Spotlight on Student Worker Chaleekorn Thamrato

Chaleekorn Thamrato is a Master of Business Administration graduate student focusing on Finance and International Business. Before coming to The University of Scranton, Chalee earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. She is originally from Bangkok.

Chalee has worked as Reference Department Student Worker for one year, and the reference department relies heavily on her. What Chalee enjoys most about her position in the library is interacting with people. She appreciates the importance of listening and communicating with the people that come to the reference desk to better understand what type of assistance they need. Chalee takes pride in helping people navigate the library and finding what they need.

In addition to her studies and job in the library, Chalee has contributed to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services by giving a presentation on Thailand. The presentation was open to students, staff, and faculty. Chalee’s hobbies include listening to music, especially Bossa nova. She also enjoys watching television series and movies that feature detective stories.  Her favorite pleasure reading involves mysteries and detectives as well. Chalee has kept busy working with the library and pursuing her studies; she has developed time management skills that help her to excel at each of her endeavors.

Chalee  is a capable and reliable student worker and a good colleague to her fellow student workers and the library’s staff; she enjoys communicating with her coworkers and learning more about their professional and personal interests. After graduation in May, Chalee plans to travel around the United States for a few months to see as much as she can before she returns to Thailand. Her career aspirations involve working in corporate finance.

Thank you, Chalee for all that you have contributed to the library! Best of luck in all your pursuits!

Spotlight on Student Worker Mollie Medrano

Mollie Medrano, of Long Beach, New York, has been working in the Circulation Services department for the past 4 years.  She loves interacting with people at the Circulation Desk and being able to socialize while working.  Helping students realize all that the library has to offer is something she enjoys about her job.  She advises students to borrow a laptop or a tablet and to use the Interlibrary loan and Palci EZBorrow systems.  Sharing her knowledge of library resources is rewarding.

Mollie is a Community Health Education Major.  Of all her classes she especially enjoyed Dr. Andrew Lazella’s Ethics class.  She is an active member of the CHED club on campus.  She volunteers her time and services by participating in programs that beautify and benefit the local community such as ‘Street Sweep’, Relay for Life and Safe Trick or Treat.

Mollie enjoys traveling or just hanging out at the beach with her friends.  Her favorite book is Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and her favorite movie is Finding Nemo.  You might be surprised to learn that Mollie spent 12 years participating competitively in Irish step dancing!

After graduation, Mollie plans to seek a career in Nursing.  We thank her for the work she’s done here and wish her all the best!  Good luck Mollie!

Seniors: Vote for Teacher of the YEar

Vote For: Teacher of the Year

ATTENTION: GRADUATING SENIORS

2017 University of Scranton Teacher of the Year Award

Each year the Graduating Senior Class selects its “Teacher of the Year.” Beginning Monday, April 24th, please vote for the full-time faculty member who you believe best exhibits the following characteristics:

  • Maintains the highest standards of academic excellence and fairness.
  • Inspires interest in the discipline through personal enthusiasm and dedication.
  • Is consistently effective in communication.
  • Is available outside of the classroom.

The award will be presented during Class Night on Friday, May 26th, 2017.

HOW TO VOTE: To cast your electronic ballot, access www.scranton.edu/toy

WHEN TO VOTE: Monday, April 24, 9:00 a.m. – Friday, April 28, 5:00 p.m.

Remember a Faculty Member Whose Teaching Has Inspired You!

(Posted on behalf of our CTLE colleagues)

Leaves of Class XIX – March Winner!

Congratulations to Rick & Nancy Davis from Taylor, PA who won event & performance tickets to the Masterworks IV – Season’s Grand Finale, courtesy of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic; 2 tickets to the Actors Circle production of The Uninvited, 12 tickets for the 2017 summer season from The Ritz Company Playhouse, and 2 tickets to the next Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library’s Distinguished Author event. In addition, they also won gift cards/certificates to La Trattoria, Aramark, and The Olive Garden. The Davis’s will also enjoy a foursome round of golf including carts at the Elmhurst Country Club, and gift baskets courtesy of Glenmaura National Golf Club, Krispy Kreme, and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley.

There are still NINE chances to win! Our next drawing for Leaves of Class XIX is April 28, 2017.

To purchase entries online, visit: www.scranton.edu/leaves. To request mailed brochures, contact Kym Balthazar Fetsko – kym.fetsko@scranton.edu, 570.941.7816.

Thank you & good Luck!

Bike Scranton 2017

Bike Scranton is back! For the 2017 season the library has 8 bikes of different sizes to lend to anyone age 18 or over. Bikes may be borrowed whenever the library is open, and all bikes must be returned before the library closes that same day. There is no charge for borrowing bikes. Stop by the Library Circulation Desk and borrow a bike today!

