Library Survey Complete

Thanks to everyone who responded to the Parkland Library Fall 2009 Survey! Your input is already helping us make decisions that we hope will improve your library experience.

Also, congratulations to Parkland student Sung Dan Lee, who won the drawing for the iPod Shuffle!

Library Hours: Winter Break

Winter Break Hours

December 19-20, 2009
Saturday - Sunday
CLOSED

December 21-23, 2009
Monday - Wednesday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

December 24, 2009 - January 3, 2010
CLOSED

January 4-8, 2010
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

January 9-10, 2010
CLOSED

Regular hours resume on Monday, January 11th.

.

FREE Coffee & Tea During Finals Week

Come into the Parkland Library during Finals Week (Dec. 14-18) for a cup of FREE coffee or tea! All week enjoy the freebie coffee & tea.

Have a cup? Bring it! Be green. We have eco-friendly cups on hand too.

Good luck with your finals from the faculty & staff at the Parkland College Library!

.

Top Five Tips Before Finals Week

As Finals Week approaches (what?!? next week?), we'd like to remind you of a few things...

1. The library has quiet study space on the entire 3rd floor.
   
2. We have a group study room just for you on the main floor. Reserve it when you need it or walk in.
   
3. Keep an eye on your belongings! This is the time of year when theft occurs most. Don't leave your bag, cell phone, mp3 player, purse, or anything you value unattended.
4. Return or renew items you have checked out before you leave for Winter Break.
   
5. And, most importantly, if you need help finding information for your final assignments, come see us at the Information Desk.

Good luck with your finals!

Happy Holidays from the Parkland Library!

It's the Holiday Season...

The Library is definitely showing signs of the season with three new displays up this week!

A Joyous Kwanzaa to you!













"Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made you out of clay" Happy Chanukah!














Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!













Come in to see the displays & check out some festive music & books!

.

Parkland Students...free H1N1 clinic on Dec. 2nd

Hey Parkland Students,

Did you miss the last Parkland College H1N1 immunization clinic? Don't worry, Parkland is offering another one on December 2nd. Details below.

Free H1N1 flu immunizations for students age 24 and under.

Date: Wednesday, December 2nd

Time: 9:00 a.m. - Noon

Location: Parkland College Gallery Lounge

For more info, click here.

.

Thanksgiving Week Hours

The Parkland Library hours for the week of November 23-29:

Monday-Tuesday
7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Wednesday
7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Thursday-Sunday
CLOSED

Have a Safe & Happy Thanksgiving!

Go Cobras!

pictured left to right: Becky Dalton and Anna Maria Watkin


Becky Dalton recently retired from the Assessment Center after 35 years of working at Parkland. During her time here, Becky's daughter, Tonia Anding, and Dr. Staerkel, the first Parkland College President, established a friendship.

Tonia suffered through many years of illness, and often Dr. Staerkel would send little gifts and letters to cheer her up. In 1983, he sent her this Parkland Cheerleader doll, an item that was only sold in the bookstore for one semester. This became Tonia's favorite gift, and it held a prized place on her dresser until her passing in 1995.

Becky generously donated the doll to Anna Maria Watkin, Library Director, for the Parkland College Library Archives in memory of both her daughter Tonia and Dr. Staerkel. It will be kept in the Archives as a memorial to their sweet friendship.

Take That, H1N1!

Parkland Library just gave H1N1 the 1-2 punch by setting up Purell wipe dispensers near the computer areas. Now you can use a wipe to clean off those germy keyboards and mice before you begin your work. Don't forget, there are also hand sanitizer stations throughout the main parts of the college, and wash your hands for 20-30 seconds with hot water and soap.


Those germs are on the keyboard! What should I do?!?



Grab a Purell wipe from the dispenser! Quick!


Special thanks to Tom, Kestrina, and Rachel for their portrayal of Swine Flu Horror.

Periodicals Use Study

Periodicals Use Study: please do not reshelve magazines in the Library this month!

The Library is doing a print periodicals use study this month, October 2009. The purpose of the study is to help library staff make decisions about print and online access to periodicals, and to ensure that we are providing the best materials in the most appropriate format for you.

Please continue to use any journals and magazines as you usually do, but please do not reshelve periodicals after use. Instead of reshelving, simply place materials on the carts located in the Current Periodicals area or leave near a photocopier if you are making copies. Library staff will record usage and then reshelve all periodicals.

Thanks in advance for helping to make the study a success!

What's Better than a Great Book? A Great Book That's Also Banned!

Everyone knows that the best books are banned books. Why else would people be so afraid of them? They always have the juicy, glorious, scandalous details! So help the Library celebrate Banned Books Week September 26-October 3, and read a book that is "bad" for you. We have a whole display near the main entrance just waiting to corrupt your mind. Then go to Controversial and Banned Books to find other titles that have been victims of censorship. Remember, it is fine to be good, but it is a lot more fun to be bad!

Headphones in the Library

Need headphones? The library has some options. We are now selling headphones for $1.00! If you'd rather not spend the cash, you can still check out a set of headphones for free...just remember to bring your Parkland ID with you. Ask for the headphones at the Service Desk.

Display goes beyond the H1N1 headlines

Find out the best ways to lessen your exposure to the flu by visiting the H1N1 virus display near the magazine collection. Once you've learned the flu prevention health tips, you can assess your own H1N1 virus readiness by watching a short digital video. A personal health checklist can then be printed. See the display for details.

Need more info? Check out these links:

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District H1N1 Resources

Illinois Department of Public Health H1N1 information

flu.gov H1N1 Flu resource kit

Is it a bird...a plane...no it's...

...super Librarian! Check out what one librarian does for fun...Jane Smith took to the skies this week for a tandem skydive in Hinckley, IL!

See Jane Fly!

Read all about it. Parkland Reads in the Prospectus!

The Parkland Reads: One Book, One College 2009-2010 selection The Complete Persepolis is featured in the newest edition of the Parkland Prospectus. Read all about it here!

For more information about Parkland Reads and to see upcoming events surrounding the book choice (the film!), check out their web site.

Labor Day - Library Hours

In observance of Labor Day, the Library will not be open Saturday, Sept. 5 through Monday, Sept. 7. The Library will reopen with regular hours on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 7:30 a.m.

Have a safe Labor Day weekend.

Chat Us Up!

Need help finding resources for that paper, but

1. don't feel like going to the Information Desk?
2. you're too shy?
3. a friend super-glued you to your chair?
4. you're tongue-tied?

Now you can get answers without getting out of your chair! Take a look at this great service available at the library...Ask-a-Librarian via Chat. Be the cool kid & chat with a librarian...come on, you know you want to. Chat us up here:

http://www.parkland.edu/library/pro_chat.html

Parkland Library 101

Read on to get the 411 on what Parkland Library has to offer:

Wi-Fi - bring your laptop to access the free wi-fi throughout the library. log in with your student email info.

Printing - requires your Parkland ID or purchase of a PC Print card. 10 cents per page (black & white) / 50 cents per page (color)

Copies - 10 cents per page (black & white) / 50 cents per page (color)

Scanning - FREE, but you must have a flash drive with you

Fax - only fax service on campus for students! read this for more info.

Headphones - buy a set for $1.00 OR check out some for free at the Service Desk

Have questions about any of these? Chat us up!

Third Floor Bathrooms

We are excited to announce that the third floor library bathroom remodeling is complete!

Meet our new Librarian Intern

Give a big welcome to our new librarian intern, David Thomas!

A little about Dave...

Education: As an undergraduate student I attended Moraine Valley Community College and then transferred to UIUC where I graduated with a degree in journalism. I went on to the University of Illinois at Springfield and received a master's degree in public affairs reporting. I just graduated in May from the University of Illinois with a master's degree in library and information science.

Library/Work Experience: Most recently I've been in the classroom as a community college instructor and grade school teacher. Naturally, information literacy is a top professional passion.

Personal: I am an avid fan of Big Ten Sports and am looking forward to December football this season at Memorial Stadium.

Interesting fact: I have one earlobe that is attached and one earlobe that is unattached.
-----

Dave will work as a librarian intern at Parkland Library until December 2009. He comes to us through the IMLS/GSLIS/NILRC community college librarianship grant intern program. For information about this program, click here.

