Blogs at the University of Auckland Library

The Stir in Samoa

Arts Information Services — Wed, 16 May 2012 01:22:40 GMT

The fiftieth anniversary of Samoan independence is celebrated on 1 June 2012. To mark this occasion the Library is displaying some of our extensive collection of Samoan publications. The University of Auckland Library has one of the world’s greatest collections of Pacific research material.

The display highlights some aspects of Samoan history illustrated by items from our collection. There’s a selection of photographs from the time of New Zealand’s administration of Samoa, from 30 August 1914 when the British flag was raised in Apia until independence day on 1 January 1962. This includes the influenza pandemic of 1918, the Mau independence movement, the UN mandate and trusteeship administration by New Zealand, and post-independence relationship with New Zealand. Other sources include official publications, manuscripts (Acheson papers, 1906-1948), newspapers (Samoa Bulletin), theses and research publications, recordings from the Archive of Maori and Pacific Music, and audio-visual material.

Photograph reproduced courtesy of George McKay.

`Badminton at Vailima, 1925’. McKay, Cyril Gilbert Reeves, 1900-. Historical photographs of Samoa, Tokelau, and Cook Islands. 1914-1960. MSS & Archives 2007/5, folder 1/1. Special Collections, University of Auckland Library.

Photograph reproduced courtesy of George McKay.

`Demonstration by ‘Mau’ movement members, 1920s [ca.].’ McKay, Cyril Gilbert Reeves, 1900-. Historical photographs of Samoa, Tokelau, and Cook Islands. 1914-1960. MSS & Archives 2007/5, folder 3/2. Special Collections, University of Auckland Library.

The title of this post, The Stir in Samoa, is taken from a 1928 pamphlet about the Mau movement. It was published as a response to The Revolt of the Samoans, in which then Labour Party leader Harry Holland described the New Zealand administration as a “military dictatorship.”

The display runs from 17 May to 11 June 2012 in the General Library.

References

A. B. Chappell. The Stir in Samoa: An Independent Review. Auckland, 1928.

H. E. Holland. The Revolt of the Samoans. Wellington, 1928.

McKay, Cyril Gilbert Reeves, 1900-. Historical photographs of Samoa, Tokelau, and Cook Islands. 1914-1960. MSS & Archives 2007/5, folders 1/1 and 3/2. Special Collections, University of Auckland Library.

Acheson, Frank O. V. (Frank Oswald Victor), 1887-1948. Papers, 1906-1948. MSS & Archives 96/1. Special Collections, University of Auckland Library.

70s Radicalism Cont'd

Audiovisual Library — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:51:55 GMT

New Arrivals

United Red Army Director: Uli Edel (2008) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0223

WatchTrailer

Image: Courtesy of Lorber Films

“If you're keeping tabs on the recent cinematic reconsideration of 1960s and '70s left-wing terrorism, Wakamatsu’s devastating chronicle of the ultra-violent fringe of Japanese student radicalism is a must-see” (O’Hehir, 2011).

The 190-minute United Red Army starts as a documentary, and accompanied by psych-rock jam from Jim O’Rourke, it summarizes Japanese student movement . After the first hour, the documentary suddenly transforms into a tense thriller. It is probably this part that will be most remembered for its depiction of prolonged “self-criticism” sessions, in which the group violently punishes the supposed heretics.

The final part of URA portrays the infamous Asama-Sanso incident that marked the decline of support for the leftist student movement in Japan.

Reference:
O’Hehir, Andrew. ““United Red Army”: Crazy ’70s radicalism attacks the screen!”.www.salon.com. 1 June 2011.

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Road inspection and surveying at a speed of 130 km/h

Engineering Library — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:57:32 GMT

“Based on preparatory work by Technical University Dresden and imaging solutions from STEMMER IMAGING different measuring mechanisms are on their way on German roads to help to analyse road conditions much faster and more accurate than ever before. The imaging components used for these tasks have proven themselves in industrial applications with comparable tasks for some time now.” Access the pdf from http://www.stemmer-imaging.co.uk/en/applications/application.Street-Inspection

The Engineering Library ZOME Competition!

Engineering Library — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:21:53 GMT

It is time once again to enter the annual Zome Competition sponsored by Fletcher Construction with $2000 in cash prizes. Rules are available from the Front Desk of the Library. Please read them very carefully.

