Library News & Events » Events & Exhibits

Handmade Paper with Wisconsin Roots

news — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:40:11 +0000

Artist Linda Sholand Vander Weele

As part of the multi-part exhibition Text Support: A Library Exhibit About Paper, the Kohler Art Library is currently featuring the exhibit Handmade Paper with Wisconsin Roots. For almost 50 years, Wisconsin has been a remarkable leader in the field of book arts and has played a vital role in the resurgence of handmade paper. Curated by Lyn Korenic and Tracy Honn, this exhibit showcases artists’ books that contain handmade paper made by artists with Wisconsin roots. The artists include pioneers, teachers, students, and practitioners, all of whom have been inspired by the craft and artistic possibilities of paper. The artists utilized a variety of interesting ingredients to craft their pieces, including used clothing, donated UW—Madison hospital sheets, flax, cotton, linen, bird’s nests and iris leaves. Featured artists are Walter Hamady, Jim Escalante, Mary Hark, Joe Wilfer, among many other talented artists!

At a glance:

What: Exhibit of artists’ books containing handmade paper made by artists with Wisconsin roots
Where: Kohler Art Library
When: April 15th – June 30th, 2013

Want more?

Visit the other components of the exhibition, History of Handmade and Commercial Paper and Wisconsin-related Industry, Department of Special Collections (976 Memorial Library) and Paper Engineering, Silver Buckle Press (2^nd floor, Memorial Library)
Join co-curators Tracy Honn and Lyn Korenic for a gallery talk in the Department of Special Collections on Thursday, May 30^th from 3:00-4:00pm.

Vintage and Bucky Finals Postcards at select Libraries for Finals Week

news — Fri, 10 May 2013 07:00:24 +0000

As we head into Finals Week, several libraries across campus will be offering a selection of fun postcards for students to send home to let friends and family know they are working hard!

The Marketing Committee dove into the Archives and the Digital Collections to find vintage images for this year’s black-and-white postcards, which include thought bubbles that students can personalize. Of course, there is also a color design featuring Bucky Badger at his most studious!

Postcards will be available at the big study hubs around campus, and each participating library will also be posting a set number of postcards for students during Finals Week.

Look for all four postcard designs at these participating libraries, and ask a librarian about how to send them home!

UW Gardening Day at Steenbock Library

news — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:09:48 +0000

One title included in Steenbock Library’s Seed Saving collection

Librarians at Steenbock Memorial Library are participating in this year’s UW Family Gardening Day on May 11 on the UW-Madison campus. The annual showcase of gardening ideas runs from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the university’s D.C. Smith Instructional Greenhouses and Allen Centennial Gardens.

Steenbock Library, which is located between the two gardens, invites visitors to explore the library’s extensive gardening collections.

Librarian Karen Dunn outlined some of the exciting ways Steenbock will participate in this event: “In addition to staffing a library information table highlighting library access, gardening collections, and Cooperative Extension publications,” she says, “we will also have a book display and play host to an information table staffed by Master Gardener volunteers.”

The social media crew at Steenbock also pulled together a series of Pinterest boards to show off the broad range of gardening-related collections at the library, from seed-saving resources to books on therapy gardens.

You can check out the boards at the UWMadLibraries Pinterest account, or click on the links below:

Seed Saving | Enabling Gardens | Community Gardens

Directions & Parking: The D.C. Smith Greenhouse is located at 465 Babcock Dr., across the street from Babcock Hall. Allen Centennial Gardens is a block north at 620 Babcock Dr. Free parking is available in Lot 40 behind Babcock Hall and in Lot 36 just west of Steenbock Library.

More events: Check out the lineup for all of the UW-Gardening Day events HERE.

Artist Talk: Concept to (Political) Action: Pop-Up Artists’ Books, featuring Shawn Sheehy

news — Tue, 07 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Next week, Chicago artist and paper engineer Shawn Sheehy will talk about the inspiration for his engaging sculptural books that explore environmental politics.

In his books, Shawn Sheehy’s images of plants, animals, and even landscapes literally move. Sheehy made his first pop-up book as a design student at Madison Area Technical College, and for the past fifteen years, he has developed a series of pop-up books that bring attention to ecosystems, resource allocation, and species adaptability.

His talk, Concept to (Political) Action: Pop-Up Artists’ Books, will be held on Tuesday, May 14, noon–1:30 p.m. in 126 Memorial Library on the UW-Madison campus. Sheehy’s lecture will include many images from his books and the stories that inspire him.

