The University Libraries are your place for 24/7, "distraction-free" studying for finals. Use our spaces, our computers, our coffee shops, get help when you need it and take a break with our awesome activities. Our staplers will be waiting...

Building Hours for Libraries and SMART Learning Commons

Walter Library (East Bank):

• 2nd Floor Great Hall will be open 24/7 from May 3 to May 18
• Study Break:
  • Wii in media viewing room on Monday, May 13 (7-9pm)
  • Giant crossword puzzle, Legos, Origami, Coloring sheets, Jigsaw puzzles, Free book cart, Short videos
  • Social Media - "5 Days of Giveaways" through FourSquare and Facebook

Bio-Medical Library (Diehl Hall, East Bank):

• Will be open 24/7 from May 3 and ending May 18 (UCard required)
• Study Break:
• Bio-Med Library will be hosting its Stress Buster events on May 14-15, which includes a five-minute chair massage by a Boynton Health Service massage therapist from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
• Cookies and beverages are offered from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
• Also offered are pet therapy opportunities with a registered service dog, Gabe the Husky, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. All events are outside the tunnel entry to the Bio-Med Library.

Magrath Library (St. Paul):

• Will be open extended hours:
  • Study Days May 11 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and May 12 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
  • Finals Week May 13-17 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and May 18 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Study Break: nurturing seeds of knowledge
• Monday, May 6 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m. Flowers planting to take home over summer break St. Paul Student Center or Magrath Library room 2 (rain back-up)
• Tuesday, May 7 11:30 a.m. Foraging trip across St. Paul campus to learn about what is edible; meet at Magrath Library room 2, and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., planting at Cornercopia Farm
• Wednesday, May 8 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Create aromatherapy sachets, St. Paul Student Center or Magrath Library room 2 (rain back-up)
• Thursday, May 9 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. planting at Cornercopia Farm
• Friday, May 10 Greenhouse planting 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Wilson Library (West Bank): Finals Week Space Jam

• Will be open 24/7 from May 10-May 18
• Study Break
• Monday, May 13, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wilson Library Rooms S-30A: snacks, Star Trek, and space-themed coloring and puzzles,
• Giant crosswords puzzles throughout the building all week
• Board games available in the basement in the evenings

SMART Learning Commons:

• Math and Chemistry Exam Review workshops May 4 - May 11 is available
• Expanded tutoring hours, bookended by our first-ever TWO Exam Jam Saturdays:
• May 4, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., in Walter Library (hosted by the SMART Learning Commons)
• May 11, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in 140 Appleby Hall (hosted by the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence)
• Take 5 to use your Top 5
• On May 4 during the afternoon tutoring hours at Walter, stop by the Strengths booth to get a Take 5 candy bar and 5 tips for how to use your top 5 Strengths to be successful during finals week!
• Tutor schedules and more details can be found at at smart.umn.edu

Posted by Mark Engebretson | Permalink

Launch of Digital Public Library of America brings greater access to local treasures

The Nicollet County Historical Society in south central Minnesota sits on the site of the Treaty of Traverse des Sioux, signed between the United States and the Dakota nation in 1851. Eleven years later, following several treaty violations by the U.S. government, war broke out in the region, which resulted in the execution of 38 Dakota - to this day the largest mass execution in American history.

St. Peter, Minnesota - a mile down the road from the treaty site - might have been the capital of Minnesota, if not for the trickery of Joe Rolette, a legislator from Pembina. In 1857, the Minnesota territorial legislature passed a law to move the capital from St. Paul to St. Peter. But Rolette - with the bill in his possession - disappeared long enough to ensure that the governor could not sign the law before the end of the legislative session.

This place is truly historic. And that history will now become much easier for the public across the nation and the world to learn about and access thanks to the recent launch of the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).

Digital Public Library of America aggregates millions of digital artifacts

The DPLA is a groundbreaking project that, for the first time, will make many of our nation's significant digital collections searchable and accessible to the public from a single site. It will aggregate millions of digital artifacts from local archives, libraries, museums, and cultural heritage institutions across America and deliver them to students, teachers, scholars, and the public via a powerful search interface.

