What: Exhibit: Opening Doors: Contemporary African American Academic Surgeons
Where: Bio-Medical Library, Diehl Hall
When: Through July 31, 2008
Free and open to the public.

This exhibit is the joint effort of the National Library of Medicine and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture (Baltimore).

What: Presentation to accompany "Opening Doors" exhibit
Where: Mayo Auditorium
When: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 • 4 p.m.
Free and open to the public.

The presenters will be Medical School Dean Powell speaking about the new initiatives to recruit under-represented groups. Dr. Selwyn Vickers, Chair of Surgery, will speak of his experiences, and the final presenter will be Dr. Levi Watkins, Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean of the School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Watkins was the first African American to be accepted to and graduate from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and the first black resident in cardiac surgery at Johns Hopkins. He performed the world's first human implantation of the automatic implantable defibrillator, and helped to develop the cardiac arrhythmia service at Hopkins. The son of a college professor, he grew up in Montgomery, Alabama during the civil rights era and was a member of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King was pastor.

The presentations will be followed by a reception and all are welcome. Sessions will be introduced by Linda Watson, Health Sciences Libraries Director.

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What: Exhibit: Gendered Bits: Identities, Practices, and Artifacts in Computing
Where: Elmer L. Andersen Library
When: Through July 23, 2008
Free and open to the public.

This exhibition, presented by the Charles Babbage Institute, explores how gender has shaped the professional identities and material culture of computing. It examines issues and raises questions about gender broadly as well as specific matters of masculinity and the contributions, struggles, and shifting roles of women.

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What: Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: Stories by Ben Katchor, part of the free five-part book discussion series Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature – Modern Marvels
Where: Highland Park Branch Library
When: Tuesday, July 22, 2008 • 7 p.m.
Facilitator: Judith Katz, University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies
Free and open to the public.
More information: http://wilson.lib.umn.edu/outreach/marvels.html

Steeped in a melancholy, grey-tinted world of elevated trains, luncheonettes, and gently decaying tenements, Katchor's perambulating photographer Julius Knipl documents a rapidly vanishing urban netherworld. Peopled by men who map the migration of hairstyles and those who belong to the Amalgamated Panty-Waist Fitters Union, his cityscape is a familiar one, albeit with the touch of a demented fairy tale.

This series explores Jewish literature and culture through scholar-led discussions of contemporary and classic books on the theme of “Modern Marvels: Jewish Adventures in the Graphic Novel.” The program is the result of a grant to the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities Libraries, which is partnering with The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. Local support is provided by the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota. Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature, a book discussion series, has been made possible through a grant from Nextbook and the American Library Association.

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What: The Quitter by Harvey Pekar, part of the free five-part book discussion series Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature – Modern Marvels
Where: Highland Park Branch Library
When: Tuesday, August 5, 2008 • 7 p.m.
Facilitator: Judith Katz, University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies
Free and open to the public.
More information: http://wilson.lib.umn.edu/outreach/marvels.html

Ostensibly covering Pekar's early years, this dark graphic novel tackles everything from his brief stint in the Navy to jazz criticism and mid-century race relations. The gritty and atmospheric artwork by American Splendor collaborator Dean Haspiel perfectly captures Pekar's cantankerous tone. But a surprisingly hopeful message ultimately surfaces. It's possible to find your way in the world, Pekar suggests, even if it takes a lifetime to do it.

This series explores Jewish literature and culture through scholar-led discussions of contemporary and classic books on the theme of “Modern Marvels: Jewish Adventures in the Graphic Novel.” The program is the result of a grant to the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities Libraries, which is partnering with The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. Local support is provided by the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota. Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature, a book discussion series, has been made possible through a grant from Nextbook and the American Library Association.

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What: The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar, part of the free five-part book discussion series Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature – Modern Marvels
Where: Highland Park Branch Library
When: Tuesday, August 19, 2008 • 7 p.m.
Facilitator: Judith Katz, University of Minnesota Center for Jewish Studies
Free and open to the public.
More information: http://wilson.lib.umn.edu/outreach/marvels.html

After eating a parrot, an aged Algerian rabbi's cat develops the ability to speak and quickly declares his desire not only to be Jewish, but to have a bar mitzvah. The rabbi engages his pet in a spiraling debate, touching on topics such as spelling, parental love, and the very nature of Jewish identity.

This series explores Jewish literature and culture through scholar-led discussions of contemporary and classic books on the theme of “Modern Marvels: Jewish Adventures in the Graphic Novel.” The program is the result of a grant to the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities Libraries, which is partnering with The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. Local support is provided by the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Minnesota. Let’s Talk About It: Jewish Literature, a book discussion series, has been made possible through a grant from Nextbook and the American Library Association.

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