At a glance:

What: Concept to (Political) Action: Pop-Up Artists’ Books, an Artist Talk with Shawn Sheehy
When: Tuesday, May 14, 12:00–1:30 pm
Where: 126 Memorial Library, 728 State Street

Book artist Shawn Sheehy

This lecture is sponsored by the Friends of the Libraries and is part of Text Support: A Library Exhibit About Paper. Text Support is a multi-library exhibit on the history and artistry of paper, and is co-curated by Tracy Honn of Silver Buckle Press and Lyn Korenic of the Kohler Art Library. The exhibit will run from April 15 through June 2013, and includes display cases at the Kohler Art Library and at Silver Buckle Press and the Department of Special Collections in Memorial Library.

All exhibitions and events, including Sheehy’s Artist Talk, are free and open to the public.

Questions? For more information about the lecture and exhibits visit the Friends’ website, e-mail friends@library.wisc.edu, or call 608-265-2505.

‘A Tale for the Time Being’ selected for Go Big Read’s 5th year

news — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:48:51 +0000

MADISON, Wis.–“A Tale for the Time Being,” a new novel from critically acclaimed and best-selling author Ruth Ozeki, is the selection for the fifth year of Go Big Read, UW-Madison’s common-reading program.

Ozeki tells a powerful story of the right book falling into the right reader’s hands. A novelist on a remote Canadian island finds a diary, written a decade earlier by a troubled teenage girl in Tokyo, when it washes ashore following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Go Big Read organizers encouraged the campus community to suggest fiction titles that fit into a theme of global connections. UW-Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward chose “A Tale for the Time Being” from the short list a selection committee culled from 192 nominated titles.

“‘A Tale for the Time Being’ is an engaging and broad ranging novel that will find a home for discussion in classrooms across the campus,” Ward says. “It is original and inventive and offers a thought-provoking reading experience for our students and the UW-Madison community.”

The book’s inventive narrative alternates between the two characters, examining the relationship between writer and reader, past and present, fact and fiction. Ozeki draws on history, myth, quantum physics and Zen philosophy as the diary’s author and its reader try to find meaning in their lives.

The Washington Post called the novel “as emotionally engaging as it is intellectually provocative.” The Seattle Times called the diary’s author, Nao, “as moving a witness to coming of age as J. D. Salinger’s Holden Caulfield, if not more so because she is so contemporary.” The other narrator, Ruth, is a writer who Ozeki has said bears “more than a superficial resemblance to me.”

Ruth Ozeki

Brooke Williams, a graduate student in the School of Library and Information Studies and a member of the selection committee, was intrigued by the book’s discussions of Buddhist meditation and Japanese pop culture, and fascinated by how Ozeki built a narrative bridge between two cultures that seem to have very little to do with one another.

“There is so much in this book that students can connect to,” Williams says. “There are fascinating historical threads intertwined throughout the story, along with more recent events, such as the tsunami in Japan. I think students will get a lot out of it.”

Since the common-reading program began five years ago, readers across campus, around the Madison community and throughout the state have participated in class discussions, book groups and public events, says Sarah McDaniel, program manager for Go Big Read.

“Our goal is to create connections around books and reading, and participation from campus and community members has exceeded our wildest expectations,” McDaniel says. “It has always been our intent to choose books from a variety of genres, and we have fielded many requests for work of a fiction. We think readers will really enjoy Ozeki’s novel, and are thrilled to be able to bring her to campus.”

Ozeki’s first two novels — “My Year of Meats” and “All Over Creation” — have been translated into 11 languages and published in 14 countries. She is a filmmaker, and her documentary and dramatic independent films, including “Halving the Bones,” have been shown on PBS, at the Sundance Film Festival, and at colleges and universities across the country. She is also a Zen Buddhist priest and affiliated with the Brooklyn Zen Center and the Everyday Zen Foundation. Ozeki lives in British Columbia and New York City.

Planning is underway for how students, faculty and staff will use the book in classrooms and for special events associated with “A Tale for the Time Being.” UW-Madison instructors interested in using the book can request a review copy.

Ozeki is scheduled to visit campus in October, when she will give a talk at Varsity Hall in Union South. Copies of the book will be given to first-year students at the Chancellor’s Convocation for New Students and to students using the book in their classes.