Library Closed Monday, August 17th 8:00-10:00 a.m.

The library will be closed on Monday, August 17 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. for the All College Preparation/Development Week Meeting. The library will be open Monday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Library Hours for Preparation / Development Week
August 18 - 21
8 AM - 5 PM Tuesday - Friday

Fall Semester Hours Resume on Monday, August 24th.

URGENT: Library Catalog Link

The Parkland Library Catalog link on the Library web site is not working at this moment. Please use the link below to access our catalog:

Parkland Library Catalog

As you may remember, our library catalog was updated earlier this summer. Due to technical difficulties, this morning the catalog was reverted back to the previous version. The link above will take you right to the Parkland Library Catalog. If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us at 217/373-3839 or library@parkland.edu.

Thank you for your patience during this time.

The Parkland College Library

Library Hours

The library hours are a-changin' starting August 10th...

August 10 - 23
8 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday

August 24th : regular library hours resume

New Paperbacks Added to the Book Sale

Come look through the large selection of mass-market paperbacks just added to the book sale! Hard to beat these prices...

Paperback = 25 cents
Hardcover = 50 cents

.

Cybersecurity 101 from Consumer Reports

If you are in the market for a new computer or have one and need tips on keeping it secure from viruses or spyware, read this great blog post from Consumer Reports titled "Cybersecurity 101 for College Students." Take it from me, I'm not a student & I still learned a thing or two reading it! Click here for the article.

Library Catalog Upgrade

The Parkland Library Catalog and the I-Share Catalog upgrade occurred on June 16th. The catalogs now have a new look and feel. Throughout the summer, additional features and functionality will be added. During this time, the catalog may be unavailable while changes are implemented. If the main catalog is down, please check out our alternate catalog: VuFind. If you need further assistance, please contact the information desk.

What do the books "Graffiti Brazil" and "Mexican Calendar Girls" have in common?

Both are in our new display on Popular Culture in Latin America! Come in and see the beautiful display put together by our librarian intern, Lora Smallman. You'll find Graffiti Brazil and Mexican Calendar Girls, plus titles like these:

• Sugarball: the American Game, the Dominican Dream
• Refried Elvis: the Rise of the Mexican Counterculture
• Latin Beat: The Rhythms and Roots of Latin Music from Bossa Nova to Salsa and Beyond
• Bad Language, Naked Ladies and Other Threats to the Nation: a Political History of Comic Books in Mexico
• Cocinando!: Fifty Years of Latin Album Cover Art
• ...and more!

These books and DVDs were purchased through a grant awarded by CARLI, the Constortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois, and are now available for check-out. To see a complete list of items added to our library, click here for a pdf file.

She Shoots...She Scores...

This bench, on display in the Library, was created by Cassandra Deiters, a Parkland student and women’s basketball player.

The bench was made using pieces of the old Parkland Gymnasium floor for the top and sides. Oak was used to create the legs.

Cassandra created this piece for her 3-D Design class to commemorate the gymnasium before the remodel.

Summer Hours 2009

The Parkland Library summer hours are as follows:

Sat, May 16 CLOSED
Mon, May 25 CLOSED

EARLY SUMMER (May 18 - June 14)
8 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday

MIDDLE SUMMER (June 15 - August 6)
7:30 AM - 8 PM Monday - Thursday

August 10 - 14
8 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday

Free Coffee and Tea During Finals

Need a little boost to help you get through final exams? Help yourself to coffee and tea this week in the Library as you head for a quiet spot to study (the upper floor and the computer classroom are silent study zones).

Good luck for your finals and many congratulations to all our graduates!

Thank you to our Student Assistants!

The Library’s Faculty and Staff want to give a big thank you to this year’s student assistants. You have done an excellent job of keeping the Library beautiful and in working order and we couldn't have wished for a more talented and dedicated team. We commend you and wish you every success for the future.

Here’s to Cat, Dayna, Chenchen, Rachel, Ling, Evan, Yu, Titi, Dominique, and Hana!

