Thanksgiving Hours

The Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center will have adjusted hours this week due to the Thanksgiving Holiday:

  • Tuesday, Nov. 21st: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
  • Wednesday, Nov. 22nd: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Thursday, Nov. 23rd: CLOSED
  • Friday, Nov. 24th: CLOSED
  • Saturday, Nov. 25th: CLOSED
  • Sunday, Nov. 26th: Resuming normal hours, open 1:00 PM – Midnight.

Screenshot of Libby app featuring book covers for titles like "Staying on Top in Academia" and "Ask a Science Teacher"As you make travel plans, don’t forget about our new streaming Audiobook service, Libby, available for download to your mobile devices.  Enjoy newer fiction and non-fiction titles on the long road-trip to grandma’s house or your own Friendsgiving feast.

Stay tuned to more events, including our special hours for finals, by following us on Instagram, X, or Facebook.

Start Spooky Season with Kevin Brockmeier

Join us on Monday, October 9, in RPL 300B as we welcome award-winning author from Arkansas, Kevin Brockmeier for the October edition of our Second Monday Author Series.  The event starts at 6:00 P.M., and admission is free and open to the public.

Cover art for "Ghost Variations" featuring a grid of small illustrations of ghosts, axes, pendants, dice, and other random objects.A resident of Little Rock, Brockmeier will discuss his latest book, The Ghost Variations: One Hundred Stories, and share his general insights as an author.

Brockmeier is also author of the memoir, A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip; the novels, The Illumination, The Brief History of the Dead, and The Truth About Celia; the story collections Things That Fall from the Sky and The View from the Seventh Layer; and the children’s novels City of Names and Grooves: A Kind of Mystery.

Brockmeier’s work has been translated into 18 languages and has been published in The New Yorker, The Georgia Review, McSweeney’s, Zoetrope, Tin House, The Oxford American, The Best American Short Stories, The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror and New Stories from the South. In 2007, he was named one of Granta‘s Best Young American Novelists.  He has received the Borders Original Voices Award, three O. Henry Awards (including one first prize), the PEN USA Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Endowment for the Arts Grant. He teaches frequently at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

Photograph of Kevin Brockmeier wearing black shirt.You can find more about Kevin Brockmeier, including his books, events, and news, from his website: https://kevinbrockmeier.com

For more information about the ATU Second Monday Author Series, contact Luke Heffley at (479) 964-0546.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or X to hear about the next Second Monday Author event.

 

 

Fighting Back on 9/11

Join us at the Ross Pendergraft Library on Monday, September 11th, at 6:00 PM in Room 300 as we welcome author Deena Burnett Bailey to talk about her book, Fighting Back: Living Life Beyond Ourselves“as part of our Second Monday Author Series.  The event is free and open to the public.

Photograph of Deena Burnett Bailey, authorFighting Back relates her struggle to overcome grief and personal tragedy after the death of her husband, Flight 93 hero, Tom Burnett, who perished in the 9/11 attacks.

A native of Arkansas, Burnett Bailey was raised on a cotton farm in the Desha County community of Halley. She grew up to become a flight attendant living in Georgia, which led her to meet Tom Burnett. They were married in 1992 and became parents of daughters Halley, Madison and Anna Clare.

On Sept. 11, 2001, Tom was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco. It was hijacked and later crashed in Shanksville, Pa.

Burnett Bailey wrote Fighting Back following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and it was published by Advantage Inspirational in 2006. According to information provided by the publisher, the book “demonstrates how each of us can move forward through the hardships of life and have a positive impact on others through the belief that at some point in our lives, we are all called on to be heroes.”

Copies of the book will be available for purchase during Burnett Bailey’s appearance at ATU on Monday, Sept. 11.

