RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

We know Finals Week can be stressful as you work to complete the work for your classes. So we will have plenty of opportunities for your to visit with Therapy Dogs in FHG Library! Volunteers will come to the library with their dogs the week before finals, as well as Finals Week.

Visits will occur on the following dates and times:

Tuesday, December 3rd 11-1

Tuesday, December 3rd 4-6  

Monday, December 9th 11-1

Monday, December 9th 4-6  

Tuesday, December 10th 11-1

Wednesday, December 11th 11-1

Wednesday, December 11th 4-7

This month the IMC is featuring a DVD display titled: “Movies You Were Born For”. This display selected movies from the years 2000-2006, and a matching easel display chooses a single movie from every other year to highlight. Come check out what was popular in the year you were born! I decided to look at our easel display for some inspiration and selected two movies to watch: An American in Paris [IMC DVD 782.14 A512 1999] and The Ladykillers [IMC DVD 364.3 L157 2002].

I hadn’t realized that An American in Paris was a musical, especially with music written by George and Ira Gershwin. As such, the music was wonderful, and I liked seeing Gene Kelly singing with Georges Guetary, a French actor and singer. I have always admired actors and actresses who had multiple talents such as Gene Kelly and the female lead opposite him, Leslie Caron. Both were gifted dancers, which is evident in this film, and their dancing duets are a delight to watch. I think the only thing that kept me from loving this film was the disjointed feeling at the end where Gene Kelly’s character has a dream sequence when he believes he is losing the woman he loves. I liked the transition, but it morphed into something that didn’t quite fit the rest of the film and ended up breaking the flow of the rest of the movie. However, it is still a charming movie and would have been very popular in 1951 when it was released.

I also got to watch The Ladykillers, a film about a group of diverse criminals who end up renting space at an unassuming old lady’s house. They plan a robbery while pretending to be musicians, and end up roping her into their getaway plan without her releasing it. Eventually, she uncovers their crime and demands that they return the money. The second half of the film is them trying to convince each other to kill her and failing time after time. The brain of the group is Alec Guinness (most known for his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars series), and he is very enjoyable. The humor in this movie is not too overdone, which can be the case in similar movies.

It was tough to choose just a couple movies from our list, so come check it out if you’re looking for a new movie to watch! If you are embarking on your own travelogue adventure, track it here: https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/.

Hey everyone! For our November display we are going to be jumping back into our Snapshot Series with the College of Health Sciences. In this display we've highlighted books from Kinesiology, Nursing, Nutrition, Sports Medicine, Health and Communication Sciences and Disorders. Whether you're enrolled in one of these majors and are looking for deeper study on the subject, or you want to explore what majors we offer here, come by and browse what we have on display!

This display will be up for the month of November. Take a look at what we have and feel free to check some of these books out!

I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a university research librarian someday.  But now that I have, it seems like it was inevitable. Even though I didn’t plan out my career, I have arrived at the perfect job for me. I think it happened because I stayed true to my interests and values, and was open to unexpected opportunities that allowed me to live them out. In retrospect, there were always big clues about where I would end up.

For example, during my last three years as a college student, I had a work study job at the Information Desk of the library. It never crossed my mind to make a career of it. I was always interested in science and art and thought at the time that I would become an illustrator of children’s books even though I majored in biology. It’s hard to make a living doing that right away, so I had to come up with an interim plan. I went to library school at Drexel for their K-12 school library program so I could be around children’s books while working on my illustrations. Meanwhile, I worked my way through Drexel as an assistant to the Science Librarian. Looking back at it, that was also a big clue as to where my career would ultimately take me. I then became a public middle school librarian in Delaware County for ten years. While doing that, I learned that my personality was better suited for teaching and other extroverted activities, rather than spending a lot of alone time working on book illustrations. I did start a middle school cartoon club, though. After nearly a decade of connecting middle schoolers with materials that cultivated their emerging interests, I had to acknowledge that my interest in science was getting stronger and stronger. I decided to change careers and went to Penn to get a Ph.D. in geology.

Walt answering interview questions to help a student with a project.

