media | Undergraduate Library Blog - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Remembering Roger Ebert

Posted on April 18, 2013 by RAL

If there’s one thing we think esteemed alum Roger Ebert might’ve appreciated about the updates to the UGL, it’s the expansive film collection on the lower level. This weekend marks the 15th Annual Ebertfest Film Festival in Champaign, and it’s the first without its namesake, following Ebert’s passing on April 4.

Aside from his renowned writing style and deep love for the movies, Ebert was also dedicated to his hometown of Urbana and his alma mater, the University of Illinois. Check out the moving blog brought to you by our friends at the other end of the tunnel, the University Archives. Not only do they have a great collection of Ebert’s papers and correspondence, they also have interesting info on his life and time as a student at Illinois, including his tenure as editor of the DI.

If you’re looking for more information about this ground-breaking (and oft-controversial) film critic, devotee of the motion picture, and proud U of I journalism student, the library has plenty of his books:

Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert, Forty Years of Reviews, Essays, and Interviews

Scorsese By Ebert

I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie

Life Itself: A Memoir

Roger Ebert’s Four-Star Reviews: 1967-2007

An Illini Century: 100 Years of Campus Life

The Perfect Lond on Walk

A Horrible Experience of Unbearable Length: More Movies that Suck

For other books by Ebert, head to the online catalog. Type Ebert, Roger (the best format when searching for authors) in the search box, and change the drop-down menu from “Keyword” to “Author.” Happy reading and hats off to an admirable man and friend of the University, library and the fields of journalism and film.

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.

“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!

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.

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.

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!

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!

UGL 101: Self-Checkout Machines

Posted on December 6, 2012 by HJL

If you’ve been studying (oh so quietly) on the lower level of the UGL recently, you may have noticed some new hardware on your way in or out.

Those shiny new machines are self-checkout machines where you can check out books or media. Long gone are the days of waiting in line to borrow season three of Lost. Now, armed with your iCard, you can easily check them out yourself.

The machines are super easy to use. Just follow a few simple steps.

1. Scan your I-Card.

Scanning an iCard with the self-check machine

Your iCard is your ticket to the UGL’s entertainment options.

2. Scan your books or media, with the spine of the item sitting in the dip of the scanning area. When you hear a “thump” your item is ready.

Scanning a movie with the self-check machine

Make sure it’s facing this way, so the machine can desensitize your items.

3. The screen will prompt you to select whether or not you’d like a receipt.

It doesn’t matter what you choose, but you do have to make a choice.

4. If you have DVDs or video games, finally, you’ll want to insert them into the unlocker next to the machine. Make sure you hold it with the front of the case facing up, and top of the case going into the machine first. Check to make sure the case will open once the machine gives the case back to you.

Unlocking a dvd using the self-check machine

The unlocker will eat your dvd and spit it back out, ready for you to use!

5. You’re all done! Wasn’t that easy?

If you have problems with using the machines, or just have questions in general, look for the staff member on the lower level to help you. You can ring the bell on the cafe table near the media area for help. And you can always look for our friendly librarians, making the rounds in their “Ask a Librarian” vests.

Read like an Olympian

Posted on July 26, 2012 by EP

The London 2012 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremonies officially kick off tomorrow (though soccer is already underway), and we hope you’ll cheer on as some of your fave athletes from your fave countries participate in your fave events (this blogger likes to watch track and field and diving!).

Photo from The National Archives UK via Flickr Commons

If you want to dive even deeper into the spirit of this spectacular once-every-four-years event that is the Summer Olympics, here’s some books, movies and video games from the UGL’s collection for you to sprint, jump, row, kick, swim, paddle, run, flip, volley, putt, or cycle through!*

The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games

Dig deep into the pagan ritual that was the ancient Olympics. Yes, the modern Olympics have been around for what seems like forever (116 years), but the ancient ones were held for over a millenium: 1200 years in all! There’s lots of history, culture, athleticism, and apparently nudity, to be learned about from this great read.

This Great Symbol: Pierre de Coubertin and the Origins of the Modern Olympic Games (also available online here)

Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics, was a French baron with a passion for sport. If you’re a history, anthropology, sports, and/or biography buff, pick this up at your earliest convenience. Part biography of Coubertin, part history of the founding of the games, all thrilling look into the theories and dreams behind the modern games.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Not much needs to be said about this Nintendo DS game; it’s all in the title. Race, swim, jump, and play for the bronze, silver or gold as your fave Nintendo hero. Play it during the commercial breaks while watching the coverage of the real Olympics! (p.s. you can check out a DS from the UGL, too!)

Beijing 2008

Another awesome Olympics video game guaranteed to make you feel like you’ve trained as hard as the real-life Olympic athletes (okay, maybe not quite). Instead of doing the long jump as Yoshi, in this Playstation 3 game you play as an athlete participating as part of a national team in one of over 30 events. Sweet.

