Do you have some traditional treats that you make year after year for celebrations? Are you interested in looking for something new? Here are a few cookbook suggestions that are available at the library.
At 2am this coming Sunday morning we fall back one hour as Daylight Saving Time comes to an end once again. Is this the last time? It’s possible, but probably not.
If there’s one thing that most Americans seem to be in agreement about, it’s that they don’t want to change clocks twice per year. Both physical and mental health suffer as our bodies adjust. There is a difference of opinion though on whether we should stick with DST all the time, or use Standard Time all of the time. There are compelling arguments on both sides. Many businesses see increased profits with more daylight in the evening. There is also evidence of a decrease in accidents and crime. Sleep experts, on the other hand, tell us that our bodies are at their best when the sun is highest in the sky at midday. This is more in line with Standard Time. So, while a majority would like to stop changing clocks, we can’t agree on which system to make permanent.
In March of this year, the US Senate picked a side and unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, which is set to take effect in November of 2023 and make Daylight Saving Time permanent. This means that we would spring forward in March of 2023 and then just stay on that time, never having to switch back and forth again. In order for this to happen, the US House must also pass the act before it gets sent to the White House for signing. The act is stuck for now, with the House of Representatives not taking any action on the measure. So this could be the last time we fall back, but only time will tell.
Is it time to start thinking about a topic for your paper or your speech? You might want to look at SIRS Researcher to get some ideas. SIRS Researcher is one database available through the Library website. In SIRS Researcher, you can browse topics and categories.
Opening page of SIRS Researcher database.
You may find a topic that you have always been interested in or you may find a topic you don’t know much about. It’s easy to browse.
“Need help choosing a topic?” section of SIRS Researcher database.
SIRS Researcher has thousands of full-text articles exploring social, scientific, health, historic, business, economic, political, and global issues. The articles come from newspapers, magazines, scholarly journals, books, and government documents.
Do you ever find yourself looking for something good to read that is not related to your studies, but just for fun? Check out the After Class collection in the library. The After Class collection is located on the main level, in the lounge area at the front of the library. Here you’ll find a mixture of current fiction and non-fiction books, many of them bestsellers. It’s a great place to browse when you’re just looking for something entertaining to read. Relax with your book in the library, or check it out with your MVCC ID card. A few titles from the current collection are shown above. To find out more about these titles, or to see all the books in the collection click here.
Do you have kids? Are you taking a children’s literature course? Or do you just like reading children’s or young adult books? In any case, did you know that the library has a children’s book collection? It is a small, but growing section in the lower level of the library near the men’s bathroom. The best way to browse titles virtually is to do a search for “juvenile” in the library catalog. Once you get results, use the menu on the left to refine by the location “juvenile”.
Do you prefer electronic books? We have access to children’s e-books as well. The best way to find the children’s e-books is to start at the library catalog. Search for “juvenile”. Once you get results, then use the menu on the left to refine by “juvenile fiction” and/or “juvenile nonfiction” and then under “format” choose “Ebooks” (see screenshot below).
This week is National Library Week. It’s great time to stop in and grab a book. Here are just a few of the titles you’ll find in the New Book collection in the library right now. Click on the link or the image to read more.
A stay at home order was issued in Illinois. Life quickly got strange and scary due to Covid-19. Bread was made, toilet paper hoarded, and friendships continued in online spaces.
Inviting a friend over to visit in spring 2020 via the game “Animal Crossing”. I remember thinking “Welp, I guess this is how we have friendships now”.
The early part of the pandemic looked different to different people and it can be strange to look back at that time and remember some of the drastic life changes we endured.
The graphic novel Covid Chronicles: A Comics Anthology looks back at those early days and the impressions it left on all of us. Containing 64 short comics compiled between April and October 2020, it examines our responses to illness, isolation, social justice, economic insecurity, politics, and more. Each comic represents a unique style and perspective, many written about relatable and emotional stories. This anthology does an excellent job of capturing one of the most impactful times of recent history.
The One Book One College selection this year, All We Can Save, takes a look at the threat of climate change. When we think about climate change, we often focus on energy use. That is important, but it’s not the whole picture. A huge contributor to the problem is agriculture. It’s a triple threat. Plowing releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Fertilizing is a source of nitrous oxide. Cattle release methane. All of these together amount to about a third of all the greenhouse gases leading to human-caused changes in climate.
The food choices that we make matter a lot. And big changes need to happen in the agriculture industry. The New York Times released the first video today that is part of a series called “We’re Cooked.” Part 1, “Meet the People Getting Paid to Kill Our Planet,” takes a hard look at the agricultural lobby in the US. You can watch all of the videos as they are released here. And don’t forget to sign up for your free subscription to the New York Times through the MVCC Library.
This season is full of great pop culture events. New York Comic Con was last month, San Diego Comic Con will be in-person next week, and Chicago’s own C2E2 will be in-person in December. So many awesome shows!
Maybe you’re one of the lucky ones attending this year, or maybe you feel the time isn’t right. Either way, the library has graphic novels, cosplay resources, artists, and more to connect you with the pop culture community!
Check out some of the resources below in our Comic Convention Companion, and visit the library in the near future to see some of our staff’s best graphic novel and manga recommendations for your holiday break! Click the image below to view the collection:
