Friends of the UNCG Libraries

Perhaps one of the most devastating aspects of the recent cholera outbreak in Haiti is that for well over a century, cholera is a disease that has been understood by scientists, a disease that can be managed, and a disease that can be cured. And yet, as of December 6, 2010, over 91,000 Haitians have been sickened and more than 2,000 people have died. When we selected The Ghost Map as our January 24, 2011 Friends of the Library Book Discussion read, we did not anticipate that this book, which traces the beginning of scientific knowledge about cholera in the wake of the 1854 London epidemic, would be so relevant. Professors Rob and Janne Cannon will discuss the book with us at 7 pm on Monday, January 24 in the Hodges Reading Room . To learn more about the book and about how cholera spreads, please visit the book's website . The short video on the website provides a good introduction to this distressing subject. Professor Janne Cannon also suggests the following websites for those ...

November 15-December 22, 2010, Monday-Friday, 8-5 p.m.: “Bound to Please: The Custom Bookbindings of Don Etherington & Monique Lallier.” Martha Blakeney Hodges Reading Room, Jackson Library, 2nd Floor. The exhibit opens with a talk by the bookbinders at 4 p.m. on Monday November 15. Don Etherington and Monique Lallier are two of the world’s most respected and honored bookbinders. Born in England and Montreal, respectively, they have undertaken projects for clients around the globe, and they have spent much of their careers teaching others the art and craft of what they do. They now live in Summerfield, a short drive from the UNCG campus, where Don’s reference library and papers are in the Special Collections of the University’s Library. From November 15 through December 22, some of their custom bindings will be on display in the Martha Blakeney Hodges Reading Room on the second floor of UNCG’s Jackson Library. On opening day, Monday, November 15, at 4 p.m. they will talk about t...

Barchester Towers , by Anthony Trollope, is a classic Victorian novel and well worth reading and re-reading, but at nearly 500 pages, it takes some time. Whether you finish the tome or not, we hope you join us on Monday, December 6 at 4 pm in the Hodges Reading Room of Jackson Library , when we discuss the book with Dr. Hephzibah Roskelly. In the meantime, check out the website devoted to all things Trollope. Here you will find fun facts about Trollope (did you know he was a senior civil servant in the post office?) and learn how he managed to write forty-seven novels, many of which are still in print. His secret? He paid a servant an additional five pounds a year to wake him up with a cup of coffee so that he could write between 5 and 8 am each day. The website also includes many quotes from Trollope on all aspects of relationships and politics. I will leave you with one from Barchester Towers : "Consolation from the world's deceit is very common. Mothers obtain it from thei...

While the pirate in the popular imagination tends to look like Johnny Depp and inhabit rowdy port cities in the Caribbean, pirates have pillaged and plundered from ancient times to the present day in all corners of the world. Join the History Club and the Friends of the UNCG Libraries in the EUC Auditorium at 7pm on Thursday, October 28th, as we host a panel designed to extend our understanding of pirates and their impact on law, society, and culture. Four experts from UNCG will discuss the pirates they have encountered in their very different fields of study. Dr. Omar Ali , African American Studies, will talk about a 14th Century Morrocan explorer who was beset by pirates off the coast of Sri Lanka and lived to tell the tale. Dr. James Anderson , History, will examine the intersection between smuggling, piracy and patriotism in the career of the Sino-Japanese pirate and Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong (1624-1662). Jason Cooke, a doctoral candidate in English, will look at the intersect...

Starting on Wednesday, October 13, faculty, staff, students, and Friends of the UNCG Libraries can check out DVDs in Jackson Library. Roughly 5,000 titles, encompassing hit TV shows, popular movies and classic films, will be shelved near the current periodicals in the Jackson Library Reading Room. Friends, as well as UNCG faculty, staff, and students, can check out up to two DVDs at a time for a period of one week. Do bring them back, though. Patrons are fined one dollar per day that the DVDs are overdue

Peter Yarrow, famous for his role in the legendary trio, Peter, Paul, and Mary, is coming to UNCG on November 3, 2010 for a booksigning and free performance sponsored by the Friends of the UNCG Libraries. The author of books such as Puff the Magic Dragon and Songs for Little Folks will appear at the Recital Hall of the Music Building at 6:30 p.m. For more information, see http://www.uncg.edu/ure/news/stories/2010/sep/PeterYarrow092710.htm