RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

Thought you might go to NYC this summer – that’s probably is not going to happen but you can take the Virtual Tour of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. This interactive virtual tour is a combination of high-resolution spherical images, historical information, and historic images taken in the same areas decades ago. This virtual tour was created by the Heritage Documentation Programs, part of the National Park Service. For best results, please view these pages using a modern web browser. Some legacy browsers will not display some features.

Ellis Island in September 1923. Photo from the
National Archives. 

You can also view Coming to America: A Virtual Field Trip to Ellis Island  and an Interactive Tour of Ellis Island.  Immigration: Stories of Yesterday and Today is brought to you by Scholastic Inc. The Interactive Tour has photos, audio and some video footage.  Both the virtual field trip and the interactive tour will be of interest for fans of genealogy and may lead you to search Ancestry (WCU Community only) for your family history.

Blog post by Trish Lenkowski

I have always been a reader. I would regularly come home from the public library every few with a large bag of books that I would devour.  But when my son was little I found it difficult to finish even one library book before I had to return it.  Also, we were pretty short on funds.   So, I started downloading e-books from Project Gutenberg to catch up with the classics.  Slowly, I tackled a sprawling Gothic novel, I made my way through some Jules Verne and lots of Dickins, I read through the entire Sherlock Holmes canon, and many Jane Austen novels.

Believe it or not, I had never read any Austen before but I knew I had to add it to my must read list.  One of my favorite films is the 1995 version of Sense and Sensibility, directed by Ang Lee and with an award winning screenplay adaptation by Emma Thompson.  Sense and Sensibility is one of the few movies I enjoy more than the book; sorry purist Jane Austen fans.  It is fairly faithful to the plot of the novel but I found the characters more relatable and likable in this film adaptation, especially the male leads.  Much of this had to do with the script but I also credit the amazing actors in this version.  Emma Thompson not only wrote the screenplay is also one of the leads; Kate Winslet, Alan Richman and Hugh Grant round out the main cast.  Together with a number of other accomplished actors playing the minor characters, they take the viewer on a rich emotional journey. The cinematography and score are beautiful and, the costumes and manners have a realistic period feel.  For those used to the fast pace of action flicks this may feel slow but for a period drama, the pacing is just right.

It’s hard to believe this film is 25 years old! At the risk of aging myself, when Sense and Sensibility was released on DVD I rented it so many times from the Blockbuster I decided it would be cheaper to buy my own copy.  I have never regretted it.  Give it a try yourself; escape to Regency England for a little while.  Currently it is available streaming for free on Hulu or for a small charge from Amazon Prime, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play.

Post Written By: Amanda Brooks

I admit to being a lover of popular fiction.  I especially love when a good book hits the screen.  There are so many good novels and book series currently available to watch.  I know most of these are through subscriptions or cable services, but they are so worth it.  Some cable services have been offering a lot of free “watchathons”, so you may be able to find them for a limited time without having to pay.  I pride myself on always reading the book FIRST; I’m too afraid that seeing it played out on a screen will take all of the fun out of imagining it for myself through the words on the page.  But, to each their own!  Read, watch, enjoy!  Here are my top 5 TV/mini-series book-to-screen recommendations that have currently caught my attention.

My Brilliant Friend, HBO (Trilogy by Elena Ferrante).  Set in a tenement housing neighborhood in Naples during the 1950s, this is by far my favorite book to TV series.  It was produced in Italy so it is in Italian with sub-titles.  It’s a very authentic re-telling and even though you are “reading” the hour-long episodes, they literally fly by.  You cannot but help to get absorbed in this intense and captivating story.  Warning: there are a lot of scenes with amazing Italian food; you may crave spaghetti or bread while watching!  I did!

Call the Midwife, PBS  (book by Jennifer Worth) This is also one of my most favorite TV series EVER.  Have your tissues ready as you experience the life of midwives and nuns in Poplar, England during the 1950s and 60s.  This show has been exploring the development of childbirth and medicine as it relates to midwifery for 9 seasons.  There is a lot of sadness but so much hope in every episode and the ensemble cast is unforgettable; you cannot but like each and every character.

