Drowning in Debt: The Emerging Student Loan Crisis
Higher education has never been more expensive. The price of attending a public university doubled, after inflation, over the last two decades, and family income and student financial aid haven’t kept pace.1 As a result, students have no choice but to borrow, and more college students are borrowing more money than ever before.
But a new analysis of federal financial aid records reveals more than just surging debt levels. Students are taking on more of the riskiest debt: unregulated private student loans. Here, students have the least protection and pay the highest rates. For-profit colleges are leading the way in this trend, and minority college students appear to be borrowing a disproportionate share. If this continues, the consequences will be severe: reduced access to higher education, diminished life choices, and increasing rates of catastrophic loan default.
Source: Education Sector July 9 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Twitter Gains Entry in Dictionary
Twitter has gained academic respectability with inclusion in the Collins English Dictionary. The social networking tool, which has 1.8 million users, will be listed in the 30th anniversary edition to be published later this year.
The word Twitterati, referring to users of the website, will also be entered, as will Twitterverse, which defines the website and its users.
Source: The Telegraph July 7, 2009
The word Twitterati, referring to users of the website, will also be entered, as will Twitterverse, which defines the website and its users.
Source: The Telegraph July 7, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
New Books Just In
Trophy Wife by Ashley
White Lines by Tracy Brown
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
Sensuality by Zane
Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah (additional copy)
Dutch by Teri Woods
Beowulf on the Beach by Murnigham
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth G. Smith
White Lines by Tracy Brown
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
Sensuality by Zane
Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah (additional copy)
Dutch by Teri Woods
Beowulf on the Beach by Murnigham
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth G. Smith
What You Need to Know About Goodwin Library
The Goodwin Library provides some of the very best electronic reference resources for students,faculty,administration, and staff. Just go to the library page www.goodwin.edu/library, look under "find articles" and they are listed. Faculty teaching distance learning classes should find these resources particularly valuable. The library staff will provide training and tutorials upon request. Today I am highlighting just a few for you:
Credo Reference
The simple search field on the front page belies the sheer volume and quality of information in Credo Reference. You can get to one of the three million-plus entries contained in over 400 reference sources from about 60 publishers through precise searching or a more general concept map.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
There are now three million documents in 2,025 ebooks on this well-known platform, available to us through ICONN. Many of the titles ae highly specialized, thus offering excellent depth and quality of results. Features like quick higlight dictionary search, citation tools, and persistent URLs should not go unnoticed.
History Reference Center
This file from ICONN provides a wealth of material from pe-Columbian America through the Bush administration, with integrated searching and cross-linking to 5000-plus primary source documents, 39 reference titles, 110 plus full-text journals, 200-plus country overview, and scores of images.
Biography Resource Center
This produce, now available to academic libraries through ICONN, draws from 135 Gale-publihed sources to offer 440,000 engaging biographies. Also available in full-text are articles from more than 325 magazines and newspapers like the New York Times and USA Today. Via add-on modules, the database interfaces with Marquis Who's Who and opens access to scholarly biographies by Macmillan and Scribner. Noteworthy amenities include timely biographic spotlights and detailed lessonp plans for teachers--well structured and attractively designed.
PsycINFO
With almost 2400 journals dating back to the early 1800s and including a broad spectrum of psychological aspects across many fields-e.g., business, education, law, medicine, and social work--PsycINFO is by far one of the most comprehensive psychological databases available. Since it lacks full-text access, users can use the sister database PsycARTICLES with full-text access to the journals of the American Psychological Association and other sources.
Science Reference Center
This is the last one highlighted this week. Students will appreciate the initial page of this rich resource (boasting 2.5 million full-text articles), with its unique approachable layout and a comprehensive A-Z listing of common topics. An interactive time line features hyperlinks to relevant entries, while the "Science Standards" tool displays benchmarks and grade level expectations by state. "Person Search" brings up a wealth of biographical information, and results pages are fairly easy to navigate. This is also from ICONN. Check back next week for more.
Credo Reference
The simple search field on the front page belies the sheer volume and quality of information in Credo Reference. You can get to one of the three million-plus entries contained in over 400 reference sources from about 60 publishers through precise searching or a more general concept map.
