Author Archives: Susan Baker

What We’re Reading: The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama (& A Request for Audience Participation)

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So far we’ve highlighted Black History Month on the blog with Black Visual Artists, Black History, and Black Musicians and Poets. We’ve got one left in queue for next week–Activists and Advocates–, but we’d like to finish the month by sharing a list of your favorite books by Black authors. 

Share your favorite 1-2 books by Black American authors. They can be fiction or nonfiction, classic or contemporary, any reading level (kids, middle grades, YA, or adult), any topic or genre, and they do not have to be from/currently in the Durham Tech Library collections. 

We’ve got a form to keep it all organized and orderly: Durham Tech’s Favorite Authors & Books for Black History Month [form]

Some favorite books by Black American authors (Legendborn by Tracey Deonn and The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee) pictured with a Durham Tech Library water bottle and fanny pack, both in an excellent lime green, to illustrate the possible prizes people who fill out our form can win

Participants will be entered to win either a Durham Tech Library water bottle or fanny pack if they so desire!

Respond to Meredith Lewis (lewisma @ durhamtech.edu) with any specific questions.

Now onto the main event!

the light we carry: overcoming in uncertain times by michelle obama
Available at the Main Campus (E 909.024 O24 2022) and as an audiobook through Dogwood Digital Library

This book, more self-help than memoir, draws on Michelle Obama’s personal struggles and shares her strategies for staying optimistic.  Yes, despite fame, financial success, and inestimable clout, Michelle has relatable doubts and fears (is the pandemic ever going to end?, will my family be okay?, how can I keep my balance in an uncertain world?). Creating connection and “going high” are tools we can all use. 

Title: The Light We Carry

Author: Michelle Obama                       

Genre: Self-Help with a memoir twist 

Read Great Things 2023 Categories: A book to improve your mental or physical health; A book about an experience different than your own; A book recommended by a Durham Tech Library staff member or on the blog 

This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Reference Librarian.

Continue Reading →

Films on Demand: Nursing Current Concepts and Practices Collection

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Calling all nursing students and instructors—we have a new audio and video collection for you!

Films on Demand Nursing Collection

Nursing: Current Concepts and Practices Collection from Films on Demand is designed to help students pass licensure exams and prepare for long-term job success. 

It includes titles from the last 5 years from trusted nursing education sources such as Medcom-Trainex, Elsevier, Medivision, American Academy of Pediatrics, and more! 

Because this is a database of only video and audio resources, it’s perfect for visual and auditory learners (and those who don’t have a preference but want to switch it up). 

Stuck in traffic? NCLEX coming up? It’s the perfect time to listen to a nursing podcast such as Nurse-Led Rapid Responses  

Nurse-Led Rapid Responses Podcast

Films on Demand is mobile friendly too, so you’re not tied to your computer. You can download the Films on Demand app from either Google or Apple and have it ready to go on your phone. 

Off-campus access is easy– just log in with your Durham Tech username and password (same as for Sakai or Self-Service) when prompted. 

Instructors can embed links to videos in your Sakai pages, create and share video playlists for your students, or even create quizzes. All videos have captions, interactive transcripts, citations, translation options, and public performance rights. Remember to use the Share button to get the link in order for everyone to access materials off-campus.

Want to learn more? Have questions? 

Connect with a Librarian to ask! 

What We’re Reading: Nomadland

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nomadland: surviving america in the twenty-first century by jessica bruder
Available at the Main Campus (HD 6280 .B77 2017) and as an ebook through Dogwood Digital Library

Ever notice an RV parked by Walmart at midnight? Ever wonder where your Amazon packages came from? Do you imagine that life on the road embodies the American dream? Find out!

This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Reference Librarian.

Title: Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

Author: Jessica Bruder 

Genre: Travel…sociology…retirement…economics…poverty? Nonfiction works, too.

