Book of the Day – JCCC Billington Library

Interested in a veterinary career? This book will help

sweet cat, bro

Test prep books are, pretty obviously, useful for people gearing up for the appropriate test. However, many people find them useful well before then!

Take, for example, the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE). This week’s book, Master the VTNE, was made to prepare you for the big exam all Vet Techs will have to pass, but anyone with an interest in a veterinary career, or perhaps interested in the differences between being a Vet Tech and a Veterinarian, might find this informative. Who knows, maybe it will persuade them to get on the track that will eventually lead them to this test!

We have plenty of test preparation resources, from nursing to dentistry, to GRE exams; some books, some digital (like Learning Express Library). If you’re interested in any of these careers or exams, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Using tech in the classroom effectively

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking Twitter or robot arms: there’s a way to use technology appropriately, and way to really screw it up. You want to have engaging communication between professors and students, but no one want to get overloaded, or have communications turn into a Kardashian-esque spam/gossip/lulz fest.

Or even worse, accidentally make Skynet.

Today’s book discusses ways to use social media and emerging technologies effectively in the classroom, creating meaningful uses and relationships when sharing information and taking full advantage. The Professor’s Guide to Taming Technology focuses on the technologies, the different learner groups (generational, etc.), and what technologies may develop in the future. It’s recommended for professors looking to incorporate emerging media into their classes. It is also useful for students who may be a little behind on the tech side, but might want to find out what may be coming soon to their classrooms.

Today’s book could’ve been called, “Watch the Throne”

Sociologists study the weirdest things, and this collection of research follows the awkward politics of bathroom behavior. User anxiety, eye contact, waiting in line: so many things from interaction to gender segregation are governed by unspoken social agreements. Editors Harvey Molotch and Laura Noren compile research and essays evaluating what rules exist, what happens when they’re broken, and why they were even there in the first place.

Toilet: Public Restrooms and the Politics of Sharing is great for people interested in sociology, psychology, or people who loathe using public restrooms.

Round 2 with Millennials

The generation known as Millennials (roughly, those born between 1982 and the late 90s) were already examined by authors Morley Winograd and Michael Hais (not to be confused with Michael “PS” Hays), when they predicted they would change the way American politics worked. After that prediction seemed to come true following the 2008 elections, they figured they’d take a second look at them.

Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation is Remaking America attempts to go beyond the influence on politics and into things like business, technology, education, and entertainment. Not mere observations, the authors use current data to support their findings. It should be an interesting look for those interested in generation studies, politics, or social sciences.

AIDs, beginning to present

The back page description for this book reminds us that people have only known about AIDs for about 30 years. Given it’s global impact, that’s pretty amazing. Jacques Pepin’s book, The Origins of AIDs, looks its initial spread from chimps to humans, and then how it rapidly infected people by many different means. One of the worst culprits in its spread was actually a massive vaccination program meant to prevent a different epidemic.

This book is a valuable read for anyone from those concerned with the current state of Africa to anyone in a health related field, and is available now on our new book shelf.

A look at Native American mascots in sports

Schools and professional sports teams who adopt Native American names and mascots are often questioned about the ethics of those choices. This librarian went to the University of Illinois during the time in which the mascot, a live-actor/dancing Chief Illiniwek, was officially retired. Other instances range from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Washington Redskins, and that’s just professional football.

Today’s book, The Native American Mascot Controversy: A Handbook, covers the depth and scope of the often-controversial topic. If you’re interested in a look at the history of Native American imagery in sports and a look at their potential impact on race relations in the United States, this is a valuable collection of primary documents and essays.

Need help studying?

Everyone’s study habits can be improved, and it’s a bit different moving to college from high school. Alternately, if you’re a non-traditional student at JCCC, you may not have had to study for years.

That’s why there are so many resources for you on campus. We offer things like the Writing Center, the Student Success Center, and of course our favorite, the mighty Billington Library.

In addition to the resources like LibGuides and our different reference options, we provide books like today’s featured item: How to Study in College. Inside, there are sets of proven skills that have helped plenty of students. Though you could adapt every recommendation in the book, the authors have compiled a number of individual techniques that prove useful on their own as well. So check it out. It should be on our New Book Shelf up near the 2nd floor entrance.

Tricked out BMWs in today’s book

Customizing motorcycles. People do it. Customizing BMW motorcycles. It would seem less people do it. But behold, BMW Custom Motorcycles: Choppers, Cruisers, Bobbers, Trikes & Quads was assembled by author Uli Cloesen, and claims to be the only book of its kind, highlighting the BMW modding scene. It’s fully illustrated, showing off what modifiers around the world have been doing to Beemers in their garages, or even requesting straight from the factory. So if bike customization or repair are things you’re curious about, it might be worth taking a look at.

This book can currently be found on our new book shelf (2nd floor)

We’re scannin’ your retinas…

… in today’s book, that is. (We know: cheap, baiting headline. Sorry!)

If you’re like us, you’re torn between thinking it’s a little Big Brother-ish and thinking it’s really really cool. Today’s book, America Identified: Biometric Technology and Society by Lisa S. Nelson discusses how the government, companies, and individuals use fingerprinting, retina scanning, x-rays, handwriting analysis, and other means to keep things secure. Not just a look at the different technologies, Lisa looks into its impact on American society, and examines the area where privacy, technology, and ethics intersect. A pretty sweet read, and currently sitting on our New Book shelves!

Using technology to change classroom learning

Cathy Davidson’s argument for using technology to change learning environments is the Book of the Day. Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Live, Work, and Learn argues that studying something she calls “attention blindness” in the brain shows how developments in technology being under utilized in learning spaces designed for the last century can be detrimental, and she’s got a good reason to think that. What started as her experiment of giving college freshman iPods (before they supported apps, and were just music players) lead to teachers and students turning them into learning tools.

The book follows that research to a compelling end, and a strong case for modern technology in the classroom, all centered upon how our brains react to it.