Little Fires Everywhere, HULU (book by Celeste Ng)  This book has gained immense popularity and deals with family, racial, and economic tensions in a well-to-do community in Shaker Heights, Ohio.  Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington do not disappoint!

Dublin Murders, Starz (book by Tana French)  Personally, I’m a sucker for all those great British mystery shows.  This book/show sets place in Ireland which I found a refreshing change.  The murder of a young girl in the woods brings back cold cases of other children found dead in the same area.  The detectives hold secrets themselves in connection to the cold cases.  You’ll be thinking, suspecting, and wanting to see more.  The books are hard to put down and the show is just as hard to turn off. 

I Know This Much is True, HBO (book by Wally Lamb) This behemoth of a novel (over 900 pages in length) was so absorbing and is just as good on the screen.  It tells the story of Dominick Birdsey as he struggles to care for his twin brother, Thomas, while discovering the truth about his own family history.  Mark Ruffalo stars in the mini-series and is wonderful.

Post Written By: Jenn O'Leary 

Access to 22 films through Swank Digital Campus will end June 30^th!  While WCU Libraries licensed the films to support specific classes this semester, they can be watched by anyone with a WCU account. The titles vary widely, from the classic to the just released, drama to comedy, Marvel adventure to rock band documentary.  Check out the list and watch ‘em before they’re gone:

• Just Mercy
• Quo Vadis?
• The Hurt Locker
• The Business of Being Born
• Life as a House
• A Beautiful Mind
• The Story of Us
• Stepmom
• Moonstruck
• The Last Waltz
• Selma
• A League of Their Own
• Schindler's List
• Fury
• Full Metal Jacket
• Strangers on a Train
• Cool Hand Luke
• The Deer Hunter
• How to Survive a Plague
• Dark Water
• Black Panther
• Food, Inc.
• Mansfield Park

Post Written By: Amanda Brooks

I have never been a person who can just simply relax by sitting outside for several hours watching the view change ever so slightly or by reading a light summer beach novel that I will inevitably forget the premise of in a week. Don’t get me wrong - occasionally I can do these things, but I often have this sense of needing to learn more about the world and grow my knowledge and myself in some area, any area that I am interested in. Perhaps this is because of my anxiety, but I think it is also fueled by my innate interest in wanting to learn more. I always have had a plethora of interests in many different fields, which is what led me to study Museum Studies and Library Science and to work at Special Collections, since I get to learn about all different types of topics, histories, cultures, and more every day!

If the above mentioned activities are what you enjoy doing to relax, keep on doing that or whatever else brings you joy. But if you’re like me in this way or you want to learn more about some topics that may of be interest to you, then I have some recommendations.

One of the ways I enjoy relaxing is by reading fashion magazines. I am particularly partial to these magazines as I love the artistry of fashion design, the elegance of the graphic design and stunning photography, and the insightful journalistic examinations of trends, culture, and beauty. I also love reading fashion magazines to interpret how the clothes and included articles in them reflect what was happening culturally, socially, historically, and politically at the time. Enter the Vogue Archive, a searchable archive that allows you to examine American Vogue from 1892 to the present.

The Vogue Archive is a treasure for anyone interested in fashion and fashion history, popular culture, gender studies, photography and graphic design, and advertising. Another fantastic fashion resource I have come across is the journal Critical Studies in Fashion and Beauty, which is available through the BrowZine database.

I love learning more about the communities I am a part of through others’ experiences and research, which sometimes reflects aspects of my personal life or are completely different than my own experiences. As someone interested in women and gender studies, LGBT histories, and social justice, I was excited to come across several different resources available through the University Libraries. This includes the journal Gender and History, available through the BrowZine database, which examines a wide range of related topics, and the LGBT studies database, which includes archival collections, series and periodicals, notable documentaries, interviews, and archival footage that examines the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, as well as delves into LGBT history and culture, civil rights, and more.

I always love learning more about my field too. So if you’re interested in special collections, museums, historic sites, art galleries, and/or libraries, you also may enjoy examining history through the American History in Video database, reading about museums and social issues in the journals Curator: The Museum Journal,  Museums and Social Issues, and Project MUSE, all available through the BrowZine database or the Project MUSE database.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I did not include the podcast that I am currently captivated by, which explores some of the previously mentioned subjects, I Weigh with Jameela Jamil. This podcast is available on Spotify, Earwolf, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and several other places. Each episode, Jameela meets with a variety of activists, performers, thought-leaders, influencers, and friends from varying backgrounds to discuss topics related to shame, mental health, body image, being LGBT, self-love, and more.

