Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. —- Margaret Mead

New Jersey Ferns and Fern-allies

Check out (literally) this book describing New Jersey ferns. Perfect for Fern Fest!
587.309749 M787n

Earth Day Network

Discover the history, current campaigns, programs and more resources from the organization that started it all.
http://www.earthday.org/

Encyclopedia of Earth

Expert-reviewed information about the Earth.  For everyone.
http://www.eoearth.org/

The Conscientious Gardener: Cultivating a Garden Ethic

Even the book is electronic.  How green is that?
Drew Ebook (URL shortcut: http://bit.ly/XIIhNk)

 Encyclopedia of Sustainability

The Encyclopedia of Sustainability comprises three volumes: environment and ecology, business and economics, and equity and fairness. Each volume provides authoritative but accessible coverage of basic concepts and terms, as well as policy initiatives, controversies, and future trends.
Reference GE10 .C65 2010

The Facts on File Dictionary of Ecology and the Environment

Provides entries explaining frequently used terms in environmental science, covering such topics as extinction, hazardous waste, genetic engineering, coliform bacteria, wildlife management, and global warming.
Reference QH540.4 .F35 2004

Plant Communities of New Jersey : a Study in Landscape Diversity

See New Jersey as an ecosystem–geology, topography and soil, climate, plant-plant and plant-animal relationships, and human impact on the environment.
581.524709749 R654v 1994

Earth Day New Jersey

See what the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is doing to celebrate Earth Day and National Environmental Education Week.
http://www.nj.gov/dep/seeds/earthday/eday.htm

* Warning: Using Library Resources may bring you down to earth!

Homosexuality and Science:  a Guide to the Debates.

From nineteenth-century documents on cross-dressing, to the impact of the Cold War on perceptions of gays and lesbians, and how millennials identify.
Credo Reference: http://www.credoreference.com/book/abcbiohome

Greenwood Encyclopedia of LGBT Issues Worldwide

Trace the conditions and issues of LGBTQ people country by country, from Andorra to Zimbabwe.
Reference HQ 76.G724 2010

 LGBTQ America today:  an encyclopedia

What came before Stonewall?  How has the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay and lesbian political organization in the US, affected both local and national legislation and regulation?  Does the experience of LGBTQ people vary by the region of the country they’re in?
Reference HQ 73.3.U6 L43 2009

Supreme Court Watch

PBS’s coverage of the Defense of Marriage Act now before the Supreme Court.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june13/domadebate_03-27.html

Campus Pride

One of the largest LGBTQ organizations devoted to helping student leaders improve and enhance campus environments.
http://www.campuspride.org

Encyclopedia of Contemporary LBGTQ literature of the US

What makes literature “gay” or “lesbian”?   Can straight authors write queer literature?  Is everything written by an LBGTQ novelist automatically considered  LBGTQ literature?
Reference  PS 153 .S39 2009

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Religious Archives Network

Explore the history of LGBT movements around the world, listen to in-depth interviews of religious leaders, and perhaps contribute information about individuals you know!
http://www.lgbtran.org/

* Warning: browsing library resources can be mind-bending!

Guns in American Society

 The ‘Sporting Purposes Test,’ Beecher’s Bibles, Samuel Colt, Waco, ‘Gun Culture,’ Columbine, the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994, Thomas Jefferson, Uniform Crime Reports: this “Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture and the Law” explains people, terms, incidents, and laws central to our national discussion of firearms.
Reference HV 7436 .G8783 or online http://www.credoreference.com/book/abcguns

Gun Control: A Reference Handbook

This 1995 resource is still a solid guide to the older aspects of the 2^nd Amendment/Gun Control issue.
Reference HV 7436 .K78

The Gun Control Debate: A Documentary History

Looking for original 18^th-century discussions of the meaning of the “militia” clause? Find them here, along with the famous “jackbooted thugs” NRA fundraising letter, and much back and forth on the 1994 gun control act.
Reference HV 7436 .G865

