Come join us for Wednesday Nights @ Burling, a series of events that showcase the talents of local writers, singers, and musicians!
February 24, 4:30 p.m.
Open Information Culture and Its Limits: A Faculty-Student Panel
Featuring: Matt Horowitz ‘10, Matthew Kluber, Associate Professor of Art, John Stone, Lecturer in Computer Science, Gregg Whitworth, Assistant Professor of Biology, Richard Fyffe, Rosenthal Librarian of the College.
Exploring questions like: Do operating systems have politics? If knowledge, information, and culture can be freely distributed, should they be? What good does copyright do? If it’s all free on the Web, why should anyone pay?
Sponsored by the Rosenfield Program Working Group on Information & Society
Location: Burling Northwest Corner, First Floor
February 24, 7:45 p.m.
Will Freeman reads from his memoir, "Great Thunder's Lessons"
Location: Burling Northwest Corner, First Floor
March 3, 7:45 p.m.
Open Mic: Poetry, Music, Prose
Location: Faulconer Gallery
March 10, 7:45 p.m.
Harley McIlrath reads from his short story, "Memo from the Director of the Center for Prairie Studies"
Location: Burling Northwest Corner, First Floor
April 21, 7:45 p.m.
Molly Rideout, Lawrence Sumalong, Paul Bellora, and Lucy Schiller read from their poetry and fiction
Location: Burling Northwest Corner, First Floor
April 28, 7:45 p.m.
Open Mic: Poetry, Music, Prose
Location: Faulconer Gallery
April 29, ALL DAY
National Poem in Your Pocket Day!
Pick up, carry around, share poetry
Poems available at Burling, Kistle, and JRC
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Spring 2010 Events Hosted by the Libraries
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Wednesday, March 3 All-campus Presentation on Updated Campus Master Plan for Libraries and Academic Commons
Libraries and the Academic Commons: Teaching, Learning and Research on the Liberal Arts College Campus
Wednesday, March 3 at 4:15 in JRC101
Grinnell College is updating its campus master plan, with a focus on humanities and social science buildings and on Burling Library and Information Technology Services. As part of an interactive presentation and discussion with the Grinnell College Community, Janette Blackburn from the architectural firm Shepley Bulfinch will share her view of trends affecting library and academic commons spaces on college campuses and seek your thinking on how these apply to Grinnell. All students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.
Janette Blackburn, AIA, LEED AP, is a Principal at Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott and a leader of the firm’s education and library practice. As lead architect and planner on over 30 higher education and library projects, Janette excels at building consensus among diverse client constituents. Her work is informed by a deep understanding of teaching and learning environments and the variety of programs supporting community life on campus. Current and recent clients include Grinnell, Colorado College, Occidental College, Amherst College, and Duke, Columbia and Princeton Universities. She is a LEED accredited professional. She received her Bachelor of Architecture degree from Ball State University and was a Fulbright Scholar at the Helsinki Institute of Technology in Finland.
For more information on the Campus Master Plan Update, please see http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/institutionalplanning/updatedescription
Marci Sortor, VP for Institutional Planning
Richard Fyffe, Librarian of the College
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
What's New at the Libraries Spring 2010
When you search the Grinnell College Libraries catalog, you will now see a button that says “Send via Text Message.” Clicking on that button will allow you to text the book’s call number to your cellphone – no more scribbling call numbers on scraps of paper! Standard text messaging rates apply.
Google Scholar
Previously, when clicking on "Search for full text" and finding that a copy of an article was not available locally either online or in print, you were given the option to request the article via Interlibrary Loan. In addition, you are now given an option to search Google Scholar to see if an open access/free copy of the article is available. If not, you can still obtain the article through Interlibrary Loan (at no cost to you).
Increased loan period for video material to faculty
By popular demand, the faculty check-out period for video materials is increased from 1 week to 4 weeks.
Academic Resource Centers (ARC) Workshops
The Libraries, Writing Lab, and Reading Lab have teamed up to offer a number of on-demand workshops intended to provide students, faculty, and staff with focused help to improve and deepen academic skills and work. ARC Workshops are available by request or referral for either individuals or small groups. For more information and a brochure of this service, contact Rebecca Stuhr via phone 3674 or email [stuhr].