Teams are to comprise of 2-4 people; practice packs will be available at the Library desk from Monday 21st May and you will be able to practise from the 21st May through Inter-semester Break until the week of 11th July. You will need to build your model in one 4 hour session when the Library is open during that week (11th -20th July).

The judging panel will include the Dean and the prizes will be given out by the General Manager of Fletchers, so there will be quite a lot of publicity for the successful winners.

Good for your CV!

Only 20 teams may enter and you need to register early – registration opens on Monday 21st May, 8.30am at the Engineering Library Front Desk. Last year all team places were taken in the first 10 minutes after registration opened!

Goodluck!

Senior lecturer champions children's literacy

Education Information Services — Sun, 13 May 2012 03:49:18 GMT

It was great to see our campus colleague Wayne Mills' hugely successful international project The Kids' Lit Quiz covered in the latest UniNews (3 May 2012). With their kind permission the article is reprinted below:

The University will host the World Kids’ Lit Quiz, a literature competition for children, in July, thanks to Wayne Mills, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education.

The Kids’ Lit Quiz, an annual literature competition for children aged 10 to 13, is the brainchild of Wayne. He established it more than 20 years ago because “I was frustrated that young students were encouraged to compete in sports, science and maths but not reading. I never saw kids being rewarded for reading and I wanted to make it fun, interactive and challenging.”

“This age group is a critical period for young readers. Reading for pleasure can drop off as students get older and are required to do so much directed reading for their studies. If we capture them now then we can set a pattern for the future.”

Mr Mills compiles all the questions and hosts all the national and international quiz events.No quiz is ever the same. Each heat and final has 10 questions in 10 different categories, from visual literature, comics and nursery rhymes to questions on fish, folktales and royalty.

As quizmaster Mr Mills will probe contestants’ knowledge on anything from The Iliad and The Odyssey to Spongebob Squarepants and the classics. There is no set reading list for the quiz. “As soon as you do this” he says “it becomes a test in disguise and kids love the fact that there are no limits and that it’s a genuine challenge of their literary knowledge.”

Teams from Australia, Canada, China, Scotland, South Africa, the US and New Zealand will compete for the world literacy title at the University’s Owen G Glenn Building on 4 July.

Kids Lit Quiz finalists will be officially welcomed to the University with a pōwhiri on the Tūtahi Tonu marae at The Faculty of Education’s Epsom campus. After competing in the final,teams will travel to Hobbiton in Matamata to see the Lord of the Rings set, visit Rangitoto Island to witness the setting for Maurice Gee’s fantasy adventure Under the Mountain, and watch a presentation of Margaret Mahy’s book, The Great Piratical Rumbustificaton. Popular New Zealand authors Maria Gill, Des Hunt and Stu Duval will also talk with finalists about their books and writing.

Mr Mills was awarded the Margaret Mahy Medal in 2008 for his contribution to children’s literature and literacy. Last year he received the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Education, specifically for his contribution to the Kids’ Lit Quiz.

To enter a team in the New Zealand regional heats and for more information about forthcoming regional heats, the national and world final, visit www.kidslitquiz.com

Assistance for young researchers and academics

Engineering Library — Sun, 13 May 2012 01:59:09 GMT

Biggerbrains, a website from the publisher Elsevier aims to assist: “It’s when existing ideas come together in new ways. Creating an IQ big bang. Giving strength to your ideas and power to your career. Getting you funded, published and networked with the stars in your field. Providing the tipping point you need to get you noticed by your peers, and the world. Welcome to Biggerbrains. Where the ‘DNA of success’ is contributed by the big minds in the research community.” Try it out at http://www.biggerbrains.com/

In Praise of Wild Rumpuses: Maurice Sendak celebrated on Epsom campus

Education Information Services — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:46:58 GMT

On Wednesday when I saw a Facebook friend’s comment “Roaring my terrible roar, gnashing my terrible teeth. r.i.p” , I suspected sadly what must have happened. This reference to Maurice Sendak’s ground-breaking picture book “Where the Wild Things Are” will be known to many. The passing this week of children’s author/illustrator Sendak has caused tributes to flow worldwide. Graham Beattie is keeping an excellent record of these tributes and articles on his blog, including fascinating pictures of unreleased drawings and special mention of Sendak’s early collaboration with his author brother Jack.

