Library Blog

Happy Election Day, y'all! It may not be a presidential election year, but municipal elections matter, too! In order to vote today, you'll need to go to your assigned polling place and can vote until 7:30 p.m.-- if you're in line at 7:30 p.m., no matter how long the line may be, you can cast your ballot. Learn more from the NC State Board of Elections about what to expect when voting on Election Day, including links to download a sample ballot. As a voter, you have rights! Here's a concise list

Have you heard of Open Educational Resources (OER)? Maybe you've heard they're "free textbooks." Maybe you've heard that replacing commercial textbooks with open textbooks improves students' success and retention rates. Maybe you've heard that instructors can edit OER, mix them together, or otherwise modify them to align with your learning outcomes. Maybe you know someone right here at Durham Tech who is already teaching using OER. Expanding OER adoption can be an important tool in furthering

Josiah and Deja work at the Pumpkin Patch, a seasonal fair with food, animals, and a corn maze. It's their last night of the season and next year they'll be at college unable to work at The Patch. Will Josiah finally talk to the girl he's been pining over for years? Deja is going to make sure of it! A cute fall romance with tons of atmosphere and adorable illustrations. This book was read by Courtney Bippley, Main Campus Reference Librarian. Title: Pumpkinheads Author: Rainbow Rowell and

This year, Wednesday, Oct. 20 is International Pronouns Day. It seeks to make respecting, sharing, and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. https://youtu.be/qN65MSbjdOM Blair Imani. Smarter in Seconds: Pronouns, What are pronouns? (30 sec.) The language we use to speak to and about others matters. Using gender-inclusive language and a person’s correct name and pronouns demonstrates kindness, respect, and inclusivity. People can make assumptions based on a person’s name or appearance

Have you met our two new librarians yet? No? Well, we have a podcast episode for you! Meet our two new librarians, Sasha Deyneka and Kyle Minton, and hear about what the library has going on. A special coming soon announcement is in this one for an All We Can Save circle in the spring 2022 semester. Read my review of the book on the library blog! Sasha read Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong. Find it in print at the library or read the ebook through our Dogwood

At 14, children with magic are transported from their homes into The Scholomance until they "graduate" at 17, but many will not make it out alive due to mal (magic creatures) attacks and other accidents (and a few murders). While some students display an affinity for languages or alchemy, El has an affinity for dark magic and mass destruction and is having enough trouble with the challenge of not going dark (no matter what her grandmother's prophecy says), but finding friends and a way out

In 2017, the state of North Carolina proclaimed the second Monday in October as Indigenous People's Day and in 2021, the president of the United States acknowledged Indigenous Peoples' Day for the first time with an official proclamation. What is Indigenous Peoples' Day? An alternative to Columbus Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day is "a celebration ... to bring acknowledgment to the Native population" and remove the focus from Columbus, a man who caused great harm to Native populations. Instead, "It

The World Federation for Mental Health established October 10 as World Mental Health Day to raise awareness and support of mental health and reduce stigma. This year’s theme is “Mental Health in an Unequal World.” Mental health and well-being are central to the way we live, work, study, connect with others, and contribute to our communities. It’s especially important to address and uplift mental health during these unpredictable and overwhelming times that continually expose and enact the

On September 28, the MacArthur Foundation announced the recipients of the 2021 Fellowship Grant (sometimes referred to as the “Genius” grant) and a Durham Tech alum is among the 25 individuals "who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction." https://youtu.be/h0soupdEngo Awardees receive an unrestricted $625,000 to further their pursuits. Read on to learn more about the fascinating research from the Durham Tech alum

New season, new books for you to check out from the Orange County Campus Library! Fiction Put a hold on a book to pick up at the Main Campus or Northern Durham Center or stop by the Orange County Campus in Hillsborough to pick it up and see what else is on the shelves. (And say, "Hi." It's nice to see folks.) Want to put a hold on a book in the Orange County Campus collection to either pick up at OCC or at the Main Campus Library? If you already have a Durham Tech Library account and would like