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Celebrate Juneteenth with these Durham Tech Library Resources

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Celebrate Juneteeth North Carolina Web Banner
Image sourced from the NCDCR website for Juneteenth

June 19th marks the historic holiday known as Juneteenth when in 1865 a Union general spread news in Texas of that enslaved Africans were free. North Carolina recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 2007, but the holiday was not federally recognized until President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021.

Did you know the NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources offers a Juneteenth website? It offers comprehensive historical resources on African American history in NC, including historical photographs, a map of the historic places, and more.

Want a quick history lesson from Black North Carolinians on the significance of Juneteenth?
Check out this quick facts video below on Juneteenth, presented by Historically Black College and University (HBCUs) students from across the state of North Carolina:

After you finish the video, click to read more to see the excellent historical resources available on Juneteeth from Durham Tech Library!

Continue Reading →

In Memoriam: Toni Morrison, 1931-2019

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“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.”

On Monday, August 5, 2019, author, editor, and teacher Toni Morrison passed away. 

Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison. Author, editor, teacher. 

Morrison was nearly 40 when her first book, The Bluest Eye, was published. She went on to become the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature for her “novels characterized by visionary force and poetic import, giv[ing] life to an essential aspect of American reality.” She earned the Pulitzer Prize and American Book Award for her novel Beloved and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Song of Solomon. In 2012,  she was presented with Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Morrison’s writing brought consciousness of the Black experience in America with novels that were both popular and critically acclaimed– in addition to her literary accolades, she was an Oprah Book Club pick four times. As an editor, she helped develop and edit works by Angela Davis, Muhammad Ali, Toni Cade Bambara, Huey Newton, Henry Dumas, and Gayl Jones. 

If you’re interested in reading more of Toni Morrison or experiencing her for the first time, the library has many of her works in our Main and Orange County Campus collections. 

Read Great Things: Memoir Admiration

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(In which one of your librarians highlights the different categories of the Read Great Things Challenge 2019. Want to know more about the Read Great Things 2019 Challenge? Check out our library blog post about it. All are welcome to participate!)

I like memoirs. A lot. I know this isn’t everyone’s favorite genre, but on the other hand, some people really only like to read memoirs. (You do you, reader.)

If you also like memoirs or just need to fill that “book by or about someone that you admire” box on the #RGT2019 Challenge and want to go the memoir-route, here are a few suggestions for you that are also available through the Durham Tech Libraries. 

  • Becoming by Michelle Obama
    Available at the Main and Orange County Campus Libraries (though may be checked out)
  • Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
    Available at the Main Campus Library
  • Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
    Available at the Main Campus Library
  • Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
    Available at the Main Campus Library
  • Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain
    Available at the Main Campus Library
  • March: Book 1 (A Graphic Novel) by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
    Available at the Main and Orange County Campus Libraries

What We’re Reading: The Nix

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Title: The Nix

Author: Nathan Hill

Genre: literary fiction

Read Great Things (2019) categories: A book about or that features college or higher education

Why did you choose to read this book?

book cover: The Nix

I believe it is important to support independent bookstores. Last summer, when I was traveling to western Kentucky, my family and I stayed in Crossville, Tennessee, and found The Book Cellar. After browsing their shelves for the better part of an hour, I selected The Nix. They had a hardcover edition in great condition for around $3. The review excerpts on the dust jacket include one by an author I like (John Irving) and another citing two other authors I like: “as good as the best of Michael Chabon or Jonathan Frantzen.”

Continue Reading →

Coming to A Screen Near You: 2019 Book-to-Film Adaptations

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There are a plethora of book adaptations coming out this year. Here are 5 books you can take home today and their upcoming screen counterparts.

Be that “the book was better” person!

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin

In this honest and stunning novel, James Baldwin has given America a moving story of love in the face of injustice. Told through the eyes of Tish, a nineteen-year-old girl, in love with Fonny, a young sculptor who is the father of her child, Baldwin’s story mixes the sweet and the sad. Tish and Fonny have pledged to get married, but Fonny is falsely accused of a terrible crime and imprisoned. Their families set out to clear his name, and as they face an uncertain future, the young lovers experience a kaleidoscope of emotions-affection, despair, and hope. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche. –Goodreads.com

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son—and now an idyllic home. As a family, they’ve got it all…right down to the friendly cat.

But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth—more terrifying than death itself…and hideously more powerful. –Goodreads.com

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? By Maria Semple

Bernadette Fox has vanished.

