The Nature of Stillness

Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibits

lag-stillness “The Nature of Stillness” a photography exhibit featuring works by Ruth Hoyt and Roel Guerra is on display now through Friday, May 11, 2012 at South Texas College’s Pecan Campus Library. The exhibit will be on view on the first and second floors of the library, which is located at 3201 W. Pecan Blvd. in McAllen. Admission is free and open to the public.

“This diverse collection of photographs lets the viewer take a walk outside and witness the spectacular beauty that surrounds us in the Rio Grande Valley,” said Dawn Haughey, STC Library Art Gallery associate. “Hoyt and Guerra present skillfully captured images of wildlife, landscapes and architecture that burst with vibrant color and dramatic shadows.”

Hoyt is a naturalist and full-time photographer who enjoys spending time outdoors. She lives on a South Texas ranch where she photographs, writes, leads workshops and tours, teaches nature and digital photography and makes public speaking appearances. Her work has been shown at the Smithsonian Institute and has appeared in publications for National Geographic, The Nature Conservancy and The Valley Land Fund, to name a few.

Guerra specializes in photographing subjects found in South Texas and Mexico. His subjects range from ancient rustic architecture to dusty valley landscapes. Since purchasing his first camera in the late 1970s, he has spent all of his free time learning as much as possible about the art of photography. Guerra especially enjoys the dramatic effect his photographs achieve when using an infrared Fuji camera. He currently runs a successful photo studio.

South Texas College’s Library Art Gallery Program exhibits regional, national and international artwork, explores new visions and theories of creativity, and introduces innovative artistic expressions to the South Texas region.

For more information contact Haughey at 956-872-3488 or libraryart@southtexascollege.edu, or visit the Library Art Gallery Website.

Event: “El Primer Congreso Mexicanista” a Centennial Commemoration

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

libevents-primer

 

This event will commemorate the 100th Anniversary of El Primer Congreso Mexicanista, the first Civil Rights meeting for Mexican Americans.  CMAS STC Welcomes Dr. Jose Limon, Notre Dame, Dr. Cynthia Orozco, Eastern New Mexico State University, and Dr. Roberto Caldreon, University of North Texas as roundtable panelists.

Panel will take place on Monday, November 21 at 6:00 PM, at the Pecan Campus Library Rainbow Room.

To find out more about STC’s Mexican American Studies Program click here.

Jose de la Luz Saenz Veterans Lecture Series

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Mid-Valley Campus, Movies, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

libevents-delaluz

 

In the week leading up to Veteran’s Day, the Center for Mexican American Studies at South Texas College will inaugurate the José de la Luz Saenz Veteran’s Lecture Series.  The week will feature lectures, documentaries, and photo exhibit that all take a historical look at the Latina/o Experience in the Armed Forces.

The week will start out with author and historian Emilio Zamora, UT-Austin and co-editor and contributor to Beyond the Latino World War II Hero among other publications.  Dr. Zamora will speak on November 7th at 6:00 PM at the South Texas College Pecan Campus at the Rainbow Room.  His talk “Fighting for Equal Rights at Home and Abroad” will focus on the life and work of Jose de la Luz Saenz, the namesake of the speaker series.  Following the talk will be a book signing session.

Documentary filmmaker, John Valadez, will introduce and screen his award winning documentary “The Longoria Affair.”  The film will be shown on November 8th at the Pecan Campus Library, on November 9th at the STARR County Campus in Auditorium E, and on November 10th at the Mid-Valley Campus in Auditorium G.  All viewings will start at 6:00 PM.

On Thursday, November 10th at 6:00 PM, Dr. Joanne Rao Sanchez or St. Edward’s University will be giving a talk entitled “The Latinas of World War II” based on her writing for the book Beyond the Latino World War II Hero.  The event will take place at the Pecan Campus Library’s Rainbow Room.  Following the talk will be a book signing session and a reception.

