AUC Reference

Questions on National Refugee Laws

Students in FMRS are now doing their research papers and must find legal documents to use as sources.  Many people will be looking for national laws regarding refugees. 

For those doing research on Europe, the US, Canada, Asia, South Africa or Australia, please direct them to the government pages regarding immigration/refugees (google-able) AND also direct them to http://www.refugeecaselaw.org/links_3.asp

For those doing research on other countries, specifically in South America and Africa, our resources are slim, but there are some good things to be found at http://www.worldlii.org/catalog/215.html  if you search under the country you are interested in.  *NB: you must know the language of the country you are researching to read most of these laws (not local languages, but things like English, French, or Spanish).

Also, this section of the UNHCR site may be a useful resource.

http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/template?page=research&src=/static/legal.html
Under the RefLeg-National Legislation section you can select your country in the drop down box.  You can also use this site to search refugee policy documents by country. Universal and regional instruments.

Book Reviews for Middle East Studies

The "21 Best in MES" list is a good start for students looking for books to review. It  available on page 9 of this newsletter:

http://www.aucegypt.edu/academic/mesc/PDF/MESC%20November%202005%20Issue.pdf

RHET 103 American Dream

I created a course guide:

http://aucref.typepad.com/library_instruction/2006/10/rhet_103_the_am.html

American Dream RHET 103 (check Murle's folder at the desk, too)

Some of the RHET 103/American Dream students are having trouble narrowing their topics related to the American Dream. Our catalog has some titles that look pretty good. And to help students identify some characteristics of the "American Dream":

1)From Oxford Reference Online:

American dream

پ¨ n. 
the traditional social ideals of the U.S., such as equality, democracy, and material prosperity.

2)A WebQuest from the Library of Congress:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/97/dream/index.html

3)From Wikipedia:

"The American Dream is the belief that in the United States of America, hard work can lead to a better life, usually through the earnings of money. These were values held by many early European settlers. People think the American dream is to have two children and live in a suburban house with financial security and have 2 car garage. Currently this iconic middle class lifestyle is lived by a sizable minority.[1] [2] The American Dream has been criticized for its emphasis on material possessions as a way of finding happiness."

Human Rights Search Engine

International Legal Search Engine: Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

http://www.whatconvention.org/

A trilingual legal search engine that provides systematic access to Human rights and  humanitarian law. With over 250 international conventions analyzed article by article, it  provides functions such as:

• access to a country’s obligations
• access to the key articles
• reservations made by the country
• customary law when relevant
• status of ratifications

Languages

• French
• English
• Spanish

New Reference Books, Issue 1, 2006

1- Historical dictionary of Western Sahara / Anthony G. Pazzanita.Published Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2006. Edition: 3rd ed.
Call# Ref DT 346 S7 P38 2006

 

The most recent edition of a dictionary that started in 1982. Quite interesting! has some distinctive features:

-Has a chronology that ranges from 5000 BC all the way till 28th of October 2005!! (19 pages!) extremely useful too.

-Here is the most striking (for me): The extensive bibliography that ranges from page 459 till page 521 has its own table of contents! there is even an introduction there!

Apart from this, the dictionary itself is a very strong and useful tool for anybody interested in this part of the MENA region and its dynamics.

easy to manage format, could follow you easily to any conference (if you ever needed it)

2- Encyclopedia of the Palestinians / edited by Philip Mattar. Published New York : Facts on File, c2005. Edition Rev. ed.
Call# DS 113.6 E53 2005

 

It's another Facts on File good source, not too big to handle yet not so convenient to carry around for too long.

Has Maps, Illustrations, tables and charts..., a good chronology (very useful Year 638-Jan 9 2005) and an annotated bibliography that is indeed quite useful! Also you want to check the part entitled "Documents" pages 605 till 665...what any student would eventually need! extremely interesting!!

