Month: September 2014

2014-09-24

On October 7-9, librarians, scholars, and LIS students will gather in Champaign, Illinois, for the Library Research Seminar VI. The seminar, held every three to four years at differing locations, will be hosted this year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign by the University Library, the University’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science, and the American Library Association’s Library Research Round Table (LRRT).

The theme of this year’s seminar is, “The Engaged Librarian: Libraries Partnering with Campus and Community.” Discussions will center on new possibilities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary research to contribute to development of knowledge and growth of partnerships between libraries, educators, and their communities. Presentations, panel discussions, and workshops will begin the afternoon of Tuesday, October 7 and conclude at noon on Thursday, October 9. Registration is open and student rates are available. Visit https://www.library.illinois.edu/news/lrsvi/ for more information.

“The periodic Library Research Seminars enable the Library Research Round Table of the American Library Association to partner with academic institutions to further its mission of contributing toward the extension and improvement of library research. These conferences provide important venues for dissemination and discussion of research findings. We are particularly pleased that GSLIS and the University Library are collaborating in this effort to enable all the participants to explore this year’s timely theme,” said Linda C. Smith, GSLIS professor and associate dean for academic programs and member of the conference organizing committee.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library holds more than thirteen million volumes, more than 120,000 serial titles, and more than nine million manuscripts, maps, slides, audio tapes, microforms, videotapes, laser discs, and other nonprint material. The University Library is ranked highly nationally and globally, and its collections and services are used heavily by students, faculty, and scholars. More than one million items are circulated annually, and many more are used on site and virtually from anywhere in the world. For more information, please visit www.library.illinois.edu .

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) is a world leader in library and information science education, research, and practice, consistently ranked the top LIS program by U.S. News & World Report . Founded in 1893, GSLIS helped establish and develop the field of library and information science as it is now known. Today the School carries on its long tradition of excellence and innovation by translating the core principles of library science to meet the needs of the information society. A charter member of the iSchools Project, GSLIS offers master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as certificates of advanced study and continuing professional development opportunities.

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).

2014-09-15

The Reading Room provides a space for patrons to use Library materials housed in Oak Street High Density Storage. This is particularly useful when a patron needs to consult a large number of books, such as multi-volume sets. Unless materials are building-use only, patrons can take items home. Alternatively, they can request that items be set aside for them to use in the Reading Room.

Besides tables for research, the Reading Room has a public computer connected to a multi-function printer capable of scanning, copying, and printing.

For hours, location, and more information on requesting materials, please visit www.library.illinois.edu/cmservices/oakstreet_readingroom.html .

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).

2014-09-12

Sangwoo Lee, one of South Korea’s most prolific independent filmmakers, will be a guest of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during the week of September 13, 2014. Lee’s work has screened at film festivals around the world and established the director as an artist dedicated to illustrating the lives of people living at the margins of Korea’s newly affluent, westernized society.

In Barbie , Lee provides an unflinchingly gritty “portrait of Korean adoption.” The film stars Sae-ron Kim and Ah-ron Kim (real-life sisters), and K-drama favorite Cheon-hee Lee in a career-changing performance. Barbie is a stinging critique of contemporary obsessions with financial success, physical beauty, and unbridled consumerism. The film received standing ovations at its world premiere during the 2011 Busan International Film Festival, and went on to enjoy a commercially successful run in Korean theatres.

Lee’s latest feature, Speed , is a character study of four young men, who, after turning 21, begin to destroy their once promising lives. The film features performances by some of Korea’s most popular young actors, including Tae-hwan Choi, who had a recurring role in the internationally successful TV series, The Heirs .

“Lee’s name has become synonymous with the shocking, the provocative,” said Robert Cagle, Cinema Studies and Media Services Specialist at Illinois. “In 2008, a viewer fainted at the premiere screening of his first feature, Tropical Manila , and controversy has seemingly followed him ever since. However, far from being, as some critics have suggested, a younger version of enfant terrible Ki-duk Kim, Lee clearly expresses a heartfelt sympathy with the hopeless characters that populate his films. His unique style of filmmaking helps audience members, no matter how distant or different they may seem to be from the characters on screen, to find themselves in his stories of people battling loneliness, abuse, and despair.”

The public will have three opportunities to see Mr. Lee’s work and speak with him during his visit to Urbana:

On Sunday, September 14, Lee will take part in an open forum on his life and work as part of Unit One’s visiting artist program. The event will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the South Rec Room of Allen Hall (1005 West Gregory Drive, Urbana). Free parking is available at the parking ramp across the street on the west side of Allen Hall.

On Monday, September 15, at 7:00 p.m. Lee will present the first-ever public screening of his newest film, Speed , at Champaign’s historic Virginia Theatre (203 West Park Street, Champaign).

Finally, on Tuesday, September 16, at 7:00 p.m. Lee will screen his 2011 feature, Barbie , at the Spurlock Museum (600 South Gregory Street, Urbana). Tuesday night’s screening will be followed by an open discussion with the director.

All events are free and open to the public, however, because the films contain material that may be considered unsuitable for younger viewers, no one under the age of 17 will be admitted without a parent or guardian.

For more information, send e-mail to filmatthelibrary@library.illinois.edu or visit www.library.illinois.edu/llx/filmatthelibrary.html .

These events were made possible by the generous support of the University of Illinois Library , the Center for Advanced Study , the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies , the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures , the Program in Comparative and World Literature , and Unit One .

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).