Free coffee, tea, hot chocolate,and mints at the Middletown Library during Finals Week!

The Library will offer free coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and mints all during finals week, starting on Monday, December 10th and lasting through Friday, December 14th. 

It will be set up in our entrance area from 8:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00am to 5:00pm on Friday. Please drop on by and enjoy a cup!

It's our way of making your last minute studying and paper/project preparation a bit more relaxing. Thanks for being a part of our library community!

The image above was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by fronx.

New Books Added to the Gardner-Harvey Library in November!

We are adding many new items to the collection each month, and making sure that you can see them on display! Watch for our upcoming scary movie DVD display, as well as our ongoing New Books shelves (as shown above). See our new materials list of items we added to the collection in November! We added 175 books, e-books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list can be sorted by call number, area of our collection, or by title.

Here are eight titles from the list, to give you an idea of what we've been buying: 

• When women ruled the world : six queens of Egypt / Kara Cooney
• Anatomy of victory : why the United States triumphed in World War II, fought to a stalemate in Korea, lost in Vietnam, and failed in Iraq / John D. Caldwell
• The job : work and its future in a time of radical change / Ellen Ruppel Shell
• Race on campus : debunking myths with data / Julie J. Park
• Stripped bare : the art of animal anatomy / David Bainbridge
• In extremis : the life and death of the war correspondent Marie Colvin / Lindsey Hilsum
• The electric state / Simon Stålenhag
• The medical marijuana guide : cannabis and your health / by Patricia C. Frye with Dave Smitherman

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials, in reverse chronological order. We are eager to hear from you about individual items you would like us to buy, or types of items we should be on the lookout for, or general subject areas we should build up in the collection.

If you have a suggestion of something to order, please use our "Tell GHL to Buy It" form, email Amy Carmichael (carmicae@miamioh.edu), or drop by the library with your request. And pass your general suggestions or comments about the collection to us in those same ways.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

January's Middletown book discussion title: The Bear and the Nightingale

The MUM Book Discussion group will be taking December off to catch up on our reading.  We will next meet on Tuesday, January 15 to discuss Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale.  We will meet at 12 pm in Room 124 in the Library.   

Here is a brief summary of the title, along with links to request the book from Miami, OhioLINK, and SearchOhio libraries (Just click "Request" and choose "Miami University" from the dropdown list.  Then enter your UniqueID and password, and the library from which you would like to retrieve the item):  

"In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay."  

Miami, OhioLINK  and SearchOhio

Read the book (or read something else interesting), then come along to our discussion to share what else you've been reading/watching/listening to/experiencing, and help us plan our future readings.  

Have an idea for a book to discuss?  Let us know and check out our page of past and future reads at http://www.mid.miamioh.edu/library/bookdiscussion.htm

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Евгений Сухарников.

TEC Lab Wednesday Workshop - Jewelry Making

Join us on December 5th for one of our sessions 11am-1pm or 6pm-8pm to create some crazy jewelry! We will be using 3D pens, book pages, 3D printers, and other items to create jewelry.

Learn how to use new TEC Lab tools, have some fun designing your own jewelry, or make a gift for someone!

We'll meet in the TEC Lab, 125 Gardner-Harvey Library.
All are welcome to attend.

Remember, if you attend two or more of our library events in Fall 2018, you will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire tablet.

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by GlueGunGlory.

Use the Saturday CRAM JAM at the library to get ready for Finals!

Join the Tutoring and Learning Center staff, peer tutors, and library staff on Saturday, December 1 for CRAM JAM!  

Get ready for Finals in a great location for studying with an all-star cast of folks who can help!

Come to the Gardner-Harvey Library on the Middletown Campus between 12 and 4pm and enjoy:

• Peer tutors in a variety of subjects
• Free coffee and snacks
• Study rooms
• Research assistance

This event is open to ALL Miami students.

Sponsored by the Tutoring and Learning Center.

New books added to the Gardner-Harvey Library in October!

We are adding many new items to the collection each month, and making sure that you can see them on display! Watch for our upcoming scary movie DVD display, as well as our ongoing New Books shelves (as shown above). See our new materials list of items we added to the collection in October! We added 165 books, e-books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list can be sorted by call number, area of our collection, or by title.


Here are eight titles from the list, to give you an idea of what we've been buying:

• Godless citizens in a godly republic : atheists in American public life / R. Laurence Moore and Isaac Kramnick
• Empress : the astonishing reign of Nur Jahan / Ruby Lal
• American like me : reflections on life between cultures / edited by America Ferrera with E. Cayce Dumont
• Northland : a 4,000-mile journey along America's forgotten border / Porter Fox
• Good and mad : the revolutionary power of women's anger / Rebecca Traister
• Skin folk : stories / Nalo Hopkinson
• The fourth age : smart robots, conscious computers, and the future of humanity / Byron Reese
• The poison squad : one chemist's single-minded crusade for food safety at the turn of the twentieth century / Deborah Blum

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials, in reverse chronological order. We are eager to hear from you about individual items you would like us to buy, or types of items we should be on the lookout for, or general subject areas we should build up in the collection.

