On Being Inclusive

Posted on February 6, 2014 by CN

We’re guessing that you’re just as sick of the snow this season as we are. One of the nicest things that can happen when it’s cold, wet, and windy, though, is the possibility of a snow day. A week or so ago, when Chancellor Phyllis Wise announced that inclement weather wouldn’t mean the University was closing, some members of our community turned to Twitter to announce their displeasure with unfortunate racist and sexist remarks.

In response, many units of our campus, including our very own University Library, have planned an event, #ONECAMPUS: Moving Beyond Digital Hate, in order to promote an open dialogue about maintaining an inclusive atmosphere on campus. It takes place this evening, Thursday, February 6, at 7:30 pm in the Krannert Great Hall.

As Club UGL-ers, we hope that you’re interested in keeping our hoppin’ underground spot as safe and welcoming for all kinds of people as we possibly can. In addition to letting you know about that event, we’d like to feature some resources, available right here at the UGL, that will help you extend your knowledge beyond this one-time conversation, and which we hope help make the UGL an inclusive place to be.

Book cover: Static TVs to represent the media

Race/Gender/Class/Media 3.0 by Rebecca Ann Lind

Lind’s newly updated anthology is jam-packed with all kinds of fascinating essays about race, gender, class, and sexuality in the media. She looks at an enormous array of media, from TV to magazines and from radio to social media, digging into important issues to help us understand how racism and sexism can play out in media spaces, especially those online.

book cover: hand-made signs in windows of houses advertising parties

House Signs and Collegiate Fun: Sex, Race, and Faith in a College Town by Chaise LaDousa

Club UGL-ers know how to have a good time, right? In this book, LaDousa looks at the experience of “just havin’ fun” in universities and analyzes the cultural meanings put into signage produced by partying college students . LaDousa shows how the ways that we understand race, gender, sexuality, and religion show up in things that we often don’t even think twice about, making this an especially timely book on this topic.

book cover: plain white text on blue background, very academic

Why Aren’t We There Yet?: Taking Personal Responsibility for Creating an Inclusive Campus edited by Jan Arminio, Vasti Torres, and Raechele L. Pope

In Why Aren’t We There Yet?, the editors ask why, despite years of talk about increasing diversity and making campuses inclusive, events of racism and sexism like SnowDayTweetGate still happen. Their answers aren’t easy, but the book is a guide to helping us continue to have difficult conversations about power and justice and asks us to step up in ending discrimination on our campus.

The UGL thinks this is an important conversation and wants to make sure that you know that we’ve got the resources to help you with all kinds of problems, from the big ones like our campus climate, to the little ones. We hope that you’ll join us as we try to make sure that the library—and the university—are safer spaces for people of all races, genders, orientations, and abilities. The Media Collection will still be waiting when you get back.

Special thanks to guest blogger Tad Andracki.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month

Posted on November 4, 2013 by QLB

Happy November Club UGL! Fall break is just around the corner, but did you also know that November is Native American Heritage month? And what exactly is Native American Heritage Month? It’s a month that provides a platform for Native Americans to share various aspects of their culture, including dances, foods, crafts, and other facets of their way of life.

In 1990, Former President George H. W. Bush approved a joint resolution to make November Native American Heritage Month. Many museums and organizations have contributed their efforts and formed exhibitions related to this month. The Library of Congress, National Archives, The National Gallery of Art, and many more institutes have gathered materials and exhibitions commemorating Native American history and future in this country. For more information about these exhibitions or archives, visit the official website for Native American Heritage Month.

It is a nationwide holiday, but celebrations for this month are closer to home than you might think. The University of Illinois takes pride in having a diverse student body, and also a diversity of student organizations and houses. The Native American House on campus opened on Nevada Street in 2002. Its purpose is to increase knowledge and understanding for Native American culture in the past, present and future by providing students and staff with various resources. Such resources include the Native American House Library, help finding information regarding American Indian Studies, and much more.

The Native American House here on campus will be doing various activities and celebrations throughout the month. The first one, “Maori Approaches to Research and Methodology Workshop” features Dr. Nepia Mahuika, who is the current chair of New Zealand Māori History Collective. Among the other events will be dance and singing performances and film screenings. For a complete calendar of events visit their events page.

Learning about Native American history isn’t just for this month! if you’re interested in learning about Native American history or are doing a school project and just don’t know where to begin, the subject guide for American Indian Studies is very helpful. It provides many resources to point you in the right direction. The UGL also has a Pinterest board with suggestions for works by Native American authors.

