Welcome back, Durham Tech! Are you looking for some new (or old) books to check out and read from the Orange County Campus Library? [insert record scratch] Wait, wait, wait. What? Are the libraries open? Can I come get my own books? How does this work? It's okay. Let me explain how the library is working to transport the books you want into your hands. General library hours for both the Main and Orange County Campus libraries can be found on the Library homepage (scroll below the boxes). Hours

Crafternoons are a partnership between the Durham Tech Student Government Association and the Library. It's back-to-school time, and usually we'd host a few Crafternoons so you can get organized and decorate your own planner/agenda or notebook. Since we're 80% online this semester, we won't be hosting face-to-face events, but we do have some opportunities for you to still get organized for the new semester with a fresh Durham Tech planner, begin your pandemic diary, or take notes for your new

Almost 80% of our classes are online, but the library still has in-person services available when we're open. Want to know what's going on with the library this semester? Check out our newsletters. There's one for Students and one for Employees. Click on the images below to see the full newsletter.

The semester has started! That means assignments, deadlines, work, school, family, friends, pandemic, economy, politics, and more, are all stressors as we move into pumpkin spice season fall. Find resources below to help manage that stress and take care of your mental health. Are you a Durham Tech employee who wants to speak to a counselor? Remember that you have access to the Employee Assistance Program. It's free and confidential. Are you a Durham Tech student who wants to speak to someone

Looking for info about Spring 2021 Library services? Check out our updated blog post. Your Durham Tech librarians are here for you, virtually and for limited in-person hours on the Main Campus and Orange County Campus Libraries. If you're coming anywhere on any of the Durham Tech campuses, you need to wear an effective face covering that covers both your nose and mouth the entire time you're on campus. Masks are available at the Library desk and other locations on campus for those who need them

Title: Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism Author: Safiya Umoja Noble Genre: nonfiction Read Great Things Category: a controversial book (maybe), a book suggested by a Durham Tech librarian Why did you choose to read this book? Dr. Noble's book made waves in the library world when it came out in 2018. I was aware of the book's premise--that Google's search algorithms result in innocuous keyword searches (e.g., black girls) turning up offensive search results--and wanted

**This post is in collaboration with Durham Tech Counseling Services.** July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, and while the month is almost over, many of these resources are available all year round both through Durham Tech and through outside agencies. Are you a Durham Tech student looking for a safe space to discuss anxiety and other issues due to Covid-19? Have your heard about Let's Cope? The Let's Cope group, hosted by LaKe'a Teel and Letoria Brown, is a support group for Durham

Are you using your phone to access your online coursework? Do you need a laptop for the upcoming semester? Do you know a student who needs one? As we all know, students who don't have access to the technology they need to do their school work are at a disadvantage in their classes. A smartphone is useful, but it's hard to complete a lot of coursework on a phone. And typing papers? No good. The Library has partnered with Durham Tech Student Engagement to loan laptops to student for the Fall

Title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Author: Suzanne Collins Genre: prequel; science fiction; dystopia Read Great Things 2020 Categories: A book that is part of a series; A bildungsroman; A controversial book; and A book suggested by a Durham Tech Librarian This book was read by Meredith Lewis, the [mostly] Orange County Campus Librarian. If you liked the original Hunger Games trilogy, you'll probably enjoy or appreciate this. If you're like me, you may need to re-read the other books, but

It's hot, y'all. It's hot and humid and sticky and gross. This is that part of a North Carolina summer my relatives in Pennsylvania tell me is inhumane. (The joke is on them when they get snow in November though.) Sometimes, when the sun seems angry at you personally and the world feels like it's falling apart (see: pandemic, police brutality, climate change, the 24-hour news cycle), there's nothing better than some ice cream to cool off and coat your insides with delicious sugar (or dairy-free