Fast Five Friday: Ukraine

After the recent developments in Kiev and the Crimea, are you eager to learn more about the people, culture, and politics of Ukraine? Your Alexandria Campus Library has you covered.

DK 508.4 .H45 2009

The volume provides a basic overview of social, political and artistic life of Ukraine. Topics covered include religion, language, gender, education, customs, media, literature, music and cinema.

DK510.28 .B55 2011

Get a sense of the landscape, borders, history, and issues at stake in Ukraine’s decision to pivot East or West through this geographic exploration. Blinknikov’s book is chalked full of insightful and informative maps, charts, and photographs designed to enhance understanding of modern Russia and the states formerly included in the Soviet Federation.

DK 293 D55 1993b

This book, written in the immediate aftermath of the Soviet dissolution, provides color and context for the events that shaped former U.S.S.R. countries back into independent states.

DK 214 .R69 2000

Readers can use Royle’s detailed account of the Crimea War to learn how this now roiling Ukrainian territory was once at the center of a 19^th century global dispute.

JC 328.3 .C58 2011

This anthology explores the political uses of non-violence, and its chapter on the Orange Revolution explicates the internal tensions still very much alive in Ukraine. Read about Viktor Yanukovych first failed attempt at winning the Ukrainian presidency, how his bid was blocked by peaceful protests, and Moscow's reactions to events.

Do not forget that the Alexandria Campus Library also holds many databases that can help you understand current events. Monitor trending global news using Lexis-Nexis, delve into the culture and customs of Ukrainians using A-Z World Cultures, and examine world borders utilizing A-Z Maps.

Poetry for Patrons: Please Handle (Our Non-Handles) With Care

When journeying to the college,

And standing on the cusp of knowledge,

We understand your zeal and glee,

To rush into the library

But this excitement is not without a toll,

For when students whack upon their entrance handle goal,

They leave it bruised, abused, corroded,

With the door’s spring-mechanism exploded

So do your fellow students a favor,

And save the college the cost of parts and labor,

And be so gentle, and use no force,

When using handicapped access buttons to open doors

Fairy Good Tales

Come celebrate Read a Fairy Tale Day, February 26^th, with your Alexandria Campus Library.  

Serial specialist Michelle Jerney-Davis has put together a beautiful display of materials of that includes classic myths and stories from all over the globe.Patrons can visit the library’s fairy bower and pick up a tale to puzzle over and enjoy.

For a complete list of Fairy Tales available in the Alexandria Campus Library, click here

Celebrating by Remembering

The Alexandria Campus Library is observing Black History Month by celebrating the many extraordinary African-American women who contributed to the civic, social, and artistic life of the United States.

In keeping with the Civil Rights theme of the 2014 Black History Month celebration, the display features books on influential female activists, artists, and politicians instrumental in securing the rights and freedoms of all American citizens.

So come into the library, and check out a title that celebrates these ladies and their contributions to American history.

For a list of books included in this display, click here.

Love Stinks

Ah, February. It is a month awash in hearts, candy, forced romanticism, and schmaltzy sentimentality. It can be a little much for everyone, whether happily paired off or single. 

Keeping this in mind, your Alexandria Campus Library has decided to celebrate and reveal in the darker side of love. We’ve gathered together books and films that examine and celebrate the tragic, impossible, infuriating, toxic, and maddening aspects of romantic love. Our display covers fictitious and historical tales of relationships gone sour, lovers forever separated by circumstance, and the unremitting pain of unrequited passions.

So this Valentine’s Week, while everyone else is going through the forced motions of the holiday, why not come into the library and pick up something that speaks to the harsher realities of relationships. After all, if the great works of literature and film are any indication, sometimes love just stinks. 

For a complete list of title in this display, click here.

Bring Some Mystery into Your Life

We have come to the point in winter when the cold and gray seem unrelenting. Mindful of this, the Alexandria Campus Library has devised the perfect way to interject a little color and excitement into our patrons’ lives. Why not go on a blind mystery date with a book or movie carefully vetted by library staff?

Unlike the hassle of setting up a real date, taking our items out for a casual spin is straightforward and easy. Just come to our library and select a newspaper wrapped book or movie from our front display, check it out at our circulation desk, and then take it home to enjoy.

Don’t have chemistry with your mystery item?  Just return it for another item without hurt feelings or judgment (our librarians actually encourage literary promiscuity).

Go for the Olympic Knowledge Gold!

Interested in Ice Skating? Are you curious about Curling? Stumped by Snowboarding? Your Alexandria Library has you covered as the 2014 Winter Olympic Games begin in Sochi, Russia. 

Our Winter Olympic exhibit includes books that both explain individual events and provide a larger context for the pageantry and symbolism of the modern Olympic Games.  Serial Specialist Michelle Jerney-Davis curated a display that covers the history, events, social issues, and politics of Olympic Sport so that our patrons can watch the telecasts with better understanding and increased enjoyment.

 

For a list of our Olympic themed books, click here

So come into your Alexandria Campus Library, and train your brain for this exciting global gathering!