Chariots of Fire

A classic in the Olympics genre! Chariots of Fire follows two men participating in track and field on the Great Britain team during the 1924 Paris Olympics. Each has his own deep-rooted, complicated reasons for giving it his all. It won four Academy Awards in its day, so besides being a tale of Olympic glory, it’s also great cinema.

* Library books don’t like to get wet, though, so be sure not to take them swimming, diving or water polo-ing with you if you get inspired. They also appreciate not being kicked, volleyed, putted, or jumped on.

DVDs for the Dog Days

Posted on July 5, 2012 by RAL

The heat wave currently plaguing central Illinois is getting a little out of hand: it’s officially too hot to be outside, aka the “dog days.” So, until the weather breaks, chill out inside with the A/C (sorry, we don’t have A/C units available for check out from the loanable tech desk!), a fan or a baby pool full of ice, and indulge in one of of these movies available in the UGL media collection that brings the heat in their titles–no sunscreen required.

Dog Day Afternoon

Based on the true story of a Brooklyn, New York, bank robbery in August ’72, who doesn’t want to watch Al Pacino in a hostage situation on a hot, dragging summer day?

Heat

What is it with Pacino and bank robbing movies? It’s too hot out for deep thinking, but if Dog Day Afternoon isn’t your style, pick up Heat, and explore the inner-workings of the minds of bank robbers and the cops who hunt them down.

Hot Fuzz

Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg (aka the dudes who are responsible for Shaun of the Dead), two cops stumble upon a true crime ring in a small British town. Hilarity, gratuitous violence, and awesome accents ensue.

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Things get messy in a seaside town after four attractive teens botch a hit-and-run after a night of summer partying. If you’re looking for some cheesy horror to heat up your night, we recommend Jennifer Love Hewitt & Co.

In the Heat of the Night

This 1967 crime thriller features Sidney Poitier as a detective investigating a murder in a Southern town. The tension heats up faster than the weather down South in this classic drama.

Some Like It Hot

Emphasis on the “some” in Some Like It Hot, if the oppressive humidity has gotten under your skin, stay in and have a few laughs with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. This highly lauded film finds Curtis and Lemmon cross-dressing their way into an all-girl band to avoid a mob hit. It’s definitely the most fun one could have in the witness protection program.

Suddenly, Last Summer

After witnessing her cousin’s mysterious death, Catherine (Elizabeth Taylor) loses her mind and her vengeful aunt (Katherine Hepburn) conspires to have her lobotomized of all things. Suddenly, this summer’s heat index doesn’t sound too bad, after all.

Wet Hot American Summer

What would the season be without summer camp? Director David Wain (Role Models, Wanderlust) and his merry band of misfits (think 2001 versions of Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Ian Black, Elizabeth Banks and Bradley Cooper) have one last hurrah at Camp Firewood before the summer ends.

What are your favorite white-hot DVDs? Let us know in the comments!

Get Game

Posted on April 10, 2012 by EP

We're all about gaming.

If you’re curious about what it takes to get a career in the video game industry, don’t miss this: on April 19th, the UGL will hold our annual Gaming Career Night. From 7-10pm, artists, writers, programmers, IT managers, music composers and more from local video game company Volition, Inc. will be in room 291 to share their advice and experience. You will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one and in small groups with Volition team members to discuss careers, networking and job-seeking tips, academic advice, and more. PLUS: if you have any artwork, story line ideas, and/or games you’ve created, bring a portfolio of samples to have them critiqued by the experts!

Did you know that Champaign is home to a world-class video game company? Cool, huh?! Champaign-based company Volition, Inc., was born in 1993 as Parallax Software, founded by Mike Kullas and Matt Toschlog. In 1994, the released a shareware version of Descent, which quickly made it into the Top 100 Internet Games charts. The full version of Descent, released in 1995, won a PC Gamer’s Editor’s Choice award, earning one of the top ratings (96%) a game has ever gotten. In 1996, Parallax became Volition, Inc, and the affiliated company Outrage Entertainment. Since then the company has released more highly popular and critically-acclaimed games such as Summoner, Red Faction and Saints Row.

Wondering why the UGL is hosting this particular event? Well, the UGL is part of a Gaming Initiative, which is why we have a large video game collection, a gaming center in the library, and handheld consoles like PSPs for you to check out. The collection supports interdisciplinary research in gaming that goes on in the areas of psychology, computer science, information science, literature and more. Ridiculously awesome.

If you can’t make it to the Gaming Career Night, check out this handy guide to careers in gaming! Here you can read sample job descriptions, advice from industry insiders from previous Gaming Career Nights, a list of UIUC courses in gaming and game design, and more.