Read Great Things 2021 categories: A book about social justice or equity, A microhistory (I personally used this title for this category), Choose your own category: A book made into a movie; A book suggested by a Durham Tech library staff member 

Why did you choose to read, listen to, or watch this?

I kept seeing this title—for the book, for the movie—in libraries, in magazines, in articles.  I resisted. But its persistent presence, as well as the image of on the cover, ultimately seduced me— hasn’t everyone dreamed of hitting the road in a vintage Airstream, especially during the darkest days of the pandemic? 

Continue Reading →

What We’re Reading: Ready Player Two

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ready player two by ernest cline
Available as an ebook and audiobook through Dogwood Digital Library

Wade Watts won. Game over. Except that it wasn’t….

This time, it’s more than a game to win control over a billionaire’s virtual universe. This time, real lives are at stake.

This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Reference Librarian. 

Title: Ready Player Two

Author: Ernest Cline

Genre: Science Fiction, Pop Culture Homage

Read Great Things 2021 Categories: A book about family; A book recommended by a Durham Tech Library staff member; Choose your own category [A sequel!]

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What We’re Reading: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones book cover
Available at the Main Campus (PS 3610 .O63 A84 2018) and as an ebook through Dogwood Digital Library

“Atlanta is where I learned the rules and learned them quick. No one ever called me stupid. But home isn’t where you land; home is where you launch. You can’t pick your home any more than you can choose your family. In poker, you get five cards. Three of them you can swap out, but two are yours to keep: family and native land.” –Roy Othaniel Hamilton Jr in An American Marriage 

Roy and his wife Celestial are a young, attractive, highly-educated African American couple on the way to living their dreams in Atlanta– he as a rising executive and she as a folk artist dollmaker.  Then they find themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time, and Roy is arrested and convicted of rape, shattering their world.  What will their marriage become after Roy’s incarceration, and can it possibly survive? 

This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Librarian. 

Title: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Genre: Realistic, contemporary fiction

Reading Great Things 2021 Challenge Categories: A book recommended by Durham Tech Library staff, A book About social justice or equity, A book about family

This book was read by Susan Baker, Main Campus Librarian. 

Continue Reading →

Meet AVON

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Alexander Street Academic Video Online (AVON)

Can’t get enough streaming video?

You’re in luck–the Durham Tech Library now has more online video content! 

AVON (Academic Video Online) is a new library database we’re excited to offer.  It features 70,000 searchable, citable, closed captioned titles spanning a wide range of subject areas (allied health, art, automotive technologies, business, counseling, communication studies, criminal justice, engineering, history, psychology, sociology) and even feature films and award winners. 

Want to see some of AVON’s options? Keep reading! 

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Exploring careers? Check out Ferguson’s Career Guidance Center

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Ferguson's Career Guidance Center landing screen: Explore Careers, Plan your Education, Prepare for your Career, Find a Career

This database offers job and industry profiles, job hunting and workplace skills, career exploration and industry resources all in many formats, from streaming video to chat. If you want, you can create a personal login and save content to your own folder.

Use the link from the Library’s Articles, Journals, and Databases box on the library homepage (F for Ferguson’s) and log in off-campus by using your Durham Tech username and password–the same one you would use for Sakai or Self-Service. Not affiliated with Durham Tech? Check with your NC public library for access information. 

LEARN more ABOUT FERGUSON’S CAREER GUIDANCE CENTER

Need a new read? NoveList Plus can help you find the perfect book

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NoveList Plus: The secret to finding your next great read

NoveList Plus all about books and only books, all kinds of books for all ages, including fiction books, narrative non-fiction books, and audiobooks.  It works on the premise that if you know one book or author or series that you like, you can use NoveList Plus to enter criteria and then find books or with similar features. You can also browse lists created in the database to find your next read. 

Looking for a book to complete a Read Great Things 2020 category? Let NoveList help! Here’s how: 

LEARN MORE ABOUT USING NOVELIST