The JKM Library Blog

November 2023

The library supports faculty and students’ academic pursuits during their time at Chatham by providing access to academic databases, journals, and specialized research services. But the library also supports rest and recreation! Ensuring time for adequate relaxation and creativity supports better physical and mental health and allows for individuals to accomplish more in the long term. To this end, the library has always acquired recreational reading and viewing materials. We purchase bestsellers, comic books, cookbooks, buzzy nonfiction, and popular book club picks alongside our academic titles. And while we’ve always maintained a Popular Reading display, this year we’ve put a spin on it. The library’s new Quick & Easy Reading Display has taken the space of the Popular Reading Display after a request from English as a Second Language faculty inspired ideas around how the library presents its collections. We know that the Chatham community is busy, especially students. We also know that learning English is challenging. It’s not an easy language. But reading engaging books written in English at a more attainable level is a great way to extend proficiency in the language. Thus, the Quick & Easy Reading Display was born. Chatham community members can browse a selection of Young Adult, Middle Grade, and less challenging Adult titles written in English, as well as poetry collections, graphic novels, and comic books. The goal is not to patronize students, but to give them something they can quickly enjoy and easily digest. Stop into the JKM Library today to browse this display, which lives on the built-in bookshelves to the right of the main entrance when you walk in (against the windows). Questions about this or any other displays in the library? Contact Reference & Outreach Librarian Jocelyn Codner. 

October 2022

October is National Book Month! The JKM Library has thousands of best sellers and fun reading for you to enjoy along side our academic and research focused resources. You can check out any book using your Chatham ID as a library card,  and you can keep them for the entire semester. For more borrowing policies, check our “Borrowing Policies” page on our website. There are multiple ways you can go about finding the perfect book in the JKM Library:

1. Ask the Reference Librarian. The Reference Librarian can be found at the main desk to the left when you walk into the library building, or you can email them at jkmref@chatham.edu. If you aren’t sure where a particular book is, or if you’d like a book recommendation, the Reference Librarian is always happy to help! 
2. Browse our in-library book displays. The first floor of the library building has multiple themed displays that feature books and films that you are welcome to check out at any time! These displays are to the right when you enter the building, around the comfortable seating. 
3. Browse the bookshelves in the library. Use this handy reference sheet to locate specific genres in our collection, and enjoy browsing until a title grabs your attention.
4. Watch our how-to videos on how to search for books in our catalog. We have a few quick videos that may be helpful to you as you try locating books in our collection through our catalog on our website: A. Browsing JKM Library Catalog Online B. Finding Books in the Library Catalog (discusses keywords and how to locate the book in the building) C. Placing Holds on Library Items 
5. We have over one million ebooks! For those of you who can’t visit us in person, you can still browse and checkout ebooks through our website. We have everything from biographies to poetry, academic titles to best sellers. Select the “ebooks” in our main search box on the homepage and search away. 

We hope you can find a book that delights you in our collection, but if we don’t have what you’re looking for, ask us about EZBorrow! Happy reading!  

March 2022

We at the JKM Library know how difficult COVID-19 has been on our Chatham community. Many of us have never had the opportunity to meet, when in normal circumstances there would have been plenty of moments for librarians and library staff to meet you, help you personally, and put faces to names. Now that we are mostly back on campus, and some faces are being revealed, we decided to put together a fun “Staff Picks” book display and Spotify playlist to help you get to know us a bit better! Stop into the JKM Library in March to browse our physical book display showing off some of the library staff’s favorite books from our collection, and visit our Spotify account to listen to a playlist of some of our favorite songs. We have a broad range of tastes, and we’re always delighted to talk to you about books, music and more! If you’d like to get in contact with one of the librarians, you can find our emails on our Staff Directory page of our website. All books included in the display are available for you to checkout and read yourself. Perhaps you’ll discover a new personal favorite. Keep reading to learn more about your library staff, our areas of academic expertise (that we’re more than happy to help you in), fun facts and interesting hobbies about each of us, and then the book and song we each picked!

Jill Ausel
Job title: Library Director
Favorite part of job: I really enjoy my job, and the
best part is helping students and making the library a place of learning and fun.
A fun fact: I’m an Ancient Greek History nerd!
My book pick: The Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World by Adrienne Mayor
My song pick: “In These Shoes?” by Kristy MacColl

Kate Wenger
Job title: Head of Access Service
Liaison areas: Accounting, Business, Economics, Criminology, Psychology, Social Work
Favorite part of job: Working with students, including our wonderful student workers!
An interesting hobby: I enjoy vegetable gardening,
and I love the snow and am excited to use my new cross-country skis again soon!
My book pick: Think Again by Adam Grant
My song pick: “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker” by O.A.R.

Dana Mastroianni
Job title: Head of Public Services
Liaison areas: Health Sciences, Art & Design, Communication
Favorite part of job: Being a practical help to students. Helping them discover, think and rethink,
and successfully fulfill their information needs. And my fellow librarians are pretty awesome
An interesting skill: My car karaoke skills are on point.
My book pick: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
My song pick: “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2

Daniel Lincoln Nolting
Job title: Head of Technical Services
Specialty areas: Data and materials management.
Favorite part of job: Stickers! Putting call numbers on books! Never gets old…
An interesting skill: Along with an MFA in painting, while in NYC, I also learned an old Japanese woodcut method.
My book pick: These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore
My song pick: “Keep It Comin’ Love” by KC & The Sunshine Band

Molly Tighe
Job title: Archivist & Public Services Librarian
Academic expertise: Archives, preservation, and museums
Liaison areas: History, Political Science, Policy Studies, Bio, Chem, Math, Physics
Favorite part of job: Sharing and discovering (or helping others discover) Chatham history and how it informs campus activities today.
An interesting hobby: I sew my clothes! While I still
wear a fair bit of ready-to-wear, I try to include a me-made in every outfit.
My book pick: Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven Stoll
My song pick: “Jolie Holland” by All the Morning Birds

Jocelyn Codner
Job title: Reference & Outreach Librarian
Liaison areas: Food Studies, Sustainability,
Environmental Science, Education, English, Creative Writing/MFA
Favorite part of job: Working one-on-one with students!
An interesting skill: I play Irish flute.
A fun fact: I used to DJ my high school dances.
My book pick: The Diviners by Libba Bray
My song pick: “No Quiero Saber” by Selena

Carina Stopenski
Job title: Access Services Associate
Academic expertise: Gender and cultural studies, media studies, comics
Favorite part of job: Getting to see all the
interesting titles that patrons request!
A fun fact: I love to collect natural curios, like rocks, herbs, crystals, and resins!
My book pick: Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
My song pick: “Calamity Song” by The Decemberists

Jennifer Langilotti
Job title: Technical Services Assistant
Favorite part of job: Learning from more experienced librarians.
A fun fact: Good at Tetris!
My book pick: A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
My song pick: “Dennis Quaid” by Taylor Janzen

Alley Lindner
Job title: Reference Associate
Specialty areas: English Literature with a focus in Queer Theory
Other areas of interest: Juicy pop culture takes!
Favorite part of job: I love working with students–helping with research, talking through book recommendations, etc.
A fun fact: I was named after my grandmother’s three-legged dog.
My book pick: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
My song pick: “Motion Sickness” by Phoebe Bridgers

Chelsea Gabrielson
Job title: Reference Associate
Specialty areas: Health Sciences and Children’s Literature
Favorite part of job: I love when I can help students with research!
A fun fact: I once did a 185-mile bicycle ride down the coast of Oregon.
My book pick: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
My song pick: “Dark Red” by Steve Lacy

Amy Melnyk
Job title: Reference Associate
Specialty areas: Social Sciences
Favorite part of job: Definitely helping students!
A fun fact: I have 51 tabs currently open.
My book pick: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
My song pick: “Family Affair” by Mary J. Blige

