Celebrate National Library Week

This week is National Library Week, a whole week of celebrating libraries. Drop in and see us. We’ll have a pop-up library at lunchtime on Monday showing off some of our favorite items. You can also join the fun all week long with our “Hue-Mongous” coloring event.

Libraries are great places to learn, relax, socialize, and work. They’re pretty interesting places too. Please enjoy a few fun facts about libraries.

*The largest library in the world is the Library of Congress. It has about 168 million items and 838 miles of bookshelves.

*Librarians used to have to learn a special writing system called Library Hand.

*A library in Derby Line, Vermont and Stanstead, Quebec sits atop the US/Canada border. A line runs right through the building where you can walk back and forth between the countries, no passport required.

*There are far more libraries in the US than there are McDonald’s.

*Attendance at library programs exceeds attendance at MLB, NFL, and NBA games combined.

*Some libraries lend some pretty surprising things like neckties, cake pans, fishing rods, tools, taxidermy, and seeds. You might be wondering how you can “borrow” seeds. You have to promise the replenish them when your crop comes in.

*There are some very specialized libraries such as a library of magic in New York City and a library of smells in Versailles, France.

*The facade of the Kansas City Public looks like giant books.

*Isaac Asimov published books in 9 of the 10 major categories of the Dewey Decimal System.

*Harvard Library has at least one book bound in human skin.

*And finally, the book that holds the record for the most stolen library book is …wait for it…The Guinness Book of World Records.

Check Out Our Newest Kids Books!

If you are an education student, parent, or just like to read kids books, we are continuing to build our children’s and young adult literature collections. Currently, these, and others, are on display in the New Arrivals section, in the lounge near the library entrance. In a couple weeks, they will be moved downstairs to the juvenile (JUV) and young adult (PZ7) sections of the library where we have a nice selection to choose from. If you need help finding them, please Ask a Librarian for help.

Photo of children's books
Photo of children's and young adult books

2023 Moraine Valley Authors

The MVCC Library is thrilled to present this year’s display of the published works of Moraine Valley faculty and staff. We received what may be a record number of submissions from all over campus. The creative works include books, articles, conference presentations, poetry, songs, stories, graphic design, photography, interview recordings, and illustrations published anytime in 2022. Please click on the image below to see the display. (It may take a few moments to load.) We hope you enjoy reading through these accomplishments as much as we enjoyed putting this display together for you. Congratulations to all the Moraine Valley Authors!

Spring 2023 Authors Display

Celebrating Libraries in April

April is a month for us to celebrate libraries, including both National Library Week and School Library Month.  Libraries have served as storehouses of information since ancient times, dating back to the 7th century BC with the library of Ashurbanipal located in present day Iraq. Libraries have existed throughout history to preserve information for future generations, but it was only within the past two centuries that libraries became public institutions open to all. Peterborough Town Library, the world’s first public library, funded by taxes, did not open until 1833 in New Hampshire.  Public libraries grew in number across the United States thanks largely to donations from wealthy philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie.  Carnegie alone funded nearly 1,700 libraries across the country, no doubt many of us in the Chicago area have visited one. Encyclopedia Britannica has a great article where you can learn more about the history of libraries.    College libraries, like the Moraine Valley Community College Library, are staffed with certified librarians who are trained in research and instruction and ready to help support your information needs. They also have great collections of books available for you to check out in a variety of formats.  Libraries hold such a fond spot in our hearts, they often end up the topic of bestselling novels. In honor of all that libraries do, let’s look at some great library themed books available for you to check out through Moraine Valley Community College Library’s subscription to eRead.  Here is a Digital Resource Help guide in case you need help getting logged on.

On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire was disastrous: it reached two thousand degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who?
Paris, 1939: Young and ambitious Odile Souchet seems to have the perfect life with her handsome police officer beau and a dream job at the American Library in Paris. When the Nazis march into the city, Odile stands to lose everything she holds dear, including her beloved library. Together with her fellow librarians, Odile joins the Resistance with the best weapons she has: books. But when the war finally ends, instead of freedom, Odile tastes the bitter sting of unspeakable betrayal. Montana, 1983: Lily is a lonely teenager looking for adventure in small-town Montana. Her interest is piqued by her solitary, elderly neighbor. As Lily uncovers more about her neighbor’s mysterious past, she finds that they share a love of language, the same longings, and the same intense jealousy, never suspecting that a dark secret from the past connects them.
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve, hoping to escape her stifling life in England.  But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. 
Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

Roses are red, Violets are blue

https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/stories-poems/article/3059590/poetry-101-beginners-guide-understanding-and

With National Poetry Month soon upon us, one can look forward to many poetry events, one being the library hosted Poetry Contest and Coffeehouse. Students can submit their original poems/spoken word as videos to be posted on the library’s YouTube channel. If students do not feel comfortable reading their own poetry, they can even have someone else perform the poem for them as a submission. The library will host an in-person/online event to announce the winners and have special readings on April 20th so feel free to come by! To prepare for this upcoming National Poetry Month event, here are 5 interesting facts about poetry.  