If you have a suggestion of something to order, please use our "Tell GHL to Buy It" form, email Amy Carmichael (carmicae@miamioh.edu), or drop by the library with your request. And pass your general suggestions or comments about the collection to us in those same ways.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

VolunTECLab! Wreath making (Service Project)

The TEC Lab goes on the road to create some seasonal cheer, and you can help!

Head over to Hawk Haven in Johnston Hall on the Middletown Campus between 11:00am and 1:00pm on Thursday, November 29th to create wreaths for residents of a local nursing home.

Participants may also make a wreath to take home!

This is our second official VolunTECLab (in which we volunteer to help out a local non-profit agency that serves our community), but not the first time we've had people making a change in the community with their making activities (see the dog toys VolunTECLab from earlier this semester and the glowing flowers, cat shelters, and our Valentine's Day and holiday wreath workshops from last academic year).

Come make a wreath, and make a difference!

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Tony Alter.

Tech Tuesday - Google Tools

Join us on November 13 from 12:15-1:00pm for our Tech Tuesday workshop to learn the basics of several Google apps, including Gmail, Drive, Docs, Forms, and Calendar. These free Google productivity tools help sync, simplify, and tackle projects for classes and for your life!

Your guide will be Jennifer Hicks, GHL Circulation Supervisor and maker extraordinaire.

We will meet in Room 111 of the Gardner-Harvey Library (Middletown campus).

All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be available, but also feel free to bring your lunch.

Remember, if you attend two or more of our library events in Fall 2018, you will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire tablet.

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Abby Lanes.

TEC Lab Wednesday Workshop - Mobile Phone Projectors

Come to the Library on November 7th to create a mobile phone projector in the TEC Lab!  Turn your phone into a projector to watch videos, etc. on the big screen! 

Drop in anytime between 11am-1pm OR between 6pm-8pm in Room 125 in the Gardner-Harvey Library.

This project uses a shoe box to create the projector, so bring one with you if can. Shoe box donations by anyone would also gladly be accepted.

All are welcome to attend.

Remember, if you attend two or more of our library events in Fall 2018, you will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire tablet.

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by gerlao.

Heroes Week Book Discussion: The Yellow Birds

On November 6, join us in the Gardner-Harvey Library from 12pm-1pm to discuss the book The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers.  The book is a national bestseller, a National Book Award finalist, and a recent motion picture adaptation (we have a copy of the film).

This event is being held as part of Heroes Week, which runs from November 5-12.  We will meet in Room 123 in the Library.

Here is a brief summary of the book: 

""The war tried to kill us in the spring," begins this unforgettable account of friendship and loss. In Al Tafar, Iraq, twenty-one-year-old Private Bartle and eighteen-year-old Private Murphy have been dropped into a war neither is prepared for. When Bartle makes a promise to bring Murphy safely home, the two are inextricably bound together. The young soldiers fight to protect each other from the insurgents, physical fatigue, and the mental stress that comes from constant danger. As reality begins to blur, Murphy becomes increasingly unmoored - and Bartle must take actions he never could have imagined."

Use the links below to request the book from Miami, OhioLINK, and SearchOhio libraries (Just click "Request" and choose "Miami University" from the dropdown list.  Then enter your UniqueID and password, and the library from which you would like to retrieve the item):  

Miami, OhioLINK  and SearchOhio

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Sgt. Dakota Meyer.

Dr. Tammie Gerke’s National Park Talks: Mt. Rainier National Park (at Middletown)

Join us as Dr. Gerke talks talks about Mt. Rainier National Park. Stop by to hear about the geology and other interesting information about the park.

This session will run Tuesday, November 27th from 4:45pm to 6:15pm with time for questions and discussion. The event will be held in the seating area at the entrance of the Gardner-Harvey Library.

All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.

Remember, if you attend two or more of our library events in Fall 2018, you will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire tablet.

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Des Runyan.

November's Middletown book discussion title: My Brilliant Friend

The MUM Book Discussion group will next meet on Tuesday, November 27 to discuss Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend.  We will meet at 12 pm in Room 124 in the Library.   

Here is a brief summary of the title, along with links to request the book from Miami, OhioLINK, and SearchOhio libraries (Just click "Request" and choose "Miami University" from the dropdown list.  Then enter your UniqueID and password, and the library from which you would like to retrieve the item):  

"The story begins in the 1950s, in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples. Growing up on these tough streets the two girls learn to rely on each other ahead of anyone or anything else. As they grow, as their paths repeatedly diverge and converge, Elena and Lila remain best friends whose respective destinies are reflected and refracted in the other. They are likewise the embodiments of a nation undergoing momentous change. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between her protagonists, the unforgettable Elena and Lila."

Miami, OhioLINK  and SearchOhio

Read the book (or read something else interesting), then come along to our discussion to share what else you've been reading/watching/listening to/experiencing, and help us plan our future readings.  

