Join us in the BTC this winter for a series of Saturday Story Times. Story Times are coordinated by the BTC and offered by EIU Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). Each Story Time includes read-alouds on a specific theme and a craft or movement activity related to the story.
Story times are free and open to the public. Stories and activities are geared toward children ages 3-7, however, children of all ages are welcome to attend with their siblings. We hope to see you this winter!
All story times begin at 10am.
Story Time Schedule Winter 2018:
Saturday January 27, 2018 – Latino Culture and Three Kings Day (offered by LASO)
Saturday February 3, 2018 – Valentine’s Day (offered by Math Energy Club)
Saturday February 10, 2018 – Fun with Fairy Tales (offered by EIU Librarian, Professor Ellen Corrigan)
Saturday February 24, 2018 – Celebrating Special (offered by Sigma Rho Epsilon)
Saturday March 3, 2018 – Dr. Seuss (offered by Beta Psi Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi)
BTC Display – NCSS Notable Trade Books for Children
Posted on January 25th, 2018
This spring, I have the honor to collaborate with Dr. Jay Bickford in the Early Childhood/Elementary/Middle Level Education department and Dr. Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz in the History department. We received an exciting Faculty Development Partnership Grant that will allow our pre-service teachers to evaluate and implement history-based curricula in local schools. With our grant funds, we were able to buy 50 new titles selected from the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) 2017 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People for the Ballenger Teachers Center Juvenile Collection.
Each year, the NCSS tasks a Book Review Committee to work in cooperation with the Children’s Book Council (CBC) to evaluate and select a list of exemplary K-12 titles. “The Book Review Committee looks for books that emphasize human relations, represent a diversity of groups and are sensitive to a broad range of cultural experiences, present an original theme or a fresh slant on a traditional topic, are easily readable and of high literary quality, have a pleasing format, and, where appropriate, include illustrations that enrich the text” (From the 2017 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People brochure).
With help from two wonderful graduate assistants from the education department, we were also able to pull all the notable titles from 2015, 2016, and 2017 that were already on the BTC shelves. Students from Dr. Bickford’s class will visit the BTC next week to choose titles to evaluate for use in social studies curricula. They will also build lessons to implement at a local school district later this semester. Dr. Laughlin-Schultz’s class will come later this semester to select their books.
These books are currently on display on top of the short shelves at the Ballenger Teachers Center and are available for all library patrons to check out. Look for the signs with the NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books medal. Come see the latest and best in Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People!
Children ages 3 to 7 are invited to free story times in the Ballenger Teachers Center of Booth Library, located on the Eastern Illinois University campus.
Story times are planned from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturdays, and each will have a specific theme. The schedule is as follows:
Jan. 27, Latino Culture, Three Kings Day, sponsored by Latino American Student Organization;
Feb. 3, Valentine’s Day, sponsored by Math Energy Club;
Feb. 10, Fun with Fairy Tales, presented by Ellen Corrigan, Booth Library;
Feb. 24, Celebrating Special, sponsored by Sigma Rho Epsilon;
March 3, Dr. Seuss, sponsored by Kappa Delta Pi.
Programs will feature stories, crafts and activities. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
For more information about the Ballenger Teachers Center at Booth Library, visit http://www.library.eiu.edu/btc/ or call 581-8442.
Library services to be unavailable
Posted on January 22nd, 2018
Due to a campuswide power outage, the Booth Library website will be down and off-campus access to electronic resources will be unavailable from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 10. The library is closed that day due to Spring Break. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Exhibit features veterans and their tattoos
Posted on January 18th, 2018
“Designs of Duty,” an exhibit featuring East Central Illinois veterans and their service-related tattoos, will be on display at Booth Library from Jan. 22 through May 11, 2018.
“Designs of Duty” tells the stories of seven military veterans who served our country over a 45-year period throughout Asia and Europe. Veterans featured in the exhibit are Eric Hiltner and Wilson Reynolds of Charleston, Ken Fernandes of Newman, Random Clavin of Nokomis, Adam Griffy of Olney, Shane Wright of Shelbyville and Lyle Gordon of Towanda.