I became a paleontologist specializing in a particular chapter of the story of life on Earth. That’s when I first came to WCU twenty years ago as an adjunct professor in what is now the Earth & Space Sciences Department. There was a two year limit in those days on how long temporary professors could stick around, so I tried finding a permanent geology faculty position here and elsewhere. After a little while not having much success with that, I was told by one of the WCU librarians that I first met back in my Drexel library student days (Trish Lenkowski) that WCU needed a new Science Librarian. Fortunately, I got the job, and have enjoyed being in the position ever since. It’s a job in which I can bring all of my previous education and experience to bear in helping connect members of the WCU community with the knowledge that they need.

Walt helping a student at the Research Help Desk.

The list of 1001 movies to watch before you die was updated in October with the most recent Oscar nominees and winners. I decided to pick two movies from this list to watch: The Favourite [IMC DVD 942.07 F275 2019] and Crazy Rich Asians [IMC DVD 306.7 C911 2018].

The movie The Favourite was different than I thought it would be. I was expecting a straightforward historical fiction movie, but it ended up incorporating LGBTQ themes that were very interesting, especially in the historic setting. Emma Stone did a wonderful job, and I was also impressed with the other two leading ladies: Olivia Colman (who won the Oscar for Best Actress Performance) and Rachel Weisz. What fascinated me the most about this movie was how your feelings for characters can change so dramatically, and it’s all dependent on how much information the screenplay writers give you. I’ve seen similar viewer manipulation in The Hero, and, to me, it always warrants a re-watch to catch things you might have missed the first time around.

My second movie, Crazy Rich Asians, was a movie which had been recommended to me, but ended up falling short of my expectations. The plot ended up being a stereotypical Cinderella movie, and the acting (especially in some crucial big roles) was not very good—even cringeworthy in some parts. My favorite character ended up being Peik Lin Goh, Rachel’s friend in Singapore. If you’re looking for a low-key movie, this might be for you.

The IMC has a new DVD display titled: “Movies You Were Born For”. We’re featuring movies from between 2000-2006—come check out what was popular those years! If you’re starting your own travelogue adventure, you can track it here: https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/.

Hey everyone! Our theme for the November Fiction Display is Beyond the Border. This month, our display focuses on experiencing the cultural diversity of non-American authors. We can deepen our understanding of diverse communities through the cultural exchange of literature. The literature in this display shows you the way others eat, celebrate, and love! So come on down to the 2nd floor of FHG library to grab a book, learn new ideas, views, and practices that may even stimulate and inspire you!

Post written by Sharron Norton

Hello! My name is Olivia Dushanko. I am a second year student worker at the circulation desk. My favorite part of being a student worker is getting to experience the environment of the library. It might sound a bit odd, but I love the library and how it functions as a whole. In general, the work environment at the library is always very positive and relaxed. Everyone here is easy to talk to, whether it be co-workers, supervisors, or patrons. I enjoy interacting with people and helping them if they need it. For the most part, the library is always very alive. There are people coming and going constantly doing all sorts of different things. I get to see an active part of the West Chester community every day and I also get to be a part of it at the same time. I think that's really cool. 

Working at the library, I've learned how to collaborate with people in a more formal setting. I've gotten better with interacting with patrons who I don't know and helping them with their questions. I've also learned how we process books from other schools and our own. I find that to be very interesting because it shows that the library is a lot more complex than it seems. There is so much that goes on here.

Working at the library has helped me immensely. If I did not work here I would not know about all the wonderful resources I have available to me. The library has provided a perfect space for me to get a lot of important work done. I've also helped a good number of my friends with different issues. My one friend's laptop stopped working and I told him he could rent out a laptop down at the IMC. I've also told my friends about the colored printing that is also available at the library. I would not know any of this information if I did not work here. I feel that I'm very lucky to work here.

In an effort to advocate for more laptops, we are gathering more information by conducting a brief survey. Our survey focuses on the experiences you have had when you come to rent an IMC laptop. If you would like your voice to be heard about this topic, please visit the IMC desk and fill out one of the surveys. When you are finished, leave your survey in box on our desk.