Publishers Weekly book review staff put together their PW's Best Books of the Year and include Fiction, Poetry, Mysteries, SF/Fantasy/Horror, Comics, Non-fiction, Religion, Children's Picture Books, Children's Fiction, and more.
National Public Radio assembled several lists for their "recommended reading for the 2008 Holidays" and the critics there are recommending all sorts of stuff: Five Books to Give Yourself This Year, Best Superhero Graphic Novels, Booksellers' Picks For Your Holiday Lists, Top Five Crime and Mystery Novels of 2008, 10 Best Cookbooks, and more.
Amazon goes all out with their usual Top 100 Editor's Picks, Customer Favorites, and Featured Categories Top Ten Lists.
The New York Times settles for a tidy 10 Best Books of 2008 and includes links to lists of years past.
How about the Pick of the Pile from The Economist? Their list covers 2008 titles about history, current affairs, politics, economics, business, biography, and even fiction.
The Seattle Times recommends Our Picks for the Best Books of 2008 and an editor from The Oregonian put together a list of the Top 10 Northwest Books of 2008.
Surely there's something here to make you feel guilty about not reading enough last year?
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
2008's Top Album Lists Galore
The 50 Best Albums of 2008 -- Rolling Stone Magazine. TV on the Radio's Dear Science makes it to their top.
Mojo Magazine Top 50 Albums of 2008 Fleet Foxes (band name and album title) is their #1.
The 40 Best Albums of 2008 -- Spin Magazine comes up with a list of ten less and names (again) Dear Science as #1.
Pitchfork Presents -- The 50 Best Albums of 2008 Another win for Fleet Foxes at #1.
The Best Albums of 2008 -- from the editors of eMusic. They name 88 albums and The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem tops their list.
NPR listeners voted for their top 25. . .and the winner is Fleet Foxes.
Amazon puts together a top 100 for Best Music of 2008 with The Kings of Leon's Only By The Night as #1. Amazon also has top 10 and 100 lists for many specific genre's of music.
50 Albums of the Year named by the Guardian/The Observer in the United Kingdom. Their #1? For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver.
Sigur Ros, Blitzen Trapper, Portishead, Brian Eno/David Byrne, Bob Dylan, MGMT, and Vampire Weekend show up in most of the lists. So how do the critics' choices match up to your favorites?
Mojo Magazine Top 50 Albums of 2008 Fleet Foxes (band name and album title) is their #1.
The 40 Best Albums of 2008 -- Spin Magazine comes up with a list of ten less and names (again) Dear Science as #1.
Pitchfork Presents -- The 50 Best Albums of 2008 Another win for Fleet Foxes at #1.
The Best Albums of 2008 -- from the editors of eMusic. They name 88 albums and The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem tops their list.
NPR listeners voted for their top 25. . .and the winner is Fleet Foxes.
Amazon puts together a top 100 for Best Music of 2008 with The Kings of Leon's Only By The Night as #1. Amazon also has top 10 and 100 lists for many specific genre's of music.
50 Albums of the Year named by the Guardian/The Observer in the United Kingdom. Their #1? For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver.
Sigur Ros, Blitzen Trapper, Portishead, Brian Eno/David Byrne, Bob Dylan, MGMT, and Vampire Weekend show up in most of the lists. So how do the critics' choices match up to your favorites?
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
New @ the library: films from the world for your long weekend
Did you enjoy the cultural diversity conference on campus this fall? Looking for something different to watch beyond "Miracle on 34th Street" this year, post-turkey? We've just received a fantastic selection of new DVDs at the UCC Library that let you bring a world of cinema into your own living room.
All of the films below are available to checkout: see our catalog for more details.
Eat Drink Man Woman (China)
This film, directed by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Sense and Sensibility) focuses on Chu, a master chef who tries to win over his three selfish and self-absorbed daughters through his cooking. When that goes up in flames, he tries a more dramatic approach- with results.
Blackboards (Iran), Osama (Afghanistan), Zaman (Iraq)
Osama and Zaman are both the first films released to a wider world audience after the dramatic conflicts the countries faced (and continue to stuggle with). All three are about journeys:
In Zaman, a village man travels upriver to Baghdad to find a cure for his wife.
