It’s that time of year again… Open Education Week! This week, all week, schools and organizations all over the world are taking the opportunity to share the latest developments & achievements in Open Education.
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March is a time to reflect on the sometimes overlooked achievements of women throughout history. It is a time to celebrate the women in our own lives and learn more about those women who came before us.
The Past and Present of Women’s History Month
Although Women’s History Month was officially recognized in 1987, its origins date back to the late 1970s. The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women in California began to celebrate during the week of March 8, 1978, to coincide with International Women’s Day on that day.
In 1981, Congress passed a law designating the week of March 7 as “Women’s History Week.” For the next five years, the United States honored Women’s History Week. Congress passed Public Law 100-9 to officially designate March as Women’s History Month.
Every year, the National Women’s History Alliance chooses a theme to focus on for Women’s History Month. Topics have ranged from climate change to voting rights. This year, the theme is “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.” On the theme:
“Today, equity, diversity and inclusion are powerful driving forces that are having a wide-ranging impact on our country. As members of families, civic and community groups, businesses and legislative bodies, women are in the forefront of reevaluating the status quo. They are looking anew at what harmful social policies and behaviors exist and, often subtly, determine our future. In response, women in communities across the nation are helping to develop innovative programs and projects within corporations, the military, federal agencies and educational organizations to address these injustices.”
National Women’s History Alliance
NYC Women’s History Month Events
Many New York institutions are celebrating Women’s History Month this year. Here are a few suggestions, but there are so many to discover!
The New-York Historical Society has an exhibition of objects categorized as “women’s work” to show how far-reaching the traditional roles of women are in society. You can find out more by visiting their website or watching this short video on the exhibit.
The Shah Garg Foundation is also featuring an exhibit for Women’s History Month. “Making Their Mark” is an exhibit of art by more than 80 women artists from the last eight decades. It seeks to emphasize their “intergenerational relationships, formal and material breakthroughs, and historical impact.”
The New York City Parks are also doing many events this month, including guided tours of public art created by women in the parks, important historical women, and many other fun things. For a full calendar, click here.
If you are more inclined to the theater, the new musical Suffs begins previews on March 26. This musical explores the women’s movement in the early 1900s and their hardwon victory for gender equality.
Happy Women’s History Month!
[Post by Emma Larson-Whittaker, library and outreach assistant, Starrett City]
MRI Simmons Catalyst is a great resource available through Touro Libraries. Catalyst utilizes probabilistic data sampling to create nationally representative and culturally diverse data that provides an accurate view of the American consumer.
MRI Simmons Catalyst is great for conducting marketing research on a variety of topics including media, cars, finances, electronics, and hundreds of other consumer products.
Using this database requires some tutorial training as it is very advanced and may be challenging for beginners. To access the tutorial on using MRI Simmons Catalyst:
1. Go to the Touro University Library homepage and click on databases:
2. From the list of databases, choose MRI Simmons Catalyst:
3. At the MRI Simmons Catalyst homepage, click on the question mark in the upper right hand corner:
4. On the lefthand side of the page, click on Tutorials:
[Post by Annette Carr, Chief Librarian, Health Sciences; and Emma Larson-Whittaker, Library and Outreach Assistant, Starrett City]
Welcome to the latest in our series of Staff Profiles. Jana De Vera recently joined the Touro community as a Librarian at the Lander College for Women. Jana was kind enough to answer some questions for us below:
Where were you born?
I was born (and raised) in Rockland County, New York, where I
lived for about twenty years.
Where else have you lived?
I’ve lived upstate in the Woodstock/Kingston area for several
years and now I currently reside in Queens.
What languages do you speak?
I grew up in a bilingual household where both English and Tagalog
were spoken. I also took five years of Spanish in school; however, my
knowledge is only at a conversational level. Knowing Tagalog certainly
helped with my learning as there is a bit of overlap in vocabulary.
What fields have you studied and/or degrees have you earned?
I have an AA in Humanities & Social Sciences and a BA in
Communication, specializing in interpersonal and intercultural
communication. Additionally, my minor was in sociology. I was inspired
to go into these fields while working at my local public library,
where I discovered my fondness for helping others.
What is your ideal vacation?
Anywhere with rich culture and delicious food! Whenever I travel,
I try and go visit some sort of museum, aquarium, zoo, — any place
where I can learn something new. I also try to eat at places where locals
of that area go because prices tend to be reasonable, as are the food
quality and atmosphere.
