Audiovisual Preservation 101

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Celebrating Veterans at UB

From November 4 to November 11, the University of Baltimore celebrated Salute Our Troops Week, which included a thank-you poster signing, a showing of The Tillman Story documentary, and a veterans fitness challenge.

On Veterans Day, UB presented the grand opening of the Bob Parsons Veterans Center, designed to provide resources and support for our military and veteran students.

While we especially remember around Veterans Day to thank those who have served and are currently serving, it's important to be thankful for their service year-round. If you're interested in researching the military service records of family members, visit the National Archives page about veterans.

Faculty Authors 2013

Every two years, Langsdale Library and the Office of the Provost recognize the book publishing accomplishments of our faculty. This year, Faculty Authors is on Wednesday, October 23, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Langsdale, on the second floor. Light refreshments will be provided at the start, with remarks by Provost Joe Wood beginning at 4 p.m. Each faculty member with a book publication since the last event will be recognized with a framed copy of their book cover. Langsdale also will keep one framed copy to display in the library. The event is free and open to the entire UB community.

Check out books by faculty authors in our catalog. We're always adding to the list!

Bmore Historic Unconference

Now's your chance to register for this year's Bmore Historic unconference, which will be held Friday, October 11th at the Maryland Historical Society.

What is Bmore Historic? According to the event website, it's "a participant-led unconference for scholars, students, professionals and volunteers who care about public history, historic preservation and cultural heritage in the Baltimore region."

The event website has all the details you'll need, including:

• What's an unconference?
• How much does it cost?
• Who are the event sponsors?
• What happened last year?

As a participant last year, I found it to be a fun and affordable way to participate in the local dialogue around historical and cultural issues. Lots of great thinkers, creators, and collaborators sharing their projects and ideas.

Free Coffee, Game Night, and a Publications Showcase at Langsdale

May is a busy month around campus as student are finishing up classes and preparing for final exam week.

At the end of the semester students are like:

So, Langsdale Library is giving the tired, stressed-out, "can't-wait-for-the-semester-to-end" students some extra energy. Stop by the first floor for free lemonade and coffee from 8:30am to 6pm, Monday, May 6 through Thursday, May 9.

One cup of coffee or lemonade, and you'll be alert like:

Baltimore Summer Events!

If your own skin didn't already inform you that it's warm outside, there's that overhead hum-drip of window-mounted air conditioners, the shimmering of heatwaves on every concrete surface, and the street vendors hollering about ice-cold snowballs and $1 bottles of water. In short, this week has brought summer on with an absolute furnace of tropical heat.

Fortunately, Baltimore offers a simmering sample of distractions on these roasting hot, clingingly humid days of summer. Here are a few festivals and events happening in the near future that are definitely worth checking out:

• The Strand Theater's 2011 Friends & Neighbors Festival from June 1-19
• Federal Hill's Jazz&Blues Wine&Art Festival on June 5
• The Greek Folk Festival from June 9-12
• HonFest from June 11-12
  
• Baltimore Pride 2011 from June 17-19
• The Maryland Traditions Folklife Festival on June 18
• ROOTS Fest 2011: Many Communities, One Voice from June 22-26
• LatinoFest 2011 from June 25-26
• The African American Festival from July 2-3
• Artscape from July 15-17

To see the MANY, MANY more events happening in and around Baltimore, visit http://baltimore.org/events/ OR http://www.baltimoresun.com/events/.

We're reading banned books!

Langsdale Library is celebrating the freedom to read during Banned Books Week. In public and school libraries around the world, many books are challenged, banned or censored – 460 challenges were reported to Office of Intellectual Freedom in 2009. Most challenges are due to sexually explicit material, offensive language and violence.

We’re sponsoring the Banned Book Reading at Barnes & Noble bookstore café on Tuesday, September 28^th from 11am-2pm. UB faculty and staff will be reading and discussing some of the most controversial books in America:

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

1984 by George Orwell

Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Langsdale Library has these banned books and more – stop by to check a few out and celebrate Banned Books Week with us! To see the top 100 list of banned and challenged books in the past decade, visit the American Library Association’s website. What’s your favorite banned book?