In Osama, a young girl disguises herself as a boy to safely travel through Afghanistan after women are confined to their homes.
In Blackboards, dedicated teachers travel the length and breadth of Iranian Khurdistan, carrying their blackboards on their backs which serve as tool, professional symbol, and sometimes, shelter from gunfire.
The Host (Korea), Infernal Affairs (Hong Kong)
Or maybe you'd like something a little more shlocky? The Host is one of, well, a host of Asian horror movies, critically acclaimed for its underwater environmental sensibilities as well as its many thrills.
Infernal Affairs stars Tony Leung (Hero) in a tense police procedural, and may be best-known as the movie that directly inspired Scorese's The Departed.
Cinema from your Computer: The Criterion Collection's film festivals
Last, but certainly not least, if you think NetFlix's online "Watch it Now!" feature is the greatest thing since turkey-and-cranberry sandwiches, the new Criterion website is for you! Every month, the label plans to "host" a new online film festival with high-quality streaming video available online. This is only one of a plethora of features they are rolling out, so if you're a classic cinemaphile, make sure to check them out.
All of the films below are available to checkout: see our catalog for more details.
Eat Drink Man Woman (China)
This film, directed by Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; Sense and Sensibility) focuses on Chu, a master chef who tries to win over his three selfish and self-absorbed daughters through his cooking. When that goes up in flames, he tries a more dramatic approach- with results.
Blackboards (Iran), Osama (Afghanistan), Zaman (Iraq)
Osama and Zaman are both the first films released to a wider world audience after the dramatic conflicts the countries faced (and continue to stuggle with). All three are about journeys:
In Zaman, a village man travels upriver to Baghdad to find a cure for his wife.
In Osama, a young girl disguises herself as a boy to safely travel through Afghanistan after women are confined to their homes.
In Blackboards, dedicated teachers travel the length and breadth of Iranian Khurdistan, carrying their blackboards on their backs which serve as tool, professional symbol, and sometimes, shelter from gunfire.
The Host (Korea), Infernal Affairs (Hong Kong)
Or maybe you'd like something a little more shlocky? The Host is one of, well, a host of Asian horror movies, critically acclaimed for its underwater environmental sensibilities as well as its many thrills.
Infernal Affairs stars Tony Leung (Hero) in a tense police procedural, and may be best-known as the movie that directly inspired Scorese's The Departed.
Cinema from your Computer: The Criterion Collection's film festivals
Last, but certainly not least, if you think NetFlix's online "Watch it Now!" feature is the greatest thing since turkey-and-cranberry sandwiches, the new Criterion website is for you! Every month, the label plans to "host" a new online film festival with high-quality streaming video available online. This is only one of a plethora of features they are rolling out, so if you're a classic cinemaphile, make sure to check them out.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Laptops Available for Library Use!
Yes, the UCC Library now has laptops to loan out to students for use anywhere in the library. In a nutshell: 1) check out a computer, using your student ID; 2) use it responsibly; 3) return it to the desk before it's overdue. Yes, there are some policies, like bring it back to the desk within 3 hours or pay a big fine, don't check it out on your card and then hand it over to your friend with a reputation for dropping things, don't save your 10 page paper to the hard drive and expect it to be there tomorrow. Stuff like that. The policies are pasted right on top of the computer. And they're pasted right here, if you want a preview:
1. Library laptops are available to currently enrolled UCC students for 3 hour periods for use inside the library only.
2. Only UCC students currently enrolled in CREDIT CLASSES, faculty, and staff are eligible to check out Library Laptops. Credit students pay student technology fees to make these laptops available. Students must have their UCC ID card with a current term sticker.
3. If you checkout a laptop, it is assumed you know how to use it responsibly. The library staff and lab aides are not able to provide hardware or software troubleshooting, tutoring, or assistance.
4. Laptops will be available on a first come, first served basis and may not be reserved in advance. Only one laptop at a time may be borrowed by an individual.
