Looking for our newer posts?

Check out our new library blog at our website: www.ucclibrary.com

See you there!

Benvolio visits the Library

Who wins? You'll have to attend the production to find out!

Romeo & Juliet - Live!
Centerstage Theater | Umpqua Community College
7 p.m. - Feb. 14, 15, 21, 22
2 p.m. - Feb. 16, 22

Tickets: $12 (senior & student discounts available)

For more information, visit: umpqua.edu/theater or call (541) 440-4691

Dare to Dream it Large, Dare to Dream it Loudly

Almost 51 years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech that would change a nation forever.  He, along with so many others, dared to speak out in the name of making their dreams become a reality, and succeeded in the transformation of America that still continues today. 

Thousands line up in front of the Lincoln Memorial for the Civil Rights March on Washington.

Though we have come a long way, we are all aware of the imperfections in our society and environment that still exist, and we face them every day.  We have the power to change the world...it's up to us to make it happen.

Whether it's a change you want to see in your local community, school, or the federal government, we all need to learn the skills associated with being an effective leader of change.  We at UCC want to see you succeed, we want to see you make your dreams a reality. 

So come to the UCC library and see how great leaders did it in the past, or check out some books that can teach you the skills you need to be a driving force behind change. 

:)

Succeed in College! (and 7 Other Great New Year Resolutions)

Learn something new in 2014! Now that the calendar has turned over to a new year, many of us have resolved to pick up a new skill, hobby, or just to make a change. Let the UCC Library help you with those New Year Resolutions-- and if you don't have one already, maybe you'll find something in our collections that calls to you as a great goal.

Succeed in College!
The Library is a partner in your college success-- we offer general guides on starting out your college career, resources for your classes (don't forget you can check out textbooks for use in the Library!), in-person help from library staff, and books, electronic resources, CDs, and DVDs on all kinds of topics under the sun!

Excelling in College: strategies for success & reducing stress
Jeffrey Kottler
378.198 K
_____________________________________

Code!
Computer languages, like the times, are always changing. Pick up computer programing this year, or learn an additional language-- we have how-to manuals and quick "visual course" titles for many popular and new languages.

C# In-Depth - 3rd Ed.
Jon Skeet
005.133 S | New Book section

____________________________________

Cook!
Winter always seems like the best time to cook up something warm on the stove or in the oven. Check out our culinary section for soup inspirations, basic guides ("How to Cook Just About Everything") and more regional favorites than you can shake a wooden spoon at.

The Culinary Institute of America Book of Soups
641.813 C

____________________________________

Get penny-wise!
Ready to start saving? Or at least make "budget" something other than a four-letter word?

The Investor's Manifesto: preparing for prosperity, Armageddon, and everything in between
William J. Bernstein

332.6 B | New Books section
____________________________________

Communicate (in a new language)!
Want to learn a new spoken language in 2014? We have dictionaries, phrase guides, tutorial CDs and DVDs, and even novels in some non-English languages. Don't forget that UCC offers World Language classes too!

250 Essential Chinese Characters
Philip Yungkin Lee
495.182 L
____________________________________

Explore!

Travel is a fun resolution, and sometimes exploring your own backyard can make for the most interesting outings. Whether you want to travel abroad or check out recreation right here in Oregon, we have guides at the Library-- you can even learn a new way to explore those outdoor spaces with a hiking, rock climbing, or outdoor survival manual.

Washington, Oregon, & the Pacific Northwest
Lonely Planet Guides
979.5 W

Rock Climbing: mastering basic skills
Craig Luebben
796.5223 L
____________________________________

Happiness & Personal Change!
Many resolutions have, at their heart, some type of habit-shift: eating right, exercising more, stopping something or starting something else. At heart, we humans have an amazing capacity to learn, which is awesome, but changing our basic day-to-day activities is hard. Lots of psychologists have studied the best ways to increase happiness or make personal change-- check out their work in our collection!

Change: what really leads to lasting personal transformation
Jeffrey A. Kottler
155.25 K | New Book section

The How of Happiness: a new approach to getting the life you want
Sonja Lyubomirsky
152.4 L
____________________________________

Gardening!
Maybe it's just me, but every few years I resolve that this will be the year I figure out how to grow something more ambitious than a bamboo cutting in a glass of water...and then a few months later my pot of herbs looks as wilted and floppy as a pancake. No more, my fellow "black thumb" gardeners! Let this be the year we throw off our shackles and eat a tomato we grew ourselves. Yes we can!