An assortment of books on display about the terrorist attacks on 9/11, including a large photographic book open to photos of firefighters and police officers, gazing upwards in horror, covered in dust and ashYou can pick up a copy of Fighting Back at the Ross Pendergraft Library on the first floor, near our display featuring books and materials remembering the  22nd anniversary of September 11, 2001.  You can also buy a copy for yourself through your local bookstore, Dogear Books, or wherever you get fine books.

For more information about the ATU Second Monday Author Series, contact Luke Heffley at (479) 964-0546.  Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or X to hear about the next Second Monday Author event.

 

Get In the Car With OverDrive

Cancel your Audible subscription and download the Libby app to enjoy your favorite audiobooks and ebooks now available for free from the Ross Pendergraft Library:

Click Here to Acccess OverDrive

Access thousands of ebooks titles and nearly 100 audiobook titles from the Libby app.  Download the Libby app via Google Play or at the Apple Store.  You can also access the platform using the link above from our A-to-Z Databases page.

Screenshot of a phone with the Libby App open to choosing a new library. The words "Arkansas Tech" are typed into the search box.

After you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll be asked to locate your library.  Type the zip code (72801) or search for “Arkansas Tech University”.  You will be asked to authenticate as a Tech user.

Once you’ve logged into your account, enjoy up to two books at a time.  Selecting a book will download it for 14 days to your account.  If 14 days is too soon, you can renew it once for another 14 days.  If 14 days is too long, you can return the book early and check out another.

Is your must-read of Fall 2023 checked out?  Just like our regular collection in Find It, you can also place Holds on titles that are currently checked out.  Find the title you want, and click the option “PLACE HOLD.”  Once the title is available, you will get a notification that your item is ready to borrow.

Screenshot from a phone showing the Libby app, where a title is checked out, with the option to "Place Hold" below the text: "Sorry all copies of this title are out on loan. Try again soon, or place a hold instread."

What if you already have a Libby account at another library, like the Pope County Library?  No problem–just choose the option in your account settings: “Add Library”.

Do you prefer to consume your fiction and non-fiction with eyeballs instead of earlobes?  Thousands of titles–including new, best-sellers–are available on Libby, too.  You can either read via the app or push your ebooks to the Kindle app for tablet reading.  While the Library has offered access to hundreds of thousands of ebooks, this is our first foray into more popular, Kindle-friendly collections.

The addition of OverDrive ebooks and audiobooks via Libby represents another request made by students on our annual library survey from Spring 2023.  If you prefer the old-fashioned, analog experience, our current physical audiobook collection is still located on the first floor, next to the DVD collection.  These audiobooks are searchable in Find It, but you can also browse a list of titles here.

Screenshot of a phone showing the Libby app, displaying covers of the popular fiction titles available through the app like "Demon Copperhead", "Covenant of Water," "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and many more

However, with the decline of CD-players in car stereos, e-audiobooks are fast becoming the format of choice.  The library already hosts another streaming audiobook collection called Naxos Spoken Word, available also through our A-Z Databases page.  It features thousands of literary classics–perfect for those English class reading assignments you can listen to while on the treadmill.

But now that the Library is finally getting into the driver seat with OverDrive, newer and more popular titles can now be delivered via an easy-to-use app on any mobile device.

If you need help getting started, Ask Us via text, email, Instagram, or face-to-face during our expansive Fall 2023 hours.  There’s also a handy webpage featuring step-by-step instructions and a video.  Take it for a spin today!

Library Hours

The library’s current interim hours are:

Monday-Friday: 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.

Saturday-Sunday: Closed

Starting August 23rd, the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center will resume regular semester hours:

Monday-Thursday: 7:00 A.M. – 12:00 A.M.

Friday: 7:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Saturday: 10:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Sunday: 1:00 P.M. – 12:00 A.M.

Please see our complete hours, including all exceptions to regular hours during Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, and Final Exams, by visiting our hours page: https://libguides.atu.edu/about/hours/

You can also follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook, or the X formerly known as Twitter.