Selected New Resources
Facsimiles of Mozart’s Operas
We have added seven facsimiles editions of Mozart’s operas including Così Fan Tutte, the Marriage of Figaro, the Magic Flute, and others.
Music Reference Online from Alexander Street Press
Smithsonian Collections Search Center
The Smithsonian recently unveiled its Collections Search Center http://collections.si.edu/search. This tool provides one-stop searching of the Smithsonian’s in- house and web-based collections.
EconLit, formerly available through the OCLC FirstSearch interface, is now available through EBSCOhost. The content is the same and you can still find EconLit via the Databases A-Z link on the Libraries homepage or through a number of Subject Guides.
Extended Reference Hours
During the Fall semester, we implemented a new approach to reference service. We involved students in providing reference and information services. Students at the circulation desk (Peer Information Advisors or PIAs) received intensified training in basic assistance with the catalog, databases, etc., and student Reference Assistants began working at the reference desk during certain afternoon and evening hours, allowing us to expand those hours.
We found the experiment successful and will continue offering these services this Spring. If you have any questions or comments about the service, please let us know. You'll find our complete Reference schedule at http://www.lib.grinnell.edu/general/libhours.html.
And remember, students and faculty can always contact http://www.grinnell.edu/academic/librarylab/ or query@grinnell.edu to schedule an individual or group reference consultation with a librarian!
Earlier Opening during the Week
Starting soon, date to be announced, the Libraries will open at 7:45am Monday-Friday in order to help accommodate faculty, students, and staff who need to check-out or return materials before 8am classes.
The Grinnell College Libraries are now on Facebook! Become a Fan of our Page to receive news and announcements via Facebook as well as view photos from events such as Wednesday Nights @ Burling and semester-end study breaks, and more.
Upcoming Events at Burling
The Libraries will once again present Wednesday Nights @ Burling featuring Grinnell College writers Will Freeman and Harley McIlrath, Grinnell College student writers, Molly Rideout, Lawrence Sumulong, Lucy Schiller, and Paul Bellora. In collaboration with Faulconer Gallery, the libraries will be hosting two open mic nights to be held at Faulconer. Look for posters advertising dates and times or contact [stuhrr].
Repeat, Reveal, React and Influence: Student and Faculty Selections from Grinnell College Collections (January 29, 2010- March 21, 2010)
In Repeat, Reveal, React: Identities in Flux, student curators examine the ways in which art contributes to the construction of identities and the role that repetition plays in this process. Influence, curated by four Grinnell College faculty members, explores the concept of influence as it is expressed historically, genetically, culturally, artistically, technically, contextually, and genealogically.
Monday, January 25, 2010
2010 Favorite Films Festival This Weekend, January 29-31, 2010
The 4th Annual Favorite Films Festival will be held at Harris Center Cinema on the Grinnell College campus on Friday through Sunday, Jan. 29-31. The days and times:
Fri. 1/29:
4:30 p.m. Pan's Labyrinth
7:30 p.m. The Shining
10:30 p.m. Blazing Saddles
Sat. 1/30:
1:30 p.m. Blazing Saddles
7:30 p.m. Pan's Labyrinth
10:30 p.m. The Shining
Sun. 1/31:
1:30 p.m. Pan's Labyrinth
Showings are free and open to the public.
The films were selected by the college community as their favorite Western, Science fiction, and Horror films.
The festival is co-sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries and the Student Government Association Films Committee.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Afrocentric Sounds to Honor Still on MLK Day
Afrocentric Sounds radio will pay tribute to American composer William Grant Still with a broadcast of the composer’s works on this year’s Martin Luther King Holiday. The broadcast, to be presented on January 18th, will include a wide range of Still’s compositions for solo instruments, voice, as well as chamber and large ensembles.
Known as the Dean of African American composers, Still’s educational and professional career spanned both popular and Classical music as he worked with musicians from W. C. Handy, Sophie Tucker, Paul Whiteman, and Artie Shaw to George Chadwick and Edgard Varese. Still broke many barriers, such as becoming the first African American to have a symphony performed by a major symphony orchestra, the first African American to conduct a major symphony orchestra in the United States, and the first African American to have an opera produced by a major American company.
