Virtual Poetry Reading

Happy Monday! This week is National Library Week, and as April is National Poetry Month, we are hosting a virtual poetry reading event! Join us on Thursday, April 23rd at 2:00pm to listen, share, and enjoy!

If you would like to share a poem, please submit the title and author when you register for the event, or email your selection before Wednesday at 5:00pm to jlucas@agnesscott.edu to be added to the scheduled list of readings.

Register here to join us, and whether you want to read a poem or just listen, we will see you soon!

To kick-off the week, here is a favorite poem by Robert Frost.

Nothing Gold Can Stay
by Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf,

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day

Nothing gold can stay.

Architecture in McCain Library

If you loved student Assistant Annel Chavez’s Anime Display, you’ll love her display about McCain library’s architectural changes up until now. Her display is complete with visuals and fun facts about everyone’s favorite studying place. Here is what she had to say:

“Have you ever wondered how the great McCain Library came to be? Well look no further; the library is now featuring a display that reminisces the history of the dear and beloved McCain Library. Feel free to check it out [on the 1st floor of McCain Library} when you get the chance.”

African and Black Dance Display: Past and Present

First year student assistant Mia Iverson curated a display on the evolution of African dance and its influence in Black culture today. When you visit McCain Library, stop by to view her display on the first floor by the elevator and borrow some of the materials she pulled!

About Mia:

“My name is Mia Iverson, and I’m a first year student assistant here at McCain Library. I was inspired to create this display because I have participated in dance since I was five years old. Then, I also saw the “Many Steps” movie last semester in Africana Studies, which sparked my interest in the overall topic of African dancing and its origin.”

About the Display:

“This display focuses on the evolution of dance in Africa. The books, movies, and music that is provided below offer a small portion of how African dance has been developed and maintained over the past decades. Some African dance practices have become apart of the black dance culture and that is shown in a few of the resources [for the display].”

 

Blind Date with a Book: Find Your Perfect Match February 10th – February 14th

In the advent Valentine’s Day, one of the most dreaded holidays of the year for some, perhaps you’re feeling a little apprehensive about what you will do that day. People are going on dates with their significant others, and some have even found a loophole in the system by planning an outing for their friends, but you still haven’t found something you wanted to do…

How about reading a book? Sometimes the best date you can go on is a date with yourself! Cherish your alone time! Feel like a kid again who didn’t have to listen to societal expectations of what Valentine’s Day should look like! Be a rebel! Capitalism’s worst enemy!

If this sounds enjoyable to you, check out McCain Library’s “Blind Date With A Book” event! Curated by your lovely staff members and student assistants, each book will be thoughtfully packaged in newspaper and decorated with festive cheer. You will also get to know the book by its “speed dating profile” before you check it out, which includes a few hints about its genre, the book’s country of origin, and a short blurb about its contents. People say it’s better than Tinder! The fun starts Sunday, February 10th!

Mexican Artists & Muralists

Don’t forget to check out student assistants Lauryn Ewens (’22) and Rachel Magana’s (’21) display on Mexican Muralists when you get the chance! Their display combines visuals and literature concerning not just some of the most influential Mexican muralists, but also Mexican artists such as, Frida Kahlo and Jose Guadalupe Posada. They were inspired to create this display because of our LDR 101 class “Mexican Muralism and the Rise of Public Art” (shameless plug) taught by Professor Korol. This course sparked an interest in the art of that time period and has found a cozy corner in McCain!

A Space for You in the Library

Stressed about finals?…

We can help.

Come decompress and study in our newly decorated stairwell nooks on the first and second floors of McCain Library. We hope these cozy window havens give you the quiet (and rest…) you need to focus and succeed!

NaNoWriMo: Final Meetup for National Novel Writing Month (with prizes!)

We’ve finally arrived to the end of November, so help us end our NaNoWriMo meetups with a bang! The final, culminating meetup will be in Group Study 132 on the first floor of McCain Library from 6-7pm, and we will be raffling gift cards!

Thank you for joining us to write!

McCain Mad Libs Display

Welcome Back Scotties!

Many of you submitted many hilarious Mad Libs, and there were too many funny ones to only post a few online. To fix the dilemma, we’ve posted them in the ground floor display by the elevator in McCain Library!

We will switch them out weekly, so check back every week for a good laugh as you prepare for finals :).

NaNoWriMo: On Narrative and Creative Writing

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If you navigate to the “About” page on the National November Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) website, you will find this brief, but meaningful statement:

“National Novel Writing Month is also a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (formerly known as the Office of Letters and Light) that believes your story matters.”

Perhaps the most personal part of this introduction is the implication that your story matters rather than just a story.

NaNoWriMo encourages participants to write about anything they wish, but the emphasis here is on the voice telling the narrative. Your voice.

100 people could tell the same story over and over again. But…could anyone tell it quite like you, with your inflection, your memories, your understanding, or your personage?

This is why your story truly matters. Your personal voice and idiosyncrasies affect the timbre and texture of narratives, putting a one of kind fingerprint on otherwise recycled stories.

With this in mind, consider the collection of books set up next to the NaNoWriMo Display on the first floor of McCain Library. Each one was either:

• Written by a person who wrote the book during NaNoWriMo and became a best-selling author
• Deals with narrative and the re-telling or re-writing of fictional and/or actual events
• Re-tells familiar literature in a new way -OR-
• Reveals the power and impact of narrative and different voices retelling that narrative on and throughout generations and communities.

If you would like to participate in our weekly  NaNoWriMo meetups, click here for more information.

To go to the NaNoWriMo website, click here.

Happy Writing & Narrating ✒.

 

 

No Costume? No Problem!

Hey Scotties!

McCain Library invites amateurs, professionals, and all in between to join us at our No Costume? No Problem! Halloween Upcycling event on Friday, October 19th from 4-7PM in Room 211 at McCain Library. During the event, you will have the opportunity to design or work on a costume using various odds, ends, fabrics, tools, and materials provided by the library and your peers. There will also be picture inspiration, tips, tricks, tutorials, and peer advice to get you started on your costume masterpiece. You can bring in an unfinished piece or start from scratch if you’d like!

Are you interested? Then RSVP here by Friday, October 17th. You are not required to stay the entire time.

*If you can, please bring at least 3 clothing or costuming items to contribute to the event, such as:

• Fabric
• Handheld sewing supplies, scissors, safety pins
• Fabric glue or fabric tape
• Fasteners, buttons, Velcro, zippers, etc.
• Old clothing, ribbon
• Accessories
• Scrap wire, wire hangers, pliers, wire cutters
• Rulers or tape measure
• Anything that you believe might be useful

We suggest labeling any personal items you share, but plan to keep (like scissors).

Hope to see you there!