Jackson Adkins
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Management Information Systems, Data Science minor
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Getting journals and scanning them from the basement!
A hobby: I have been snowboarding for 12 years.
An interesting skill: I can clap with one hand!
My book pick: Kaffir Boy: The True Story of a Black
Youth’s Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa by Mark Mathabane
My song pick: “Footsteps in the Dark” by The Isley Brothers

Trai BreenLusen
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: English, Creative Writing and Studio Arts minors
Area of academic interest: Animation
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Pulling books for EZ Borrow and packing mail.
Something interesting about me: I’m an artist hoping to start my own business.
My book pick: The Hobbit: There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkin
My song pick: “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic! At The Disco

Riley Hurst Brubaker
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Journalism and Film
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Shelving and interacting with staff and fellow students.
An interesting skill: Arranging flower bouquets.
My book pick: A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey and Kali Nicole Gross
My song pick: “Highway Unicorn” by The Highwomen

Leyla Fevola
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Mathmatics and Secondary Education
Favorite task at the JKM Library: I love helping and creating projects with other staff members!
Something interesting about me: I am a dual citizen, I am a citizen of the USA and Italy!
My book pick: Beautiful Boy by David Sheff
My song pick: “All For Us” by Labrinth and Zendaya

Becca Pennington
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Exercise Science
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Stack searches (searching for missing books)
A hobby of mine: I run cross country and track
My book pick: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
My song pick: “Runaway” by Linkin Park

Jolie Phan
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Human Biology
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Checking books in and out to patrons
A hobby of mine: I love playing the piano and violin
My book pick: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
My song pick: “Heroes” by David Bowie

Stephanie Spano
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Cell and Molecular Biology
Area of Academic Interest: Genetics
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Stack searches
(searching for missing books) or helping patrons at the desk!
A fun fact about me: I’ve been to 25 out of 50 states in the US!
My book pick: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
My song pick: “Oh My God” by Adele

Julia Windsheimer
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Interior Architecture, Music minor
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Shelving books
A hobby of mine: I like playing the flute
My book pick: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
My song pick: “Rock and Roll” by The Velvet Underground

Savannah Wood
Job title: Access Services Aide
Major: Psychology
Favorite task at the JKM Library: Doing inventory
An interesting skill of mine: I can twirl batons and was the majorette captain at my high school.
My book pick: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur My song pick: “Thelma + Louise” by Bastille

December 2021

As the world begins to open back up again and we start to see each other beyond the fuzziness of a Zoom screen, sitting at home reading may be the furthest thing from our minds. However, 2021 gave us some fantastic titles, both entertaining and educational alike. With a breadth of pandemic and political literature at the forefront of the literary movement right now, though, it can be beneficial to sit down with some creative titles to keep us engaged over the winter break. Here are some of 2021’s best books that you can find right here in the JKM Library collection! Call Us What We Carry, Amanda Gorman After performing her poem “The Hill We Climb” at the 2020 inauguration, Amanda Gorman quickly became a household name. Her use of impactful aesthetics, politically charged dialogue, and sprawling free verse creates an honest, almost journalistic approach in her writing that even non-poetry fans can enjoy. The collection’s inclusion of “The Hill We Climb” sets up this text to fit in the collections of humanitarians and political activists alike. Only released just this December, Gorman’s words will keep audiences engaged, enamored, and most importantly, motivated to make change in the world that we live in. Punch Me Up to the Gods, Brian Broome This memoir from Chatham alum Brian Broome has made its way onto many book lists and accrued a few awards already this year, and for good reason. Broome’s striking portrayal of growing up Black and gay in Ohio’s Rust Belt. Full of striking prose and unflinching portrayals of a complex adolescence, Broome’s words will make your heart ache in the best way possible. Broome opens up the reader to a version of Appalachia that is unlike the whitewashed depictions we’re so used to seeing in the media. This year’s Kirkus Prize winner for nonfiction, Punch Me Up to the Gods has garnered attention from all over the literary world. An Alternative History of Pittsburgh, Ed Simon You don’t need to be a history buff to enjoy Ed Simon’s book on eclectic Pittsburgh history. In this nonfiction text on Pittsburgh’s hidden histories, Simon opens up the reader to a Pittsburgh that is not often discussed. An accessible read that presents history in an easy-to-follow narrative, this book breathes life into local tales spanning from the Whiskey Rebellion to the legacy of Andy Warhol, with plenty of vignettes in between. Simon highlights a version of Pittsburgh that even locals may be shocked to learn about, and all through a lens that’s both entertaining and informative. American Bastard, Jan Beatty Pittsburgh poet Jan Beatty has released another poetry collection, this one specifically centering around her identity as an adopted child. Beatty recalls the search for her birth parents with heart-wrenching lyricism and the effects of a broken system that decentralizes identity. Beatty holds back no punches when she discusses the corruption of the adoption industry and the nuances of parenthood once the bridge between birth family and adoptive family starts to crumble. Her approach is stark, but still hopeful for a future that could be better for adoptees. The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, Deeshaw Philyaw Even though it was released at the tail end of 2020, Deeshaw Philyaw’s short story collection gained a ton of traction in 2021. A tour-de-force example of literary fiction, Philyaw paints vivid scenes of the lives of Black women and girls, punctuated by themes of sexuality and religious-associated guilt. Drawing from the “church ladies” that she knew growing up in the church, women who approached life in a perfectionist, godly way, Philyaw forces us to question the rhetoric surrounding Black women’s bodies and sexual feelings. We Could Be Heroes, Mike Chen Mike Chen’s speculative fiction-superhero novel is one that’ll keep readers on their toes from start to finish. Telling the story of two amnesiacs who have mysteriously gained superpowers, Chen explores the intricacies of the human condition paired with some high-octane action scenes and witty dialogue. When these two superpowered characters encounter each other in a memory loss support group, readers get to watch the unraveling and paranoia happen firsthand. A fast-paced read for the hero in all of us. 
~Carina Stopenski is the Access Services Associate at Chatham University’s Jennie King Mellon Library. They started out as a student worker while getting their creative writing degree at Chatham, and received their Master’s of Library Science at Clarion University in summer 2020. They enjoy games of both the board and video persuasion, vegan baking, and reading graphic novels. They also teach cultural studies and “cartoon theory” classes on the platform Outschool. 
 

December 2021

The JKM Library is honoring the cultures and history of Native Americans through a book display. Native American and Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month may have already passed (please take a look at our related resources page), but we should continue to reflect on the past, present, and future of these communities and their relationship to of the United States of America: how Indigenous people were colonized, how they were almost decimated, and how they are still oppressed. We recognize that we occupy the unceded, ancestral land of many Indigenous peoples, including the Delaware, the Shawnee, and the Seneca Nation, who were members of the Haudenosaunee (hoe-dee-no-SHOW-nee) Confederacy. As recently as the 1960s, nearly one-third of the Seneca’s tribal lands were taken by the U.S. government to build the Kinzua Dam northeast of the Pittsburgh (for more on land acknowledgments, see this handout). Located in the first floor, the display offers a curated selection of more than 40 books with an interdisciplinary focus, ranging from literature and history to environmental studies. Part of our goal is to make these resources more visible, which often remain hidden in the stacks. In addition, we wanted to center texts by Indigenous voices. In the case of books by non-Native American authors, we have tried to include works that are inclusive in their approach and do not reproduce problematic stereotypes. For instance, we excluded a critically acclaimed book, S.C. Gwynne’s Empire of the Summer Moon, because of its description of the Comanches as “primitive” and “barbarian.” Such language harks back to the racist discourse of past centuries, but the book was published only ten years ago and was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. We also did not choose to share most of our Native American art books because they perpetuate the colonialist idea that Indigenous cultures are to be collected by white institutions without any attention to Native American perspectives. It is therefore urgent to share correctives to these narratives, especially from the perspective of institutions like ours, which not only occupy unceded land but also play a role in the formation of collective memory. In addition, the library’s DVD collection does not include any films directed by Native Americans except for Reel Injun, a documentary about the depiction of indigeneity in Hollywood movies, which is part of the display. We hope to be adding more items to our collection that reflect these concerns. We invite everyone to experience the exhibit and check out any books that might interest you. Some books that we would like to highlight because of their importance for Native American history and cultures are: Roxane Dunbar-Ortiz, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States (history) Two-Spirit People: Native American Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Spirituality (gender and sexuality) Natalie Diaz, When My Brother Was an Aztec (poetry) Cherie Dimaline, The Marrow Thieves (fiction) The Book of Elders: the life Stories of Great American Indians (testimony) Terese Marie Mailhot, Heart Berries (memoir) Native Americans and the Environment: Perspectives on the Ecological Indian (environmental studies) David J. Silverman, This Land is their Land: the Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the Troubled history of Thanksgiving (history) Sean Sherman, The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen (cooking)
~Khalila Chaar-Pérez (she/they) is Reference Associate at the JKM Library and also works at the People’s Media Record, a grassroots video archive in Philly. She’s a proud trans Puerto Rican committed to cultivating transformative justice, antiracism, and a world without capitalism. She is also an avid hiker, a film nerd, and a trekkie. 

