Category Archives: Ames Highlights

The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore, by Michael Dylan Foster

Check out one of the newly published titles, available through the CARLI e-book program. Available to use as an electronic resource, all you have to do is follow the prompts to check out this book on the creatures of Japanese folklore, written by the same author who brought us Pandemonium and Parade: Japanese Monsters and the Culture of Yokai, published in 2008.

From Amazon.com:

“Monsters, ghosts, fantastic beings, and supernatural phenomena of all sorts haunt the folklore and popular culture of Japan. Broadly labeled yokai, these creatures come in infinite shapes and sizes, from tengu mountain goblins and kappawater spirits to shape-shifting foxes and long-tongued ceiling-lickers. Currently popular in anime, manga, film, and computer games, many yokai originated in local legends, folktales, and regional ghost stories.

Drawing on years of research in Japan, Michael Dylan Foster unpacks the history and cultural context of yokai, tracing their roots, interpreting their meanings, and introducing people who have hunted them through the ages. In this delightful and accessible narrative, readers will explore the roles played by these mysterious beings within Japanese culture and will also learn of their abundance and variety through detailed entries, some with original illustrations, on more than fifty individual creatures. The Book of Yokai provides a lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its ever-expanding influence on global popular culture. It also invites readers to examine how people create, transmit, and collect folklore, and how they make sense of the mysteries in the world around them. By exploring yokai as a concept, we can better understand broader processes of tradition, innovation, storytelling, and individual and communal creativity.”

It’s the time of year when protecting yourself is of the utmost concern. It’s cold out, so you have to protect yourself from the weather. You’re spending lots of time in close proximity of others, so you should probably get a flu shot (it’s not too late to get one if you haven’t yet). Most of the local pharmacies can get you covered with little to no money down, depending on your health care coverage. Either way, make sure to wash your hands well, and often, with antibacterial soap.

Just as important as protecting yourself from disease and the elements, you need to make sure you’re protecting your computer and personal devices from viruses and corruption. The Help@Ames desk, located on the library’s entry level, can give you a FREE copy of McAfee AntiVirus for your personal laptop or computer. McAfee is rated as one of the better antivirus softwares, according to PC Magazine. In addition to installing McAfee for free, Help@Ames can also facilitate a virus scan, should you suspect any malware or bad files on your computer.

In addition to protecting your devices with antivirus software, make sure you’re also using the strongest possible passwords for your various accounts. If you use the same password for banking, email, interlibrary loan, and social media you’re probably setting yourself up for failure. Access to your IWU Gmail, myIWU, Moodle, and wifi are all regulated by the same system. Consider taking a minute and updating your password to something unique from other passwords, taking care to make it as strong as possible. To update your password, go to passchange.iwu.edu and use the following rules to make it as strong as possible. You should probably do this for all of your accounts every once in a while.

As a caveat, if you suspect your computer or phone has been comprimised by a virus, don’t use that computer to update your passwords! Use another secure terminal to do so, while Help@Ames gets you set up with virus scans and new antivirus software. And remember – Information Technology will NEVER ask you for your password or personal information in an email, so DON’T respond to these kinds of requests.

Password Rules

It’s important to make sure that your password is strong. If someone else can guess it, or if you ever share it with anyone, that person can log in as you and wreak havoc in your name. Here are some tips for choosing a good password that nobody will be likely to guess:

• Use at least eight characters. A shorter password can be guessed in almost no time at all. All passwords at Illinois Wesleyan must be at least seven characters, but longer is better.
• Use different types of characters. A password that consists only of lowercase letters is easiest to enter, but it’s also one of the first things a password cracker might try. All passwords at Illinois Wesleyan must include at least one digit. Your password should also contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters. Symbols are a great idea, too.

 

Ahh, Mondays. And today, the first in a whole semester of Mondays. Campus covered in a soft blanket of snow, at least the temperatures are above 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s an exciting week in the library, as we really push things into gear for the semester. If you haven’t already, check out our IDEA WALL, located across from the Help@Ames Desk. Grab a star and share one of your New Year’s Resolutions with the campus. We want to fill the wall and see what everyone is doing – maybe you’ll get some ideas.