Still is credited with over 150 compositions, including art songs, operas, ballets, symphonic and chamber works. He composed and arranged music for radio and for motion pictures, including the 1936 film, Pennies from Heaven and 1937’s Lost Horizon.
The Internet radio station Afrocentric Sounds launched in November 2009. It is the second station launched by music researcher Randye Jones (Listening Room Supervisor in Burling Library), whose recent performances and work have focused on African American musicians. Jones currently serves on the library staff at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa.
The “All Is Still” program has been made possible by the generous donation of numerous recordings by the composer’s daughter, Judith Anne Still. The broadcast may be heard by accessing the station at http://www.live365.com/stations/singin1?site=live365. For more information about Afrocentric Sounds, visit http://www.afrocentricsounds.com.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Library Student Assistants Honor Cinema’s “Golden Year”
1939 was a monumental year for cinema. Some historians have minted it as the greatest year in film history. Indeed, some of the 20th Century’s most memorable titles, including Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, came out during that year. The selections for 1939’s Oscars were so great that instead of the normal five nominations for Best Picture, ten films were nominated in this category.
Throughout November, student assistants from Burling Library’s Listening Room are honoring the seventieth anniversary of this memorable year in cinema by creating posters, presentations, and displays about films released in 1939. Be sure to check out the display of books on the first floor of Burling about the political, social, and cultural landscape that inspired the explosion of excellent cinema during this historic year. Related projects by Listening Room student assistants are also on display in the Listening Room and on the library’s first floor. The topics, ranging from censorship in 1939 films to film directors, are listed in more detail below.
The Libraries will co-sponsor an evening of “Pizza and a Movie” with SGA Films and the Student Government Association on Thursday, November 19th, at 7:00 pm in the Forum South Lounge. The featured film is one of 1939’s finest, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Appetizers, pizza, and beverages will be provided, and the event is free and open to the public. (Organized by Madeleine Allen ’10 and Rachel Smith ’11)
Other presentations are:
“Then & Now” (Katie Jones ’10) – Series of posters that compare how musicals, westerns and gangster movies have changed from 1939 to more recent releases. Highlights continuity and changes in those genres over the years. Location: Listening Room near the public computer terminal.
“The Good, The Bad, and the Censored” (Molly Kennedy ’11) -- An examination of films that either broke, cleverly bent or followed the “Hays Code” production guidelines that had been implemented just five years earlier. Presents a wide range of examples and what, if any, consequences resulted from those code violations. Location: Center of first floor book display.
“1939 Movie Posters” (Susan Kikuchi ’11) -- Examines advertisements from the three top grossing films of that year, with reproductions of each poster and a short analysis of the advertising schemes used. Specifically, it addresses target audience and strategic visual cues used to convey information about the films. Location: Window near the first floor entry to Burling.
“1939: The Arrival of Color to Movie Mainstream” (Michele Moore ’10) -- Presentation discussing the history of the use of color in films, obstacles to its use, its presence in the feature films, The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind, and why mainstream films continued to be produced in black & white for decades after the process proved to be technically and commercially successful. URL: http://www.lib.grinnell.edu/collections/1939a.pdf.
“The Hays Code and the Films of 1939” (Thanh Nguyen ’12) – Explains what the Hays Production Code was and why it was created. Lists guidelines of the code. Locations: First floor display area and Listening Room.
“The Golden Year of Hollywood: An Analysis of Socio-Political Factors Contributing to the Success of the 1939 Motion Pictures” (Musa Rahman ’10) – Poster addresses some of the reasons why 1939 was such a successful year for film and explores the political and social backdrop of the time. Location: First floor book display.
“Victor Fleming: Hollywood’s Golden Director” (Andrew Stephenson ’10) -- Director Victor Fleming's steady hand oversaw the completion of both The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. Poster discusses why Fleming replaced directors who had proceeded him and includes some interesting anecdotes about the director’s interactions with actor Judy Garland and his role in the development of the screenplay for Gone with the Wind. Location: Listening Room near the public computer terminal.