January 2021

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown was a wonderful book. At several points in the book I found myself wondering what the next twist would be. The Da Vinci Code is about a symbologist named Robert Langdon. One night, while staying in Paris, he is called to the Louvre to help out on a murder investigation. The victim is in a peculiar pose with instructions to find Langdon scrawled on the floor. Little to his knowledge, Langdon is being investigated as one of the criminals. Now to clear his name, Langdon must solve the mystery himself using his knowledge of symbols. I enjoyed how the author tied symbology into his novel. I learned things that I was not expecting to in a way that did not feel like I was in a class. I also feel that the action packed novel kept me engaged with the characters. I often found myself sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the next piece of the puzzle to be revealed. I highly recommend The Da Vinci Code to any who love mysteries or even to those looking for an adventure. You can put a hold on The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown today through the JKM Library catalog and pick the book up at the library! Click here to get started. 
Nerice Breen Lusen is an English Major here at Chatham University with a minor in Creative Writing. They have been working at the Jenny King Mellon Library as a student worker since their freshmen year, starting in 2018. Following their time at Chatham they plan to gain their master’s degree in Library and Information Science and become a librarian themself. 
 

December 2020

2020 has truly been a year of turmoil and adversity, but that doesn’t mean it stopped the literature industry from producing new gems. Our shifting cultural climate has been met with a new wave of prose and poetry that addresses issues of injustice on a deeper level, and now more than ever, books are providing us with an outlet for the powerlessness we’re feeling due to the effects of this year’s chaos. In order to be culturally responsible literary citizens, we need to expand our horizons and develop as wide of a cultural canon as we can. I’ve compiled a list of 2020’s best inclusive titles and while the JKM Library is currently closed for the winter season before the next semester, upon our reopening, patrons can utilize E-ZBorrow and Interlibrary Loan to request newer title that we may not have on our own shelves. Best Fiction The Night Watchman, by Louise Erdrich Erdrich is known for her impressive blend of historical and literary fiction, highlighting the struggles of Native Americans suffering the effects of colonialism. The Night Watchman is loosely based on Erdrich’s grandfather’s experience working as a nightwatchman during the Native dispossession era. One of the novel’s protagonists, Patrice, desires a life outside of the reservation and rejects the matriarchal roles that are setout for her, longing to move to Minneapolis to follow the lead of her older sister. The second hero, Thomas, is a night watchman and Chippewa council member on their North Dakota reservation, fighting against Congress’ new “termination” bill to eradicate Native communities. Erdrich does not romanticize life on the rez–rather, she paints a colorful cast of characters that encapsulates the essence of the Native struggle, one that is poignant, witty, and tender. The Death of Vivek Oji, by Akwaeke Emezi  Powerhouse newcomer Akwaeke Emezi third novel addresses the intersection of African identity with queer identity, highlighting otherness, isolation, and the feeling of finding home. A deep, complex mystery that finds itself in the middle of political reform in the 1990s Nigeria, The Death of Vivek Oji forces the reader into complicated literary disorientation. The titular protagonist Vivek struggles with dissociation and a sense of belonging, befriending the mixed-race children of immigrant mothers to Africa and struggling with what he considers a “sinful” relationship. Emezi’s swirling prose coupled with the layered cultural narrative present in the novel creates a tension that is so hard to achieve in literary fiction, but when attained, is incredibly significant. Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel, by Julian K. Jarboe This is my personal favorite title of 2020, and for good reason. Jarboe’s debut fiction collection covers everything from cyberpunk dystopia, body horror, mythical lore, subtle romance, and stories of abusive religious institutions. All of these vastly different narratives share a common thread, though: the constant threat of being stripped of our individuality, whether it be our culture, our community, our physical vessel. Jarboe’s literary voice is spectacular from segment to segment and the pacing never falls flat. I particularly enjoyed the stories “I Am a Beautiful Bug!,” which is part love letter to Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and part transgender allegory, and “Self Care,” an antiestablishment stream-of consciousness narrative that highlights the end of times at the hands of ostentatious religiosity and greed. Homeland Elegies, by Ayad Akhtar Loosely inspired by Akhtar’s own experiences as an Arab-American following 9/11, Homeland Elegies tells the story of a family struggling with feelings of national dispossession. While the story is fictional, the content is autobiographical in nature, drawing directlyontheoppression thatAkhbar felt in the field of the humanities. He makes you long for an America that never truly existed, one that could have hyperbolized peace and unity. Rather, we’re exposed to a more complex, pessimistic America whose racial bias and detestment of immigrants bleeds through to our everyday life whether we’re cognizant of it or not. Best Nonfiction Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that a Movement Forgot, by Mikki Kendall If 2020 has taught us anything, it is that racial injustice has always been a reality, it has only become more apparent in the media because we have more access to the struggles of others. Kendall discusses the overwhelming power of white feminism, and how so often gender overpowers other facets of identity. The crux at which true allyship happens includes race, class, ability, and sexuality, and Kendall’s thesis statement enforces that all issues of denial to access are issues of feminism. The critique of mainstream feminist scholars is biting and well-written, tackling issues like food insecurity, education, medical care, and more in its analysis. Kendall truly reminds us that it’s not feminism unless it’s inclusive and intersectional. Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, by Cathy Park Hong Part immigration memoir, part critical cultural studies, Hong’s essays directly confront modern-day racial consciousness here in America with a twist. What she calls “minor feelings” are stand-ins for the grief, shame, and internalized notions about race that we face in a society that is so inherently whitewashed. Hong works to unpack this implicit bias of self and others in a way that is both intellectual and entertaining, peppering in stories from her youth to punctuate the more theoretical elements of the text. Park discusses the stereotypes typically inscribed upon Asian Americans; she manages to blend the educational with the conversational in a way that even the newest of allies can process. Me and White Supremacy, by Layla Saad What started as an Instagram challenge to encourage white people to address their implicit biases became one of the year’s best tools for white allies to use to confront their implicit biases surrounding race and ethnicity. Saad creates a resource that elevates BIPOC people and teaches white people about their levels of privilege and unconscious engagement in the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy without forcing people of color to exert their emotional labor. So often, communities exploit the emotional and mental work of its scholars of color and assume they will be educators for white people without providing compensation. This book can provide that insight for white allies to understand that they must use their power to support people of color, and that with privilege comes a special position to support others. The Undocumented Americans, by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio DACA recipient Villavicencio decided to start writing this collection in response to the 2016 election results, and in it paints a beautiful depiction of undocumented immigrants in the United States. She meets with immigrants all over the country and learns their stories in order to come up with some semblance of her own. It is a touching, unrestrained take on refuge and sanctuary, how with citizenship comes privilege, and the denial to access that goes hand-in-hand with undocumented status. Rather than living in the shadows of her own identity, Villavicencio advocates on behalf of other undocumented people in an unflinching critique on how our society treats those simply seeking solace in the world. Best Poetry Just Us: An American Conversation, by Claudia Rankine A spiritual successor to her collection Citizen, Rankine tackles the big issues of white supremacy in a jarring collection of poems, short prose, and art. Just Us highlights the microcosms of Americana, a nation divided, and how indifference has made even liminal spaces hostile for non-white individuals. Rankine dives into the politics of politeness, calling attention to the way that privilege often encourages the majority to turn a blind eye to oppression and marginalization. Her poetic voice is blatant and urgent while still providing a strong aesthetic flow, a varied poetic voice that has cemented itself as one of the most strikingofthe21st century. Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems, by Wanda Coleman. Poetry spanning a forty year body of work, Wicked Enchantment is a consciously anti-racist collection that confronts marginalization with humor, ennui, and sometimes anger. Coleman’s legacy on the poetry community is insurmountable, and with an introduction and edits from the great Terrence Hayes, she so rawly and honestly depicts the progression of racism in America. The poems in this collection are not about being pretty or being pleasing. They are about feeling and filling a void where society has failed us. In addition to the overarching theme of racial injustice, Coleman also tackles concepts like mental illness, wealth inequality, and the failings of the healthcare system particularly against Black women. This is a dense read, but a very worthwhile one. Music for the Dead and Resurrected: Poems, by Valzhyna Mort Belarusian poet Mort discusses the traumatic intergenerational legacy of war and propaganda in this heart-wrenching collection of love letters to the dead. She weaves historical elements likeWorld WarII, Soviet labor camps, and tyrannical dictatorships throughout the text, tracing the timeline of her native country’s development to her and her family’s experiences in these toxic, violent environments. Tethering her own comingof-age with the mythology of a fragmented nation, Mort creates a lyricism of ghosts, an existence that will always be permeated by the atrocities committed against or by our ancestors. Music for the Dead and Resurrected confronts the American historical myths and forces the reader to take an uncomfortable but nonetheless poetic look at how they got to where they are. Inheritance, by TaylorJohnson A recent release, TaylorJohnson asserts the precariousness of poor Black identity in a nation that constantly surveils our most at-risk populations in this collection. They elaborate in their poems about the intrinsic link of capitalism to the exploitation of bodies of color, and with broad lyricism, Johnson opens a dialogue as to what a world without the boundaries of class and financial standing would look like. Cynicism of cultural monoliths permeate the text as Johnson conveys their theories through the lens of radical love and sex. There is a stark juxtaposition of lightheartedness with the prison industrial complex, pleasure against poverty. This jarring dichotomy conveys the meaning of the collection: suffering will always plague us so long as we allow ourselves to adhere to oppressive cultural rules. Best Children’s and Young Adult You Should See Me in a Crown, by Leah Johnson Johnson’s debut novel is one that is sweet and fun, typical of YA, but tackles the very real issues of growing up a minority in small- town America. Protagonist Liz Lighty views herself as being “too Black, too poor, too awkward” to be taken seriously in her rural, conservative community, and she desires nothing more than to break out of this restrictive town and attend a prestigious university. Johnson highlights the very real threat of financial insecurity that plagues teens and young adults, and Liz’s reluctant journey to attain prom royalty to assure financial aid is an interesting subversion of the traditional high school narrative. It’s so important to see young, empowered Black girls in stories where they have agency and dreams, and where their hardships are not fetishized–Johnson creates a new kind of Black hero in Liz, one in which many young viewers can see bits of themselves. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor, by Hank Green The follow-up to Hank Green’s bestseller An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is just as stunning as its predecessor, a science- fiction tale that tackles concepts like colonization, decimation of lands, and class consciousness. Green’s social commentary is presented in a youth-friendly way, fast-paced and action- packed. The elements of mystery and eclectic cast of characters is what will draw you in, but the interesting theories surrounding technology, reality, and virtuality will keep you coming back for more. Considering Green’s science background, there’s validity to the scientific elements of the text, but it’s not so academic that it’ll go over the head of the readers. Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo In a similar style to her bestseller The Poet X, Acevedo crafts a novel-in-verse that ties together the notions of togetherness and grief in an incredibly touching testament to the power of familial love. Camino, who lives in the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira, who lives in New York City, are sisters who are totally unaware of one another’s existence until a horrible tragedy brings them together. Their intrinsic connection forces them to think about the boundaries between their cultures and what sorts of secrets lurked within their families. The blend of poetry and prose makes for an easy reading experience and the content helps to show the subtle differences between groups of Latinx identity. The Degenerates, by J. Albert Mann Disability is a subject of intersectionality that we don’t see too often in modern fiction, or at least when it’s not portrayed in the unfortunate genre of “inspiration porn.” The Degenerates does not glamorize the disabled experience in the case of mental, physical, and learning disabilities. Taking place in an institution for the mentally ill or disabled, these girls are not portrayed as weak, simple, or naive. Instead, they are empowered and fierce young women, dedicated to escaping the system that oppresses them. The Degenerates also doesn’t shy away from the severity of institutionalization–the interactions are coarse, belittling, and show the reality of living with a disability in a world that does not provide access or accommodations. Carina Stopenski is the Access Services Associate at Chatham University’s Jennie King Mellon Library. They started out as a student work while getting their creative writing degree at Chatham, and received their Master’s of Library Science at Clarion University in summer2020.Theyenjoygamesof both the board and video persuasion, vegan baking, and reading graphic novels. They also teach cultural studies and “cartoon theory” classes on the platform Outschool. 

December 2020

The book Carmilla is an 1872 English novella by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. Carmilla can be downloaded as a PDF from the library’s website or it can also be requested in tangible form through E-ZBorrow (when E-ZBorrow is accessible). The novella features the first appearances of a female vampire in English gothic literature. Carmilla served as an inspiration for Brim Stoker’s Dracula, which was published about twenty-five years later in May of 1897. The novella begins with a prologue from a doctor’s assistant explaining that the tale that follows is a recounting of events that befell one of the doctor’s patients. It is told from a young woman named Laura’s point of view. She begins by telling the reader of her first encounter with Carmilla when she was just six years old, saying that it is her oldest memory. She is left scared and scarred from this encounter. The story picks up years later as Laura explains the castle she and her father have come to live in. Together with Laura’s governess and “finishing governess” – as Laura calls her – Laura and her father live in Syria but are originally from England. One day Laura and her father receive a letter from one General Spielsdorf. He has unfortunately cancelled his visit to them because his niece and ward had died, claiming that she was killed by a monster. On a walk shortly after, a carriage crashes in front of Laura and her father. The riders of the carriage consist of an elderly woman and a younger woman the elder claims as her daughter. The young woman is hurt in the crash but seeing as her mother is on an important journey, she leaves her daughter in the care of Laura’s father. The girl is introduced as Carmilla, and Laura is excited to have a friend to spend the foreseeable days with. I thought the novella was well written, though the dialect – being that of the 1800’s can be a bit confusing for the modern reader. While I was reading there were passages that I read twice to make sure I understood them, but I don’t think this detracted from the story that was being told. Carmilla, the character, was not forth coming with details about herself. This gripped me as a reader and made me want to read onwards. Vampires are often characterized in stories with alluring and mysterious airs. Carmilla is no exception. There are often times in the story where either Carmilla speaks to Laura, vice versa, or even when Laura describes Carmilla to the reader that shows an attraction between the girls – romantically and even physically. It is not explicit in the novel that Carmilla and Laura are together in any sense, but it creates a dynamic between the two characters that made me want to read more. It made me what to learn more about the mysterious Carmilla just as Laura wished to. The story is not one of grand fights or intense dramas like novels or novellas of today, but I felt that Carmilla was a great book. It is a quick read and holds themes and motifs that are ahead of its time. Sydney Nerice Breen Lusen is an English Major here at Chatham University with a minor in Creative Writing. She has been working at the Jenny King Mellon Library as a student worker since her freshmen year, starting in 2018. Following her time at Chatham she plans to gain her master’s degree in Library and Information Science and become a librarian herself. 

