UWSP Libraries

The Kingdom of Rarities By Eric Dinerstein   Call Number:  QL 82 .D56 2013 Review from Science News Publisher's Description :  When you look out your window, why are you so much more likely to see a robin or a sparrow than a Kirtland’s warbler or a California condor? In other words, why are some plants and animals rare and others common?  Dinerstein , Lead Scientist and Vice President of Conservation Science at World Wildlife Fund-US, has spent three decades studying and working to protect rare species around the globe, particularly tigers, rhinoceroses, and elephants. In this book, he offers an ode to some of the rarest species on the planet. As he shares the stories of various species and his treks to the ends of the earth to catch a glimpse of them, he gives readers a deep appreciation for these animals, their ecological importance, and the urgent need for their conservation. While it’s easy to be carried away by Dinerstein ’s adventures and his beautiful prose, The K

Another sleepless weekend of Trivia 44 is about to happen for at least two members of our library staff. 430 questions in 54 hours, and they are gearing up for the challenge. We asked them a few questions to see how they’ve done in the past, and if their library skills or resources have ever come in handy. Can you guess who they are?   What is the name of your team?  Bongwater Cretins from Hell; Shipoopi on Rice How long have you been playing?  About 10 years; 4 years under Shipoopi name and 3 under another name. How many people are on your team? About 30; 20   Where has your team ranked?  Best so far, 19 th place; 72 nd place in 2010 was our best year.   Do you ever use any library resources to answer questions?  Not as often as I’d like; No.   What food or drink keeps you going?  Jaeger Bombs & lots of coffee; Cheetos, pizza and soda.    Do you take shifts with people?  We don’t have a formal system, but it usually just works out; We always have ni

Celebrate National Library Week!Communities Matter @ Your Library Main Street Public Library:  Community places and reading spaces in the rural heartland, 1876-1956 By Wayne A. Wiegand Call number:  Z732 .M69 W54 2011 Publisher's Descripton :  The United States has more public libraries than it has McDonald’s restaurants.  By any measure, the American public library is a heavily used and ubiquitous institution. Popular thinking identifies the public library as a neutral agency that protects democratic ideals by guarding against censorship as it makes information available to people from all walks of life. Among librarians this idea is known as the “library faith.” But is the American public library as democratic as it appears to be? In Main Street Public Library , eminent library historian Wayne Wiegand studies four emblematic small-town libraries in the Midwest from the late nineteenth century through the federal Library Service Act of 1956, and shows that these institu

Award-winning environmental sculptor Patrick Dougherty has been working with UWSP  students and community members to create a large-scale piece on the campus Sundial while serving as an artist-in-residence.   With its design a secret until Dougherty arrives, the piece will be created with maple, willow and dogwood saplings that have been harvested from the local area in an environmentally-sensitive way.   The Library currently has two of his works on Reserve (1st flr)   "Stickwork" by  Patrick Dougherty.  NB237.D68 A4 2010  (book)  " Twisted logic: Grounds for Sculpture," by  Patrick Dougherty ; Rich Butterfoss, producer. N6494.I56 T857 2000 (film)   An opening reception for the sculpture will take place on Thursday, April 18, at 6 p.m. at the Specht Memorial Forum/Sundial, where the piece will be installed. Both events are free and open to the public.   Check out Patrick Dougherty's Training Video for 'Twisted Logic&#

The Library is happy to announce several new online video collections from Alexander Street Press. They include American History and Black Studies in Video, and the Ethnographic and Filmmakers Video collections.   For more information about these collections and how to access them through our Library Catalog, please visit the following link: http://libraryguides.uwsp.edu/streamingVideos

In honor of National Poetry Month: A Thousand Mornings By Mary Oliver Call Number:  PS 3565 .L5 T54 2012 Review from the Christian Science Monitor Publisher's Description:  In A Thousand Mornings, Mary Oliver returns to the imagery that has come to define her life’s work, transporting us to the marshland and coastline of her beloved home, Provincetown, Massachusetts. In these pages, Oliver shares the wonder of dawn, the grace of animals, and the transformative power of attention. Whether studying the leaves of a tree or mourning her adored dog, Percy, she is ever patient in her observations and open to the teachings contained in the smallest of moments. Our most precious chronicler of physical landscape, Oliver opens our eyes to the nature within, to its wild and its quiet. With startling clarity, humor, and kindness, A Thousand Mornings  explores the mysteries of our daily experience.

Tenth of December: Stories By George Saunders Call number:  PS 3569 .A7897 T46 2013 Review from the New York Times Book Review Publisher's Description:  One of the most important and blazingly original writers of his generation, George Saunders is an undisputed master of the short story, and Tenth of December is his most honest, accessible, and moving collection yet. In the taut opener, “Victory Lap,” a boy witnesses the attempted abduction of the girl next door and is faced with a harrowing choice: Does he ignore what he sees, or override years of smothering advice from his parents and act? In “Home,” a combat-damaged soldier moves back in with his mother and struggles to reconcile the world he left with the one to which he has returned. And in the title story, a stunning meditation on imagination, memory, and loss, a middle-aged cancer patient walks into the woods to commit suicide, only to encounter a troubled young boy who, over the course of a fateful morning, giv

Please join us on April 11th to our  6 th Annual Scholarly & Creative Activity Reception and Jazz & Poetry Night for our campus colleagues, students, alumni and friends. Celebrate the scholarly and creative activities of our faculty and staff! April is Jazz and Poetry month, and we will be celebrating with the Jason Reisdorf Jazz Quintet and poetry readings from UWSP faculty. When: Thursday, April 11 th , 2013, 4:00 – 9:00 p.m. (Jazz & Poetry from 7-9) Where: UWSP University Library, Lobby & Café Hors d'oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.