In addition, the Humanities Texas photo exhibit Images of Valor: U.S. Latinas and Latinos in WWII, will be displaying at the Pecan Campus Library’s Rainbow Room throughout the month of November.  That week will also feature flag raisings throughout the STC campuses, celebrating all who have served.

José de la Luz Saenz was a veteran of World War I.  He was raised in South Texas and was a lifelong teacher, educator, and civil rights advocate.  Saenz published the diary he kept during his time in the war entitled “The Mexican Americans in the Great War and their Work in Favor of Democracy, Humanity, and Justice” in 1933.

Cosponsoring the event are the Office of Student Life, the Office of Library Services, and the Library Art Gallery.  For more information, please contact Victor Gomez at 956-872-6485 or vgomez@southtexascollege.edu.

Banned Books Week

Book Displays, Mid-Valley Campus, Our Collections, Pecan Campus

Wow. Doesn’t time just fly, Readers?

Before we knew it, September started its last week. Do you know what that means? …

BANNED BOOKS WEEK!

libblog-BookDisplay22

That’s right! Every year, around the country, we like to draw attention to a cause that is near and dear to libraries everywhere.

Censorship versus the Freedom to Read

Every year, in every library, people fight to have books pulled off the shelf and made unavailable for others to read. This happens for various reasons including religious differences, political ideology, language, sexual connotations, etc.

Some of these books include those that have been made popular worldwide such as Stephanie Myers’ Twighlight Series, JK Rowlings’ Harry Potter series, and even (especially!) classics such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Anne Frank: A Diary of a Young Girl. You can find more about the banned and challenged books of 2010-2011 through the American Library Association’s report here.

You can find some of these banned books, and others from past years, in our Libraries!

That’s right readers, let’s live on the WILD SIDE!

libblog-BookDisplay23

(above: book display at the Pecan Campus Library / below: book display at the MidValley Campus Library)

libblog-BookDisplay24

So come one, come all, to our STC Libraries, and explore a little.

And as always, if you have any questions, comments or observations, we’d love to hear from you through the comments!

Author Talk for Hector P. Garcia Day at Pecan Library

Author / Scholar Visit, Library Events, Pecan Campus, Previous Events

libevents-garcia

Every third Wednesday of September, the day is designated Dr. Hector P. Garcia Day.  (Learn more about Dr. Hector P. Garcia here.)

THIS Wednesday, Sept 21st at 6:00 PM, scholar Ignacio Garcia will give a presentation at the Pecan Campus Library in honor of this Civil Rights leader.  The lecture will be entitled “Pursuing Justice: What Would Dr. Hector P. Garcia Have Thought of Today’s Politics?” and he will be signing books afterwards.

Ignacio Garcia is a well regarded scholar that teaches Western and Latino history at Brigham Young University.  He has written five books including United We Win (check availability), Chicanismo (check availability), Viva Kennedy (check availability), and Hector P. Garcia: In Relentless Pursuit of Justice (check availability).  These books and his most recent book White But Not Equal (check availability) can be found at the STC Library.

To find out more about STC’s Mexican American Studies Program click here.

READ! – Dr. Lydia Bean Recommends…

Our Collections, READ Posters

We are proud to have a selection of books that Dr. Lydia Bean recommends for everyone to read.  Dr. Bean is a popular instructor that teaches mostly at the Pecan campus.  Not only does she College Success, but Dr. Bean is holds a doctorate in Geography.

Check out her selections below!

formal_poster Lydia Bean

Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom

The Last Lecture – Randy Pausch

The Geography of Bliss – Eric Weiner

A Sand County Almanac – Aldo Leopold

Silent Spring – Rachael Carson

The Material World: A Global Family Portrait – Peter Menzel

Women in the Material World – Faith D’Aluisio and Peter Menzel

Goode’s World Atlas – Rand McNally

Stop by and check them out when you get a chance!

