Jessup Journal

Not so long ago, in a library not so far away, there were staff members ready to answer reference questions, check out books and other materials, and wield a light saber if necessary. Today as The Rise of Skywalker movie completes the Star Wars series, you may wish to read  How Star Wars Conquered the Universe . As you can see from the photo below, one fearless Jessup Library staff member with a fetching hair style has absorbed  Physics of the Impossible  while speed reading  Ten Billion Tomorrows . If time travel truly is possible, we would like to travel back in time to the first Star Wars movie set, along with  George Lucas  and  The Princess Diarist , also known as the late, great Carrie Fisher. We hope you join us on our virtual journey to other worlds found in books as well as films.

At Jessup Library we are not sure if the phrase “Winter is Coming” is a tired meme or a meteorological threat. Regardless of its meaning, the days are definitely shorter and darker and we have new books to keep you company as you settle in to the months ahead.   As you gaze up at a cold and starry, starry night you may want to turn your eyes to  A Memoir of Vincent van Gogh . Assuming that you have two ears, you could find out about  Creating Sounds From Scratch  as long as you promise not to destroy the furniture with your claws. At this point, you might wonder why an anonymous blog assumes you are a cat and that's an excellent question. How often are people mistaken for animals? Is everyone on the internet secretly a dog? Perhaps  Statistics for People Who (Think) They Hate Statistics  has the answer.  Now put down your statistics book because the person opening the can of cat food in the next room is probably  Fed up: Emotional Labor, Women, and the Way Forward

Animals are on the move and ready for action in Jessup Library, as Jumanji: The Next Level is out in theaters today. If you would like to take a long virtual walkabout we have several books to guide you on your journey. Books in the photograph on the right are: The Lost City of the Monkey God , The Road to Little Dribbling , Walking the Nile , Wild by Nature , and  Oracle Bones . Here is a tip for existing peacefully with the wildlife you might encounter on the way: run in a zig zag to avoid becoming dinner for predators. And please do not feed the animals no matter how cuddly they appear. They might be a hungry librarians in disguise.  Please feed the librarians!

It's that time of the year!  Students are finishing their research projects and studying for finals.  We thought we'd ask someone how their research project went this year.  What was hard about it?  What did they learn?  What advice do they have for others? Xuled Stiff is working on her Associate of Arts degree in Visual and Performing Arts with a specialization in Theater & Drama.  She plans to transfer to a four-year college to get a degree in theater and education.  She hopes to be on the big screen one day! What projects have you worked on? XS: American government papers.  I like to have a foundational understanding of what I am working on before I get started on the writing process.  If I don't know how things started, I won't understand what I'm doing. What have you found to be stumbling blocks? XS: The wording!  Every time I type something in the search box, I don't get the results I'm looking for, but when I come the librarians for help

Behold! Jessup Library has spotted the elusive but not reclusive Queen of Comedy, who has come out of hiding today as season 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is streaming on Amazon Prime.  If you're waiting for the punchline it might be a while. To distract yourself from any canned applause you fear might be lurking behind the curtain, perhaps you would like to check out some of our books on comedy. Specifically, women comediennes such as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling. Feel free to laugh out loud in the library as long as you're doing it in one of the designated talking areas. As   Roseanne Roseannadanna said, it's always something.

T he Winter Solstice is upon us and it is a good time to curl up in a warm blanket and read a good book!   December is all about Cozy Reads for Winter .   From Jane Austen love stories to Neil Gaiman, there are a variety of wonderful entertaining reads to keep you warm through the darkest part of the year. Emma , Northanger Abbey , Pride and Prejudice , and my personal favorite Persuasion , are all Jane Austen novels that bring light no matter how dark it is outside!   Try Persuasion , a novel about giving love a second chance despite obstacles such as pride and fear, or dive into the world of Pride and Prejudice and discover the tempestuous relationship of Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy.   The Golden Compass HBO Series Read Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens about an angel and a demon working together to stop the end of the world, or Paulo Coelho’s novel Brida .   Brida is an exploration of the world of magic shown through the journey of a young woman trying to

Now that the turkey, side dishes, and pies are a delicious memory it's the perfect time to celebrate famous literary birthdays. And how best to do that? Baking a cake for these authors of the past might be a bit tricky. They would probably appreciate it more if readers devour their words.  Three famous writers were born on November 29 -- Louisa May Alcott, Madeleine L'Engle, and C.S. Lewis.  November 30 is the birthday of Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain. Thus far there has never been a birthday on November 31 or on the 31st of Never. At Jessup Library we tend to stick to a standard calendar but you never know when you might slip through a wrinkle in time and travel to a land where time moves backward.

