It's #bookfacefriday!

We've been having a little fun with #bookfacefriday lately.

To explain: bookface is when you take the cover of a book and position someone behind it to make it look like they're part of the cover. It's a silly thing to do, but libraries around the country are posting their #bookfacefriday pics on social media (check it out on Twitter), so we decided to join the fun.

We'd love to see some of your #bookfacefriday pics, too!

Uptown Funk...or Unread Book?

We librarians love a good book parody video. There's the fun All About the Books, No Trouble from Nashville Public Library. Or Dowell Middle Schools' Bookloose. Or this fabulous Harry Potter Book of Mormon parody.

But a new one came out this week that we had to share for #NationalLibraryWeek. Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" never sounded so good with this parody by Orange Public Library in association with Chapman University:

"Words hit you hallelujah (whuoo)
Words hit you hallelujah (whuoo)
Words hit you hallelujah (whuoo)
'Cause Unread Book gon' give it to you
'Cause Unread Book gon' give it to you
'Cause Unread Book gon' give it to you
Saturday night and I’m in my seat
Don't believe me just read!"

Happy National Library Week!

Rolling whiteboards all around the library!

Whiteboards are great ways for you to do things like:

• Get your thoughts out;
• Collaborate with other students on projects;
• Brainstorm topics; and
• Do some mindmapping.

At your disposal, we now have many rolling whiteboards on wheels all around the library. Just check out a box of markers from the Circ Desk and away you go!

But whiteboards can also be fun, which is why we bought some of these:

And why we came up with the Question of the Week:

The Question of the Week this week asks you to tell us your favorite song of the summer. After you give us your favorite tunes we'll make a Spotify playlist, so you better get in here soon to give us your suggestions.

Make use of the whiteboards. We bought them for YOU to use, so get some work done...or have a little bit of fun.

April 23rd is World Book Night!

Spread the joy...

World Book Night was first celebrated in the USA and Germany in 2012 a year after it’s premiere in 2011 in the UK and Ireland. It is the product of a round table discussion at London’s Book Industry Conference in May of 2010 and hopes to inspire passionate readers to share copies of their favorite books with folks in the community who don’t regularly read. What better way to celebrate the gift of books than checking out some great books from the library? Here are a few World Book Night books that we have at St Kate’s to get you in the mood:

2014

• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
• Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
• Pontoon by Garrison Keillor
• The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
• Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan 
• Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin
• When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago
• The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
• Zora and Me by Victoria Bond & T.R. Simon

2013

• Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova
• The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
• The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan

2012

• A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• Just Kids by Patti Smith
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

Check them out!

April is National Poetry Month

Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets throughout the United States band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture.

Literary events around town in April:

• National Poetry Month on Social Media
  #NPM14
  On Twitter, April 1-30, 2014 
• Cracked Walnut Literary Festival
  Poetry, fiction, essays by local writers
  Various locations in Twin Cities, April 2-30, 2014 
• Minnesota Book Awards Gala
  Honoring best books published in 2013
  St. Paul Union Depot, April 5, 2014 
• Poetry Translation Project
  Poets and artists
  St. Catherine University, April 7-20, 2014 
• Poetry Event @ Valley Bookseller
  Stillwater, April 14, 2014 
• Poem in Your Pocket Day
  Share poems with friends and strangers (use #pocketpoem on Twitter to share poetry)
  Everywhere, April 24, 2014

Spring Break "Staycation"

Staying in town for spring break? Check out our staycation ideas.

We have some great books and media available to make your staycation fun! Try some new recipes, learn a craft, take time to commemorate a special time in your life with scrapbooking--the possibilities are endless...


Here are some books to wet your whistle:

• Cooking light big book of salads
• Card-making techniques from A to Z by Jeanette Robertson
• Best in the world : 175 classic recipes from the great cuisines compiled by Martha Day
• Scarf style 2 : innovative to traditional, 26 fresh designs to knit by Ann Budd
• The classic encyclopedia of world recipes by Sarah Ainley
• SimpleChic : designer knits, SuperQuick! by Jil Eaton
• Minnesota's bounty : the farmers market cookbook by Beth Dooley
• Minnesota quilts : creating connections with our past
• The Barefoot Contessa cookbook : secrets from the legendary specialty food store for simple food and party platters you can make at home by Ina Garten
• Your scrapbook, your story : original ideas that focus on you edited by, Emily Curry Hitchingham
• Beginner's guide to quilting : 16 projects to learn to quilt by Elizabeth Betts
• The Taste of Africa by Rosamund Grant and Josephine Bacon

Check Out Feature Films

Now available!

The St. Paul Library now has a small (and growing!) collection of DVDs available for check out. Feature films include The Hunger Games, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Flight, and more.

• Limit 2 DVDs per person
• 7 day loan
• Located next to the Browsing Books

Happy Voldemort Defeat Day!

In this day in 1998, everyone's favorite spectacle-wearing wizard, Harry Potter, defeated the evil Dark Lord Voldemort! Muggles everywhere rejoiced! That's right, Harry Potter fans. I know you're out there. Today is the day you have a legitimate excuse to break out your wands, don your wizard robes, put on your snazzy gold and maroon tie (or silver and green, if that's your preference) and nerd out!

The St Catherine University English club makes a big to-do about Voldemort Defeat Day every year. If you head up to the 2nd floor atrium in the CDC right about now (it's almost noon) you can stop by their nifty table and pick up some free buttons. Go on a horcrux hunt! You could be the only person standing between Lord Voldemort and St Kates!