Gale Virtual Reference Library
There are now three million documents in 2,025 ebooks on this well-known platform, available to us through ICONN. Many of the titles ae highly specialized, thus offering excellent depth and quality of results. Features like quick higlight dictionary search, citation tools, and persistent URLs should not go unnoticed.
History Reference Center
This file from ICONN provides a wealth of material from pe-Columbian America through the Bush administration, with integrated searching and cross-linking to 5000-plus primary source documents, 39 reference titles, 110 plus full-text journals, 200-plus country overview, and scores of images.
Biography Resource Center
This produce, now available to academic libraries through ICONN, draws from 135 Gale-publihed sources to offer 440,000 engaging biographies. Also available in full-text are articles from more than 325 magazines and newspapers like the New York Times and USA Today. Via add-on modules, the database interfaces with Marquis Who's Who and opens access to scholarly biographies by Macmillan and Scribner. Noteworthy amenities include timely biographic spotlights and detailed lessonp plans for teachers--well structured and attractively designed.
PsycINFO
With almost 2400 journals dating back to the early 1800s and including a broad spectrum of psychological aspects across many fields-e.g., business, education, law, medicine, and social work--PsycINFO is by far one of the most comprehensive psychological databases available. Since it lacks full-text access, users can use the sister database PsycARTICLES with full-text access to the journals of the American Psychological Association and other sources.
Science Reference Center
This is the last one highlighted this week. Students will appreciate the initial page of this rich resource (boasting 2.5 million full-text articles), with its unique approachable layout and a comprehensive A-Z listing of common topics. An interactive time line features hyperlinks to relevant entries, while the "Science Standards" tool displays benchmarks and grade level expectations by state. "Person Search" brings up a wealth of biographical information, and results pages are fairly easy to navigate. This is also from ICONN. Check back next week for more.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
CQ Researcher This Week: Treating Depression
"Depression and suicide always increase in tough economic times, as indicated by a rash of suicides by men despondent over their families' financial troubles. Meanwhile, a wave of suicides and mental disorders — mainly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression — has hit military personnel returning from repeated deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, swamping military health-care systems. Depression, the most common serious mental illness, is sometimes caused by genetics, but it also can be triggered by stress or trauma. Access to treatment has expanded in recent years, as more and more primary-care doctors screen for the disease. And a new mental-health-care “parity” law passed by Congress in 2008 is expected to increase insurance coverage as well as access to mental-health services. But many people with severe depression remain uninsured and dependent on public health-care programs, which recession-plagued states are cutting back as revenues dwindle."
Source: This is the introduction to the full report in CQ Research June 26 2009 (online; Goodwin College access requires user name and password.)
Source: This is the introduction to the full report in CQ Research June 26 2009 (online; Goodwin College access requires user name and password.)
What They are Reading on College Campuses
Love the One You're with
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Uaccustomed Earth*
Angels and Demons*
Olive Kitteridge*
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man*
Twilight Series*
The Shack*
Pygmy
Outliers:The Story of Success*
The titles marked with an asterick are in the Goodwin Library collection.
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education July 1
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Uaccustomed Earth*
Angels and Demons*
Olive Kitteridge*
Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man*
Twilight Series*
The Shack*
Pygmy
Outliers:The Story of Success*
The titles marked with an asterick are in the Goodwin Library collection.
Source: Chronicle of Higher Education July 1
ICONN Changes Start Today
ICONN Changes on Wednesday, July 1, 2009
•Gale’s U.S./World History and Science Resource Centers will replace the corresponding title from EBSCO.
•Gale’s What do I Read Next will be added.
•50 e-reference books will be added.
•Access to the biography Resource Center will be extended to all academic librries.
•We lose access to Consumer Reports, but will retain access to the full-text backfile from 1/1/1999 to 6/03/09.
•Gale’s U.S./World History and Science Resource Centers will replace the corresponding title from EBSCO.
•Gale’s What do I Read Next will be added.
•50 e-reference books will be added.
•Access to the biography Resource Center will be extended to all academic librries.