Alumni Author Celebration Wed, April 21

On Wednesday, April 21 from 6-8pm Langsdale Library will be celebrating several UB alumni authors. Please join us for a reception and program in the Langsdale Auditorium and Gallery to recognize these accomplished authors:

Usha Akella
Arnold T. Blumbergalumni authors
Sherry Bosley*
Shirley Brewer*
Shahzad Kavoossi Farzad
Vincent DePaul Gisriel
Abigail Green
Marcie Jones
Jeffrey Kluger
Heather L. McKenzie*
Leslie F. Miller*
Clayton Oliver
Lee Raskin
D. Paul Reynolds
Emidio (Mel) Rossi
Janet Ruck
Susan Tatterson*
Marsha Wight Wise*
K. A. Wisniewski*
Debra Wolf

Several authors (*) will be reading from their works or leading a panel discussion on the writing/publishing process. Others will be selling and signing copies of their books during the reception. Langsdale will display a number of the authors' works and will host a photography exhibit by alumni Susan Tatterson. The event is free and open to the public - we hope you'll join us in the celebration!

Alumni Author Celebration February 10 - Langsdale Auditorium & Gallery

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, February 10 from 6-8pm for Langsdale's celebration of UB alumni authors. We have a number of published authors with undergraduate and graduate degrees from UB (probably more than we've identified), and the library wants to celebrate their talents. So please join us for a reception and program on the 10th in the Langsdale Auditorium and Gallery to recognize these accomplished authors:

• Usha Akella
• Arnold T. Blumberg
• Sherry Bosley*
• Shirley Brewer*
• Shahzad Kavoossi Farzad
• Vincent DePaul Gisriel
• Abigail Green
  
• Marcie Jones
• Jeffrey Kluger
  
• Heather L. McKenzie*
• Leslie F. Miller*
  
• Clayton Oliver
• Lee Raskin
  
• D. Paul Reynolds
  
• Emidio (Mel) Rossi
  
• Janet Ruck
• Susan Tatterson*
• Marsha Wight Wise*
  
• K. A. Wisniewski*
• Debra Wolf

Several authors (*) will be reading from their works or leading a panel discussion on the writing/publishing process. Others will be selling and signing copies of their books during the reception. Langsdale will display a number of the authors' works and will host a photography exhibit by alumni Susan Tatterson.

The event is free and open to the public - we hope you'll join us in the celebration!

National Library Week Events April 13 and 15

In celebration of National Library Week, Langsdale Library will be hosting 2 events in the Langsdale Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.

On Monday, April 13th at 5:30pm, Langsdale Library will host a showing and discussion of God Sleeps in Rwanda. Nominated for an Academy Award in 1995, God Sleeps in Rwanda explores the lives of 5 women who survived the 1994 Rwanda Genocide. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Nijole Benokraitis, Professor Emerita at UB.

On Wednesday, April 15th at 12:30pm, Langsdale Library will host "In the Middle of it All: UB and Central Baltimore". The presentation will focus on UB's work in central Baltimore. Presented by: Jessica Elfenbein, Associate Provost for University Engagement , Christina Ralls, Community Artist, and Johnny Gamber, VISTA Member.

Langsdale Library hosts Art 4 Hope charity art exhibition

Langsdale will be the first host of the traveling charity art exhibition, "Art for Hope." The mission of the exhibition is to raise awareness of children suffering for illness.

The exhibition will be on display on the first and second floors of the library from April 4 - 10; it will then move to Johns Hopkins and MICA for subsequent displays. For more information, please see the exhibition press release or contact Art 4 Hope.

Langsdale Library has exhibited Saint John's Bible

Langsdale Library has a facsimile of the Saint John's Bible that is on exhibit at the Walters Art Museum. This contemporary hand lettered, illuminated Bible is available at Langsdale’s Reserve Desk on the first floor. This stunning work was created under the direction of Donald Jackson for St. Johns University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Langsdale has two volumes: Pentateuch and Wisdom Books.

The original manuscript is currently on display at the Walters until May 25th. For further information on the Walters’ exhibit and the Saint John’s Bible, see their website: http://www.thewalters.org.