Project brochure (Caitlin Vaughan ’10) – Description of the 1939 Project including the purpose of the project and short descriptions of the 1939 films the Listening Room has in its collection. Includes a list of the other Listening Room student assistants and summary of their project presentations. Locations: First floor display area and Listening Room.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Monday, December 14, Ipod Rave for Study Breaks @ Burling
The libraries and Library SEPC are hosting an Ipod RAVE for Study Breaks @ Burling, Monday night, December 14 at 9:00 PM, Northwest Corner of Burling 1st floor. Contact [odonogh] or [schneide2] for a playlist, load the songs onto your mp3 device, and come take a break to dance and to enjoy homemade cookies and milk (or just dance or just enjoy cookies and milk) at Burling. Study Breaks with Cookies and Milk also Tuesday and Wednesday Night at 9:00 p.m. Same location.
Questions? Contact [stuhrr], [gilbertk], [schneide2], and [odonogh]
Tuesday Night, December 15, Study Breaks @ Burling: Improv!!
Take a break from studying and relax with Grinnell's own Improv Troupe. Enjoy homemade cookies and milk at the same time. The Libraries and the Library SEPC invite you to take a break at Burling Library's first floor Northwest Corner (around the corner from the entrance), Tuesday evening, December 15, 9:00 PM.
Study Breaks will also take place on Monday and Wednesday at the same time and place. IPOD Rave on Monday night, Swing Dance Club performs on Wednesday night.
Questions? Contact [stuhrr], [gilbertk], or [isaadani]
Wednesday Afternoon, December 16, Study Breaks @ Burling: Meditative Yoga
Minna Mahlab will lead a 30 minute session of meditative yoga in Burling Library, Wednesday of finals week, 2:00 p.m. Take a study break and refresh your body and renew your mind. Exact location within the library to be determined. Come a little before 2:00 PM and we will get you to the right spot. Questions? contact [stuhrr]
Wednesday Night, December 16 Study Breaks @ Burling: Swing Dance!
The libraries and Library SEPC are hosting Grinnell College's Swing Dance Club for Study Breaks @ Burling, Wednesday night, December 16 at 9:00 PM, Northwest Corner of Burling 1st floor. Six couples from the Swing Dance Club will be performing. Come enjoy the entertainment and enjoy homemade cookies and milk at Burling. Study Breaks with Cookies and Milk also Monday and Tuesday Night at 9:00 p.m. Same location.
Questions? Contact [stuhrr], [gilbertk], [rideoutm]
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Fall Semester Events Hosted by the Libraries
Come join us for Wednesday Nights @ Burling, a series of events that showcase the talents of local writers, singers, and musicians!
September 1, Tuesday night at 7:30pm—Prairie Reading: Below the Surface: A Reading of Prairie Texts. Refreshments will be served.
Location: Faulconer Gallery
September 16, Wednesday night at 7:45pm—Dan McCue: When News Breaks the Daily Show Fixes It: The role and importance of political satire. Refreshments will be served.
Location: First floor, Burling Library
October 28, Wednesday night at 7:45pm—Grinnell High School Students Read Poetry at Burling; David Paige, Grinnell College and Bill Rudolph, Grinnell High School, Instructors. Refreshments will be served.
Location: First floor, Burling Library
November 5, Thursday night at 7:45pm—Open Mic: Music, Poetry, Prose. Refreshments will be served.
Location: Faulconer Gallery
November 24, Tuesday night at 4:15pm-Darwin Group Reading to Mark the 150th Anniversary of the Origin of Species. The Libraries and Biology will be hosting a group reading from the works of Darwin. Refreshments will be served.
Location: First floor, Burling Library
December 2, Wednesday night at 7:45pm—Students from the Craft of Poetry read their Poetry at Burling; Ralph Savarese, Instructor. Refreshments will be served.
Location: First floor, Burling Library
Sunday, October 25, 2009
2010 Favorite Films Festival Survey
Members of the college community are invited to vote for the films between Sunday, November 1 through Sunday, November 15 to be shown at the fourth annual Grinnell College Favorite Films Festival.