While you’re at the desk, check out our newest team member – WiFi, the Help@Ames Beta Fish. Feedings occur everyday around noon, so come and catch the show!

Instruction Lab, Room 129

• Tuesday, 10am – Spanish 101
• Tuesday, 1pm – Spanish 101
• Wednesday, 8, 9, 10am, 1pm – Spanish 201
• Wednesday, 2pm – Sociology 492
• Wednesday, 3:30pm – OU Training
• Thursday, 10:50am – Psychology 351
• Thursday, 1:10pm – English 344
• Friday, 8am – Hispanic Studies 280

Meeting Room 214

• Tuesday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy
• Wednesday, 1pm – Workflow Meeting
• Wednesday, 2pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 1pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy

Beckman Auditorium

• Monday, 1pm – English, Literature of the Iraq War
• Tuesday, 8am – Nursing Pre-Clinical Lectures
• Tuesday, 7pm – International Politics of East Asia
• Wednesday, 4pm – Admissions
• Thursday, 8am – Nursing Pre-Clinical Lectures
• Thursday, 7pm – International Film Series

It’s a bit cold outside (as if you needed a reminder). Check out some of these HOT titles from our Popular Reading Collection on the Entry Level.

Burned – Covert CIA ops officer Vanessa Pierson has dedicated her career to capturing one man: Bhoot, the world’s most notorious nuclear arms dealer. That mission has been impeded by the murders of her assets, who were betrayed by a mole within her own agency…Check out the book to read more.

 

 

 

Raging Heat – In New York Times Bestselling author Richard Castle’s newest novel, an illegal immigrant falls from the sky and NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat’s investigation into his death quickly captures the imagination of her boyfriend the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jameson Rook. When he decides to work the case with Heat as his next big story, Nikki is at first happy to have him ride along…Check out the book to read more.

 

 

 

Burn – At last, Detective Michael Bennett and his family are coming home to New York City. Thanks to Bennett, the ruthless crime lord whose vengeful mission forced the Bennett family into hiding has been brought down for good…Check out the book to read more.

 

 

 

 

All summaries from Amazon.com.

Have you seen our IDEA WALL yet? Located just across from the Help@Ames desk, we’re featuring a rotating, interactive exhibit throughout the spring semester. Based on the Oak Park Public Library’s Idea Box, this space provides a new and dynamic space where the IWU community can come together to share ideas, tinker, experiment, and play. Each month we’ll have a different theme, starting with January – What’s Your New Year’s Resolution?

Every year, millions of Americans make resolutions for the new year, a tradition which can be traced back to ancient times.

“The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts.

The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom the month of January is named.

In the Medieval era, the knights took the “peacock vow” at the end of the Christmas season each year to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry.

At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making these resolutions.

There are other religious parallels to this tradition. During Judaism’s New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one’s wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People may act similarly during the Catholic fasting period of Lent, though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility, in fact the practice of New Year’s resolutions partially came from the Lenten sacrifices. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually.”

For the month of January, share your new year’s resolutions with the rest of the IWU community.

Welcome to 2015 and the spring semester! Are you prepared?

Did you get a new mobile device or laptop for Christmas? Make sure you stop by Help@Ames if you need help configuring your access to IWU wifi. Help@Ames can also help you download Office 365 (a product available to you for free as an IWU faculty, staff, or student).

Are all of the appropriate courses showing up in Moodle? Are you having any trouble adding/dropping courses? Any problems logging into your IWU Gmail? If you’re having any problems with any of these services, your passwords might be out of sync. Go to passchange.iwu.edu and create a new password. Make sure you choose one that’s as strong as possible. Try logging into those services again and see if the new password is working. If you’re still having trouble, stop by Help@Ames or call us at 3900.

If you’re having any other problems with technology, whether it be logging into any services, using a campus computer, downloading software, stop by Help@Ames, call us at 3900, OR…use our online help request form! It’s new and shiny, so don’t be surprised if things look different.

Speaking of 2015 and technology, did you realize that Marty McFly traveled to 2015 in Back to the Future: Part II? Check out this article on what film makers got right and wrong about their predictions for 2015.

