Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

A young boy grows up in a time of segregation and is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement.  This young boy was Martin Luther King, Jr.

During his lifetime, King demonstrated his abilities as a leader. He was an American clergyman, an activist, and a prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement.  He authored five major books and hundreds of articles and speeches. His principal accomplishment was to raise the hopes of Black Americans and to bind them in effective direct-action campaigns that advanced civil rights by using nonviolent civil disobedience.

The theme of nonviolence that runs throughout his career left a decisive mark on American and world history. King's dream of a peaceful world has inspired many. His activism played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African-American citizens in the South and other areas of the nation. He was also a major voice in the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. At the age of thirty-five, he became the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers, he was assassinated. The work he courageously began was then left for others to continue.

In 1983, Congress passed a law designating the third Monday in January a national holiday in his honor. Dr. King's legacy can be celebrated by participation in a National Day of Service.  No matter where people are in America, they have an opportunity to join this effort and serve their communities.

Visit National Day of Service website for more information. 

Octavia Butler: Genius Writer

Octavia Butler (b. 22 June 1947 – d. 24 February 2006), is an American science-fiction author. Ms. Butler was one of the most thoughtful authors of her time. One of the few black writers in the science-fiction field, she took full advantage of the speculative freedom that the genre allows writers to explore her interest in sociology, biology, race relations, American history, and the future of humanity. The first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, Ms. Butler was outspoken advocate for imaginative and speculative fiction. Listen to an interview with Octavia Butler and visit the library to view her display and find  available works, here at the Al Harris Library.


 

What is a Hobbit?

hobbit [hä-bət] noun

1. a member of a race of imaginary creatures related to and resembling humans, living in underground holes and characterized by their good nature, diminutive size, and hairy feet
2. a nickname for Homo floresiensis

synonyms -  little people (region of Bree), halfling, shirefolk

Well to answer this question more succinctly, maybe a first-hand visit might be in order. On December 14, the doorway reopens to Middle Earth which brings the J. R. R. Tolkien novel, The Hobbit, to movie theaters everywhere. This story follows Bilbo Baggins and his adventures with Gandalf the Grey and a company of dwarves to retake the Lonely Mountain now inhabited by a dragon. As seen in glimpses in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bilbo crosses paths with Gollum and the ring of power.

To see the story unfold, you can see it in theaters on December 14th or you can read the story in the SWOSU Libraries. A Tolkien display is now up in the library that allows you to read or watch the story of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Along with these stories, other materials are included on the display if you are interested in the details of the backstory, Tolkien studies or criticisms.

To celebrate the adaptation to the big screen, the SWOSU Libraries is sponsoring a movie poster giveaway. On the library display, you can find a contest form - there are no restrictions on how many times you can enter your name. There are five movie posters for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey up for grabs. Winners will be announced Friday afternoon at 3:00pm, December 14th. Good luck!

National Book Award Winners!

The winners of the National Book Awards were announced last night in New York City. The winners are:

Fiction: Louise Erdrich. The Round House (Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers)
Non-Fiction: Katherine Boo, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity Random House)
Poetry: David Ferry. Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations (University of Chicago Press)
Young People’s Literature: William Alexander, Goblin Secrets (Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster)

Click here for a complete list of winners with a link to interviews of the winning authors. Also, come to the Al Harris Library to check out our display of National Book Award winners and finalists. 

Finalists for 2012 National Book Awards

                                   Come check out the National Book Award Finalists display at the Al Harris Library! When the 2012 winners are announced on November 14, the display will be updated with winner information.

Sponsored by the National Book Foundation, the National Book Award winners are selected in four categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Young People’s Literature. The National Book Award began in 1950 when a consortium of book publishing groups sponsored the 1st annual National Book Awards Ceremony and Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Their goal was to enhance the public's awareness of exceptional books written by fellow Americans and to increase the popularity of reading in general. For more information on the National Book Awards, go to http://www.nationalbook.org/.

Remember, Remember! The fifth of November!

V for Vendetta

The Al Harris Library is home to a diverse collection of graphic novels and related films. To coincide with November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day, we have chosen to feature the graphic novel V for Vendetta, by writer Alan Moore and artist David Lloyd.

V for Vendetta tells the story of a vigilante seeking revenge against an oppressive government that is set within a dystopian future. The story, although fictional, borrows liberally from the historical figure of Guy Fawkes, who along with thirteen co-conspirators, attempted to blow up the English Houses of Parliament in 1605.

Moore uses the construct of the vigilante revenge tale to effectively provide not only an exciting work of populist fiction, but also a politically charged tale of fascism versus anarchy. It also provides a political critique of former English Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and what Moore interpreted as the failings of England’s political environment and domestic policy during her administration.

To check out this graphic novel, or any of the associated books or media in the front display case, just ask for assistance at the circulation desk!

Guy Fawkes:
A Complete History of the Gunpowder Treason

For further information on Guy Fawkes and the history of the Gunpowder Treason, please consult Guy Fawkes: A Complete History of the Gunpowder Treason, by Rev. Thomas Lathbury, M.A. - A concise non-fictional history of the Gunpowder Treason that attempts to assemble all available information on the subject from various historical perspectives.

Available as a digital textbook via Ebrary.

Click Here to Access Book.

Veterans Day 2012

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month...

In Flanders Fields

by Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved, and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

 

Honoring Our Veterans