Using the Oxford African American Studies Center to Research "Twelve Years a Slave"

How can we verify the accuracy and background of the hit film "Twelve Years a Slave," based on the book by the same name? Among the St. Louis County Library's rich African American research tools is the Oxford African American Studies Center, which is available at the Research tab on the library's home page in the African American subject guide section.  The book was written by Solomon Northup (or Northrup) and the top of the database home page has a search box.  Typing in "Solomon Northup" yields a biographical entry for the author.  The entry, taken from the treatise American National Biography, gives a detailed biography of Mr. Northup and additional bibliographic references.  We learn that his book is one of the most detailed and realistic accounts of life as a slave published.  The sale of the book earned him $3,000, which he used to buy property and work as a carpenter. The database features a chapter from the book and 11 related entries on subjects such as slave narratives, kidnapping and the antislavery movement.

This database permits users to search by keyword, biographical subject, for images and multimedia, and for primary sources.  Articles can be e-mailed, printed and cited in either MLA or Chicago format.

For the casual or serious researcher, the Oxford African Studies Center provides a wealth of information in several formats.  It can enhance a trip to the movies, too.

--Harry C., Reference

Reference Quick Tip: Morningstar

--Tiffany D., Reference

Culinary Arts Collection: Dive into Food

Once there was a touch of fall in the air, I began thinking about all the food I wanted to cook for the upcoming Holiday Season. I know Halloween is right behind us, but I don’t think it’s too soon to imagine the mouthwatering pies and scrumptious dish of mashed potatoes I’ll be inhaling in just a few weeks. Enter “Culinary Arts Collection,” a fantastic database with major cooking and nutrition magazines. You can search through thousands of recipes, peruse restaurant reviews, and read the very latest of industry news. If you’re planning to impress your mother-in-law with your amazing cooking skills, you can find menus with recipes for just about any Holiday meal. Considering a new eating lifestyle, vegetarianism, paleo diet, or gluten free? You’ll discover information about it here. The world of food is your oyster! Mmm…that sounds good. I’m going to look up a recipe for Oysters Rockefeller now.

--Anna H., Jamestown Bluffs

Fold3 Access

We are having access issues with Fold3. Our vendor is looking into the issue. I'll update this blog post once it is resolved.

Converting your currency

Traveling abroad or purchasing something online from a country outside the U.S.?

You can use the Currency Converter to figure out the exchange rate for many types of currency. It can give you the conversion rate not only from US dollars but there are also over 150 types of currency to choose from.

For instance, how many pesos would equal $20.00 in Mexico? As of today, that would be nearly 260 pesos (259.7 to be exact).

Additionally, the Market Analysis section gives you an overall view of the North American, European, and Asian markets.

With the Quick Links, you can get a current and historical rate table.

This is an invaluable tool for travel and can be accessed by going to www.slcl.org, click on Research, click Geography and Travel, and then click on Currency Converter. Select the amount, the currency and the currency you would like it converted to then click the arrow; your conversion will appear.

Happy Travels and Conversions!

--Cindy M., Indian Trails

World News Digest

Interested in knowing an outstanding source for both domestic and international news events? Try World News Digest [Facts on File]. Not only is this database current and updated weekly with hyperlinks, it also provides access to nearly seven decades of news from Facts on File World News Digest. Coverage includes major political, social and economic events since November 1940.

Extremely user friendly: you can use the search box, perform an advanced search, or click on one of the Topics, Decades, Countries, or Facts and Statistics tabs. A broad span of over 70 topics can be found under the Topics tab including such topics as the budget deficit, drugs and sports, and Islamic fundamentalism. The Decades tab covers top news stories for the particular selected decade. Each decade is then broken down by year. Within the year you can sort either by newest to oldest, oldest to newest, or by a year range to retrieve particular news events.

The Countries tab covers news events for countries all over the world. You can retrieve news stories by region and then select a particular country. Additional features include links to country profiles, key historic events, historic documents, research features and special reports, editorial cartoons, and newspaper editorials.

The Facts and Statistics tab has an abundance of useful and factual information that can assist in answering common to more in-depth questions. The span is too large to cover in this article but I suggest clicking on just one topic heading and you will quickly become engrossed.

At the bottom of the main page you will be find great links for Heads of State and Government, Obituaries (as well as a link for the current year’s obituaries) and Maps and Flags of the World. As with many of SLCL’s databases, you can print, email and save articles in World News Digest. Last, but not least, another exciting feature within the database is the ability to have the news story that you have retrieved be translated into a foreign language. Not only is the database a source of great information but a source for practicing your reading of a foreign language! Once you retrieve your news page, scroll down to the bottom of the page. On the left, open the language box, select your language, and have your page translated.

Truly a great research tool and database for accurate and concise coverage. If you have questions about the World News Digest database or any of SLCL’s electronic resources, please contact the Reference department at extension 2050.

--Christel M., Reference

Term Paper Help Part 6--Facts on File African American History Online

For the student of African-American history, St. Louis County Library has a premier research tool: Facts on File-African American History Online.  There are numerous print resources, such as those by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr, especially at the Headquarters Reference Department, but the Facts on File database is an outstanding one-stop site.  What makes it so special?  The site has a simple menu under "Browse" of biographies, events and topics, primary sources, timelines, images, videos, and maps and charts. Topic centers are helpful in that they provide overview essays, a listing of important events and topics, key people, primary sources, and maps.

For example, under the topic center on the slave trade, there is an entry for Benjamin Banneker, mathematician and astronomer, along with his picture.  There are useful charts, such as one showing average prices for "prime field hands" in New Orleans compared with cotton prices in New York from 1800 to 1860. The images, maps and videos can be e-mailed and saved into documents.  These features will enhance a research paper.  The essays are from print resources, such as the Encyclopedia of African-American History, so the student can provide a citation that is authoritative.

Facts on File-African American History Online is a useful tool for research and education, providing multiple sources of information in an easy to access format.

--Harry C., Reference