Welcome back to IWU everyone! Everyone in Ames Library is rested up and ready for 2015 – are you? Things aren’t too busy this week, as we get ready to jump into push it into high gear. We resume normal hours on Wednesday, January 7th, but we’ll be open from 8-4:30 on Monday and Tuesday.

While you’re getting settled back into a routine, stop by the Help@Ames desk to share your New Year’s Resolution. The tradition of making resolutions for the new year supposedly goes back 4,000 years to the Babylonians. Every year, millions of Americans make resolutions – to exercise more, to read more, to eat better…you name it someone’s tried it. Recent studies suggest success rates are varied, but there are steps you can take to be more successful. One of those steps includes sharing your resolutions with others, so we want you to stop by Help@Ames and share your resolutions with the IWU community. Grab a star and tell us how you’ll be making 2015 different.

Beckman Auditorium, Thursday – Madame Bovary (1991, France) will be presented by Associate Professor of French and Italian Languages and Literatures and Co-Director of International Studies Scott Sheridan.

Instruction Lab

• Tuesday, 10am – Spring Orientation
• Thursday, 9am – School of Nursing, RN exam

Meeting Room, 214

• Wednesday, 2pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 1pm – CUPP
• Thursday, 4:30pm – Star Literacy

Beckman Auditorium

• Tuesday, 8am – Spring Orientation
• Thursday, 7pm – International Film Series

The holidays are upon us and things are quiet in Ames Library. We’ll be open 8-4 this week and 8-4 on Monday and Tuesday next week. We hope you’re resting and catching up on everything you couldn’t get done this semester. This will be our last post until next year, so we’d like to leave you with something special – movie suggestions!

In addition to sharing news and information about Ames Library and the IWU community, we also like to share library-related news from across the country. The following article originally appeared in Library Journal online, on November 25, 2014 and was authored by Lisa Peet.

“On November 24 a grand jury in Ferguson, MO, delivered its verdict on the August 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by a Ferguson police officer. The St. Louis County grand jury chose not to bring criminal charges against the officer, Darren Wilson; the decision, which was announced just after 8 p.m. CST, set off a night of protests and civil unrest, the most violent including arson, shattered windows, injuries, and, as of press time, a possible murder.

During the nearly four months of unrest since Brown was killed, the Ferguson Municipal

Public Library (FMPL) has consistently stepped up to help the town’s citizens, especially its youngest members. Last summer the Ferguson-Florissant School District postponed its schools’ opening day, originally scheduled for August 14, out of fear of violence. Until schools eventually opened on August 25, FPL opened its branches to the district’s teachers, allowing them to set up activities and instruction for students in the library.

As Ferguson awaited the grand jury’s verdict, Governor Jay Nixon had pre-emptively declared a 30-day state of emergency November 17 in anticipation of unrest in Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, and the surrounding area. As predicted, demonstrations flared through the night into Tuesday morning, mainly centered around the Ferguson Police Department and the site of Brown’s shooting. As of Tuesday morning 61 arrests had been made in Ferguson and another 21 in St. Louis, and Governor Nixon had ordered additional National Guard reinforcements. Demonstrations occurred across the country as well, in cities such as Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, and Philadelphia.

THE LIBRARY STEPS UP

It was announced the Monday night of the verdict that schools would be closed the following day, and on November 25 once again FMPL opened its doors to the district’s children and their teachers. Scott Bonner, library director of Ferguson Municipal Public Library District, said that while numbers weren’t as high as in August, the library hosted “scores” of children, as well as serving as a safe place for the neighborhood’s adults.

“I’m seeing a mix of moods,” he told LJ. “Our volunteers are excited and optimistic, and here to help, and then I have patrons who come in and literally hold my hands and cry—they just needed someone to hold onto and talk to. And everything in between, including people who are doing the regular walk-in, walk-out stuff.” But, he said, the mood was “a lot more emotional and taut than usual.”

Bonner is FMPL’s lone full-time librarian, working with another 10–11 part-time staff members. When the school closings were announced FMPL put out a call on social media for help, and on Tuesday Teach for America and other organizations responded with more than 50 volunteers. Operation Food Search, a local food bank, served lunch for children who would ordinarily eat at school.

