Rodney A. Briggs Library Associates

NEWS

Annual Briggs Library Associates Book Sale

This year's popular Briggs Library Associates book sale will be held on Thursday, October 9 from 11:00 AM-7:00 PM and on Friday, October 10 from 9:00 AM-2:00 PM in Oyate Hall located in the Student Center. All proceeds of the sale benefit Briggs Library collection development as well as special programming.

No matter what your reading tastes are you will be sure to find something amid the large selection of fiction and non-fiction titles. Come browse and take home a few or many. Rest assured that the full selection of items will be available when the doors first open as no advance sales are allowed. The same low prices as last year will also be in evidence with all hardcover titles only $1.00 and paperbacks 50 cents.

Briggs Library Associates Hold Annual Meeting (and Go Around the World)

The Briggs Library Associates Annual Meeting is always a gala event filled with good food and great presentations celebrating the accomplishments of the library support organization. This year's gathering held on April 15 in the library was no exception.

After a brief election of officers that saw Lory Lemke (President) and Jim Togeas (Vice-President) grab the top spots, the awards portion of the program commenced. Three students received a monetary prize and recognition for their entries in the Research and

Writing Contest sponsored by the Briggs Library Associates. Samantha Esguerra took first place and $400, Rebecca Lindquist received $300 and second place, and Rebecca Baldridge came in third place with $200. This was the first year for the Research and Writing Contest Awards.

Next up were the Collection Enrichment Grant Awards. Seventeen submissions were made to enrich the collection, but based on available funds the Library Associates had to pare it down to eight.

• UMM student Aaron king: Graphic novels
• MPIRG: Environmental titles
• Organic Gardening Club: Gardening, food and sustainability
• Sigma Tau Delta: Literary and popular titles
• Professor Mary Elizabeth Bezanson, UMM student Ashley Simpson, and Professor Michelle Page : Children's books [see picture above]
• Professor Sheri Breen: Islamic society
• Professor Julia Dabbs: Study abroad travel DVD's
• Professor Windy Roberts: Learning foreign languages to be better global citizens titles. This enrichment was made possible by a special gift from David and Lyn Loewi.

Perhaps the highlight of the evening were presentations by two UMM students detailing their study abroad experiences. Senior Grace Doval studied in Spain for five months through the International Studies Abroad program. Displaying vivid pictures behind her Grace shared what it was like to take classes in the third oldest university in Spain as well as the challenges of living in a foreign country.

"I'm glad I stayed with a host family," she said, "because you have to speak Spanish with them."

Grace found time in her busy studies to take a trip to Morocco and the Sahara Desert.

"Everything smelled and looked different. It felt like I was in a National Geographic picture."

Meanwhile senior Anna Johnson was in a different part of the world studying at Normal University in China.

"I knew studying in China would be the most rewarding experience of my college career," Anna said.

During her only break Anna and some new friends journeyed to Inner Mongolia where they rode camels, visited a Buddhist temple, ate an entire goat, and slept in yurts. Then it was back to China's capital city.

"I can't help but think that part of my heart will always be in the sticky streets of Beijing," Anna concluded.

Associates Year In Review

• Book Sale Proceeds $1846.35 Sept. 2007
• MN Crime Wave Presentation Nov. 2007
• Midnight snacks during Final Exams Dec. 2007 & May 2008
• Associates brochure & stationary design
• Prize donation for Library Lock-In Nov. 2007
• Comfy chairs and lamp purchase Feb. 2008
• Collection Enhancement Emphasis African American Literature $1000 2008
• Research and Writing Contest Fall College Writing students
• Library Enrichment Grants Grants totaling $2500 awarded
• Podium purchase April 2008