Photo of the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center on a sunny afternoon with blooming, pink crepe myrtle trees

 

 

Events, Authors, and Speakers Planned for April

Starting April 4th, the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center kicks off several events and lectures celebrating books, culture, history, diversity, and understanding both close to home and from the other side of the world.

Tuesday, April 4th at 6:00 P.M. in RPL 300AB

Photo of Eli Cranor, author, speaking before a large audienceAward-winning author and Russellville native, Eli Cranor, hosted a special event debuting  his latest novel, Ozark Dogs.   Publisher Soho Crime describes Ozark Dogs as a Southern thriller in which “two families grapple with the aftermath of a murder in their small Arkansas town.”

His first novel, Don’t Know Tough, won the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel contest and was nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the Lefty Award for best debut Mystery Novel, and was a finalist for the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award.  He writes to a monthly column in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette called “Where I’m Writing From,” and his work has been featured in Missouri Review, Oxford American, Ellery Queen, The Strand and other notable journals.  You can find his first thriller, Don’t Know Tough, available in our book collection.

Monday, April 10th at 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300B

Cover of book featuring an illustrated tiger and brightly colored bird next to it, perched on a rockThe Library will host John Kutko as part of its Second Monday Author Series to talk about his children’s book, The Tiger & the Painted Bunting.  The book is about a Shanti, a tiger cub who is captured from the wild and sold by poachers to a rich man.  When the tiger inevitably grows too big, she is sent to a zoo where she makes friends with a painted bunting named Al.  Kutko, a retired school teacher from Clarksville School District, developed the story which his granddaughter, Abbriel Harrison, who wrote and illustrated the book.  There will be a drawing for a free signed copy of his book at the event, along with additional copies available for purchase.

Thursday, April 13th at 2:30 P.M. in RPL 300AB

Cover of Ronnie Williams featuring tombstone superimposed below an older photograph of a black man wearing an army dress uniform.The Arkansas Tech University Black Faculty & Staff Organization will host Ronnie Williams as part of the Diversity Speaks Lecture Series.  He is the author of Markham Street: The Haunting Truth Behind the Murder of My Brother Marvin Leonard Williams, which shares the story of his brother, his murder, subsequent fight for justice, and what life was like for Black families in the South during the 1960’s.

A native of Menifee, Arkansas, Ronnie Williams recently retired as Vice President for Student Services and Institutional Diversity at the University of Central Arkansas.  During his three decades of service, he served as assistant dean of students, director of Minority Affairs, Assistant to the President, and Chief Diversity Office.  He is the former chair of the Arkansas Educational Television Commission, and the first person of color to chair the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce and the Conway Development Corporation Board.  A small reception of light refreshments, provided by the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center, will be available after the lecture.  For more information about Ronnie Williams or his book, visit his webpage at: https://www.ronniewilliamsauthor.com/

Friday, April 14th from 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. in RPL 300B

A cartoon black and white logo of a person with a blank, open book for its head next to the words "human library"The Human Library is back at the Ross Pendergraft Library and Technology Center featuring people volunteering to tell their own stories about in a non-judgemental, personal conversation-style setting.  As part of a project in the Social Movements and Social Change class in the Behavioral Sciences department, students have been recruiting volunteers to act as “books” that can be read by an individual in a one-on-one setting.  These “books” tell their personal stories of struggle and success in overcoming challenges in life like discrimination, poverty, disability, immigration, abuse, judgement, or oppression.  You can ‘check-out’ a book just by listening to their story face-to-face to gain a broader perspective for the path they have walked.

The Human Library Event has been taking place at ATU for several years and is part of a larger, national organization to promote dialogue and understanding with groups in our society that are often subjected to prejudice, stigmatization or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, disability, social status, ethnic origin, etc.  All are welcome to this event.