Jameela Jamil started the “I Weigh” movement 2 years ago through Instagram and it focuses on individual accomplishments and body positivity. Since then, “I Weigh” has grown into a platform for activism, inclusivity, and self-love, and now, a podcast! At the end of each episode, Jameela asks each interviewee to discuss what they “weigh” in what they love, what they have achieved in their lives and careers, and what they value (not what they weigh or how they look).

I hope you enjoy some of these recommendations. I know I have cultivated quite the list of content here for you all (and of course, myself) to dive into.

Hey there everyone! Whether you’re a long time gamer or never played a video game in your life, I’ve got a list of some recommendations here to help keep you occupied in these strange, quarantine times.

Nintendo Switch Games

Animal Crossing: New Horizons – The new Animal Crossing game feels like it came out at the perfect time. A game all about talking to your neighbors, decorating your house, and growing flowers and fruit trees feels like the perfect escape during this stressful time. It’s the perfect game to play while you relax on the couch for an hour (or five).

Pokémon Sword – The newest installment of the Pokémon series is a blast, with a lot of old favorites and interesting new Pokémon to catch and battle. I personally hadn’t played a Pokémon game since generation two before this one came out, so it felt like almost all the monsters I encountered were new and exciting in some way. The new Dynamax mechanic is over the top, but honestly I think that’s a good thing. It’s ridiculous, but who can say no to making your adorable electric Corgi the size of a skyscraper? (Or catching the Pokémon that literally turns into a skyscraper)

PC Games

Hades – If you like Greek Mythology and enjoy fast-paced, roguelike gameplay you’ve got to try out Hades. Supergiant Games has done a wonderful job melding their beautiful art style with mythology, building unique and entertaining characters from the traditional Olympians. I love the flow of the fights and the variety of items that all make each run through the game feel exciting.

Minecraft – Now Minecraft might not really need a recommendation, it’s been around for long enough and achieved enough popularity that I feel like it’s almost a household name, even if you don’t game. But, it feels like it can fill the same niche as Animal Crossing while you’re stuck at home. You can build some amazing structures, though you’re design options are a little limited, or travel all over the (literally) endless world until you find a natural landscape that pulls you in. There are so many ways you can play this game and no real “right” way to play it. The openness and iconic visual style of Minecraft are a huge part of why I still play it today.

That’s all I’ve got for now, but I’ll hopefully have some more recommendations to share soon. Stay safe and enjoy some games!

Post Written By: Wes Miriello

Stay-at- home has meant separation from family and friends.  It has also meant missing out on events. It was strange to spend Easter without my extended family, my son was disappointed that we couldn’t have his birthday party at Treeworld as planned, and really I miss going to the movies.  On April 17 my husband, son and I were supposed to go see Dead Can Dance in concert.  It would have been my son’s first concert and the first one Sean and had been to for a very long time; we were all so excited.  Dead Can Dance is not a band most people know, they were indie in the 80’s and mostly obscure now but you may have heard some of their songs in movies or T.V.  They are an Australian-British group of principally two, Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry.  Their sound is kind of Goth and a little ambient with a lot of “World Music” in the mix.  Lisa Gerrard has several film credits to her name, most well-known is probably Gladiator.  It is impossible for me to pick my favorite of their albums but I’ve been listening to their last, Dionysus, released in 2018, a lot lately.  It is a concept album exploring an imagined Dionysian revel.  But not like a prog-rock concept album, it’s more like a symphony, with all the songs related and each leading into the next.  Pitchfork describes it as “a work of visceral, accessible music that rewards surface listening and prolonged exploration.”  Give it a listen and allow your imagination to take you to an ancient Greek forest. Cinema of the mind.