February  2020

From the dated to the down-right goofy, we all know that library books can have some of the most outlandish covers ever seen. We know, we know…we’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover. And that’s true! Many amazing books have been saddled with less than appealing covers, and we should give them a fighting chance before writing them off, but for right now, for just this purpose, in this moment, we are going to judge the heck out of some book covers! Join us in March and April for our first ever Judge a Book by Its Cover bracket. We have selected 16 of our most ridiculous covers for you to compare and vote for the best/worst. Each book featured in the bracket is from our collection and is available for check-out by Chatham community members. You’ll be able to browse them at the Popular Reading display on the first floor of the JKM Library. We encourage you to pick them up and read their synopses! Because, after all, we can’t judge what’s inside by what’s outside, can we? We welcome you to check them out at any time. Round One will begin on Friday March 6th and last until Tuesday March 17th . Each following round will last about a week, wrapping up on Monday April 6th ! Voting during each round will happen in a number of ways. First, we will have the bracket laid out on our Art Wall on the first floor of the JKM Library. Don’t know where that is? Ask at the Circulation or Reference desks! Each book cover will be posted, and you will be able to vote for you favorite in each matchup by adding a sticker next to the cover you love to hate the most. We will also be posting each matchup to social media and will encourage folks to vote for their favorites in the comments. Votes will be tallied at the end of each round and added to the votes from the Art Wall. Winners will then move on to the next round, and so on and so forth until we have selected our most gloriously bad book cover! If you want to play along, you can download a bracket here or pick one up in the library. The book covers are included with the bracket, and they are added below along with the Round One matchup. If you want to share your filled-out brackets with us, post to social media with #BookCoverBracket. We would love to share your perfect bracket! We hope you enjoy our inaugural Judge a Book by Its Cover bracket and that it inspires you to check out a book you might have discounted before.

September 2019

In Jenny Odell’s How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, she makes a strong case for moving away from the capitalist idea that we need to be constantly optimizing, producing, and innovating. Instead, we should turn our attention back to our actual place in the world and try to reconnect with people, animals, and our bioregion in a way that repairs the harmful results of behavior capitalism has encouraged and even required of us. With the rise of internet culture, student and credit card debt, the gig-economy, environmental and social crises, and late stage capitalism, we find ourselves increasingly burnt out and restricted. As a group, humans are disconnected and fractured. We spend so much time working or distracted by the internet and media that we regularly forget to look up. According to Odell, removing ourselves from the attention economy and invasive addictive technology for a time allows us to refocus our attention. Her book does an amazing job at illustrating how powerful our attention is, both for destruction and for building. She uses successful acts of activism from the past as examples of the positive power of our combined sustained focus. Unfortunately, our attention is currently being drained from us at a rate impossible for us to maintain, hence the constant overwhelmed state. Due to that, we no longer know how to focus together as a group on shared goals. Odell champions the idea that not every space, be it physical, digital, or mental, needs to have what capitalism would consider a net gain. Not every idea or thought needs to be profitable. Sometimes the important work is not that of optimizing, but of sustaining. To undo the harm of constant “innovation”, humans can learn instead how to be stewards of the spaces around them, offering only the amount of support needed for it to maintain a stable existence. Odell brings in ideas from environmentalism, art, technology, psychology, philosophy, sociology, and more to illustrate her points. Part of the beauty of How To Do Nothing is watching Odell seamlessly blend together these multiple concepts into a cohesive message. Odell, a visual artists and professor at Stanford, is both highly academic and engaging in her discussion. How To Do Nothing is incredibly well researched without being dry. Odell’s arguments feel plausible and urgent. This is important for a book discussing what might be considered by some as a breakdown of society. Those who read How To Do Nothing will see their world in a new light and, if Odell has been successful, be inspired to make changes to how they exist in it. You can checkout Odell’s How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy from the JKM Library today! 

February 6, 2019

Have you ever checked out a book and noticed it was marked with a sticker that says, “Wray”? Or what about that collection of books on the small bookshelf near the elevator on the third floor marked “Olkes Collection”? Have you ever wondered what Wray and Olkes mean? The JKM Library has, in addition to our main circulating collection, smaller collections of books that are focused on certain topics, aimed at certain age ranges, or were donated by certain people. We give these collections of books different names in order to honor the person who donated the items or to make it clear that there is something special about the items in the collection. For example, our Curriculum Collection is comprised of books for young readers and includes picture books, middle- grade fiction and nonfiction, young adult fiction and nonfiction, and graphic novels appropriate for those age ranges. In the case of the Wray and Olkes collections, these are items donated by Professor Wendell Wray and Dr. Cheryl Olkes respectively. Wendell Wray, a library and information science professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh, was an avid book collector. The first African-American man to graduate from the then Carnegie Institute of Technology’s library science program with a master’s degree in 1952, Wray was an influential voice in the library profession. After graduation, he went on to be one of the first African-American men to be hired by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Raised in Beltzhoover, Wray’s resume includes military service during WWII and working at the New York Public Library, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the inner city outreach program the North Manhattan Library Project. Wray returned to Pittsburgh in 1973 to take a position as a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh in the library school. He was honored the same year with the Distinguished Alumni award from Carnegie Tech. He moved to California in 1988 upon his retirement, where he spent the rest of his life until his death in 2003. His personal book collection largely focused on African-American and Caribbean cultures and histories. Of this collection, over 4,000 were donated to Jennie King Mellon Library. Some items are first edition copies or signed by the author and are housed in Special Collections. The rest of the items donated by Wray are in the circulating collection and are indicated with a spine sticker and a special book plate on the inside front cover. You can read more about Professor Wray on the University of Pittsburgh’s Archives and Manuscripts tumblr post about his papers. The Olkes book collection was donated to the Jennie King Mellon Library by Chatham alumna Dr. Cheryl Olkes as a supplemental element to the formidable Cheryl Olkes African Art Collection. The collection was donated in 1998 and includes more than 600 works of African art meant for study and exhibition. Along with the artwork, over 120 books covering African art, history, sociology, anthropology, and culture were donated to the library. From “The Dynamics of Gender: African Art from Chatham University” at the August Wilson Center After graduating from Chatham in 1970, Dr. Olkes went on to earn a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University and a doctorate in communications from the University of Texas, Austin. She then spent time during the 1980s in Niger with the Songhay people, resulting in a book co-authored by her husband Paul Stoller titled In Sorcery’s Shadow: A Memoir of Apprenticeship Among the Songhay of Niger. She continued to make trips to Africa and collected works of art from across the continent. The result is that her collection is wide-ranging and eclectic. Certain pieces from the collection have also been displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Most recently, a group of Chatham students crafted an exhibit, “The Dynamics of Gender: African Art from Chatham University,” held in Pittsburgh’s August Wilson Center, that included pieces from Dr. Olkes as well as alumna Vivian Lowery Derryck, ’67, and a gift from Richard and Marilyn Finberg. While the Olkes book collection is kept together on the bookshelves near the elevator on the third floor (near our limited textbook collection), the Wray collection is sprinkled throughout our circulating collection and Special Collections, easily identifiable by the “Wray” spine sticker. The Jennie King Mellon Library is proud to hold both of these collections, and while the books are older and well-loved, we encourage you to take advantage of your access to them! 