Nibbles the Library Cat hopes you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Library Hours Tuesday, Nov. 26: 8:00am - 9:30pm Wednesday, Nov. 27: 8:00am - 12:00pm Thursday-Sunday: CLOSED

What time is it? It's time for a history lesson, starring Blackbeard's putative descendant and library circulation assistant, No Beard. November 22 is the day that Blackbeard died and the high seas have not been the same since then. At Jessup Library we'd like to think that if pirates had access to the worlds of information provided by our library materials perhaps they wouldn't have plundered so much treasure. Is this a logical ship  train of thought? You might have to walk the plank to the end to find out. We can help you reach a conclusion but we cannot help you grow a beard, and the really good news is that Jessup Library is landlocked and a pirate-free zone. Feel free to browse our collection without fear, but keep your eyes on the horizon at all times.  

There are many students who come to the library on a regular basis, and it got us wondering why.  What do they like about the library?  What keeps them coming back?  Meet Anne Auker, general studies major, and frequent visitor to the Jessup Library. Q: Why do you come to the library? AA: I need to use the computers to do research because I do not have internet at home. I really like THIS library because of the librarians. I like the atmosphere. I like the personal connections I have with the people who work here. I literally don’t have a family and appreciate the connections I have. I think you should have more space so you could do more. It would be nice to have more class textbooks. Q: How often do you come to the library? AA: Oh wow! Quite a few times a week. It could be once a week; it could be five depending on what I have going on. It’s always exciting to start a new research project, especially when I learn new things like the time I learned there were 6 drafts of Lincol

Congratulations to the winners of our 2019 One Book Raffle! Free 3-Credit Class - Elisabeth Nichols Kindle - Carlos Beltran $50 - Virginia Jackson $50 - Torrance Malone $25 - Sam Huff $25 - Seth Bolden $25 - Crystal Carter-Watkins Thank you so much to everyone who read The New Jim Crow and attended our events this semester! Keep an eye out during the spring semester to vote for our 2020 One Book!

There are brave souls among us who ask the eternal, burning questions: do fries go with that shake and do crowns only come with the children's meal? Others turn their attention to more important and regal matters of royalty, specifically the Netflix series The Crown. The new season of The Crown is streaming and we think nothing would be more fitting than a queen pulling up to a fast food drive-through and ordering an extra-large selection of books on royalty. Jessup Library does not have a drive-through window yet (never say never) but we do offer free books for everyone to read. Please accept our open invitation to stop by and give us a regal wave as you pass the reference desk.  

Who is resting in the hallway? Why it's only Doctor Sleep, trying to recover from the excitement of being up all night reading Stephen King novels. Doctor Sleep , the movie sequel to The Shining , is in theaters today. If you are experiencing shortness of breath, hives, frostbite, and an extreme craving for horror stories, Jessup Library can offer you a cure for one of those mysterious symptoms. You can find out which one when Doctor Sleep wakes up from her slumber and crawls back to the circulation desk to return to her library duties. Sleep is for the weak!

T he history and the present reality of Native America is one of heartbreak and resilience.   November is Native American Heritage Month, and it is wise to reflect on what has passed, but it is also important to recognize what is happening in contemporary Native America.   Wounded Knee Memorial, South Dakota Wounded Knee was the site of a massacre of Sioux, the victims being primarily women and children.   Dee Brown’s classic Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee delves into the history, the act, and the aftermath of the actions of the U.S. military in the Winter of 1890.   Read about the controversial world of collecting, specifically Native American artifacts and human remains that are considered sacred to the tribes they originate from.   Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits explores the balance of repatriation of artifacts and maintaining museum collections that share with the greater public.   Poet Laureate Joy Harjo Read the contemporary