Marta Bladek
Coupled with the current political climate, the College’s mission to educate for justice has been prominently reflected in the kinds of research questions and interests we have been encountering this Fall at the Reference Desk, in our workshops, and course-tailored library sessions. Fittingly, students and faculty have been seeking more information on critical issues that have been garnering the media and public attention.
The Library offers access to an array of current events resources. One that stands out is the Opposing Viewpoints in Contexts database, readily embraced by students who first encounter it in their first-year library workshop. Faculty who touch on current events and debates in their courses and have students research related topics may want to take a closer look at it.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context appeals to students because of its visual and multimedia-rich platform. It is also easily searchable and browsable by topic. Featured resources range from print-based (news items, including editorials, magazine, and journal articles) to multimedia (NPR podcast and news video clips), with statistics and maps if available. As with a vast majority of databases, students can print, email, save, and get help with citation.
The range of topics Opposing Viewpoints covers complements the ease and convenience of its interface. Regularly updated and featuring newly available content, the database addresses such pressing issues as Confederate Remembrance, Freedom of Speech, Gerrymandering and Redistricting, North Korea, US-Puerto Rico Relations, and many others. The range and variety of information offered allow students to get a fairly comprehensive understanding of an issue, thus providing a great foundation for an in-depth engagement with a topic.
November 2017