Library News
Mend and Customize at Sewing Machine Workshop November 19
Posted on October 30th, 2025
Looking for a creative and practical hobby that can be used for everyday life? Booth Library invites the EIU community to attend the Sewing Machine Workshop at the Center of Student Innovation! This instructor-tailored workshop will be led by Jenna Gove, assistant professor at the Theater Department.
This workshop introduces the set up and operation of sewing machines. Attendees will learn general sewing skills, such as how to thread a sewing machine, adjust stitch length and width, stitch straight and curved seams, and more! After learning the basics of sewing, participants can reserve a sewing machine to use at the Center of Student Innovation.
The Sewing Machine Workshop will be hosted on November 19th from 4 pm to 5:30 pm at the Center of Student Innovation, located on the 1000 level of Booth Library. Participants will receive scrap fabric to work with. Please register through LibCal by November 19th to ensure access to materials.
Learn to 3D Print at Instructor-Tailored Workshop November 11
Posted on October 27th, 2025
Want to make your own highly detailed 3D prints? Booth Library invites the EIU community to attend the Resin 3D Printing workshop at the Center of Student Innovation! This instructor-tailored workshop will be led by Dr. Devansh Saini, assistant professor at the School of Technology.
Resin 3D Printing will teach participants the basics of setting up and operating resin printers. This workshop will cover skills such as how to handle resin, process a 3D model in slicer software, start a 3D print, and post-process; post-processing includes both washing and curing before the part is ready.
The Resin 3D Printing workshop will be hosted on November 11th from 5 pm to 6 pm at the Center of Student Innovation, located on the 1000 level of Booth Library. Please register through LibCal to confirm attendance.
Become an Empowered Researcher October 27-30
Posted on October 24th, 2025
Booth Library provides the EIU community with resources to strengthen their research abilities! Every day from October 27th to October 30th, Booth Library will be hosting 30-minute workshops on how to utilize research tools and strategies. Each workshop will start at 4:30 p.m. on the main floor near the Research Help desk. Snacks will be provided, and there will be a chance to win dining dollars!
From improving internet literacy to searching through databases, these workshops will cover a variety of helpful tips and tricks for scholarly research:
- October 27th: Learn how to effectively use Google and Wikipedia
- October 28th: Cut reading time in half while reading scholarly articles
- October 29th: Use ZoteroBib to generate citations and bibliographies
- October 30th: Search through databases with the help of AI
Register for these workshops and find more events on LibCal: https://eiu.libcal.com/calendar/workshops?cid=17034&t=g&d=0000-00-00&cal=17034&inc=0
Put Your Data on the Map at GIS Workshop October 29th
Posted on October 21st, 2025
Want to know how you can make better sense of the world’s data? Booth Library invites the EIU community to attend the Introduction to GIS workshop, hosted by geography professor and director of the EIU GIScience Center Dr. Barry Kronenfeld!
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used to visualize and analyze data on maps. Introduction to GIS will guide participants through the fundamentals of data visualization in GIS and how to connect data in tables (e.g. Excel spreadsheets) with mapped features. In this hands-on workshop, participants will create maps of agricultural production and other phenomena throughout the U.S. by county.
The Introduction to GIS workshop will be hosted on October 29th from 4 pm to 5:30 pm at the Center of Student Innovation, located on the 1000 level of Booth Library. The necessary data and software for the workshop will be provided. Please register through LibCal by October 29th to ensure software access.
Booth Library Hosts Open Access Week Round Table on OER@EIU
Posted on October 14th, 2025
Booth Library invites the campus community to a round table discussion celebrating Open Access Week 2025 on Monday, October 20, from 2–3 p.m. in the West Reading Room.
Faculty panelists Aimee Janssen-Robinson, Jeff Cranstoun, and Jay Bickford will share how EIU instructors are using Open Educational Resources (OER) to enhance teaching, enrich student learning, and expand access to knowledge.
Through the OER@EIU Grant Program, supported by Booth Library and the Faculty Development and Innovation Center, faculty redesigned 16 courses for the 2024–2025 academic year—saving students an estimated $103,000 in textbook costs.
EIU’s pop-culture convention, Comic Fest, was incredibly well-attended with over 1,300 visitors.
Posted on October 9th, 2025
EIU’s pop-culture convention, Comic Fest, was incredibly well-attended with over 1,300 visitors. Comic Fest was hosted by Booth Library on September 27th, 2025, and was the first of its kind to be held at EIU. Complimentary tote bags with freebies provided by event sponsors were given to the first 200 attendees—all the bags were given out within the opening hour! EIU student Connor Mellot, member of EIU’s Japanese Culture Club, shared his enjoyment of the large crowd and activities: “I was excited to see that so many students showed up and that many came wearing cool costumes. There were tons of cool things to see and experience across the whole library which was really fun.”
The number of participants for Comic Fest’s activities went beyond expectation. The escape room was a stand-out event; reservations filled every time slot for the whole six hours! The cosplay contest was open to individuals and groups of ages and skill levels. There were 21 participants in the cosplay contest and eight winners, with a notably large and enthusiastic crowd.
Two EIU alums lead discussions and breakout sessions during the event: Marvel screenwriter/producer Craig Titley and Mortal Kombat artist Paul Niemeyer. Titley had high praise of the event as a long-time attendee of conventions such as Comic Fest: “I’ve been attending the real Comic-Con in San Diego for over 25 years both as a fan and a speaker, and I can tell you with complete certainty that the Booth Library had 100% captured the true Comic-Con vibe. I was blown away.”
In preparation for Comic Fest, Booth Library was completely decked out in decorations and exhibits. Elaborate exhibits featuring iconic comic books, informational posters, and carboard standups of famous characters are displayed throughout the library. These exhibits will be up through early November. The public is invited to explore numerous pop culture exhibits at Booth Library!
Over 1600 new items added to library collections in September
Posted on October 6th, 2025
Booth Library’s collections are constantly growing to meet the research and information needs of the EIU community. Last month, Booth Library acquired and cataloged 416 physical items (books, DVDs, government documents, archival resources, and more) and 1267 electronic resources (including ebooks, ejournals, digital audiobooks, EIU student theses, and streaming videos). Individual issues of current periodicals are excluded. All items are discoverable through the library’s online catalog.
New acquisitions include items selected for purchase by Booth’s subject librarians, donations, re-cataloged library items, freely available government publications, and consortium-wide purchases.
Please contact your subject librarian with any questions.
Booth Library’s 75th anniversary Rededication Ceremony
Posted on October 6th, 2025
In honor of Booth Library’s 75th anniversary, we invite the EIU campus and community members to join us for a rededication ceremony on Friday, October 10, at 4:00 p.m. in the West Reading Room. The celebratory program will be brief, with remarks from President Gatrell and faculty and student representatives, followed by refreshments. We look forward to celebrating this EIU milestone with you.
Level Up Your Skills: October Workshops at the CSI
Posted on October 2nd, 2025
Throughout October, the Center of Student Innovation at Booth Library will be hosting seven events dedicated to helping you learn more about the growing world of technology! These events are open to people of all expertise; from beginners to experts, you are welcome to participate! Look through the list of events happening this October:
- Up your photography game during the Green Screen 101 workshop hosted on Thursday October 2nd from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Stressed out? Learn how to print fidget toys and other gadgets during the 3D Printing workshop hosted on Wednesday October 8th from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Monday October 27th from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Learn about the CSI’s Podcasting Studio in the Podcasting 101 workshop hosted on Tuesday October 14th from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Thursday October 30th from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Dive into the technical process of producing audio during the Audio Production workshop hosted on Wednesday October 22nd from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
All events take place at the 1000 level of Booth Library in the Center of Student Innovation. Sign up to attend workshops through LibCal. For more information, please contact the CSI at csi@eiu.edu.
Win $1,000: Submit Your Art to Booth Library’s 75th Anniversary Showcase
Posted on October 1st, 2025
In honor of its 75th anniversary, the Mary J. Booth Library invites Eastern Illinois University students and recent graduates to submit original works of art that celebrate the people, places, voices, and lived experiences of Central Illinois. This initiative will expand Booth Library’s permanent public art collection while spotlighting regional identity and student creativity.
-Works of merit will be exhibited in a Spring 2026 showcase.
-From the exhibited works, the First Place Winner and Honorable Mentions will be jury-selected.
-1 First Place winner will receive a $1,000 prize and will have their work permanently installed in Booth Library.
-Up to 4 Honorable Mentions will receive $100 each.
Key Details:
Eligibility: Open to all current EIU students and recent alumni (graduated Spring 2023 or later).
Accepted Formats: 2D & 3D works in any medium suitable for wall mounting (no free-standing pieces can be accepted).
Deadline: January 16, 2026.
Submit via: https://tarbleartscenter.slideroom.com/#/login/program/86486
Works must be original and produced in their entirety by an individual artist. AI-assisted, AI-derived, and AI-generated works are ineligible for submission. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration. Earn recognition for your creativity and talent!
Full details and submission instructions at: https://tarbleartscenter.slideroom.com/#/login/program/86486
Questions? Please contact us at booth@eiu.edu.
