Happy Star Wars Day! In recognition of this special intergalactic day, Connie James-Jenkin, IRC’s Collection Development and Reference Librarian, has gathered Star Wars related library items in a display, which is hanging on the stacks at the back of the library.
If you’re not familiar with Star Wars, here’s your chance to check out this franchise. Fans will want to pick up one of these items and immerse themselves in the wonderful world of Star Wars. All these items can be checked out.
As the semester wraps up, finals week and the deadline for class papers is fast approaching. During May, students can come to the IRC from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 8th, and Sunday, May 22nd, to study, research, print or check out library items.
IRC staff will be available to help with research and technical support. This is a great opportunity to work on a class project or study for finals. Hope to see you there!
In support of National Poetry Month, the Writing Center and IMSA student group, Alma Latina, have invited poet and social activist Michael Reyes to return to IMSA.
Last year Michael performed his poetry in a rousing Read-In, and he returns to the IRC for an event on Monday, April 11, 2016 at 4:30 pm. Michael’s mission is to “provide a participatory educational environment through poetry and hip-hop to address issues of social justice and cultural identity.”
The event also features the mixed media artwork of IMSA alum Aldo Quintana, class of 1997. “Station to Station” is now hung on the walls of the IRC, and it is hoped that the artist will be able to stop by the event on Monday afternoon.
The new display in the IRC encourages readers to pick a book in a category that they don’t usually read to broaden their horizons.
The books have a sticky note on them that describes what subject the book covers to make it easy to pick a book from a new area of interest, like historical fiction or physics.
All the books on display are available to check out, and readers are encouraged to wander the stacks and pick out a book from the many in the library’s collection.
Books featuring women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) make up this year’s Women’s History Month display in the IRC.
Patrons can check out and read about scientists Marie Curie, Ada Bryon and Rachel Carson. There are books that take an historical look at women in science and medicine from many centuries ago, and books that cover recent stories of women’s contribution to medicine, math or science.
Stop by and check out any of these items from the display and enjoy an inspiring read about women and the contributions they have made.
A Read-In to celebrate Black History Month will be held in the IRC on Monday, February, 29th, 2016 at 4:20 p.m. This is a collaborative effort, planned and executed by the IRC, IMSA student group PME (Peer Multicultural Educators), and the English department. IMSA student Angitha Bright, ’18, created the Black History Month poster that hangs over the display and is pictured above.
Artist, author and 1997 IMSA graduate, Tiffany Gholar, is the featured speaker of the Read-In and she will read exerpts from her self published book, “Bitter Pill to Swallow.” Tiffany will be introduced by IMSA faculty member Julie Dowling, who was Tiffany’s classmate.
Tiffany writes about her writing experience on her website:
“I became interested in fiction writing when I was thirteen years old. I began taking as many creative writing courses as I could at school, in continuing education classes, and in college and graduate school. Much to my surprise, the first books I published were about my artwork. It was only after independently publishing three art books that I returned to fiction.”
Copies of Tiffany’s books will be raffled off to IMSA students.
Members of the IMSA student group, AASA (African American Student Association), will perform a dance during the Read-In, and students and staff will read from original work and works by their favorite authors.
Some of the authors that will be read on Monday may be found in the Black History Month display in the IRC. Works of fiction and non-fiction, and many DVDs of movies and documentaries dealing with black lives and race in America can be found in the display. All items can be checked out of the IRC.
Food and drink will be served during the Read-In and will be provided by Sodexo.
When she learned of Harper Lee’s death last Friday, February 19, 2016, Connie James-Jenkin, IMSA’s IRC Collection Development and Reference Librarian, put together a display that includes Ms. Lee’s iconic novel about race in America, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Go Set a Watchman,” which was released last year, and a biography that provides insight into the famously reclusive author. There is also a DVD of the movie that was made from the novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” All items on display can be checked out.
Ms. Lee, who died at age 89, had been in the news last year when “Go Set a Watchman” was published. There was some controversy over whether or not the book, which has been called an earlier draft of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” should have been published. Questions were raised about whether an ailing Harper Lee had been manipulated into releasing a manuscript she had abandoned years ago.
Ms. Lee’s older sister, who was an attorney, protected her for much of her life after she retired from the public eye following publication of her popular book, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Ms. Lee rarely gave interviews and preferred to live a quiet life in both her small hometown in Alabama and New York City. In later years, she spent all her time in Alabama, surrounded by long time friends and local residents who protected her privacy from outside interest.
The display will remain on the reference desk until this Friday, February 26, 2015.
There’s no need to panic about the redesigned SAT Test. The SAT Online Course will be updated on February 14th – this coming weekend. The update includes a free online course, practice tests and other study materials, which are all free!
The following link will give you access: http://ircguides.imsa.edu/testing.
The first SAT Test will be offered March 2016. The PSAT, which has also been redesigned, will be updated and available at the link above in April 2016. The ACT is current, and all available study materials related to the ACT are at the above link.
AP test practice tests and study guides in various subjects are also available at the above link. All the material for all these tests is free.
All the updates and study materials are sent to us from a “premiere publisher of study materials,” said Connie James-Jenkin, IRC Collection Development and Reference Librarian.
For more information, or if you have any questions, please visit Connie James-Jenkin, IRC Collection Development and Reference Librarian, in the IRC, or email her at: cjames-jenkin@imsa.edu.
There’s more to Valentine’s day than chocolates and flowers. Whether or not there’s someone special in your life this February 14th, there’s always time for a good book.
Jeanette Clark, IRC Circulation Clerk, has put together a display that will warm your heart. Stop by the IRC and check out the display of Valentine theme books, or pick up a bookmark. The display is near the Reference Desk.