In Other News: Mumps

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

It’s April 18, 2014 and there are mumps outbreaks in Ohio and New York. Mumps! And both associated with college campuses? (Well, my aunt always said “there is a time and place for everything, and it’s college,” but somehow I never suspected she meant mumps!)

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Happy National Library Week!

National Library Week

By Kim Martin

Today, we announced the winners of its “Libraries Are Beautiful – Inside and Out” photo contest. Launched in celebration of National Library Week, taking place this week – April 13-19, the contest showcases libraries who make their communities a more beautiful place—physically or metaphorically. The top five per category were selected by experts in art, architecture and design.  From the 25 finalists, winners were chosen by popular vote – and include:

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In Other News: The Masters

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

It’s that time of year again! Baseball season has opened at home for all MLB teams. The cherry blossoms are opening in Washington, D.C. Pedicure chairs throughout the country are filling up. And the Masters is on TV!

Oh, the Masters. As a golfer, this is my official start of spring. That longing to be swinging the sticks in warm weather. The jealousy for those watching in shorts and short sleeves. The weird thrill of hushed voices and low claps that only a golfer can understand. While the Masters is far younger a tradition than many other top tournaments, it is widely held as “the event” of golf.

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In Other News: Recalls

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Susan Fishburn

What? Another recall? You hear about them on the news or see them posted online almost every day. We’ve seen recent recalls for produce, meat, toys, strollers, cars, and even laundry detergent (yes, those detergent pods). But how much do we know about recalls and where they come from? Whether it’s driven by the consumer or a company announces a voluntary recall, we need to make changes in our lives to accommodate for these failures.

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Deconstructing Mr. Darcy: Just how rich was he?

| By Jennifer Albers-Smith |

I took this awesome class in college at University of Michigan that–10 years later–still resonates with me. It focused exclusively on Jane Austen and her contemporaries. We read all of Austen’s novels as well as Radcliffe, Burney, and Wollstonecraft, and it was easily the best four months of my academic career. The professor was really innovative and brought in one of her colleagues, Kathryn Dominguez, from the Economics department to do a lecture on what things cost in Jane Austen’s time.  She put together this great PowerPoint deck that I still have to this day because I thought it was so intriguing.

Numbers pop up all the time in Austen’s novels, but the reader really has no sense of how rich Bingley and Darcy are or how “poor” the Bennets are by comparison.

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In Other News: March Madness

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Spring is in the air… or at least its on the calendar. And so are the sounds of fans cheering, odds shifting, brackets crashing and extra-squeaky shoes on the gym floor. (I mean seriously, how do they get those shoes to be so loud?!) Bracket-betting, foam finger throwing tantrums meets unbridled school spirit and athleticism. It’s the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament! And its the 75th one! That’s kind of a big deal.

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True Confessions of a Jane Austen Fan Girl

By Jennifer Albers-Smith

From the moment I read Pride and Prejudice in high school, I was hooked. I love Jane Austen’s novels, particularly Pride and Prejudice, with Sense and Sensibility coming in a distant second. I have read P&P over 10 times, watched multiple mini-series and movie adaptations, joined the Jane Austen Society of North America, and, still, I just can’t get enough.

Recently, I went to a library book sale in my hometown, and was browsing the adult fiction section. My sister happened across two books that had “Mr. Darcy” as part of the title, grabbed them, and handed them over. Of course, I purchased them and read them both the same week. One, Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange, was pretty good – better than most JA fan fiction novels. The other, though, left me completely bereft after reading – Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman by Maria Hamilton. I loved it. The first thing I did after finishing it was look to see if there was a sequel.

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In Other News: the Oscar Pistorius Trial

By Michelle Eickmeyer

A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.

March 21, 2014 – The Oscar Pistorius Trial

Whether you knew him as the first athlete to compete in the Olympics with prosthesis (it’s impossible to call him disabled) or for his current trial for the shooting death of his former girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius has spent much time in the international spotlight. The highest of high and lowest of lows. At just 27 he has accomplished much, and as his trial moves forward it remains to be seen what the future holds for him.

Here are five titles which look at the Oscar Pistorius trial from different perspectives:

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