Some useful resources at UMass, the Four
Colleges, and in the Valley.
Libraries ||
Research Centers and Programs ||
Language Learning ||
Diversity ||
Professional Development ||
Technology
Libraries
Du Bois is part of the UMass Amherst Library System,
which includes also the Integrated Sciences and Engineering
Library
(located in the Lederle Graduate Research Center), and
the Music Reserve Lab (located in the Fine Arts Center).
The
library holds over 5 million items, as well as thousands
of digital resources. It is open 24/5 when UMass is in
session. Online access to most of the library's electronic
resources,
including databases and
the library
catalog, are available at all times both
on and off campus.
Often referred
to as "the tower library," Du Bois is the tallest
and most easily identifiable building on the UMass Amherst
campus. The building itself
is somewhat difficult to navigate, since none its five
elevators services all the available 28 floors. However,
it has become more welcoming recently, with
the introduction of the Learning
Commons and the Procrastination Station café.
In addition to its already impressive
collection, the library grants easy access to the
other Five
College libraries.
UMass students and faculty may check out books directly
from the other libraries, or request them for delivery
to Du Bois. Delivery takes between one and three
business days from the time of the request. Books,
films, and articles available at other libraries in the
US can be requested through the Interlibrary
Loan Service.
Depending on availability, these
requests may take between several days and a month to arrive.
The library
hosts the so-called Academic Liaison Program, through
which librarians with extensive
background in a specific academic discipline are
available to teach library research
classes and assist students and
faculty with inquiries particular
to their field. The Comparative
Literature Liaison Librarian, Liz Fitzpatrick,
has compiled a Comparative
Literature Research Guide,
and is available for consultations at (413) 545-5963
and ebf@library.umass.edu.
The Jones Library is conveniently
located in downtown Amherst,
and is one of the three branches
of the Amherst Public Library,
together with the Munson
Memorial Library in South Amherst
and the North
Amherst Library in North Amherst.
The Jones Library is free and open to
Amherst residents (a photo
id and proof of current address are needed to
obtain membership). In addition to its vast fiction
and non-fiction
collection, the Library holds a large section of children's
literature, as well as up-do-date magazine subscriptions,
films, and other media. A full list of the Library's
special
collections,
as well as a list of resources are available online.
The Jones Library is
also the home of the Burnett
Gallery which
exhibits the work of artists from Amherst and the
surrounding area.
The DEFA
film library is an invaluable resource for
the study of East German film. Founded in 1990, the
library
offers a variety of services to interested researchers,
including but not limited to film rentals and sales,
access to research materials, and the coordination
of film series,
summer institutes, conferences, and seminars. For
additional information, please visit the library's
website.
Research Centers and Programs
The Five College Center for East Asian Studies
(FCCEAS) is a program available through Five
Colleges, Incorporated.
The Center is committed to teaching and promoting East
Asian culture at the university level, as well
as in elementary and secondary schools.
The Center's Resource
library is available to scholars and educators working on East
Asian topics. FCCEAS regularly conducts seminars
and workshops for educators, and
publishes a quarterly newsletter.
The
Amherst Center for Russian Culture was established in
1991, and holds what is believed to be "the world's
largest private holding of Russian books, manuscripts, newspapers,
and
periodicals." The
materials cover in depth the achievements of Russian culture
in modern times, with an emphasis on emigration. Comprised
of tens of thousands
of volumes, and a vast archive, the collection is available
to researchers and students on request.
The
Massachusetts Center for Renaissance Studies
is devoted to the study of the culture and achievements
of the Renaissance
period. Located on the grounds of the former 28-acre estate
of Winthrop Saltonstall
Dakin, the
Center features a variety of seminars, workshops, and
conferences, as well as an outreach
program for the Amherst community. The Center's library holds over 25,000 items, as well as a large collection of books printed
in the Northeast between 1500 and 1700.
Founded
in 1997 as a "center dedicated to new teaching and scholarship
on the Americas," CISA serves as a forum that brings together
faculty and researchers from the Five-College area. In
an attempt to distance
itself from the traditional North-South dichotomy, the
Center offers a unique approach to current issues in the
Americas by adopting a triangular
model of work, involving the Old World, the New World,
and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. CISA sponsors
and organizes a number of activities
and events every semester, including student symposia
and guest lecture series.
CLACLS
is a program that "promotes interdisciplinary research
and education on Latin America and the Caribbean and on Latino
culture throughout
the Americas." The Center consistently organizes conferences,
guest speaker series, workshops, and other activities
related to the study
and dissemination of Latin American and Caribbean culture.
Interested students may enroll in the interdisciplinary
Latin American Studies
program that offers both graduate and undergraduate certificates.
Language Learning
Originally founded
as the Five College Foreign Language Resource
Center in 1987, the Five College Center for the
Study of World Languages is the home of the supervised
independent
language program
(FCSILP). The Center offers mentored and independent
studies in languages not commonly taught
through the Five-College Consortium,
as well as
various resources for language study.
The Language Media Resource provides online
visual, audio, and text resources for the
study of languages and dialects
not commonly offered as courses in the United States.
Featured languages
include
Bulgarian, Norwegian, Wolof, and Kiswahili among
others. Access to the Language Media Resource
is free to educators and private users.
Diversity
The
Five College Women's Studies Research Center
was founded in 1991 with the purpose of encouraging "engaged,
critical feminist scholarship from diverse perspectives." Each
year the Center hosts a number of researchers
from various countries. Visiting
scholars have full access to resources in the Five-College
Consortium, and are encouraged
to present their work to the local community.
Established
in 1972, Everywoman's Center sponsors five different
programs "designed
to serve the needs of the diverse cultural and
linguistic populations of the University and surrounding community." The
Center offers counseling, resource referrals, support groups,
and workshops on a wide variety of issues aimed at preventing
and dealing with violence
against women.
The
Stonewall Center organizes numerous formal and
informal activities and events in an attempt to provide "support, advocacy,
and programming for LGBT students, staff, and faculty at
UMass Amherst." Various
employment and volunteer work opportunities are available
at the Center. Please visit their website for more information.
Professional Development
Formally
established in 1989, the CFT offers consultation
services, workshops, resources,
and individual grants in
order "to
provide support for teaching and learning at the University
of Massachusetts Amherst." All of the Center's activities are organized
with the aim not only to improve teaching, but also to "encourage
collegiality and the intellectual growth of faculty and graduate students
as teachers
both within and between departments and colleges."
The Career Services office,
located in 511 Goodell Building, offers a wide
variety of support programs and other assistance
on all career-related issues, including job searches,
job applications, interview
preparation, etc. Graduating students can facilitate
the job search process by opening a file with
Career Services. Individual Career Service
representatives can be invited to speak to undergraduate
classes.
Technology
UMass
supports and operates state-of-the-art technology
resources, including computer
labs, web course tools, and telecommunications
services. Students are strongly encouraged to become
acquainted with and to take full advantage
of the available resources.
AIMS
provides video services, equipment delivery,
and other audio-visual technical
support. TAs and faculty can
request
DVD/VHS
players, data projectors, and other equipment
for use in the classroom. AIMS also offers
VHS, DVD, and CD duplication services, as
well as media transfers and international format conversions.
Note: This
is a limited list of some of the
resources relevant to the study of Comparative
Literature
and available at UMass, the Five College Consortium,
and in the Amherst area. The research
page of the UMass website
offers a more exhaustive list.
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