Learn more about the ongoing Go Big Read program and plans for this fall, and sign up for email updates.

7th Annual Health Sciences Students Art Exhibit at Ebling Library

news — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:00:06 +0000

Click to download / print the full poster

Ebling library is currently hosting the 7th annual Health Sciences Student Art exhibit in the Historical Reading Room and 3rd Floor Gallery. The show spotlights the artistic talent of Health Sciences students, who are also pursuing degrees in the School of Occupational Therapy, the School of Nursing, Veterinary Medicine, the School of Pharmacy, and School of Medicine & Public Health.

This year, students have submitted photographs, ceramic work, paintings, leather work, prints, and jewelry for the show. Some of the pieces are also for sale.

At a Glance:

What: Health Sciences Student Art Exhibit
Where: Ebling Library Historical Reading Room and 3rd Floor Gallery
When: April 11th to May 9th 2013

This year’s artists:

A preview of the show:

Questions about this event? Contact Micaela Sullivan-Fowler for more information at msullivan@library.wisc.edu or 262-2402

Annual Schewe Lecture this week: The Future of [Handmade] Paper with Tim Barrett

news — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:52:31 +0000

This spring, UW-Madison Libraries plays host an exciting exhibit and event series focusing on the history and artistry of paper. Text Support: A Library Exhibit About Paper is a multi-library exhibit co-curated by Tracy Honn of Silver Buckle Press and Lyn Korenic of the Kohler Art Library. The exhibit runs from April 15 through June 2013, and includes display cases at the Kohler Art Library and at Silver Buckle Press and the Department of Special Collections in Memorial Library.

Professor Timothy Barrett

The Friends of the Libraries are sponsoring a series of related lectures, artist talks, and workshops, starting with the Annual Schewe Lecture on Wednesday April 24th. Professor Timothy Barrett, MacArthur Fellow and Director of the University of Iowa Center for the Book, will speak to the future of printing and paper in the digital age.

This event will include an exhibit viewing in Special Collections from 5:00-6:00pm, followed by Dr. Barrett’s lecture and a reception.

Annual Schewe Lecture featuring Professor Timothy Barrett, MacArthur Fellow and Director of the University of Iowa Center for the Book

When: Wednesday, April 24, 2013 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Where: 976 Special Collections, Memorial Library, 728 State Street

Description: The digital age has ushered in the decline of some paper publications and the rise of new electronic formats. As digital devices become increasingly user-friendly and cheap, what will become of printing and paper? Join paper specialist Tim Barrett as he speaks to these topics. Join us before the lecture to view the exhibit Text Support: A Library Exhibit About Paper in the Department of Special Collections.

This event is co-sponsored by the Libraries’ Department of Special Collections, the Silver Buckle Press, and the Kohler Art Library. The event is free and open to the public.

New display in Memorial Library celebrates National Poetry Month

news — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:24:25 +0000

A new display in the Memorial Library foyer celebrates National Poetry Month with a selection of poetry resources and new publications from the UW-Madison Libraries.

Featured materials include a selection of handmade books from the Kohler Art Library’s Artist Book Collection that incorporate poetry as the main text of the work. These books explore landscape, changing seasons, and other themes with words and images, and are beautifully constructed and illustrated with prints, paintings, and folded paper “quilts.”

Another treasure on display for National Poetry month is a rare edition of Willa Cather’s April Twilights, on loan from Special Collections. April Twilights is a beautiful first edition, and is rare because author disliked the publication and tried to buy up all the copies before her career as a novelist bloomed.

In addition to these treasures, the display also showcases new poetry printed by Parallel Press and the University of Wisconsin Press, including the 2013 winners of the Brittingham, Pollak, and Four Lakes poetry prizes. All volumes are accompanied by example poems.

Special thanks to librarians Lyn Korenic and Susan Barribeau for their help in selecting materials for the display, and to designer Dan Joe for creating the display backdrops.

Edible Book Festival—A feast for the eyes!

news — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:02:02 +0000

In celebration of National Library Week (April 14-20), the annual Edible Book Festival was held on Tuesday, April 16^th in the 4^th floor Memorial Commons from 4:00-6:00 pm. This year’s theme was “Communities Matter.” Twelve creative contestants shared book-inspired food creations ranging from zombie and sea-monster themed versions of Jane Austen novels to a play on Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish using two commonly requested reference books dubbed “the red book” and “the blue book.”