A look that's SO not trashy!

Those GreenMunckie's are everywhere! Check out our stylin' library staff in their GreenMunckie t-shirts. You can still buy GreenMunckie reusable bags at the library's Service Desk.

Happy Earth Day!

It's time to reduce, reuse and recycle folks! Today is set aside to remember to take care of Mother Earth. To help spread awareness of environmental issues, a graphic design class helped by designing posters and a reusable bag, on sale at the Library's Service Desk for $5. The posters are helping to launch GreenMunckie, an environmental project funded by the College Planning Committee. Stop by to enjoy the displays or buy a bag or just enjoy the pictures. Remember the Wellness Display has books and films on how to be more environmentally conscious!

Parkland Reads Persepolis!

So quit your trash talk, because the new Parkland Reads book is here! The committee chose the graphic novel, Persepolis. Sherry Cmiel, a Parkland Librarian and Terry Adcock, the model for this year's READ poster, unveiled the cover of the new book. Sherry gave a summary of the novel, and everyone is very excited to see how this book will impact the campus. Enjoy the pictures and thanks to all who came out for the event!

READ Poster Unveiled!

On to Day 5 of National Library Week, and if you think Parkland College Library is slowing down the festivities, think again. This morning the library welcomed faculty, staff and students to enjoy cookies and punch as we presented the 5th annual READ poster.

She loves cowboy boots, but Terry Adcock (Associate Professor of Psychology) can't live without books. Terry posed with one of her favorite books, Alias Grace: A Novel by Margaret Atwood, for the library's READ poster, which is on display at the entrance to the library. Stop by to check it out! And if you can't, here are some photos of Terry with the posters!

Cupcakes and cupcakes and books, OH MY!

Some of you may be scrambling to get those taxes finished up today. If not, you best be filing an extension form. It's day 4 of National Library Week and it was also the Cupcake-A-Book Contest. We had a great crowd and raised money for the Garden Hills Homework Club, a service learning project at Parkland College.

Check out photos of the event on Flickr.com if you missed out on this joyous occasion! Our winner was a Parkland Student, Carissa Graham, who designed The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Thanks to all who made this event a success!

Where in the World?

Can you believe it? It's day 3 of National Library Week! Perhaps you've already seen that huge map at the front entrance to the library. You might be wondering what it is. Well the theme for National Library Week is "Worlds Connect @ Your Library". We wanted all of Parkland to see that our library faculty, staff and student workers were in fact born all around the globe! It's one way we see worlds connect! Stop by and see where we were born!

We also have some books on the table in front of the map to help you connect with the world. Check out how to write personal letters and get yourself a pen pal on another continent! Also, you'll find some interesting books on travel. Enjoy and help connect YOUR world @ Parkland College Library.

It's National Library Week...Tweet, Tweet!!

No, we aren't talking about a cute little canary cartoon. It's Twitter! And now you can see what's going on at the Parkland College Library with the help of an inanimate object. You see, Ray the Lamp, has been around and he knows the ins and outs of Parkland College Library. He's not only our logo, he's also our beacon of knowledge. (Though he'll tell you he's just that lamp that's ignored by students needing to staple things.) He's decided to jump start a Twitter account during National Library Week. Check him out on Twitter and show your library some love: http://twitter.com/RaytheLamp

A Cupcake Poem for National Library Week

Runners all over town,
Everywhere you look
So what to do this weekend?
I know, Cupcake-A-Book!

Icing and cake are delicious,
And reading is great fun too!
While helping out the Homework Club,
It's like a dream come true!

So I'll pick my favorite book,
And make my cupcakes sleek
Please donate to help me win,
Happy National Library Week!

-Sarah Whittington

Roses are red, violets are blue...

I'm really no poet, how about you? April is National Poetry Month and the library has put together a display on poetry. Check out the anthologies of American Poets, grab a book on how to read a poem, or learn how to get published if you already write poetry. The books are waiting for you to take them home. Check out the display at the entrance to the Parkland Library!

