Volume 2, Issue 2
November—December 2013
McGrath Library
Newsletter
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
ILLiad:
1
Doris Lessing:
2
JFK Anniversary:
3
Book Reviews:
4-6
Library News
Interlibrary Loan Made Easy With ILLiad!
McGrath Library is thrilled to announce the implementation of ILLiad, a highly efficient electronic
system that students can use to request interlibrary loan materials. Our Technical Services Coordinator, Liz Wandersee, has been working vigorously to get the new software up and running,
which went live this November. Students should
note that the process for requesting materials via
interlibrary loan is still the same, even though the
visual interface has changed slightly. We hope that
this new system will not only be more efficient for
the library staff, but should be easier and faster for
students.
When you make an interlibrary loan request using
ILLiad for the first time, you will be required to
create an account consisting of your name, address, and other contact information. Students will
notice that this is a one-time process, giving you
the option to make future requests by simply logging into your account with your Hilbert username
and password. EBSCO and ProQuest databases will
still provide you with an option within your search
results to request journal articles through a link
that looks like this;
ILLiad allows the library staff to store your requests in a searchable electronic database, elimi-
nating the need for paperwork and streamlining
the process, enabling faster and more accurate
retrieval of materials from other libraries. The
software also allows you to track the status of
your individual requests through the ILLiad interface. This option will allow you to receive
your electronic materials faster via PDFs, and
remove the need to call the ILL Department to
check the status of your requests.
As always, librarians are available to help you
when making an ILL request, whether you need
help setting up your account for the first time,
or would like help using the new interface. The
implementation of ILLiad is just one of the
many ways that McGrath Library provides valuable and efficient services to students and faculty at Hilbert College.
ILL Department
http://www.hilbert.edu/library/interlibrary-loan
Liz Wandersee
Technical Services Coordinator
[email protected]
(716) 926-8821
November—December 2013
Nobel-Prize Winning Author Dies at Age 94
The “uninhibited and outspoken novelist,” Doris Lessing, passed away November 17th
November
17,
2013, marked the
passing of the prolific novelist and
poet, Doris Lessing
(nee Taylor). Lessing may very well
go down in history
as being the oldest
writer to win the
Nobel Prize in Literature; an honor
held by Theodore
Mommsen,
who
received his Nobel
Prize in 1902, for
over 100 years.
Only one of thirteen women to receive the prestigious award, she
rests among the
upper echelon of
the world’s greatest literary minds including
T.S. Eliot, William Faulkner, Rudyard Kipling,
and William Butler Yeats.
with her first published work, The Grass is Singing, having been published in 1950. Nearly
twelve years later, Lessing released her breakthrough novel, The Golden Notebook, which
contains powerful themes on anti-war and antiStalinism drawn from her own life experiences
growing up. The book has been marked as one of
TIME magazine’s 100 best English-language
novels.
Over the last several weeks, journalists have
struggled to piece together a comprehensive yet
admirable tale of Lessing’s life given the trials
and tribulations she faced over the ninety-four
years of her life. Even more difficult is condensing that tale into a short form that can be printed
in 500 words or less. In 2007, the Nobel committee labeled her as an “epicist of the female
experience…” which is conveyed through her
more than fifty published works. Coming to the
surface during the early feminist movement of
the 1960s, Lessing sought to provoke thought
from young female readers on the all important
questions of the times; marriage vs. single life
and child rearing vs. professional life.
The best description of Lessing as a writer comes
from within her books. McGrath Library has several of her published works, including The Golden Notebook (1962 – PZ3.L56684 Go2) and The
Memoirs of a Survivor (1974 – PZ3.L56684
Me3). Also, check out the library’s display on
Doris Lessing!
Lessing came from very humble beginnings,
having been born to British parents in Persia
(now Iran), her father was led to what is now
Zimbabwe in the hopes of earning great wealth
through the cultivation of maize. She began
writing at the age of fifteen, having left the Dominican Convent all girls high school in presentday Harare. Her writing career began at that age
when she began selling stories to magazines,
Veteran’s Day
White Table Memorial
To commemorate Veteran’s Day,
McGrath Library showcased a
white table memorial on the library’s second floor. The table
serves as a heartfelt reminder of
all those men and women who
served in the U.S. Armed Forces
who made the ultimate sacrifice.
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November—December 2013
50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy Assassination
An American Tragedy Remembered
John F. Kennedy
was arguably one
of the most iconic
presidents of the
20th century, having assumed the
presidency at a
rather young age.
The office of the
President of the
United States was
far from kind to
this prince, but his
short time in office reflected great
promise and potential for the future of the country. The wealth, prestige, and prominence associated with the Kennedy family are something of
rare substance amongst even the most affluent
members of American society today. The Kennedy family’s presence in the limelight of social,
cultural, and political events made his demise
that much more horrific.
later investments in Hollywood movie production, liquor distribution, and real estate. Kennedy’s mother, Rose Fitzgerald, was the daughter
of well-known Boston mayor John F. Fitzgerald.