As we edge toward Summer I’m reminded of another transcendental musical experience from one summer when I was an undergrad. I am one of three and at that point my older brother had already go off on his own and I was staying at school to take summer classes so it was just my younger brother at home. I think my parents, especially my mom, were feeling a little empty-nesty.  So, they opened their home to Pierre, a student in an English emersion program.  He was not at all how we Americans stereotype the French.  He was very friendly and eager to experience life in America. He also had an enormous fan of Led Zeppelin.  I mean he loved Led Zeppelin.  He purchased their entire catalog on CD when he got to the US; he said they were much cheaper here. I don’t think he ever listened to anything else.  Early in his stay I went to visit my parents and he made me listen to several Zeppelin albums with him. What he wanted most was for me to explain the phrase “Ramble on”.  With his limited English skills and my knowledge of French limited to “oui”, this was a very difficult conversation!  Later in the summer I joined my family on vacation to the Outer Banks, NC.  It was the week of the Perseids meteor shower and on the night that was predicted to be the most active, Pierre, my little brother, and I took blankets down to the beach to watch for shooting stars.  Pierre brought his Walkman.  As we lay on our blankets, the sand still slightly warm underneath, a cool breeze coming off the ocean, we stared up at the sky and Pierre handed me his headphones. I was transported.  Sometimes, I can put on headphones, que up some Zeppelin, close my eyes, and if I really let go I’m back on that beach under the stars. 

Finally, I’ve been missing my library family.  A few years back some of us created a collaborative playlist on Spotify, (Quiet) Riot in the Stacks.  I would like to invite all of you to join me in another collaborative playlist, Missing WC(yo)U.  Add songs that transport you, make you happy, remind you of good time and good friends. 

Stuck in lockdown and not traveling much beyond your immediate neighborhood? Seeking solace in nature - but mostly just in your own backyard? Fortunately, BIRDS ARE EVERYWHERE. They not only bring joy to the heart, but they are fascinating to know about. West Chester University Libraries just recently had its "Birds of North America" database updated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to "Birds of the World," the most comprehensive source about all the world's bird species. Not only can you learn about your local birds, but you can take a vicarious trip around the world to see and hear every bird known to science.

You can access the database here.

A Carolina Wren perching, photographed in Massachusetts. From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Katatonia became a soundtrack band for me back in 2016 when they released “Fall of Hearts.” As I walked to the Reservoir T station in Boston at 4:00am to catch a train to work, the soothing melancholy of songs like “Takeover” and “Serin” made me feel at peace with my journey. Fast forward four years to my quarantine in Pennsylvania, and I feel the same way about their new album “City Burials.” I love everything about this album. The lyrics are outstanding. Guitar solos on tracks like “Behind the Blood” truly rock. And yes, the beautiful melancholy is still very much a part of their sound. Just listen to the melodies in songs like “Lacquer” and “Vanishers.”

Brutus wrote their album “Nest” about people and places that they love. You can feel that energy and intensity all over this album, especially in the vocal performances by frontwoman Stefanie Mannaerts. You can tell how special this album is from the moment her vocals kick in with the drums on the opening track, “Fire.”  With anthems such as “Techno” and “War,” this is the perfect album for summer road trips or staying home.

Jason Isbell is one of the best lyricists I have come across in recent years. I wasn’t a huge fan of country or folk music until I heard “Cover Me Up” from his album “Southeastern.” My wife and I loved it so much that it became our wedding song. A quick listen to most songs on Isbell’s 2017 album “The Nashville Sound” proves his narratives are as strong as ever. Isbell is a gifted poet and storyteller. He gets to the heart of life in our modern world on songs like “Cumberland Gap,” “Anxiety,” and “Hope the High Road.”

Summer Road Trip Tracks

Unleash the Archers: “Northwest Passage” – Listen to this song at full volume when you are driving to your next epic adventure. I guarantee you will feel like an explorer discovering something wondrous. Who knew Stan Roger’s classic song, which some Canadians consider to be a second national anthem, could sound this compelling as a power metal track!

The Beatles, “Here Comes the Sun” – Let’s be honest, we could all use a little sunshine right about now.

Defeater: “I Don’t Mind” – When you think of bands who would write a ballad, Massachusetts hardcore act Defeater probably wouldn’t come to mind. Please change that this summer. I Don’t Mind is a gorgeous track, complete with a perfect stripped down acoustic guitar accompaniment, and outstanding lyrics. This is the kind of song you want to play for someone you love.