Continue reading "American history at your fingertips " »

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The 10th Annual Science Quiz Bowl is April 14

More than 100 students will be sweating it out this Sunday to come up with the right answer to such questions as "What do you call the spherical molecule with 60 carbon atoms?"

One of those students will be Scott Miller, a senior at the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering. It will be Miller's third year as a participant in the Science Quiz Bowl, an annual event sponsored by the University of Minnesota Libraries for students at the College of Science & Engineering. But Miller sees it as more than a "nerd food fight" with questions limited to quarks and the periodic table.

"I've witnessed teams being appraised of their knowledge from 50 Cent to the human tooth to the Legend of Zelda," said Miller, whose team won the competition in 2011. "Yes, this is Science Quiz Bowl, but we dorks know how to have a fun competition."

Championship round is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

The 10th Annual Science Quiz Bowl takes place Sunday, April 14, from 1 to 8 p.m., at Walter Library and kicks off CSE Week, a week of events organized by science and engineering students. The tournament features 32 teams - four students per team, undergraduates and grad students - who compete for fun, prizes, and the coveted 1st place championship. The championship round is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Room 101.

"The Science Quiz Bowl is unique because it's a fun extracurricular activity that still focuses on the essence of CSE students, letting them show how smart they are and how much they know," said Kristine Fowler, Mathematics Librarian and Interim Director, Physical Sciences & Engineering Library. "We love being part of CSE Week."

"It's a great event. It definitely brought out a sense of community," recalled Ryan Peterson, who captained the first championship team in 2004 as a junior with his brother, Grant Peterson, and two friends, Kevin Schmitz and Adam Jungkunz. "People in science and engineering wanted to show off their knowledge and it really struck a chord."

Event builds community among CSE students

Peterson graduated from CSE, but not before winning the Science Quiz Bowl again in 2005. He went on to the University of Minnesota Medical School, earning his M.D. He's now psychiatry resident at Boston University.

The Science Quiz Bowl experience, he said, was a highlight of his years at Minnesota. "I thought it was one of the most successful events of my college career," he said.

Though having fun and building community are key elements of the event, Miller nevertheless compares the intensity of the contest to playing 10 consecutive games of Jeopardy. "These teams pour the insides of their craniums into the event."

"Given the Libraries' role in the campus's intellectual life, hosting an event that celebrates knowledge is a perfect fit," Fowler said. "It's part of the Libraries' outreach to provide positive student experiences, and they obviously enjoy playing in the tournament, which is why it's grown so much over the years."

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And celebrates 50 years of the Guthrie Theater

Now is your chance, thanks to the thoughtful stewardship of the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries. The Libraries is hosting "Behind the Scenes: Twin Cities Performing Arts and 50 years of the Guthrie Theater" April 1 through June 28, 2013. Visitors to this exhibit will get a backstage look at the Twin Cities performing arts community, said Cecily Marcus, Curator, Performing Arts Archives, University of Minnesota Libraries.

She said that the exhibit demonstrates how much energy goes into "hiding the gears, logistics, and stagehands" as in showing audiences a well-set world, wondrously brought to life by actors, dancers, and musicians.

Take a peek behind the curtain

50 years of the Guthrie

As the theater world commemorates 50 years of the Guthrie Theater, this exhibit offers the public a tremendous opportunity to pore through the extensive Guthrie Archives, which have been housed at the University of Minnesota since 1967. Marcus said that the archives offer a beautiful legacy, one still being built with each season of plays and programming.

The exhibit explores much more than the Guthrie, however, offering materials from the collections of the Minnesota Orchestra, the James Sewell Ballet, Theatre de Jeune Lune, the St. Paul Philharmonic, the Minnesota Dance Alliance, the Penumbra Theatre, and the personal papers of composers.

"With the close of every season and each production, sets are struck and works of art are dismantled, but there are traces left to be preserved, studied, and displayed," Marcus said. "The Performing Arts Archives sustains these stories, many more than ever graced our stages."

Many local performing arts leaders contributed to this exhibit through commentary. They include: Philip Brunelle, Leah Cooper, Jon R. Cranney, Joe Dowling, Barbara Field, Nancy Mason Hauser, Michael Lupu, Emily Mann, Jack Reuler, and Sally Wingert.

