The Science Fiction Book Club’s last comic of the summer is On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden. This book has everything: space, ancient architecture, fish, teen boarding school drama, love, sports, and more. Walden started writing it as “a version of outer space that [she] would want to live in” and ended up with a 544-page epic comic.

Walden is perhaps best known for her Eisner award winning memoir Spinning. After Spinning was released, she worked on what she was calling “Space Book,” which later became On a Sunbeam. Much of it was completed while vacationing alone in Japan. She posted each chapter as she finished it online, and once she was done it was published as a print book. You can read it online here (the About page has a lot of good info about its creation!). So far, it’s been listed as a Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner and got an excellent review in The New Yorker.

If you’d rather read the physical book, you can find On a Sunbeam here at the Claire T. Carney Library, at your local public library, or through interlibrary loan.

We look forward to chatting with you about On a Sunbeam on Monday, August 12th at 12pm in Library 314.

Summer is a beautiful season in the northeast, and the library staff loves to make the most of the sunny weather and the annual events unique to our region.

Explore the great outdoors:

Matt Sylvain, systems and digital services librarian, is a fan of kayaking the Slocum River or hiking in the White Mountains (such as in the Pemigewasset Wilderness). Kari Mofford, undergraduate & user services librarian, likes to walk or read at Duxbury Beach, and Olivia Piepmeier, arts & humanities librarian, recommends nearby Horseneck Beach. Lorraine Heffernan, business & economics librarian, suggests enjoying time out on the ocean on a whale-watching tour.

Experience local festivals:

Special events abound in the summer. Judy Farrar, archives & special collections librarian, notes that the Barnstable County Fair (July 22-28 in Falmouth) offers a fun Demolition Derby. She, Natalie Ferreira, learning commons, and Karen Tavares, library administration, all suggest the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament in New Bedford (August 1-4). Both Maureen McDevitt, access services, and Joanne Garfield, acquisitions, recommend the inexpensive and hugely popular New Bedford Folk Festival (July 6-7).

Take in some culture:

Lorraine is a veritable font of information about the local cultural scene. She suggests enjoying some Gilbert & Sullivan at the College Light Opera Company in Falmouth and picnicking at Westport Winery’s Friday night Sunset Music Series. Prefer a movie? Smithfield, Rhode Island, still has a drive-in theater, the Rustic Tri View Drive In, where Hilary Kraus, nursing & health librarian, enjoys the occasional current double-feature (her favorites are retro weekends, like the time they showed Jaws & Jurassic Park). She also recommends you catch a full lighting of Waterfire in downtown Providence.

Don’t forget to eat!

Olivia is a big fan of consuming oysters al fresco, and Lorraine notes that if you want to spend lavishly, you can reserve a table on weekend evenings at Just Right Farm for a local farm-to-table experience. Spending time in nearby Rhode Island? Hilary loves getting a huge scoop of ice cream at Sunshine Creamery in Rumford.

Travel farther afield:

Massachusetts is marvelous in summer, but don’t forget other nearby destinations. Olivia enjoys long weekends in Vermont. Need something to read on your trip? Check out the Book Barn in Connecticut; Hilary goes at least twice a year. Susan Raidy-Klein, collection development & acquisitions librarian, suggests the Lenox, in the Berkshires, where you can spread a blanket on the lawn at Tanglewood, summer home of the Boston Symphony, or enjoy a theater performance at Shakespeare & Company.

The Science Fiction Book Club’s second comic of the summer is Woman World by Aminder Dhaliwal. Woman World provides a look at the lives of a community of women after men have become extinct. The art and use of the comic medium are relatively simple, which provides room for strong comedic timing and reflection on what it might be like to exist in this world.

While many “graphic novels” get their start as stereotypical, weekly or monthly floppy comic books, some begin on the internet in a format known as “webcomics.” While Woman World did get its start on the internet, its start is unusual as it didn’t begin on a website as much as it did on an app: Instagram. Dhaliwal, an animator by trade, started this daily comic after a show she spent three years developing for Nickelodeon didn’t make it past the pilot. Friends suggested she start a project just for herself and she was inspired by humorous signs at the Women’s March and the nonfiction book, Adam’s Curse: A Future Without Men. She posted panels daily on Instagram and it became a hit. She soon signed a deal for a print book. You can read more about the creation in this interview or listen to this interview.