Participants thought outside the “cake box” when it came to choosing their edible materials. Entries were crafted using a wide variety of ingredients including Jell-O, Triscuits, candy bars, rice noodles, artichoke hearts, herbs and spices, daikon radishes (believe it or not, two creations included this unique vegetable), and Wisconsin’s state fruit—cranberries.

A Bus Called Heaven

One entry that really embraced the “Communities Matter” theme was “A Bus Called Heaven,” created by Katelyn Martens and Ashley Guy of MERIT Library. A funky, vibrant bus, sculpted from Rice Krispie Treats and fondant, represented the picture book by Bob Graham. A Bus Called Heaven tells the inspiring and whimsical story about a community of neighbors from all walks of life coming together to refurbish an abandoned bus.

“The Green Truck Garden Giveaway” was an impressive and highly-detailed garden landscape, made by Lesley Wolf and Marion Ceraso, of the Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute. The creators were inspired by The Green Truck Garden Giveaway: A Neighborhood Story and Almanac and used seasonal ingredients to represent each of the four seasons. The outcome was a lovely (and fragrant!), meticulously hand-crafted panorama.

We Are In A Book!

One of the “punny” entries was Stephanie Unertl’s cake featuring a spot-on reproduction of author Mo Willem’s lovable characters, Elephant & Piggie. The book it paired with was We Are in a Book!, so naturally the characters on the cake declared “We Are On a Cake!” Stephanie knew she wanted to represent a children’s book because she was inspired by their colors and illustrations, but wasn’t sure which book to use, so she turned to her fellow SLIS classmates and the elementary school students she teaches for their opinions. “Elephant & Piggie” was the answer, hands down.

When asked about her creative process, Stephanie spoke about the virtue of patience and the challenges she encountered working with food as a medium. “You have to wait for your cake to cool or you’ll crumble it, and butter cream frosting can get too warm and might have to go back in the fridge until it has a better consistency for piping. And if you goof, frosting and cake are fairly unforgiving—it’s hard to cover errors when working with frosting on frosting unless you scrape it off and completely recover the area you were working in.” But the best part about working with cake? “You get to eat it! Cake is ephemeral—it doesn’t last… but it’s made to be eaten and appreciated.”

The edible books were ogled by library staff, students, and community members who had the opportunity to cast votes for the People’s Choice award. The entries were then analyzed by four very qualified judges, the 149 votes were tallied, and prizes were awarded in six different categories.

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… the winners!

People’s Choice- Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute, “The Green Truck Garden Giveaway: A Neighborhood Story and Almanac”
Most Creative Use of Ingredients- Jacobsen Primate Library, “Ham the Astrochimp”
Best Visual Presentation- Healthy Wisconsin Leadership Institute, “The Green Truck Garden Giveaway: A Neighborhood Story and Almanac”
Funniest/Punniest- Stephanie Unertl, “We Are On a Cake!”
Best Entry Based on a Children’s/Teen’s Book- MERIT Library, “A Bus Called Heaven”
Best Literary Mash-Up- Memorial Library Reference Department, “One Book, Two Book, Red Book, Blue Book”

Want more?

Visit the Edible Book Festival website
Check out ALA’s page about National Library Week and how you can celebrate!

Parallel Press Authors celebrate National Poetry Month!

news — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:00:26 +0000

Cover image of “Tricks of Light,” by Jeanie Tomasko. Parallel Press, 2011.

April is always a busy time for the poetry community because it’s National Poetry Month. National Poetry Month provides a great opportunity to listen to (and share!) favorite poems and to discover new work. Many Parallel Press chapbook authors are participating in local events and poetry readings throughout April in honor of this celebration.

Here are just a few of the many events going on in the area:

April 17-24, Fox Cities Book Festival Many wonderful poetry-related events will be happening throughout the week including a reading by WI Poet Laureate Max Garland! Max is the author of the poetry chapbook Apparition (Parallel Press, 1999). Check out the whole schedule of events here!

Tuesday, April 23, 6:30pm at Appleblossom Books in Oshkosh Jeanie and Steve Tomasko of Middleton, WI will each read a selection of their own poetry, followed by an open mic session where participants may read one or two of their own poems or favorites. Jeanie is the author of Tricks of Light (Parallel Press, 2011).

For more ways to celebrate, check out the UW-Madison Libraries Pinterest board, dedicated to all things National Poetry Month!