Democrats and Republicans

Both the Democratic and the Republican National Conventions are now over, campaigning by the presidential candidates from the two major parties is in full swing, and the General Election will be held on November 6. So in a few weeks, we will need to decide which candidate will get our vote. Would you like to know more about the history of the Democratic and Republican parties? The Al Harris Library has several resources on the histories of the two parties and how they evolved into what they are today.

The American party system was born in the policy conflicts between the followers of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson during Washington’s presidency, but the Republican party is the younger of the two major parties. Although the definitions of Republican and Democrat have changed over the years, a two-party system has always flourished in the United States.

Come check out the two displays of the Democrats and Republicans at the Library! Become informed and remember to vote on November 6!

For more information about the Republicans and the Republican Convention, see http://www.gop.com. For more information about the Democrats and the Democratic Convention, see http://www.democrats.org.

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

For more than 200 years, the White House has been more than just the home of the Presidents of the United States and their families. Throughout the world, it is recognized as the symbol of the President, of the President's administration, and of the United States.

On November 1, 1800, John Adams and his wife Abigail were the first family to take up residence at the White House, a then unfinished building in the heart of Washington, D.C. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions to the facility. The White House is, after all, the President's private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.

Throughout its history, the President's residence was also referred to as the President's Palace, the President's House, and the Executive Mansion. The popular designation "White House" did not become official until 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt had the name engraved on his stationery.

Some interesting details about the White House include: 

• The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface. 
• There are 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and 6 levels in the Residence. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
• The White House grounds cover 18 acres. Before the construction of the North Portico, most public events were entered from the South Lawn, which was graded and planted by Thomas Jefferson.
• With 5 full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve dinner to as many as 140 guests and hors d'oeuvres to more than 1,000.
• For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to its residents, including a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theatre, and bowling lane.

This is your opportunity to take a quick trip to the White House. Visit the book display located by the front door of the library where a computer monitor is positioned. Use the computer to take the interactive tour of the White House and see what is inside. The virtual visit will give you a chance to look at the structure and visit the West Wing, Residence, East Wing, and South Lawn of this landmark dwelling place that becomes the home and work location for each President of the United States and the presidential family during the President's term of office.

Graphic Novel Display: The Dark Knight Rises

The Al Harris Library is home to a diverse collection of graphic novels. On July 20th,
The Dark Knight Rises 

premieres on the big screen. 

To coincide with the release of the final chapter in this contemporary trilogy of Batman films, we have collected some of the graphic novels in our collection that detail the history of DC Comics’ Dark Knight. These books served to inspire this film.

 

Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27 May 1939), created by writer, Bob Kane and artist, Bill Finger.

Although the concept has been modified, extrapolated and adapted into other media, the Batman mythos continues to evolve and serve as a reflection of the times.  

Please be advised, this display contains books that are representative of the serious, dark tone reflected in the newest films, and, as such, depict the Batman in an equally mature manner.

Feel free to check out any of these books!

Just ask the staff at the Circulation Desk for assistance.

Explore the Lives of Others Through Biography

Would you like to learn more about people who have in some way made changes to our world?  Reading a biography is a great way to find out more about the individuals who have influenced us. The Al Harris Library owns many books that have been written about the lives of people from different backgrounds, locations, fields of study, and various occupations. The books displayed are just a small sample of what is available for check out on the second floor of the library.  Videos and audiobooks are also available for you to check out and enjoy.

The display also provides a small sample of video resources that focus on the lives of others through both popular films and documentaries.  These examples include the popular films: Pollock, The Hiding Place, Tuskegee Airmen, and A Beautiful Mind along with clips from the documentaries: Woody Guthrie, Hoop Dreams, and Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo.

As the summer continues, relax and experience a life of the past or the present by reading an interesting biography. It's a great way to enjoy a hot summer day.

You Love His Stories; You Just Don't Know It

Philip K. Dick android

For 30 years, movie lovers around the would have been enthralled by the wild imaginings of a writer most people have never heard of.  A dozen films, many of them mega-hits, have been based on his works.  The latest, to be released Aug. 3, 2012, is a remake of the movie "Total Recall" and starts Colin Farrell.

This author is Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), whose paranoiac visions of the near future inspired such films as "Blade Runner,"  "Minority Report," "A Scanner Darkly," and "The Adjustment Bureau."  Filmmakers regularly plunder his writings for movie plots, an indicator of the growing interest in the writing of PKD (as he is commonly known).

During his lifetime, PKD's reputation as a writer was little known beyond science fiction fans.  Since his death, however, not only have his ideas become part of American pop culture, but his writing has been discovered by a wide range of serious literary critics and academicians, who now place him among the top rank in American letters and literature.

The new Philip K. Dick Display at the Al Harris Library shows the award-winning science fiction novels for which he was known.  Also presented are the mainstream literary works written throughout his career that were rejected in favor of his science fiction.  Most were written during the 1950s and 1960s and  are urban tales about young men who are dissatisfied with their jobs and have disastrous love lives.  The fact that these works have been made available by publishers for the first time during the past few years is another indicator of PKD's increasing reputation as a great American  writer.

Also on display is the 2011 release of "The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick," a weighty reproduction of journal entries from the last eight years of the author's life in which he grapples to understand religious expriences he had during a three-month period in 1974.  This long-awaited work among PKD aficionados would not be available in print if the author's prestige was not on the rise.

The display also includes biographical and critical works about Philip K. Dick and his work.

Remembering Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury (Aug. 22, 1920 - June 5, 2012)

Ray Bradbury, recipient of the 2000 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the 2004 National Medal of Arts, and the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, died on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91 after a long illness. He lived in Los Angeles.

In a career spanning more than seventy years, Ray Bradbury has inspired generations of readers to dream, think, and create. A prolific author of hundreds of short stories and close to fifty books, as well as numerous poems, essays, operas, plays, teleplays, and screenplays, Bradbury was one of the most celebrated writers of our time. His groundbreaking works include Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, Dandelion Wine, and Something Wicked This Way Comes. He wrote the screen play for John Huston's classic film adaptation of Moby Dick, and was nominated for an Academy Award. He adapted sixty-five of his stories for television's The Ray Bradbury Theater, and won an Emmy for his teleplay of The Halloween Tree.

Click here to see books by Ray Bradbury that are available from the SWOSU Libraries.

Graphic Novel Display: The Amazing Spider-Man

The Al Harris Library is home to a diverse collection of graphic novels. On July 3rd,
The Amazing Spider-Man will swing onto the big screen.

To coincide with the release of this new comic book adaptation from Columbia Pictures, we have collected some of the graphic novels in our collection that recount Spidey’s exciting adventures from the pages of MARVEL comics.

Although the concept has been modified, extrapolated and adapted into other media, the premise remains the same:

“With Great Power there must also come - Great Responsibility!”

Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 (August, 1962), created by writer, Stan Lee and artist, Steve Ditko.

The story of Peter Parker; his heroism, hardships and humanity, has endured and entertained for fifty years!

Feel free to check out any of these books!

Just ask the staff at the Circulation Desk for assistance.