The UGL’s Guide to Fall Break

Who’s ready for fall break?

Image of Uggles laying on top of a fruit and vegetable basket

Uggles is allowed on the dining table

Whether you’re staying in the Champaign-Urbana area or traveling away, here are some UGL-approved ideas of how to spend your week of freedom before the final exam crunch begins!

Reading for FUN

A gif image of a cat reading

Plenty to read is available for you and your cat

Missing the good old days of summer when you could read what you wanted, not what your professor assigned? Before you head out of town, stop by the UGL to check out popular novels, graphic novels, and more.

  • Find out more about our Fiction collection, or browse our genre binders on the lower level.
  • If you have a specific book in mind, try searching the Library Catalog to see where to find it.
  • If you’re more of an e-book kind of person, check out our Finding Ebooks guide and find the book for you.

eAudio Books

Screenshot of the rb Digital library for Ebooks

The rb Digital ebook library

The library has an eAudio collection with thousands of audiobooks you can access to make tedious chores or long car rides less boring. Head to the link above for a guide to using this collection, or go straight to the library catalog listing. Once you click “Online Access,” you’ll be brought to a site called rb digital where you can browse or search for books.

Explore C-U

The Explore C-U homepage

Explore C-U

Whether you’re stuck on campus over break or just happen to have family in the area, check out Explore C-U, a University Library developed project that has stories and self-guided tour routes to learn more about the arts, culture, and history of Champaign-Urbana. Examples of tour include:

School Stuff

Maybe you’ve been putting off that research paper, or maybe you just really love your classes. Whatever the reason, know that you still have access to the library’s databases and resources when you’re out of town and off-campus!

Gif of a cat using a laptop and a mouse

Digital access to all of the library’s resources

Start from the library’s home page and find whatever database or journal you need. You’ll be prompted to log in with your NetID and password, then you are good to go. If this doesn’t work, pop in the Ask A Librarian chat on the library’s website for help or check out our guide on accessing databases off campus for other ways you can connect.

Take a little cat nap!

Gif of two very cuddly and very sleep cats yawning

A few extra cat naps over break will be welcome

Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy the time off and come back refreshed and ready to tackle all of your end-of-semester projects and final exams.

~authored by Amy

~Edited by Zander

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From the Table to the Couch: Video Games to Play Over Thanksgiving Break

So you’re done eating pounds of turkey and wondering ‘well, what do I do now with all this time on my hands.’ The Undergrad’s got you covered with our extensive video game collection! Take some time to relax and play some games before coming back to studying. Here’s just some of the games that we have available right before the break.

Rock Out with Elite Beat Agents

Elite Beat Agents Cover Art

The Elite Beat Agents

System: DS/3DS

If you like the idea of being a secret agent and a rock star in one package, Elite Beat Agents is the game for you. In this music rhythm game, play through nineteen songs ranging from “Material Girl” by Madonna and “You’re the Inspiration” by Chicago. This is perfect for on the go play.

Prove yourself with Titanfall 2

Titanfall Cover Art

Titanfall

System: Xbox One

Take a friend or annoying sibling and remind them you’re still the best when it comes to FPS. Choose between playing in your Titan or playing as just a tech heavy human in the Game Critics Award multiplayer game of the year for 2016.

Stop Egg Thieves in the Angry Birds Trilogy

Angry Birds Trilogy Cover Art

Angry Birds Trilogy

System: Xbox 360

Play all three Angry Birds games in one with this console version of the addictive phone app. Show your friends you learned something about projectile physics all while taking on those nefarious pigs who are probably planning to steal your eggs.

Explore the World in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild cover art

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

System: WiiU

One of the current nominees for game of the year, 2017 is available for the upcoming break! The weather is starting to be chilly, the leaves aren’t so colorful anymore, but the beautiful world of Breath of the Wild can be seen while you’re drinking hot coffee and snuggling with a blanket indoors.

All of these and more are available at the Undergraduate Library right now, downstairs in the media collection space. Happy gaming!

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Fall Break Hours for the UGL

It’s finally Fall Break! Here at the UGL, we know that you all are going to take this time to catch up on work and eat more than you can handle. The following are the hours that the UGL will be open and closed.

Have an excellent Fall Break. Photo courtesy of StarMama via Flickr Commons

Have an excellent Fall Break. Photo courtesy of StarMama via Flickr Commons

-We close early on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.
-The UGL will be closed on November 22 and 23th.
-The following week, we are open Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM.
-We will re-open on November 20th at 1 PM. As usual, the lower level will close 30 minutes before closing time.

Be sure to get all your books and movies before you leave for break! Or if you’re staying in town, be sure to visit us.

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Fall Break Hours

At last! Fall break is nearly here. If you’re travelling over the holiday to see loved ones or just for vacation, we hope you have a safe and happy time of it. If you’re sticking around for all or most of the week, we hope you get as much working or relaxing done as you hope to. And you know…if you happen to need somewhere to hang out…the UGL will still be here. Here are our hours for fall break, in case you need or want to stop in.

Vintage Turkey lookin' fly

Photo courtesy of Evan Traveler on Flickr

Friday, November 22nd: Close at 7 PM
Saturday, November 23rd: Closed
Sunday, November 24th: Closed
Monday, November 25th: Open 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Tuesday, November 26th: Open 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Wednesday, November 27th: Open 8:30 AM – 5 PM
Thursday, November 28th: Closed – Happy Thanksgiving!
Friday, November 29th: Closed
Saturday, November 30th: Closed
Sunday, December 1st: Open at 1 PM; resume regular semester hours

If you want to grab something to read, check out the UGL’s Pinterest boards for tons of reading recommendations. Remember that if your books or movies are due while you’re out of town for the holiday, you can renew them using your online account to avoid overdue notices! Have a great break, and we’ll be here for you when you come back refreshed and ready to finish your semester strong!

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Gobble Up Some Fall Break Reads!

Eat TONS and take a nap.

Image from jelene on Flickr.

Fall Break is nearly upon us! For many of us, this means heading home to enjoy massive quantities of food in the company of our family and loved ones. For all of us, hopefully, the break represents a chance to relax and have some personal time before gearing up for the  last stretch of the semester. If you’re looking for ways to spend all that free time you’re going to have next week, why not pick up a book or three at your old pal the UGL? If you’re in charge of the dinner table at your celebration, we’ve got loads of cookbooks for you to choose from—but we’ve also handpicked some other books that we feel are appropriate to the season.

 

book cover: cornucopia full of knowledge about Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving Book
by Laurie C. Hillstrom
Are you really really into Thanksgiving? Are you just aching for more knowledge about Turkey Day and its many mysteries? This book will give you an overview of the holiday through history, its celebration in contemporary times, recipes, and even poems. There’s an extensive bibliography, too, if you want even more! Go crazy!

 

 

book cover: football team running down field away from viewerMust Win: A Season of Survival for a Town and Its Team
by Drew Jubera
Maybe football is the most exciting part of fall break for you. If that’s the case, why not take a break between games and pick up a book about football to supplement your viewing? A successful high school football team, fallen from glory and struggling through adversity to make a comeback—it’s got everything you expect from an inspiring sports story.

 

 

 

book cover: a family sits in a well-arranged living roomHappy Home
by Rebecca Winward
Many of you will be headed home for the break. Are you excited? No matter where home is for you, it’s important for it to be an environment you enjoy being in. If your space has felt a little lackluster lately, or doesn’t feel like it’s working for you, check out this book to find some ideas for sprucing it up and rearranging it to better suit your needs.

 

 

book cover: a young person balances a tray of food on their headTurkey: More Than 100 Recipes With Tales From the Road
by Leanne Kitchen
Okay, so this probably isn’t the turkey you’re expecting to think about at Thanksgiving time. But maybe you should! If you have tired of the taste of turkey, the bird, pick up this book to explore the diverse tastes of Turkey, the country. The recipes are accompanied by photographs and anecdotes exploring the people and culture of the country, too, to whet your appetite for travelogues as well as exciting cuisine.

 

book cover: cupcakes with lots of frostingSweet & Easy Vegan: Treats Made with Wholegrains and Natural Sweeteners
by Robin Asbell
Let’s be honest: a Thanksgiving meal is not the same without dessert. Pies, tarts, puddings and cookies all contribute to making this holiday the beautiful celebration of gluttony that it is. This book will enable you to enjoy a wide-range of your favorite sweet meal-enders, in versions without animal products or artificial sweeteners. Here’s to your health!

 

 

book cover: Art Nouveau inspired image of silhouetted womanBeautiful Lies
by Clare Clark
Sometimes a little escapist fiction is the best way to unwind and spend your free time. Take a break from worrying about your classes and instead contemplate the fate of Maribel Campbell Lowe, wife of a maverick member of Parliament whose double life and secret past may soon be exposed. Victorian suspense should help take your mind off those paper deadlines.

 

 

 

One or two of those should help entertain you through your long stretches of lying prone on the couch after Too Much Pie. If none of these suits your fancy—or if you just want more!—you can always check out our other Pinterest boards for more ideas, or browse through our ‘recommendations’ tag here on the blog for a glimpse of suggestions past.

 

FALL BREAK HOURS
We’ll be open Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of the break, from 8:30am to 5pm, so come visit us and grab something if you’re still in town (the UGL will close at 7pm on Friday, Nov. 17. All libraries are closed Nov. 18-19 and Nov. 22-24. The UGL will reopen Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1pm).

Have a good holiday, and we’ll see you when we get back!

 

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