Book Review: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Benjamin Clanton Books, Collections, Reviews

Written by Benjamin Clanton, Government Publications:

Esi Edugyan, with the highly acclaimed novel Washington Black (one of President Obama’s favorite books of 2018!), has written a harsh but touching story of a runaway slave and his journey to find identity and his place in the world. The title character, Washington Black, or Wash as he comes to be known, is a field slave early in life on a sugar plantation in Barbados. Watched over by a female slave named Big Kit, his world is one of unceasing labor and vicious treatment at the hands of the plantation owner and overseers. Erasmus Wilde, whose family owns Faith Plantation, rules over it with brutality, displayed in his almost casual violence towards the slaves, viewing them truly as mere property. Sugar plantations were historically notorious in the Caribbean for their awful and inhumane working conditions. Therefore, it is not unrealistic that Erasmus treats his slaves in such a manner, something he explains to his brother Christopher: ‘My language cannot offend her. She has no sensibilities to offend . . . They are not the help, Titch. They are the furniture.’ Continue reading →

Database Spotlight: Gale Virtual Reference Library/Gale eBooks

Brannen Varner Collections, Databases, Technology

When starting off with a research project, where’s the first place (after class notes and lecture) you turn to for more information? I think most of us would answer “Wikipedia.” (Librarians use Wikipedia, too!) However, most instructors discourage citing Wikipedia. Luckily, you have access to many online scholarly reference collections that can be cited as background information for your project! Continue reading →

Constitution Day: September 17th

Benjamin Clanton Events, Film Screening, Government Publications

Written by Benjamin Clanton and Meghan Campbell, Government Publications:

On September 17, 1787, delegates to the aptly named Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the U.S. Constitution, setting in place the structure of our nation’s government that is still followed today. We here in Government Publications regularly handle documents that relate to what was adopted on that day over two hundred years ago. One of the wonderful things about the Constitution is that avenues were put in place to make additions and changes to its original form. With that in mind, we have written about a couple of Constitutional Amendments that both intrigue us and have personal meaning to us as individuals. Enjoy and have a wonderful Constitution Day!

Join us on the 2nd Floor Commons Area in McWherter Library today from 12 – 3 pm, where you can pick up a U.S. Constitution and snacks, and watch a documentary titled The Words that Built America. Continue reading →

Lambuth Library News from The University of Memphis Lambuth

Lisa Reilly Branch Libraries, Events

Written by Lisa Reilly, Lambuth Campus Librarian: 

What’s New 

graphic with a tiger and informational wordartAdditions of graphics and art have recently spruced up the Lambuth Library. The junction of two walls provided the foundation for a three-dimensional UofM tiger that greets patrons as they enter the library; our stairwell now hosts art from the “What I Kept” and “Four Freedoms” exhibits recently highlighted on campus; and new signage directs students to our extensive collection of books and quiet study areas. 

Not only does the library look different, but we’ve been making some program updates. Last Spring, we began offering extended hours and it was so popular that we continued this Fall. The Lambuth Library is now open late on Monday through Thursday and is open on Sunday afternoons. And now, just like their main campus peers, Lambuth students may now schedule an appointment with the campus librarian for 30- or 60-minute research consultation sessions. Of course, we welcome research questions anytime we are open, but sometimes it helps to have scheduled time to sit down and discuss research challenges with a librarian! 

Upcoming Lambuth Library Events: 

September 25 from 3:30-4:30: Stress Less Workshop – Don’t let life stress you out! Attend this workshop to get tips from our Academic Support Services Counselor on managing stress. 

September 30 – October 4 (anytime during library hours): Maker Monthly Paper Pretties – Weave strips of magazine pages into functional art. Don’t have much time? Stop by to get started and take what you need to finish it later.

Resource Highlight of the Month 

Check out a robot from the library? Absolutely! The Lambuth Library has Sphero BOLTs available for checkout. These amazing little electronic balls are programmable with pieces of easy-to-use code- make them zig, zag, light up, make sounds, the possibilities are endless. Check one out, get the free app for your device and try your hand at programming!  A part of the West TN STEM Hub, these robots are perfect for student teachers and local educators who want to enhance their science, technology, engineering, and math lessons with a fun hands-on activity. 

