The Future we choose

This month at Bedford campus library we are encouraging everyone to think about the future that they choose for our planet. What carbon footprint are we and our actions leaving? How long can we go on burning fossil fuels? What can we do to make a difference? 

We have displays and books to encourage thought and discussion:

cussion. 

Two weeks ago, March 8th, the world was busy celebrating International Womens Day 2023.

So you may be forgiven for thinking that this post is just a couple of weeks late...but taking a moment to reflect, there really is still so much to do to #EmbraceEquity for women-kind.

It is now more than 100 years since women in England were given (limited) access to voting rights, and so we can get carried away with thinking that those bad old days are over and the goals have been achieved, and it isn't just about the right to be heard in the political arena.

Here's an exerpt from the IWD webpages, aiming to encourage conversation and movement to show that equality is not the same as equity, and that equity really does matter: 

The campaign aims to encourage important conversations on Why equal opportunities aren't enough and Why equal isn't always fair. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.

About IWD 2023

During this month our libraries have shared selections of books that focus on women, from sports and science, to fiction and philosophy, as part of engaging in the conversations that will help to bring us all together - women, friends, allies.

There's still time to browse the displays available in the libraries, but if you don't have time now the books will still be waiting for you, and so you don't have trouble finding them there's even a Reading List with some great selections to start you off:

Books Unlocked: International Womens Day 2023

We are also so proud to share some thoughts from one of our UOB academics, the very special Nicola Darwood, who is a champion for women in and on literature, and tells us a little more about her journey, here:

Chinese New Year - Welcome to the Year of the Water Rabbit!

In Chinese mythology, the fourth animal of the Zodiac - the Rabbit - represents longevity, peace and prosperity. After the tumultuousness of the last few years, this will surely be welcomed by many!

Each year not only focuses on an animal, but also on one of five elements - Water, Fire, Earth, Wood and Metal. 2023 is the year of Water, which represents intuition, and trusting our inner wisdom.

During Lunar New Year celebrations, it is tradition to gift red envelopes containing money, said to bring good luck. Any item with a rabbit motif is also popular, with rabbit-shaped jade jewelry being very popular.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year, please do stop by and see our displays at Luton and Bedford campus libraries.

 Happy New Year!  This month in Books Unlocked our libraries are showcasing mindfulness and mood boosting, with a selection of books available for loan at each campus library.

Here is the display at Bedford:

and at Luton:

We hope you have time to come along and browse!  

Identity - Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are? 

If you’ve ever watched the TV show with that title, you’ll know it focuses on folk who are in the public eye and explores their identity through their ancestors, taking us on a timeline journey to see some of their family history and give a glimpse of their cultural, social and economic heritage. 

  

But how do we define ourselves? What does ‘Identity’ mean to you? 

  

This November our Reading for Pleasure theme is precisely that: IDENTITY 

The books and resources we have chosen this month reflect some of the different ways we think of ourselves when considering what makes us the person we are. Sometimes we will identify with a certain group and feel that it gives us a sense of belonging; at other times we feel our identity is what makes us unique, different from those around us. 

Here’s a taste for what you might find in our campus library displays during November. 

Bedford:

Luton:

Black History Month 2022

This month we are celebrating black history month.  We have displays available at our Luton, Bedford and Aylesbury libraries.  Please come along and have a look and see what books we have on display. 

Aylesbury library:

Bedford library:

 

Luton Library:

      

For the full list of books chosen you can access the Black History Month 2022 reading list here:

http://readinglists.beds.ac.uk/lists/56D72089-788E-35EE-CD3F-50B96C78F776.html

The Observer

This year our display features an article from The Observer, twenty contemporary writers of colour recommended 20 classic books.  We are proud to have 16 of the 20 books chosen available in our library collections.

To read the full article including the reviews, please click on the following link:

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=edsbig&AN=edsbig.A677804311&authtype=sso&custid=s5099118&site=eds-live&scope=site

Jean-Michel Basquiat

We also feature the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) who rose to fame in the late 70s, early 80s.  His work featured a mixture of media, such as drawing, painting, text, image and poetry.

Basquiat made a lasting impact on the neo-expressionism art movement.  His art focused on dichotomies such as wealth versus poverty, integration versus segregations and social commentary.

Books that we have available on Basquiat can be found on the Black History Month 2022 reading list.

Proud to be black

Carly Ramirez-Herelle, Head of Library Services also features in the Universities ‘Proud to be Black’ initiative. 

 

 

 

 

 

To see what the University are featuring this year and to read her interview along with other students and staff, please click on the following link:

https://www.beds.ac.uk/news/proud-to-be-black/

Genre Fiction August 2022

 

Genre Fiction

There are many different genres in fiction such as romance, crime, science fiction and historical. Why not surprise yourself by trying something different. We have a variety of titles in the University of Bedfordshire libraries, however, there are also plenty of options for reading online and borrowing from local libraries.

ENJOY