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Laissez les bon temps rouler

"Laissez les bons temps rouler!"

Waking this morning, we quickly discovered that something new was on the horizon… land!  And not just on the horizon either; literally to our port and starboard sides.  We’re now in the heart of the Mississippi River and in a few short hours we’ll be docked near the French Quarter of New Orleans.  In preparation for their time in NOLA, cadets have been given port guides and maps of the area, recommending the “must sees” and the “must avoids” of the area.  Luckily, the latter is only a couple of points long.  I’ve been trying to teach some cadets the foreign language that Creole and Cajun cultures have introduced to the area (even an urban one), including:

Where y’at – How are you doing, answered with “Aw-rite”

Fais-do-do – A Cajun dance party

Beignet – The most delicious fried doughnut (liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar) you’ll ever have Vieux Carré – Another term for the French Quarter Laissez les bons temps rouler – Let the good times roll!

We’ll see how much of it sticks in a couple of days…

In the meantime, we’ll be heading ashore soon with ample access to cell service and wifi; however, the shipboard connection continues to suffer from serious downtime.  Please be patient with your cadets who are just as frustrated that they do not

have the instantaneous email service enjoyed at home.  I’ll be back after departure from New Orleans, with more to share on our experiences in the Big Easy.   Au revoir, mes amis!

Rollin’ down the river,

Books

The Leeward Rail

"The Leeward Rail"

Judging by the title of today’s blog, you might think that cadets are feeling a bit green with mal de mer.  Not the case!  Today on my way to lunch, I decided to take the long way up top to Boat Deck when what to my wondering eyes should appear but dozens of cadets with their phones to their ears!  Yes, indeed; we’re within cell phone service (mostly).  Good thing too, since our delayed email system has been getting cadets antsy for news from home.  (Don’t worry if you haven’t gotten an email back from your cadet yet – the delays seem to be unpredictable but eventually everything gets through!)

Cadets have wasted no time in all getting in synch with their class schedule and the arrival of Q’s.  Q’s – or quizzes – test each cadet on a specific area of knowledge.  Some Q’s might cover firefighting, or fastboat rescue, or perhaps shipboard lines and equipment.  Gleaning from their coursework, notes, library books, and asking the mates about their topics, students are finding in-depth answers to every real-life question such as….

--What two things would you normally secure in the event of a fire?

--What types of portables are found on this ship and where are they located?

--Name and explain the various methods by which fire spreads.

Things are starting to heat up here, and not just with classwork.  The further south we go the harder the goodship TSES needs to work to keep our climate controlled at a comfortable temperature.  The library is leading the unofficial “Coolest Spots on the TSES” poll at the moment, at a barely balmy 81°F.

Today’s shout out comes from Cadet Noah Collins, who would like to say hi to Grandma Bobbie: “I love you!” he says.

Until next time,

Books

May 17/18: School Days, School Days

(From Ship's Librarian, May 18th, 2013)
It’s been a flurry of activity during the past day, and to make matters just a touch complicated, email has been down due to planned power maintenance ashore.  Never fear, dear readers; all is well aboard the hearty TSES!  Yesterday, classes started and just like on the first day of school on land, cadets were rushing to find their classrooms, to get from “class a” to “class b” in time, and still have time to fit in dinner between their first bouts with homework.  Just think of trying to find your own classroom on the first day of college, except then imagine it’s on a rocking and rolling ship!  The library even has a classroom now.  Today’s topic?  Knot tying!  Even the best modern technology can’t replace a good bowline, square knot, or half hitch.

Some cadets were in their “work parties,” (which sounds much more fun than it probably is) yesterday too.  Cadet Archie Williams reports that “Any day working with a plasma torch is an awesome day,” which is a great attitude to have for repairing tools and metal in supply rooms, all the while trying not to light one’s shoes on fire.  “Metal, brawn, and a plasma torch” – inspirational words to live by.  Thanks, Archie!

On top of classwork, yesterday we ran a very successful fire drill.  It took barely any time at all for cadets, crew, and officers to muster (meet) at their assigned stations once the alarm sounded, and luckily for all it was a breezy, warm day at sea. No sign of dolphins, turtles, or other sea creatures just yet, but hopes are high that some might surface once we get further south past Florida.  

As for working out, the students’ Insanity group has added a P90X routine, and good thing to judging by the desserts that are coming out of the galley.  We officers have likewise started our routine just in the nick of time.  I’d like to think everyone’s just preparing their stomachs for the delicious cuisine to come in Louisiana.