On hearing the news of his death, staff at the Sylvia Ashton-Warner Library were quick to put up a display of Sendak’s books and were delighted to see how well-represented his work is in our collections. Do come and browse the display to see both the quality and the volume of Sendak’s work. Only last year we purchased a new title of his, Bumble-Ardy, which was the first book he’d both written and illustrated in the past 30 years.

We would love to hear what Sendak’s work has meant to you.

- Helen O'Carroll

New protocol enables wireless and secure biometric acquisition with web services

Engineering Library — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:13:56 GMT

“Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed and published a new protocol for communicating with biometric sensors over wired and wireless networks—using some of the same technologies that underpin the web. The new protocol, called WS-Biometric Devices (WS-BD), allows desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones to access sensors that capture biometric data such as fingerprints, iris images and face images using web services. Web services themselves are not new; for example, video-on-demand services use web services to stream videos to mobile devices and televisions. The WS-Biometric Devices protocol will greatly simplify setting up and maintaining secure biometric systems for verifying identity because such biometric systems will be easier to assemble with interoperable components compared to current biometrics systems that generally have proprietary device-specific drivers and cables. WS-BD enables interoperability by adding a device-independent web-services layer in the communication protocol between biometric devices and systems.” Read more and access the protocol at http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-05/nios-npe050312.php

Factiva for business information

B&E Information Services — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:35:58 GMT

The Factiva database provides access to the latest world business, industry and company news. Global data is sourced from thousands of sources in 23 languages from 159 countries.

Key titles include The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, The Australian Financial Review, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The Economist, Fortune and Newsweek. Webnews, blogs, images and multimedia sources are also covered.

Make use of the search guide to help you find the information you want.

Howard Carter's 138th birthday

Arts Information Services — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:30:11 GMT

Today marks the 138th anniversary of Howard Carter's (9 May 1874 - 2 March 1939) birthday. The name of the English artist, archaeologist and egyptologist is primarily associated with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamen.

The Oxford Dictionary Of National Biography provides a useful introduction into his life and work beyond this significant event.

Further resources can be found in the Library Catalgue by doing an author search.

The Hottest Research of 2011

Engineering Library — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:30:50 GMT

“Once again, ScienceWatch takes its annual look back at the hottest of recent research. Listed in the adjoining table are the researchers who, according to citations tracked during 2011, recorded the highest numbers of Hot Papers published over the preceding two years. Also listed are the papers published during 2011 (excluding reviews) that were most cited by year’s end.” Read about it at http://sciencewatch.com/newsletter/2012/201203/hottest_research_2012/

The March of Time - new database

Arts Information Services — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:22:52 GMT

The Library now gives access to over 800 short films from the news reel series The March of Time.

Part journalism, part propaganda, the original series was screened in cinemas in the United States and elsewhere from 1935 to 1951. The films blend actual newsreel footage with staged scenes using professional and amateur actors, and in some cases celebrities were persuaded to re-enact events in which they had participated.

The database is searchable on its own, or in combination with additional Alexander Street Press video collections by using History in Video. Various options for browsing facilitate the discovery of the content.

Each film is accompanied by a transcript. Furthermore, it is possible to create and save your own clip, and to share or embed it on a web page.

Team Mobile Eye is in the finals of the 2012 Microsoft Imagine Cup

Engineering Library — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:38:07 GMT

“MobileEye brings the richness of visual information to blind people using commodity camera phones. The solution provides the ability to take guided pictures of your surroundings and “hear” the phone describe it to you. MobileEye uses a mixture of human intelligence (using crowd-sourcing technology) and artificial intelligence to provide vital information about what is being ‘seen’. The solution enables people to complete tasks that were not possible before and helps them be more independent.” Read more about them and their project at http://mobileeye.org/index.html

Public sector saves £28 million through open access publication

Engineering Library — Sun, 06 May 2012 04:54:05 GMT

“Open Access to published scholarly research offers significant benefits to the UK, according to two reports released today by the UK Open Access Implementation Group. The UK public sector already saves £28.6 million by using OA [1]. The reports make it clear that both the public sector and the voluntary sector would see further direct and indirect benefits from increased access to UK higher education research publications. … The UK public sector spends £135 million a year, made up of subscriptions and time spent trying to find articles, accessing the journal papers it needs to perform effectively. Each extra 5% of journal papers accessed via open access on the web would save the public purse £1.7 million, even if no subscription fees were to be saved. [3] … Professor Martin Hall, vice-chancellor at the University of Salford and chair of the OAIG, says, “These findings mark a turning point in the quiet revolution of open access. There are many good reasons for making research available on an open access basis, and the reports are clear that one reason is because open access makes economic sense. The UK Open Access Implementation Group is committed to helping the public, private and academic sectors benefit from UK research and I am proud that these reports further that cause.”” Read more at http://open-access.org.uk/news