On Display @ the UGL

Posted on April 4, 2012 by EP

Ever wondered what’s up with that colorful bulletin board by the comfy chairs in the lower level lobby, or those big glass cases on the upper level near the new books? These displays offer you an opportunity to learn about something you didn’t know about while you kick back for a moment in the UGL, and they offer us the opportunity to show you some UGL resources that we think are pretty great. Kind of like this blog, but in 3-D real-life format!

Here’s what’s on display @ the UGL this month:

Five amazing poets! And more!

The lower level bulletin board, sponsored by the Library’s Diversity Committee, showcases a multicultural/diversity awareness topic every month. This school year’s themes have included a timeline of LGBT history for LGBT History Month in October, and a historical look at Black Student Organizations and African-American Studies programs for Black History Month in February. This month’s theme is National Poetry Month, with a look at five American poets who come from diverse backgrounds and write about issues such as identity, ethnicity, and the immigrant experience.

Books for the amateur and advanced gamer!

The glass display cases on the upper level are currently showcasing gaming items! In April, we are holding a gaming career night at the UGL (more on that next week), which is part of our gaming initiative. The display features old consoles and games and awesome books on playing, creating, and programming video games of all sorts. This display case always features eye-catching displays – created by some of the insanely talented staff and student assistants – on a wide variety of topics to spark your interest!

Become enlightened with books on Buddhism!

Finally, the small y-shaped bookcase on the lower level near the TV display features books on display surrounding a day, week or month of awareness (such as Eating Disorder Awareness week in February), or a topic of interest to the student assistants who create the display. This month, we’ve got books on Buddhism for Buddha’s birthday which is celebrated on April 8th in Japan, and April 28th, per the Chinese Lunar calendar, in other Asian countries. There are several other important Buddhist festivals that occur in April including Thai New Year (Songkran), Lao New Year (Pbeemai), and Burmese New Year Water Festival (Thingyan). Now’s your chance to read up on them @ the UGL!

As always, want to know more or have suggestions? Use the comments feature, tweet us @askundergrad, or Ask-A-Librarian!

Recommendations for Your Reading and Viewing Pleasure

Posted on January 19, 2012 by EP

Here at the UGL, we love to help you with your research and other library-related questions, but we also want to help you adjust to life at UIUC. Whether this is your first semester or your last semester, college can be stressful–what with the classes, the social scene, and the living away from home (we know, we’re students too!)–so it is crucial to make time to relax and feed your soul. And when you think of relaxation and soul-food, think of the UGL. Did you know we have a gaming center where you can chill out and play video games? How about our fantastic collection of movies from around the world? And for those of you into reading, we also have tons of great books, too. Here are a few selected items that will help you feel relaxed, comfortable, and collegiate as you make your way through the first few weeks of Spring semester.

Career Cluster: Located on the upper level of the UGL, by the collaboration rooms. This bunch of books is here to provide structure, guidance, insight and inspiration, for those who know exactly where they are going or those who just want to know what’s out there.

Aiming for fame, fortune, and glory? Check out Malcolm Gladwell’s Ou tliers: The Story of Success for his take on why the greats, from Oppenheimer to The Beatles, have achieved meteoric success.

A Different World: Even if you weren’t alive when this Cosby Show spin-off first began, you might still relate to Denise Huxtable’s trials andtribulations as a freshman at Hillman College. At the very least, you’ll get a kick out of the clothes. And the hair. Who doesn’t love the late 80s??

The College Woman’s Cookbook: This is just cool. First, it’s an e-resource, so you can access it anytime, anywhere. Second, it’s from 1923 and was compiled by a bunch of cool college-going ladies up in Evanston. You might not learn how to cook from it, but we promise you’ll enjoy reading about Dixie biscuits and popovers.

For slightly newer, hipper recipes (that use ingredients you can actually get at County Market) check out The Healthy College Cookbook: Quick, Cheap, Easy. Impress the ladies, or gents, or your parents!

This is a real gem: One Fine Day! is a student-produced Internet TV show that ran for two seasons, in 2007 and 2008, about six RAs here at UIUC. On DVD for your viewing pleasure. We smell a cult classic.

Perhaps a touch outdated, Exploring the Undergrad Library is a DVD about–you guessed it–the UGL. You might laugh, you might cry, you might just learn something.

Multicultural Manners: Essential Rules of Etiquette for the 21st Century: UIUC is a diverse school where you’re bound to encounter and make friends with people from all sorts of backgrounds. This is essential reading for building friendships and networks with your peers, wherever you’re from.

The Social Network: So, maybe you’re not planning to start a multi-billion dollar business while completing your degree at UIUC. But what you do in college can change the world. This terrifically entertaining film about Facebook’s humble beginnings might just inspire you to take your idea to the next level.

Find all these and more at your friendly neighborhood UGL.

p.s. If you can’t find something we’ve listed here, or want help finding more books and movies like these ones, stop by the Research Desk on the upper level, where we exist to assist!

Undergraduate Library Blog

Information and Updates on Getting the Most out of the UGL

Tag Archives: media