3- Encyclopedia of Arab and Islamic units of measurement ,With Their Modern Equivalents, (lengths, Areas, Weights, Measure) (Arabic source) Published Bayrut : Maktabat Lubnan Nashirun, 2002. (Librairie Du Liban Publishers)
Call# QC 89 A65 F35 2002   

 

A heads up: Watch out for these publishers: "Librairie Du Liban Publishers" They issue extremely interesting material concerning Arabic language and linguistics!!

 

This is a first of its kind source according to the description given inside, of an extremely interesting subject. The rather "long" title says it all.
However, inside, you will also find records the job-related units of measure like for men of medicine and Arab pharmacologists...fascinating!
I had the chance of handling some of the Arab glass weights that belonged to a friend of the family and I must say they were really like little precious things! captivating!
Carries explanations and comparisons to more than 400 units of measurement!!
Great resource!

 

4- Dictionary of Expressions (Arabic source) Published Bayrut : Maktabat Lubnan Nashirun, 2002. (Librairie Du Liban Publishers)
Call# PJ 6167 Q25 2002 

 

Another great resource from Librairie du Liban publishers! Arabic expressions explained. the real control of a language (or how to blend in) rests in its expressions (in my humble opinion). So there you have it: Idioms, Terms and phrases,...etc.
very convenient tool.

 

5- Dictionary of confusable words / [edited by] Adrian Room ; acquisition director, Anne-Lucie Norton. Published Chicago, IL : Fitzroy Dearborn Publ., 2000
Call# PE 1591 D53 2000

 

Another helpful tool but this time for the English language. Exposes some errors of usage in the English language. For instance: Complement & Compliment, Grand & Great, Obstacle & Obstruction, Naked & Nude (there is a difference??), Tortuous & Torturous, and the curious Arabic origins of Zenith & Nadir (highest & lowest points)
I enjoyed this one as you might suspect...

 

6- Women and Islam : critical concepts in sociology / edited by Haideh Moghissi. 
Published New York : Routledge, c2005
call# HQ1170 .W555 2005

 

3 volumes of everything you wanted to know about Women and Islam!! quite an important resource! Tackles subjects like social conditions, legal status, laws, etc. Also Feminism and the like, all concerning Muslim women.
vol 1 talks about "Images and realities", vol 2 is about "Social conditions, obstacles, and prospects", and finally, vol 3 works on the issues of "Womens's movements in Muslim societies".
Very very interesting and useful!!

 

7- Human rights and the world's major religions. Published Westport, CT : Praeger, 2005.
Call# BL 65 H78 H8595 2005

 

5 volumes taking up the many issues of human rights and pitting these against the world's major religions! vol. 1, The Jewish tradition, v. 2, The Christian tradition, v. 3, The Islamic tradition, v. 4, The Hindu tradition, v. 5, The Buddhist tradition.
Very extensive, covers historical periods as well as present issues: Life, Women, slavery, War...
Has primary sources, biographies and annotated bibliographies that: "offer excellent resources for further study".
Also the major religious views vis-a-vis human rights are duly related.
quite good and useful.

 

8- The destructive power of religion : violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam / J. Harold Ellens, editor. Published Westport, Conn. : Praeger, 2004
Call# BL 65 V55 D47 2004 

 

4 volumes entitled as follows: v. 1. Sacred scriptures, ideology, and violence. v. 2. Religion, psychology, and violence. v. 3. Models and cases of violence in religion. v. 4. Contemporary views on spirituality and violence.
Fits extremely well with the previous resource (Human rights and the world's major religions)
Printed on the back cover is a very precise annotation, and here it is: "Dozens of studies by 30 senior experts from five nations examine the influence of sacred texts shaping human nature, society, and political and military strategies in the Western world over the last 3,000 years."

The contributors backgrounds and the religions they wrote about seem to be an interesting angle when tackling such a work in my humble opinion...don't know why I wrote that...