  1. The earliest forms of poetry predate written language. They were sung/recited to help people remember genealogy, laws, and oral history. 
  1. While British author Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the father of English literature, he is also considered to be the father of poetry & the best English Poet of the Middle ages
  1. Metrophobia is the fear of poetry & metromania is the compulsion to write poetry. 
  1. The longest poem in the world is the Mahabharata, which is an Indian epic poem dating from the fourth century BC or earlier. (the poem has about 1.8 million words). 
  1. The best-selling poet of all time, with over 4 billion book sales globally, is William Shakespeare. His surviving works include about 40 plays, 150 sonnets, 2 long-story poems, and a few eulogies. 

If you like these facts & want to read more interesting facts about poetry click here & to register for the poetry library hosted event click here

EDZTER Login Issues — DATABASE ACCESS RESTORED

Access to EDZTER through our database page has now been restored. This concludes access issues with this database.

If you have any questions, please ask a librarian.

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Access through the EDZTER mobile app has been restored. The library still working with the vendor to get web access through the database page working again.

If you have any questions, please ask a librarian.

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Patrons are experiencing login issues with EDZTER both on the web version and mobile app. The library is contacting the vendor to get this issue resolved. This post will be updated as new information arrives.

If you have any questions, please ask a librarian.

Loneliness

What is Loneliness?

Definitions from Dr. Bell Washington, child and adolescent psychiatrist working with Centurion and also in private practice in North Carolina and Dr. Clark, adult outpatient psychiatrist at Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina, and associate clinical professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville.

“Loneliness is essentially the feeling of being uncomfortable or in distress when someone feels that there is a gap between the connection they would like and the connection they actually have … you can be in a crowd full of people, you can know all of them, and you can still feel lonely.” (Washington)

“So, you might have a lot of superficial social connections, but what you really want is something deeper—someone to know you on the inside … It’s really based on perception of the difference between the relationship you’d like and the relationship that you have with others.” (Washington)

Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “found 63% of young adults also suffer significant symptoms of anxiety or depression,” says Dr. Washington. “That means we have a generation of young people hungry for deeper connection who often do not have the skills or opportunities to achieve it.”

“One’s 20s are filled with countless social expectations including separating from one’s nuclear family, finding a partner, developing a career and finding a ‘tribe,’ for many this time is complicated by unrealistic social media lives which are often unattainable. That only amplifies the loneliness that young adults feel.”

Social isolation can play a role

“An individual experiencing loneliness will often describe feeling alone. This is distinct from social isolation where there is a paucity of social connectedness,” said Dr. Clark. “Social isolation can be a sequela of loneliness, but there are plenty of individuals who experience loneliness and are still socially connected.”

Social media affects loneliness

“We get these dopamine surges when someone likes our status,” Clark says, referring to a social media posting. Many, conversely, feel “sad or upset when they do not receive a certain number of likes or have over 1 million followers on their social media accounts.

“And if you’re having an identity crisis—and if you’re letting social media dictate who you are—that can create some loneliness,” he added. “We must be mindful of the psychiatric sequelae of loneliness. These include depression and anxiety.”

See full article: “What doctors wish patients knew about loneliness and health.” by Sara Berg, MS AMA-ASSN, 9 September 2022.

10 Things You Can Do If You’re Lonely from Mental Health America (mhanational.org)

1. Help others. Volunteering is a great way to form meaningful connections with others and make new friends. It is also a natural way to add some purpose to your life – something a lot of us struggle with when feeling lonely. What are some causes that you’re passionate about? Does your place of worship have volunteer activities? Is there a service club through your school?

2. Reconnect with old friends. Have you lost touch with a good friend from elementary school? Or maybe a friend from summer camp? See if you can reconnect! Especially if you’re at a new school this year – just because you don’t see someone every day doesn’t mean they can’t be a valuable friend.