Any hobbies?
I am a fiber artist: I love to crochet wearables like sweaters,
cardigans, and hats. Aside from my yarn crafts, I also dabble in
puzzles (logic, crossword, or jigsaw), board games, and baking.
Favorite food?
Nothing brings me more comfort than a big bowl of macaroni and
cheese!
Tell us one thing about yourself that most of us probably don’t know.
My favorite musical group is Fall Out Boy, and I had the pleasure of
seeing them live at Forest Hills during their Stardust Tour. Not to
toot my own horn but I knew every word of every song they performed.
Welcome to the latest in our series of Staff Profiles. Sarah Kim recently joined the Touro community as a Librarian at the Lander College for Women. Sarah was kind enough to answer some questions for us below:
Where were you born?
I was born in Seoul, South Korea.
Where else have you lived?
I lived in California and Boston before I came to New York.
What languages do you speak?
I speak Korean besides English.
What fields have you studied and/or degrees have you earned?
I earned a bachelor’s degree in music (film scoring) and a master’s degree in library science.
What is your ideal vacation?
My ideal vacation place is a busy city, where I can walk around to see many things and learn about the culture.
Any hobbies?
I knit sweaters.
Favorite food?
My favorite foods are Korean BBQ (Galbi and Bulgogi).
Tell us one thing about yourself that most of us probably don’t know.
I wanted to become a film composer before I became a librarian.
Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements of African Americans in U.S. history. It was started by Carter G. Woodson (pictured above) and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History as early as 1920. Originally only encompassing a week known as Negro History and Literature Week, and later Negro Achievement Week, Woodson wanted to display the “beautiful history and… inspire us to greater achievements.”
February was chosen for the holiday to line up with the birthdays of two important figures in African American history, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Negro Achievement Week (becoming Black History Month in the 1960s) inspired celebrations and educational events in churches, schools, and communities.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford signed a proclamation endorsing Black History Month, and every president since has done the same.
Although February puts a special emphasis on the import of Black Americans in U.S. history, the achievements of African Americans should be celebrated and remembered throughout the year.
Some ways that you can honor Black History Month are by reading books by Black authors; visiting museum exhibitions, or film screenings by Black artists; learning more about important historical figures in the African American community, or by looking up local events in your community happening this month.
[Post by Emma Larson-Whittaker, Library and Outreach Assistant, Starrett City]
Did you know that JSTOR is invested in open access (OA) resources? You can find over 9,000 OA books from 125+ publishers! They are working with Path to Open, a pilot program that offers sustainable open access solutions.
JSTOR is a digital repository of academic journals, books, and primary sources. It primarily focuses on the humanities and social sciences, with a huge log of back-issue journals.
With your TouroOne login, you can now read JSTOR’s OA collection as well as their available journal articles. Both JSTOR’s OA and journal collections are available on our website and are easily searchable via QuickSearch!
JSTOR’s OA collection highlights Latin American monographs, as well as a collaboration with El Colegio de Mexico, digitizing over 600 out-of-print books.
For more information on JSTOR’s OA, visit this link.
Happy researching!
[Post by Emma Larson-Whittaker, Library and Outreach Assistant, Starrett City]
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This is a day to honor and remember King, the most influential leader of the African American civil rights movement in the 1960s. King was instrumental in the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made it illegal to discriminate against minorities in hiring, public spaces, education, or transportation.
Following his assassination in 1968, there were immediate petitions to make his birthday, January 15, a national holiday. However, due to racial and political opposition, the holiday was not federally approved until 1986. This legislation established the third Monday in January as Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Martin Luther King Jr. is often remembered for his “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered on August 28, 1963. On this day and every day, we must remember King’s words:
So even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.
-Martin Luther King Jr.
[Post by Emma Larson-Whittaker, library and outreach assistant, Starrett City]
There’s a LibGuide to answer all your questions about Academic Integrity!
Questions about using ChatGPT and other generative AI? We have information for you!
We’ll also help you create and understand citations. You can also watch an in-depth video on Touro’s Academic Integrity policy, which will explain when and how to use citations.
Additionally, if you have further questions, you can reach out to David Diaz, the librarian in charge of this LibGuide.
You can access the Academic Integrity LibGuide here.
[Post by Emma Larson-Whittaker, library and outreach assistant, Starrett City]
TU Library Blog 
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