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

06/27/2021

Bill Fanshel

No Subjects

As we approach our nation's birthday in what has become a very divided country, we could all use a unifying and patriotic message. In the book, What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism, by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner, you will find that message. Rather, the long-time journalist and the main author, reflects in the context of his vast life experience on what it means to be an American, reminding readers of the principles on which the nation was founded. The book is available in Trout Library.

What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather; Elliot Kirschner

ISBN: 9781616207823

Publication Date: 2017

In the opening chapter of the book, Rather asks the question of exactly what patriotism is. He states that it is not nationalism, which he says is a monologue in which you place your country in a position of moral and cultural supremacy over others. Instead, Rather defines patriotism as a dialogue with your fellow citizens and the larger world about what you love about your country and how it can be improved (p. 15).

The book is then divided into five sections. The first section is on Freedom, which consists of chapters on voting, dissent and the press. Next comes Community, where you will find chapters on inclusion, empathy and immigration. In the essay on empathy, Rather remarks that his mother always instructed that he not feel sorry for people but instead understand how they feel, something that has been a guiding force in his life (p. 95). The third section, which is on Exploration, covers the importance of science, books, and the arts in the national story. In the chapter on books, Rather describes how libraries have shaped him and how vital they are to democracy.

The fourth section, which is on Responsibility, consists of essays on the environment, public education, and service. Rather considers service to be rooted in the purest of our democratic impulses (p. 217) and not only refers to those serving in the military, but also to anyone who works to make difficult and painful situations less difficult and painful (p. 216). In the final section of the book, on the concept of Character, Rather has chapters entitled "Audacity," "Steady" and "Courage." The "Steady" chapter is especially inspiring as it deals with resilience and forbearance in difficult and trying situations, both in a personal and national sense.

I highly recommend that everyone read this book.

Bill Fanshel

Evening/Weekend Librarian

wfanshel@harcum.edu

610-229-9311

Five free online study tools

06/21/2021

Roxanne Sutton

No Subjects

Sometimes we could use a little help to study for tests and exams. This week we have collected five free online tools to help you study, to help you collaborate and to teach you efficient study techniques. Study skills can be learned and improved. Knowing how to study can help you make the most of your valuable time. These tools are are free and open although some require free account creation.

GoConqr - GoConqr is an open online learning platform with crowdsourced learning materials created by learners in all disciplines. There are quizzes, flashcards and study notes for subjects from algebra to veterinary nursing. Create your own learning tools like mind maps and share them with your classmates or keep them private. There are study tools for professional exams like NCLEX.
Quizlet - Challenge yourself by creating your own quizzes. Share them with your study group and challenge each other.
Evernote - Write notes and save them to access anywhere. It allows you to not only add text but also images, audio, scans, PDFs, and documents to your notes. Create to-do lists and add calendars.
Google Drive - Google Drive is included in your Harcum Google Suite Account. Save all your documents to the cloud and access them anywhere. Create folders to keep everything organized. Share documents with classmates. Work on documents and presentations simultaneously with others. Very useful for working on group projects.
Study Stack - If you find flashcards helpful for studying this is a great tool. View, create and share flashcards. There are flashcard stacks for nearly every discipline. For example, under Medical discipline you will find a list of flashcards for anatomy and medical terminology, plus cards for allied health programs like Radiology, Medical Laboratory Technician and Occupational Therapy, and many more.

More help:
See the Harcum College Student Success Center for one-on-one academic coaches or tutoring.
See the Harcum College Trout Library for help with research. Email us with questions at library@harcum.edu.

Roxanne Sutton

Reference and Special Collections Librarian

rsutton@harcum.edu

610-610-6022

LGBTQ Health Resources

06/14/2021

Bill Fanshel

Behavioral Health Science

To mark LGBTQ Pride Month, we would like to take the opportunity to highlight some sources that will provide an understanding of the specific struggles that members of the LGBTQ community face in terms of health and accessing the health care system.

The stress and anxiety that come from fearing and experiencing discrimination and stigmatization often lead to poorer overall health outcomes for LGBTQ than for the broader population -- including more heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as the early onset of disabilities. Click here to read a Healthline article that provides a good summary of these issues.

Because those who are LGBTQ face a significant number of health disparities, it is important for students planning to enter health fields to have a full understanding of these differences so that they can serve LGBTQ populations compassionately and effectively. A September 2018 peer-reviewed article in the PLOS ONE database compares the preparedness of medical, dental, and nursing students to address LGBTQ health. The article is open access and does not require a password. Click here to read it.

There are two books in the EBSCO eBooks Academic Collection database that would be very useful for studying the topic of LGBTQ health. To access them, a username and password are required. You can find this information in the Library Database Password List under Quicklinks in Harcum Hatch. Choose the username and password for the EBSCO databases.

The first book is Health Care Disparities and the LGBT Population, edited by Vickie L. Harvey and Teresa Heinz Housel. This book contains a series of essays that cover issues such as low rates of health insurance coverage in the LGBTQ community, high rates of stress due to systematic harassment, stigma, and discrimination; and a lack of cultural competency in the health care system. It aims to increase people's understanding of the social and structural inequalities that LGBTQ populations experience in order to improve the lives of entire communities, medical care, and prevention programs and services.

Health Care Disparities and the LGBT Population by Vickie L. Harvey (Editor); Teresa Heinz Housel (Editor)

ISBN: 9780739187029

Publication Date: 2014

The second book is The Remedy: Queer and Trans Voices on Health and Health Care, edited by Zena Sharman. It is an anthology of real-life stories from queer and trans people about their own health care experiences and challenges, from gay men living with HIV who remember the systemic resistance to their health care needs, to a lesbian couple dealing with the experience of cancer. It also includes essays by health care providers, activists and leaders who write about the challenges, politics, and opportunities surrounding LGBTQ health issues.

The Remedy: Queer and Trans Voices on Health and Health Care by Zena Sharman (Editor)

ISBN: 9781551526584

Publication Date: 2016

Kanopy has a number of documentaries on LGBTQ healthcare. If you need help accessing Kanopy we have a tutorial.

For more in-depth documentaries about transgender healthcare, Kanopy has an 11-part documentary called Transgender Tuesdays. Part one is a 60 minute documentary that covers the history of transgender healthcare and looks at a ground-breaking clinic and the change it made to the lives of the people who received care. Parts two through 11 are each a short (less than 5-minute) narrative of individuals who received care at a clinic in San Francisco.

Transgender Tuesdays by Mark Freeman

Publication Date: 2014

Finally, Gen Silent - Discrimination Against LGBT Seniors documents discrimination in long-term care. It interviews six LGBTQ individuals and asks them if they will hide their lives, friends, spouses and loved ones in order to survive the care system. There is full length (60-minute) version and an abridged (24-minute) version.

Gen Silent - Discrimination Against LGBT Seniors by Interrobang Productions / Stu Maddux Films

Publication Date: 2012

For more information on LGBTQ issues, our Diversity & Gender Studies library guide and our new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion guide will provide you with some selections.

If you have any questions about these sources or any others, please feel free to email us at library@harcum.edu.

Happy LGBTQ pride month!

Bill Fanshel

Evening/Weekend Librarian

wfanshel@harcum.edu

610-229-9311

Roxanne Sutton

Reference and Special Collections Librarian

rsutton@harcum.edu

610-526-6022