Library Blog

Durham Tech Libraries is happy to announce a new database with exciting professional development opportunities: Universal Class, a learning platform that hosts full-length courses and offers accredited continuing education certificates upon successful completion. Durham Tech students may have heard of other online continuing education platforms such as Khan Academy or Goodwill's GCFLearnFree. The course topic variety and assessment structure offered by Universal Class makes it an excellent

Durham Tech's Building, Engineering, and Skilled Trades classes offer a variety of hands-on, skill-building courses that include carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, and more. These classes can result in rewarding and lucrative careers. For example, in May 2021, The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated an electrician's median wage as $22.75 an hour vs. $18.45 for all occupations. That's shocking! Students can get a jump start on a career and education in Construction & Trades using library resources

On November 8, North Carolinians will cast their ballots for the 2022 midterm elections. Non-presidential elections often see fewer than half of the total eligible voters cast their ballot during midterm elections, according to North Carolina's State Board of Elections. If you are reading this and will be at least age 18 by election day, you can make an impact by being an informed and engaged citizen and casting your ballot in November, or during the early voting period (October 20 - November 5)

Our Durham Tech Faculty and Staff are doing great things! We want to celebrate and congratulate our talented colleagues by sharing some of their recent publications. We hope you enjoy reading the books, chapters, articles, and poems written by your colleagues. Oluwunmi (Olu) Ariyo is Assistant Director, College Recruitment & High School Partnerships. Education reform in the aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic by Oluwunmi Ariyo, and Ansa Reams-Johnson, editor. Hershey PA : Information Science

Earlier this year we highlighted an exciting new addition to Durham Tech Library's resources, Digital Theatre+. We're revisiting it today to share how instructors and students alike can enjoy rich resources like streaming videos of live theatre, literary theme analysis, and more. Click "continue reading" to see a real example of how, with Digital Theatre+, students and instructors can transform their understanding and discussions of a classic text. We use Macbeth as an example, but there are a

Happy Fall Break, everyone! We're celebrating the season of pumpkin spice and spooky tales with a list of books you can enjoy, preferably with a mug of hot cocoa and a nice blanket. We know spookiness isn't everyone's cup of tea, so we've included some lighter fare for those who enjoy the cozier side of autumn. Continue reading for seasonal recommendations of graphic novels, audiobooks, and print books. Psssst...don't forget, we'll be painting pumpkins for Crafternoon later this month! Join us

Title: Persepolis Author: Marjane Satrapi Genres: memoir, history, graphic novel 2022 Read Great Things Categor(ies): A book about travel; An Artsy Book; A book about community Political protests in Iran have been in the headlines over the past two weeks, with numerous demonstrations in the country propelled by the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died while in police custody. Today I'm highlighting an accessible and personal history of conflict within and surrounding Iran from the

It's Wearable Art Week for Durham Tech Libraries: We're hosting two crafternoons on two different campuses for students and staff to make wearable art, either with provided tote bags or with shirts or shoes from home that could use a vibrant paint brush or two to look funky and fresh. Why throw an old shirt away when you could dazzle it up with some of our fabric paint? The first Crafternoon will take place on Orange County Campus on September 27th at 11:30 AM. A second one will be held for

Since its inception in 1982, Banned Books Week has stood as an an important week of awareness and advocacy against library and book censorship. 2021 and 2022 have seen an unprecedented rise in attempted book bans across schools and libraries in America piloted by advocacy groups, some having taken place in nearby counties. Started in the 1980s as an awareness campaign by the cooperation of the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom and the publishing community, Banned

Nearly fifty years ago, in 1973, the Supreme Court legalized the right to abortion access through Roe v. Wade. This past June, the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling. To learn more about this very current event, the Durham Tech Library has developed an informational reading list on the history of abortion in America, the Roe v. Wade ruling, and resources about women's health and health care, abortion, and reproductive rights. Click through to explore our resources and learn more for