Printemps à Paris

We've recently added some new books to the collection about one of the world's most fascinating cities. If you don't see them on the "New Books" shelf and want to track any of them down, ask one of the library staff for help.

Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb reveals the city through portraits of some of its most amazing denizens.






And The Show Went On: Cultural Life in Nazi-Occupied Paris by Alan Riding shines the light on Parisian life under the Nazis.









No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf by Carolyn Burke provides a definitive biography of one of the world's finest vocalists and the subject of the academy award winning "La Vie En Rose". She played a role in the French Resistance during WWII, and when she died in 1963, tens of thousands of mourners emptied into the streets and brought Parisian traffic to a halt.









Women of the Left Bank, Paris, 1900 - 1940 by Shari Benstock provides a literary history of a special place and time through the lives of the creative women, many expatriate Americans, living in Paris in the early twentieth century.








The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography from the Revolution to the First World War by Graham Robb takes you into the rural landscape of a developing country, where there was little in common with the City of Light.

The Southern Half of the Hemisphere

How much do you know about our neighbors to the south? We've recently added a variety of new books about Latin American countries.

A team of writers contribute to the Moon guide to Peru to provide you with a lot more than travel information. Informative articles and pictures are interspersed throughout the guides to cities and sites to see.






Obviously, there is more to Venezuela than Hugo Chavez! This concise survey of the nation covers its history as a Spanish colony, its years under a variety of dictatorships, and its status as a modern nation.








Brazil on the Rise was written by a New York Times bureau chief, who lived in Brazil for 14 years. He weaves many personal stories into this overview of colonial history and contemporary events. Learn about Brazil's economy, governance, and its people.



Published in 2010, this is the 5th edition of Latin America: Its Problems and Its Promise. It is an up-to-date guide to environmental issues in Costa Rica and Brazil, political movements across the region, the US relationship with Ecuador, Colombia, and other countries, and analysis of developing and deteriorating economies. Although it covers a lot of territory, it provides a solid foundation to understand the challenges of the region.



Fernando Lugo, a liberation priest, is now the president of Paraguay. He brings new hope to a country plagued by tyranny, repression, and poverty.












Words, maps, and pictures combine to provide insight into Argentina. More than just a guide to the best restaurants, tourist sites, and places to stay, this Eyewitness Travel guide informs about the history and culture of the country.









This is just a sample of the many books on the library shelves that can help you learn about the amazing histories and cultures of Latin America. Most of our books on Latin America are shelved in the 972 and 980's sections of the library collection.

Rock Revival

As we wrap up the Winter term and head into Spring Break, maybe you're looking for some tunes to take with you? Or if you're like us, you're looking for some good music to tide you over while you wait for the major releases that are just a few weeks away.

Here are some just released or coming out soon items...and some "listen-alikes" to help fill your playlist while we wait!

Already Released

R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

Fans and Rolling Stone tag this as R.E.M.'s edgiest new album in years, going back to their roots. Judge for yourself by giving 2008's Accelerate (781.66 R) a listen for contrast before the new disc arrives.



The Decemberists - The King is Dead

Earlier albums by this Portland-based group, like The Crane Wife and The Hazards of Love, feature longer songs, but this latest collection focuses on "short" pieces (for The Decemberists, a 4 min. track is short). Fans say the new album is catchy: "I didn't have to work to love this," one reviewer says on Amazon. All three are available at the library: 781.66 D.



Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style

Hey, it's St. Patrick's Day! Want some Irish punk with that green beer? The Dropkick Murphys can help you out in classic style. The Warrior's Code (2005) is available at 781.66 D while the new CD is on order.


Coming Soon (with music to try while you wait!)

Jennifer Hudson - I Remember Me

Pick up examples of Jennifer Hudson's earlier works on her self-titled album from 2008 (781.66 H), or the R & B retrospective film Dreamgirls.


Radiohead - King of Limbs

New Radiohead! While we wait (impatiently), chill out with the sounds of 2008's In Rainbows (781.66 R). When the sparkle of that album goes dull, try out The National's High Violet (781.66 N) [more lyrics, less synthetic, same atmospheric feel].



TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

We have two older TV on the Radio albums to get you in the Brooklyn mood, Return to Cookie Mountain and Dear Science (781.66 T). Arcade Fire (Funerals and The Suburbs are their two most recent albums) is an upcoming band that catches some of the same modern anxiety and apathy in their tunes (781.66 A).


Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Pick up their earlier, self-titled album at 781.66 F to fill the hours until the May 3rd release date, or check out sound-alikes Iron & Wine on Mojo's collection of new Indie rock, Mojo Presents New Harvest (781.66 M).



Happy break, and happy listening!

Stretch out your studying with extended library hours

Did you know, the library will be open some extra hours in the next few weeks to help you prepare for finals?

We'll be open 7:30 am- 6 pm on the next two Fridays-- March 4th and 11th-- and on Saturday, March 12th from 11 am - 7 pm for the ASUCC Study-In.

Good luck, and see you at the library!

Things Are Happening in the Middle East

As the whole world watches Egypt, you might be seeking some context for the events unfolding there. The library can provide you with some useful reading:
Heavy Metal Islam: Rock, Reistance, and the Struggle for the Soul of Islam (2008) by Mark Levine might be the most unusual tour of the Middle East to be found in our collection. One chapter is devoted to the metalheads of Egypt and Levine's investigation provides insight into the Muslim Brotherhood, the edges of society resisting 30 years of dictatorship, and the many metal musicians who are well-educated sons and daughters of diplomats, military officers, or other members of the country's elite. (956 L)


John R. Bradley provides a prescient title in his three year old book: Inside Egypt: The Land of the Pharaohs on the Brink of a Revolution. "Five decades after Nasser and the Free Officers overthrew the British-backed monarchy in a dramatic coup d'etat, the future of Egypt grows more uncertain by the day as the country teeters on the brink. . ." A key U.S. ally, world tourist destination, and brutal Arab state is explained by a journalist fluent in Egyptian Arabic. (962.055 B)


For an understanding of the United States involvement and interests in the broader Middle East from George Washington to George Bush, check out Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren. (Oren is the American-born Israeli Ambassador to the United States.) Did you know the region played a role in shaping American identity--including a majestic sculpture first designed to grace the Suez Canal in Egypt but later transformed into the Statue of Liberty? (956 O)

From A History of the Modern Middle East by William Cleveland to the reliable The Middle East for Dummies by Craig S. Davis the library collection can bring some understanding to this complex and rapidly changing part of the world.

Reading for fun

If you need to take a break from text books to relax with a book of your choosing, then the UCC library is definitely the place to go. There are shelves lined with engaging books on a multitude of subjects. Here are just a few suggestions to help you fall back into love with reading.

"Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists" is an inspiring book edited by Courtney E. Martin and J. Courtney Sullivan. It features the stories of many different women from various lifestyles, writing about how they came to the realization that they were feminists. Their stories range from comical to emotionally touching and are encouraging for all age groups.

"Mexicanos in Oregon: Their Lives, Their Stories," written by Erlinda Gonzales-Berry, is another inspiring book that follows the stories of people from different walks of life with the same common goals. This book focuses on the increasing numbers of Latinos that are settling in Oregon. It discusses why they come and what they experience upon arrival. This book is an informative read for all Oregonians.

"The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness" by Oren Harman is another thought provoking book that tells the story of George Price. A genius from America, Price sets out to answer questions regarding kindness from an evolutionary perspective. The ending will leave you with much to ponder.

The UCC Library has a wide variety of books that will provide you with some relaxing, leisure time in between homework assignments. Come find a topic that interests you today!

THIS IS NOT A COPY MACHINE

The machine so artfully posed in the above picture is the new wireless printer. It looks like a copy machine and, theoretically, it IS a copy machine, and many other things, too. But we've dumbed it down to function EXCLUSIVELY AS A PRINTER. You'll find it in place of the old wireless printer(s) and, yes, you'll have to install a new driver on your machine.

Meanwhile, the library computer lab has also been outfitted with these new machines dutifully performing exclusively as printers. Where once there were three, there are now TWO. The third moved to wireless duty.








With the printer upgrade one thing led to another and we were left with no other alternative but to move the pencil sharpener. We considered remodeling the library inside and out in an effort to leave the pencil sharpener alone. But in the end we just moved it. It's right over there:

Here's a little more context:



What else is new for Winter 2011? We spruced up one of the walls with a handsome new poster to guide you through the mysterious Dewey Decimal system of arranging books by subject:




And finally, don't forget to check out the new books!