The family’s history played out a bit like that of
other prominent and affluent families in America, with Kennedy’s ancestors having come to the
U.S. from Ireland, working their way up from
poverty to privileged circumstances.
Over the last fifty years, there have been numerous books published on various aspects of Kennedy’s life from his early years in the U.S. Navy,
through his time in Congress and as President,
and of course, numerous books on his assassination. One of the most highly regarded books on
Kennedy’s assassination is The Death of a President, November 1963 by William Manchester
(E842.9 .M28 1967). First published in 1967, the
book recounts the basic facts of Kennedy’s trip to
Dallas, his assassination, and the aftermath. The
book provides an interesting look into the reaction of those events at the time they happened,
and unlike other publications of the time, Manchester was granted access to Jackie Kennedy
and other witness and the book was authorized
for publication by the Kennedy family. 2013 is
the first time the book has been republished and
McGrath Library has a copy of the 1967 edition!
November 22, 2013 marked the 50th anniversary
of that dreadful day in Dallas when Lee Harvey
Oswald’s infamous visit to the Texas School
Book Depository ended in the horrific and devastating death of President Kennedy. At face
value, this landmark anniversary marks a milestone in government conspiracy theories, from
the famed Zapruder film to the allegations of a
second shooter on the “grassy knoll.” Historians
have worked tirelessly to avoid these conspiracy
theories in an attempt to focus more on the lives
of Kennedy and his family. This monumental
anniversary gave television media the opportunity to reflect on the contributions of Kennedy’s presidency to the grand scheme of U.S. politics as well as examine the impact that his
death had on citizens throughout the country.
For those who enjoy a comprehensive look at
JFK’s life during his rise to office, check out Theodore Sorensen’s Kennedy (E842.S6), an
astounding and unrivaled biography often regarded as the go-to piece on Kennedy’s political
career. Sorensen served as Kennedy’s legislative
assistant, and was a close confidant and advisor
during his time as president, giving Sorensen an
inside look into the trials and tribulations of
Kennedy’s presidential years. McGrath also has a
first edition copy of this book. The library also
holds a number of other pieces on Kennedy’s life
from his early years and including the lives of his
brothers Robert and Ted, as well as his wife
Jackie Bouvier (E842 on the shelf!).
Kennedy was born into a very prosperous and
influential family in Brookline, Massachusetts.
His father was said to have earned great wealth
through his investments in the stock market and
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November—December 2013
BOOK REVIEWS
The Serpentine Wall
The Winding Boundary between Church and State in the United States
by James F. Harris
Director’s Review
The separation of church
and state through the
First Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution by the
founding fathers was a
unique event in the history of the world. It was
the first experiment of
its kind. Other nations
had experimented with
toleration while still endorsing a state religion
but no nation, to this point in history, endorsed
complete acceptance. And the difference between toleration and acceptance is not small.
Tolerance allowed differing views while acceptance divorced itself from the subject entirely, throwing up a wall of separation between the
state and religion. In other words, the founders
guaranteed, in the Constitution, every individuals’ right to intellectual freedom; there would be
no endorsed religion or discrimination against
an individual for his/her beliefs.
Court cases. Harris describes the philosophies
and the religious views of the founders, specifically Washington, Adams, and Jefferson, and
what and who influenced them. He then traces
the wall of separation through its history to the
present, describing how the First Amendment,
only applying to the federal government, needed
the Fourteenth Amendment to enforce its tenets
on the states.
Harris’s purpose seems to be to instill in his
readers that the United States was not founded
on any religious basis, that claims that the United States is a Christian nation are false (the
Treaty with Tripoli, 1787), and that the separation does not provide toleration but ensures
complete “liberty of conscience.”
Although very informative and well researched,
The Serpentine Wall, is relatively dry reading.
Its purpose and place, I believe, is to inform
and/or to be used as a reference tool. The many
notes, the selective bibliography, and the meticulous index make it valuable in this respect and I
would recommend it for this purpose.
James F. Harris, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy from the College of William and Mary, in his
book, The Serpentine Wall: The Winding
Boundary between Church and State in the
United States (Transaction Publishers, 2013,
BR516 H2545 2013), traces the history of the
separation of church and state in the U.S. from
the colonial period through numerous Supreme
Reviewed by Wil Prout
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The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Fiction Rooted in Truth & History
Nathaniel Hawthorne is
one of those proverbial
writers who most will
recognize from their
painful memories of the
high school English literature classroom. His
writings exist in the artistic prose of the 19th
century style, with embellished phrases and
what many may consider convoluted vocabulary. This makes Hawthorne’s works difficult to read when so many of
us are familiar with a more straightforward writing approach by standards today. The themes
found within Hawthorne’s more prominent
works share a shocking similarity to those found
within many of today’s top selling books. So for
those who find themselves indulging in the most
recently published romance novels of the day,
you might consider looking to Hawthorne’s The
Scarlet Letter for a spicy piece on 17th century
sinfulness as Hester Prynne finds herself in a
struggle with her own sin and guilt in Puritan
Salem, Massachusetts.