Starter Vegetable Gardens: 24 no-fail plans for small organic gardens
Barbara Pleasant
635 P

Happy 2014!

Happy New Year & Welcome Back!

Please join us on Monday, Jan. 6th & Tues. Jan. 7th for free coffee, tea, or hot cocoa in the Library. Just in case you need an update on our hours, the library will be open:

Mon.-Thurs. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm
Fri. 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
Sat. & Sun. Closed

Best wishes for winter term!

The snow and ice is gone.  And Finals Week came to a close.  The library is now on very limited hours until the start of Winter Term, January 6, 2014.  Be sure to check our Hours page before making plans to visit.

Here's our schedule:

December 16 & 17:  The library is open 8 am to 4 pm

December 18:  The library is open 8 am to NOON

December 19 to January 1:  CLOSED

January 2 & 3:  The library is open 8 am to 4 pm

January 6, 2014:  Winter Term begins.  The library is open from 7:30 am to 8 pm, Monday - Thursday; Friday, 7:30 am - 5 pm.  Back to normal.

As always, the library is closed Saturdays and Sundays.

UCC is Open Today (Tues. 12/10/13)

Umpqua Community College is OPEN today, Tues. Dec. 10th. Be careful driving to campus as icy conditions continue both on roads and in the parking lot-- give yourself extra time if possible.

Monday finals will be held on Friday, Dec. 13th.

Good luck with your finals!
--------------------------------------------------

The Fall ASUCC Study-In on Saturday, December 7th was canceled due to the icy weather conditions.

Stay safe and warm out there, and we'll look forward to seeing you for the winter-term Study In in March!

Novel First Lines

Now that the weather is frightful, wouldn't it be delightful to find a great read for the holidays? Courtesy of our fall "First Lines & Factiods" contest, check out these interesting reads. Thank you to our many great entrants who submitted all of the below books and facts.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
(submitted by Najla Morgan)

First line: "The Garretts were forbidden from the start."

Interesting fact: "On Huntley Fitzpatrick's 10th birthday, her father gave her a typewriter, a pack of Lucky Strike cigarettes, and a bottle of scotch. He also gave her a note telling her to "Be Bold, Be Bold, Be Bold." Huntley passed on the scotch and cigarettes, but kept writing." (author's website)


East of Eden by John Steinbeck

(submitted by Nicole Johnson)

First Line: "The Salinas Valley is in Northern California."

Interesting Fact: "Years after her husband's death, Elaine Steinbeck went to a bookstore in Japan asking if they carried copies of The Grapes of Wrath. The owner was puzzled, not recognizing the title. "It's by John Steinbeck," she insisted. "Oh," said the owner, finally understanding her request. "You mean The Angry Raisins." (Steinbeck's biography @ Oprah.com)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
(submitted by Colton Claughton, Megan Morehouse, Marcel Ortiz, Sean Smith)

First Line: "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit."

Interesting Facts: "Tolkien, a professor of linguistics at Oxford, was grading exams and came upon a blissfully blank page. He wrote the first line of the book without having any notion of what a 'hobbit' was at the time. This anecdote suggests that if more students endeavoured to be succinct in essay exams, we might have more classics of literature." (Annotated Hobbit, Sean Smith)

"Tolkien was a codebreaker in World War II." (tolkiensociety.org)

"The Hobbit was written for Tolkien's children. It was by luck that a person working for a publishing company came across it and then convinced Tolkien to publish the book, which Tolkien hadn't previously intended to do." (tolkiensociety.org)

"Tolkien and his wife, Edith, are buried together in a single grave in the Catholic section of Wolvercote cemetery in the northern suburbs of Oxford. The headstone reads: 'Edith Mary Tolkien, Luthien, 1889-1971' and 'John Ronald Reul Tolkien, Beren, 1892-1973.' The character names are from The Silmarillion. (IMDB)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

(submitted by Amanda Page)

First Line: "The circus arrives without warning."

Interesting Fact: "Morgenstern is an artist as well as a writer." (goodreads.com)

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloan Crosley
(submitted by Thomas McNamara)

First Line: "As most New Yorkers have done, I have given serious and generous thought to the state of my apartment should I get killed during the day."

Interesting Fact: "Sloan Crosley wrote the cover story for the worst-selling issue of Maxim in the magazine's history." (author's bio)




Haunted Mesa by Louis L'Amour

(submitted by Don Connors)

First Line: "It was night, and he was alone upon the desert."