"Behind the Scenes: Twin Cities Performing Arts and 50 Years of the Guthrie Theater" celebrates the work, and the enduring magic, of our extraordinary performing arts community, on and off the stage.

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"In pulling together the event, I've been impressed with the amount of information and the role that protest has played here at the U throughout our history," Herther said.

For the April 17 event at Ferguson Hall, she's found enthusiastic collaborators, including University of Minnesota students and faculty members who will perform protest music and engage in discussions about the historical significance of protest music.

Mark Pedelty, an associate professor of communication studies, will perform with his band and lead a discussion of music as environmental protest.

"About half of the music and discussion will be directly about protest music in a larger sense," said Pedelty, who added that the event is "more of a teach-in on protest and environmental music." He has recruited University of Minnesota students to perform and participate in the discussions.

What: Teach in on Protest and Environmental Music
When: April 17, 4 to 5 p.m.
Where: 280 Ferguson Hall, West Bank Campus, University of Minnesota

Event Schedule
4:00 to 4:20 p.m.: The band, Lynhurst, featuring University of Minnesota students Jacob and Matt Abdo, will perform "Greenback Dollar" and "The Times They are a Changin'." A group of students from the freshmen seminar class in COMM 1901, Environmental Communication, will lead a discussion.

4:20 to 4:40 p.m.: Two students from COMM 1901 will perform two classical pieces, followed by a discussion on classical music as protest music.

4:40 to 5:00 p.m.: Mark Pedelty's band will perform "Dump the Bosses Off Your Back" and one original song. Included will be a discussion of music as environmental protest.

NOTE: A related exhibit on the history of protest music will run through April at Wilson Library. It features books and resources on protest music from the Civil War to the turbulent 1960s anti-Vietnam war movement to the Arab Spring.

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Award-winning author Louise Erdrich will be the featured speaker May 8 at the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries Annual Dinner. The event takes place at McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis.

Erdrich is the author of 14 novels as well as volumes of poetry, short stories, children's books, and a memoir of early motherhood.

Her novel "Love Medicine" won the National Book Critics Circle Award. "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse" was a finalist for the National Book Award. "The Plague of Doves" won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Most recently, her novel, "The Round House," won the 2012 National Book Award for fiction.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with an awards presentation and reception, followed by dinner and the Friends of the Libraries business meeting at 6:15 p.m. Erdrich will speak at 8:00 p.m. An author signing will follow with books available for sale courtesy of Birchbark Books.

Ticket Information

Purchase tickets by May 1 at the University of Minnesota Tickets and Events office: 612-624-2345 or z.umn.edu/libtix.

The cost is $48 each for members of the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries, and $58 each for the general public (price includes dinner).

Parking and Directions

Information about parking and directions to the McNamara Alumni Center is available at mac-events.org/directions/.

About the Friends of the Libraries

Friends of the Libraries are advocates for advancing the University of Minnesota Libraries and for strengthening the Libraries as the vital center in scholarly life at the University of Minnesota. Friends of the Libraries have an enthusiasm for books and learning as well as an appreciation for the Libraries' importance to the University.

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The Trans* Awareness Project (TAP) is a poster and digital media campaign at the University of Minnesota that attempts to challenge stereotypes and cultivate an environment which celebrates and respects people of all genders.

This campaign aims to break down barriers between communities and establish positive social change by showcasing empowering snapshots of local trans* communities and bringing attention to the challenges that many trans* people face in daily life.

Methods
The project was coordinated and implemented by two students at the University of Minnesota through a collaboration with members and staff of the Transgender Commission, GLBTA Programs Office, University of Minnesota Libraries, and the Queer Student Cultural Center.

TAP portrays the images and quotes of five trans* identifying persons from both the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and the broader Twin Cities' community. In March 2013, these posters were displayed throughout the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus in strategic locations including the Libraries, Student Unions, Boynton Health Services, the GLBTA Programs Office student art gallery, and other offices throughout the University.

