This month (and every month) you can dive deeper into Black History using these resources.

HistoryMakers is a collection of oral interviews with Black Americans from around the country. It features the stories of over 2,000 individuals! You can search through the collection by topic, the state they lived in, or browse the History Makers by name. This database is available through the Statewide Library Electronic Doorway (SLED).

We love looking through the Library of Congress collection of photographs. There are some really incredible images there! There are also primary documents that you can explore. While items can be searched, they’re also often grouped in thematic categories. You can explore the African American History section here.

If you want to explore contemporary stories of Black Alaskans, Black in Alaska is a wonderful photo and interview project featuring individuals from around the state.

Also locally focused, the book Black Lives in Alaska by UAA Professor Dr. Ian Hartman explores the historical legacy of Black Alaskans which spans before statehood. This is the second of Dr. Hartman’s book. You can find it here at the Consortium Library or at your local public library branch.

A couple of other highlights in our collection include Black Art: A Cultural History, which explores the artistic achievements of the African diaspora throughout history and it has been updated to include the first two decades of the twenty-first century; and America on Fire: the untold history of police violence and Black rebellion since the 1960s, which examines the history of policing and protest from the civil rights era to today.

These resources just scratch the surface! We hope you continue to explore Black history all year round and reach out to us if you need any help finding particular resources!

February is here and like every February, the supermarkets are filling their shelves with flower bouquets, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, and Valentine’s Day cards. This red, pink, and chocolate overload might inspire you to find a Valentine’s Day-themed book to read when your brain needs a break from more scholarly material. If you are not feeling motivated and are homebound due to cold and snowy weather, do not fret because the Alaska Digital Library has you covered. There is no need to check out a book in person; find a cozy title online and read it digitally at https://adl.overdrive.com/. For inspiration for a loved one’s Valentine’s Day card, check out the Consortium’s Library’s Creative Writing & Literary Arts LibGuide, and if you feel like your life is lacking in poetry, explore http://www.poets.org/ poem-a-day feature. And lastly, a friendly reminder from the UAA Consortium’s Library’s Reference Desk: the UAA Learning Commons is now located in the library. For more information, click on https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/lc.

Yes, that’s right, a study from the University of North Carolina (Croxton & Moore, 2019) confirms what we all have long suspected: students who use library services have higher GPAs.

So, what does “use library services” actually mean at the UAA/APU Consortium Library?

Obvious answers to that question might include:

Come to our beautiful building to study. 

• There are quiet spaces, spaces for collaborative work, small rooms with doors, and tables by windows with uplifting vistas.

Borrow books (or other things)

• We have access many thousands of items from around Alaska and (and the world!) here that you can borrow to take home, or access online on a device (like e-books and e-audiobooks).

However…if you really want to get the top grades, these are the library services that will fast track your learning and achievements.

Work with a librarian on your research

• Google will get you a million possible answers but a Librarian will get you the right one. Meeting with a librarian at the Ref Desk (on the first floor) is a savvy thing to do for any research project.  For the uber-tough questions, you can even make an appointment with the specialist Liaison Librarians (who are experts in certain subject areas).

Use databases

• A database will save you time and get you directly to the best information (as opposed to Google or other sources where you have to very carefully judge the quality of what comes up). This is because all the journal articles and other information on a database has been put there because it’s top quality.
• Note: there are some tricks to learn if you are new to using databases. You need to find the right database for your particular topic and also you need to know how to best use the search functions for keywords and filters.  Guess who can teach you those tricks?  [See item above!]

We want you to succeed.  Come see us!

Croxton, R. A., & Moore, A. C. (2019). Quantifying the Value of the Academic Library. https://www.libraryassessment.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/19-Croxton-QuantifyingtheValue.pdf

As the new semester begins, so does the race to purchase new textbooks for each class. It’s not uncommon for students to spend anywhere from $300 to $900 or even more in one semester. That’s why the library has compiled a guide to help you reduce your textbook cost!

While it is rare to find textbooks at the library, your instructor may have placed a textbook on reserve for your class or may have some other class materials (such as videos, book chapters, journal articles, or homework help) available for you to use. Be sure to search the Course Reserves for your class at https://libguides.consortiumlibrary.org/reserves; all you’ll need is the Course ID or your instructor’s name.

If you’re a faculty member, you can learn more about Textbook Affordability at UAA and APU at https://libguides.consortiumlibrary.org/textbookaffordability. Need help finding open educational resources (OER) for your class? This guide to OER will help you get started. Both APU and UAA faculty also have the opportunity to apply for the OER/ZTC (Zero-cost Textbook) Certificate and earn the Affordable Course Materials Award from the consortium library.