Library Spotlight: Active Learning Lab

AU Library Active Learning Lab

AU Library Active Learning Lab

An Inside View

The first delivery of  furniture for our new active learning lab arrived today! We have comfortable - and flexible - seating, small group work tables, and individual study areas. These photos were taken inside the new library instruction space, located on the main floor of Ashland University Library.

This construction project is funded by a donation from the Bernice Fauber Baker Library Endowment, with a matching gift from the Bob and Jan Archer Challenge Grant. The active learning equipment and furnishings are supported by a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), awarded by the State Library of Ohio.

Library Spotlight: Juvenile Collection

AU Library Juvenile Collection: New Books

Spotlight on Children's Books

New Books!  New Books!  Looking for one, or more, of the new children's books recently posted to the Instructional Resource Center Blog? Our new book display area features recent additions to the collection. Books are added with regularity throughout the academic year and our display completely refreshed at the end of each semester. These books will be moved to the general children's stacks within the next few weeks as we prepare for the spring term, January 2021.

Can't find that new book? AU Library's juvenile collection is located on the second floor, directly outside the Instructional Resource Center.  Ask in the IRC for help locating a new book, or any of our other collection item. 

Election Results: Fact Checking

Election Day 2020 

Did you know Ashland University's AUTV 20 and WRDL radio will be providing live election coverage? And you can view their simulcast online!

• "On Nov. 3, JDM students will present a five-hour live show, from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m, and can be viewed on AUTV 20 (channel 20 on Armstrong) and the JDM streaming channel (which will be uploaded on AU-Live) and listened to on 88.9 WRDL" (Jenkinson, AULive, 2020).
  
  
• "On Tuesday, November 3rd, join 88.9 WRDL for 5 hours of live coverage during Election Night 2020. From 7pm until midnight, hear exclusive coverage on WRDL, including live in-studio updates, interviews, and election results both nationally and locally" (WRDL, 2020).

Fact Checking Election Results

Interested in fact-checking the election results? These resources may be of interest.

• Live Updates: Snopes Coverage of 2020 U.S. Election Day
• NPR: Live 2020 Election Results
• PolitiFact 2020
• Pew Research Center: Election 2020
• NPR Ohio Live Election Results
• Election Night Viewer's Guide: Why You May Need to be Patient

Intrigued by our Halloween posters? Learn more about Arthur Rackham within the AU Library collections

 

 

     You may have noticed the posters that the Library put up for its Trick or Treat display. We thought that they were the perfect tone for the night! You might not know however that those illustrations were drawn by Arthur Rackham, and that the AU Library has over 40 books that he illustrated in our Special Books Collection!

Arthur Rackham was one of the most prominent, and most popular, artists during the “Golden Age of Illustration” which is roughly 1890 to WWI. His unique style and the distinct look of his ink and watercolor illustrations stand out, and took advantage of the new printing technologies that allowed publishers to include color illustrations. 

    Rackham illustrated over 47 books including classics like Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, and Rip Van Winkle. His illustrations were often included in deluxe editions that were published on vellum and signed (these were usually even as Christmas gifts), as well as on smaller trade printings of the books.

After his death in 1939, his works remained very popular. His images has been widely used by the greeting card industry and many of his books are still in print. In fact, Director Guillermo del Toro cites Rackham as an influence in “The Faun” in Pan’s Labryrinth.

        So what do you think of Rackham’s illustrations? Have you seen them before in one of your childhood favorites? Does his artistic style still match with the fantasy and fables he illustrated almost 100 years ago? Which one is your favorite?

Library Spotlight: Trick or Treat

AU Library and the Instructional Resource Center are participating in the campus-wide Trick or Treat activity on Friday, October 30th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Stop by for a treat and see our spooky window display featuring the illustrations of Arthur Rackham.

Presidential Pens - A New Display in the Library

    You can't deny that it is Election season! Ohio Early Voting began on October 6th this year, and across the country more than 7 million people have already cast their vote. So for this display I focused on U.S. Presidents and their relationship with the written word. 

    There is a written record of every U.S. President from their speeches, letters, Executive Orders, and often, their own memoirs. If you are interested in learning more, the display offers some brief information about works that Presidents have written (and those written by their wives, the First Ladies). 

   If you want to read more about the many complicated men who have held the Executive Office, there are many books within the AU Library's General Collection (both as books and as ebooks), as well as some unique copies in the Special Books Collection (ranging from an 1885 copy of Ulysses S. Grant's memoir to a signed copy of Jimmy Carter's to Harding's Memorial Address). There is a lot to discover within the AU Library collection. In fact, did you know that there is even a whole collection within the General Collection that is focused on John F. Kennedy?

To create your own Presidential Reading List: Wikipedia has a complied comprehensive list of all US Presidential Memoirs here and for the First Ladies here.

If you need any help locating a book or more Presidential information, please reach out to a Reference Librarian. You can contact us via chat, email, phone, or select times in person this semester.

And, don't forget to vote this year -

 either early or in person on November 3rd!

Reference

Costanzo, Michael B. Author in chief: the Presidents as writers from Washington to Trump. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2019. 

Levy, A. "More than 7 million general election ballots cast so far." CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/11/politics/election-ballots-cast/index.html

Author: Curator and Reference Librarian, Jessica Byers

 

Library Spotlight: Active Learning Lab

AU Library, Main Floor

 

Carpet, paint, and technology (oh, my)! The Bernice Fauber Baker Active Learning Lab, located on the main floor of Ashland University Library, is progressing nicely. We can't help anticipating the completion of this exciting resource, and the impact it will have on library instruction and learning.

 

This construction project is funded by a donation from the Bernice Fauber Baker Library Endowment, with a matching gift from the Bob and Jan Archer Challenge Grant. The active learning equipment and furnishings are supported by a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), awarded by the State Library of Ohio.