October 2018

Looking for something spooky to read under the covers with some tea tonight? Look no further than Shirley Jackson, the master of creeping dread and spooky suspense. You may know Jackson’s famous short story The Lottery from high school, or perhaps you have watched the recent Netflix reimagining of her classic The Haunting of Hill House. Her works are often described as horror, but the subtlety of her writing gives it something more universal. Her themes often focus on the dark side of domestic life and isolation, and they often feature agoraphobia and critiques of the expectations of traditional society.

Jackson also wrote nonfiction about what it was like to be a mother and manage a home, something she considered to hold its own degree of horror. Jackson also felt that she and her family were considered outcasts in her small New England town, and they experienced anti-Semitism in the insidious manner one sees in “civilized society”.  Toward the end of her life, she became so painfully agoraphobic she wouldn’t leave her bedroom. Much of what makes her fiction work horrific is because it is Jackson’s true-life experiences expressed through a fantastical lens, and as such there is something recognizable in it to all of us. We see how easy it could be for us to slip into some kind of madness, or for the precarious society around us to suddenly turn vicious. It is not gore or jump scares that make Jackson’s work terrifying, it is how she exposes the truth and ugliness in us all.

For this fall, I wanted to recommend a lesser talked about Jackson classic: We Have Always Lived in the Castle. This short (under 200 pages) novel is dark, twisted, unconventional, and incredibly beautiful. We enter into the lives of Mary Katherine (Merricat) and Constance Blackwood, two young women who live isolated in their large house with their wheelchair-bound uncle, Julian. The fractured family fell into disrepair after arsenic in the sugar bowl killed the rest of the Blackwoods half a decade ago. The only two who were not poisoned in the incident were Merricat and Constance, while Uncle Julian did not ingest enough of the poison to kill him. Constance, having been put on trial and then acquitted of the crime, now suffers from such extreme agoraphobia that she cannot leave the house. Uncle Julian is so much diminished from the poisoning that he struggles to keep one foot in reality. He depends on his nieces to care for him, which they do lovingly. The town is happy to keep them isolated, making disparaging comments and singing a haunting little nursery rhyme about the murders whenever Merricat comes near. And it is only ever Merricat that leaves their extensive grounds to go grocery shopping and run quick errands.

We view the story of their lives alone through Merricat’s point of view via her first-person narrative, which is both childlike and vicious. Joyce Carol Oates has described the character of Merricat as feral, which I would have to agree with. You don’t quite recognize it at first, but that feeling of wrongness builds throughout the story until finally you see what Merricat truly is. Even though she does all the shopping and errands for the household in the outside world, she is the most detached from reality of them all. Merricat’s disjointed thought process and her invented system of superstitions is incredibly off-putting and creates an atmosphere of sharp unease. It is easy to feel dizzy and disoriented while following Merricat as she runs through her protection rituals and buries her totems. She thrives in their isolation, and any talk of breaking the spell of seclusion literally chills Merricat. She cannot stomach the thought of it.

Through Merricat’s perceived efforts and rituals, their version of reality remains precariously balanced so that they don’t plunge back into chaos. That balance is broken when their long-lost cousin Charles arrives one day with motives of his own. He upsets the delicate atmosphere, and Merricat suffers the most. As she feared, chaos takes hold of the small family of survivors, opening their reality up to the vicious nature of society and the outside world. Their situation begins to resemble Merricat’s surreal interpretation of reality. Merricat has her own role to play in this chaos, however, and as the truth of their story is revealed you will wonder whether she truly feared these outcomes or wished for them to come. In the end, however, Merricat wins even in the family’s destitution.

Like in much of Jackson’s work, We Have Always Lived in the Castle is an exploration of otherness, persecution, and feelings of isolation. It’s a slow burn that crawls right under your skin and lives there. You can check out We Have Always Lived in the Castle, from the JKM Library by putting it on hold via our catalog here or coming into the library and finding it on the shelf on the 3rd floor, call number 813 J138wH and 813 J138wr (two copies available). Ask a librarian for help!

Jocelyn Codner is the Jennie King Library’s Reference & Outreach Librarian and resident horror lover. Shirley Jackson is one of her favorite authors, and she will gladly talk your ear off about her work or the work of other horror writers. Her love of horror extends to film and television, as Halloween is her all-time favorite holiday.
 

August 2018

Lori Jakiela opens her memoir with a line as humble as the title, describing her memoir “primarily a work of nonfiction.” What follows is a dramatic account of Jakiela’s search to make contact with her biological family after the death of her adoptive parents. Belief Is Its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe is an evocative story of one woman’s yearning for closure, love, and family. The presentation of these ideals are developed through Jakiela’s description of loss. She articulates her pain in ways that are acute, poignant, familiar. Her pages are decorated with mediations on a particular grief—the kind of unique sorrow that stems from her identity as an adoptee. Through her attempts to contact her native family, for example, she continues, with insistence, to refer to her adoptive family as her “real” family. Some craft elements will engage readers from the start. Jakiela, a native Pittsburgher, describes a setting that Chatham students will find pleasantly relatable. More
uniquely, Jakiela subtly challenges storytelling conventions through experimental use of dialogue. She presents uninterrupted, staccato quotes and repetitive dialogue tags, both of which reveal a one-of-a-kind style—clever and intentional in its pacing. The structure and content of the story parallels these formal choices. Jakiela’s chapters are broken into chaplets—a complement to the fractured, confused identity she experiences through her meandering quest to establish contact with the mother who abandoned her. These chaplets range from two short sentences to four dense pages. Though there are disjointed non-sequiturs and seemingly irrelevant flashbacks, Jakiela doesn’t skimp to connect them to the overarching story. Regardless of their seeming importance, the reader quickly learns to trust Jakiela’s moving parts, assured that she will manipulate the audience’s attention with a careful grace. Lori Jakiela, image taken from author website The sentences, frankly, beg to be read. Jakiela, who is also a poet, crafts phrases that are simultaneously elegant in their gentleness and rich in their depth. As she discusses the history that adoptive children must create for themselves—the sort of radical subjectivism that permeates their lives or the ever-relevant questions of nature/nurture—she does so with a simplicity and accessibility that invites readers of all ages, despite the tragedy and difficulty one must find in grappling with the concept. Perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the book is its integrity. The memoir does not romanticize the notion of family, nor does it disgrace it. Alongside heart-wrenching familial conflict, Jakiela depicts her own husband and children, as well as the influence and love of her adoptive parents. Her account is quotidian, utterly free of sophistry, politics, or bullshit. As her title mentions, she approaches something that all of us would benefit to understand. A kind of truth. Maybe. You can check out Belief Is Its Own Kind of Truth, Maybe from the JKM Library by putting it on hold via our catalog here or coming into the library and finding it on the shelf on the 3rd floor, call number 811.6 J257Be. Ask a librarian for help! RK Taylor is a loyal library employee, ILL’s biggest fan, and a Chatham graduate student of creative writing. In his spare time, he enjoys baking, using his whiteboard to work through existential angst, and checking out as many CDs as the library will permit. He teaches creative writing at the Allegheny County Jail through Chatham’s Words Without Walls program.
 