Interesting Fact: "Louis L'Amour spent much of his time in libraries and bookstores across the United States and all over the world. He was known to brag about reading more than one hundred and fifty non-fiction books per year from 1928 to 1942. (LouisLAmour.com)



Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
(submitted by Emilie Smart)

First Line: "I am old now and have not much to fear from the anger of gods."

Interesting Fact: "C.S. Lewis was a member of a group known as 'The Inklings,' an informal collective of writers and intellectuals with his brother and J.R.R. Tolkien. Through conversations with these members, C.S. Lewis found himself re-embracing Christianity after becoming disillusioned with the faith in his youth." (C.S. Lewis @ Biography.com)


The Dispossessed by Ursula LeGuin

(submitted by Susannah Day)

First Line: "There was a wall."

Interesting Fact: "LeGuin has chosen to make almost all of the characters in her books people of color-- a huge change from the other books of the science fiction/fantasy genre." (http://writing-world.com/sf/leguin.shtml)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
(submitted by Donna Reed)

First Line: "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of Number Four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

Interesting Fact: "#4 Privet Drive is located in Berkshire. The worst place in Muggledom is named after a small town in Gloucestershire. Rowling has visited such places as a child. The Dursley home can be found near Bracknell." (www.empireonline.com)

Happy Holidays, and may all your reads be good ones!

Thanksgiving Yum Yums

Thanksgiving's coming up and we all know what that means...sitting on the couch after a delicious meal that lasts a couple hours...getting together with family that you really love, or maybe don't so much...dishes...and a MUCH needed break from school. 

Now I don't know about you, but I always enjoy trying at least one new recipe.  You have a table full of willing participants for the experiment so, why not?  I've been looking through our cookbooks and I thought: some of these recipes cannot go hidden any longer.  When you see them, I imagine your mouth will begin to water as mine did, and you'll need a mop to wipe up the mess.

From a neat book called One-Pot Meals with recipes that can all be accomplished in...you guessed it...one pot!  That makes it nice if you're looking for ways to eliminate dishes.  On page 172, you'll find this:


Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
Eating Well: One-Pot Meals
641.82 P

This sounded like a D E L I C I O U S side with a healthy dose of calcium, iron, and potassium.  (It's important that we stay healthy too, right?)  But then again I'm a sucker for sweet potato so don't take my word for it...

For all you folks growing your food locally, I have two things to say.  For one, props to you; growing fresh fruit and vegetables is an excellent way to save money, stay healthy, and appreciate the land we live on.  Second, you may find this book invaluable during the holidays or any time you feel like trying something new...


by Connie Green
641.6 G

 

My favorite recipe from this one has got to be the Gerber's Porcini Panini with Teleme and Caramelized Onions (I can't pronounce the name but boy does it look good), page 186. Imagine oozing white teleme cheese and caramelized onions coming from a golden ciabatta.  You look closer and you see slices of grilled porcini mushrooms with garlic, rosemary, and fresh thyme.  Yum.  If you can resist that, you just aren't human.

 

You may want to get serious about barbequeing for the holidays, in which case this is a must-read:

 

 



by Adam Perry Lang
641.5784 P

This is truly a must-see for all of you brave enough to face the cold outdoors for some delicious meat.

Favorite recipe: Bacon-wrapped Skinless Drumsticks with Sage and Garlic, pg. 271.  Heck yeah.

 

We'll have a display set up if you're feeling curious or edgy this winter, so come check it out. 



Celebrate American Indian Heritage Month!

Imagination

November is National Novel Writing Month, and in order to write the next great bestseller, you need some imagination and creativity! This week, Aria, one of the library's lab aides, discusses creativity, imagination, and how sometimes spacing out is more than just a 1000-yard stare:

   Imagination is what all great authors need. It allows a person to go to experience another world, beyond our own. As a frequent user of imagination, I can't bear the thought of not having one. I've fallen in love with the colorful world of my mind, and I plan on using a great deal of it for my writing.

    First off, let me explain why I bother to talk about imagination. I have Aspergers Syndrome, a form of autism that makes me think differently than a normal human. I am quite introverted, although many people will think the opposite if they meet me in person, and I have a huge imagination. If you ask me what I'm thinking of when I'm staring off into the distance, I'd probably tell you a detailed story of something I made up for a book or a piece of poetry. Aspergers Syndrome makes me give up the natural ability to socialize for the ability to be a god in my imagination.