Speaking of Louisiana, if you’re inclined to send a letter or postcard (no packages, please!) to your favorite cadet, crew, or officer, please send it to: 
Name (i.e., Cadet John/Jane Doe)
TS EMPIRE STATE 
c/o Inchcape Shipping Service
2450 Severn Avenue
Ste 108
Metairie, LA 70001

Until next time,
Books

SST 2013 - NOLA Bound

Well, we're mostly underway now heading south for Louisiana, by way of running a few circles in the Atlantic and practicing a few drills. Classes officially start tomorrow for the cadets, and since we've departed they've done an excellent job settling in with their work groups. I'd like to give a special shout out to Cadet Thomas Sippel from Rochester NY for his and his engineer team's work helping to get the library up and running with the ship's server!

The library is now all unpacked, and dozens of your cadets have already filtered in. The weather has been windy, but warm, and I'm sure they're enjoying their time on the sundeck. When not about the ship, cadets have started their work out regimen including - encored from 2012 SST - Insanity. Better known as the most intense cardio aerobic program known to man, cadets have been spending upwards of 50 minutes outside of the library in one of their lounges doing push ups, sit ups, high knees, and more purely for the purpose of personal wellness. Maybe it's time for some officer/crew to get our own Insanity team together... hmm...

Oh! And for those of you who may be wondering about my sign-off yesterday with "Books," here's the story. Last summer I was having a conversation with a fellow officer of mine, and he told me this great story about nicknames on ship: popular ship culture has it that (back in the day), the radarman would be "Sparks," the chef "Cookie," and the librarian... "Books"! And the name kind of stuck since then; it's also a lot easier for the cadets to remember.

Until next time,
Books

SST 2013 - Welcome from your Ship's Librarian

Hello and ahoy from the goodship, EMPIRE STATE VI! It is my pleasure to be your ship’s librarian again this summer, encoring my position from the second half of 2012 SST. After a rigorous send off from Throgg’s Neck (thank you to all who came out to say farewell!), we headed south and out to our current point off of Montauk where we’ve been completing some drills in preparation of our journey south. Everyone is in high spirits and eager to ask questions about life aboard the ship. I’ve gotten everything from “Do you know where the Ship’s Store is?” to “I hear you have a copy of the Hunger Games trilogy!” and “What movie is on for tonight?” Besides drills, cadets have jumped right into classes and are starting to “learn the ropes” of life aboard ship before seriously getting underway.

As for some of the niceties aboard, the weather has been windy and meals filling. Parents and loved ones, don’t worry about not getting that email from your cadet just yet – the email server has been a bit cranky since departure but is sure to find a remedy soon. We have our course set to arrive in New Orleans in just about 10 days, so please be patient – there’s a lot happening aboard before then! Stay tuned to the library blog for all of the updates.

Until next time, fair winds and following seas!

Yours,
Liz (aka Books)

Library Extends Hours During Finals Week

From Monday, April 29, through Thursday, May 2, the Library will hold extended hours from 0830 to 2300 to provide a quiet place to study, work on group projects, and access resources needed to study for exams and complete final projects. A librarian will be on duty to assist with information research and access to course reserve materials.

The Stephen B. Luce Library wishes everyone good luck and best of results on your final exams!

2013 Stephen B. Luce Library Research Award

The Stephen B. Luce Library is pleased to announce that it is now accepting applications for the 2013 Library Research Award, an Amazon Kindle Fire HD!

Eligibility:

Undergraduate students who have graduated in January 2013 or will graduate in May 2013.

The following items must be in your application package for consideration:

• 1A cover letter explaining how your paper utilized library research.  Cover letters will explain what class the paper was written for and when it was written.
• 2A research paper written during your career as an undergraduate at Maritime College.   

Judging:

          Papers will be reviewed by the Library Research Award Committee.  Winning papers will demonstrate library research through the use of databases, scholarly articles, print/electronic books, archival materials and other sources.  In addition, judging will consider proper citation and writing.

Winner:

           The winning entry will be announced prior to 2013 graduation.  Applications must be  submitted either in hardcopy at the Library’s Information Desk or via email to library@sunymaritime.edu no later than Friday April 27, 2013. 

Women’s History Month 2013

In celebration of Women’s History month, the Stephen B. Luce Library honors the first women at SUNY Maritime College and pioneering women in the fields of maritime history, society, and industry with an exhibit of books, photographs, and a digital display.

The virtual exhibit can be viewed from the library’s web portal http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/exhibitseafaringwomen2013.htm, including:

· An online slideshow presentation on women in maritime history and the origins of Women’s History Month http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/WomenHistShow.htm), featuring information on prominent figures as Captain Joy Bright Hancock, Representative Edith Nourse Rogers, Tracy Edwards, and Linda Greenlaw.

· Recommended readings from the Library’s collection. http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/pdfs/Women-History-Bibliography-2008.pdf

· Additional resources on the first female graduates, faculty, and administrators of Maritime College.

The physical exhibit will be on display in the Library’s foyer area featuring archival photographs, reading materials, a digital presentation, and a tribute to the Lillian C. Liburdi Borrone Special Collection.