The three categories this year are:
Fantasy
Horror
Westerns
The only limit is that the films selected must be part of the Grinnell College Libraries' collections. You can search the library catalog by clicking http://cat.lib.grinnell.edu/search~S0/X?SEARCH=&SORT=D&m=g
The survey will be open for voting on PioneerWeb from Sunday, November 1st through Sunday, November 15th. The winning films will be announced shortly afterwards and will be shown on campus Friday, January 29, through Sunday, January 31, 2010.
BTW, the films shown at last year’s festival were:
Film Noir – Maltese Falcon
Foreign Films - Amelie
Animated Films - Beauty and the Beast
The Favorite Films Festival is co-sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries and the Student Government Association Films Committee. For more information, contact Randye Jones at jonesran@grinnell.edu or the Films Committee at films@grinnell.edu.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Grinnell College Libraries' Open House, Friday, August 28 from 4-5:30 p.m.
The Grinnell College Libraries invite you to our Open House. Learn about the library. Enjoy food! Win Prizes!
Student assistants in the Libraries provide tours. Book store gift certificates will be raffled. Unravel the mysteries of the Libraries while enjoying FREE food and festivities!
Monday, March 16, 2009
MAP Presentation in Burling, May 5
Hannah Zurko will be presenting her final art installation of her MAP, "Drawing through Space", in Burling Library on Tuesday, May 5th. She will be discussing a semester long project exploring the possibilities of drawing in a three-dimensional space and the process of this installation. The talk and reception will begin at 4:15 on the first floor; all are welcome to attend.
Burling Study Breaks, May 11-13
The libraries will be hosting study breaks featuring entertainment, homemade cookies (made by the library staff!) and milk at 9:00 P.M, Monday (May 11), Tuesday (May 12), and Wednesday (May 13) of finals week.
Monday night come enjoy the Improv comedy troupe. Tuesday night come hear Con Brio (female acapella choir). Wednesday night take a break with the library staff reading their favorite stories.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Spring Semester Events Hosted by the Libraries
This spring, Evenings @ Burling continues to showcase the talents of Grinnell students and community members. Please join us as we enjoy their fiction, poetry, and music!
February 11, Wednesday night at 7:45pm—Bill Rudolph will read from his poetry.
Rudolph, former president of the Iowa Poetry Association and Christa McAuliffe Fellow, earned his MFA in Poetry Writing from Vermont College—where his mentors included Roger Weingarten, Leslie Ullman and Mark Cox; he has also studied under Edward Hirsch at Breadloaf and Jane Mead at the University of Iowa. His poetry has appeared in The Nebraska Review, Rosebud, Quarterly West, Rattle, The Comstock Review, The English Journal, The South Dakota Review, The Briar Cliff Review, The University of Iowa’s 100 Words, The Mid-America Poetry Review, Byline, and other journals. He teaches literature, writing and humanities in Grinnell, Iowa, where he lives with his wife, Paula, and their two children.
Refreshments will be served.
Location: first floor, Burling Library
March 4, Wednesday night at 7 pm—co-hosted with the Faulconer Gallery—Open Mic night for fiction, poetry, and music.
Join the Grinnell College Libraries and the Faulconer Art Gallery for an evening of literature and music. Read from your own poetry and fiction or that of a favorite author or poet; perform music that you've written yourself or any piece that you've been working on. Share your literary and musical passion in a beautiful setting with other members of the college and the community of Grinnell. Come early for refreshments. If you have questions or want more information, contact Tilly Woodward [woodward] or Liz Rodrigues [rodrigel].
Location: Faulconer Gallery
April 8, Wednesday night at 7:45pm—Grinnell students Amanda Gotera ’09 and Molly McArdle ’09 will read from their latest literary work.
Amanda Gotera, a senior anthropology major from Cedar Falls, Iowa, has curated children's writing for the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, worked on sea turtle conservation in Mexico, and directed the KDIC news program "Listen Hear: Stories from Grinnell." She is currently working with audio files for a Mentored Advanced Project on experimental ethnographies.