When her daughter Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, Bernadette, a fiercely intelligent shut-in, throws herself into preparations for the trip. But worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Ms. Fox is on the brink of a meltdown. And after a school fundraiser goes disastrously awry at her hands, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces–which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together an elaborate web of emails, invoices, and school memos that reveals a secret past Bernadette has been hiding for decades. –Goodreads.com

The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson

C. P. Ellis grew up in the poor white section of Durham, North Carolina, and as a young man joined the Ku Klux Klan. Ann Atwater, a single mother from the poor black part of town, quit her job as a household domestic to join the civil rights fight. During the 1960s, as the country struggled with the explosive issue of race, Atwater and Ellis met on opposite sides of the public school integration issue. Their encounters were charged with hatred and suspicion. In an amazing set of transformations, however, each of them came to see how the other had been exploited by the South’s rigid power structure, and they forged a friendship that flourished against a backdrop of unrelenting bigotry. –Goodreads.com

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett andNeil Gaiman

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon—both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle—are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . . –Goodreads.com

What We’re Reading: Leaving the Sea: Stories

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book cover: Leaving the Sea

Title: Leaving the Sea: Stories

Author: Ben Marcus

Genre: short stories / experimental fiction

Read Great Things Challenge 2018 category: a book you chose for the cover; a book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event (maybe)

Why did you choose to read this book?

I was drawn in by the cover art at first. The reviews on the back of the dust jacket also made the stories sound interesting to me. One of my favorite authors, Michael Chabon, has a blurb on the back of the book praising Marcus’s The Flame Alphabet (which I haven’t read).

This “themed” collection is of short stories that feature young-to-middle-aged men in crisis. Otherwise, the stories are not related. A divorcé struggles to keep his job and resolve joint custody issues with his ex-wife; a struggling professor teaches a creative writing class aboard a cruise ship; a young man with a mysterious illness seeks treatment in Germany and examines his relationships with his girlfriend, father and a stranger he meets in a hostel; a man worries about his family during a routine evacuation drill in his community; et cetera.

Many of the stories take place in alternate realities: a world in which one can choose to be a baby for one’s whole life, for example.

What did you like about it?

I did not like reading this book. I was motivated to finish it solely to write a thoughtful review.

I found a lot of the book to be interesting, but in many of the stories I felt like Marcus was playing with language for the sole purpose of doing so. Ranging into pure experimental fiction, this book was often either beyond my understanding or it felt like I was being manipulated into feeling stupid for not understanding what is going on, only because the author omitted details I felt would have improved my access to the book.

Did it remind you of any other book, or a movie?

Another collection of experimental fiction is David Foster Wallace’s Oblivion. The freedom with which Marcus uses language and imagery reminds me a little bit of e.e. cummings’s poetry as well.

What feeling did the book leave you with?

In spite of my frustrations with the most experimental stories, this book is memorable and left me wishing I could write fiction with such imagination and confidence in bending language to my will.

Who would you recommend the book to?

Fans and writers of experimental fiction will appreciate this book. Someone who needs a creative spark and doesn’t mind reading some dystopian fiction might find use in this book.

What would you pair this book with?

Even though I don’t keep one myself, a reading or writing journal would be a valuable companion.

Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

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Did you know that, since 1995, September 19 has been International Talk Like a Pirate Day? Wikipedia gives a brief history of this weird occasion, which originated between two friends playing a game of Racquetball.
So, I know you’re asking, “How do I learn to talk like a Pirate?” Good news! You’ve come to the right place. Your Durham Tech library has just the tool for you: Mango Languages. Continue Reading →

What We’re Recommending: The #ReadGreatThings2018 Edition

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In a repeating series highlighting current and recent reads around Durham Tech, here are some of Durham Tech’s great faculty and staff’s recommendations to help you complete your Read Great Things Challenge:

