It's All About the Art

Randolph Caldecott and the Award in His Honor

Randolph Caldecott. Hey Diddle Diddle and Baby Bunting. London: George Routledge & Sons, [1882].

For eight years, Victorian-era children eagerly awaited the two books illustrated by Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886) which came out at Christmastime. Although his body of work included much more than art for children's literature (Caldecott also illustrated novels and accounts of foreign travel; drew cartoons and humorous depictions of hunting and fashionable life; sketched the famous, both inside and outside Parliament; sculpted; and painted in oil and watercolor), Caldecott will forever be remembered for the prestigous award for children's art which bears his name.

The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children for distinguished illustrations in an American picture book for children.

In honor of Randolph Caldecott's birthday, a selection of the work of past winners is currently on display in the Children's Collection of the Blagg-Huey Library.

For those interested in delving further into Caldecott's history and legacy, a search for "Caldecott" in the TWU Libraries catalog yields a wide array of resources. Among them: histories of the award; paper and audio versions of acceptance speeches; biographies of award-winners; microform versions of Caldecott's original artwork; educational resources related to reading, writing and art; Caldecott on the Net: Reading and Internet Activities; and, of course, some of the award-winning books themselves.

From the 2011 Caldecott Medal winner A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead. Illustrations by Erin E. Stead.
By: Sandy Cochran and Caitlin Rodgers

Spring Is in the Air

Everyone's busy--that's life. It's easy to forget that spring is here, and that the beauty and tranquility of blooming nature is all around us. Even if you only have a few minutes, the balcony on the first floor of the Blagg-Huey Library is a great place to get some fresh air and check out those gorgeous azaleas.

Anyone who's been in Texas very long knows that whatever the weather is like today, it won't be like that tomorrow. So don't wait--another Texas summer is right around the corner.

The balcony is waiting for you.

By: Sandy Cochran

Renowned Author Ntozake Shange to Appear at TWU

Obie-Winning Author of "for colored girls who considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf" to visit the Denton Campus

October 24, 2010/Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America

The works of Ntozake Shange--poet, novelist, playwrite and performer--can be found throughout the Blagg-Huey Library on the Denton campus, from the Women's Collection to the Main Library to the Children's Collection. Her writing exists in varied forms (plays, poems, novels and more) and many mediums (print, audio, video and electronic), but one thing is consistent. Ntozake Shange's work is always brutally honest, reflective and intense. She writes for those whose voices have often been ignored, especially African-American women.

Born Paulette Williams in Trenton, New Jersey, Ms. Shange took the Zulu name Ntozake ("she who comes with her own things") Shange ("she who walks like a lion") in 1971. She remains one of the most vital, influential figures in contemporary American literature (Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, 2nd edition).

Fans of the versatile and prolific world-renowned artist, who is perhaps best known as the author of the hit Broadway play "for colored girls who considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf", will have a chance to hear her speak when she appears on the Denton campus of Texas Woman's University on Thursday, March 31, 2011 in the Southeast Ballroom of Hubbard Hall.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m., and the program will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served, followed by Ms. Shange's appearance at 7:00 p.m. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis, but free admission and priority seating will be given to TWU students, faculty and staff with a valid TWU I.D. The admission fee for the general public is $5. Dress is business casual.

A book signing will take place following the event. A limited number of Ms. Shange's books are available for purchase from the TWU bookstore.

For more information, contact Michelle Prudhomme-Coleman at 940-898-3634 or intercultural@twu.edu.

By: Sandy Cochran, Jimmie Harris and Connie Maxwell

Our History is Our Strength

Celebrating Women's History Month 2011

"Our shared history unites families, communities and nations. Although women's history is intertwined with the history shared with men, several factors--social, religious, economic and biological--have worked to create a unique sphere of women's history." The National Women's History Project

Throughout U.S. history, women have made immeasurable contributions to this country in every role imaginable--doctor, artist, educator, activist, politician, astronaut, and on and on.

In 1987, in an effort to recognize these contributions on a scale befitting their impact, the National Women’s History Project petitioned Congress to designate the month of March Women's History Month.

The Blagg-Huey Library on the Denton campus of TWU, in conjunction with Women's History Month 2011, is proud to present two exhibits honoring the significant contributions of females past and present.

Visitors to the first-floor exhibit "Celebrating the Female Spirit: American Women Who Pioneered and Persevered for Change" can browse through the photographs, collections, books, clothing and artifacts of women writers, educators, journalists, nurses, artists, politicians, activists and more who left indelible marks on our country. A sojourn through this exhibit, curated by Women's Collection staff, provides an awareness and appreciation for the contributions of the famous as well as the not-so-well-known--among them Emma Tenayuca, Hillary Clinton, Dorothy Day, Martha Cotera, Bella Abzug, Abigail Adams, Dorothea Dix and many others.

