Trout Library Blog - Library Guides at Charles H. Trout Library

News in modern times comes from a multitude of sources, including print, television, the Internet, and social media. Not all of the information presented is accurate, and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. We have all heard the term, fake news, which is news content that is deliberately intended to mislead or deceive and may contain propaganda and conspiracy theories. It also might consist of disinformation, which is misleading information released by a government entity for nefarious purposes.

It is therefore always important to fact-check the news. A quality publication is one that avoids deceptive headlines, does not repeatedly publish false content, discloses its affiliations and financing, prominently retracts and corrects any errors, and clearly distinguishes news content from opinion pieces. Especially important is the fact that legitimate news sources, either in print or online, will reference their information, letting you know where it originated. You should always trace any claims back to the primary source if possible. Also be sure to check the author's affiliations and credentials in order to discern any biases and whether he/she is qualified to write about the topic.

Trout Library has some guides that will help you do some fact-checking. To access some of these resources, click on Research Help on the Library’s homepage -- either in the white bar at the top or under Quick Links. There you will find two tabs that will help: one on Website Evaluation and the other dealing with Information & Fake News. Find fact-checking sites such as PolitiFact, Snopes, and FactCheck under the Information & Fake News tab.

Even legitimate news sources generally have some kind of slant. Hence, seeking out multiple sides of an issue is very important. An excellent site to consult for a balanced view of the news is AllSides. A link to it can be found in my News, Politics & Current Events Library Guide. When you search a topic in AllSides, you will be presented with three lists of articles, one each from the center, left and right. An important feature of AllSides is the page on Media Bias Ratings, which will let you know where 800 news sources fall on the political spectrum in terms of their content and editorials.

Top bar: AllSides -- NEWS, BIAS, TOPICS, SEARCH, CONNECT, DICTIONARY, SCHOOLS, ABOUT; Picture of classroom on the left. To the right of that a headline reading, CDC Shortens School Distancing Guidelines to 3 Feet with Masks. Below that, a brief description of the article and then three columns with the titles "From the Center," "From the Left" and "From the Right." Column titles encircled in red.

Every Friday, the Philadelphia Inquirer features a Pro-Con section on its op-ed page in which an issue question is presented followed by two columns arguing opposing points of view. The Inquirer is available through our NewsBank subscription and can be accessed through a link on our A-Z Databases page. Off-campus access requires that you retrieve the NewsBank password as described above.

Another good source to consult to examine multiple viewpoints on an issue is SIRS Issues Researcher, one of our subscription databases. It can be accessed through a link on our A-Z Databases page. If you are off campus, retrieve the password for SIRS Issues Researcher using the process described above.

When you enter the database, on the initial page you will find a list of Trending Topics and Editors’ Picks:

First Row: TRENDING TOPICS: Beneath icons for Social Media, Virtual Classrooms, Abortion, Police Brutality; Second Row: EDITORS' PICKS. Beneath icons for Election 2020, Coronavirus, U.S. Foreign Policy, Fast Fashion

Click on one of the options for a summary of the issue and a comparison of two different viewpoints, as well as critical questions and an historical timeline.

At top: Was the global spread of coronavirus inevitable?: Two columns beneath entitled Viewpoint 1 and Viewpoint 2. Viewpoint 1 and Viewpoint 2 encircled in red. List of hyperlinks to articles in both columns.

Remember that if you have questions about how to find resources, whether a resource is of good quality, database searching, or any other research issue, please don’t hesitate to ask us. You may contact the Trout Library by sending an email to library@harcum.edu, or you may use our chat service during the hours posted on the Library’s homepage. You may also request a Zoom session with a librarian by filling out the form available by clicking on the icon under Request Forms on the homepage.