Monday, April 17th at 6:00 P.M. in RPL 300B

Text with "Talk Series with Dr. Hashimoto: Manga, an introductory series to Japanese culture, language, history, and art inside anime and manga.The final lecture of the spring semester from the popular “Manga Talk  Series” from Dr. Hashimoto is titled: “Jujutsu Kaisen: History of Curse in Japan” will take place on April 17th.  Dr. Hashimoto, visiting lecturer of Japanese, will discuss the popular manga and anime series and how it relates to Japanese culture, language, and history.  Frequent attendees of the lecture series often report samples of Japanese candies and treats present at such events.  You can get started on the English-language version of the manga series with v.0 “Blinding Darkness” currently located in the New Books collection of the ATU Library.

For more information about these and other events in the library, contact our Special Events Coordinator and Second Monday Author Series wrangler, Luke Heffley.  You can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for up-to-date information on all the happenings happening at RPL.

Like Us? Love Us? Tell Us!

8 book spines with titles like, Love, I Feel Love, As You Like It, Happiness, Wow, No Thank You, Hatred, Fear and Loathing, and MaliceThe annual library survey is now live and listening:

https://questionpro.com/t/ADooIZwmzQ

Tell us how the library’s collections, services, and spaces mattered to YOU in 2022.  If you’ve ever used our website or stepped foot in any of the library buildings (Ozark Campus Library or the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center), we want to hear what you think about your library.  The survey is short and completely anonymous because–as always–we value the privacy of our users.

Have you ever wanted something different in the library?  More study spaces?  More books?  Less noise? An all-you-can-eat seafood buffet and chocolate fountain?*

Man washing his face in a chocolate fountain while the chef looks on in shock*Actual survey comment from 2022

From now until April 10th when the survey closes is your chance to let us know!

Because of your feedback last year, we’ve made a lot of changes already:

  • A beverage vending machine has been added to the south foyer.A picture of a Pepsi Vending Machine
  • Expanded full-text journal coverage with additional 998 journals from Sage Premier, 1724 journals from Taylor & Francis, & 453 journals from JSTOR’s Arts and Sciences V and VI collections.
  • Periodic pop-up libraries through-out the year to improve outreach and advertising of our great book collections.
  • Reduced noise on the 2nd floor by moving more evening personnel to the quiet floor.
  • Added access to printers from the study room computers.
  • Revamped freshmen orientation tours to describe more about the services we provide.
  • Remained open during inclement weather days.

In some cases, you’ve made some great suggestions for things we ALREADY have, but just not advertised as well as we should.  For example…

  • Did you know we have a gender-neutral bathroom?  This frequently asked-for facility is a bit hidden, but you can find it just outside of campus support at the north entrance.
  • Want to renew books online?  Yes, you can!  Just go to findit.atu.edu and sign-in to review your checked-out items and renew them online.
  • Need computers with webcams for Respondus tests?  We have the next best thing.  You can actually check-out webcams from the Circulation Desk for all your test-taking needs.  We even check-out laptops with webcams included.

Some requests, however, remain just out of reach:

  • Expansion of Hours–This is the number one request since the survey began.  Currently, the Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology ranks fourth in the amount of open hours offered at a four-year, public academic library in Arkansas.  While we would love to expand hours, we cannot safely do so without additional staff.  But keep telling us what hours you want!  Open later on Fridays?  Earlier on Sundays?  24-Hours/7 Days?  We will do what we can with the resources we have.
  • More Study Rooms–With only 10 study rooms, we know it can be difficult to find an empty one when you need it.  We recommend booking a study room as early as possible.  These go fast, particularly in the evening.  We hope we can add additional rooms in the future, but keep asking!  Your feedback and usage protects our existing spaces for student use.
  • Food in the Library–Like you, we also enjoy eating ribs and reading, but sometimes the two activities don’t mix.  Food can bring pests and frankly, we’re scared of the ants reading our collection and becoming too powerful with knowledge.
  • Digitize the DVD Collection–We would be violating a lot of laws to do this, and our librarians are still on probation for shushing in the second degree.  But you can always check out our (totally legal) streaming video collection through Swank, Kanopy, or Academic Videos Online.

