Nasty Svitavsky

Okay, so I've been in college for longer than I would have liked to be, and I have written more research papers than I would have liked to write. I had very low expectations for the research session in the library on wednesday morning. I feel like every semester I go through one of these, even at the other universities that I have attended. So as you would have guessed, I went into the session with low enthusiasm and yearning for the comfort of my bed. I'm not sure if I have ever met anyone as exuberant about digital research as Dr. Svitavsky (Is that how you spell it?). He also seemed to have a passion for history, admitting that he actually bought one of the historical research books he was presenting to us. Anyway, his overall positive demeanor really hooked me in and grabbed my full attention. First off, he passed around some historical reference books that were pretty interesting. My favorite had to have been the Gazetteer. It was so fascinating to go through and look at the history of one of my hometowns (Umatilla...I know, sounds awesome right?). He did have a slight obsession with Oak Park, Illinois, and I don't think he ever explained why, although I have a sneaking suspicion it may be where he is from. After glancing at some of the reference books he passed around, he showed some useful scholarly journals on the e-catalog such as J-stor and Proquest. Overall, it was a positive experience and I took away many useful tips that will undoubtedly go into the creation of my research paper.