"Celebrating the Female Spirit" is available for viewing through March 31st during regular library hours.

The Children’s Collection, on the library's Garden Level, pays tribute to Woman’s History Month with "Our History is Our Strength", a compilation of smaller exhibits featuring books and background information on women from a wide variety of time periods and walks of life. Peruse children's books on--and be inspired by--First Ladies and female athletes, astronauts, writers, politicians, activists, aviators and more.

"Our History is Our Strength", curated by Children's Collection staff, is available for viewing during Children's Collection hours through March 31st.

Both "Celebrating the Female Spirit" and "Our History is Our Strength" are free and open to the public.

By: The Staffs of the Women's and Children's Collections of TWU and Sandy Cochran

Blagg-Huey Undergoes Spring Spruce-Up

As beautiful as the Blagg-Huey Library is, it's in the process of becoming even more so.

Scaffolding has been erected in the rotunda for use by workers repairing the rotunda ceiling, and workmen on the third floor have made substantial progress replacing damaged ceiling tiles.

Begun during Spring Break week to minimize disruption and inconvenience to patrons, the work is set for completion the week following Spring Break. In the meantime, library patrons and staff can expect noise, plastic sheeting, caution tape--and a more beautiful library in the very near future.

By: Sandy Cochran

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Celebrating the Life and Work of Everyone's Favorite Children's Author

"I wish we could do what they do in Katroo.
They sure know how
to say 'Happy Birthday to You!'"
From Happy Birthday
to You! by Dr. Seuss

The Children's Collection at the Blagg-Huey Library on the Denton campus is celebrating what would have been the 107th birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel--or Dr. Seuss to you and me--by displaying a sampling of his works in the collection on the Garden Level.

Dr. Seuss was born on March 2, 1904. To celebrate the birthday and life of one of America's most beloved children's authors, TWU students and staff participated in videotaped readings out of Seuss' classic "Happy Birthday to You!". Against a backdrop of some of Dr. Seuss' work, participants wore the famous red-and-white-striped hat from "Cat in the Hat" while they took turns reading. Others posed for photos with "The Foot Book", "Oh Say Can You Say?", "Dr. Seuss's ABC"--and, of course, the popular tale about a cat that transforms a dull, rainy afternoon into an adventure to remember.

The Seuss display will be up for a limited time, so get to the Garden Level of the library sometime in the next two weeks during the Children's Collection hours, try on the hat--and remember what it was like to hear "Green Eggs and Ham" for the very first time.

By: Sandy Cochran and Jimmie Harris

Texas Library Association Honors One of Our Own

Reference Librarian Greg Hardin Named TLA Member of the Month

Kudos to Greg Hardin, Reference Librarian II at the Blagg-Huey Library on the Denton campus, for being named March Member of the Month by the Texas Library Association.

Check out Greg's profile on the TLA website--and congratulate him when you see him.

By: Sandy Cochran

A Database on the Cutting Edge

PubMed MeSH: A Path to the Latest Health Science Research

A new way to quickly locate cutting-edge health science articles is at your fingertips--the PubMed MeSH database.

The MeSH (medical subject heading) database is reachable via the TWU Libraries homepage at Databases A-Z List/PubMed Remote/MeSH Database--and all it takes to appreciate what MeSH can do for you is a short practice search.

Once in MeSH, type in a term (for example, "obesity") and click "Search". Review the offered terms and select the one you prefer (in this case, "obesity") by checking the box to the left. To the right, click "Add to search builder".

At the “Search MeSH” box (at the top of the screen) click "Clear" and enter your next term (for example, "nursing research"). Check the box next to "nursing research", click "Add to search builder" and then "Search PubMed". At this point you'll have a list of articles in front of you which feature both concepts.

At the upper center of the results list, click "Limits/Published in the Last 5 years", then "Text Options/Links to full text/Search". On the new results screen, go to "Display Settings (in the upper lefthand corner)/Abstract/desired Items per page/Pub Date/Apply". The result will be a list of all available abstracts and full-text hyperlinks to the latest articles relevant to your search.

MeSH has multiple additional functions. Among them: hovering over any journal title abbreviation on a results list will reveal the full journal title; clicking on a "TWU Libraries Online" button provides instant access to the full-text version of an article; and records can be e-mailed.

MeSH: a new, simple and practical way to find the latest in health sciences research.

By: Marilyn Goff