you to share!  Free food, soda & snacks will also be on hand.  Sponsored by the Friends of the Library and the Scharchburg Archives (FOLA).

Stay healthy, stay safe

Concerns over the spread of the H1N1 Flu Virus are not new, but there are some who are taking advantage of consumers with fake treatments and cures.  In an effort to combat this menace, the FDA has created a list that is "intended to alert consumers about Web sites that are or were illegally marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products in relation to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus (sometimes referred to as the “swine flu” virus). Note that until evidence to the contrary is presented to FDA, the owner of the listed Web site is considered responsible for promoting the unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products. The uses related to the 2009 H1N1 Flu Virus are not necessarily being promoted by the manufacturers of the products."  The entire list can be found here.

The KU Library has a Facebook page!

Are you on Facebook?  Become a fan of the KU Library!  Keep informed about library hours, new services, and topics of interest!  Click here to automatically view our page.

Want to start a business?

Are you looking to start a business, but don't know where to begin?  Kettering University TechWorks can help.  TechWorks is a business start-up and growth accelerator focused on advanced technology commercialization.  TechWorks is our set of services and facilities dedicated to helping technology based entrepreneurs grow their companies while they perfect the application of the underlying technology.  Check out the TechWorks website for more information about how they can help you in the world of business and entrepreneurship, as well as learn more about the FastTrac® TechVenture™ sessions that they offer.  And don't miss FastTrac® TechVenture™ 1st Session, Wednesday October 7th from 5:30pm to 9:30pm in the Campus Center - Room 5-200 (5th Floor)

Final Exam Week Hours/September 21st - 27th, 2009

Monday - 7:00AM - 1:00AM
Tuesday - 7:00AM - 1:00AM
Wednesday - 1:00PM - 1:00AM
Thursday - 7:00AM - 1:00AM
Friday - 7:00AM - 1:00AM

Saturday - 7:00AM - 12:00PM
Sunday - Closed

Good luck on your exams!

RefWorks available on and off campus.

The Kettering University Library has subscribed to RefWorks with RefShare, a web-based citation management tool that enables users to store, manage, and output bibliographic references from various sources, including online article databases.

RefWorks can help you effectively organize and manage citations while conducting research, incorporate references into word processing documents, and create independent bibliographies in a variety of styles.  Subscribers can store their reference databases online, use and update them from anywhere, and share data with other subscribers.

There is a link to RefWorks on the Library’s homepage with on-campus and off-campus access.  Create an account and give it a try.  A tutorial is available here, and a Help menu is available once a user is logged in.

A help sheet for exporting records from the ASME database (hosted on the Scitation platform) can be found here, and a help sheet for exporting records from Science Citation Index is here.  Exporting records from OCLC FirstSearch seems to work best in Internet Explorer.  Exporting records from other Kettering databases is relatively straightforward.  

Please send questions to library@kettering.edu, or call the Reference Desk at 762-9598. 

Library Hours for Labor Day Weekend

The Library will be closed Saturday September 5th - Monday September 7th for Labor Day weekend.  We will return to regular business hours on Tuesday September 8th.

Have a safe and happy holiday!