Anasazi Pottery. Attribution: Photograph by P. Hollembeak. ©American Museum of Natural History, New York

We encourage you to participate in the events going on on campus and learn more about Native American peoples and their heritage, no matter what month it is.

Indian Cinema at 100: Film Festival

Posted on October 21, 2013 by QLB

As you’ve probably noticed, the glass display case at the entrance of the UGL has changed (if you haven’t noticed, go take a look!). Hopefully it’s caught your eye and if you’ve taken a closer look, you’ll see it’s for the Indian Film Festival.

Film Festival Display Photo attribution: Courtesy of Quetzalli Barrientos

So, what exactly is the Indian Film Festival? The Indian Film Festival is about observing 100 years of Indian cinema. The purpose is to “examine the origins, evolution, growth, and productivity”. With a showing of eight films, there is a variety for everyone. This is not your typical “Bollywood” movie. They are films that explore social issues through cinema. Issues such as arranged marriages, homosexuality, war, and other culturally dominant beliefs are shown in these films.

For a complete list of films and showing times and other information, visit the official website, Past.Present.Future: Indian Cinema at 100.

All of the films will be screening in the Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock Museum. Since we are all poor and struggling college students, you should know that all the showings are free! Aside from movie showings, there will also be a few other events going on through December 1^st.

The symposium will be on October 31^st from 1 to 5 PM at the Coordinated Science Laboratory, which is located right on the engineering quad. This symposium will consist of distinguished professors from all over the country, and the guest of honor is Onir, the director of “I am” and “My Brother…Nikhil”. For those who are unfamiliar with Onir, he is a director, editor, producer, and philanthropist. His film, “My Brother…Nikhil” became the first mainstream Indian film to deal with the issue of AIDS and same-sex relationships.

Director Onir. Photo Courtesy of “Bollywood Hungama”

For those who cannot make the symposium, the next night, November 1^st at 6:00 PM, there will be a reception with director Onir as the guest of honor. After the reception, there will be showing of his movie, “I Am.”

We encourage you to go to any movie that interests you and if you enjoy them, you might also want to attend the Corey Creekmur talk which will take place on December 9^th at 8:00 PM. This talk will take place at the second floor of the Levis Faculty Center. The speaker, Corey Creekmur from the University of Iowa, will be speaking about historical Hindi colonial films.

This film festival is a great opportunity to go out and see new films, learn more about another culture, or find out more about the issues portrayed in these films. So, grab a friend and make it a movie night!

Inclusive Illinois: Events around campus

Posted on September 23, 2013 by QLB

Inclusive Illinois Day is just around the corner. By now, you might have heard about this event – but what exactly is it? Inclusive Illinois Day is about providing a climate of inclusiveness not only on for the students, but the staff and faculty. Its goal is to “heighten awareness and engagement about issues of identity and importance of examining and respecting differences,” since “diversity is the foundation upon which we live and learn.”

image of Foellinger auditorium from top of quad

Imagine the quad filled with every kind of person imaginable all being friends. That’s inclusive.

We are lucky to be in diverse campus surrounded by people from different parts of the world and from various backgrounds. Every single one of us has had different life experiences and it is important to not dismiss those who have experiences things we have not.

Everyone brings something to the table, so what does being inclusive mean to you? Getting to know people who have a different background can be eye-opening and life-changing. You can always learn from being surrounding by a diverse group of people with different experiences.

So, what kinds of events are available on campus? Well, starting this week there will be various lectures, events, and activities. The main ones being the Chancellor’s lecture, where Dr. Alan Goodman will speak on the topic of “Race is a myth: Racism is real.”

There will also be education stations at various libraries.

The Main Library, at the small service desk in the north south hallway
The Undergraduate Library, on the upper level near the entrance
The Funk ACES Library, on the second floor near the elevator entrance
Grainger Library, on the first floor near the circulation desk

Stop by these education stations to learn more about Inclusive Illinois and the Library Diversity Committee, and to share your own stories and thoughts about inclusiveness!

There are many events for all interests. For more information, go to the Inclusive Illinois website and take a look at their calendar of events going on around campus. You can also sign the online pledge to make your commitment to an Inclusive Illinois. Remember, we all have the power to make a difference and to learn from others.