Library Lecture Series Presents Kevin McCarey, '67, and "Islands Under Fire"

The Stephen B. Luce Library invites you to a guest lecture on…

The Improbable Quest to Save the Corals of Puerto Rico

Islands Under Fire

With Author & Filmmaker Kevin McCarey, Class of ‘67

On Thursday, March 21, 2013 @ 1500, Stephen B. Luce Library

Library Lecture Series: Navigate Your Course @Your Library

A portrait of an often overlooked part of America—Puerto Rico and the Spanish Virgin Islands—this is the little-known story of how the U.S. government, in particular the Navy, almost destroyed a pristine coral reef to provide a target for gunners. The author’s true, and humorous, account of his role in the sometimes bizarre tale reveals how locals, politicos, and mariners came together to save a coral reef from certain destruction, and how the need to protect the fragile marine environment can bring meaning and direction to anyone’s life, young or old.

“In every phase of this fast moving, inspiring story, McCarey gleans his life's most essential moments, both hurtful and hilarious, nourishing himself for his next improbable adventure. Islands Under Fire is a new kind of narrative: part “Liar’s Club” and part “Lonely Planet”, bundled into one terrific book.”
David Hamlin, executive producer, National Geographic Television

"This memoir, part travelogue and part natural history, is rich with humor, misadventure, and triumph. McCarey's writing is a pleasure, his penchant for simile and skill with dialogue particular delights. . . . [This] is an engrossing and joyful trip." —Publishers Weekly,

For more information:

http://www.amazon.com/Islands-Under-Fire-Improbable-Corals/dp/0982694083)

http://www.kevinmccarey.com/books.html

About the Author

Kevin McCarey is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker whose films have been shown on the National Geographic Channel, PBS, NBC and the Turner Networks.  He is also a published author and aspiring playwright.  Raised in New York's Hudson Valley, Kevin McCarey attended SUNY Maritime College, graduating with a BS in Marine Science and a merchant marine deck officer's license. During the Vietnam War, he served as Third Officer aboard merchant ships carrying "booze and bombs" to the war zone. Later, McCarey took a job as boat captain of a research vessel in Puerto Rico. There he took part in the efforts to stop the bombing of Culebra, an adventure documented in his book, Islands Under Fire: the Improbable Quest to Save the Corals of Puerto Rico.  This led to work as an oceanographer on a variety of expeditions from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific.

On returning to SUNY Maritime….

“I really look forward to it.  I haven’t been back to the Fort since our class reunion in the ‘90s.  But this time, I’ll have the opportunity to meet the new generation of Domers.  They have so many wonderful career options today – and yet so many difficult challenges ahead.  I wish I could live long enough to read their books.” (Kevin McCarey’s interview in the Fort Schuyler Mariner, Fall 2012 issue)

For more information :

http://www.kevinmccarey.com/biography.html

Stephen B. Luce Library Celebrates Black History Month

In celebration of Black History Month, the Stephen B. Luce Library honors notable African Americans in maritime history, culture, and industry with an exhibit from the Institutional Archives, Circulating Collection, and a digital display.

The virtual exhibit on the library’s web portal includes:

• A slideshow presentation on African Americans in maritime history, which features information on the first African Americans to graduate from Maritime College
• Recommended readings from our collection
• Online resources for research on African Americans and maritime perspectives, including links from the Library of Congress and the American Merchant Marine at War

An exhibit of archival collections will be on display throughout February in the Library’s foyer area:

• A display case featuring archival photographs, yearbooks, and biographical information on notable African American Maritime College alums, Carl Frederick Burnett and Walter Womack Branford. 
• Photograph display highlighting an exchange program with Liberia in 1961, during which four Liberian students were sponsored by the African American Institute to attend Maritime College and study Marine Transportation.
• A selection of books from our Circulating Collection featuring prominent African Americans in maritime and military history.

The photos on display give a glimpse into the global perspectives of Black History Month.

Librarian Kimmy Szeto, Accomplished Musician

The Library is very excited to highlight a musical event featuring the world premiere of the chamber ensemble arrangement for Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, "Rhenish," by Cataloging and Metadata Librarian Kimmy Szeto. The concert will take on Saturday, February 23, 2013, at 7:30 PM at DiMenna Center, 450 West 37th Street, New York. On the same program will be works by prominent composers Georg Friedrich Haas and Aureliano Cattaneo, the 2013 grand prize winner and runner-up of the State of Salzburg Music Competition.

For details of this event, visit the Argento Chamber Ensemble website, http://www.argentomusic.org/current.html#feb23.