More about the Trans* Awareness Project

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The Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest has completed the transfer of all of its historical documents and media collections to the University of Minnesota Libraries.

In 2002, JHSUM founders Nathan and Theresa Berman created a $500,000 endowment for the collections at the University’s Andersen Library, and the archives were named for them as a permanent memorial to their vision. At the time, about half of the collection was moved to the University. Recently, the remaining half was transferred, putting in one place a major research collection on Jewish history, communities, religion, and culture in the Upper Midwest.

The University of Minnesota Libraries has hired archivist Katherine Dietrick to oversee the JHSUM collection. Dietrick most recently was an assistant archivist at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and an archivist at the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York City.

Collection is valuable resource for historical research and more

The reunited collections will now comprise more than 1,000 cubic feet of material and will form a valuable resource for historical research, exhibitions, and public programming. The combined collections included the records of the St. Paul and Minneapolis Jewish Federations, Community Centers, Talmud Torahs, the Jewish Vocational Service, Jewish Community Relations Council, Hillel, as well as various synagogue records, and records of the Minnesota Rabbinical Association and women's organizations such as Hadassah, National Council of Jewish Women, and Mount Sinai Hospital Women's Auxiliary.

In addition, they contain a wealth of material collected by individuals about early Jewish settlement and life in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Duluth; out-state Minnesota and North and South Dakota. The collections also include family papers, club and association materials and ephemera, personal narratives of Jewish life in the Upper Midwest, materials documenting family owned businesses in the Jewish community, as well as books and publications.

“Jews make up less than one percent of Minnesota’s population, yet the Jewish community has made a much greater impact in the region than our numbers would lead one to believe,” said Jamie Heilicher, President of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest. “To have our story housed shoulder-to-shoulder with other holdings of such a great Minnesota institution as the University is a phenomenal testament to the work of our founders.”

The Society’s collections are available for personal and scholarly research as well as educational use and are an invaluable resource for anyone interested in understanding the American Jewish experience from a Midwestern perspective.

About the Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives

The Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives (UMJA) located within the Social Welfare Archives suite at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library contain the most important archival holdings of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest. The JHSUM was founded in 1984, and its mission is to promote the vitality and continuity of Jewish culture in the upper Midwest through preservation, interpretation and education.

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Fans of Sherlock Holmes have a special treat in store this summer: The conference, "Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Place," will take place Aug. 9-11 at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library, home to the world's largest collection of Sherlock Holmes-related material.

The conference is sponsored by the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota and the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota.

The conference will feature presentations by a stellar group of international Sherlockians, vendor tables, a silent auction of selected duplicate items from the collections, an exhibit of rare and unique materials from the collections, a dramatic performance by the Red-Throated League of the Norwegian Explorers, and the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections.

The registration fee of $165 per person includes all presentations, Saturday lunch and banquet dinner, refreshments at breaks, and conference keepsakes. Additional Saturday evening banquet dinners for guests are $40 per person.

• Learn more/register

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Contacts: Julie Christensen, University News Service, jrchris@umn.edu, (612) 626-1720

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (02/20/2013) — The University of Minnesota will partner with Coursera, a leading massive open online course (MOOC) platform, to develop free online courses as part of the university's efforts to improve teaching and learning through technology.

"We're excited by the opportunity to explore innovative ways of using e-learning to extend the reach of University of Minnesota educational offerings across the state, nation and globe," said University Provost Karen Hanson. "This partnership will give people from around the world the opportunity to learn from the U's world-class faculty at a time when we are working harder than ever to increase access to higher education, reach broader audiences and strengthen our land-grant mission."

Coursera, which launched in April 2012 and was co-founded by two Stanford computer science professors, provides an interactive learning experience. Effective teaching strategies are combined with video lectures, interactive content and a global community of peers to offer students a unique online learning experience. The platform enables professors to teach tens or hundreds of thousands of students per course. To date, Coursera has registered more than 2.7 million users and is seeing approximately 1.45 course enrollments per month.