   Now you might think that my odd syndrome is unusual for someone like me. But some of the greatest minds and authors of our race probably had Aspergers Syndrome. Here is a list:

• Bill Gates
• Isaac Newton
• Jane Austen
• George Orwell
• Woody Allen
• Mark Twain
• Thomas Jefferson

    Imagination is the key to creating things from books to new technology we use in our everyday lives. We rely on people who think differently to solve problems the average Joe couldn't. The person that you might think of as strange or different might be the person who cures cancer. So the next time you see someone that you think is strange looking off into the distance, try to imagine what they're thinking of. Maybe they're escaping their everyday lives by looking through the eyes of a dragon, or even a giant squid. Or maybe they're thinking of nothing and just like the color of the wallpaper. Although they may be different, the beauty of their imagination magnificent. Just like the authors that write the books for everyone to enjoy and read at the UCC library.

Check out these cool books:

                                      

How'd you like to win a Kindle Fire?

We're celebrating National Information Literacy Month (October) and National Novel Writing Month (November) with kindle giveaways!!

Introducing the UCC Librarys.....drum roll please....

NOVEL FIRST LINES & FACTOIDS CONTEST

Oct. 28 - Nov. 8, 2013

Grand Prize: Kindle Fire

Three First Prizes: Kindle Paperwhite

 

HOW TO ENTER

First, you're going to want to pick up a form from the front desk.  All you have to do is give us your first name, student ID#, and contact information.  Then, tell us the first line of a favorite book, the title of the book, its author, and an interesting fact related to the first line or the author of the book.  Lastly, because we're librarians and we get to be picky about things like this, cite your source!

Winners will be randomly drawn, so may the luckiest student win!

GoPrint!

You've probably already encountered the new GoPrint software on the computers in the lab.  If you haven't, you've probably heard about how frustrating it is from other students. 

We're working out some kinks right now, and slowly but surely, we're hopefully easing your frustrations. 

For now, no one is getting charged for any print jobs...so don't feel outraged when you think you're being charged 5.00$ for your print job.  If you look below the "Account Summary", you'll find the "Transaction Summary" where it will say 0.00$.  That is what's being 'charged' to your account.

Another thing we'd like you to remember is to log out of your account once you're done printing.  For now, you have an unlimited number of pages to print for free.  In the future, you will only be limited a certain number of pages to print for free before you begin getting charged.  It's a good idea to get into the habit now of signing out so others don't use your account.

Bear with us UCC!  Soon, coming to the lab will return to being a relatively painless process. :)

You can always ask the lab aides on duty if you have any questions or concerns, or call the HelpDesk at (541) 440-7808.

Welcome Back!

It's time for another quarter, and we're happy to have you here!  The Library is hosting free coffee Monday and Tuesday morning to celebrate the start of classes.

Come by the Library, check out our reading area with
comfy couches, our swanky study carrels that are waiting for you in the Quiet Study area, learn how to create your own cheese or beer with our new books, and grab a cup of coffee to help your brain jump back into study mode.

Happy Fall!

Summertime!

The sun has returned from its seasonal journey to give us warmth and blue skies once more! If you are hoping to escape the summer heat, the UCC Library has room this summer (and books too).

Our summer hours:

Closed Thursday, July 4th (Independence Day)

Summer Term (June 24 - Aug. 30)
Mon. - Thurs.: 7:30 am - 8:00 pm
Fri. - Sun.: Closed

Closed Monday, Sept. 2nd (Labor Day);  Mon. & Tues. Sept. 16-17th (Campus Inservice)

Fall Intersession (September 3 - 27)
Mon. - Thurs.: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Fri. - Sun.: Closed

Normal library hours (Mon. - Thurs. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm; Fri. 7:30 am - 5:00 pm) will resume on Sept. 30th. 

Have a fantastic summer!

Fine wines, beer, and cheese at the UCC library!

Coming to the UCC library near you...

Fine wine, cheese, beer, and cider making!  

We're receiving millions (well, almost) of books about how to start your own wine-making business, create your own beers and ciders, and learn from the best about exotic cheeses.  Everything you ever wanted to know and more about label design, barrel crafting, aging, and fermentation can be found in the 641 section of the library.  If you're looking for something specific, don't forget to search through the catalog!

Some books that caught my eye...