by Street, past Salem’s harbor and the custom
house where Hawthorne worked for nearly three
years (later his inspiration for The Scarlet Letter), beyond Salem’s little Polonia to Turner
Street where the Turner-Ingersoll mansion sits
on a beautiful waterfront parcel of land. The
home belonged to Hawthorne’s cousin, Susannah Ingersoll, who often entertained him while
he was in Salem. During Hawthorne’s lifetime,
the house had three gables, but Susannah’s sharing of the home’s history with him, including the
stories of the home’s original seven gables, inspired his work entitled The House of the Seven
Gables.
Hawthorne bases this piece on 1692 Salem, Massachusetts amidst the heat of the witchcraft trials. Hawthorne’s own ancestor, John Hathorne,
was one of the leading judges during the Salem
Witchcraft Trials, likely giving further motivation for the development of this work. The story
itself focuses on the life of Hepzibah Pyncheon,
the impoverished but distinguished resident of
the old, 17th century mansion. The house was
built by Hepzibah’s ancestor, Colonel Pyncheon,
who used deceit and trickery to steal the land
from local famer Matthew Maule. The property’s
rich water spring was coveted by the Colonel,
who used his influence to implicate Maule in
witchcraft related activities. Before Maule was to
be hanged for witchcraft, he cursed Pyncheon for
his role in his death and subsequent seizure of
his farm. To make matters worse, Pyncheon
summons Maule’s son to build his mansion with
seven gables on that very same property.
Hawthorne’s best works, in fact, are drawn from
the history of his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. His books pull from the historical significance of Salem as one of America’s earliest
English settlements, and builds upon the struggles of the Puritans during the mid to late 17th
century. He takes those general historical
themes and adds his own fictional twists to develop novels that appeal to the most hardened
literature connoisseur and as well as to the average, hobby historian.
Hawthorne builds upon this story and develops
the plot of Pyncheon’s descendants who believe
there is a deed to land in Maine hidden within
the family’s mansion. To locate this deed, they
seek the help of Matthew Maule, a descendant of
the man who built the mansion, to summon the
spirits of his ancestors and Colonel Pyncheon in
hopes of discovering the whereabouts of this
hidden land deed.
In a recent visit to Salem, Massachusetts, I discovered “The House of the Seven Gables.” Located amongst the many historical properties
spread across the town’s east end, the unprepared tourist might expect the property to be
nothing more than the typical tourist trap, perhaps constructed around Hawthorne’s iconic
novel of the same name. Take a stroll down Der-
Regardless of its official genre, The House of the
Seven Gables has murder, witchcraft, an old
5
mansion owned by a family plagued by a curse,
an old spinster and her convict brother, all
wrapped up in sinful deceit. Once you break
through the nuances and Hawthorne’s style of
writing, The House of the Seven Gables is a delightful and dramatic read, based largely out of
Salem’s rich history and Hawthorne’s own life.
Reviewed by Matthew Ballard
Matthew is a Night and Weekend Library Supervisor at McGrath Library.
COMEBACK: America’s New Economic Boom by Charles R. Morris
The author has a companionable voice, affable and
easy, but with words chosen
for maximum clarity. He
tackles three elements of the
American economy that he
identifies as the driving forces of recovery: hydrocarbons
from shale; investment in
infrastructure and manufacturing; and health care.
Each of these forces has received black eyes and body blows of late, from
both the left and right of the political spectrum,
but Morris, though not starry-eyed, optimistically assesses all three. He walks readers
through the controversial process of extracting
oil and gas from shale, providing a highly entertaining mini-course in geology. Fracking has
gone badly wrong, he writes, acknowledging
spillage, leakage, emissions and compromised
aquifers, but there are ways to contain this damage, if not eliminate it, through responsible
drilling practices. Our crumbling infrastructure
calls out for a Keynesian infusion, Morris writes,
but the level of investment relative to GDP "has
fallen off dramatically, to the point where it
could actually inhibit the industrial recovery.”
That recovery must be based on jobs created at
home, writes the author, citing a consulting
group that estimates “an American company
will save only about 10-15 percent of costs by
manufacturing a kitchen appliance in China,
which is too little to justify the long delivery lead
times and other aggravations that come with
offshoring.” Health care, long hostage to vested
interests, is a huge employer and also makes
important contributions to biotech industries
and innovation-driven productivity growth. Our
taxes, pitifully low by historical standards, could
be put to better use than endless warfare, he argues—infrastructure, old-age security and education, for example.
Serious bureaucratic, technological and environmental issues, unpacked with facility, provide digestible food for thought.
Kirkus Review
June 9, 2013
McGrath Library
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