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!

Study-In!

Today is the ASUCC Study-In! You can see there's lots of studying going on already-- come join us!









We'll be here until 7 p.m.

SURVEY WINNERS!!!!!!!!

Check the list at the front desk of the library to see if you won a $25 gift certificate. Thanks to all 200 (!) of you who filled out a library survey and entered our drawing. We randomly pulled names from the box yesterday and twenty of you now have $25 to spend at the UCC Bookstore. Claim your prize!

Playing Games at the Library

Does the weather have you retreating inside to play some video games? What if you could turn that favorite hobby into a research topic? Read on!

Video games have a 50-year history, reaching back to the crazy computer scientists in MIT's Building 20 knocking out walls according to Supercade: a visual history of the video game age. And while we're no longer building bookcase-sized machines to play them, video games are even more popular today than ever before: some online games have 12 million subscribers (That's more people than the entire population of Greece)!

The average gamer will have spent 10,000 hours playing by the time they're 21 years old. According to Michael Gladwell in his book, Outliers, that's roughly the amount we need to become an expert in any field.

So what can all this game playing do? Dr. Jane McGonigal, a theorist and multiplayer game designer, thinks that games might save the world:

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world | Video on TED.com

I really hope that we can come together to play games that matter, to survive on this planet for another century. And that's my hope that you will join me in making and playing games like this. When I look forward to the next decade,I know two things for sure, that we can make any future we can imagine, and we can play any games we want. So, I say let the world-changing games begin.

At right: What video games can teach us about learning and literacy.

Sound good?

Want to get started on creating games right away?

These books and more are waiting for you at the library- game on!

It's that time of year when we ask YOU to let us know how you use the library and its services. We also invite you to rate how we're doing. We use the results for library planning. The survey only takes a few minutes. Maybe less.

Please grab a survey form from a library staff member or pick up a form at the front desk. Check off the boxes; write your comments. AND THEN, fill out the little coupon at the end of the survey and enter our drawing to win a bookstore gift certificate for $25. You could be one of TWENTY to win.

The library staff truly appreciates your help!