5. Laptops may be checked out at the circulation desk from 8 a.m. until one hour before the library closes. Laptops must be returned at least a half hour before closing.
6. Laptop checkouts can be renewed, if there is no other student waiting. The library does not maintain a waiting list.
7. Save files to your own storage media. Do not save personal files or download software to the laptop hard drive at any time. Files will be deleted and you may lose the privilege of checking out laptops.
8. The student to whom the laptop is checked out is responsible for any associated costs if the laptop is lost, stolen, damaged, or overdue. Do not leave the laptop unattended.
9. Report any problems with the laptop immediately. If available, another will be checked out to you.
10. Laptops are battery powered, unless it is plugged in. Watch for “battery low” warnings.
11. Comply with all library and college policies regarding use of technology. (http://www.umpqua.edu/library/aup.htm)
12. Don’t be late! Return the laptop before it is overdue. Always return the laptop to a library staff member and do not leave it unattended. FINES: $10 overdue fine per hour . $1500 replacement cost for a lost, damaged-beyond-repair, or stolen laptop. After 24 hours overdue, the laptop will be considered lost.
13. The College is not responsible for any viruses which may be transferred to a user’s personal storage device, nor is it responsible for any lost or corrupted files.
1. Library laptops are available to currently enrolled UCC students for 3 hour periods for use inside the library only.
2. Only UCC students currently enrolled in CREDIT CLASSES, faculty, and staff are eligible to check out Library Laptops. Credit students pay student technology fees to make these laptops available. Students must have their UCC ID card with a current term sticker.
3. If you checkout a laptop, it is assumed you know how to use it responsibly. The library staff and lab aides are not able to provide hardware or software troubleshooting, tutoring, or assistance.
4. Laptops will be available on a first come, first served basis and may not be reserved in advance. Only one laptop at a time may be borrowed by an individual.
5. Laptops may be checked out at the circulation desk from 8 a.m. until one hour before the library closes. Laptops must be returned at least a half hour before closing.
6. Laptop checkouts can be renewed, if there is no other student waiting. The library does not maintain a waiting list.
7. Save files to your own storage media. Do not save personal files or download software to the laptop hard drive at any time. Files will be deleted and you may lose the privilege of checking out laptops.
8. The student to whom the laptop is checked out is responsible for any associated costs if the laptop is lost, stolen, damaged, or overdue. Do not leave the laptop unattended.
9. Report any problems with the laptop immediately. If available, another will be checked out to you.
10. Laptops are battery powered, unless it is plugged in. Watch for “battery low” warnings.
11. Comply with all library and college policies regarding use of technology. (http://www.umpqua.edu/library/aup.htm)
12. Don’t be late! Return the laptop before it is overdue. Always return the laptop to a library staff member and do not leave it unattended. FINES: $10 overdue fine per hour . $1500 replacement cost for a lost, damaged-beyond-repair, or stolen laptop. After 24 hours overdue, the laptop will be considered lost.
13. The College is not responsible for any viruses which may be transferred to a user’s personal storage device, nor is it responsible for any lost or corrupted files.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Global Road Warrior? Credo?
What stereotypes of Venezuelans are accepted by foreigners? What is the literacy rate in Ireland? What is the main religion in Iceland? The UCC Library recently picked up a new subscription to "Global Road Warrior", a new database, that answers these questions and provides easy-to-find information about countries and cultures around the world.
Choose a continent:
Click on a country:
From the country profile, you can choose a subject on the left, print screens, and grab the citation by clicking on "Cite this document".
The library is also subscribing--on a trial basis--to Credo, a database of 348 reference books. This is a great place to start researching any topic to learn more about it. All 348 books are available completely online and can be searched simultaneously. Or you can search books by subject. If you find a book you like, you can browse it by its table of contents, look through the images in the book or search through it by keyword.
To give you an idea of the variety of ways you can approach the books in Credo, here's an index of some of the pictures found in "The Encyclopedia of Folk Art":
When you zero in on a topic in Credo, note the list on the left side of the screen. You'll find a list of related entries elsewhere in Credo, as well as a list of related resources. The related resources provide a list of other library databases, including the library catalog. Click on a resource to carry on your search outside of Credo. Kinda cool.