Bill Fanshel

Evening/Weekend Librarian

wfanshel@harcum.edu

610-229-9311

Recent Posts

A Familiar Face

This post is inspired by a recent conversation with an alumna who graduated with the Class of 1948. Dr. Stork was her favorite instructor while at Harcum. I was happy to report that his bust is on display in the Charles H. Trout Library. In fact, the sculpture of Dr. Charles Wharton Stork has been a permanent fixture within the Charles H. Trout Library since 1984. The story behind the sculpture is an interesting piece of Harcum history. Definition:Bust: a sculpture of the head, shoulders, and upper chest of a person ~ Collins English Dictionary, 2014Rosalie Stork Regan and Francis Wharton Stork (the artist) with Charles Stork bust at the sculpture unveiling held in the Charles H. Trout Library, Strauss Family Rotunda, 1984. Photograph held by the Harcum College Archives.Charles Wharton Stork was born in Philadelphia in 1881. He attended Haverford College, Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania. He pursued a career as an academic and literary author, poet, and translator. He was well-known for his translations of Swedish and Danish poetry. You can find four of his books in our collection. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania until 1916. He left teaching for a time to pursue a writing career. His return to teaching brought him to Harcum College from 1935 to 1951. While teaching here, he continued to write poetry and publish. He submitted a poem to the inaugural issue of The Springboard, a literary magazine published by the students of Harcum College in 1935. A poem by Charles Wharton Stork published in a Harcum College student literary magazine The Springboard, vol. 1, no. 1, December 1935. Held by Harcum College Archives.Dr. Stork was returning to America from a trip to the British Isles on September 1, 1939 on the SS Athenia. On September 3rd, the British declared war on Germany. That same day, only three days into the voyage and 200 nautical miles northwest of Ireland, the ship was attacked by the German submarine U-30 and suffered severe damage from a torpedo. Fortunately, most of the 1,418 passengers and crew were able to escape to lifeboats, however 98 passengers and 19 crew members perished. Dr. Stork was one of the lucky survivors. He was able to board a lifeboat which was rescued by a Royal Navy destroyer. Stork wrote about his ordeal in an article for The Saturday Evening Post called “Sketches by an ‘Athenian'”. You can read the article in EBSCOhost Discovery. The full citation is listed below. The SS Athenia sank 14 hours after it was struck. It was the first UK ship sunk by Germany in World War II.SS Athenia in Montreal Harbour in 1933. Public domain image. Credit National Archives of Canada.Dr. Stork was very well-liked by students at Harcum College. I have to wonder what reception he received upon arriving back to the Bryn Mawr campus in 1939. The 1943 yearbook was dedicated to Dr. Stork stating “We are fond of him as a friend, honor his ability, and appreciate all he has done to instill in us a richer appreciation of the finer things in life. ”Charles Wharton Stork from the 1943 yearbook dedicated to him.Stork was married and had four children. His eldest son Francis Wharton Stork was an artist and the sculptor of the bust. The sculpture is made of fiberglass and resin. It was gifted to Harcum College in 1984 by the artist. Two of Stork's children, daughter Rosalie Stork Regan and Francis Wharton Stork attended the unveiling of the sculpture held in the library. The sculpture has been on display in the Strauss Family Rotunda since it was unveiled 40 years ago and has a permanent home there. Francis Wharton Stork made a similar sculpture cast in bronze which was gifted to The Athenaeum of Philadelphia. Sources“Charles Wharton Stork.” Department of English, The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, 2024, www.english.upenn.edu/people/charles-wharton-stork. Francis Wharton Stork, “Charles Wharton Stork,” General Collection, Museum Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Athenaeum of Philadelphia Featured Collections, accessed October 18, 2024, https://omeka.philaathenaeum.org/collections/items/show/3483.Mawdsley, Evan. “Sinking the SS Athenia.” Yale University Press, 4 Aug. 2020, https://yalebooks.yale.edu/2020/08/04/sinking-the-ss-athenia/.Stork, Charles Wharton. “Sketches by an ‘Athenian.’” Saturday Evening Post, vol. 212, no. 19, Nov. 1939, pp. 33–98. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=f8feecb7-287f-3545-8d67-3c9c89363ae4. *Note: The password for EBSCOhost Discovery is found in your Harcum Hatch under “Library Database Passwords”. “Rosalie Stork Regan and Francis Stork with Charles Stork bust (1984),” Trout Library's Digital Archives & Special Collections, accessed October 17, 2024, https://harcumarchives.omeka.net/items/show/55.Wikipedia contributors. "Charles Wharton Stork." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Aug. 2023. Web. 18 Oct. 2024. Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

