Library News

The library will close at 4:30pm on Thursday, April 17 and remain closed on:

• Friday, April 18
• Saturday, April 19
• Sunday, April 20
• Monday April 21

Regular library hours resume on Tuesday, April 22.

From Library Director, Nathan Dowd.

James: A Novel by Percival Everett is a thought-provoking and poignant novel that explores the complexities of identity, race, and the human experience through the lens of a character named James. They novel is loosely based on Jim from Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The story follows him as he attempts to escape enslavement, marked by a sense of alienation and the weight of historical and personal traumas. It does an excellent job of presenting themes such as passing and linguistic representations of people of color in literary and historical fiction.

For fans of graphic novels, Big Jim and the White Boy by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson also offers a reimagining of the Mark Twian’s character Jim, and is the 2025 winner of the American Library Association’s Alex Award - Best Graphic Novel Of The Year.

Both books are available in the library and can be found in our Relax & Read collection near the front desk.

From Jonathan Bloy
Libarian, Head of Digital Initiatives

To honor Women's History Month, we've added some new interviews to our Women of Edgewood College oral history collection:

• Kathleen Kelm
  Computer Science faculty from 1998 to 2024. Video interview from December of 2024.
• Sister Priscilla Wood
  Education faculty teaching Winterim and Summer sessions over 18 years. Video interview from December of 2024.
• Sister Mary Nona McGreal
  President of Edgewood College from 1950 to 1967. Audio interview from April of 2011.
• Sister Cecilia Carey
  President of Edgewood College from 1967 to 1977. Audio interview from May of 2011.

Special thanks to the Edgewood College Office of Institutional Advancement, for sharing the above audio interviews with us!

From Andrew Holbrook,
Operations and Archives Librarian

Deep in winter, the ground may feel even more solid than usual. But the earth we walk on is not something to take for granted.

The library’s recent exhibit “Grounded: A Look at What’s Beneath Our Feet” explores the significance of what lies on — and below — the surface of the landscape. Among the items on display are a map of Madison’s lakes made more than a century ago, historical soil samples taken from our campus, and even a brightly polished square of the Edgedome’s former floor.

Ground is something to be celebrated. Think, for example, of the groundbreaking ceremonies held to launch new construction projects. Even before breaking ground on DeRicci Hall 65 years ago, the building’s designers drilled holes into the earth to analyze the strength of the site’s rocks and soil. The results of their tests determined the size of the concrete footings required to support the structure’s walls and columns.

Ground is something to be studied — by geologists, archeologists, cartographers, and other scientists. More than a century ago, civil engineering students at the University of Wisconsin surveyed Lake Monona to chart the contours of the land around and below the water. Their measurements formed the basis of a hydrographic map, which helps vessels navigate safely and guides fishers on where to cast their lines.

Ground is something sacred. Over the past three millennia, the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk and other Native nations throughout the Midwest constructed thousands of burial mounds as well as effigy mounds in the shapes of bears, birds, and other animals. Wisconsin has the highest concentration of these spiritual earthworks. Despite desecration and destruction by urban and rural settlers, Madison remains home to approximately 1,300 effigy mounds — including at least 15 around the Edgewood campus.

Fittingly, “Grounded” is located on the first, or ground, floor of the library. When you come through the main entrance, turn left toward the Learning Lab and look for our exhibit case along the wall. The display will remain on view through the spring semester, as the ground slowly begins to thaw. 

We now have an additional study room! It's located next to study room 2 near the elevator, and can accommodate up to eight students.  All four of our study rooms are reservable up to seven days in advance. You can do that from the home page of the library website, or on the study room reservation page.

Reminder: During the school year, the study rooms are available for Edgewood College students only.

Come for a fun night of studying, tutoring from Course Coaches, treats, prizes, and pizza, of course!

Thursday

December 5, 2024

4:00 to 7:00pm

Sponsored by OSI, Learning Lab, Writing Center, and the Library.

The college Personal Counseling Services Office has created a post-election empowerment plan.

This is a worksheet designed to help you stay involved in the issues that are important to you.  Our civic duty does not stop at the ballot box, and the impact of elections does not end once the outcome is certified.

This plan can also help you navigate your feelings about the election and the issues involved, as well as empower you to develop strategies to support and care for your community as well yourself.  Download a copy from the link below.

• Post-election empowerment plan [PDF]

If you need further support, don't hesitate to reach out to the Personal Counseling Services office here on campus.

• 608-663-4148
• PCSNotifications@edgewood.edu

From Jonathan Bloy, Librarian - Head of Digital Initiatives

Do you have questions about using generative AI tools like ChatGPT in your college work?  Try our new student guide for using artificial intelligence.  This resource can help you with: 

• Deciding if it's appropriate to use an AI tool
• Evaluating content that AI tools create
• Citing work that was created by AI
• Understanding the ethics of using AI
• Creating successful AI prompts
• Finding links to various AI tools that are available

You'll find links to Artificial Intelligence: A Student Guide in our Research Guides under the subject areas, General & Interdisciplinary and Computer & Information Science.