Choose a continent:
Click on a country:
From the country profile, you can choose a subject on the left, print screens, and grab the citation by clicking on "Cite this document".The library is also subscribing--on a trial basis--to Credo, a database of 348 reference books. This is a great place to start researching any topic to learn more about it. All 348 books are available completely online and can be searched simultaneously. Or you can search books by subject. If you find a book you like, you can browse it by its table of contents, look through the images in the book or search through it by keyword.
To give you an idea of the variety of ways you can approach the books in Credo, here's an index of some of the pictures found in "The Encyclopedia of Folk Art":
When you zero in on a topic in Credo, note the list on the left side of the screen. You'll find a list of related entries elsewhere in Credo, as well as a list of related resources. The related resources provide a list of other library databases, including the library catalog. Click on a resource to carry on your search outside of Credo. Kinda cool.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Time to Vote!-- Election 2008
It is an interesting time on the national stage recently, and your chance to make a difference is fast approaching. That's right, it's time to vote! To help you be more informed, more efficient, and more effective this November, check out this list of resources for everything from local ballot drop-off points to national Presidential election predictions!
Local Elections
Oregon State Elections Division
National Voting Resources Online
Who's Who in the Presidential Race?
John McCain (Republican candidate)
- Sarah Palin (Republican Vice Presidential Candidate)
- Joe Biden (Democratic Vice Presidential Candidate)
National Presidential, Congressional, and Senate Races, 2008:
- C-SPAN: Campaign 2008 Election Forecast (added content from Congressional Quarterly)
Local Elections
Douglas County Elections,
Includes current candidates, local measures, county office requirements, drop site locations for returning your ballot, and signage regulations.
Voting in Oregon: a Douglas County FAQ
Voting Instructions
Douglas County Voter's Pamphlet
- Don't have time to mail your ballot? Local Ballot Drop Sites & Hours
Oregon State Elections Division
August 26 candidate filing deadline / voters' pamphlet filing deadline
Oregon Election Calendar 2008September 20 ballots mailed to long-term absent voters (overseas and military)
October 6 ballots mailed to out-of-state voters
October 8-10 voters' pamphlet delivery
October 14 voter registration deadline
October 17-21 ballots mailed to voters other than long-term and out-of-state voters
November 4 election day
December 4 certification of election results
National Voting Resources Online
Vote411
A "one-stop source for election-related questions." Information about polling places, candidates, election registration and polling deadlines, and much more, sorted by state. Created by the League of Women Voters Education Fund.
Vote Source [edit 10/2]
"Your source for making informed election decisions." Another great site from the League of Women Voters that covers both national and local contests and candidates.
Project VoteSmart
Project VoteSmart is a non-profit, non-partisan effort to provide information on national "candidates and elected officials in five basic categories: biographical information, issue positions, voting records, campaign finances and interest group ratings."
FactCheck.org
A resource site from the non-profit Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania that "monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major US political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases."
OpenSecrets.org
A resource site put together by the non-profit Center for Responsive Politics, OpenSecrets allows one to search for campaign finance reports for candidates and elected officials by region and jurisdiction. Each profile also includes a brief synopsis of past funding trends and when the official is due for their next election cycle.
FiveThirtyEight
This site gathers election predictions for the Presidential race from all major polls, as well as the current predictions for the House and Senate. (538 refers to the number of seats in the Electoral College.)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Tableless Library
You never know what may happen in a library during the summer. On the last day of Summer Term the furniture disappeared over a couple of hours. An intrepid student carried on to finish her finals. "Who needs tables?"Meanwhile, we moved the Reference books. All of them.
The chairs went out the door. . .
And the tables and sofas.
And all that was left was a vast empty space.
This was definitely not business as usual.
The painters showed up.
The carpeting began. First one side of the library,
And then the other.
Then everything went back together again.
Thanks to the flexible students, the Facilities crew, the Job Corps painters, and the library staff.
For more photos of the project, check out our photos on Flickr.
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