Extended Library Hours May 27 - June 4

(Now you're thinking....with portals!)

It's that time again! The end of the term is upon us, and that means finals are right around the corner. Join us for extended hours at the library to get your study on! Here is the schedule in full:

• Friday, May 27th : Open 7:30am - 6pm

• Saturday, May 28th & Monday, May 30th : Closed for Memorial Day

• Tuesday - Thursday, May 31 - June 2nd : 7:30am - 9pm

• Friday, June 3rd : 7:30am - 6pm

• Saturday, June 4th : 11 am- 7 pm (ASUCC Study-In)

Good luck!

Where the fantastic is normal...

What do we do when the doors of our house open up to an entirely different place, when long-passed relatives visit to give us relationship advice, and when it starts raining cats and dogs...literally?

Well, you and I might find it strange and amazing, but these sorts of events are the everyday bread-and-butter of magical realism.

Magical realism is "a style of literature which integrates a realist mode of writing with fantastical or marvelous events treated as perfectly ordinary occurrences" (A Dictionary of Critical Theory).

And visiting someplace else that is almost (but not quite) like here can be a fun literary vacation. We have a number of great finds related to magical realism at the library, so let's get started!

Films (descriptions from IMDb)

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
[UCC Library DVD 791.43 P]

"In the fascist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world."



Volver (2006)
[UCC Library DVD 791.43 V]
"After her death, a mother returns to her home town in order to fix the situations she couldn't resolve during her life."



Amélie (2001)
[UCC Library DVD 791.43 A]
"Amelie, an innocent and naive girl in Paris, with her own sense of justice, decides to help those around her and along the way, discovers love."



Books


Kafka on the Shore (2005)
[UCC Library stacks 895.635 Murakami M]

"The black cat slowly stretched out a leg, then it narrowed its eyes and gave the old man another good long look.

With a big grin on his face, the man stared right back. The cat hesitated for a time, then plunged ahead and spoke. 'Hmm...so you're able to speak.'

'That's right,' said the old man bashfully. To show his respect, he took off his threadbare cotton hiking hat. 'Not that I can speak to every cat I meet, but if things go well I can. Like right now.'

'Interesting,' the cat said simply" (43).



One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967)
[UCC Library stacks 863 Garcia G]

Garcia Marquez tells the story of Macondo, a town frequented by gypsies and found by following birdsong, and the Buendia family over the course of generations. Garcia Marquez won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, and this novel is often cited as the classic example of magical realism.




American Gods (2001)
[Douglas Co. Libraries, Roseburg: SF Gai]
(You can have this novel sent to UCC by placing a hold!)

Shadow has just been released from prison, and all he wants is to get back to a normal life. But he has a problem-- all through America's history, immigrants have been bringing their stories with them to the new country-- Odin, Spider, Leprechauns and all the rest-- and now Shadow is caught in a war between the old myths and the new.

French Invasion

French 103 students challenge UCC students to test their knowledge of the French culture with games.

French Trivia stumped most of the players, but ooh la la, many students excelled at defining the French expressions we use in English.

The Name Game asked if you could recognize famous French people. Noteworthy was Pepe Le Pew’s popularity.

An encore performance of the game table will take place on Thursday from noon to 1:00 in the Cafeteria. Come and test your French IQ.

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!