Monday, September 29, 2014

Printing is Easy!

It's easy to print from the Library.  We have three printers available for public use, two color printers and one black and white printer.  Simply open your document on one of our open lab computers and click print.  Enter your my.parkland username and password (last 5 digits of your social security number) and then release your document at the printer station.

Need to add money to your account?  There are two easy ways!

The first is by adding cash at our 'Add Money' station in the Library.  This is separate from the printer station.  You can log in using your my.parkland username and the last 5 digits of your social security number.  The machine accepts coins, ones, and fives.  Please try to bring small bills or coins when adding money, as the Library is not always able to change larger bills.

The second way to add money to your print account is by CREDIT CARD!  This can be done anywhere through the Library webpage at www.parkland.edu/library/ and click on "PC Print System" near the bottom of the page.  Scroll down to "Add Credit to Your Account" and follow the prompts to add money securely via Paypal (Paypal account not required).

You can even add money to your account in advance!  If you know you're going to print a lot throughout the semester or year, add $5 or $10 to your account early on so you don't have to worry about it later!

And of course, if you have questions we are always available to help!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

It's Banned Books Week!



Banned Books Week happens every September and is celebrated in libraries all over the country and world.  There are many popular books that have been challenged over the years for various reasons, such as being "unsuited to the age group," "sexuality," "inappropriate language," and more.  We at Parkland Library believe that people should be free to choose what they want to read.  We encourage reading and discussion of thematic elements and issues found in any books.  For more information on Banned Books Week you can check out the ALA Banned Books page.


A team of individuals in the Library decided to get creative this year and produce a series of short videos to promote Banned Books Week.  We wanted to get people in our community talking about it, and encourage them to explore new titles in our Library.  Check out the links below to watch our masterpiece!

See the individual promos here

Full length UNCENSORED

Another fun fact about these videos is that they were produced by Library staff using equipment available to students, faculty, and staff.  We have camcorders that check out for a week, and a DIY Media Space ready for editing with a variety of audio and video software.

Happy Banned Books Week everyone!  Be sure to celebrate your freedom to read!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Wayback Wednesday: Openings, Offically



Today marks the official opening of the Student Union with a ribbon cutting ceremony, so it’s not too much of a leap to wonder what another official opening way back in September, 1973, was like. Imagine opening the doors to a completely new campus! So much work had gone into it: locating the land, the careful planning, and then, finally, construction. After seven years located in downtown Champaign, there must have been great fanfare when the permanent campus opened for classes, right? Turns out, not so much. 

No ribbon cutting. No speeches. Things were pretty laid back.

The new Parkland campus was opened to the public for viewing on Sunday, September 9.  Perhaps it was because campus was only 75% complete – construction continued as classes began – that led to the decision to keep the event low key. From an article of the Courier, dated September 10: 

The open house was unstructured with no speeches or ribbon cutting formalities. Persons of all ages roamed through the sprawling building at their leisure.

A special supplement to the Sunday, September 9, News Gazette read, “The campus, with its steep roofs, sloping hallways and arched windows, has been compared to anything from an Illinois farm complex to a Swiss ski lodge. No one calls it traditional.” Reception was largely positive. Members of the community were curious to see the end result of what had, for various reasons, been a controversial venture. Most approved the home-like atmosphere and were impressed by the new technologies they had seen, but others expressed concern over the expense. One visitor commented that there seemed to be more leisure space than classrooms. In addition to informal tours of the building, hands on activities were also available, according to the Courier article, “In the computer areas you could try out the keypunch machines and take home a data card as a souvenir.“
President William Staerkel leads a tour of Parkland College, ca 1974

Don’t let the casual approach fool you; a message from Dr. Staerkel, which was included on the front page of a special edition of Prospectus, speaks to the pride with which he and the Board of Trustees presented the new complex:

Replacing the old, makeshift quarters, as sparkling new campus is designed to provide the latest conveniences for learning and instruction, and is unsurpassed in the nation for its utility and planning. You have the honor and privilege of being the first to occupy these new quarters.
 
Here’s an undated early picture of the campus. Can you see where the Union now stands ?

In a way, it seems as if the official opening of the Student Union makes up for one that didn't take place, officially, 41 years ago, and it makes Parkland "sparkling new" all over again.

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Wayback Wednesday is a feature of the Parkland College Archives. If you have ideas you'd like to see in future posts, email us at archives@parkland.edu. The Archives is open to faculty, staff, students and the public by appointment.