If you mosey into the cafeteria, our friends at Sodexo have kindly set up a nice Harry Potter-themed spread for us. It's sure to be delicious! (And dare I say... magical?)

Remember Harry, dear Potter fans, and all those we loved and lost in the Battle of Hogwarts.

3rd Annual Haiku Contest

Sharpen those pencils! The library is hosting the 3rd Annual Haiku Contest in honor of National Poetry Month in April. Deadline is 5pm April 16th!

This year the contest will coincide with Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 18th.Stay tuned for more about that.

Submit up to five (5) haiku-style poems by April 15, 2013, to: librarynews@stkate.edu

Along with your entry, please include:

• HAIKU in the subject line

• your full name

• contact info (email or phone number is fine)

• year/major and/or department

Contest open to all St. Kate's students, faculty, and staff. 

Black History Month: African Americans & Art

Image from: http://artstor.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/black-history-month-2013/

One of the library's subscription databases, ARTstor, is featuring a collection of works related to Black History Month and the contributions of African Americans in art. ARTstor is an independent nonprofit organization that is building a vast international online library with more than 1.4 million images. View the photographs and artworks featured for Black History Month through ARTstor.

Celebrate Banned Books Sept. 30-Oct. 6

It's Banned Books Week! This event from the American Library Association celebrates the books that have been censored or banned.

Read more about Banned Books and check out the book displays at the St. Paul and Minneapolis Libraries--maybe even read a couple books!

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

September is Library Card Sign-up Month! Luckily, at St. Kate's your University ID card doubles as a library card. The long, 14-digit number on the back of the card is your library barcode. You can use this number to access paid-subscription databases and research sources from off-campus. You can also find your barcode on KateWay under Campus Resources.

Did you know?

Residents of Minnesota who have a library card, can get that card activated at any library in the state. That's right: if you're from Wilmar and you have a library card through the Pioneer Library System, you can bring it down to the St. Paul Public Library and check out books!

Baby, It's HOT outside!

In the winter some of us complain about the cold and in the summer it's the heat! Minnesota gets the best (?) of both worlds. Find out more about beating (and enjoying) the heat in Minnesota in the summer including water activities, ice cream options, and staying healthy in the heat.

Baby, It's Hot Outside

St. Kate's Library on Pinterest

The Libraries are pinning! Pinterest is a picture-sharing social media tool. Browse and collect links to images, project ideas, products, and more.

Check out our current boards:
Library Fun | Books & Chairs for Reading | Summer Reads | Historical St. Kate's

Movies @ the Library

Who says summer in the library has to be boring? The St. Paul Campus Library has a number of fun (i.e. non-academic) films available to check out. Many are 2-hour limits, so stop by and watch a movie here on your own laptop, on one of our computers, or on one of the TVs at a media viewing station. Great way to kill a couple hours on campus between sessions (or take a break from studying).

Children's Book Week May 7-13

Children's Book Week was founded in 1919 as a literacy campaign and celebrates the "transformative power of literacy." Celebrate Children's Book Week and check out the newly relocated juvenile collection at the St. Paul Library. It is now located in the lower level at the bottom of the stairs. The new home allows for plenty of room for those big, wide books chocked full of pictures and great stories. As a bonus, you can sit and read them in front of the big picture windows overlooking the Dew Drop Pond.

2012 poster by David Wiesner

Do you remember a favorite book from childhood? Do you ever revisit those favorites? Are you reading books to your own children? Share your favorite children's books with us!

Join the St. Kate's Library March Madness Contest!

Click here to join the March Madness contest. Click "Register Now," then after filling out information, click "continue." Then enter the password "katies," and you'll be ready to fill out your bracket. Entries must be in before the games start Thursday. Email jdquinn@stkate.edu with any questions.

Do you like the libraries? Then please "Like" us on Facebook!

The Libraries maintain a page on Facebook that includes research hints, study tips, general interest links, and upcoming events. You can also post/ask questions and get help via our wall.

Keep up to date with the Libraries through Facebook! Be sure to "Like" us!

Check It Out - St. Kate's Library News

Downton Abbey Meets Online Database

ARTstor, a digital library of more than one million images in the areas of art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences, has been exploring the art of the Downton Abbey. The Downton Abbey television series has attracted many fans with its soap opera-like plots and luscious sets and costumes. Through ARTstor, view World War I era gowns, shoes, architecture, and paintings.

early 1900s evening dresses

Music for Advent (Online and CDs)

Did you know that the St. Paul Library has an audio collection of Christmas music? You can listen online, check out a CD, or visit the Music page for more options.

Classical Music Library includes 60,000 tracks of classical music, including over 800 selections for Christmas.
Smithsonian Global Sound includes musical folk traditions from around the world.

Check out CDs to listen to while you finish up the semester or wrap presents. A sampling of CDs:

A Rose in Winter / Dale Warland Singers
M2085.D35 R67 1997

Welcome Christmas: Carols from Around the World
M5200 .W45 1995

Home for Christmas / Amy Grant
M1629.3.C5 G734 1992

On Christmas Night / King's College Choir (Cambridge)
M2065.K5 O5 1989

December / George Winston
M21.W56 D4 1982

*Stop by the Circulation Desk or Media to locate these and other holiday CDs.