Violence in America

Take a pre-Columbine look at “Mass Murders- Individual Perpetrators” and “Gun Control” in this 1999 reference.
Reference HN90 .V5 V5474

Encyclopedia  of Gun Control and Gun Rights

Did you know that in 1876, the Supreme Court held that the 2^nd Amendment only restricted Federal limitations on bearing arms? United States v. Cruikshank (1876) What were the provisions of the “Dick Act” (1903) vs. the Militia Act (1792)?
Reference HN90 .V5 V5474

Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments

Find a short overview of the law history of the 2^nd Amendment and interpretations here. Few have attempted to change it: apparently “most proponents and opponents of gun control have preferred to battle over the meaning of the existing constitutional provision rather than to introduce a new one.”
KF 4557 .V555

Uniform Crime Reports

This FBI report profiles reported crimes by weapon type, among other factors:
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr

* Warning: browsing reference books can be explosive!

The Papacy: An Encyclopedia

Everything you wanted to know about the papacy, including a (now incomplete) “List of Papal Resignations,” from Martin I (954-5) to Gregory XII (1415).
Ref. BX955.2 .D53

New Catholic Encyclopedia

Just for some perspective, find here under “Popes, List of” an online list of all the popes.  See the 2011 print supplement for an article on Benedict XVI.
Gale Virtual Reference Library http://bit.ly/V45QBt OR Ref.  841 .N44

The Dante Encyclopedia

One fascinating pope, Celestine V, not only resigned but more dramatically abdicated, and, according to some interpreters of Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, wound up consequently in the less comic part of that colorfully imagined afterlife.
Ref. PQ4333 .D36

Women in the Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia

This encyclopedia tells of a presumed pope named Joan (yes, a woman) who was never real enough to either resign or abdicate, but who stimulated a lasting legend.
Credo Reference http://bit.ly/V46kaA

International Index to the Performing Arts

For a  humorous take on a fictional pope who, once elected, refused to serve, read reviews here of the recent film Habemus Papam (“We Have a Pope!”); and catch the trailer on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr8O687r-60
Online: http://www.drew.edu/library/er/iip

LexisNexis

It will take some time for evaluations of Benedict XVI’s legacy to reach the reference books.  Scan here for what the world’s newspapers have to say.
Online: http://www.drew.edu/library/er/lexis-nexis

The Holy See

And for the Vatican’s own presentation of Benedict XVI and his legacy, periodically check the Vatican website.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/index.htm

* Warning: browsing reference books are a blessing!

CuteOverload

According to a recent journal article in PLOSone: “The Power of Kawaii,” “viewing cute images promotes a careful behavior and narrows attentional focus.” (http://bit.ly/TE9e4w). So get some cute puppies, kittens, red pandas, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, birds, rabbits, frogs, etc here: something for everyone!
http://cuteoverload.com

EmergencyCompliment

Worrying about finals got you down? Maybe you need an Emergency Compliment to shake you out of it. Visit here for “A steady supply of Emergency Compliments to be used at times of great insecurity.”
http://emergencycompliment.com/

Sporcle

Change is as good as a rest, they say. Try this quiz site to shake the cramps out of your brain with quizzes on everything from Geography to Music to Literature to Religion to Science to Sports to TV.  If you sign up for a free account, you can even make your own quizzes to help you cram.
http://www.sporcle.com

FreeRice

Prefer your mental calisthenics for a cause? Try FreeRice’s vocabulary quizzes; “For each answer you get right, [they] donate 10 grains of rice through the World Food Programme.” Spanish, Italian, Spanish, and Korean language too.
http://freerice.com

JigZone

Jigsaw puzzles your thing? Find online versions here for all skill & time levels.
http://www.jigzone.com/

Classical Music Library

According to PsychCentral: “Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music.” (http://bit.ly/qbBtLQ) Stream or download some from the library subscription:
http://www.drew.edu/library/er/classical-music-library

Encyclopedia of Stress

Want to know more about stress? Check out this reference source at:
Reference BF575 .S75 M235

* Warning: browsing reference sources may distract & relax you!