•We lose access to Consumer Reports, but will retain access to the full-text backfile from 1/1/1999 to 6/03/09.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Time Magazine: Health Issue
Time magazine's annual health issue looks at how to avoid illness rather than just treat it. Articles in this issue:
This Doctor Does not Want to See You (Cleveland Clinic)
Getting Well While You Shop
Staying Sane May Be Easier Than You Think
Food as Pharma
A User's Guide to Good Health at Every Age
Take a mental health break and sit by the window overlooking the river while you read this issue--good for your health immediately.
This Doctor Does not Want to See You (Cleveland Clinic)
Getting Well While You Shop
Staying Sane May Be Easier Than You Think
Food as Pharma
A User's Guide to Good Health at Every Age
Take a mental health break and sit by the window overlooking the river while you read this issue--good for your health immediately.
Event Supporting State Library Funding
FRIDAY, June 19th 10AM
The House of Representatives will convene in special session on Friday June 19 at 11:00am to take up bills regarding Medicaid deficit mitigation and bills necessary for the receipt of federal stimulus money for summer youth employment programs. We are hoping to bring some awareness to the issues facing each and every library in the state. We are asking people to join us in helping get the word out not to cut support to the Connecticut libraries. Librarians will begin to gather about 10:00am outside the Legislative Office Building cafeteria.
Source: Library Advocacy Committee
The House of Representatives will convene in special session on Friday June 19 at 11:00am to take up bills regarding Medicaid deficit mitigation and bills necessary for the receipt of federal stimulus money for summer youth employment programs. We are hoping to bring some awareness to the issues facing each and every library in the state. We are asking people to join us in helping get the word out not to cut support to the Connecticut libraries. Librarians will begin to gather about 10:00am outside the Legislative Office Building cafeteria.
Source: Library Advocacy Committee
Thursday, June 11, 2009
World of Change
World of Change
Inspired by our 10th anniversary, the Earth Observatory has pulled together a special series of NASA satellite images documenting how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—has changed during the previous decade--really fascinating!
Inspired by our 10th anniversary, the Earth Observatory has pulled together a special series of NASA satellite images documenting how our world—forests, oceans, human landscapes, even the Sun—has changed during the previous decade--really fascinating!
New Resource: Earth Portal
Earth Portal describes itself as a "timely, objective, and science-based portal for environmental information. The three branches of Earth Portal set out to build a global collection of scholarly information regarding the earth and its environment. "Encyclopedia of Earth" is a free digital reference work developed by international scholars. "Earth Forum" is a moderated conversation space that allows us to converse with selected experts on issues of environmental science. "Earth News" distributes current, authoritative, nonpartisan, and science-based information.
The content of Earth Portal makes it a valuable information source. Users will find authoritative and scholarly conversation and information. They will also easily find the policies and processes by which the content is selected and evaluated, which will lead to increased information literacy in reflective users of this source.
Source: Internet Review in College & Research Library News June 2009
The content of Earth Portal makes it a valuable information source. Users will find authoritative and scholarly conversation and information. They will also easily find the policies and processes by which the content is selected and evaluated, which will lead to increased information literacy in reflective users of this source.
Source: Internet Review in College & Research Library News June 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Green Patriot Debuts
Environmentalist author David Steinman has created The Green Patriot Web Site to teach Americans how to practice sustainability, and that all of our pro-environmental efforts will directly or indirectly strengthen our economy and national security, and build a safer and more secure future for our children.
Steinman also wants to connect Green Patriot environmentalists and shoppers with green consumer product resources so they can use their purchasing power to support businesses that have Green Patriot policies. "Emphasizing the importance of our purchasing decisions is part of our mission-as is helping you to find great patriotic companies intent on being Green Patriot leaders themselves."
Source: Socially Responsible Round Table (SRRT) of the American Library Association
Steinman also wants to connect Green Patriot environmentalists and shoppers with green consumer product resources so they can use their purchasing power to support businesses that have Green Patriot policies. "Emphasizing the importance of our purchasing decisions is part of our mission-as is helping you to find great patriotic companies intent on being Green Patriot leaders themselves."
Source: Socially Responsible Round Table (SRRT) of the American Library Association
Thursday, June 04, 2009
jUST OUT OF THE BOX
JUST OUT OF THE BOX!