April 16, 2018

Name: Ryan Woodward
What do you do here at The Jennie King Mellon Library?
I’m a reference associate on nights and weekends.
What made you choose your current profession?
I have always been a fan of the library. As a graduate assistant in my master’s program, my office was in the library where I helped students find resources for their papers and projects and found the library to be a natural fit for helping students reach their research goals.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Either a carpenter like my dad or a veterinarian because I loved animals. Both required math and science skills far above my abilities in those areas.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
Occasionally, I am able to help a student in an area of particular interest to me (music, history, the humanities) and I’m able to have conversations about their research, make recommendations on sources, or just discuss their interests beyond just helping them locate a book or article.
If you could do one thing to change/improve the JKM Library- with no worries about time or expense, what would you do?
Maybe have in-house IT help to assist students some of their technology issues. I can help a bit, but sometimes if they’re coming to me with tech questions, it is likely on an issue that is best addressed with the Help Desk.
What do you like to do on your days off?
I spend a lot of time with cats and dogs, and when possible, supporting live music and the arts. On weekends, I am a fan of seeking out good, no-frills diners for breakfast, of which Pittsburgh has several that are pretty great.
What’s the last thing you checked out?
From JKM, I checked out the DVD From Pittsburgh to Poland (2005), produced locally by WQED. This was a nicely done documentary detailing a group of Pittsburgh area teachers traveling to Poland with three Holocaust survivors and touring historic sites from World War II. (You can currently find this item on the Holocaust Remembrance display on the first floor of the library.) Having studied this subject and made a similar trip a few years ago, I can attest to the impact visiting historical sites can have. There is an enormous layer of perspective gained when you are able to view artifacts up close, walk in places where events occurred, and fully take in the dimensions of buildings, spaces, and the contemporary culture. This appreciation of perspective is evident in the educators who are interviewed throughout the film. The diversity of the of the three survivors’ experiences underscores how the Holocaust should be viewed and studied not as a single event, but rather a period when millions of lives were affected differently, even if major elements of each constitute a shared experience.
Among the survivors, we meet a ghetto escapee who later joins the partisans to fight the Nazis and their collaborators, a child hidden and cared for by a Gentile family, and a laborer rescued by being included on Oskar Schindler’s list. Highlighting the experiences of survivors who would later settle in Pittsburgh makes a deeper connection for local viewers of the film. Each person could very well be a neighbor or co-worker, reinforcing the idea that the Holocaust did not happen in some alien dimension nor did it occur in ancient history. It can happen anywhere and to anyone.
From Pittsburgh to Poland runs 60 minutes and is available at the library’s Media Shelves when not included in displays. It is an asset to the collection due to its thoughtful portrayal of historical events as seen by local citizens.
What book do you think everyone should read? Why?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960) might seem like a generic answer of a go-to classic, but the novel remains legendary for good reason. Regardless of time, the themes found in small American towns, particularly in the south, are relatable to a lot of people whose own upbringings may resemble those in the story. Themes of racism, poverty, gender roles, and justice are unfortunately still hot topics today, but everyone has the capacity to read about attitudes and events of the past and apply them toward making a better future.
What are 5 or so of your favorite books or movies that we have here in the JKM Library that are available for checkout?
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain (2012): Invaluable for those with introverted personalities and helpful for anyone who will manage diverse groups of employees, work with students, or cultivate meaningful interpersonal relations.
Orchestral works [sound recording] by Richard Strauss (2000): Specifically, the piece Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), a tone poem that lasts over 20 minutes. I played this with my college orchestra and it was one of the most challenging yet satisfying music experiences ever. Amazing piece!
Fun home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (2006): I read this just this year for a book group at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. It turned me on to graphic novels, which I had not read many of before and offers some great universal coming of age themes as well as experiences unique to LGBTQ+ people.
Nine and Counting: The Women of the Senate by Barbara Mikulski [and others] (2000): While the number of women in the U.S. Senate has grown, only three of those profiled in this book remain in Congress. It’s interesting to see the diverse paths each took to become some of the most powerful people in the world and how some issues such as family and medical leave or funding for women’s health research held little priority until women were elected to high office.
Batman [DVD] (1966): The 1960s Batman movie and television series are ridiculously fun. I met Lee Meriwether (Catwoman) several years ago. Super nice and a class act.
What’s one thing you think everyone should do while they live in the city?
Celebrate Pittsburgh’s rich zombie-film heritage, OR, at least appreciate the region’s popularity with filmmakers. I am a horror fan and have been excited during my year and a half in Pittsburgh to have tracked down filming locations for some of my favorite movies. There are a number of festivals, screenings, and conventions to attend throughout the year and the city is lucky to have several small, independent theaters that routinely show independent films, art house cinema, and documentaries.
Tell us some surprising things about yourself:
1. I’ve lived in 4 states, have traveled to 8 different countries.
2. I work with a non-profit organization that creates opportunities and advocates for increased participation of women and girls in all areas of baseball.
3. I helped create a music camp for student string players as an undergraduate for my university, which will celebrate its 14th year next year.

February 2017

Wasn’t Khalid Raheem’s Black History Month Lunch & Learn lecture today so thought-provoking? Did it make you curious about some of the books, events, individuals, and organizations that played a role in the history of the Black Panther party? It made us curious and we’re pleased to let you know that many of the topics discussed can be investigated further at the JKM Library. For one, the JKM Library has available for check-out the George Jackson book, Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson. Mr. Raheem’s description of Mr. Jackson’s role in the Revolutionary Prison movement was compelling and this primary source resource provides a direct view of the activist’s experiences. Click here to find the book in the JKM Library catalog. Huey Newton, whom Mr. Raheem discussed in relation to the effect of imprisonment had on the eventual splintering of the Black Panther Party, is also well represented in the JKM Library collection. Click here to listen in on Huey Newton’s conversation with Erik Erikson. There are many more volumes in the JKM collections that discuss the history and legacy of the Black Panther Party and the JKM Library staff are always happy to help you find even more resources in our collections. In fact, we were thrilled to hear Mr. Raheem discuss the Black Panther Party in Pittsburgh and in Philadelphia because we have a brand, new resource that makes Pennsylvania history research even easier! To search through online databases of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (from 1786 – 1985) and the Philadelphia Enquirer (from 1860 – 2001), just click “P” on the Databases A-Z tab and select the newspaper of your choice. From here, you can find lots of articles about the history of the Black Panther Party in our region. We’re only scratching the surface of the resources available in this post, so stop by the JKM Library and let us know if you’d like to dig a little deeper. We’re always happy to help! Thanks to the Office of Student Affairs for bringing to Chatham such a compelling speaker and social activist!  