International Encyclopedia of Public Health

The article “Vaccine, Historical” touches on controversies that have plagued efforts to immunize populations against infectious diseases. (Note: Find more thorough coverage in the book The Vaccine Controversy  in the circulating collection at RA638 .L565 2005.)
Reference RA 423 .I58 2008

Public Health in the 21^st Century: Current Issues in Public Health Policy

Risk benefit analysis, absolute and relative risk, observational studies, experimental studies, validity, confidence intervals… Health news, including that pertaining to vaccines, uses many terms that may be unfamiliar. For a clear treatment of these terms see Chapter 9, “The Role of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in Health News Reporting.” Reference RA 424.8 .P83 2011, vol. 3.

The New Public  Health, 2^nd ed.

In  2002-2004 how many children under the age of 5 died from vaccine preventable diseases in Europe? Worldwide?  World Health Organization statistics reported in this volume show that the answers are 32,000 and 2,550,000, respectively.
Reference RA425 .T77 2009

CDC Vaccine website

Includes links for Vaccine Safety and Adverse Events, Why Vaccinate?, up to date list of vaccine preventable diseases, and the responsibilities of parents who choose not to vaccinate their children.  

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/default.htm

Links about the autism vaccine controversy:

• http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4743
• http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jun/06-why-does-vaccine-autism-controversy-live-on
• http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v10/n5/full/nn0507-531.html
• http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673610601754
• http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d22 Correction: http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d1679
• http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5347
• http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5258
• http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7001
• An Anti-vax site for comparison: http://www.vaccinationnews.com/home-page

 * Warning: browsing reference sources may immunize you to bias!

Plimoth Plantation

The good researchers at the historical site/museum at Plimoth have articles, videos, & interactive features on the Plymoth colonists, the Wampanoag Native Americans they encountered, and the first Thanksgiving.
http://www.plimoth.org/learn/MRL

Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America

What foods did the Native Americans share with Europeans and what foods did they discover in return? See “Native American Foods” for a handy chart.
Online (shortlink: http://bit.ly/10fEPJv) and in print at REF TX349 .E45

Native American Food Plants: An Ethnobotanical Dictionary

Remember the “Three Sisters” of Native American food plants? Check out Zea mays (Maize), Phaseolus (Beans), and Curcurbita (Squash) to see how they were used by different tribes.
REF QK98.5 .N57 M64

Encyclopedia of North American Indians

More about Tisquantum, the Wampanoag, and other Native Americans and their tribes—even a contemporary portrait of Pocahantas! Who lived where? Check out the map in “Indian-White relations in North America before 1776.”
REF E76.2 .E53 1996

Archaeology of Prehistoric Native America : an Encyclopedia

So what was America like long before European settlement? Find information about prehistoric pipes, pithouses, the pre-Clovis culture…
REF E77.9 .A72

American Indian Quotations

While there are no quotations from Tisquantum here, learn a lot about Native American history by browsing this chronological list of famous quotes. From King Philip and Powhatan to Louise Erdich; indexed by subject and tribe.
REF PN6081.4 .A43

* Warning: browsing reference books can be nourishing!

RealClearPolitics

Check the latest election polls from RealClearPolitics, an aggregator of numerous polls:

• Multiple polls http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/
• By state: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/president/
• Senate races: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/senate/
• House races: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/latest_polls/house/

Fact Checkers

There are numerous ones. A partial list exists here:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/elections/list-fact-checking-websites

U.S. Census Demographics

Have the demographics of voting and registration changed over the years? The U.S. Census covers the changes from 1996-2010 at

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/socdemo/voting/

Lexis-Nexis Academic

Read all the issues involved in the election, and the trends in hundreds of national, local and international newspapers through LexisNexis Academic, linked from
http://www.drew.edu/library/research/electronic-resources-by-title

Commission on Presidential Debates

The rise of television allows millions of Americans to hear and see the candidates debate. Read the transcripts of past debates at: 

http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=debate-transcripts

Boards of Elections

How, where, when, what you need to vote? Check the New Jersey Board of Election for answers:

http://nj.gov/state/elections/index.html.