Celebrating Inclusive Illinois: Latin America and the Caribbean

Posted on September 19, 2013 by CN

Next Wednesday may be Inclusive Illinois Day (which you can read more about here), but no matter what day it is, it’s always enriching to learn about people, especially all the different cultures and histories that they can represent. If you’ve been wanting to learn more about Latin American and Caribbean cultures, you’re in luck – there are tons of events and resources available from the library and elsewhere in the CU that can expose you to new knowledge.

If you’ve never been to Champaign’s Art Theater Co-op, you’re missing out. They show great movies, and you can get a student discount for most movies if you show your I-Card. Starting this Friday, in collaboration with the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, they’re holding the annual Latin American Film Festival. There are seven different Latin American documentaries and films to choose from, playing over the entire weekend – or you can go see them all! Check out the trailers on the Art’s website.

You can also tune in on the small screen (a television, if you have access to one) to watch ‘Latino Americans,’ PBS’s original miniseries celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs September 15th through October 15th. A new segment airs every Tuesday night.

Too busy with homework to go see a movie or watch TV? If you’re studying in the library, you can always take a short study break to check out the Unity in Diversity exhibit on the first floor of the main library, curated by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Library. It features just a few of the wide-ranging resources that the library contains on Latin American studies. Or, if you have an afternoon free, mosey over to the Spurlock Museum to check out their Folk Art of Latin America exhibit.

And if you still can’t get enough, you can grab one of these movies or books by and about Latin American or Caribbean people on your way home from the library. Opportunities abound!

A Tree Within by Octavio Paz (translated by Eliot Weinberger)

Fruit of the Lemon by Andrea Levy

At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid

Viva para Contarla (Living to Tell the Tale) by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Country Under My Skin: A Memoir of Love and War by Gioconda Belli

Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borges (translated by Andrew Hurley)

La Sirga directed by William Vega

The Devil’s Backbone directed by Guillermo del Toro

Celebrate Black History Month

Posted on February 4, 2013 by HJL

The University of Illinois works hard to foster an atmosphere of diversity and inclusiveness. And all through the month of February, many organizations are hosting events to celebrate and honor Black History month.

Portrait of Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield courtesy of University Housing at Illinois

One of the coolest announcements recently was the board of trustee’s decision to name a new dorm after the first black woman graduate, Maudelle Tanner Brown Bousfield. Ms. Bousfield graduated in 1906 and went on to teach high school math. She also became the first African-American principal in Chicago’s public schools in 1928. The new dorm, which will be called Bousfield Hall and open in Fall 2013, will be located on the corner of First and Peabody.

But that’s not all! Check out some of the awesome events coming up this month:

Feb 4 An Evening with Keith Boykin: A Celebration of Black LGBT History Month

Feb 9 Sweet Honey in the Rocks

Feb 23 Black and Latino Male Summit

Feb 27 Culmination Celebration (Sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation)

And that doesn’t even begin to cover it. Several groups have on-going presentations and series throughout the month. The Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center has a “Food for the Soul” series featuring some great topics for the month. And Inclusive Illinois has countless events happening, too.

And don’t forget about the Library. This month, there is a display on the first floor of the Music and Performing Arts Library for Black History Month, and on the second floor, they’re exhibiting hip-hop and rap materials, including recordings. Stop by, check it out, and learn something new!

IRL @ the UGL

Posted on December 17, 2012 by CN

We at the UGL like to think of ourselves as being pretty comfortable with technology. This Web 2.0 thing? We’ve got it down. But we also understand that sometimes, even the most tech-savvy person gets a hankering for the old-fashioned. Sometimes it’s nice to see a pin-board with actual, physical pins in it. The opportunity to take a break from the seemingly endless computer screens in your life and spend time gazing at cheery paper snowmen is one you may be glad to take.

A paper snowman greets you from a glass display case.

“Well hello! Welcome to the UGL!”

To fill this occasional craving for the traditional, and to make the physical space of the library more visually interesting and informative, there are several displays in different parts of the library for you to enjoy. The themes change every month to keep things fresh and appropriate to the season – this month, the staff and student workers/elves have put together some holiday-focused displays to help boost your spirit during finals. We’ll give you a preview here on the blog, but you should really come in and check them out in person!

DVD cases surrounded by beautiful paper snowflakes.

UGL employees bust out their mad snowflake-makin’ skills, just for you.

Right when you enter the UGL from the plaza, this happy little case is ready to suggest some seasonal movies for you. If you’re interested in a title you see inside this mini-winter wonderland, just ask at the circulation desk, and we can fetch it for you! Then you can take it home and get just as cozy as you wanna.

