Kettering University Library

Library Hours for Thanksgiving

11/25 Wednesday:   7:45 - 8:00PM
11/26 Thursday:      CLOSED
11/27 Friday:          CLOSED
11/28 Saturday:      CLOSED
11/29 Sunday:         CLOSED
11/30 Monday:        OPEN 7:45AM - 11:00PM

We hope that everyone has a great holiday weekend!

History of Thanksgiving

Think you know all there is about the history of Thanksgiving?  Test your knowledge on the first Thanksgiving and fun facts about the holiday from the History Channel's website. The Library will be closing today at 8:00 p.m. and reopening on Monday, November 30th in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Listen to these classic audio books for free!

From OnlineDegreePrograms.org:

100 Free Audio Books You Should Have Read By Now

"With so much school work to do, it may seem impossible to get any extra reading in, but luckily, there are free audio books available to help you out. Whether you need to catch up on reading that you skipped over in high school or would enjoy expanding your horizons with books you haven’t read but feel you should have, download these books and listen any time."

5 Technology Trends to Watch

Every year the Consumers Electronics Association (CEA) looks at the new technologies that will shape our future and publishes their 5 Technology Trends to Watch.  An introduction by the CEA President and CEO, Gary Shapiro notes that he remains optimistic, "despite the challenges to the economy. The consumer technology industry continues to show promise with sales expected to reach $172 billion for 2009."

This years publication looks at "the evolution of content, connected devices in the home, TV beyond HD, connected cars and the smart grid. The publication also takes a peek at the future of CE. For example, IBM is working to develop artificial DNA nanostructures as a framework to build the tiny microchips used in electronics devices. Although still many years out, this work could one day impact how we build, operate and interact with electronics.

Learn also about advances in a holographic storage material capable of storing 500GB of data on a DVD-sized optical disc – ten times the amount that can be stored on a dual-layer Blu-ray disc. It’s not here yet but discs of this size could one day store 3D video."

And the Word of the Year is...

Every year the New Oxford American Dictionary unveils its Word of the Year.  This year's word may be very familiar to most users of social networking sites, particularly Facebook.  The  2009 Word of the Year is: unfriend.

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Christine Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford’s US dictionary program, notes that the word 'unfriend' "has both currency and potential longevity.  In the online social networking context, its meaning is understood, so its adoption as a modern verb form makes this an interesting choice for Word of the Year.  Most “un-” prefixed words are adjectives (unacceptable, unpleasant), and there are certainly some familiar “un-” verbs (uncap, unpack), but “unfriend” is different from the norm.  It assumes a verb sense of “friend” that is really not used (at least not since maybe the 17th century!). Unfriend has real lex-appeal.”

Other Word of the Year candidates ranged in subject area from technology and environment to novelty words.  Check out the list below.

Technology:

hashtag – a # [hash] sign added to a word or phrase that enables Twitter users to search for tweets (postings on the Twitter site) that contain similarly tagged items and view thematic sets

intexticated – distracted because texting on a cellphone while driving a vehicle

netbook – a small, very portable laptop computer with limited memory

paywall – a way of blocking access to a part of a website which is only available to paying subscribers

sexting – the sending of sexually explicit texts and pictures by cellphone

Economy:

freemium – a business model in which some basic services are provided for free, with the aim of enticing users to pay for additional, premium features or content

funemployed – taking advantage of one’s newly unemployed status to have fun or pursue other interests

zombie bank – a financial institution whose liabilities are greater than its assets, but which continues to operate because of government support

Politics and Current Affairs:

Ardi – (Ardipithecus ramidus) oldest known hominid, discovered in Ethiopia during the 1990s and announced to the public in 2009

birther – a conspiracy theorist who challenges President Obama’s birth certificate

choice mom – a person who chooses to be a single mother

death panel – a theoretical body that determines which patients deserve to live, when care is rationed

teabagger -a person, who protests President Obama’s tax policies and stimulus package, often through local demonstrations known as “Tea Party” protests (in allusion to the Boston Tea Party of 1773)

Environment:

brown state – a US state that does not have strict environmental regulations

green state – a US state that has strict environmental regulations

ecotown - a town built and run on eco-friendly principles

Novelty Words:

deleb – a dead celebrity

tramp stamp – a tattoo on the lower back, usually on a woman

Don't let the movies fool you, Friday the 13th is nothing to worry about. Or is it?

For all those triskaidekaphobes out there, the number 13 already results in fear and panic, and adding Friday to that equation can result in an even higher number of concerned citizens.  According to some estimates, the fear of Friday the 13th, or paraskevidekatriaphobia, afflicts over 17 million people in the United States alone.   For the afflicted, symptoms can range from mild anxiety to full-blown panic attacks, which may result in people reshuffling schedules or missing an entire day's work.

The history of why 13 is considered an unlucky number and why Friday the 13th is particularly unlucky can be found in numerous references from antiquity.  Additionally, the use of Friday the 13th as the name of horror movies throughout the years has certainly upped the superstitious factor for the day.

To learn more about the origins of Friday the 13th superstition check out this article about How Friday the 13th works.

100 Incredible Open Courses for the Ultimate Tech Geek

OnlineCourses.org has compiled a list of 100 Incredible Open Courses for the Ultimate Tech Geek. This comprehensive guide presents 100 free resources to help hone and expand your tech skills. The courses are divided into ten categories:

    * Computer Science and Engineering
    * Computer Security
    * Programming
    * The Web
    * Software
    * Information Technology
    * Communication Technology
    * Technology in Education
    * Tech Math
    * Technology and Society

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)