Sleight of Hand

Library Art Gallery, Previous Exhibits

This exhibit dabbles in the fascinating world of magic tricks and a youthful sense of wonder and awe. This exhibit will be available for viewing through September 2nd, so you have all summer to browse in delight! There’s even a talk with the artist, Paul Valadez! Check it out:

lag-valadez

For more information about these exhibits or the Library Art Gallery contact:

Sofia K. Vestweber

(956) 872-3488

libraryart@southtexascollege.edu

Or visit the Library Art Gallery Website at http://library.southtexascollege.edu/newsevents/libraryartgallery/

 

Staff Pick: Power over Peoples

Book Reviews, Our Collections

libblog-BookReview7Headrick, Daniel R. Power over Peoples: Technology, Environments, and Western Imperialism, 1400 to the Present. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2010.

For the past several centuries Western Civilization (Western Europe and North America) has dominated the world.  While the European Empires of the past are all but gone, we still feel their impact on the world.  Today’s dominant superpower (USA) is a product of European colonization, and European languages are spoken all over the globe.  English is the official language in 54 countries, Spanish is the official language in 21 countries, and French is the official language in 31 countries.

How did the West manage to dominate the other major civilizations of the world?  And what explains certain setbacks the West faced throughout the centuries?  This book argues that the West was able to dominate the world through its manipulation of technology which allowed the West mastery over the world’s environments and therefore mastery over peoples in the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Since 1400 the West has developed technology that enabled long-distance sea travel, the prevention of deadly diseases, and the mass destruction of human lives.  All of which have created the world we live in today.  If you’ve ever wondered how Western Civilization came to dominate the world then this book is for you.

Check here for the availability of this item in our libraries!

Contributed by Joshua Wallace, Reference Librarian at the Pecan Campus.

Check out some more of his recommendations on his Read! poster here!

READ! – Lanesa Poulton Recommends…

Our Collections, READ Posters

Dearest Readers,

You’ve probably guessed it already, and hopefully have been waiting for it: it’s time for our fourth installment of READ!, our faculty featured recommendation posters.

Just in time for finals, we are excited to highlight favorites of our poodle-loving, “cool cat” English instructor Lanesa Poulton. See her recommendations below the poster and on our virtual bookshelf, and come by to check some out! We all need a break from exams, and sometimes literary levity or thought-provoking text is just what the doctor ordered!

libblog-Read4

Her Recommendations from our Library:

The Perfect Vehicle: What it is about Motorcycles by Melissa Holbrook Pierson

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

Poodle by Bruce Fogle

The Art of Racing in the Rain: A Novel by Garth Stein

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Selected Poems by Gwendolyn Brooks

Stop by and check some out when you get a chance!

Good luck on your finals and term papers. We hope to see you in the library and don’t forget, we’re here to help you with your research and citation questions, all you need to do is ASK!

READ! – Joshua Wallace Recommends…

Our Collections, READ Posters

Dearest Readers,

Welcome to our third installment of READ! Posters. Today we feature one of our very own, Joshua Wallace, Librarian and History Adjunct-Faculty Member. This multi-tasking master can be found at the Reference Desk, instructing Library Information classes, and teaching History! With such an eclectic set of skills, he’s bound to have some interesting reads to recommend. Check them out below!

libblog-Read3

His recommendations from our library:

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

The Next 100 Years – George Friedman

Falling Leaves – Adeline Yen Mah (available on ebook!)

The Tunnels of Cu Chi – Tom Mangold

Me Talk Pretty One Day – David Sedaris

When Heaven and Earth Changed Places – Le Ly Hayslip

Batos, Bolillos, Pochos, and Pelados – Chad Richardson

Power over Peoples – Daniel Headrick

When China Rules the World – Martin Jacques

Stop by and check some out when you get a chance!

 Are you curious about any of these books? Maybe you would like to see what other people have to say about them before you trek to the library to check them out? Check out our Shelfari bookshelf (on the right sidebar of the blog) and click on the cover of each book to find reader reviews and more!

Let us know what you think of these recommendations! We’d love to hear from you, so feel free to leave us a comment at the bottom of the post.

Until next time, trusty followers, have a great end of semester!