UWSP Libraries

  Nov. 1 marks the beginning of  Native American Heritage Month where we celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and traditions of Indigenous, Native American, American Indian, and Alaskan Native people.   The University Libraries celebrates Native American Heritage Month and highlights our collections for you to explore. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Stop by the Reference Desk to learn more.   DISPLAY Stop by our Circulation Area ( CCC 130) and check out a curated collection of works by Native American writers that include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s books.   VIDEOS Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (2017) “This revelatory documentary bring to light the profound and overlooked influence of Indigenous people on popular music in North America. Focusing on music icons like Links Wray, Jimi Hendrix, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taboo (The Black Eyes Peas), Charley Patton, Mildred Bailey, Jesse Ed David, Robbie Robersto...

Many of you have seen more about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the news and on social media and what the future may look like. The potential applications of AI are limitless, and libraries are a natural fit for implementing and exploring the use of AI in the field. Universities and libraries are discussing the applications of AI in education and creating policies about the use and ethical considerations surrounding AI. The UWSP librarians continue conversations about AI and how we can be informed participants in AI discussions and what the applications are for our students and our information literacy instruction. Computer scientist and futurist, Ray Kurzweil , said this about AI and libraries/librarians: “The codification of knowledge and the process of enhancing human learning will be the cornerstones of the next phase of human history. In the second industrial revolution, the wealth and power of nations will be based on non-material resources, by the ability to create and faci...

The University Libraries celebrates International Open Access Week (Oct. 23-29) and encourages our campus community to take a moment to learn about open access. The theme for Open Access Week this year is “ Community over Commercialization .” This theme encourages conversations about which approaches to open scholarship prioritize the best interests of the public and the academic community. In short, Open Access in the world of research encourages free, immediate, and online access to scholarly research, and makes it more accessible to the public. Open Access publishing has a similar goal to Open Educational Resources (OER) in providing students and teachers with free access to educational materials. Our Serials Librarian , Prof. Jennifer Huffman , has created a great promotional kit of resources that you can view at your leisure. We will also highlight UWSP faculty members who have published in open access journals throughout the week. We invite you to explore the many resources ...

The Hate You Give  by Angie Thomas (Available at Marshfield and Stevens Point (offsite) locations) Please enjoy this review by UWSP student, Hannah Fenrick. It may be after Banned Books Week, but it’s never too late to read a Banned Book! With our freedom to read being under attack, now is the time we must band together and unite against censorship. If you’re looking for a Banned Book to read, look no further than The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas! Published in 2017 and inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, The Hate U Give is a powerful story about discrimination, activism, and justice. Thomas’s debut novel is so good, it’s set to be a modern classic. The Hate U Give is a phenomenal novel that says a lot about what it’s like to be Black in contemporary America. The main character’s intelligent, observant narrations are an absolute joy to read as she thoughtfully moves the audience through heavy subject matter. This story is inspiring, uplifting, and full of hope. I highly r...

  The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Friday honored and presented our very own Carrie Kline (Library Circulation Supervisor) with the Regents University Staff Excellence Award.  This high honor recognized Carrie's dedication to the UW campus communities and supporting student success. An award of $7,500 will go to the Library for professional development or program enhancements. "Carrie joined UWSP in 2018 and leads the daily operations of the Circulation department of the University Library, supervising and scheduling about 25 students and 100 hours of building operation per week. She assists with marketing and outreach, including promoting the libraries on the University Library Facebook and Instagram accounts. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she researched safe methods to access library materials, which allowed the library to function effectively throughout the pandemic. She also advocated for the physical and mental health safety of members of the univers...

On the second Monday of October, Indigenous Peoples' Day is  celebrated recognizing the resilience and diversity of Indigenous Peoples in the United States. The University Libraries has a rich collection of fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, poetry, and more from Indigenous authors. We invite you to explore these works and have curated a short list below to get you started. You may take a deeper dive into more works by searching our collections in Search@UW or by stopping by the Reference Desk (CCC 104) to ask for assistance in locating particular titles or help with browsing. Erdrich, Louise. The Sentence : a Novel . First edition., Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2021. Good, Michelle. Five Little Indians : a Novel. Harper Perennial Classics, 2020. Harjo, Joy. Poet Warrior : a Memoir . First edition., W. W. Norton & Company, 2021. Hobson, Brandon. The Removed : a Novel . Ecco, 2021. Orange, Tommy. There There . First edition., Alfred A. Knopf, 2018. Verble, M...

T he University Libraries joins the national celebration of the freedom to read during Banned Books Week from October 1-7, 2023. This year’s Banned Books Week theme is “Let Freedom Read.”      Launched in 1982, Banned Books Week highlights the freedom to seek and to express ideas and emphasizes the importance of the fight against censorship. After the Supreme Court Case Island Trees School District v. Pico had ruled that schools could not ban books solely because of their content, Banned Books Week began.   Between January 1 and August 31, 2023, the  American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom  documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles nationwide. This reflects a 20 percent increase in the number of book challenges recorded during the same reporting period in 2022.       With libraries across the country, the University Libraries will celebrate Banned Books Week with information and book displays inc...