Heal the World

Earth Day is right around the corner, but are YOU prepared? Kermit might not agree, but it IS easy being green! The library has teamed up with the Parkland Wellness Center to put together a display of books to help you learn better to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Check out books and films to understand more about global warming, climate change, and leading a sustainable life.

Show Us Your Cupcakes

To commemorate National Library Week 2009, the Library will be hosting two events. First, on Wednesday, April 15, the Library and Student Life will have our Inaugural Cupcake-A-Book Contest! Pick a favorite or well-known book, and decorate cupcakes to reflect that book's title, characters, or plot line. The submissions will be displayed in the College Center from 10am-2pm, and people can cast a vote for their favorite design by donating money to the Garden Hills Homework Club. Winners will receive bragging rights and a certificate declaring their victory! Check out the entry form and an example to get your creative juices flowing!

Then, on Thursday, April 16 at 11am in the Library's Reading Lounge, we will be revealing two secrets. First, we will unveil this year's READ Poster, featuring someone you know! Who is on this year's poster? Come to the unveiling to find out! At the same time, we will announce this year's Parkland Reads: One College, One Book book choice for 2009. Refreshments will be served, and there will be the opportunity to win the new Parkland Reads book as well as the book featured in the READ poster!

Parkland Library Student Workers in the News

Two Parkland Library student workers (Dayna Long & Cat Calcagno) are featured in the Prospectus News.

Read all about it here:

Women leaders honor their past

Library Hours - Spring Break '09

Spring Break Hours

March 21-22, 2009
Saturday & Sunday
Closed

March 23-26, 2009
Monday - Thursday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

March 27-29, 2009
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Closed

Regular hours resume on Monday, March 30th.

Streaming video options grow...

Check out PBS' streaming videos.

Choose from a variety of their best-known programs and documentaries, like Frontline, NOVA, Nature, etc.

Librarian hours in Writing Lab for your research questions

Are those big research projects starting to make you shake in your shoes? The Writing Lab now has a way to help. This semester, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m to 2 p.m., Parkland Librarians are holding hours in the Writing Lab and are eager to assist you with your research questions. Please just stop by the Writing Lab in room D120—no appointment needed.

Presenting Papyrus

Pictured from left to right: Anna Maria Watkin (Library Director), Sawsan Gadallah & Abdelrazek Selim (CCID Fellows)

The Egyptian CCID fellows pictured here presented a gift to the library in the International Lounge. We will be framing them sometime soon to hang in the International Lounge! Enjoy the pictures.
.

Lincoln Breaks Loose

It's so darn hard to blend into the crowd when you are 6 feet 4 inches and wear a stove pipe hat. All Mr. Lincoln wanted to do was catch up on the latest news and cartoons in Harper's Weekly. Instead, he was quickly surrounded by Parkland students wanting to emulate his dress and his walk. We've gotta tell you, it was a bit surreal seeing 15 Parkland students "doing the Lincoln."

Library Closed: Thursday, February 26

The library will be closed for Professional Development Day on Thursday, February 26th. We will reopen at 7:30a.m. on Friday, February 27th.

.

Honest Abe

Lincoln never held back his honesty, so why should he keep his thoughts on Parkland Library to himself? It's no surprise we found him at the suggestion board. Parkland Library welcomes your suggestions too and we post responses to requests, suggestions, criticisms and praise on our suggestion board. Hope to hear from you!

Green Prizes Galore!

Come to the library and enter the drawing to win a compost bin! Other prizes you can win are: books on composting, a signed copy of Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash (this year's Parkland Reads book), and a signed copy of Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage by Heather Rogers.

Then on Wednesday, February 25 at noon, head to the Library's International Lounge to listen to Heather Rogers “talk trash.” Ms. Rogers will also be drawing the winners of the contest, so be sure to stop by and see if you have won!

Don't delay, come to the library and enter the drawing today!

Stop picking up after yourself...

...at least in terms of the magazines! We are conducting a periodicals (magazines/journals) use study and want to count what ones are being used. PLEASE DON'T RESHELVE MAGAZINES -- place them on the carts or leave them on tables so we can tally up the usage.

Thanks,
Parkland College Library

Lincoln meets Marvin Gaye?