"I applaud the University of Minnesota for taking advantage of emerging technologies to provide high-quality educational experiences," said Larry Pogemiller, director of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Continue reading "University of Minnesota joins with Coursera to offer free courses online" »

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More information
Cecily Marcus
University of Minnesota Libraries
612-624-8812

Givens Collections of African American Literature

Download the Annotated Bibliophilia by Davu Seru (PDF)

The Archie Givens, Sr., Collection of African American Literature of the University of Minnesota Libraries honors Black History Month with an exhibit from February 1 to 26 in the Hennepin Gallery.

Many of the books on exhibit are rare first editions, some of which have been out of print for many years, and some have also been signed, inscribed, and/or illustrated by the authors. Others include striking covers designed by iconic artists. In this digital age, these books as objects take on new meaning, often carrying new stories told by the wear and tear from a journey across time and through many hands.

The Givens Collection also contains epistolary exchanges, manuscripts, ephemera, music and artworks that represent the heroic accomplishments of lay preservationists who have collected and cared for works as readers and bibliophiles, as well as an interest in documenting African American cultural life as a matter of public good.

The collection of over 8,000 books includes some of the most important literary achievements by African Americans dating back to 1773.

More information about the Givens Collection.

Gallery Hours and Location
The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hennepin County Government Center, A Level, 300. S. Sixth St., Minneapolis. The exhibit is sponsored by Hennepin County Administration. The Gallery is a project of Hennepin County Public Affairs.

View a slideshow

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Painted renderings of backdrops, sketches, and other artifacts from the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries will be featured in the exhibit that explores the exotic worlds created by the scenic artists for both public theatres and private fraternal spaces of the Freemasons. The exhibit is guest curated by Professor C. Lance Brockman of the University's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance. It runs from Jan. 15 through March 15, 2013 at the Elmer L. Andersen Library and is free and open to the public.

Continue reading "Exhibit features scenic sketches from early theatre, vaudeville era" »

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The association used these in education messages, along with research, undercover investigations, and civic action in an effort to eradicate prostitution and human trafficking, while promoting the prevention and proper treatment of STDs.

"One of the things that the American Social Health Association believed in strongly was bringing prostitution, human trafficking, and STDs to light," said Linnea Anderson, a curator with the Social Welfare and History Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries. "They believed that if you swept it under the rug, kept it secret, that it allowed them to flourish. It's one of the reasons we selected the cartoon, 'If we can get the beast out of his lair...' for the theme of the exhibit."

Today, these terms are outdated, humorous, even offensive. But, in some respects, that makes for a great teaching tool.

"We use this collection to teach classes to graduate students and undergraduates," Anderson said. "And when the student reacts strongly to a document - they think it's hysterical, they think it's ridiculous, they think it's outrageous, or it makes them angry, or it makes them laugh - that's the moment when you're really experiencing the difference between the past and the present."

"It's really a great history lesson when it comes to sexual health," said Darren Terpstra, the exhibit designer. "You're able to see how this all started and where we've come today, because it's very relevant today. But what you get to see is not only how far we've come, but how we actually haven't come very far at all, in some respects."

Continue reading "Exhibit looks at the quirkiness of historical sexual health campaigns" »

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MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Nov. 26, 2012) -- The Minnesota Digital Library, a state-wide collaboration consisting of Minitex, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, and other key institutions, was chosen to be a key early contributor to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The groundbreaking project aims to make our nation's collections of significance to the study of American life digital, searchable, and accessible to the public.

With $2.8 million in funding, the DPLA will launch pilot projects in several states. Minnesota and state libraries and regional digital library collaboratives in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oregon, South Carolina, and Utah will participate as "service" hubs in the pilot effort.

Continue reading "Minnesota chosen for national digital library project" »

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The University campus community can now access the Chronicle of Higher Education in three new ways -- at no cost to the individual.

1. From an iPad: Download the Chronicle's iPad editions. Download the Chronicle's iPad app.
   
2. Access the Chronicle using the Web browser of your smart phone or tablet device.
3. Get direct access to the Chronicle of Higher Education from any computer and any location in the world without having to go through a proxy server.

All that is required is for authorized users to have or create a free Chronicle account using their University of Minnesota email address.

Create your free Chronicle of Higher Education account.

Forgot your password? You may retrieve it by clicking here.

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