2020 – Page 5 – Mary and Jeff Bell Library Blog

Overcoming: COVID Ain’t Slowing Us Down

Post author:Catherine Rudowsky
Post published:July 21, 2020
Post category:Behind the Scenes Dean's Corner News @ Your Library Service for You

The Library, along with everyone else, found itself in new waters this past March when a pandemic came to our door. Stay at Home orders and a regard for everyone’s safety necessitated moving the classroom—along with all accompanying learning and academic support—online to ensure social distancing. We all hoped that this then new reality would be short-lived, yet it continues to evolve and change at a feverish pace. While going back to a pre-pandemic reality seems a distant dream, we strive, along…

Escape Into an Adventure at Home

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:July 17, 2020
Post category:Library Randomness Things to Do Today's Special

Need an escape from the confines of your home without actually leaving? Why not try out an online Tabletop Role-Play Game (TTRPG)? While traditionally TTRPG's are played in person, there is a vast avenue of game systems to choose from online; you can be in a fantasy setting, Star Wars adventure, or even play as a Pokémon trainer hoping to catch all 890 of them. (Can you believe it, 890?) For the last eight years, I have been sucked into…

Rudolfo Anaya: “Godfather of Chicano Literature”

Post author:Joe Hernandez
Post published:July 14, 2020
Post category:Books & More Today's Special

On June 30th, while mindlessly scrolling through Twitter, I was shocked to see something that cut deeper than I ever expected it to. Rudolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me, Ultima, had passed away the day before. While I’m fully aware that I didn’t know him personally and had never met anyone that would possibly know him, there was something about this news that completely crushed me. Rudolfo Anaya was a nationally renowned and noted writer, novelist, and instructor and was often…

Who Made This and Who’s Missing?

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:July 10, 2020
Post category:Today's Special

So here’s the thing my friends: a whole lot is happening right now and we’re all exhausted. I hate to throw one more thing at you, but here it is: regardless of how tired we are, we still have to do the work of critical thinkers. Information literacy isn’t just a bunch of concepts and skills we pull out of our back pockets every time we have a research assignment, it’s an absolutely essential component of who we are as…

Things To Do in Quarantine

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:July 7, 2020
Post category:Things to Do

Is life in quarantine getting you down? Do you find yourself aimlessly walking around your house or lying in bed wishing for something to do? Well wish no more! Your guide to eliminating boredom is here. Now, before you get too excited, be sure to practice safe social distancing at all times and consider your health and the health of others as a top priority. That brings us to point number one: Get Moving With all this extra time, opportunity for your…

Indoor Hobbies

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:July 3, 2020
Post category:Things to Do

Right about now cabin fever is starting to kick in. It’s extremely important that we stay indoors and avoid contact with people as much as possible. While I completely agree your physical health is top priority, your mental health is just as important. So here are a few indoor activities that could make quarantine feel just a little bit better. Hobbies are a great way to keep your mind distracted and active. I’m such a DIY freak, especially when it…

LGBTQ+ Stories and Cinema in Kanopy

Post author:Emma Drumright
Post published:June 30, 2020
Post category:Books & More Things to Do Today's Special

Ever since I learned that faculty and staff also have access to the library’s streaming service, Kanopy, from one of our blog posts back in March (thanks, Ed!), I’ve been exploring titles and adding lots of films to my watchlist. Many of these have included videos from their mental health and mindfulness section as well as their titles on Social and Systemic Injustice. This month I have been looking at selections from their LGBTQ categories to celebrate Pride Month and to learn more about history,…

Archival Silences

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:June 26, 2020
Post category:Behind the Scenes Today's Special

One of the reasons I love history is because I love a good story. History tells us the stories of individuals, families, groups, nations—stories that help us understand our own lives and our place in the world. Archives are often called “the raw stuff of history,” the voices out of which the historical narrative is woven. But some voices ring more loudly in the archives than others. The term archival silence describes a gap in the existing historical record. It is particularly…

Representation in Scholarly Communication

Post author:Alexa Hight
Post published:June 23, 2020
Post category:Behind the Scenes Library Randomness Today's Special

Recently, there has been much discussion around the Black Lives Matter movement, systemic racism in the United States and around the world, and other issues related to race and representation. Just the other day, a scholarly communication blog I follow posted about researchers exploring issues around race. As a scholarly communication librarian, I have been reading not only on research around race, but about representation in research and publishing. Questions such as “who is doing the research?” and “who is being…

I-Create Lab Now Taking Reservations

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:June 19, 2020
Post category:News @ Your Library Service for You Tech in the Library Things to Do

On June 22, 2020, the Mary and Jeff Bell Library will be reopening to students, staff, and faculty with limited services. The I-Create Lab will also be open with some changes meant to keep everyone safe during these uncertain times. The I-Create Lab will be switching to a reservation-based system for the use of all equipment and study rooms to follow social distancing practices effectively. All reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance through our online reservation…