Category: Events

Oscar-Scranton-Schemel Connection: Jay Parini’s The Last Station

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March 1, 2010

3:13 pm

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Events, Friends, News, Schemel Forum

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTh-vQho7UU]

Now that the Olympics are over, it’s time to start preparing for the next big event – the Academy Awards are this Sunday!  And this year, there’s a Scranton connection.

West Scranton native Jay Parini is the author of The Last Station, a novel about the last year of Tolstoy’s life – and the film adaptation of the novel has received two Oscar nominations.  Helen Mirren (who plays Sofya Tolstoy) and Christopher Plummer (Leo Tolstoy) are up for Best Supporting Actor and Best Actress, respectively.   The Last Station was also nominated for five awards (including Best Feature) at Friday’s Film Independent Spirit Awards.  For more details about the film and Parini’s work, see this article from the February 5 Scranton Times-Tribune.

This Spring, Mr. Parini will be making a special appearance on campus to discuss his book and the film at one of our Schemel Forum “Insights” luncheons.  The luncheon will be held Friday, April 9 from 12pm-1:30pm in Room 509 Brennan Hall.   Registration fees are $20 per person or $30 per couple for the luncheon – and Schemel Forum members get in free. To register, please contact Kym Fetsko at fetskok2 (at) scranton (dot) edu.

Mardi Gras!

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February 16, 2010

5:35 pm

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Just a reminder…

Mardi Gras at the Library is Tonight!

Come to the Heritage Room between 8-11 to enjoy Wii games, Board Games, Pizza, Wings, Chips, Pretzels, Donuts, Soda, M&M’s, Free Beads, and Prizes!!

See you there!

Share those photos!

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February 16, 2010

10:27 am

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Good news – we still have seats left for this Friday’s Technology on Your Own Terms workshop on photo sharing.

This time, Library systems staff member and computer training coordinator Vince Yanusauskas will present “Can You See Me Now?: Creating Digital Web Albums to Share with Family and Friends.”  Vince will demonstrate Google’s free Picasa service, which gives users 1 GB of free storage space to save, organize, describe, and share their favorite photos with their favorite people.

The workshop will be held on Friday, February 19th from 12pm-1pm in Weinberg Memorial Library Room 306.  If interested, be sure to register for a seat at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration, under Special Events.  All University faculty and staff are welcome.

Photo collage (made using Picasa) is courtesy of Flickr user Burnt Pixel, under a Creative Commons license.

Mardi Gras at the Library!

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February 11, 2010

6:29 pm

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This Tuesday night (Feb 16) from 8pm to 11pm the Library will be hosting a gaming night for Scranton students.

"Come enjoy yourself at the Library on Tuesday Night, with me, Mario!"

Students will have the entire Heritage Room to themselves to kick back, socialize, eat, and play some games!

There will be three Wii consoles on three different televisions and students will have the option to play Mario Kart, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Wii Fit, Wii Sports, and Rock Band. For those students who prefer classic gaming over video gaming there will also be various board games set up along the room.

Not yet intrigued?

What if the Library throws in Pizza, Wings, Soda, Chips, and Candy in the mix for you!

Still not enough?

OK, OK. How about three $10 Amazon gift cards that every student who shows up has a chance of winning regardless of one’s gaming skills?

We figured that would get your attention! See you at the Library!

The Ritsuko Sato Exhibit

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February 11, 2010

4:55 pm

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Events, Exhibits, Friends, News

Artwork of Ritsuko Sato The Weinberg Memorial Library is featuring the artwork of Ritsuko Sato of Kurashiki City Japan. Curator Kazuaki Kishimoto of the Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art stated “Sato’s work is by no means subtle or predictable. Her often deformed motifs dynamically combine chaotic and random strokes with bright vibrant colors. The effects are almost childlike in their innocence, revealing Sato’s unique impressions and interpretations of the world around her.” The exhibit will run from February 8 through April 25.