3. Try something new. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try, but never have? Now is the perfect time! If you’re interested in acting, try auditioning for a school play or a local theater group. Love sports? Join a new team, or maybe there’s a weekend clinic you can sign up for. There are tons of potential new hobbies out there!

4. Figure out if something is missing in your life. There are a lot of different ways to feel lonely. Maybe you have a great group of friends, but wish you had one best friend to go to for everything. Or maybe you have one amazing friend, but miss being part of a group. Knowing what’s missing won’t magically make it appear, but it will make the overwhelming feeling of loneliness seem a bit more manageable and give you something to work toward.

5. Make time for extended family. If you have cousins or other relatives around your age that are within a reasonable distance, reach out and try to get together.

6. Watch something that makes you laugh. Put on your favorite funny show or movie—immersing yourself in a world with familiar characters can make you feel less alone.

7. Turn activities you do alone into group activities. Into gaming? Invite someone over to play with you in person. Do you like to draw? Ask your parents to help you ¬find an art class. Going to a baseball game with your family? See if they can get an extra ticket so you can invite a friend.

8. Spend time with animals. Hanging out with pets, especially cats and dogs, is a great way to feel less lonely. They will love you unconditionally and will provide you with all the snuggles you need! If you don’t have pets of your own, see if your neighbors or relatives would be willing to let you hang out with theirs.

9. Try an app. Lyf is an app that helps you reach out to others to chat about things. Q Chat has support groups for LGBTQ youth. NotOK is an app that helps you reach out to contacts that you select to let them know that you are struggling. 7 Cups has trained listeners to provide you with emotional support.

Presidential Veto and Lawmaking

There was news coverage last week that President Biden might soon issue the first veto of his presidency.

How does a law get to the stage of being approved by the president—or not approved, which is a veto? According to usa.gov, here is the process (very simplified): A bill is introduced by a senator or representative and goes to committee where it is researched and discussed. Then the bill is voted on by the Senate or House of Representatives. If it passes the Senate or House, the bill goes to the other chamber of Congress and goes through a similar process. If both chambers pass the bill, the lawmakers work together to make a version that passes both the Senate and the House. If it passes both house of Congress, the bill goes to the president.

If the president vetoes the bill, it may be possible for Congress to override the veto.

For other information about the U.S. Congress and legislation, check out these books or ebooks from the Moraine Valley Library.

Losing to Win: Why Congressional Majorities Play Politics Instead of Make Laws by Jeremy Gelman
Heavy Lifting: The Job of the American Legislature by Alan Rosenthal
Rulemaking: How Government Agencies Write Law and Make Policy by Cornelius M. Kerwin and Scott R. Furlong
The Limits of Party: Congress and Lawmaking in a Polarized Era by James M. Curry and Frances E. Lee

What’s up with the Gender Pay Gap?

5, 10 and 20 dollar bills are spread out
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck

According to new data from the Pew Research Center, a woman in 2022 typically earns 82 cents for every dollar earned by a man. A pitiful 2% increase since 2002. This gap is regardless of skill or educational level and is measurably larger for women of color. While the national statistics are certainly depressing, Illinois is no better.

As women’s history month begins I can’t help but wonder: how do we actually define the gender pay gap and how do we explain it?


How is the gender pay gap calculated?

The most common way that the gender pay gap is calculated is by comparing the median income of men and women who are employed full time. This is where the 82 cents per dollar figure comes from. While some disagree about the importance of this statistic, much of the controversy and confusion about the gender pay gap comes from attempting to explain its cause and its impact on society.

video from Harvard Kennedy School

What causes the gender pay gap?

There are several reasons that are commonly cited as causes for the gender pay gap. The types of work that men and women do – occupational segregation – is often in the forefront (see below). Others highlight the role of historical educational trends, work experience, or time away from employment as possible or partial explanations. These are all certainly plausible, but the crucial question is this: How much of the gap should be attributed to blatant discrimination and sexism? Some point out that these social forces all compound and can not be separated. In fact, 50% of Americans suggest that gender discrimination is a major reason for the gender pay gap.

a graph that demonstrated men's overrepresentation in the highest paying occupations and women's overrepresentation in the lowest
from Washington Center for Equitable Growth

The gender pay gap is almost certainly caused by a combination of all of these factors – including discrimination against women. I see no point in arguing about the cause or explanation – we deserve solutions not explanations. I want to live in a more equitable world and it is my hope that we can do much much better in the next 20 years.

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