We hope you will continue to tell us what we do best and what we can do better on this year’s survey.  If you want a more direct approach, send us a text, email, or chat.  If you prefer the socials, we can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.  No matter how you do it, let us know how we can make your library better (aside from chocolate fountains and seafood buffets).

 

 

 

Bill Morelan on Surviving the First Year of Teaching

As part of the Second Monday Author Series, Dr. Bill Morelan will be discussing his book, The Novice Teacher Survival Guide:  How to Avoid Personal Injury and Major Property Damage.  The book was written in a satirical style reminiscent of Dave Barry or Andy Borowitz.  The book is a tongue-in-cheek look at education’s sacred cows.  Morelan wrote it under the pseudonym Justin Case.  

Dr. Morelan is the department head of the Educational Leadership Master’s program at Arkansas Tech.  The program prepares candidates for state licensure as a building-level principal.  

One of a Kind: Jock Davis

Rescheduled for Monday November 21, at 7pm.  This World War II veteran will be the guest of our November 2022 Second Monday Author Series. Jock Davis is the author of Four Brothers: Reliving the Great Depression and World War II.  The book is Mr. Davis’ personal story of growing up during the Great Depression and then going off to war with all three of his brothers. He had a distinguished military career where he was awarded a combat ribbon with three battle stars for his service in the South Pacific during World War II and the Meritorious Service medal for outstanding service throughout his 37-year military career.  

Davis moved to Russellville in 1946 to attend Arkansas Tech University on the GI Bill.  It was there he met his wife Melba whom he highly talks about in the book.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Tech in 1955 and his master’s degree from the University of Arkansas in 1957.  Davis also had a 55-year career in agricultural business in sales and sales management. In 2006 he was inducted into the Arkansas Tech Alumni Hall of Distinction.  

Mr. Davis will soon be 98 years old.  Come on out and take advantage of this rare opportunity to meet this one-of-a-kind gentleman.  One lucky person will leave with a free signed copy of the book.  For more information contact Luke Heffley at lheffley@atu.edu or 479-964-0546.

Unfortunately, this event will be postponed due to an illness in Mr. Davis’ family.  We will keep you updated on social media as to when he can re-schedule.  We will also let you know if we have another guest author for our series next week. 

Tech Votes

The Ross Pendergraft Library & Technology Center will be hosting a series of events called Tech Votes in preparation for the November 8th elections. Earlier this fall the library was part of National Voter Registration Day in order to get voters on campus registered for the big day. The newly formed RSO (registered student organization), Do Something!, worked with Ms. Angela Black, the Interim Library Director, to register 104 people to vote.  

Events this month focus on voter education and discussions with various candidates who are running for different offices in the state of Arkansas.  The first event will feature Pamela Luker from the Pope County Cooperative Extension Office who will discuss the ballot four ballot issues as follows:

  1. Authority to call special legislative sessions
  2. 60% of voter approval for new constitutional amendments
  3. Religious freedom amendment
  4. Adult use cannabis amendment

This will take place in room 300A  on Thursday, October 13 at 6:00 PM followed at 7:00 PM by Michael Kalagias, the Libertarian Candidate for the 3rd District of the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Monday, October 17 at 3:00 PM Anna Beth Gorman, a candidate for Secretary of State will meet in room 300B.   

Thursday, October 20 at 5:00 PM the Libertarian Candidate for Arkansas Governor, Ricky Dale Harrington, Jr. will be here to talk about his platform and answer questions.  

Friday, October 28 at 5:00 PM Tech Votes will welcome Chris Jones, the Democrat Candidate for Arkansas Governor. 

The gubernatorial candidates are part of a series from the American Association of University Professors and is co-sponsored by the library.  They will both meet in 300A.  

Refreshments will be served at all Tech Votes events.  We hope to see you there.  All programs are free and open to the public.