Academic

In Other News: The Grand Jury

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

Earlier this week, I read this article about growing concern with the silent dwindling of the wild giraffe population around the world. I really wanted to write about giraffes. But I can’t. Instead, this week we’ll focus on the concept of the grand jury and what, for many, seems like a system which makes no sense and is mightily broken.

Two grand juries returned verdicts this week in cases involving a white police officer and the death of a black man. From lack of proof to belief that ample proof was ignored, protests and press conferences, the strength of the American legal system was the lead story every day this week. For better, or worse.

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19th Century Nitty-Gritty: 19th-Century Rules for Achieving Happiness this Holiday Season

By Melissa Rayner

These days it’s a difficult feat to so much as step out of your home without being hit by the ubiquity of the holiday season. Lights, decorations, crowded shopping centers, and–if you’re one of the lucky ones–heaps and heaps of snow.

Sure, Christmas is heavily commercialized these days, but don’t we still love it all the same? Whenever I find myself stuck in a mob of angry shoppers, I take a deep breath and do my best to remind myself of the many things I love about this time of year. And where’s the easiest place to find a heaping stocking full of warm fuzzies?

HINT:  With this series, the answer is always enthusiastic, and it’s always “The 19th century!”

Why, it’s the 19th century, of course! And after all the recent Black Friday hullabaloo, I think we need our favorite century more than ever. Let’s go there now…

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In Other News: Thanksgiving

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

In fourteen-hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue… and then the guy who realized that Columbus had not, in fact, found a new route to Asia. But thus began the discovery, colonization and evolution of the United States of America. This week, Americans gather. We’ll watch football. We’ll eat too much. We’ll give thanks for everything we have. We’ll shop til we drop and kick off the holiday shopping season.

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In Other News: Rosetta Comet Landing

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

By Michelle Eickmeyer

The European Space Agency (ESA) has landed something on a comet. This, frankly, is astounding. The Rosetta mission began 2 March 2004, involved dipping into gravitation fields three times for a boost (Earth’s twice, and Mar’s once. Ever play crack the whip as a kid? Similar principle.); a three year, mid-flight nap; and more than two months of “preparing for landing.” Sure, the Philae Lander had a bit of a bump when it landed. That it happened at all — well, that’s just something. ESA has a fantastic animation, with timelines, on the decade-long voyage.

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Punch Authors Revealed for the First Time

Originally published on American Libraries The Scoop

From 1841 to 1992, Punch was the world’s most celebrated magazine of humour and satire. From its early years as a campaigner for social justice to its transformation into a national icon, Punch played a central role in the formation of British identity and how the rest of the world saw the British.

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