Apply Now for the Library Research Prize

The second application deadline for the 2017 Library Research Prize is coming up.

Applications for research projects completed in Intersession or Spring 2017 are due Monday, May 1, 2017 by 4:00 pm.

The Weinberg Memorial Library Research Prize recognizes excellence in research projects that show evidence of significant knowledge in the methods of research and the information gathering process, and use of library resources, tools, and services. The prize is $500 for the winning undergraduate project, and $500 for the winning graduate project.

Complete applications will include a 500-700 word essay describing your research process and the ways you used the library in order to complete your project, a final version (or almost complete draft if necessary) of your research project, a bibliography or other appropriate listing of sources consulted, and a statement of faculty support.

For the online application form, tips on how to write a successful essay describing your research process, and previous winning applications, see www.scranton.edu/libraryresearchprize. For questions, email Bonnie Oldham, Information Literacy Coordinator, at bonnie.oldham@scranton.edu.

 

Final Call For Art!




The library is seeking submissions for the 7th Annual Environmental Art Show. The art show will be held from April 18th to the 23rd.

The Environmental Art Show promotes the natural beauty of our environment and the ideal practice of sustainable living through artworks of all types, including painting, photography, repurposed goods, sculpture, and more. The show is comprised entirely of University of Scranton student, staff, and faculty submissions, so please consider contributing!

The deadline for submissions is set for Monday, April 17th. All works of art can be dropped off at either the circulation or reference desks of the library. All artwork is returned after the exhibit has closed.

For photos from the past Environmental Art Shows see the following links:

EAS 2011 — EAS 2012 — EAS 2013 — EAS 2014 — EAS 2015 

Spotlight on Student Worker Emily Dineen

Emily Dineen is a senior Occupational Therapy major from Bethel, Connecticut. Emily has worked as a technical consultant in the Reilly Learning Commons for two years where she shares her enthusiasm for technology with others and helps students and faculty alike. Working in the Library has provided Emily a greater sense of community with students and staff and she has enjoyed the knowledge she has gained from the position. Emily encourages students to take advantage of the many resources and supports available to them in the Library.

Emily is very active with the campus community! She works in the CTLE as a tutor, volunteers with Campus Ministries, Wishmakers on Campus, and the Occupational Therapy Association. Emily is also involved with the International Service Program and visited Honduras in the summer of 2015 for a service trip.

Emily’s hobbies include spending time with family and friends, playing and watching sports, and going to the lake or ocean.  She also enjoys reading and writing. Her favorite book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer. Emily’s favorite film is Elf. You may be surprised to learn that Emily LOVES classic rock music!

Emily hopes to become an occupational therapist and to advocate for her clients. She would also like to become an occupational therapy professor to help educate and encourage the next generation of future OTs. Her favorite professor is Dr. Marlene Morgan Ed.D., and her favorite class is OT 461: Practice IV Geriatrics.

After graduation in May, Emily will continue with her education in pursuing a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Scranton.

Thank you, Emily! Best of luck in all your pursuits!

On Display: Multicultural Books & Movies

Please check out the new display on the first floor of the library. As part of this year’s National Library Week theme, Libraries Transform, there is a display of multicultural books that have been turned into films. Everything on display is owned by the library and will be available for circulation after April.

For even more fun, Multicultural Affairs is hosting an evening of dinner and discussion on Monday, April 10 from 5:30-7:00 in the Multicultural Center in DeNaples, room 205G. The topic is multicultural authors, how they are represented in the curricula, and ways that more multicultural authors can be integrated into courses. Go and check out these amazing authors, then check them out from Weinberg Memorial Library!

Multicultural Books & Movies on display:

Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. Easton Press, 2000. PS3573.A425 C6 2000

The Color Purple. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Performances by Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover. Warner Brothers, 2007. PN1997 .C64 2007 DVD

Originally published in 1982, The Color Purple won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award. The book is written as a series of letters and tells the highly emotional story of a black girl in rural Georgia in the 1930’s. Separated from her sister and forced into marriage, Celie faces violence and neglect as she grows into adulthood. Multiple female characters face challenges that depict the bleak set of options available to black women at that time.

 Morrison, Toni. Beloved. Random House, 1987. PS3563.O8749 B4 1987

Beloved. Directed by Jonathon Demme. Performances by Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and Thandie Newton. Harpo Productions, 1998. PN1997 .B45 DVD

Paul D. and Sethe, two former slaves from the same plantation find each other again after 18 years. Their bond stirs up vivid, upsetting memories of their time at “Sweet Home.” Paul D. moves in, creating a disturbance in the household and a strange girl arrives named Beloved. Beloved’s presence forces Sethe to address past decisions, even while trying to build a future for herself and her children as a free black woman.