Molly McArdle, a senior English major from Washington, DC, recently published a collection of short stories titled Amenities: Four Stories of Clifton Terrace with the Grinnell College Press and is a frequent contributor to the Grinnell Review. A graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts, she received an honorable mention in the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Recognition Competition. She was also winner of the Parkmont Poetry Festival Contest and a third place winner of the Horowitz Playwriting Competition. This past summer, she was awarded a Mentored Advanced Project for work in fiction.
Refreshments will be served.
Location: first floor, Burling Library
April 14, Tuesday night at 7:00pm—The students of John Domini’s Craft of Fiction class will read from the work they have been writing throughout the semester. Come enjoy their work and support their efforts.
Refreshments will be served.
Location: first floor, Burling Library
April 21, Tuesday night at 7:45pm—The students of John Domini’s Creative Nonfiction Seminar will read from the work they have been writing throughout the semester. Come enjoy their work and support their efforts.
Refreshments will be served.
Location: first floor, Burling Library
May 6, Wednesday night at 7:45pm—co-hosted with the Faulconer Gallery—Open Mic night for fiction, poetry, and music. See description above for more details. Location: Faulconer Gallery
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Favorite Films Festival, January 23-25, 2009
The 2009 Favorite Films Festival will be presented from Friday, Jan. 23, through Sunday, Jan. 25. The films selected for this third annual event will be shown at the times and locations indicated below:
Foreign Film
Amelie
Fri. Jan. 23 at 4:30, 7:30 & 10:30 PM in Harris
Sat. Jan. 24 at 1:30 PM in Harris
Film Noir
The Maltese Falcon
Sat. Jan. 24 at 7:30 & 10:30 PM in Harris
Sun. Jan. 25 at 1:30 PM in Harris
Animated Film
Beauty and the Beast
Fri. Jan. 23 at 7:30 & 9:30 PM in JRC 101
Sat. Jan. 24 at 7:30 & 9:30 PM in JRC 101
The films were selected by the campus community during a survey last October. Chinatown, which received the most votes in Film Noir, was shown on campus late last semester, so The Maltese Falcon, which placed second in that category, will be shown instead.
The Favorite Films Festival is sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries and the Student Government Association Film Committee.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Favorite Films Festival Winning Films
Voting for the 2009 Favorite Films Festival closed last night. 274, or 11.2 % of the college community, participated this year. This was 38 more participants than last year.
The winning films are:
* Film Noir – Chinatown (16 votes)
* Foreign Film – Amelie (21 votes)
* Animated Film – Beauty and the Beast (16 votes)
The complete list will be posted in Burling Library's Listening Room and on the festival blog at PioneerWeb.
The Favorite Films Festival is scheduled for January 23-25, 2009. Locations and times will be announced later. The festival is sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries and the Student Government Association Film Committee.
Thanks to everyone who participated.
The LR Diva
Monday, December 1, 2008
Burling Study Breaks
The libraries will be hosting study breaks featuring entertainment, cookies and milk at 9:00 P.M, Sunday(December 14), Monday (December 15), and Tuesday (December 16) of finals week.
Sunday night come listen to a cappella music with Con Brio, Monday night enjoy some bluegrass with Muskelunge Highway and Tuesday night take a break with Improv!.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
2009 Favorite Films Festival Survey is Underway
Members of the college community are invited to vote for the films to be shown at the third annual Grinnell College Favorite Films Festival.
The three categories this year are:
Film Noir
The only limit is that the films selected must be part of the Grinnell College Libraries' collections.
Foreign Film
Animated Film
The survey will be open for voting on PioneerWeb from Sunday, November 2th through Sunday, November 16th. The winning films will be announced shortly afterwards and will be shown on campus Friday, January 23, through Sunday, January 25, 2009.
BTW, the films the campus community selected last year’s festival were:
Action/Adventure - Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomThe Favorite Films Festival is co-sponsored by the Grinnell College Libraries and the Student Government Association Films Committee. For more information, contact Randye Jones at jonesran@grinnell.edu or the Films Committee at films@grinnell.edu.
Childhood Favorite - The Lion King
Science Fiction - Star Wars: A New Hope