And the winner is...

The Cashier's Office
with The Three Little Pigs

This year's Cupcake-A-Book saw some of our best fun food displays yet!  We had 11 entries, ranging from very simple to complex.  The winner was a team effort by the Cashier's Office in the Student Union.  Phyllis Henderson, Diane Kessinger, Debra Hall, and Jess Meyer worked together to create their Three Little Pigs display.  Their teamwork and effort was apparent as their entry collected $36 of the $128 collected.  All the money donated will benefit the Wesley Food Pantry at Parkland.

Our other popular National Library Week event was the 2015 READ Poster Unveiling.  This year we unveiled David Leake, Planetarium Director and Professor of Natural Sciences.  Dave chose Cosmos by Carl Sagan, and explained during the unveiling that when he was young he wrote a letter to Carl Sagan and received a reply.  Dave brought the framed letter and his well-loved copy of Cosmos with him, to show his lifelong dedication.

Thank you to everybody who helped make National Library Week 2015 a great success!

Wayback Wednesday: Parkland and... Roger Ebert?

Champaign-Urbana is a mecca for those in search of a connection to Roger Ebert. There is, of course, Ebertfest, beginning today. While you’re there, have a seat next to Roger himself. You might hop over to University of Illinois and trace his undergraduate steps at Gregory Hall. Or, you can go way back (see what I did there?) and drive by his childhood home on Washington Street in Urbana. But did you ever stop to wonder, does Parkland have a connection to Roger Ebert? 

Wonder no more.  

From the June 7, 1966, Board of Trustees meeting minutes: 

So, the next time someone asks you if Roger Ebert ever had anything – anything at all – to do with Parkland College, you’ll be prepared with an answer. 

 ***

Mr. Ebert’s memoir, Life Itself is available at Parkland College Library.

http://vufind.carli.illinois.edu/vf-prk/Record/prk_142442

Read more about the naming contest here. 

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.  

National Library Week is Upon Us!

April 12-18 is National Library Week.  Very simply that means it's a time each year when we celebrate libraries, librarians, library employees, library patrons, and library-enthusiasts!

This year we are celebrating with Cupcake-A-Book on April 15th and our annual READ Poster Unveiling on April 16th.

For Cupcake-A-Book, participants create a cupcake diorama that is representative of their selected book.  These will be on display in the college center from 10am-2pm on Wednesday, April 15th.  Donate cash and change to your favorite cupcake arrangement, all donations benefit the Wesley Food Pantry at Parkland.  The entry with the most donations wins a prize!

The READ poster is a Parkland Library tradition.  On Thursday of National Library Week at noon each year we unveil the new READ poster.  Last year John Eby represented Parkland college with his book selection, "Stonewall, the Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution."

Each weekday of National Library Week we will be giving away a book, come see us to find out how to enter!

Welcome Shoorim Shin!

On Tuesday, April 7th the Department of Institutional Advancement at Parkland College hosted a welcome reception in the International Lounge.  Dr. Soorim Shin is a visiting scholar from South Korea, and specializes in Career Development.  Several faculty and staff came to greet Dr. Shin and offer their support during her stay.

New Librarian Starts Today

We are pleased to announce that our new Librarian Gladys starts today.  Gladys comes to us from the Alabe Crafts Company where she worked with Albert Carter and Abe Bookman.

"Many libraries are turning to technology to serve our communities," said Anna Maria Watkin, Library Director and longtime friend of Gladys, "I think having a librarian like Gladys will make us more diverse than ever."

Some have criticized Gladys for her abrupt answers, seemingly only responding with simple solutions instead of a detailed analysis of the issue.  "You just have to know how to talk to her.  Once you get to know Gladys, she's really quite lovely," says Maggie Taylor, Information Services Librarian.  "I actually find her brevity refreshing, she's very efficient."

Gladys enjoys trivia with friends, salsa dancing, and of course reading.  Her favorite genre is humorous fiction, but she specializes in all fictional literature.  Gladys is available to answer questions 24/7 through her own personal online service here.

Stop by the desk to say hello and welcome our newest librarian to the team!

APRIL FOOLS'!  

While Gladys is making a guest appearance today, she will not be joining us permanently.