August 2016

The books of the 2016 Summer Reading List are now on display on the first floor of the Library!!
What is the Summer Reading List? Your friendly Chatham University Librarians have been keeping an eye out for interesting, informative, and exciting books over the
past year and thought you might enjoy reading some of these as you start your first year at Chatham. Featuring popular nonfiction, as well as some great literature, this list
contains something for everyone! Find the full 2016 Summer Reading List here!
Some highlights of the List include:
Tattoos: Philosophy for Everyone: I Ink, Therefore I Am by Robert Arp
Body art or eyesore, a celebration of individuality, or at very least a conversation piece, tattoos provide fertile ground for philosophical discussion, raising intriguing
questions from aesthetics to feminism, from semiotics to the philosophy of the person.
The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil by Christine Bader
The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: Girl Meets Oil is based on Bader’s experience with BP and then with a United Nations effort to prevent and address human rights
abuses linked to business. Using her story as its skeleton, Bader weaves in the stories of other “Corporate Idealists” working inside some of the world’s biggest and bestknown companies.
How to Do Things with Videogames by Ian Bogost
Until games are understood to have valid applications across the cultural spectrum, their true potential will remain unrealized. How to Do Things with Videogames offers a
fresh starting point to more fully consider games’ progress today and promise for the future.
It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living by Crissy Trask
It’s Easy Being Green is a handy tool to help you make better choices for the environment. This is what the busy person needs to start making changes today. Get
informative, comprehensive and practical information for adopting greener buying habits and identifying earth-friendly products; shopping for green products online;
participating in online activism; and learning from over 250 eco-tips for cultivating a sustainable environment.
Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang; translated by Karen S. Kingsbury Shanghai, 1930s. Shen Shijun, a young engineer, has fallen in love with his colleague, the beautiful Gu Manzhen. He is determined to resist his family’s efforts to match him with his wealthy cousin so that he can marry her. But dark circumstances—a lustful brother-in-law, a treacherous sister, a family secret—force the two young lovers apart…A glamorous, wrenching tale set against the glittering backdrop of an extraordinary city, Half a Lifelong Romance is a beloved classic from one of the essential writers of twentieth-century China.
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Stephen King reflects on how his writing has helped him through difficult times and describes various aspects of the art of writing.
Book of Rhymes: The Poetics of Hip Hop by Adam Bradley
Examining rap history’s most memorable lyricists and their inimitable techniques, literary scholar Adam Bradley argues that we must understand rap as poetry or miss the vanguard of poetry today. Book of Rhymes explores America’s least understood poets, unpacking their surprisingly complex craft, and according rap poetry the respect it deserves.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
In this book Bill Bryson explores the most intriguing and consequential questions that science seeks to answer and attempts to understand everything that has transpired from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization. To that end, Bill Bryson apprenticed himself to a host of the world’s most profound scientific minds, living and dead.
Crazy: A Father’s Search through America’s Mental Health Madness by Pete Earley
Former Washington Post reporter Pete Earley had written extensively about the criminal justice system. But it was only when his own son-in the throes of a manic
episode-broke into a neighbor’s house that he learned what happens to mentally ill people who break a law. This is the Earley family’s compelling story, a troubling look at bureaucratic apathy and the countless thousands who suffer confinement instead of care, brutal conditions instead of treatment, in the ‘revolving doors’ between hospital and jail.
The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783-1789 by Joseph J. Ellis
From Pulitzer Prize–winning American historian Joseph J. Ellis, the unexpected story of why the thirteen colonies, having just fought off the imposition of a distant
centralized governing power, would decide to subordinate themselves anew. In 1776, thirteen American colonies declared themselves independent states that only
temporarily joined forces in order to defeat the British. Once victorious, they planned to go their separate ways. The Quartet is the story of the second American founding and of the men most responsible—George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison.
 

June 2015

The summer reading list for first-year Chatham students has been posted! The contents of the list were chosen by your friendly neighborhood librarians, and include entries from different subject areas. There’s something on this list for everyone (and several things that I’ll be adding to my own summer reading list). Here’s a preview of some of the titles; make sure to access the complete list to see some other choices.
The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap Matt Taibbi
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and the Occupy movement, The Divide focuses on the myriad ways that wealth—or lack thereof—affects the rights afforded to US citizens (as well as the way this system impacts the immigration debate). Mass incarceration, stop-and-frisk, and the contemporary landscape of the US justice system provide evidence for Taibbi’s portrayal of a system that privileges wealth above all else.
Eating Together: Food, Friendship, and Inequality Alice P. Julier
What is the social impact of shared meals? Julier (director of the Master’s program in Food Studies here at Chatham) writes about the intersection of social eating experiences and social inequality, examining the literal and figurative aspects of who has a seat at the table.
The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years Sonia Shah
The Fever addresses malaria as a subject with various historical, scientific, and socio-political resonances. Alongside anecdotal evidence of the way the disease is approached and conceived of in malaria-afflicted areas, Shah takes on the ineffectual attempts of various global organizations to curb its effects. The Fever offers a deeper understanding of the way malaria has shaped and continues to affect human history.
Citizen: An American Lyric Claudia Rankine
From microaggressions to overt racial violence, Citizen addresses life in “post-race” America. Rankine meditates on the ways that this constant narrative of otherness impacts daily life and, in some cases, even personal safety. Composed of prose poems, verse, essays, and images, Rankine’s work is a form-agnostic witness account of
contemporary race and racism in America.
The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don’t Nate Silver
Silver takes on the art and science of forecasting, analyzing the various reasons—from a mastery of statistics to a healthy understanding of uncertainty—why some predictions are successful while others are not. The Signal and the Noise investigates forecasting from multiple vantage points, using examples of correct and incorrect predictions from sports, politics, economics, and more.
Source: Music of the Avant-garde, 1966-1973 Edited by Larry Austin and Douglas Kahn
This volume reproduces issues of the avant-garde periodical Source, which published a variety of experimental music bits and pieces. Introductory material provides some historical context, followed by the downright weirdness of the content itself, with pieces from John Cage, Morton Feldman,
Steve Reich, Nam June Paik, Harry Partch, and others.
The Paris of Appalachia: Pittsburgh in the Twenty-First Century Brian O’Neill
An affectionate tribute to Pittsburgh that also deals some tough love in response to some of the city’s ongoing problems. O’Neill includes the stories of Pittsburgh natives in his analysis, attempting to capture the character of a city situated somewhere between the East Coast and the Midwest both in terms of physical location and regional character.

April 2015

Get out and explore the city this summer with inspiration from one of the books displayed on the First Floor.
Whether you’re interested in art, architecture, or the culture of Pittsburgh, you’ll find a helpful guide to your summer adventures.
Dates to the biggest festivals and events around the city will be posted in the Lobby for your convenience.
Find something that peaked your interest? Make sure to ask a librarian about how you can find more books about the Steel City!

April 2015

Whether you’re planning a vegetable or rain garden, JKM Library has the resources you need!
Stop in to the First Floor and check out books on a variety of garden styles and the plants you’ll need.
Don’t have a green thumb but find inspiration in being outside? Check out either of Jamaica Kincaid’s books on how she finds peace and happiness in the natural world.

March 2015

On March 16, 2015, Jennie King Mellon Library celebrated Freedom of Information Day, an annual observance of our rights to speak out, to share information freely, and to obtain information that the public has a right to know. See our display of related books and materials in the first floor lobby!
Libraries are information repositories, and are based upon the idea that information should be freely shared and experienced. Libraries and librarians are often on the front lines of First Amendment and information freedom concerns. A recent example is the controversy that occurred when, in 2013, the Chicago Public School System pulled Marjane Satrapi’s award-winning graphic novel Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood from their curriculum.

Persepolis
The banning of the work could not have happened without discussion amongst various administrators in the school system, much of which occurred in writing, and so the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) all put in Freedom of Information Act requests for the correspondence in early 2013. FOIA allows for anyone to access, or to request and receive, any information held by the federal government (including public schools) that is not specifically required to be kept confidential. The professional organizations received only a few pages of documents, including a heavily-edited version of the email chain which began with a complaint about the book and ended with the determination that it would be banned.
Over a year later, in December 2014, Jarrett Dapier, a student of library science at the University of Illinois who was writing a paper on censorship in K-12 classrooms, submitted his own Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on the subject and received the complete email correspondence chain. The full correspondence received by Dapier reveals that the decision to pull the book from the curriculum was based on two pages in Persepolis identified as being “not appropriate” by one school principal. In a domino-effect panic, the book was thus ordered to be removed from curricula across the entire Chicago Public School System.
The correspondence also reveals that some teachers and librarians at the affected schools initiated “pushback,” by noting that the book is acclaimed, and that librarians retain the authority to purchase and make available to students even those texts that have been deemed controversial. Responding to the controversy, the Chicago Public School System ultimately allowed the work to remain in its libraries, and approved it for study in 11th and 12th grade classrooms. The story indicates how progressive causes can use information transparency to effect change, but also how imperfect the system can be. Information access is a right that needs to be exercised continually to be retained. March 16 is a better time than any to take advantage of this right! See http://www.foia.gov/ for more information.
Sources:
http://www.foia.gov/
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/persepolis-rising/
http://ncac.org/blog/how-chicago-public-schools-dumped-persepolis/
http://www.ftrf.org/blogpost/852091/161174/FTRF-files-FOIA-request-to-Chicago-Public-Schools-over-removal-of-Persepolis
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/federallegislation/govinfo/opengov/freedomofinfo
 

February 2015

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