ICON: Art of the wine label, 641.22 C

by Jeffrey Caldewey

With life-size images of 100 wine bottles featuring iconic art, this book will tell you everything you need to know about label design, and inspire you to create some designs of your own.

Artisan Cheese Making At Home, 641.373 K

by Mary Karlin

Packed with mouth-watering recipes from Smoked Brandy-Pecan Gorgonzola to Mushroom infused Camembert, to Irish-Style Cheddar, Mary Karlin has mastered the art of cheese-making and dining.  These recipes will be perfectly accompanied by a class of wine, and a relaxing night at home.  

Think summer, people!

Understanding Wine Technology, 641.22

by David Bird

If you've every been curious about how wine is made, from fermentation to quality control, this book has it all on the scientific side of things.

And many, many more...check it out!

CURRENT TIMES at UCC

Attention UCC students: there's a new display in the UCC Library!

At the start of May, the UCC Library will have a new display featuring neglected and abandoned books worth reading at the start of each new month.  May's topic is CURRENT TIMES: What's going on today in America?

Here's where you come in.  We want to involve students in this...If there's a topic you think people need to know more about or you have an awesome book in mind you think people NEED TO READ, email the shelver or leave a comment below.  If we don't have the books you're looking for, you can always leave a recommendation for David Hutchison, Library Director and we'll do our best to revamp our collection to better suit the needs of students today.

Comment below or email the Shelver: uccshelves@gmail.com with your thoughts.
Thanks,
UCC Library :)

Wifi Troubles No More

If you are having problems connecting to the Wifi here in the library, you might want to try the ethernet cables by the computer lab. 



Over on the back corner beyond the computers, you'll find a desk along the windows with ethernet cables much like this one:

Plug it into your laptop and you're internet ready to go!  There are only a few tables, so the cords may be scarce.  If you have any other issues feel free to ask any one of our lovely staff or Lab Aides for help. :)



Break with Music

Learn about some new music before your vacation roadtrip, or just jump into a new genre outside the Top 10 lists with books from the UCC Library--

The ten featured titles below are set to start your musical odyssey in style!

How Music Works by David Byrne ( 781.1 B )
Learn about why music moves us and how it has changed throughout history. Did you ever wish you could take a class from a rock star? This book is written by David Byrne, one of the founders of the Talking Heads.

The Life and Death of Classical Music by Norman Lebrecht ( 781.68 L )
The subtitle of this books says "Featuring the 100 best and 20 worst recordings ever made," which really, how can you go wrong with that? (Besides the obvious ways...)

The Basics: World Music by Richard O. Nidel ( 781.63 N )
A quick general guide to the major music types and trends across the world, broken up by region and country. If you'd like to dig into more eclectic world music, check out the Library's latest issue of Songlines on the new magazine rack, too!

The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to American Folk by Kip Lornell ( 781.64 L )
61 key folk CDs and a general listing of regional variations, plus the history of Folk Music across America.

Will the Circle be Unbroken: Country Music in America edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash ( 781.642 W )
A collection put together by the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN, this volume takes you through country's colorful beginnings to its recent history and greats.

In Search of the Blues by Marybeth Hamilton ( 781.643 H )
Sometimes, understanding something is all about getting back to the roots. In this historical study, Hamilton traces back the commonly understood origins of the Delta Blues to see if the music really started where the stories claim.

Jazz: the Rough Guide by Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, and Brian Priestley ( 781.650922 C )
Over 16,000 short artist biographies and brief album reviews.

The Hip Hop Wars: What We Talk About When We Talk About Hip Hop & Why It Matters by Tricia Rose ( 781.649 R )
Does hip hop cause violence, or is it just "keepin' it real"? What about the growing commercialization of the hip hop and rap genre? Are there ways that rap lyrics actually represent poetry for a new age? These and other questions are examined in this companion to hip hop and rap music.

Punk Rock: an Oral History by John Robb ( 781.66 R )
Punk culture includes music, fashion, media, and a definite 1980s feel. This overview covers it all, stretching "from the Clash, Crass, Henry Rollins, and John Lydon to the Sex Pistols, the Stranglers, and the Buzzcocks, with more than 150 interviews that encapsulate the most thrilling wave of rock and roll pop culture ever seen."

FutureHit.DNA: how the digital revolution is changing top 10 songs by Jay Frank ( 781.66 F )
With the recent news that Billboard will start counting YouTube views in its Top charts, it might be time to start taking digital memes and music seriously.