Have an idea for a book to discuss?  Let us know and check out our page of past and future reads at http://www.mid.miamioh.edu/library/bookdiscussion.htm

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by color line.

Visual Usage Installation: Statistics Made into Art

We keep track of a number of statistics in the library, but they can be hard to put in context as just numbers in a spreadsheet.  The library staff was inspired by an article in College and Research Libraries News to create an artistic visual display of some of our patrons’ activities from 2017-18.  We have three beautiful hangings of paper books, laptops, and doors that correspond to the number of weekly study room checkouts, daily website visitors, and daily library visitors.  As Michelangelo saw the angel in the marble and carved until he set him free, our student assistants saw the art hiding in the numbers, and released it for your enjoyment. Fun fact: one of the authors of that article is Miami’s own Alea Henle, head of the University Libraries’ Access and Borrow department since March 2018.

Dr. Tammie Gerke’s National Park Talks: Denali National Park (at Middletown)

Join us as Dr. Gerke talks talks about Denali National Park. Stop by to hear about the geology and other interesting information about the park.

This session will run Tuesday, October 23rd from 4:45pm to 6:15pm with time for questions and discussion. The event will be held in the seating area at the entrance of the Gardner-Harvey Library.

All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be provided.

Remember, if you attend two or more of our library events in Fall 2018, you will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire tablet.

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Ross Fowler.

Tech Tuesday - Avoiding Online Scams (Middletown)

Join us on October 23 from 12:15-1:00pm for our Tech Tuesday workshop to learn about how to avoid getting caught in online spam. Today’s scammers are getting trickier in their methods. Learn how to make sure you aren’t falling for scams online.

Your guides will be Jennifer Hicks, GHL Circulation Supervisor, and Aaron Renner, Systems Administrator for Technology Services in Middletown.
We will meet in Room 111 of the Gardner-Harvey Library (Middletown campus).

All are welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be available, but also feel free to bring your lunch.

Remember, if you attend two or more of our library events in Fall 2018, you will be entered in a drawing for a Kindle Fire tablet.
The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Richard Patterson.

New books added to the Gardner-Harvey Library in September!

We are adding many new items to the collection each month, and making sure that you can see them on display!  Watch for our upcoming scary movie DVD display, as well as our ongoing New Books shelves (as shown above).  See our new materials list of items we added to the collection in September! We added 231 books, e-books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list can be sorted by call number, area of our collection, or by title.

Here are eight titles from the list, to give you an idea of what we've been buying: 

• It didn't start with you : how inherited family trauma shapes who we are and how to end the cycle / Mark Wolynn
• Pure : inside the Evangelical movement that shamed a generation of young women and how I broke free / Linda Kay Klein
• Destiny disrupted : a history of the world through Islamic eyes / Tamim Ansary
• Free the beaches : the story of Ned Coll and the battle for America's most exclusive shoreline / Andrew W. Kahrl
• Temp : how American work, American business, and the American dream became temporary / Louis Hyman
• American prison : a reporter's undercover journey into the business of punishment / Shane Bauer
• To make monsters out of girls / Amanda Lovelace
• Click here to kill everybody : security and survival in a hyper-connected world / Bruce Schneier

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials, in reverse chronological order. We are eager to hear from you about individual items you would like us to buy, or types of items we should be on the lookout for, or general subject areas we should build up in the collection.

If you have a suggestion of something to order, please use our "Tell GHL to Buy It" form, email Amy Carmichael (carmicae@miamioh.edu), or drop by the library with your request. And pass your general suggestions or comments about the collection to us in those same ways.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

October's Middletown book discussion title: Exit West

The MUM Book Discussion group will next meet on Monday, October 22 to discuss Mohsin Hamid's Exit West.  We will meet at 12 pm in Room 124 in the Library.   

Here is a brief summary of the title, along with links to request the book from Miami, OhioLINK, and SearchOhio libraries (Just click "Request" and choose "Miami University" from the dropdown list.  Then enter your UniqueID and password, and the library from which you would like to retrieve the item):  

"In a country teetering on the brink of civil war, two young people meet--sensual, fiercely independent Nadia and gentle, restrained Saeed. They embark on a furtive love affair, thrust into premature intimacy by the unrest roiling their city. When it explodes, turning familiar streets into a patchwork of checkpoints and bomb blasts, they begin to hear whispers about doors--doors that can whisk people far away, if perilously and for a price. As violence and the threat of violence escalate, Nadia and Saeed decide that they no longer have a choice. Leaving their homeland and their old lives behind, they find a door and step through. Exit West is an epic compressed into a slender page-turner--both completely of our time and for all time, Mohsin Hamid's most ambitious and electrifying novel yet."

Miami, OhioLINK  and SearchOhio

Read the book (or read something else interesting), then come along to our discussion to share what else you've been reading/watching/listening to/experiencing, and help us plan our future readings.  

Have an idea for a book to discuss?  Let us know and check out our page of past and future reads at http://www.mid.miamioh.edu/library/bookdiscussion.htm

The above image was provided through a Creative Commons CC-BY-2.0 license by Garrett.