Published in September 2018, the book garnered much attention in a short amount of time. It was nominated for an Ignatz, (a well-known small press comic award) and an Eisner (the Oscars of comics) for Best Humor Publication in 2019. It also received a starred Library Journal review. Dhaliwal’s work is even in talks to become an animated series.

You can find Woman World here at the Claire T. Carney Library, at your local public library, or through interlibrary loan.

We look forward to chatting with you about Woman World on Tuesday, July 16th at 12pm in Library 314.

The Science Fiction Book Club is preparing for a comic-filled summer! First on our list is Here by Richard McGuire. Have you ever heard the phrase “if these walls could talk”? The concept of Here is just that, but a little less anthropomorphic. Here places you, the reader, in one spot throughout time to witness the myriad of things that occurred (and will occur) there. Each set of pages may take you to one time or many with McGuire’s unique approach to the basic mechanics of what makes a comic. Don’t let this scare you away if you’re not a “comics person!” There’s not one way to read this book, as suggested by this Wired article (maybe avoid reading it if you really want to jump into the book with no expectations).

The Here that we’re reading started in 1989 in the renowned comics magazine, RAW, edited by Maus author Art Spiegelman and his wife, New Yorker art editor, Françoise Mouly. In RAW, it was a 6 page comic strip that totally rocked the comics world and made an immediate impression on many like Chris Ware. Ten years later, McGuire signed a contract for an expanded version but struggled to figure out how to do it. Various other projects took his time and attention away, and another ten years later a fellowship at the New York Public Library gave him the chance to work on it. This Publishers Weekly interview will give you more information about the book’s history.

This expanded edition of Here was received with great success. It was one of the New York Times’ Notable Books of 2015 and made it on the 2014 Editors’ Choice: Adult Books list on Booklist. It also received starred reviews in Booklist, Kirkus, and Publishers Weekly.

You can find Here at your local public library or through interlibrary loan. If you’re feeling daring, you can buy the e-book for a completely different experience (select the e-book option to see the various retailers).

We look forward to chatting with you about Here on Thursday, June 13th at 12pm in Library 314.

The Science Fiction Book Club’s last voyage into alternate history this semester will be with Dread Nation by Justina Ireland. This time we’ll be reading about more familiar soil, as this book takes place in the aftermath of the Civil War…except this one involved zombies. In an interview with Bustle for the cover-release of the book, Ireland described it as being “about friendship, survival, racism, and zombies.”

Dread Nation is far from being Ireland’s first book, but it has garnered much attention since its release in April 2018. It made The New York Times bestseller list for Young Adult Hardcover books and received several starred reviews from publications such as Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Review.

You can find Dread Nation at your local public library or through interlibrary loan.

We look forward to chatting with you about Dread Nation on Friday, April 19th at 12pm in Library 314.

The Science Fiction Book Club’s second jump into alternate history will be His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik. In this version of the Napoleonic Wars, dragons are an integral part of warfare. That part is fantasy, but the book is still very much grounded in politics, history, and combat.

Novik is an award-winning author most recently known for Uprooted and Spinning Silver. His Majesty’s Dragon was her first published book. Two of the sequels, Throne of Jade and Black Powder War were released in the months following His Majesty’s Dragon. The three books together won Novik a Locus Award in 2007 for First Novel. His Majesty’s Dragon was also nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2007.  

You can find His Majesty’s Dragon at your local public library or through interlibrary loan.

We look forward to chatting with you about His Majesty’s Dragon on Thursday, March 21st at 2pm in Library 314.

Clean Out Your Bookcase Day is today—February 20, 2019!

The Claire T. Carney Library would love to have your donations for our Read and Return Collection.   

We maintain a fun/non-required reading collection (fiction … beach reads … or interesting light non-fiction) in the Library Living Room and the 2nd floor lecture room hallway.  These books are donated to us for students — and the rest of the UMassD Community — to borrow on the honor system.  No formal checkouts needed … we just ask that you return a book when you finish it.  We need to replenish our selection and are seeking donations of gently used books fitting the description.  If you have some things you’d like to donate, please bring your books to the Library Circulation Desk. 

Questions?  Please contact Kari Mofford: kmofford@umassd.edu or 508-999-8865.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air! Do you have a favorite literary love story? Do you swoon over Pride and Prejudice, or do you prefer To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before? Is Carry On the book for you, or can you not live without The Princess Bride? Share the title that speaks to your heart on one of our paper hearts in the Library Living Room all this week!