Don’t vote in NJ? Find your state Board of Election by Googling board of elections  site:gov for a list.

* Warning: browsing reference books can be challenging!

Theme of Tipple-Vosburgh lectures, Oct 16-18, 2012 http://www.drew.edu/alumni/events/tipple

Encyclopedia of Politics and Religion

Extensive articles on Christianity place it in political and geo-political context.
Ref. BL65 .P7 E53 2007

Encyclopedia of Minorities in American Politics

Divides into 4 parts, on Hispanic-, Native-, African- and Asian-Americans.  Read up on “Religion and African-American Politics,” “Young Lords,” “Asian American Relations with other Minorities,” and “Christian Colonization of Native Americans.”
Ref. E184 .A1 E574 2000

Encyclopedia of Race, Ethnicity and Society

For clarity on the whole idea of race—as classification, as construction, as profiling—and political ideologies that sustain or deconstruct it.
Online through Sage Reference Online

Mainline Christians and U.S. Public Policy

Overviews denomination policy statements: abortion, sexuality, immigration, etc.
Ref. BR515 .U88 2007

Historic Documents of 2011

An annual publication that for 2011 features signal pronouncements from New York State on same-sex marriage and New York City on Occupy Wall Street, two themes of the Tipple Vosburgh workshops.
Ref. E839.5 .H57

Catholic Almanac, 2012

Find official Catholic reactions to same-sex marriage legislation, the Religious Exemption provision of the Affordable Care Act, & recent states’ immigration laws.
Ref. AY81 .R6

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Encyclopedia

King’s Poor People’s Campaign (1967-68) provides the inspiration for the 5^th Tipple Vosburgh Plenary.  Overview of and bibliography on the Campaign here:
Ref. E185.97 .K5 M334 2008

Religion and Ethics Newsweekly

Site for weekly PBS broadcast on contemporary places of intersection between race, religion, and politics, among other matters, e.g. how religious conviction influences voter preferences.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/

* Warning: browsing reference books can be contentious!

New Encyclopedia of Judaism

What are the religious obligations and traditions of Sukkot? Look here for a complete overview, including the waving of the “four species” (the lulav & etrog).
Online in Credo http://www.drew.edu/library/er/credo-reference

Dictionary of Jewish Lore and Legend

Dig deeper into the lore of this harvest festival: the ancient water-drawing festival (rabbis juggling torches!), prayers for rain, the other harvest festivals, the synagogue procession, and the invoking of symbolic guests, the ushpizin.
Online in Credo http://www.drew.edu/library/er/credo-reference

The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism

Sukkot is often seen as a minor festival today, but in the days of the Temple of Jerusalem it was one of the three major, pilgrimage festivals. Learn about its evolution under “Festivals & Holy Days, Booths or Tabernacles.”
Reference BM 176 .E34

The Encyclopedia of Religion

Curious about other agriculture-related Jewish festivals? Look under “Ecology and Religion: Ecology and Judaism.”
Online at http://www.drew.edu/library/er/encyclopedia-of-religion

Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary

Compare Sukkot to other “Harvest Festivals” here to find out about Zoroastrian Patishahya, Haitian Manger Yam, Lammas and the “ingathering” at British Harvest Home as well as the modern native American Mohegan Homecoming.
Online in Credo http://www.drew.edu/library/er/credo-reference

Ethnic Newswatch

What’s the news on Sukkot? Lulav imports, Jewish jokes, history & philosophy:
Online: http://www.drew.edu/library/er/ethnic-newswatch

Youtube: About that Lulav

Two great Youtube Videos with a festive take on Shaking the Lulav:
Shakin’ the Lulav http://youtu.be/gODQ0pgR64Y and Sukkot Shake: http://youtu.be/EC4IVe61p-0

* Warning: browsing reference books can be joyous!