Masland Library Blog

In the library this summer we waited breathlessly for a piece of art to be displayed. Maintenance came and prepped the walls, and we waited...finally while I was away on vacation it came. The piece is dramatic and huge measuring near 10 feet by 5 feet. It wasn't what I had expected, and from the vantage point of my desk it was quite distracting for the first week, a random blur of skin tones and black. Eventually it stopped being seen from the corner of my eye, making me look for a student or faculty member awaiting my assistance.

I believe the first time I saw the art work that my response was "Oh my". I wasn't sure what to do with it, it didn't fit in my protestant frame of reference. Religious art with Christ on the cross just wasn't part of my religious life. Luckily as my father was Catholic I knew how the Catholic and Orthodox traditions used religious art as part of their worship, but still it struck me as misplaced. And as a Librarian I do not deal well with misplaced items, they must be fixed or organized into something that I can process. After the piece had been up for about a month, I went to a friend's wedding, which was to be held at an Orthodox church. This in itself was a first for me, I have been to Catholic weddings, but never an Orthodox one. The art (icons) were everywhere as was the scent of incense; there was an atmosphere of worship and hushedness about the place. Now I am a very old-fashioned person, I love old churches where the pews are hard and the architecture of the church focuses your attention upward, and this Orthodox church did center your attention upward.

With our new artwork, I had to try and really view contemporary Christian art, not Thomas Kincaid or the Footsteps prints available at national Christian bookstores, but art that is a throw back to the classical masters. It makes you think, it strikes a cord with whatever experiences you have had; and it isn't safe.

Please join us on Friday after chapel to meet and chat with the artist of the Library's piece "One Body, One Church". Peter Jelinek will be in the Library lobby from 11 am to 12 pm for questions and dialogue. Stop by, drink some coffee and experience art.

~LAS

A couple of wonderful articles from Relevant Magazine on Art.

Art isn't suppose to be safe by Cole NeSmith. http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/features/23211-art-isnt-supposed-to-be-safe

Why Art should matter to Christians by Melissa Kircher http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worship/features/22942-why-art-should-matter-to-christians

Each Fall Philadelphia Biblical University presents a Worldview Conference (this year it is October 30, 2010). It’s an inspiring time of learning and fellowship. This year’s exciting topic is about the intersection between commerce, politics and society from the Biblical standpoint. One of pre- readings was Andrew Carnegie’s “Gospel of Wealth” essay. It is a fascinating topic; I would recommend it to anyone wanting to understand the philosophy of philanthropy. The library also has a display dealing with the topics presented at the conference. Such topics include moral relativism, food, theology, commercial integrity, and situational ethics.

Check out the library catalog (http://library.pbu.edu) for more information on these subjects. The display is only a taste of the many books we have on ethics and business. Think of the worldview conference as the beginning of your expedition into studying these topics for pleasure. The conference is a chance to see, hear and meet people in the business world and academia. I don’t know about you, but I plan to be there to listen and learn.

Check out the website www.pbu.edu/worldview for more information.

~Alice

With midterms quickly approaching, you almost certainly have some sort of research paper due. Chances are, you’re procrastinating, freaking out, or both. But what if something could be done to change your approach to writing papers? What if researching the exegetical gobbledygook of blah blah blah could actually be an ADVENTURE?! What if you didn’t have to wake up at 3 AM the night before a paper is due with no resources because the library isn’t open?

“Impossible!” you scoff. “Nobody ever likes research! It’s torture, designed by professors to steal our free time and keep us off Facebook and online TV! It’s time-consuming, it’s boring, and you have to sift through tons of stuff you don’t need!” Well, my friends, allow me to introduce you to…

THE MASLAND LIBRARY DATABASES!!!!!

Imagine this situation. It’s six hours before your paper on the effects of television on cognitive development is due for an 8 AM class. The library is closed, and you’re not allowed to use Wikipedia (duh). How do you do your research? (Note: You should have done it earlier, but we’re waaay past that now.) Simple. Go to http://library.pbu.edu/ and click on the second tab (the one that says “online databases”). There are lots and lots of these (over 70). A lot of students prefer EbscoHost databases, but believe me, all of them are fantastic. Current students of Philadelphia Biblical University can go to specific databases for specific subjects (e.g. psychology, music, Old Testament), or you can just use one of the general databases. You can search through thousands upon thousands of subjects, it’s very easy to narrow down exactly what you’re looking for, and it’s legitimate research. You want to find something on peanut butter allergies in seventh grade boys with blond hair? Chances are it’s in there somewhere. Lots of them will even cite themselves so you don’t have to figure out how to cite an article in a particular format at 4 am in the morning. Convenient, huh?

Now, you don’t have to slack off on your homework in order to use the databases! They’re even more useful when you prioritize your time and do diligent, thorough research. Some databases, including EbscoHost, will allow you to email PDF and HTML versions of articles to yourself so you can keep them and look over them without having to search again or print them out. The databases are accessible anywhere, so you don’t even have to get up in order to do your research.

Well, that’s about it, folks. The secret is out. Research papers just got easier for everyone. If you want to know more about the databases, just ask a library student worker (or a Librarian)! We all know how they work, and we’d be thrilled to help out!