On February 2nd, Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Mary Mitchell will be coming to MVCC’s campus. You can visit her homepage on the Sun-Times’ Web site here.

IMSA’s Internet Search Wizard is a cool way to help students (or anyone) understand what a Google advanced search query looks like.

Features include common advanced search parameters with mouse-over explanations of what each parameter does and when you might use it, links to expanded explanations of search tips and recommended MicroModules for deep dives into concepts, and a visual display of your custom search query. As you type in the advanced search boxes, the actual Google search formula is being created before your eyes! (From Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, 21st Century Information Fluency Project Portal website.)

The library has added CQ Researcher to its database holdings.

From the CQ Researcher About section: “Founded in 1923 as Editorial Research Reports, The CQ Researcher is the choice of researchers seeking original, comprehensive reporting and analysis on issues in the news. Published in print and online 44 times a year, the single-themed CQ Researcher report offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of political and social issues, with regular reports on topics in health, international affairs, education, the environment, technology and the U.S. economy.

Each 12,000-word CQ Researcher report is a unique work, investigated and written by a seasoned journalist. It can be read in its entirety or by section, which include a background and chronology; an assessment of the current situation; tables and maps; pro/con statements from representatives of opposing positions; and bibliographies of key sources.

Published by CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quarterly Inc., The CQ Researcher is used by librarians and researchers at thousands of university, public, and school libraries as well as by many leading media organizations.The CQ Researcher was recipient of the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Journalism Excellence in 1999 for a 10-part series on health care and the American Bar Association’s 2002 Silver Gavel Award for a nine-part series on liberty and justice issues.”

“TOXMAP is a web site from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) that uses EPA data maps and of the United States to show the amount and location of toxic chemicals released into the environment.

TOXMAP helps users create nationwide or local area maps showing where chemicals are released into the air, water, and ground. It also identifies the releasing facilities, color-codes release amounts for a single year, and provides multi-year chemical release trends, starting with 1987. Users can search the system by chemical name, chemical name fragment, and/or location (such as city, state, or zip code).

NLM has an extensive collection of toxicology and environmental health references (TOXLINE?), as well as a rich resource of data on hazardous chemical substances (HSDB?) in the TOXNET databases. These resources are easily linked to/from the TOXMAP search results.” (From NLM’s TOXMAP Fact Sheet)

Secret History of the Credit Card: “Companion to a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) program in which Frontline and The New York Times “join forces to investigate an industry few Americans fully understand. … [C]orrespondent Lowell Bergman uncovers the techniques used by the industry to
earn record profits and get consumers to take on more debt.” The site features the full program, interviews, facts for credit card users, and related articles. Also includes a teacher’s guide” (citation from LII.org)

World AIDS DAY: Information about World AIDS day and HIV/AIDS. This might be useful for students who are topic shopping.

US Productivity Growth, 1995-2000, Section VI: Retrail Trad: A report by the McKinsey Global Institute, October 2001. Discussing growth at the end of the 20th century and notes that IT was just one cause of economic growth. Retail trade (from places like Wal-mart/Walmart) contributed as well.

Wal-Mart : a history of Sam Walton’s retail phenomenon: Book in the MVCC Library that covers 1962-1992.

Walmart Class Web site: An interesting site seeking women for a class action suit against Walmart.

EVERYDAY LOW WAGES: THE HIDDEN PRICE WE ALL PAY FOR WAL-MART: “A Report by the Democratic Staff of the Committee on Educaiton and the Workforce U.S. House of Representatives, February 16, 2004.”