Today’s Special – Page 7 – Mary and Jeff Bell Library Blog

Will You Be My Anti-Valentine? An Alternative Valentine’s Day Celebration

Post author:Trisha Hernandez
Post published:February 14, 2020
Post category:Service for You Things to Do Today's Special

On this day of love and romance, I offer an alternative means of celebrating. Don’t misunderstand, I respect the concept of love and those deep connections (why some need a special day to make a big deal out of these things, I’m not altogether sure - not cynical); but a number of years ago, I was introduced to a new way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. A friend of mine, who despite being in a stable and loving relationship, felt a…

Winter Reading Challenge

Post author:Trisha Hernandez
Post published:December 17, 2019
Post category:Books & More Things to Do Today's Special

Winter Break is here!! I know what you’re thinking. It’s time to sleep in, stay in your pajamas, and veg-out the entire live-long-day! Talk about living the life of Riley! I’m here to enable you and say, “Yes, you should do all of that.” You’ve spent an entire semester working on papers and projects, studying for tests, putting in hours at work; you deserve to just enjoy your break. It’s time to kick back and chill out. Pull out the comfy…

Upon Sharing Reflections, Challenges, and the Meaning of Success: About Roy E. Stock

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:December 10, 2019
Post category:Today's Special

When I first met Roy, it was in the library while he was carrying out the business of a routine-yet-arduous task as one of our hard-working custodians on campus. A composed figure of a mature man donning a baseball cap and dark sunglasses along with the uniform, he diligently traveled from one office space to the next in quiet pursuit and retrieval of the daily items to be disposed of and/or recycled. Initially introduced to library staff members by a…

Stephen King Revisited: The Doctor is In

Post author:Trisha Hernandez
Post published:November 19, 2019
Post category:Books & More Today's Special

I don’t know if you’ve recognized the pattern yet, but once a month, we write a blog post connected to our Popular Reading Collection. Back in May, I wrote a post on our large collection of Stephen King novels. With the release of the movie Doctor Sleep, I figured you all deserve a part 2. As a fan of just about anything horror related (and of Ewan McGregor), I naturally went to see Doctor Sleep shortly after it came out. For fans of the book,…

Open Access Week is October 21-27!

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:October 22, 2019
Post category:News @ Your Library Things to Do Today's Special

What is Open Access? Open access (OA) refers to information that is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. This can include journals, books, databases, and more. Why did the open access movement begin? There are several reasons, like most things, one is due to cost. Between 1986 and 2011, serial expenditures rose 402% (see graph). For four decades, subscription prices have risen significantly faster than inflation and library budgets. Another reason for the open access movement…

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Librarian Selected as SPARC Open Education Leadership Fellow

Post author:Jennifer Anderson
Post published:September 3, 2019
Post category:News @ Your Library Today's Special

Ms. Lisa Louis from the Mary and Jeff Bell Library has been selected as a fellow in the SPARC Open Education Leadership Program, an intensive professional development program to empower library professionals with the knowledge, skills, and community connections to lead successful open education initiatives that benefit students. The two-semester program blends online, peer-to-peer, and project-based learning to build a comprehensive understanding of the open education space coupled with practical know-how to take action on campus and beyond. Lisa is one…

100 Years After the Storm

Post author:Amanda Kowalski
Post published:August 30, 2019
Post category:Things to Do Today's Special

While Hurricane Harvey is still fresh in everyone’s memories, this is not the only storm to leave an impact on Corpus Christi. Hurricanes have marked Corpus Christi’s history and culture. Each storm impacted the city and changed its landscape. The engineering of downtown revolves around the impact of hurricanes. In the late 1800s many hurricanes molded Texas. A storm leveled Indianola in 1875 and again in 1886. After these twin storms the settlement disperse instead of rebuilding on the coast.…

Penny Wall

Student Sculptures Featured at Bell Library

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:July 12, 2019
Post category:Library Randomness Today's Special We Made This

Site-sensitive installation art, according to Island University Assistant Professor of Art Leticia Bajuyo, can include materials ranging from paint to steel to sound, as these artworks not only take up physical space but also space in our minds. This is one of the philosophies that shaped the spring 2019 Sculpture III course at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and led to its focus on public art installations. In collaboration with the Mary and Jeff Bell Library, eight student-created sculptures are now…

Where Did the Makerspace Movement Begin?

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:June 21, 2019
Post category:Tech in the Library Today's Special We Made This

Makerspaces have grown at an exponential rate over the past decade and this popularity is felt around the world. According to Popular Science (2016), there are 14 times as many makerspaces as there were a decade ago, in fact numbers show nearly 1,400 active spaces across the globe. But, if you’re anything like me, you begin to wonder, where did this all begin? What was the catalyst that set off the spark to this hot bed of creativity? According to…

Looking for Game of Thrones? We GoT It!

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:June 11, 2019
Post category:Books & More Today's Special

This blog is spoiler free! Winter is coming…. Well, Winter has ended but, that doesn’t mean you can’t binge watch over 72 hours of Game of Thrones! If you love dragons, epic battle scenes, medieval politics, and beautiful musical scores, you are sure to become an instant fan of the show. Set in the mythical land of Westeros, nine noble families contend for rule of the land and to lay claim to the Iron Throne. You will adore, or hate, the…