What is President Obama Reading?

According to a report in The New Yorker, the President is reading a novel to take his mind off of all that executive branch business. Netherland, a 2008 novel by Joseph O'Neill, is about a Dutch man in New York City after September 11. The book was a bestseller in the United States and won the 2009 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

Are you interested in checking out the novel that the most powerful man in the world is reading? Although Nielsen Library does not own a copy (yet!), it can be borrowed in Marmot via a patron placed hold. Come to the 2nd floor reference desk or call 719-587-7879 for more information.

Introducing the Nielsen Library Information Commons

Malenfant (2006) states that "the best way to keep the Library a vital and effective resource for students..." is the "transformation of the Library into an Information Commons." Nielsen Library at Adams State College has been working on the second floor Information Commons for over a year. The process began last year with a complete overhaul of the second floor. The great staff of ASC students and librarians worked tirelessly to weed the government document collection, paint, and move shelving and furniture, completely transforming the second floor.

The plan is to meet the challenges of the 21st century student. Not only that, but to provide a space for students to study, collaborate, and work on projects in a comfortable environment.

The IC at Nielsen Library has added 14 tables with electrical capacity built in the table. Also added to the second floor are cozy, plush arm chairs and a bar installed on the north wall overlooking the ASC football field and a stunning view of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. The periodical area also has comfortable sling chair seating with access to the technology friendly tables. Wireless is available throughout the building so you can bring your own laptop or check out one of ours.

Also coming to the library is coffee! That Coffee Guy will be providing ASC students, staff, and faculty with cups of fresh brewed coffee, lattes, and mochas! This service will be officially open August 17 but plans are in motion to open the cart for the week of finals starting May 4-7, 5pm-8pm.

Reference desk hours are still from 9am-9pm Monday-Thursday; Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday 1pm-6pm; Sunday 1pm-9pm.

So come pay a visit to your Information Commons on the second floor of Nielsen Library.

~Paul

Ode to National Poetry Month

The first of April ushers in the hope of warmer weather, spring flowers, blades of green grass thrusting out of the dry brown earth and National Poetry Month. First started in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month celebrates poetry by raising awareness about the unique place poetry has in our culture, society, and history.

Interested in finding more information about NPM? Look at Poets.org.

Whatever your reason for celebrating the month of April, involve poetry. Whether you are reading it, writing it, or living it...

Here is an interesting take on one such form of poetry-Haiku by Jack Kerouac

-The "Haiku" was invented and developed over hundreds of years in Japan to be a complete poem in seventeen syllables and to pack in a whole vision of life in three short lines. A "Western Haiku" need not concern itself with the seventeen syllables since Western languages cannot adapt themselves to the fluid syllabic Japanese. I propose that the "Western Haiku" simply say a lot in three short lines in any Western language.
-Above all a Haiku must be very simple and free of all poetic trickery and make a little picture and yet be as airy and graceful as a Vivaldi Pastorella.

Kerouac from Book of Haikus: "Some Western Haikus"

He goes on to quote Basho (1644-1694)

A day of quiet gladness
Mount Fuji is veiled
In misty rain


~paul