Elizabeth "Libbie" Hall Willis, Harcum School Principal, 1921-1929

Recently, I was asked for records from our archive relating to Elizabeth "Libbie" Hall Wilis. What we found was a new piece of Harcum College history I think is worth documenting.Willis was the Head of the Academic Department and Prinicpal from approximately 1921 to 1929 and later an advisor to Edith Harcum until approximately 1934. Elizabeth Hall Willis, who went by Libbie, obtained a degree in painting from Syracuse University. Before coming to the Harcum School, she had a career as an art teacher at the University of Arkansas and at Chatham Hall. It was while teaching art at Chatham Hall she met a student, Georgia O'Keefe. You can read about this encounter and the on-going professional relationship between Willis and O'Keefe in Linda Grasso's book Equal under the Sky: Georgia O'Keefe & Twentieth Century Feminism. Equal under the Sky by Linda M. GrassoCall Number: 759.13 .G769 2019ISBN: 9780826360731Publication Date: 2019See pages 107-115Willis came to the Harcum School to lead the academics and college preparation program. Her title in 1921 was “Head of the Academic Department” but it was later changed to Principal. Throughout her time at Harcum, she was mentioned in the yearbook, Purple Patches, especially in association with her work with college preparation studies. In the "Class Will" in 1922 the students express fond appreciation and love for her. The 1923 yearbook was dedicated to Mrs. Willis. This is quite a show of support by the student body. Her portrait finally appears in the 1929 yearbook. She left Harcum School after 1929, although she was mentioned as an advisor in the 1934 academic calendar, perhaps she stayed in touch to advise Edith Harcum. The biggest surprise of all is that we found her on video. In those years, Edith Harcum’s son Bill Harcum was given a silent film camera and he took silent moving images around the school. The films were digitized and Bill Harcum gave commentary on the films. You can see Elizabeth Willis briefly at 0:12 seconds, right at the beginning of the film. Bill Harcum mentions Mrs. Willis by name and calls her the head mistress. Libbie Hall Willis had a interesting life as an artist and academic before and after her time at Harcum College. Harcum is fortunate to be able to claim her as one of our own. Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

Election 2023

Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. Polls are open in Pennsylvania from 7am until 8pm. Although 2023 is not a federal election year, there are still many important judicial and municipal races on the ballot. If you live in Philadelphia, for example, you will be electing a mayor. The right to vote is sacred, and we encourage everyone to exercise it. While off-year elections do not receive the same level of attention as presidential races, the outcome of elections for local offices and judgeships also can have a significant impact on your life -- sometimes a greater impact than higher-level offices. In addition, your vote is more likely to make a difference in municipal races since the constituency is smaller and races therefore can be decided by a handful of votes. Note as well that people who occupy local elected positions sometimes will run for higher office at a later date. So there are many reasons to go to the polls and vote! The race at the top of the Pennsylvania ballot is for a vacant seat on the seven-member state Supreme Court. Click the hyperlinks below for information about the candidates: Daniel McCaffery (Democrat) Carolyn Tornetta Carluccio (Republican) A good site to use for election information is Vote 411 from the League of Women Voters. It provides links that will allow you to verify your voter registration and to create a sample ballot for your precinct. The most efficient way to use the site is to enter your home address (the address at which you are registered to vote) into the box where you are given the opportunity to create "Personalized Voting Information." Click the Submit button, and you will see a list of the races on the ballot in your precinct. Click on individual races to see the candidates, information about them, and links to their websites. In some cases, appearing here are answers to interview questions that the candidates have submitted. Scroll down further to find the address of your polling place along with a map to help you locate where it is. In addition to the source mentioned above, you can also find your polling location on the site of the Pennsylvania Department of State. Ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia of American politics, is another good source for finding candidate information. The site also allows you to generate a sample ballot for your precinct by entering your home address. Students living on campus may register to vote either at their campus address or their home address. For students who are registered at their campus address, type Harcum's address (750 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA, 19010) into either Vote 411 or Ballotpedia to see the races on the ballot in Harcum's precinct. The polling place for Harcum's precinct is: First Presbyterian Church of Ardmore 5 West Montgomery Avenue Ardmore, PA 19003 To keep up with the latest news related to the election, remember to consult the extensive number of sources that I have included in my News, Politics, & Current Events library guide. Bill Fanshel Evening/Weekend Librarian wfanshel@harcum.edu 610-229-9311 ...

Introducing the EBSCOhost Passport Chrome Browser Extension

EBSCOhost has just released a browser extension that makes it easier than ever to connect to full-text materials. EBSCOhost Passport browser extension shows you when the material is available in full text when you are searching on virtually any web page where DOIs are present. This means when you are searching on PubMed or Google Scholar, you'll see an icon that will allow you to click through to the full text if it is available via the Charles H. Trout Library. The browser extension is currently only available for Chrome but more browser extensions are coming soon. To install the browser extension, visit the Chrome web store listing. Click Add to Chrome. Search for Harcum College when prompted to select your institution. If prompted for a password, see our one-minute video on how to access passwords. Once the extension is installed, just search PubMed, Google Scholar, or the web as you normally would. When an article is available in our EBSCOhost databases, you'll see an icon alerting you that the material is available. Simply click on the icon and the full text will open in a new tab. When searching in PubMed and Google Scholar there will be an additional more results icon near the search box that will show additional results available in EBSCOhost To learn more about EBSCOhost Passport and how to install it, click here.Happy searching! If you need assistance with your research, please reach out to us! Roxanne Sutton Reference and Special Collections Librarian 610-526-6022 rsutton@harcum.edu ...

Source Bias and Examining Multiple Viewpoints