In the Know @ the Bentley Library

As we wrap up this unprecedented semester and prepare for finals, we wanted to share some library news and reminders with you before summer break.

It has now been five weeks since we have been told to “stay home” and we are sure you are all going just a bit stir crazy these days. Under normal circumstances, we would be looking to our cultural institutions to help us get out of our doldrums and explore without having to leave Massachusetts. We are lucky enough at Bentley Library to be able to offer access to world-class institutions throughout the state and being stuck at home has not changed that! Here is a look at what museums are doing to stay connected and stay vibrant in a virtual world:

Click to browse Staff Picks on OverDrive

One of the questions librarians hear a lot is, “What should I read next?” We all read book reviews but know that our best advice happens when we actually have read the book from cover to cover. I put the call out and the Library Staff responded with the following recommendations from our Overdrive Collection.

The library building may be closed but Research Guides are open for business. Our 87 research guides were viewed 9,541 times in the last 30 days.

Most popular 10 guides by views:

We've been lavished with rich lists of e-books and suggestions for online reading from every corner in recent weeks--it's heavenly, and our virtual bookshelves are bursting. Who knew so many libraries had so much to offer? Where to begin?

But, we are human. Like the sayings go, "So many books, so little time" and the "eyes are bigger than the stomach."

Nancy Pearl rule of 50

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) started life more than 150 years ago. That is staying power!

The OED is a source for investigating the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000 words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world.

At a time when most academic work is moving online, it is important to ensure that quality research and resources are digitally available to the global scholarly community. To that end, the Bentley Library would like to remind faculty members that Scholars @ Bentley, the university’s institutional repository, is available to those who wish to share their work in an open-access, searchable database.

Libraries across America are caring for their patrons in so many ways. We are still very much a part of teaching, learning, scholarship and service during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are just doing it remotely. Bentley librarians are providing research instruction to classes through Zoom, answering reference questions via chat, email and text services, and having virtual meetings with students and faculty.

Have you ever considered researching your family's history, but didn't know where to get started? Fortunately, we have a comprehensive Genealogy Research Guide to help you begin your research journey! Whether you're a novice researcher or seasoned genealogist, you will be sure to find useful links and tips to trace your heritage.

Key databases:

Best's Library Center provides in-depth reports and analysis for United States, Canadian and international insurers, reinsurers, and groups.