The smallest children, Bonner noted, were happy to come in and do their activities. Recent events were harder on teenagers, however. Middle- and high-schoolers tended to act out, giving voice to their anxiety and anger. But while Bonner had expelled a few teens earlier in the week, he said, “Today we haven’t had to kick anyone out.”

A book swap planned for Tuesday night was canceled, as the library decided to close at 4 p.m. for safety reasons. “We don’t know if it’s going to be another night like last night,” Bonner told LJ. “There were people trying to kick in the door of the library last night after we closed.” The book swap, which had been the first event planned by FMPL’s new Teen Council, has been postponed until December.

Appropriately enough, FMPL was one of the galleries hosting art exhibit entitled “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!” The show was organized by the Alliance of Black Art Galleries to give local artists an opportunity to respond to Brown’s killing. opened October 17 and 18 and will run through December 20. Artwork was exhibited in more than a dozen galleries throughout the area.

AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT

While library staff and volunteers did their best to make neighborhood children feel at home, FMPL’s Twitter feed (@fergusonlibrary) Tuesday showed an outpouring of love and support from all over. In addition, calls for action on Twitter, some utilizing the hashtag #whatlibrariesdo, resulted in a huge spike in PayPal donations to the library. (Update: donations have topped $300,000; for reference, the library’s operating budget is $400,000.) “It’s been kind of phenomenal,” Bonner said.

Book donations remain steady as well: when FMPL first opened its doors to students in August Angie Manfredi, head of youth services for Los Alamos County Library System, NM, started a Twitter campaign soliciting books for the library. She created a wishlist for FMPL on Powell’s, which has since been filled and added to. The effort continues to be a great success, and once all the books received have been cataloged, says Bonner, “Thanks to her efforts, we’re going to have one of the strongest collections in the state for civic engagement, civil rights history, and recovering from trauma.”

Librarians across the country are working to help support students and educators as well. A St. Louis school librarian has created a LibGuide for resources about the Brown shooting, and the Twitter hashtag#FergusonSyllabus provides a wide range of links.

Schools had been planned to close Wednesday through Friday for Thanksgiving, so FPL will not be holding classes during that time. But if schools are closed next week, said Bonner, “we’ll do it again.” Bonner reinforced his steadfast approach to the library’s role. “What we’re doing is just what libraries do,” he emphasized to LJ. “We’re in a particularly dramatic situation, but we’re doing the same thing everyone does. And that’s because our libraries are awesome. We’re all about the community, and our doors are wide open to every human being in Ferguson.” “

Today, Tuesday and Wednesday – Stress Free Tabling Event– Feeling stressed?!? Don’t crack under the pressure! Take a break and take care of yourself! To help reduce your stress level during finals week, counselors from Counseling & Consultation Services will be at The Ames Library on Dec. 8, 9 and 10 offering giveaways. They will have snacks, water, Biodots, stress balls and other information to help you manage your stress level. Please stop by to get some of the tools you may need to reduce your stress.

Monday, 4pm, Beckman Auditorium – To Meet the Faces: A Performance of Slam Poems – Come watch the students of English 109: Poetry Through Performance perform their SLAM poems. Refreshments will be served.

Instruction Lab, Room 129

• Tuesday, 3:30, English 370 – Literary Minds
• Friday, 1pm, OU Users Group

Meeting Room, Room 214

• Monday, 9:30am, Network Group
• Monday, 3pm, CUPP
• Tuesday, 4:30pm, Star Literacy
• Wednesday, 2pm, IT meeting
• Wednesday, 3pm, CUPP
• Thursday, 11am, Assessment Committee
• Thursday, 1pm, Web Redesign Workgroup
• Thursday, 4:30pm, Star Literacy
• Friday, 1:30pm, CUPP

Beckman Auditorium, Lower Level

• Monday, 4pm, English 109 – SLAM poetry
• Tuesday, 3:30pm, Nursing 217
• Wednesday, 10am, Nursing 385
• Thursday, 10am, Acting of the Camera

Ames Library Hours

Exam Week – Fall Semester

• Monday – Thursday: 7:45 a.m. – 1:30 a.m.
• Friday: 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Saturday: Closed
• Sunday: Closed

Winter Interim

• Monday, December 15 – Friday, December 19: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Monday, December 22 – Tuesday, December 23: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 24 – Sunday, January 4: Closed