Open Access and Archaeology

Arts Information Services — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:39:38 GMT

The president of the Archaeological Institute of America has recently argued against Open Access legislation in the From the President column. The statement primarily refers to the Federal Research Public Access Act 2012.

A response, supporting Open Access, is posted in the Ancient World Bloggers Group.

For a list of Open Access journals in Ancient Studies, see AWOL - The Ancient World Online.

The Science of Speed

Engineering Library — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:39:15 GMT

A unique partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASCAR is the basis for this fun and informative website. The site features twelve episodes created as part of "The Science of Speed," hosted by Diandra Leslie-Pelecky. Each episode features a NASCAR car in a variety of racing and testing situations, and some special guests turn up, such as Jeff Gordon and Michael McDowell. The topics covered here include car safety, drag & drafting, grip, sound, and friction. Each clip is accompanied by racing footage and expert commentary that makes each encounter lively and compelling. This is a great way to pique the interest of those persons who might find certain aspects of physics and related fields a bit inaccessible.

Visitors shouldn't miss the "Firesuits" episode as it explores the world of these very important safety devices. [KMG] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/ Read more at http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/sos/

Powerful True-Life Drama

Audiovisual Library — Thu, 03 May 2012 04:02:00 GMT

Recent Arrivals

The Baader Meinhof Complex Director: Uli Edel (2008) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0223

Watch Trailer

Image: Courtesy of Icon Distribution

Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and Golden Globe, The Baader Meinhof Complex explores the rise and fall of the West German far-left extremist group RAF (Red Army Faction). Also known as the Baader-Meinhof Group, RAF intended to battle the West German establishment, and Western imperialism. Although not well-known internationally, the group remains a subject of enormous interest in Germany especially because of its members' suspicious deaths in prison.

RAF members turned to radicalism as an expression of rage against what they saw as the German government’s Nazi roots, support of dictators and implementation of generic US imperialism. Soon they were joined by an intellectual journalist, Ulrike Meinhof who famously wrote “Setting a car on fire is a criminal offense. Setting a hundred cars on fire is a political act.”

Described as “a rare epic that deserves every minute of its epic length” because of its 150 minutes running time, the film is faithfully adapted by the 1985 nonfiction book by Stefan Aust (LaSalle, 2009).

Reference:
LaSalle, Mick. “Baader Meinhof Complex a true epic”.sfgate.com. 4 Sept. 2009.

Image: Courtesy of Icon Distribution

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

Auckland Writers & Readers Festival 2012

NICAI — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:51:30 GMT

The Auckland Writers & Readers Festival, on from the 9-13 May, includes the following arts related events. Note that all three artists (Colin McCahon, Graham Percy and Dick Frizzell) either studied or worked at the Elam School of Fine Arts.

McCAHON AND THE MICRONAUT
Martin Edmond and Gregory O'Brien will discuss the process involved in writing Dark Night: Walking with McCahon (Edmond, 2011) and A Micronaut in the Wide World: The Imaginative Life and Times of Graham Percy (O'Brien, 2012). Date: Friday 11th May 2012
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Venue: ASB THEATRE, AOTEA CENTRE

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE IMAGE: DICK FRIZZELL
This event is the 'live version' of Frizzell's 2011 book of the same name.
Date: Sunday 13 May 2012
Time: 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Venue: AUCKLAND ART GALLERY AUDITORIUM
References:

Edmond, M. (2011). Dark night : walking with McCahon. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland University Press.
Frizzell, D. (2011). It's all about the image. Auckland, N.Z.: Godwit/Random House New Zealand.
O'Brien, G. (2011). A micronaut in the wide world : the imaginative life and times of Graham Percy. Auckland, N.Z. : Auckland University Press, 2011.