Librarians Present at METRO New York Library Council Annual Conference

Librarians Elizabeth Berilla, Kimmy Szeto, and Joseph Williams took distinction in presenting a well-attended project briefing entitled “Three Books to the Wind: Reflections of Three Ship Librarians aboard the EMPIRE STATE VI.”  Their summary of experiences and challenges highlight the services of Elizabeth, Kimmy, and Joe as the ship’s librarians in 2010 and 2012, including print, digital, and popular services offered by the library underway.  Congratulations on a successful presentation!

The Librarians of the Stephen B. Luce Library are pleased to have attended the METRO New York Library Council Annual Conference on January 15, 2013.  The Conference, which was rescheduled from October 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy, challenged librarians, museum curators, communications professionals, and archivists to consider challenges to collections during a time of great transition, digitization, and collaboration amongst organizations.  Maritime College joined presenters from institutions such as Brooklyn College, New York University, Columbia University, New York City Department of Education, Wildlife Conservation Society, New York Botanical Gardens, Brooklyn Public Library, Archivists Roundtable, and the New York Philharmonic.

Mapping the Future of the Academic Library

Congratulations to Library Director and Department Chair, Constantia Constantinou, for her role in the roundtable discussion on the future of academic libraries, roles of librarians, and the library as a physical and virtual space.  Ms. Constantinou represented Maritime College at the meeting, which was attended by representatives from Columbia University, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Polytechnic Institute of NYU, the American Museum of Natural History, the Jewish Theological Seminary, the New York Botanical Garden, and St. John's University.

This discussion was part of a larger research project on mapping the future of the academic library by the Gensler Firm. Copies of the rountable report are available in the Stephen B. Luce Library upon request.

Season's Greetings!

The Stephen B. Luce Library, Archives, and Special Collections wish one and all a very happy holiday season, and a healthy New Year!  Please enjoy this exhibit of seasonal photographs and resources from the Institutional Archives of Maritime College.

http://www.sunymaritime.edu/stephenblucelibrary/holiday2012.htm

Please visit the collection, which will be on display in the Library throughout the month of December.

Library Extends Hours During Finals Week

As a service to Maritime College students during finals week, the Stephen B. Luce Library will offer extended hours from Monday, December 10 through Thursday, December 13. 

The library will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily so that students may come for a quiet place to study, work on group projects, and access resources needed to study for exams and complete final projects. A librarian will be on duty to assist with information research and access to course reserve materials.

The Stephen B. Luce Library wishes everyone good luck and best of results in your final exams!

Joseph Williams published in "Serials Librarian"

Congratulations go out to librarian Joseph Williams (Head of Technical Services and Acquisitions) for his new article, “At Sea: Reclaiming a Serials Collection at a Small Specialized Library,” published in the Serials Librarian, 63:3-4, pp. 359-369.

 

Mr. Williams’s article describes a multi-year project in which the Stephen B. Luce Library worked to restore and optimize its print serial holdings for preservation and access. After a review of the literature the article focuses on project work flow, preservation, bibliographic control, and the criteria for decision-making processes among the librarians to determine appropriate titles to keep or discard. Provided are data collected on titles, some statistics, and tentative future plans to augment access and digitize holdings.   

Print copies of the article are available at the library.  Congratulations, Joe!

Art Exhibition @The Stephen B. Luce Library

Sailing Away to Paint the Sea:

An Art Exhibition

by Vittoria Chierici

part of the

Library Lecture Series

Navigate Your Course @Your Library

Exhibit will be on display in the Library through November 4th

“Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends

and the orange tint begins?” – Herman Melville

During her journey aboard the Polish tramp steamer, Isolda, Italian artist Vittoria Chierici captured the movement and rage of the sea creating over 40 small paintings.  Ms. Chierici was inspired by the sometimes rough waters of the British Channel, Atlantic Ocean, and the St. Lawrence River.  On sunny days during the crossing she attempted to imitate the colors of the sea, capturing the many hues of cobalt blue that the sea possesses while seated at a small fixed table at the stern thought of by the artist as, “il tavolo del pirata.”  It was these attempts at simultaneous imitation and expression of feeling that were the main concept developed in Ms. Chierici’s New York studio upon her return from sea.

About the Artist:  Vittoria Chierici is a world renowned international painter and filmmaker from Bologna, Italy. She currently works in New York where she has a studio.  In the late ‘90s, Chierici began to work on a new mixed media project on the historical subject of The Battle of Anghiari, based on a lost mural by Leonardo Da Vinci. A large painting of the same subject, “Anghiari Verde”, is also permanently exhibited at New York University’s Humanities Initiative.  Paintings and video installations by Vittoria Chierici have been shown in galleries and museums in Italy and abroad.  She is represented by the art gallery Lucie Fontaine, Milano.  Further information about the artist can be found at www.vittoria-chierici.com and http://sailingawaytopaintthesea.wordpress.com. 

Ms. Chierici can be contacted at vivawitt7@gmail.com
Library@sunymaritime.edu