01 / 16 / 2008 - The 2008 Common Book : The Center for Liberal Education is pleased to announce the selection of Tracy Kidder’s Pulitzer Prize winning Mountains Beyond Mountains as the 2008 Virginia Tech Common Book. Free copies of the Common Book will be distributed to all 2007-08 Freshmen and Transfer students following Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Tuesday, January 22 through Thursday, January 24 in the Williamsburg Room in Squires Student Center. Subtitled The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man who would Cure the World, Mountains Beyond Mountains is an inspirational account of Dr. Paul Farmer’s life as he travels around the globe from Harvard to Haiti, Cuba, Peru and Russia serving victims of poverty and infectious disease. Part biography, part journalistic saga, the book is a call to action, and a striking example of compassionate ambition that stands to inspire service and individual achievement throughout the freshman class at Virginia Tech. It is a story of persistence and determination, and a fascinating firsthand account of the global culture in which we live. Said one student member of the selection committee, the book is “an opportunity to become more aware of the world. Most college freshmen are aware that conditions in the third world are deplorable. Mountains Beyond Mountains, however, is unique in that it shows a real-life example of someone making a difference… it is a perfect book to demonstrate to students the impact they can make on others with their lives”. Assistant Provost Susanna Rinehart reflects, “rarely does one story simultaneously encourage reflection on privilege while kindling the fire of intellectual curiosity. Mountains Beyond Mountains is a book that speaks to the student in all of us, to the desire to listen, learn, and act. This book is an embodiment of Ut Prosim and Invent the Future”. The Common Book Project was established in 1998 as a means of enriching the first year experience. The Project aims to engage first year students through the lens of a shared reading designed to provoke conversation and expanded exploration in and out of the classroom. Faculty interested in using the book in or out of their classes may submit a request for a copy by going to https://survey.vt.edu/survey/entry.jsp?id=1199892174193 (You may need to copy and paste the link into your browser) or you may email questions to Bonnie Alberts at balberts@vt.edu.

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Library Resources

Journal Article Databases:
If you have questions about using any of these library databases (all available through the Articles / Databases link on the library home page, please feel free to contact Luke Vilelle at lvilelle@vt.edu. You may also contact us through our online chat reference service, LiveRef (at http://www.lib.vt.edu/services/liveref.html), by calling the reference desk at 540-231-9232, or by visiting Newman Library.

General Interest

Expanded Academic - A slightly more scholarly subset of Infotrac (see above), for those who want to limit their search to more academic resources.

InfoTrac - Our most wide-ranging general interest database, which can provide resources for all kinds of research angles associated with Branded.

LexisNexis Academic - Newspaper articles from across the United States, including numerous campus publications, television transcripts, and popular magazines.

Business

ABI/Inform - This database, which includes many trade magazines written for marketing professionals, is an excellent source for articles from the business perspective.

Business & Company Resource Center - Look up a company name, and get all sorts of information about it - everything from financial data to investment reports to its products to articles about the company.

Gender / Ethnic Issues

Contemporary Women's Issues - This database, which compiles articles and reports on women worldwide from such varied disciplines as human rights and education, includes journals such as Marketing To Women.

Ethnic News Watch - If you're interested in how branding and marketing might affect those in ethnic communities, consider trying this database.

GenderWatch - This database covers gender issues in business and multiple other subject disciplines.

Government

LexisNexis Congressional - Congress and state legislatures have previously intervened to place limits on advertising to children. In this database, you can search the full text of bills, laws, and even congressional hearings.

Psychology

PsycInfo - What is the relationship between marketing and our mental processes and behaviors?

Sociology

Sociological Abstracts - How have marketing and branding become intertwined with our social institutions and relationships?

Statistics

LexisNexis Statistical - If you're looking for statistical information (perhaps the spending power of youth), you might want to search this database of statistical reports from both the government and private sectors.