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande book cover
A popular science book. Recommended by Meredith Lewis, OCC Librarian. Available at the Main Campus Library
A book that takes place in a country or place you’d like to visit [Svalbard, Norway]. Recommended by Brittney VornDick, Physics Instructor.
A book that takes place in a country or place you’d like to visit [Svalbard, Norway]. Recommended by Brittney VornDick, Physics Instructor.
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell book cover
A popular science book. Recommended by Shana Curl, ACA Instructor and Academic Advisor. Available at the Main Campus and OCC Libraries
A book being turned into a movie or tv show in 2018. Recommended by Janice Stuart, English Instructor, Gateway to College. Available at the OCC Library
A book being turned into a movie or tv show in 2018. Recommended by Janice Stuart, English Instructor, Gateway to College. Available at the OCC Library
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle book cover
A book being turned into a movie or tv show in 2018. Recommended by Karin Abell, English as a Second Language Director. Available at the Main Campus Library
Educated by Tara Westover book cover
A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life [and A book you chose for the cover]. Recommended by Paula Wilder, Director of English for Academic Purposes and Continuing Education for Non-Native English Speakers. Available at the Main Campus Library.
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya book cover
A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event. Recommended by Sara Juarez, Director of Interpretation / Translation Programs. Available at the Main Campus and OCC Libraries
children of blood and bone by tomi adeyemi book cover
A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event and A book you chose for the cover. Recommended by Shawna Daniels-Ash, Early Childhood Education Instructor. Available at the Main Campus and OCC Libraries
I'll Take You There Mavis Staples, the Staples Singers, and the Music that Shaped the Civil Rights Era by Greg Kot book cover
Available at the Main Campus (ML 400 .K873 2014)
A popular science book. Recommended by Janice Stuart, English Instructor, Gateway to College. Available at the Main Campus and OCC Libraries
A popular science book. Recommended by Janice Stuart, English Instructor, Gateway to College. Available at the Main Campus and OCC Libraries
the fact of a body by: A Murder and a Memoir by alexandria marzano-lesnevich book cover
A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life. Recommended by Dorothy Wood, Biology Instructor
Book of Deacon by Joseph Lallo book cover
A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event and A book you chose for the cover. Recommended by Lori Heiger, ACA Instructor and Academic Advisor.
In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences by Truman Capote book cover
A book that takes place during or is about a historical event 50 years or more in the past. Recommended by Meredith Lewis, OCC Librarian. Available at the Main Campus and Northern Durham Center Libraries
Rhymes of the Times: Black Nursery Rhymes by Audrey Muhammad book cover
A book of poetry or a book written in verse and, not a category BUT, written by a Durham Tech advisor and instructor. Available at the Main Campus Library.
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner book cover
A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life and A book you chose for the cover. Recommended by Gina Perryman, International Student Services and Study Abroad Advisor. Available at the Main Campus Library.
Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal
A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event. Recommended by Courtney Bippley, Reference Librarian. Available at the Main Campus Library
lincoln in the bardo by george saunders
A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event and A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life. Recommended by Mary Kennery, Library Technician. Available at the Main Campus and OCC Libraries
Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry by Marcus Thompson book cover
A book about or that features sports and A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life. Recommended by Mary Kennery, Library Technician. Available at the Main Campus Library
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
A book that takes place during or is about a historical event 50 years or more in the past and A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life. Recommended by Brittney VornDick, Physics Instructor. Available at the Main Campus Library
Ghost by Jason Reynolds book cover
A book about or that features sports. Recommended by Karin Abell, English as a Second Language Director
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson book cover
A popular science book. Recommended by Paula Wilder, Director of English for Academic Purposes and Continuing Education for Non-Native English Speakers. Available at the Main Campus Library.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen book cover
A book with a supernatural creature, occurrence, or event. Recommended by Stephanie Turner, Coordinator, Marketing and Media Relations. Available at the Main Campus Library
Willa Friday Culinary Cozy Mystery Series by Jamie Lee Scott box set image including Pasta, Pinot and Murder; Sushi, Sauvignon and Murder; Mousse, Moscato and Murder
A book about cooking or food. Recommended by Lori Heiger, ACA Instructor and Academic Advisor.
The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South by John T. Edge book cover
A book about cooking or food. Recommended by Lea Bingham, English Instructor and ASUT Associate Dean. Available at the Main Campus Library
I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Holloway Scott
A book that takes place during or is about a historical event 50 years or more in the past [1968 or before] and A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life. Recommended by Shana Curl, ACA Instructor and Academic Advisor
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Available at the Main Campus Library
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler book cover
A biography, autobiography, memoir, or a fictionalized account of a real person’s life. Recommended by Stephanie Turner, Coordinator, Marketing and Media Relations

Need more information about how to participate in (and “win”) the Durham Tech Library’s Read Great Things 2018 Challenge? Click the following link for more information: #ReadGreatThings2018 Information

Need help finding a book in-library or requesting a book through ILL? You can look it up in our catalog or ask a librarian. Don’t yet have a library card? Ask in the library and be sure to bring your Durham Tech ID.

Dr. Wynn’s Legacy in the Library

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The Library is saddened by the passing of Dr. Phail Wynn, Jr. He was a champion of students and a supporter of the library both during his tenure as President of the College and after.

A young Phail Wynn Jr. smiling.
Dr. Wynn

For more than ten years (established in 2007), Dr. Wynn donated funds to establish a special collection based around eight topics he selected consisting of materials that, as per Dr. Wynn’s request, “pertain (…) to socially responsible topics…”

The topics he selected were the following:

  • Cultural Awareness
  • Global Citizenship
  • Teaching Tolerance
  • Appreciating Diversity
  • Protecting the Environment
  • Conservation
  • Sustainability
  • Promoting Peace

With his help, we’ve purchased hundreds of books for our students to learn about these important ideas over the years. They are located on shelves next to the computer area upstairs.

I did not have the honor of working at Durham Tech while Dr. Wynn was here so I never met him. However, I can assure you that his presence has been and will continue to be a guiding force as we keep his principles and the example he set in mind.

See a list of books recently purchased for the Phail Wynn Collection.