NEW BOOKS EXHIBITED IN THE LIBRARY
ALREADY CHECKED OUT
Health Care Ethics: Critical Issues for the 21st Century
Outliers: The Story of Success
Outsider in Amsterdam
Resistance
Rethinking Substance Abuse
Seeing Voices
Validation Breakthrough
Pictures at a Revolution
Understanding Disabilities
Nothing About Us Without Us
New Disability History
Handbook of Disability History
Quickest Way to Navigate Blackboard
Curse as Dark as Gold
PICK UP SOME READING FOR THE WEEKEND!
NEW BOOKS EXHIBITED IN THE LIBRARY
ALREADY CHECKED OUT
Health Care Ethics: Critical Issues for the 21st Century
Outliers: The Story of Success
Outsider in Amsterdam
Resistance
Rethinking Substance Abuse
Seeing Voices
Validation Breakthrough
Pictures at a Revolution
Understanding Disabilities
Nothing About Us Without Us
New Disability History
Handbook of Disability History
Quickest Way to Navigate Blackboard
Curse as Dark as Gold
PICK UP SOME READING FOR THE WEEKEND!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Cradle to Prison Pipeline
Marian Wright Edelman's article on the Children's Defense Fund web site, "The Cradle to Prison Pipeline: America’s New Apartheid" opens with...
"Incarceration is becoming the new American apartheid and poor children of color are the fodder. It is time to sound a loud alarm about this threat to American unity and community, act to stop the growing criminalization of children at younger and younger ages, and tackle the unjust treatment of minority youths and adults in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems with urgency and persistence. The failure to act now will reverse the hard-earned racial and social progress for which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others died and sacrificed. We must all call for investment in all children from birth through their successful transition to adulthood, remembering Frederick Douglass's correct observation that 'it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.'
"So many poor babies in rich America enter the world with multiple strikes against them: born without prenatal care, at low birth weight, and to a teen, poor, and poorly educated single mother and absent father. At crucial points in their development after birth until adulthood, more risks pile on, making a successful transition to productive adulthood significantly less likely and involvement in the criminal justice system significantly more likely. As Black children are more than three times as likely as White children to be poor, and are four times as likely to live in extreme poverty, a poor Black boy born in 2001 has a one in three chance of going to prison in his lifetime and is almost six times as likely as a White boy to be incarcerated for a drug offense."
The Cradle to Prison Pipeline campaign is a national and community crusade to engage families, youth, community leaders and institutions and those in power in every sector in the development of healthy, educated children. The Campaign advances policies that put children on track to productive adulthood and opposes those that criminalize children at younger and younger ages.
Source: ExchangeEveryDay May 27 2009
"Incarceration is becoming the new American apartheid and poor children of color are the fodder. It is time to sound a loud alarm about this threat to American unity and community, act to stop the growing criminalization of children at younger and younger ages, and tackle the unjust treatment of minority youths and adults in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems with urgency and persistence. The failure to act now will reverse the hard-earned racial and social progress for which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and so many others died and sacrificed. We must all call for investment in all children from birth through their successful transition to adulthood, remembering Frederick Douglass's correct observation that 'it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.'
"So many poor babies in rich America enter the world with multiple strikes against them: born without prenatal care, at low birth weight, and to a teen, poor, and poorly educated single mother and absent father. At crucial points in their development after birth until adulthood, more risks pile on, making a successful transition to productive adulthood significantly less likely and involvement in the criminal justice system significantly more likely. As Black children are more than three times as likely as White children to be poor, and are four times as likely to live in extreme poverty, a poor Black boy born in 2001 has a one in three chance of going to prison in his lifetime and is almost six times as likely as a White boy to be incarcerated for a drug offense."
The Cradle to Prison Pipeline campaign is a national and community crusade to engage families, youth, community leaders and institutions and those in power in every sector in the development of healthy, educated children. The Campaign advances policies that put children on track to productive adulthood and opposes those that criminalize children at younger and younger ages.