Victoria Passau

Fine Arts Library

IET.tv videos now indexed by Inspec

Engineering Library — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:32:47 GMT

Inspec started indexing videos hosted on IET.tv . There are about 2,000 indexed to date. You can retrieve a list by searching “iet-tv” in “All fields”. http://tv.theiet.org/

Self-sculpting sand

Engineering Library — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:17:51 GMT

“New algorithms could enable heaps of ‘smart sand’ that can assume any shape, allowing spontaneous formation of new tools or duplication of broken mechanical parts.
Imagine that you have a big box of sand in which you bury a tiny model of a footstool. A few seconds later, you reach into the box and pull out a full-size footstool: The sand has assembled itself into a large-scale replica of the model. That may sound like a scene from a Harry Potter novel, but it’s the vision animating a research project at the Distributed Robotics Laboratory (DRL) at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. At the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in May — the world’s premier robotics conference — DRL researchers will present a paper describing algorithms that could enable such “smart sand.” They also describe experiments in which they tested the algorithms on somewhat larger particles — cubes about 10 millimeters to an edge, with rudimentary microprocessors inside and very unusual magnets on four of their sides.” Read more at http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/smart-robotic-sand-0402.html

Acting Chief Executive Designate for MBIE

Science Information Services — Tue, 01 May 2012 03:57:03 GMT

An Acting Chief Executive, David Smol, has been appointed to lead the creation of the new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Mr Smol currently heads the Ministry of Economic Development, one of the units that will become part of the new administration. The new ministry replaces several existing entities, including:

Ministry of Science and Innovation
Department of Building and Housing
Department of Labour
Ministry of Economic Development
Ministry of Consumer Affairs (presently contained within the Ministry of Economic Development)

The new ministry will come into effect on 1 July 2012. Steven Joyce will be the minister responsible.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Engineering Library — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:14:07 GMT

“The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is based in Golden, Colorado and is the "only national laboratory solely dedicated to advancing renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies from concept to commercial application." Another aspect of NREL's work involves the creation of high- quality educational resources for those persons who would like to learn more about renewable energy. Visitors will note that the site contains five primary areas, including Renewable Energy Basics, Using Renewable Energy, and Student Resources. Under Renewable Energy Basics, visitors will find succinct summaries of renewable energy sources that include solar, wind, and biomass power. Moving on, the Using Renewable Energy area includes information designed to help different types of users, including electricity providers, farmers, homeowners, and small business owners. Finally, the Student Resources area includes materials for high school and college students, such as fact sheets on biofuels and comprehensive sites on biomass usage. [KMG] From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2010. http://scout.wisc.edu/” Read more at http://www.nrel.gov/learning/

Beadle's decimal coins

NICAI — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:03:36 GMT

At a time when the University is doing an inventory of its cultural collections, it’s relevant to note that we are also the repository for many fascinating paper archives. One such is The Elam Archive, held at the Fine Arts Library, which contains the papers of Professor Paul Beadle, head of Elam from 1961-1977. Among his papers is a comprehensive collection of newspaper cuttings and correspondence on the debate surrounding the design of New Zealand’s coins, providing both an insight into the design process and the politics of this contentious competition. (Passau, 2012, p.28)

In celebration of Records and Archives Week (RAW), Ingenio has published "Beadle's decimal coins" (p.28) written by Victoria Passau, Client Services Librarian at the Fine Arts Library. This article explores Professor Paul Beadle's involvement in the 1964-1965 decimal coin design competition and can be read here.

Ingenio is The University of Auckland's official alumni magazine and is available in hardcopy and online. The Autumn issue also includes a staff profile of Janet Copsey, University Librarian (pp.24-25)

Reference:

Passau, V. (2012). History: Beadle’s decimal coins. Ingenio (Autumn), 28.

Fine Arts Library

Sultans of Science, an online version of a travelling exhibition

Engineering Library — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:40:04 GMT

“One thousand years ago in ancient desert cities, Islamic scientists discovered the principles of flight, defined the theory of vision, developed trigonometry and the numeral system that we use today, and pioneered techniques in quantitative chemistry. While Europe languished in the Dark Ages, Islamic cities had paved streets with kerosene street lights, and they used advanced methods for town planning and architecture. When these important scientific advances were transferred into Europe, they laid the foundation for the Renaissance. Sultans of Science, an MTE Studios travelling exhibition, brings this remarkable story of achievement to the world. Explore the scope of knowledge presented by this exhibition, showcased by some of the most prestigious museums in the world.” View it at http://www.sultans-of-science.com/