Tattoos are a common symbol among the military, and this exhibit aims to explore the inspiration and meanings behind them, as well as the stories of the veterans themselves. Pride, patriotism and honor are common themes in the artwork chosen by the veterans showcased in “Designs of Duty.”
Related exhibits on display include military flags; “Symbols of Service,” featuring University of Illinois student veterans; aircraft nose art from World War II to today; and Vietnam War helmet graffiti.
“Designs of Duty” is free and open to the public. For more information click here.
Booth Library’s regular hours are 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 1 a.m. Sunday. For more information on the library, call 581-6072 or find the library on Facebook or Twitter.
Thesis 101 seminars to be offered
Posted on January 10th, 2018
Booth Library faculty Steve Brantley, Kirstin Duffin and Ellen Corrigan, in cooperation with the Graduate Student Advisory Council, will again offer three Thesis Research 101 workshops.
Thesis 101 Seminar 1: Researching the Literature with Steve Brantley will be offered from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 6 and again from 10-11 a.m. Feb. 7.
Thesis 101 Seminar 2: Organizing Your References Using Citation Management Software with Kirstin Duffin will be offered from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 13 and again from 10-11 a.m. Feb. 14.
Thesis 101 Seminar 3: Presenting Your Thesis (to the World) with Ellen Corrigan will be offered from 7-8 p.m. Feb. 20 and again from 10-11 a.m. Feb. 21.
All sessions will meet in Room 4450 at Booth Library. Register for the free seminars here.
For more information contact Steve Brantley, head of Reference Services, at 581-7542 or jsbrantley@eiu.edu.
Explore the Solar System
Posted on January 10th, 2018
It seems fitting that this new BTC blog would launch with a post about our wonderful new books about outer space and the solar system.
This past Fall, the BTC received a generous donation from alumna, Dr. Annette Christy (Class of 1964). The donation was designated for non-fiction curriculum materials about the solar system, art, and music. In particular, our books about the solar system, planets, and space travel needed an update.
To determine which titles to select, I found this excellent website with recommendations of exemplary titles about outer space for children. I determined which books the website recommended best fit with the Next Generation Science Standards and the needs of our pre-service teachers doing lesson planning. I was then able to add up-to-date books at a variety of reading levels. I also consulted the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) publications and found some wonderful teaching resources related to exploring the solar system. I am so excited to share these new resources with you. I also want to send a warm thank you to Dr. Christy for her generous support of Booth Library, the Ballenger Teachers Center, and our teacher education program. We would not have been able to accomplish this much needed update without her generosity!
Students and faculty, please come take a look at this wonderful display. Perhaps your next thematic unit can orbit around the solar system! Stay tuned for a future post about the other wonderful materials donated by Dr. Christy.
Here’s a list of our new items on display:
Astronomy Lab for Kids: 52 Family-friendly Activities
Eastern students, faculty and staff members are encouraged to take a tour of Booth Library and find out what the library has to offer.
Twenty-minute tours will be offered regularly during the first four weeks of the semester. There’s no need to sign up; just come to the reference desk on the north end of the library to join in any of the tours Monday through Thursday. Tours will be offered at 10 a.m., 1 and 4 p.m. through Feb. 1. The library will be closed on Jan. 15 in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Tours are also offered by appointment. Contact a reference librarian at 581-6072 to schedule a tour.
Students: Enter your research work
Posted on January 8th, 2018
Eastern Illinois University students who have used Booth Library resources to enhance their research are encouraged to enter the library’s “Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity” program.
The program is open to all Eastern Illinois University students. If campus finances allow, cash prizes of up to $300 will be awarded, in addition to certificates of recognition.
The student entry may be a written work, art piece, exhibit, musical work, documentary, performance or another format.
The 2018 guidelines, application and form can be found here. For more information, call 581-6061.
Entries should be delivered to the Administration Office, Room 4700, Booth Library, no later than noon March 23. Recipients will be selected by April 6, and the winners will be announced during National Library Week, April 9-13. Works submitted for competition must have been completed within the last 12 months.
These awards are not intended to duplicate or replace any other standing campus awards. Selected entries will become a part of Booth Library’s Student Research and Creativity Collection.