 

9- Encyclopedia of religion and war / Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez, editor. Published New York, NY : Routledge, 2004.
Call# BL 80.3 E53 2004

 

Another resource dealing with religion and violence...seems to be very popular here!
Indeed the connection between war and religions is a hot topic at the moment...
The pictures on the cover however (for me) convey a somewhat different meaning...7 out of 8 pics are making me think more of Martial Arts, Racial Violence and Civil War rather than linking war and religion together, but that's maybe just me.
This work is of but one volume and presents about 130 entries that analyze why religious beliefs can and did generate and fuel wars. Many past & present conflict's religious roots are examined here. Very useful and interesting.

Psychological Tests and Tools

Here are the 2 free  sites for psychological tests and tools. 

http://www.psychtests.com/tests/index.html

www.queendom.com/tests

SRC Library Document Delivery

The SRC library holdings are displayed in our catalog. The SRC librarian (Nadia Zakaria) has agreed to the following procedure:

1. Undergraduates:  go to the SRC library to use their collections (Cairo Center, Kasr el Aini St, 11th floor; open Sun - Thurs, 8.30-3.30 p.m.).

2. Faculty and graduates:  place their requests using our online request form. IMPORTANT: please inform them to write SRC LIBRARY  in the "Comments" field. We will borrow them through the Document Delivery Office, for use in the Main Library only. Turnaround time: 1-2 working days. Collect the document from the Reference Desk.

PROCEDURE FOR REFERENCE STAFF:

These documents will be placed in a box labeled "SRC" for library users to collect. Reference staff should issue the SRC document against the patron’s ID card. Each document will include a piece of paper with the name of the requester and date. When the user returns the document, check if s/he will need it again. If not, please cross out the name and date so that we know that we can return the document to SRC. This was the procedure used with USAID documents. The only difference is that the request is submitted online instead of at the Reference Desk.

Following is the address in the SRC website: http://www.aucegypt.edu/src/

Social Research Center
The American University in Cairo
106 Kasr El Aini St. Cairo, Egypt
PO BOX 2511, 11511 Cairo, Egypt

Tel: (202)7976940/6962/6942
Fax (202) 795-7298
Email : src@aucegypt.edu

This one is their address given to me by their Librarian and is easier to find:

106, Kasr El Aini St. opposite Shura Council 11th floor Cairo Center

You can always refer patrons to the Document Delivery office anytime, provided there is someone available.

Thanks, Hoda

FMRS Information at Reference Desk

Information on the grey files is now avaible in a folder labled FMRS at the Reference Desk  (in the red metal box next to the phone directory, campus maps, statistical guides, etc).

Document Delivery Article Pick Up

Please refer patrons who have received a letter from the ILL office about an article that we have received on their behalf to the  Print Station to pick it up. This information is  included in the e-mail that patrons receive, yet they don't all read it!

Here is an example of the e-mail notification that automatically gets sent to patrons when we receive a paper copy of the article for them:

Today this item was received for your use from Pennsylvania State University.  Faculty do not need to come to the library as the articles are sent electronically to their e-mail addresses. All others, please collect from the Print Station on the first floor of the main Library.

Sincerely,
ILL Staff The American University in Cairo Library
E-mail: docdel@aucegypt.edu

FMRS Records in Catalog

Please be aware of a new set of call numbers in the  library catalog.  People will start to see call numbers that are a letter/number combination, such as LSU-64, A-35.6, or SU-21.5/3 .  These combinations are derived from the British Refugee Council Classification Scheme and are being used to catalog the FMRS grey files collection (the logic to the system is very straight-forward and I have several keys for users at my desk, in case someone just wants to browse).  To make sure the item is in the FMRS grey files, you should find its designation (“FMRS Grey Files Collection”) in the “alternate title” field at the bottom of the listing. It looks  like this in the catalog:
Add title    FMRS Grey Files Collection.

Anyone wishing to use this collection should come to Wallace Annex in the microform room during my open hours (2:00-6:00 pm Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday) or by appointment which can be made via email: eke@aucegypt.edu

Thanks! Emily