Library News
Booth Library will host NEA Big Read: Reconsidering the American Dream
Posted on November 10th, 2023
Booth Library at Eastern Illinois University is once again hosting the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read. The theme, Reconsidering the American Dream, will be explored by reading and discussing two books: Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh, and Infinite Country by Patricia Engel. A limited number of free copies of the books are available at Booth Library. Discussion groups will be organized and plan to meet in January, February and March. Dates and details will be provided to participants in early January. Additionally, look for announcements of statewide public programs sponsored by Illinois Humanities. Further information about the Big Read can be found on the Illinois Humanities website.
- In support of The Big Read from the National Endowment from the Arts and Arts Midwest, LAB students will team with librarian David Bell to host a student led book club this spring. The theme, “Reconsidering the American Dream,” will be explored through the novel Infinite Country and the memoir Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth. Both books are available for checkout at Booth Library. Join members of the LAB at the following times:
- Thursday, February 1 from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. for a kick-off book talk event to learn more about the titles, discussion groups and how to get a copy
- Thursday, February 29 from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. for book discussion in Edgar Reading Room
- Thursday, March 28 from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. for book discussion in Edgar Reading Room
- All events are open to students, faculty and staff. Questions? Contact David at dsbell@eiu.edu for more info
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Movie displays are back!
Posted on September 20th, 2021
It’s been a while, but real-life, physical movie displays have once again returned to the fourth floor of the library!
There may be no better time for a movie display comeback than spooky season, and this one is jam-packed with a finely-curated selection of only the best Halloween-type films from our collection.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Feel free to stop by the desk and let us know — there’s a chance we might just have it.
Happy fall, and enjoy the movies!
The Great Outdoors at Booth Library
Posted on June 20th, 2018
Summer is the travel season and the great American road trip isn’t complete without a stop at one of our nation’s majestic wilderness areas. Enjoy these National Park Service Posters, learn about the American Conservation Movement, and pick up some summer reading about the outdoors. Not traveling this summer? Visit Booth Library’s display of local wildlife photography shot entirely in Coles County, Illinois!
Explore Illinois State Parks
Explore National Parks
Winter Olympics, 2018
Posted on February 22nd, 2018
The Pyeongchang Winter Olympics are well under way! If you haven’t already browsed the library’s collection of related material including books and online content there’s still time!
As of this writing, the US is 5th in the medal standings, behind some of the powerhouse nations of the Winter Olympics. Stay up to date on the medal count: 2018 Medal Standings.
Did you see the incredible new drone technology used during the Opening Ceremonies? This Opening Ceremony Drone Flight behind the scenes video shows how they did it!
Are you researching the Olympics? In addition to the list of books in this post which are currently on display, Booth has a wealth of online content! Check out the results for an ‘Olympics’ search in electronic encyclopedias via Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL).
Booth’s collection of streaming media from Alexander Street Video has great historic footage of past Olympics. Check out this newsreel clip from the 1952 games!
Kanopy Streaming also allows EIU patrons the opportunity to stream great content online. A search for Olympics provides lots of interesting results:
And of course, Booth has many books about the Olympic games from a wide variety of perspectives.
Books at Booth Library:
Holiday films
Posted on December 10th, 2017
Enjoy a selection of holiday films from Booth curated by our Library Technology Services Staff and students. These films are on display on the 4th floor of the library.
You might also find an interesting holiday choice from among the thousands of streaming films we have available through Alexander Street Video and Kanopy Streaming.
Summer books in the BTC
Posted on April 30th, 2017
Hot reading fun in the summertime…
A special summer collection of titles are featured in the Ballenger Teachers center ranging from “bees, snails, & peacock tails,” “Cool Jobs for Yard-working Kids,” “Sleeping in a Sack: Camping activities for kids,” and “Kids Gone Fishin,'” to “Blueberry Summer,” “How I Survived My Summer vacation,” and “Heat Wave.” We’ve got lots of fun books for your summer reading. Leveled Readers titles are included, too!
These books are on display in area #10 to the right of the BTC desk.
Small Scale Sustainable Gardening
Posted on March 10th, 2017
Planting season is coming up! Get a head start on your small-scale herb or kitchen garden with resources from Booth.
Several Books on gardening, both small and larger scale are listed below. Additionally we have many DVDs related to food, gardening, and sustainable agriculture.
Gardens of Destiny — S605.5 .G38 2010x .DVD
Dan Jason is an organic gardener and the head of the Seed and Plant Sanctuary for Canada. This film explores Dan’s garden and seed world and investigates such issues as genetic engineering, terminator seeds, and the pitfalls of industrial agriculture in North America. The film offers several easy solutions for citizens and governments in the United States and Canada, including supporting organic growers and starting your own organic garden.
New Farms, Big Success — S494.5.S86 N49 2014x .DVD
This documentary presents three, ecologically responsible farms in the USA and Canada. Their unique business plans eliminate the middle man, use sustainable methods and few fossil fuels and show a decent living can be made! With participation of leading environmentalist, educator, Bill McKibben, the film provides critical information to develop an enduring, local food network in a time of climate change and includes the official point of view of The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN office specialized in the protection of life on earth, about the links between climate change, biodiversity and farming.
Fresh Food: what is farm to table? — S494.5.S86 F738 2011x .DVD
The basics of sustainable farming and locally grown foods are explored through the eyes of three chefs who have left big city jobs to grow fresh, healthy ingredients for their gourmet dishes. The video follows the chefs as they establish a farm complete with vegetables, fruits, herbs, chickens, cows, and pigs–and without fertilizers, pesticides, or hormones. After a brief history of American farming, viewers see how the chefs created and market their farm, learn the differences and similarities between sustainable and organic farming, and discover how fresh food travels from farm to table.
- A longer list of DVDs.
- 6 Documentaries on organic food, from Kanopy Streaming
- “Organic Food” This link will take you to several hundred reference book entries relevant to organic food from many different titles in the Gale Virtual Reference Library
Books:
Herbs for the Gourmet Gardener: A Practical Resource from the Garden to the Table
SB351.H5 H633 2014
Designing the New Kitchen Garden: An American Potager Handbook
SB324.3 .B38 2006
Handbook of Nuts
SB401.A4 D84 2001
Herbs
SB351.H5 M48 1993
Complete Herb Book
SB351.H5 M354 2008
Bananas and Plantains
SB379.B2 R63 1996
Landscap
ing with Herbs
SB351.H5 A32 2001x
Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
SB355 .R45 2004
Vegetable Gardening for Dummies
SB321 .N24 2009x
Culinary Herbs
SB351.H5 S56 1997x
Betty Crocker’s Kitchen Gardens
SB321 .C25
Culinary Herbs for Short-Season Gardens
SB351.H5 S63 2002
Grow Cook Eat: A Food Lover’s Guide to Kitchen Gardening
SB321 .G25 2012
Ancient Herbs
SB351.H5 H34 2007
City People’s Book of Raising Food
SB321 .O4
The Family Kitchen Garden
SB321 .L54 2009
Herb Gardening from the Ground Up
SB351.H5 G545 2012
Tomatoes
SB349 .T678 2005
How to Grow Your Own Vegetables
SB321 .K74
Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers
SB321 .M392 2007
The Kitchen Garden
SB321 .B56 2000
Organic Gardening for Dummies
SB453.5 .W49 2009x
Organic Fruit Growing
SB357.24 .B5613 2003