Book Sale 2010: The Preparations Begin

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February 9, 2010

11:47 am

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We’re T-minus 73 days to the kickoff of Book & Plant Sale 2010, and the Library staff is already busy getting ready for our biggest annual event.  Clear your calendar for April 24 and 25, since this year’s sale promises to be one of our best yet.

The Library has started collecting donations of used hardcover and paperback books, along with videos, CDs, records, and tag sale items.  If you’re doing some early spring cleaning and would like to donate, please drop off your contributions in the donation boxes at our Monroe Ave entrance.

Recruitment of this year’s class of volunteers has also begun. We’re looking for students, patrons, and friends of the Library to help us price, organize, and sell our books.  Give Barb E. a call at 570-941-4078 and let her know what times you’re available.

And in the meantime, feel free to start thinking about where you’ll start your browsing when the doors open. Cookbooks? Nonfiction? Barb’s famous “Special Treasures”? The fragrant flowering plants? Whichever section catches your eye, shop with a happy heart, knowing that your purchases benefit the Friends of the Library endowment fund and support the collections and services of the Weinberg Memorial Library.

Schemel Forum Spring 2010

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January 19, 2010

11:04 am

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The Weinberg Memorial Library's collection of medieval manuscripts will be featured in a Schemel Forum evening course, taught by Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies

The Spring 2010 Schemel Forum schedule is officially out!

If you’re into Arthurian Legend, Shakespeare, or medieval books, this semester’s evening courses are for you.  University of Scranton faculty members Rebecca Beal, Richard J. Klonoski, Michael Friedman, and the Library’s own Michael Knies will be engaging community members in discussions of books, films, and philosophy relevant to each of their respective topics.

For a look at modern global politics, take a look at this semester’s luncheon seminar series.  Author Parag Khanna returns to the University this year on February 17 to discuss “Global Politics and Economics: A 21st Century View.”  We’re also looking forward to February 26, when Alex Thier from the United States Institute of Peace  will speak on “Enigma and Dilemma: Our Fraught Relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan,” and March 5, when CNN correspondent Jill Dougherty will speak  on “Who Runs Russia? Deciphering Moscow’s Centers of Power.”

Finally, be sure to clear your calendar for the Schemel Forum’s spring concerts.  On April 18, contemporary Zimbabwe pianist Jeanette Miklem will perform “A Schumann Recital,” while on June 28, “Tango Power Returns!” will showcase the music of tango masters Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla.

For more information or to register for any Schemel Forum Events, contact Kym Fetsko at fetskok2 (at) scranton (dot) edu or 570-941-7816.

Digital Images 101

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January 18, 2010

11:09 am

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There are only two more days until the Weinberg Memorial Library/CTLE workshop series, Technology on Your Own Terms, makes its proud return for the Spring 2010 semester.

We’ll get started on Wednesday, January 20th at 12pm with our first Spring workshop, “Pictures, Pictures Everywhere: The Magic of Compression,” taught by the CTLE’s own Eugeniu Grigorescu.  Eugeniu will show you how to organize and manage the images you capture on your camera or phone, how to compress them, and how to make them email friendly.  The hands-on workshop will be taught in the Library’s classroom, WML 306.

Sound useful? Then save yourself a seat by registering at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration, under Special Events.  All University faculty and staff are welcome. Hope to see you there!

Photo courtesy of Flickr user domi-san, under a Creative Commons license

Technology on Your Own Terms Spring Workshops

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January 4, 2010

10:37 am

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In Fall 2009, the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) started a new series of workshops for University faculty and staff called Technology on Your Own Terms.  Since we heard a lot of positive feedback about the Fall sessions, we’ve decided to continue the series with an additional four workshops this spring!

Technology on Your Own Terms is all about giving faculty and staff a chance to get some hands-on experience with new technology, so all classes are held in the Weinberg Memorial Library computer lab (Room 306).  All faculty and staff members are welcome, but seats are limited, so please register for any sessions that interest you at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration (look under Special Event).