 Dash, Julie. Daughters of the Dust. Plume, 1997. PS3554.A823 D3 1997

 Daughters of the Dust. Directed by Julie Dash. Performances by Cora Lee Day and Alva Rogers. Geechee Girls, 1991. STREAMING MEDIA

A black woman anthropologist from 1920s New York visits the Sea Islands off the coast of the Carolinas and discovers her roots. A look at the culture of the Gullah people, descendants of blacks who intermarried with Indians.

Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club. Putnam, 1989. PS3570.A48 J6 1991

 The Joy Luck Club. Directed by Wayne Wang. Performances by Kieu Chin, Ming-Na Wen, and Tamlyn Tomita. Hollywood Pictures, 1993. PN1997 .J69 2002 DVD

Four mothers. Four daughters. Eight stories. The Joy Luck Club is four women in San Francisco who have played mah jong together on a weekly basis for forty some years. One of them, Suyuan, has died, and her daughter June is preparing to go to China. Auntie Lindo with daughter Waverly, Auntie Ying Ying with daughter Lena, and Auntie An Mei with daughter Rose are at the going away party. Born in China, the Joy Luck Club members came to America as young adults; their daughters are 100% American. The old days are seldom spoken about, and some things about those times have never been said aloud, but the experiences left behind color the hopes and expectations these women have for their daughters. If daughters become their mothers–no matter how much both parties desire that it not happen–daughters also become different from their mothers–despite all attempts to perpetuate the status quo.

 Lahiri, Jhumpa. The Namesake. Houghton Mifflin, 2003. PS3562.A316 N36 2003

 The Namesake. Directed by Mira Nair. Performances by Kal Penn, Irffan Khan, and Tabu. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2006. PN1997 .N25 

The American-born son of Indian immigrants feels pulled between his ethnic heritage and his desire to assimilate, especially after becoming involved with two very different women.

 Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Grove Press, 1993. PS3551.L35774 L66 2005

 Smoke Signals. Directed by Chris Eyre. Performances by Adam Beach and Irene Bedard. Miramax Films, 1998. PN1997 .S568 

Book: A collection of short stories with the same two characters Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the-Fire who live on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The title refers to the 1930’s radio show and 1950’s television show with the white cowboy hero “The Lone Ranger” and his Native American sidekick “Tonto.” A recurring issue in the book is the way Native Americans view themselves, as well as the way others understand them from depictions in popular culture.

Movie: Depicts two young Native Americans, Victor and Thomas, who are opposites. Thomas is a nerd, while Victor is strong and sometimes confrontational. When Thomas is an infant he is saved from a fire that takes the lives of his parents. Victor’s father saves Thomas, but leaves his own family when Victor is just a baby. When his father dies, Victor needs Thomas’s help to retrieve the remains of his father. The two set off on a journey of personal growth and reliance on each other.

 Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. David Fickling Books, 2006. PZ7.B69677

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Directed by Mark Herman. Performances by Asa Butterfield, David Thewlis, and Rupert Friend. Miramax Films, 2008. PN1997.2 .B697 2011

Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called “Out-With” in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.

 Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. Riverhead Books, 2003. PS3608.O832 K58 2003

 The Kite Runner. Directed by Marc Forster. Performances by Khalid Abdalla, Zekeria Ebrahimi, and Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada. Dreamworks Pictures, 2008. PN1997 .K589

In a divided country on the verge of war, two childhood friends, Amir and Hassan, are about to be torn apart forever. It’s a glorious afternoon in Kabul and the skies are bursting with the exhilarating joy of a kite-fighting tournament. But in the aftermath of the day’s victory, one boy’s fearful act of betrayal will mark their lives forever and set in motion an epic quest for redemption. Now, after twenty years of living in America, Amir returns to a perilous Afghanistan under the Taliban’s iron-fisted rule to face the secrets that still haunt him and take one last daring chance to set things right.

 Zusak, Marcus. The Book Thief. Alfred A. Knopf, 2007. PZ7.Z837 Boo 2007

The Book Thief. Directed by Brian Percival. Performances by Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, and Emily Watson. Fox 2000 Pictures, 2013. PN1997.2 .B66 2014

Death narrates this highly emotional story of a girl who transforms the lives of those around her during World War II, on the German homefront. Although Liesel is illiterate when she is adopted by a German couple, her adoptive father encourages her to learn to read. Ultimately, the power of words helps Liesel and Max, a Jew hiding in the family’s home.