Many of you have probably noticed the Wellness display this month on relationships. We thank you for taking such an interest in sex, love and relationships. Would you believe it? President Lincoln himself was drawn in by this topic as well. Check out the book he cozied up with at the library. He said it makes him want to party like it's 1899. We offered to give him an honorary library card as he is not a Parkland employee or student nor a resident of District 505, which are the requirements to get a library card, but he declined, adding that he would rather take notes and leave the book for someone else to check out.

A Log Cabin Divided Will Not Stand?

Happy President's Day! Activities for President's Day are one way to celebrate! Many people are off work today enjoying sales at Macy's and other stores at the mall, but we here at the Parkland College Library are working hard to bring the best research help to our patrons. We caught Mr. Lincoln once again in the library...he found his way over to the display we made for him and was demonstrating how to build a log cabin. He chuckled to himself to think that children nowadays only pretend to build such things. The Lincoln Logs on display at the library are a Bicentennial Edition where the pieces are all wood. Stay tuned for more Lincoln spottings...

Facebook & Parkland College Library

You can now become a Facebook Fan* of the Parkland College Library! Check us out here. See photos, find upcoming events, and even check the blog! Be the coolest person EVER by becoming a Fan...

*To become a Facebook fan, you must have a Facebook account.

Happy Birthday, President Lincoln!

Today marks 200 years since the birth of our 16th President. Looks like another Mr. Lincoln strolled in today on Abe's birthday. Though somewhat disappointed to learn the library had no extravagant festival complete with streamers and cake planned, he was happy to learn of events around Illinois where he might indulge in something sweet. Here he is chatting up one of our reference librarians, Nancy. He was quite surprised to learn how much citation styles have changed since the 19th century, but Nancy was happy to offer him handouts on citing his sources. We hear he plans to research and write an account of what really happened during the U.S. Civil War.

What Would Lincoln Read?

A small army of Lincoln impersonators descended on the library early this morning, in honor of the 200th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth. This particular Lincoln impersonator, clearly a multi-tasker, alternated between admiring the library’s Lincoln display, and preparing for Heather Rogers’ February 25th talk in the library, by reading her book, Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage.

Book Notices from The Opinionated Librarian

Parkland Library adds hundreds of items to its collection every month. Here is a sampling of recent non-fiction titles new to the library.

DVDs
Outbreak in America: When the Flu Pandemic Hits Home. Spend 49 cheery minutes exploring how a bird flu outbreak could explode into a global pandemic. PANDEMIC people…snap out of your stupor and get that surgical mask on!
Currently shelved in the new books area, RA644.I6 P36 2006 v.2 Video disc

Diamonds of War: Africa’s Blood Diamonds. DiCaprio fictionalized it, but this documentary takes a real-life look at the black market diamond trade in Sierra Leone and how diamonds funded years of destructive civil war in that country. Giving or expecting a sparkly bauble this Valentine’s Day? You may seriously want to change your plans. 56 min. Shelved in the AV Room (faculty check out only, students can watch it in-house) HD9677.S52 D533 2007 Video disc

CD
Poetry on Record: 98 Poets Read Their Work, 1888-2006. Say what you will about the 2009 inaugural poem, HEARING is the way to experience the power of the poet. This four disc set is a hundred years of cigarettes and coffee packed into one tiny box. Currently shelved in the new books area at PS323.5 .P57 2006 Compact disc

Books
All are currently shelved in the new books area.

Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters, by Caltech paleontologist Donald Prothero,
provides a survey of the paleontological evidence for modern evolutionary science. As we near the anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s Origin of the Species, Prothero offers up an enthusiastic whipping of creationist “science.” QE721.2.E85 P76 2007

Speaking of fossils, Bill O’Reilly takes a break from politics, sort of, for recollections from his youth in A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. Telling tales from his formative years, he gives readers a glimpse of where and how his worldview developed. With the bestsellers at PN4874.O73 A3 2008

Leonard Bernstein, American Original focuses on the years the celebrated conductor was associated with the New York Philharmonic. Barbara Haws, the current archivist for the Philharmonic, teams up with Lenny’s brother Burton Bernstein and a group of distinguished contributors to explore the art and activism of this “modern Renaissance man.” ML410.B566 B47 2008