Source: ExchangeEveryDay May 27 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
CQ Researcher: Regulaing Fertility
Nadya Suleman, an unemployed, 33-year-old, single mother from Southern California, felt her six children weren't enough. Last January, after a fertility doctor implanted six embryos she had frozen earlier, Suleman gave birth to octuplets — and was quickly dubbed “Octomom.” Many fertility experts were shocked that a doctor would depart so far from medical guidelines — which recommend implantation of only one, or at most two, embryos for a woman of Suleman's relatively young age. Although multiple births often do result from in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other assisted-reproduction technologies, the number of multiples has dropped over the past few years, they point out. Other analysts note, however, that government statistics show a large percentage of clinics frequently ignore the guidelines on embryo implantation. In response, lawmakers in several states have introduced proposals to increase regulation of fertility clinics. Read the whole report on line (password protected)
Source: CQ Researcher Abstract
Source: CQ Researcher Abstract
Americans and Healthy Activity
"Yet another negative result of the bad economy: Americans are cutting back on healthy activities such as eating fresh foods and exercising regularly.
In a national omnibus survey of 1,000 people conducted in March 2009 by the American Heart Association:
57 percent said the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health.
32 percent have made a change in the last six months to save money, such as delaying preventive care appointments, not taking medications or skipping the dentist.
25 percent of those with gym memberships have cancelled in the previous six months.
42 percent plan to make changes in the next six months that may impact their health, such as buying fewer fruits and vegetables.
Results of the study spell trouble for Americans’ overall well-being and heart health in particular, said Timothy Gardner, M.D., President of the American Heart Association."
View the video here
Listen to the podcast here
Source: American Heart Association
In a national omnibus survey of 1,000 people conducted in March 2009 by the American Heart Association:
57 percent said the economy has affected their ability to take care of their health.
32 percent have made a change in the last six months to save money, such as delaying preventive care appointments, not taking medications or skipping the dentist.
25 percent of those with gym memberships have cancelled in the previous six months.
42 percent plan to make changes in the next six months that may impact their health, such as buying fewer fruits and vegetables.
Results of the study spell trouble for Americans’ overall well-being and heart health in particular, said Timothy Gardner, M.D., President of the American Heart Association."
View the video here
Listen to the podcast here
Source: American Heart Association
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Focus on Nursing Ethics
Nurses deal with difficult ethical issues, even dilemmas. They can sometimes be even more challenging than the physical care provide for patients. Take some time to explore this great collection of FREE articles addressing ethical issues in nursing practice. Lisa M. Bonsall, MSN, Rn, CRNP, compiled these resources to help define terms, give guidance and support, and generate discussion. This source includes information in these areas: general, specific areas of practice, end-of-life issues, personal moral dilemmas, and case studies.
(Written by Bonsall with minor revisions)
Lisa M. Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP
Clinical Editor, NursingCenter.com
(Written by Bonsall with minor revisions)
Lisa M. Bonsall, MSN, RN, CRNP
Clinical Editor, NursingCenter.com
Friday, May 15, 2009
New This Week
Make it a habit to check the Librarians' Internet Index every Friday morning here.
Every Thursday morning LII sends out a free newsletter, New This Week, which features dozens of high-quality websites carefully selected, described, and organized by LII's team of librarians. Topics include current events and issues, holidays and seasons, helpful tools for information users, human interest, and more.This is a web site you can trust! Below is the highlight on business this week.
Business New Monthly Data Series on the Employment Status of People With a Disability
This monthly series, which began in February 2009, provides "labor force data from the CPS [Current Population Survey] for persons with a disability." Includes employment rate, employment-population ratio, and other data for men and women 16 years and older. Also provides a FAQ and archived data starting with October 2008. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor.
URL: http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28310
Every Thursday morning LII sends out a free newsletter, New This Week, which features dozens of high-quality websites carefully selected, described, and organized by LII's team of librarians. Topics include current events and issues, holidays and seasons, helpful tools for information users, human interest, and more.This is a web site you can trust! Below is the highlight on business this week.
Business New Monthly Data Series on the Employment Status of People With a Disability
This monthly series, which began in February 2009, provides "labor force data from the CPS [Current Population Survey] for persons with a disability." Includes employment rate, employment-population ratio, and other data for men and women 16 years and older. Also provides a FAQ and archived data starting with October 2008. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor.
URL: http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/28310
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