Cookbooks with glorious pictures of baked goods await you.

We completely understand, but do try not to drool on the glass.

There are tons of food-themed ‘holidays’ in December. We’re not really sure how official ‘National Chocolate-Covered-Anything Day’ is, but that’s not going to stop us from celebrating it! To help you get in the culinary groove, we’ve got some cookbooks lined up in the display upstairs near the circulation desk, full of delicious holiday treats for you to make and share (or hoard). Come gaze upon these tasty cakes and be inspired.

Downstairs are where to find the suggestion binders.

We made a concerted effort to find books that are qualified to be suggested, and now we’ve got whole binders full of suggestions.

The food theme continues in the lower level! Just beyond the media collection, we’ve got more cookbooks picked out in our Y-shaped display. These aren’t necessarily holiday-specific; we’ve pulled together a wide range of cuisines and food types for you to choose from. Moroccan food? Totally covered. Any and every kind of soup? Right here. In addition to the cookbooks, you’ll find binders of suggested titles from a variety of different genres on top of the display. Pick ’em up, leaf through them, carry them around to help you locate the books on the shelf – just please return them when you’re done, so someone else can find a good read after you!

Diversity Bulletin Board with information about lots of different holiday traditions.

Celebrate ALL the traditions!

The bulletin board in the lower lobby of the UGL is sponsored by the Library’s Diversity Committee, and each month it showcases diversity in a different area. For the month of December, we’ve got a festive round-up of winter holiday traditions from around the world. Curious about Wren’s Day, or Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year? You can learn all about them, right here!

That’s what’s going on IRL at the UGL – we’re happy that you’re reading our blog, but we’d also be happy to see your faces in the library checking out our displays. Come on down and scope ’em out!

Diverse Partnerships

Posted on September 10, 2012 by RAL

Diversity Services Display is downstairs in the lower lobby of the UGL.

Whoever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch clearly hasn’t heard about the Lunchtime Discussion Series presented by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Relations.

Throughout the semester, the OIIR–in partnership with the Asian American Cultural Center, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, La Casa Cultural Latina, LGBT Resources Center, Native American House and the Women’s Resource Center–provide nourishment for your body and your brain with lunch and meaningful discussion. Held throughout the semester from noon-1pm (events take place on all week days, so something’s bound to work in your sched), bring a friend or two (or meet some new ones) as a wide variety of topics and issues are discussed while you nosh on lunch.

The UGL is happy to work with the OIIR thoroughout the semester as one of our partner organizations. If you can’t make any of the lunches, stop by the Partners Desk on the upper level to chat with reps from the cultural houses and organizations and learn more about their missions and services. Watch the UGL Events Calendar for dates and times.

If any of this sounds appealing, you can also swing by the bulletin board display in the lobby of the lower level of the UGL (pictured above). It’ll be up the month of September and features QR codes linking to more info about the individual organizations, printed schedules of this semester’s lunches (including topics and locations), and books on campus diversity that you can check out!

(Pro tip: Keep your eye on that bulletin board, as each month a different display promoting multiculturalism and diversity is featured.)

Summer Diversity Internship at the UGL!

Posted on April 8, 2012 by BD

Get real software developing experience with this cool team!

Are you a University of Illinois undergraduate student with a 2-year IT degree or a minor in Informatics? Are you interested in getting real experience developing software in a collaborative, team-based research environment? Are you awesome? YES?!? Then you might be the perfect candidate for the UGL’s new 8-week summer internship opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds. Read all about it below!

Available:

Non-traditional information technology career exploration for undergraduate students with two year IT degrees from diverse backgrounds; the University Library is recruiting diverse candidates for a summer paid internship in software development. Students will co-design library software services in a collaborative team-based research and development group based in the Undergraduate Library.

Responsibilities:

Participate in a collaborative software development team for library services that aid information discovery.

Qualifications:

Must be a University of Illinois undergraduate student from a diverse background with two-year IT degree; or, enrolled in the Informatics Minor.

Programming experience with object oriented languages (preferably Java), familiarity with RESTful web services for API development.

Compensation:

40 hours a week for 8 weeks @ $12.25

To apply: Send cover letter and resume to Jim Hahn, jimhahn@illinois.edu , Orientation Services and Environments Librarian.

Image of development team with large and fancy computers

Check out those sweet iMacs!

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