Arab Spring - special section @ Documentary Edge Festival 2012

Arts Information Services — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:17:59 GMT

The Documentary Edge Festival presents 72 films from New Zealand and around the world from 26 April until 13 May 2012. The festival seeks to bring documentaries that:

are thought provoking and challenge the audiences
provide a valuable insight into the topics and issues that confront our society
build bridges of understanding
give a voice to people and communities that are rarely or not heard
are cutting edge and innovative in their genre, style, narrative and delivery and welcome multi-media and experimental documentary films
promote a cinematic experience while at the same time ensuring that the works of emerging, independent and low budget films continue to be celebrated (see the festival's about page).

Six films have been selected for the special section dedicated to the Arab Spring. Director Amal Ramsis explored the meaning of the word "Forbidden" in Egyptian daily life only a few months before Mubrak's regime was overthrown:

Forbidden - Trailer Egyptian Documentary from Achille Coenegracht on Vimeo.

More trailers are available on the festival's Vimeo channel. Films are screening at Events Cinema Newmarket and Auckland Art Gallery, before the festival continues in Wellington from 17 May to 3 June 2012.

Display: Scandal beneath the Clock Tower

Special Collections — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 07:22:45 GMT

The theme for this year’s Records and Archives Week (RAW) is `Scandalous: The evidential value of records and archives’. To mark the occasion, Special Collections has organised a display on the ground floor of the General Library. Scandal beneath the Clock Tower lets you scrutinise key archival evidence relating to two ‘scandalous’ incidents in the history of The University of Auckland: the ‘Beaglehole affair’ in 1932 and the ‘Godfrey case’ in 1966.

At the heart of both is the issue of academic freedom: the right of academic staff and students to question and test received wisdom, to put forward new ideas and to state controversial or unpopular opinions without fear of interference from political or ecclesiastical authorities, or their own university’s administration.

In addition to items from Special Collections, our RAW display includes material from The University of Auckland’s own archives, which are held in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. Thank you to Libby Nichol and Ariel Liu, of the Records Management Programme, for making this possible.

As usual, it was difficult to cover every aspect of the two incidents in the display so if you want to dig deeper, please visit Special Collections where you can examine the files from which we selected the display items and other related material.

Katherine Pawley, Special Collections.

New business resources

B&E Information Services — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 05:49:30 GMT

Check out the April issue of the new business books list, compiled by the Business and Economics Information Services team.

The list showcases new business resources including books, e-books and e-resources. Click on the subject area of interest to you to view new resources. For more information about an item, including where to find it, click on the call number.

The list is a great way for you to keep up-to-date with new business resources in the Library.

Library Workshops in May 2012

IC Bloggers — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 04:53:57 GMT

The world of information is at your fingertips!

We will introduce you to the online research environment, resources and materials available. Come and join us!

Book now, as places fill up fast!

Venue: The Kate Edger Information Commons Building, Level 2, Computer Training Room 231.

Queries to: Learning Services, ext. 83797.

Valuation of plug-in vehicle life-cycle air emissions and oil displacement benefits

Engineering Library — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:15:19 GMT

“ We assess the economic value of life-cycle air emissions and oil consumption from conventional vehicles, hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs), and battery electric vehicles in the US. We find that plug-in vehicles may reduce or increase externality costs relative to grid-independent HEVs, depending largely on greenhouse gas and SO2 emissions produced during vehicle charging and battery manufacturing. However, even if future marginal damages from emissions of battery and electricity production drop dramatically, the damage reduction potential of plug-in vehicles remains small compared to ownership cost. As such, to offer a socially efficient approach to emissions and oil consumption reduction, lifetime cost of plug-in vehicles must be competitive with HEVs. Current subsidies intended to encourage sales of plug-in vehicles with large capacity battery packs exceed our externality estimates considerably, and taxes that optimally correct for externality damages would not close the gap in ownership cost. In contrast, HEVs and PHEVs with small battery packs reduce externality damages at low (or no) additional cost over their lifetime. Although large battery packs allow vehicles to travel longer distances using electricity instead of gasoline, large packs are more expensive, heavier, and more emissions intensive to produce, with lower utilization factors, greater charging infrastructure requirements, and life-cycle implications that are more sensitive to uncertain, time-sensitive, and location-specific factors. To reduce air emission and oil dependency impacts from passenger vehicles, strategies to promote adoption of HEVs and PHEVs with small battery packs offer more social benefits per dollar spent.” Read more at http://www.cmu.edu/me/ddl/publications/2011-PNAS-Michalek-etal-PHEV-Valuation.pdf

British Standards Online database

Engineering Library — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:14:51 GMT

The Library has a new database – British Standards Online. It is very easy to use and you can print or download a copy of the standard. It is a great addition to our online resources and will make life a lot easier for those who use British standards. You can access it from the A-Z list of databases now and we will be adding it to our engineering subject guide pages shortly.

