News for Undergraduates

The Fine Arts Library and the University of Texas Libraries invites you to the unveiling of the Art & Art History Collection at 5 pm on Thursday November 12.

The event takes place in the Fine Arts Library in the Doty Fine Arts Building and is free and open to the public.

The collection was formed in 2005 when the College of Fine Arts acquired about five thousand artifacts from the Texas Memorial Museum and 60 objects donated by the Boeckman family of Dallas.

The most significant holdings in the Art & Art History Collection are artifacts of various pre-Columbian cultures made from materials such as ceramic, stone, metal, textiles, wood and feathers.

A rotating selection of items from the collection will be displayed at the Fine Arts Library.

For more information or to RSVP to the opening, please call 512-495-4363.

Come by the Benson Latin American Collection Wednesday to see some great memorabilia from all ages of Mexican Cinema. They will have a sampling of their movie collections, from posters and lobby cards of the greats of the Golden Age, such as María Félix, Pedro Infante and Cantinflas, to stills of El Santo fighting everyone from la Hija de Frankenstein to el Dr. Muerte.

Drop by and enjoy some of the many treasures available in the Benson’s archives! This event is open to everyone (students, staff, faculty, public.)

What: Mexican Cinema Memorabilia

When: 11:00-12:00 on Wednesday, November 4^th

Where: Benson Latin American Collection Seminar Room (SRH 1.115)

Looking for a way to get in the spirit of the holiday?  Check out a scary movie from the Fine Arts Library, like one of the selections below taken from Entertainment Weekly’s list of the top 20 horror films, 1989-2009.

Click on the title to find it at the Fine Arts Library.  Check out an unlimited number of DVDs for 7 days at a time.

Do you have other scary movie suggestions?  Share your recommendations in the comments.

Audition (2005)

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Scream (1996)

28 Weeks Later (2007)

The Sixth Sense (1999)

Alien 3 (1992)

Ringu (1998)

Planet Terror (2007)

Hostel II (2007)

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

The Descent (2005)

The Kingdom (2007)

Event Horizon (1997)

Darkman (1990)

Dead-Alive (1992)

Sam Scarpino (Biology) on epidemiology and the undead as seen in The Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead, and 28 Days Later.

Thursday, October 29, 6-7pm

Jackson Geological Sciences Building, JGB 2.216

The Kuehne Physics Mathematics Astronomy Library (PMA) is hosting a celebration of the International Year of Astronomy on Wednesday, October 7. The festivities begin at 2 p.m. on the plaza of Robert Lee Moore Hall (RLM), where attendees may take part in the formation of a human orrery, or solar system model that demonstrates the planets’ motion around the sun. Astronomer Kurtis Williams will direct the activity.

The orrery activity will be complemented with a talk at 3pm in the PMA Library, RLM 4.200 by Dr. Craig Wheeler entitled “A Brief Time for History: 400 Years of Astronomy”. There will be a reception with light refreshments in the library 2-4pm.  

The PMA event is in recognition of the International Year of Astronomy, which is described by the hosting organizations’ website as “a global effort initiated by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and UNESCO to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day- and night-time sky.

From the Library Survival Guide Edition of the University of Texas Libraries Undergraduate Newsletter:

1. Get help from a librarian.

Pop quiz – it’s 11:15pm, Tuesday night. You need help finding an article for your paper that’s due in less than 12 hours.
What do you do? Chat online with a librarian and you’ll be on your way to an A paper in no time. Swear you’ll never
wait until the last minute again? Attend a Library Class to arm yourself with research tips and tricks or get help from a
librarian ahead of time.

2. The For Undergraduates website is just for you.

From research guides and tutorials, student-created videos that show you how to reserve group study rooms, specific pages for students taking RHE and UGS courses, plus multiple ways to connect with the UT Libraries on social networks, the For Undergraduates page has exactly what you need.

3. Keep an eye on your stuff.

PCL was #2 of the top locations for theft at UT in 2008. If you need to step outside or use the restroom, make certain a trusted friend is watching your belongings or take them with you. Don’t leave your laptop unattended.

4. Check out the books you need for class.

Still need some of the books on your course reading lists? Check for titles in the Library Catalog – one of the Libraries may have what you need. You can borrow most books for 28 days and renew them online.

5. Connect pop culture and science @ a Science Study Break.

The Science Study Break series is a great way to get away from your books for an hour and join UT researchers for cookies, chips, and chat about popular movies and TV shows that deal with science topics. Past Science Study Breaks have discussed antimatter, archeology, mathematics, robotics, and Keanu Reeves.