This one’s nice! Learn to Paint Watercolors that Dance with Light, or just look through a book of pretty pictures. ND2420 .K55 2004

100 Caterpillars: Portraits from the Tropical Rain Forests of Costa Rica. It’s a snake! It’s an icicle! It’s Jabba the Hut eating a lady bug! (Plates 53, 78 and 34, respectively.) Up close and personal photographs, plus species accounts of the wiggly bit that comes before moths and butterflies. QL553.C67 M55 2006

The Elemental Prairie: Sixty Tallgrass Plants. Beautiful watercolor drawings of plants on the tallgrass prairie, with an essay that encourages looking at the prairie world with new eyes. We live in the flatland, folks…find the beauty that’s here! QK128 .O47 2005

Our Changing Planet: The View from Space. Pollution, rising sea levels, melting polar ice, shrinking tropical forests…all depicted in a coffee-table book for your browsing pleasure! In reality, while some of the satellite images in this book are spectacular, overall, it seems like they were careful not to make massive global climate change seem too shiny. GE45.R44 O97 2007

And finally, for those planning a Friday Happy Hour, Drink, a Cultural History of Alcohol might make you feel very civilized while slinging back the ethyl alcohol laden beverage of your choice. After all, page one assures you that “Alcohol is a fundamental part of Western culture.” How could you possibly go wrong?

Hugs and Kisses,
OpLib

African American Read-In

The Black History Month committee and the Parkland Library Staff invite you to join us for the annual African American Read-In, Thursday, February 5 in the library lounge from 11am-1pm.

The Read-In has been endorsed by the International Reading Association. Over a million readers of all ethnic groups from 49 states, the West Indies, and African countries have participated. The goal is to make the celebration of African American literacy a traditional part of Black History Month activities.

Bring your own materials or choose from one of many of books that will be available.

Four score and seven years ago....

Ok, it's been a little bit longer than that. On February 12, 2009, the people of Illinois as well as citizens of the United States will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of our nation's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. Did you know Lincoln was born hours apart from Charles Darwin? Take that to your next trivia contest. Lincoln's greatest challenge as President was leading a nation at war with itself. The famous Battle of Gettysburg in the U.S. Civil War inspired Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which Lincoln modestly predicted would not be remembered. Take a stroll down a time line of Lincoln's life, sift through his papers, join an association in honor of his life and work, read about his personal struggle with depression, or just find an event to attend in celebration of the man who knew that our nation, divided, would not stand.

Be sure to stop by the Parkland Library throughout February for the Lincoln book display!

New Magazine Subscriptions

Check out our newest magazine subscriptions! We've started some new subscriptions for the new year.

• At Home in Central Illinois
 
• Canadian Journal of Occupation Therapy
 
• Communication Teacher
 
• CU in Print (we're receiving a number of free subscriptions relating to Champaign-Urbana, and will put them on display at this "address")
 
• Digital Arts
 
• Ode : for Intelligent Optimists
 
• Piensa in Espanol (Think Spanish!)
 
• Seed: Science is Culture
 
• Yes: Supporting you in building a just and sustainable world
  

Stop in and relax with a good magazine.

Who's that girl?

Introducing our librarian intern, Lora Smallman!




A little about Lora...

Education: I spent my undergraduate years at UIUC studying German, which included a year abroad in Vienna, Austria. I just graduated from the University of Illinois with a master's degree in library and information science.

Library/Work Experience: I first learned I wanted to be a librarian when I was class librarian in 5th grade (we had an extensive Nancy Drew collection that I took full advantage of.)

Personal: I love dogs, especially my toy poodle, Peanut, that lives with my parents. I once knitted a scarf. I hate working out. I love baking (go figure). Ella Fitzgerald is my one of my favorite singers. I stand at a towering 5'1".

Interesting fact: I worked as a flight attendant after college and am much happier to work on solid ground.
-----

Lora will work as a librarian intern at Parkland Library until July 2009. She comes to us through the IMLS/GSLIS/NILRC community college librarianship grant intern program. For information about this program, click here.