Hot Topics This Semester

Many of our students completed library information literacy workshops this semester. We asked students to choose a sample topic to demonstrate their search strategy skills. Here is a graphic representation, or tag cloud, that shows the 50 most popular words compiled from the all of their responses:

abortion abuse advertising affect age care cars cell cheating child childhood children college control dangers death dogs drinking driving drug drunk eating education effects exercise games gas global gun influence music obesity penalty pregnancy punishment research schools smoking stem teen teenage television topic underage video violence violent warming women world

created at TagCrowd.com

(Note that the words that appear largest in the cloud are the words that appeared in students' responses the most often.)

Fireside Readers Meet on Monday

Next week the Fireside Readers will meet to discuss A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson.

"...Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.

For a start there's the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. Despite Katz's overwhelming desire to find cozy restaurants, he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride, and while on the trail they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature." (Publisher's Description)

The group will meet on Monday, May 4th at 7 p.m. in the Community Room. As always, new members and guests are always welcome. Light refreshments will be served.

Stay up to date with the new web page for the Fireside Readers:
http://www.wayne.uakron.edu/library/fireside.php

Enjoy the Silence...

In order to help our students do their best on their final exams, the library will be offering a quiet place for study during exam week, Monday, May 4th through Saturday, May 9th.

Students, faculty, and staff are asked to remain quiet in the library during this week and turn off their cell phones before they enter the library. Headphones are available at the information desk for anyone wishing to listen to audio on their computers.

Silence will be enforced in the table area, community room, and library lab. Students wishing to use the group study rooms are also asked to refrain from loud discussions and to close the door when studying with groups.

Food for Fines wrap-up

Many thanks to all who participated in this year's Food for Fines campaign. This year we collected 215 items and $119.90 in cash. Lots of fines were forgiven and many folks will benefit from your assistance through People to People Ministries. Thanks everyone!