Take a look at it here:

http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/databases/learn_database/public.asp?record=BriStaOnl Type the number or keyword of the one you require in the search box and click on Open document

Auckland Writers & Readers Festival coming soon!

Arts Information Services — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:09:18 GMT

In less than two weeks New Zealand's largest literary festival will turn Auckland again into a vibrant meeting point for acclaimed writers, readers and thinkers. The festival runs from Wednesday 9 May to Sunday 13 May 2012 with events taking place at several locations.

Getting prepared:

Access the festival programme electronically.
Make the planning of your visit easy with the free festival iPhone app.
Secure your tickets - earlybird rates are available until 9.00am Wednesday 9 May 2012.
Check the Library's New Zealand Literature File for an update on a specific writer.

Is Nabokov in Vogue?

Arts Information Services — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:52:24 GMT

Did you know...Literature is nothing we would typically associate with the Vogue brand today, but early issues of the US edition of the Vogue magazine regularly featured book reviews, original short stories, poetry and prose.

Vogue also published interviews with popular authors of the day such as the 1966 biographical review of Vladimir Nabokov. The piece was accompanied by iconic personal portraiture shot by photographer Irving Penn and the interviewer was herself an author and screenwriter, Penelope Gilliatt. Search the Vogue Archive to find more primary source material relevant to Nabokov or other writers.

The resources featured on Literature Online's author page for Nabokov are useful to students and researchers who require an introduction into Nabokov's work and life. It is also recommeded to check out the collections of works by and works about Nabokov in the Library Catalogue.

Make Love, Not War

Audiovisual Library — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 05:59:13 GMT

Recent Arrivals

The Names of Love Director: Michel Leclerc (2010) Call Number: DVD-V LD12-0128

Watch Trailer

Image: Courtesy of Music Box Films

Meet Baya Benmahmoud: “No one else in France has that name.” Baya is this tongue-in-cheek film’s protagonist. She lives by the classic motto: "Make love, not war." She sleeps with her political enemies (every conservative) to convert them into liberals.

When she meets Arthur Martin – just one of 15,207 men in France with that name – she doesn’t expect to fall in love with him. Actually, he is not even a ‘fascist’ but a Jospiniste: “as rare as a mandarin duck in the Ile de Ré” says Former French Prime Minister and Socialist candidate for president Lionel Jospin in his cameo.

Sara Forestier was awarded the best actress César award for her exceptional performance in this film. “It's all put across with such energy and good spirits that it feels brand new. If you don't enjoy this one, you don't like fun” (Covert, 2011).

Reference:
Covert, Colin. “The Names of Love”.startribunecom. 25 Aug. 2011.

Image: Courtesy of Music Box Films

Vulcan Demirkan-Martin
Audiovisual Library

3D-Printer with Nano-Precision

Engineering Library — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:20:44 GMT

“Ultra-high-resolution 3D Printer Breaks Speed-Records at Vienna University of Technology. Printing three dimensional objects with incredibly fine details is now possible using “two-photon lithography”. With this technology, tiny structures on a nanometer scale can be fabricated. Researchers at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) have now made a major breakthrough in speeding up this printing technique: The high-precision-3D-printer at TU Vienna is orders of magnitude faster than similar devices (see video). This opens up completely new areas of application, such as in medicine.” Read more and see the images and video at http://www.tuwien.ac.at/en/news/news_detail/article/7444/

Environmentally-friendly cleaning and washing

Engineering Library — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:20:19 GMT

“More and more everyday products are based on renewable resources, with household cleaners now containing active cleaning substances (surfactants) made from plant oils and sugar. These fat and dirt removers are especially environmentally friendly and effective when produced using biotechnology, with the aid of fungi and bacteria.” Read more at http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2012/march/environmentally-friendly-cleaning-and-washing.html