Something to Talk About

For those of you that like to know strange facts and perhaps entertain others with your obscure knowledge, here are some books you could read.

 Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants by Robert Sullivan (599.35 S)


Rats are not usually the best conversation starter and should probably be left out of one's dinner conversation, and to most people they're disgusting little creatures that are better off dead than alive. They're everywhere and nobody really likes to think about them. But how have we tried to get rid of them and what part have they played in our history? By hanging around the alleys of New York, Robert Sullivan set out to find the answers.

The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus: All the Words; Volume One and Two (791.4572 C)

"Almost certainly nominated for something somewhere," these two books contain the 45 episodes of Monty Python's flying circus. Literally, all the words. If, through watching the episodes, you haven't yet been able to memorize all the lines, here is your chance.

Monty Python Speaks! by David Morgan (791.4572 M)

But wait, there's more! To compliment the witty sketches of Monty Python's Flying Circus, you can learn about how it all came to be in the first place. Monty Python Speaks is the history of the show as told by its founding members and many other people. The San Francisco Chronicle called it "the nearest thing imaginable to a group autobiography." Go behind the scenes with the actors to take a look at the show and their lives behind the scenes.

Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond (338.476 A)


Most people in this world love candy, but perhaps none so much as Steve Almond. He has had a piece of candy very single day of his life and thinks about candy about once an hour. That is why he noticed the disappearance of many delicious candy bars throughout the years. Thus he embarked on a journey through the nation to find out what happened and discover the truth about the candy business.

 And last, but most definitely not least, have you ever wanted to learn Klingon? If you have, there is a Klingon dictionary located in the library for anyone to enjoy. Complete with lessons in grammar, the language from Star Trek is available to you.

The Klingon Dictionary: English-Klingon, Klingon-English by Marc Okrand (791.45 O)

A Staple for the Perfect Paper

You've researched the topic, synthesized massive amounts of information, written a thing of beauty, and grappled with citation formats.  Just one last thing to do, now that you've cranked out that awesome paper and are looking forward to an "A":

 

Finding this a little hard to read?  No problem.  Click on the picture to make it bigger.  Or we have super-sized it and put it on the wall above the staplers to facilitate your stapling experience.

Umpqua Foodways

So what are "foodways"?

Here's a definition from Wikipedia: In social science foodways are the cultural, social and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food.

In Douglas County we have the weather and the land to support a rich variety of foodways. And the region has a long history of agriculture and ranching. The most recent and obvious development is the boom in wine grape production.

"Think local" and you'll find an abundance of good food and drink in our region and state:

“In New Food Culture, a Young Generation of Farmers Emerges” features a Corvallis, Oregon farm. New York Times, March 5, 2011.

Here are two local farms that could have been in this article:

Big Lick Farm is a family farm and CSA committed to providing high quality, naturally grown food.

OMyGato Farm is also a local CSA farm.

If anyone is on top of the local food movement, it has to be Jennifer Coalwell, who blogs regularly about local farms, foods, markets, and eateries. "Flavors of the Umpqua: Notes from a Local Kitchen" is an excellent resource. Includes recipes!

Think Local Umpqua supports and encourages all local businesses. Pick up one of the "Think Local Umpqua" directories on the new book shelf just inside the front door of the library. Their web site includes an event calendar that lists local farmers markets and the Think Local Umpqua Business Directory may be the most comprehensive guide to local food and farms. Be sure to choose "Business Type": Food/Farming/Wine and search "All".

Pick Your Own is a handy directory to several (but not all) you-pick farms in Douglas County. Complete with driving directions and produce details.

Great information about Emerald Hills Beef and Umpqua Valley Lamb comes from the Portland natural foods chain of New Seasons Markets. Locally, their beef and lamb are available at Kruse Farms.

Of course, Kruse Farms Market, Bakery, and Gift Shop offers all kinds of local produce and bakery treats, including bread from the Lighthouse Center Bakery, Cafe, and Country Store.

You can check out the growing list of wineries in "Oregon's Oldest Fine Wine Region" at the informative and comprehensive Umpqua Valley Wineries web site.


And finally, you can learn more about food, agriculture, eating, and cooking at your local library by picking up a book like Kitchen Literacy: How We lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes from and Why We Need to Get It Back by Ann Vileisis.

FALL 2011 CONTEST

The FALL 2011 CONTEST is over.  20 students identified their pictures and picked up a gift certificate.  Thanks to everyone who participated!

There are about 43 recognizable faces below in this post.  The first twenty to find themselves and report to the front "Circulation" desk at the library, will win a $25 gift certificate good for anything at the UCC Bookstore.  Gift certificates are limited to the first 20!  This is our way of saying Thank You to the students who end up in our photos because they use the library (and are so photogenic!)


These pictures were mostly taken randomly on October 5, 2011, when there were over 170 people in the building. A couple of others were taken during the French Invasion last Spring and a few were shots taken recently that may have ended up on our home page. 

Take a look!  Are you there?

 

 

 

What We're Reading

Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them
by Donovan Hohn (551.462 H)

Let’s say you go to the beach, and for the heck of it throw a rubber duck into the ocean. Or thousands, why not? What happens next? Where does the current take them? Could you track them? These are the questions Hohn set out to answer, and his travels take him from a beautiful remote Alaskan peninsula to the heart of a Chinese toy factory, back and forth across the Pacific. A recommended read for fans of Bill Bryson, or anyone who loves wide-ranging social histories.

My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: 40 new fairy tales
edited by Kate Bernheimer (813.54 MY)

Featuring authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Shelley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, and more, dip into this book of “new” fairy tales (most were inspired / influenced by the themes of traditional tales) to give you something to take the edge off that Harry Potter craving. Be warned, though-- these stories feature adult themes, and are quite a bit darker than your average Disneyesque adaptation.

The Mind’s Eye
Oliver Sacks (616.855 S)

What is it like, to be able to write, to play music, to comprehend individual letters...yet be unable to read? Or to be unable to recognize faces, no matter how familiar? Or to walk down a sidewalk outside one’s home, knowing a wrong turn means being impossibly lost...even after living at the same address for years? Oliver Sacks writes about people with each of these conditions with humor and insight. On being face-blind: “To me, she says, “Don’t just say no-- that’s rude and will upset people. Say, ‘I’m sorry, I am awful about recognizing people. I wouldn’t recognize my own mother.’” This is an exaggeration-- I had no trouble recognizing my parents, though I was less adept with my huge extended family.”

The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: popularity, quirk theory, and why outsiders thrive after high school
Alexandra Robbins (303.324 R)

This is one of those books that everyone is talking about. Robbins’ basic theme is that many teens who feel excluded, lonely, and isolated in late middle school and high school are, paradoxically, the ones most likely to be successful later in life. In addition, she follows up the details of her study by following six teens-- given “themed” titles like “The Band Geek”-- through a year of high school, showing through interviews and stories how the traits that we would identify as “interesting” and “likable” in adults actually lead to alienation in the extremely cliquish social environment of grades 7 -12. This title is being billed as “invaluable” for teachers, schools administrators, and anyone else who works or lives with someone in this teenage Twilight Zone.

All of these titles are available at the UCC Library for your reading pleasure!