Pictures, Pictures Everywhere: The Magic of Compression
Wednesday, January 20, 12-1pm

As digital cameras become ubiquitous, users will be confronted with the issue of image storage and management.  This session will show you how to organize and manage the images you capture on your camera or phone, how to compress them, and how to make them email friendly. (Taught by Eugeniu Grigorescu, CTLE)

Can You See Me Now?: Creating Digital Web Albums to Share with Family and Friends
Friday, February 19, 12-1pm

Participants in this workshop will use Google’s Picasa Web Album to store and share digital photos on the web with family and friends. Utilizing 1 GB of free storage you will create an online album, add name tags to your photos, sort your collection by name, and then create a custom slideshow. In addition, you will learn how to create a collaborative web album that allows family and friends to contribute photos and video to your album. Other topics will include a review of several account settings, email notification, and how to upload photos using an email account. (Taught by Vince Yanusauskas, Library)

Share with Surety: Facebook Privacy Settings for the Casual Facebook User
Wednesday, April 7, 12-1pm

Confused about the ever-changing privacy settings in Facebook? Want to have more control over the content you share? In this workshop, you’ll learn about the latest version of Facebook’s Privacy Policy. Librarian Donna Mazziotti will walk participants through customizing their own Facebook Privacy Settings, armed with the knowledge of what each setting means. It is assumed that participants in this workshop already have a Facebook account, and will have their login information with them when they attend. (Taught by Donna Mazziotti, Library)

Wiki Wiki WHAT!?: What You Need to Know to Understand, Create, and Maintain Wikis
Wednesday, April 28, 12-1pm

A wiki is a webpage where all of the code and underlying framework is already in place, out of sight and out of mind. In this session, you will learn what exactly a wiki is and how to use a wiki to quickly and easily create a dynamic webpage, collaborate on projects, or just share personal content over the internet. Participants will set up a free wiki account and will learn how to hit the ground running by adding content and organizing a new wiki. (Taught by George Aulisio, Library)

Pictures with Santa, PLUS a Holiday Book Signing

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December 1, 2009

3:11 pm

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It’s December, and the holiday season is in full gear here at the Library.  Our lobby is decked with boughs of garland; our study spaces are filled with students dreaming of a white Christmas; and the smell of Java City peppermint mocha fills the air.

How does Santa arrive at the Library? Through the fireplace, of course.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Christmas at the Library without the one and only Santa Claus.  We’re thrilled to announce that St. Nick will be dropping by again this year, and he has graciously offered to pose for portraits with our students, faculty, staff, and community members.  Santa will be in the Heritage Room on two different days this year: Thursday, December 3, from 11:30am – 4:00pm, and Friday, December 4, from 2:30pm – 6:00pm.

You can get a framed photograph of you with Santa for a $7 donation!  All funds raised will go to help bring the magic of Christmas to a young boy in our community.

On your way up to the Heritage Room, don’t forget to stop by our Christmas Tag Sale in the lobby.   You’ll find decorations, CDs, and unique gifts all available for affordable prices.

As an added bonus this holiday season, the Weinberg Memorial Library is also excited to welcome local author Peter V. Tafuri, who will sign copies of his new children’s book, The Christmas Dog.   The book tells the heartwarming story of a stray dog who helps Mary and Joseph on the first Christmas.  Mr. Tafuri will be in the Heritage Room with Santa on Thursday from 11:30am – 4:00pm and Friday from 2:30pm – 4:30pm.  Bella, the Christmas Dog herself, won’t be joining us at the Library, but you can meet her (and have another chance to get your book signed by Mr. Tafuri) later that night at First Friday.  Bella will be at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (232 Wyoming Avenue in Scranton) from 6pm-9pm.

Side note for animal lovers: In real life, Bella is a rescue dog who likes to help kids learn to read.  You might also see her around the community, showing off her dancing skills to raise money for the Humane Society.