 

Know Where to Go to Get Going

amroach Research and Instructional Services

The University Libraries are here to help you at every step of your relationship with the University of Memphis. One of the best resources we provide are Research Guides designed to offer insight into resources that could be useful to you in your chosen field of study. However, you might need something a little more general to help you move forward. 

That’s why the Libraries have created Orientation Research Guides. Whether you are new to the University as an undergraduate student, are continuing your studies in Graduate School, we have an orientation guide for you. We *also* have guides for students who are studying abroad or study online. 

These guides will fill you in on the library services and resources that will be the most beneficial for where you are at, whether that is your first research paper, or you are preparing to teach your first class, or you are studying in Costa Rica or your hometown in Wisconsin. 

Check them out:

Kanopy Movie Review: Throne of Blood

Benjamin Clanton Databases, Movies, Reviews

Throne of Blood logoFog rolls across a desolate landscape. A chanting song gives an ominous command to the viewer: “Look upon the ruins / Of the castle of delusion.” Thus begins Akira Kurosawa’s 1957 film ‘Throne of Blood,’ a retelling of William Shakespeare’s infamous play ‘Macbeth’ set in feudal Japan. Kurosawa, considered a master of Japanese cinema and samurai films, provides a haunting portrait of ambition and the corruption of power. So, if you like murder and betrayal, prophecy and the descent into madness, this is one you should check out. Continue reading →

Seeking great speakers for NEDtalks!

amroach Events, NEDTalks

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NEDtalks is a bi-annual research forum hosted by the Ned McWherter Library. 

We are looking for UofM professors (faculty, instructors) of any discipline to present short, engaging, entertaining 15-minute presentations in the TEDtalks style. Past speakers have engaged topics both diverse and fascinating, including presentations on blackface in opera, the scholarly path of a research chemist, whiteness in the Bible, feminist strategies used by “booby streamers” in the online gaming world, and supermassive black holes. We’d love to know what makes you excited about what you are researching, and to carry your audience into that thrill.

Get more information at the libraries’ NEDtalks website. Got a great proposal? Submit by Friday, October 18. 

NEDtalks will take place Wednesday, November 13, and Thursday, November 14, 2019, 3-5 PM in the 2nd Floor Commons Area.

Footnotes from the Grid Iron

Shelia Gaines Collections

Written by Shelia Gaines, Circulation Coordinator:

Friday night lights. Season Openers. Homecoming. Saturday tailgating. Yes. You guessed it. It’s football season. That time of the year when team loyalties test family ties and some spouses suffer through their annual season as living “sports widows”. 

If you are wondering this year (and every year) what all the fuss is about, why not visit The Ned and check out the literary side of the game?  If you need to start from scratch, Football: The First 100 Years: The Untold Story may be the perfect book for you. But, be warned that football on the other side of the pond is a little different than the grid iron.

If you are a more seasoned sports fan and think you would enjoy the players’ stories that have been told on the big screen, we have something for you, too. Did you know that former NFL Tackle, Michael Oher, began his road to fame at our regional rival, Ole Miss? If not you can read all about it in The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. Better yet, read the story in his own words in How I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond. Find out how he felt when he went to see the movie incognito and saw the fan’s reaction. If your loyalties divide anytime you don’t see a Memphis connection, don’t forget that Michael Oher’s adoptive father was a broadcaster for the Memphis Grizzlies for many years. 

Find these and other sports-related tomes in the library. Take some time to peruse the stacks or find an interesting article or research idea from one of our databases. But, be sure you take care of all of your library business during the weekdays, because you may have better things to do with your weekends.

September Events @ McWherter Library

Brannen Varner Events

We have some great events at McWherter Library for you in September! Visit our calendar for more details and to register for events!

Welcome Carnival: Aug. 26 & 27

Brannen Varner Events

Stop by McWherter Library’s Welcome Carnival on Monday, August 26th, 11 am – 2 pm, and Tuesday, August 27th, 1 pm – 4 pm! Learn more about what each department in the Libraries can do just for you. Stop by each table, receive a ticket and information, then redeem your tickets at the Prize Table for snacks & prizes! See you there!