6. Find your favorite study space in one of our spaces.

Does your roommate like to study to music but you like quiet? Our 13 campus libraries offer quiet and collaborative study spaces for all tastes. Students are welcome in all the libraries so feel free to explore! If you and your friends have tests or group project coming up, reserve a study room online in PCL or the Fine Arts Library.

7. Save your ink by copying and printing in the Libraries

Use a copy card to print or copy for $ .13 each page. Buy a card from vending machines in the Libraries or from Library Copier Services on the first floor. Printers in the PCL lobby and some copiers in the Periodicals Room also take Bevo Bucks. Send your print job from a computer workstation or download a client to print from your laptop.

8. Check out our huge DVD and CD collections.

Want to host a scary movie night in your dorm? Or explore some new music? You can check out DVDs and CDs from the Fine Arts Library!  Most material can be borrowed for 1-2 weeks.  Need some suggestions? Check out staff picks. The Fine Arts Library is located in the Doty Fine Arts Building across the street from the stadium.

9. Borrow a camera or laptop.

Need a computer to take to class? Laptops can be checked out from PCL, the Fine Arts Library, Flawn Academic
Center, and the Walter Geology Library.  Want to send pictures and videos home to your family? Digital cameras are available at the Fine Arts Library and McKinney Engineering Library. Check out digital video cameras from the Fine Arts Library, too!

10. Get help citing your sources.
APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian … Understanding citations and citing your sources can be confusing and time consuming. Sign up for a free account and let NoodleBib walk you through the steps of creating a bibliography. It takes care of punctuation, alphabetization and formatting – you just have to remember where you found your source. When you’re finished, download the completed Word document and include it with your paper. Voila!

Sign up to receive the next Undergraduate Newsletter!

Published twice a semester, the Undergraduate Newsletter delivers library tips and tricks directly into your inbox and includes news about upcoming events, recently purchased books and DVDs, and trivia questions that can win you exciting prizes.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee has been challenged and banned nationwide because it contains racial slurs and adult themes.

Each year, the American Library Association compiles a list of the top ten most frequently challenged books.  Wondering what was most challenged in 2008?  Read on!

“Out of 513 challenges as reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom

1. And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
   Reasons: anti-ethnic, anti-family, homosexuality, religious viewpoint, and unsuited to age group
2. His Dark Materials trilogy, by Philip Pullman
   Reasons: political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, and violence
3. TTYL; TTFN; L8R, G8R (series), by Lauren Myracle
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
4. Scary Stories (series), by Alvin Schwartz
   Reasons: occult/satanism, religious viewpoint, and violence
5. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   Reasons: occult/satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, and violence
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to age group
7. Gossip Girl (series), by Cecily von Ziegesar
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
8. Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, by Sarah S. Brannen
   Reasons: homosexuality and unsuited to age group
9. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
   Reasons: offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group
10. Flashcards of My Life, by Charise Mericle Harper
    Reasons: sexually explicit and unsuited to age group”

More statistics about challenges are available.  Celebrate Banned Books Week beginning this Saturday, 9/26 by reading a banned or challenged classic!

Dr. Sacha Kopp (Physics) discusses antimatter as depicted in the hit movie “Angels and Demons” and in the “Star Trek” TV show.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
6-7pm
Wheeler Lecture Hall, RLM 4.102

Take a break from the books and join UT researchers for cookies, chips, and chat about popular movies and TV shows that deal with science topics. (more…)

Nervous about the first few days of class?  Worried you won’t know your way around campus or find your class locations?  Don’t fret!

Each year, Libraries staff brave the August heat to host four Welcome Table locations.  Each table features helpful, smiling faces that can help you navigate this huge campus and provide you with other information you may need to start the school year.

In addition to lots of useful information, the Tables also have a limited supply of ice-cold water to help you keep your cool as you start the school year.

The tables can be found at the following locations:

-Outside PCL, at 21st and Speedway

-On the West Mall

-Near the East Mall fountain

-Near RLM at Speedway

Have a great first day of class!

Our website now features a Recent Arrivals box that showcases newly acquired items at all of the UT Libraries.

Click on More Recent Arrivals and use the options at the top of the page to specify the library and/or the type of material you’re interested in browsing.  You can also limit by Language.

For example, here’s how you can see which new DVDs have arrived at the Fine Arts Library.

Once you have a list, click on the item’s title to see its availability for check out in the Library Catalog.

We’re also pleased to announce that the loan period for most DVDs at the Fine Arts Library has increased from 3 days to 7 days!  You can now enjoy your selections for a full week.