I have been birding — looking at, listening to, and identifying birds — since I was a kid. Though it once seemed like something I only shared with folks my parents’ age, I am seeing more and more kids and young adults outside, binoculars in hand. For a lot of us, birding is a way to interact with nature by watching these little winged creatures interact with it, too. It gets us outside and allows us to take a break from studying or working, or from just sitting on the couch mindlessly scrolling through our phones. For me, it’s a way to respectfully enjoy the outdoors. You have to stay quiet, keep a safe distance, and do your best not to disturb the birds or their habitat. It keeps me in constant awe of the world and the creatures with whom we share it.

Here on the UMassD campus, we are pretty lucky, habitat-wise. We have trees, brush, fields, and even a pond. This allows for all sorts of birds to stop by, nest, or winter over. Yes, winter! Though winter can easily get the best of our happiness with its short days, cold weather, and general lack of color, many birds still call New England home. Walking through campus, I hear black-capped chickadees, Northern cardinals, white-breasted nuthatches, dark-eyed juncos, and downy woodpeckers. Not to mention both American and fish crows, and those pesky Canada geese that block Ring Road whenever they feel like it (okay, I don’t love those guys). I have seen red-tailed hawks swoop by the library windows and turkey vultures soaring high over the campus center while herring gulls warm themselves on the roof. One of my favorite year-round birds, cedar waxwings, congregate in large groups on winter berry trees, the flashes of yellow on their tails brightening even the dullest of days. It’s a nice reminder that we are not alone in the cold, and that life can thrive, even when the temperature dips below 30.

Though birds are feeding and flying throughout the day, they are most active in the early morning hours. So after your next all nighter, on your way home, take a deep breath and an extra few minutes to look for or listen to some brave little songbirds who are making the best of their winter habitat, just like you are. Then, by all means, go to bed!

If you are interested in learning more about birds and birding, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a fantastic website (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/) and a free app called Merlin Bird ID, which can help you identify birds based on your location and description of their appearance. The library also has some guides that birders, beginner to advanced, will find useful:

A Birder’s Guide to Eastern Massachusetts, Claire T. Carney Library 5th Floor – General Collection (QL684.M4 B54 1994)

The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds. Eastern Region – Claire T. Carney Library 5th Floor – General Collection (QL681 .B77 1994)

Birds of North America – Claire T. Carney Library 5th Floor – General Collection (QL681 .K36 2000)

Written by Rachel Baum, Social Sciences & Data Services Librarian

The Claire T. Carney Library has a new(ish) librarian! Read the interview below to get to know our new Social Sciences & Data Services Librarian, Rachel Baum. 

So you’re the Social Sciences & Data Services Librarian? What does that even mean?

The “Social Sciences” portion means that I am the library representative (or “liaison”) to the Social Sciences department. I work with faculty to buy books, teach library instruction sessions to their classes, and advocate for them in library meetings. The “Data Services” part has to do with helping researchers on campus, whether students or faculty, develop and adhere to data management plans throughout their research process, then ensuring that the data they gather remains accessible and discoverable to other researchers.

Where are you from?

Originally, I am from Long Island, New York. Fun fact, New Yorkers hardly ever say “I’m from New York” without being more specific because otherwise, the follow-up question is “New York City?” and disappointing people with a “no” reply is a bummer.

Where did you go to school and what did you major in?

I did my undergraduate work at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I majored in English Literature, focusing on Shakespeare, and minored in European History. I have both U.S. and Canadian citizenship, so getting to live in Montreal, where my dad grew up, was a wonderful experience. My master’s degree in Library and Information Science is from Simmons University, where I focused on academic librarianship, especially reference and instruction.

Do you have any hobbies that aren’t librarianish?

I’m not sure where this falls on the librarianish spectrum, but my favorite thing to do in my spare time is go out birdwatching. I know plenty of non-librarians who love it, but it also involves identifying and categorizing things, so it may count! I also love to cook and am trying to teach myself how to bake bread.

What are you looking forward to this spring semester?

I will be working with 10 different English 102 classes, and I’m excited to meet so many new students and help to start developing their academic research skills. Since I’m still relatively new, we’ll be doing a lot of learning together, which is my favorite kind of learning.

If you had to give one piece of advice to students, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! My job is to help you do your best work and feel comfortable researching, and I love it.

How can someone contact you if they need help with research?

You can email, call, or even stop by my office. You can see all of my contact information online.