Library Blogs

For the third year in a row, the Shapiro Design Lab and the Library Student Engagement Ambassadors hosted a Valentine’s Day event with the Design Lab’s printing press. Students and staff from across the campus came to Shapiro Undergraduate Library the day before Valentine’s Day to make cards for their loved ones and drink hot chocolate.

On February 7th, the Shapiro Design Lab and the University of Michigan Prosthetics Club participated in the Emerson School Science Fair. Emerson School is a private K-8 institution with a dedicated staff and over 150 students. The theme for the science fair was "Problem Solvers: Using the Design Thinking Process to Find Solutions for Everyday Problems." Of the 150 students, the majority of them participated in the Fair. Projects ranged from 3rd grade mechanical card dealers, to a student in the 8th grade that created an AI that mapped cities for disaster relief. The Science Fair stretched from the school gym, through the halls, and into the large auditorium. The large auditorium is where the Shapiro Design Lab found itself tabling.

What brought you to the Shapiro Design Lab?
I actually came to the SDL in search for a new job after my work study job ended. I thought that I would make the most of losing my work study and find something that had less mundane activities and more interesting work. With a Mechanical Engineering degree, I thought I could perhaps apply my knowledge outside of the classroom and project groups. I came across the SDL application by word and applied! After an interview with Justin, I was hired! That was the Fall of 2017, and I've been having a blast here ever since.

In honor of Pi Day, we offer no less than five lemon pies from the Day Nursery Association's 1924 Cook Book, published in Richmond, Indiana. Read on and judge for yourself whether Mrs. Fred Pollitz, Mrs. Thomas Nicholson, Mrs. A.H. Wilson, Mrs. George Eggemeyer, or Mrs. George Fox would win the blue ribbon for lemon pie.

We are excited to announce a showing of Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land (暗戀桃花源 An Lian Tao Hua Yuan) at the State Theatre on Wednesday, March 27. We will be joined by the film's legendary director, Stan Lai, who will be available for Q&A after the film.

You are invited to see highlights from the library's extraordinary collection of manuscripts and early printed books describing the early history of astrology and astronomy. Mark your calendars for this Tuesday (3/12/19; 4:00-7:00 pm). The selection will range from ancient papyri to richly illustrated books that made possible the scientific revolution in Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including first editions of the works of Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler.

March is Women's History Month. Celebrate by reading books on women who changed the world. This display includes books about women across time and both famous and not-well-known.

Assessing library impact on student learning is essential for demonstrating libraries’ integrated value and commitment to higher education. In 2018 the author investigated faculty perceptions of student learning in library instruction sessions, and as a result, revealed that faculty observe enhanced learning when their students participate in library instruction opportunities.

When cataloging this fifteenth-century Italian manuscript, I saw that some of the pages have been damaged by brushing a chemical reagent on some areas that were difficult to read. While in the short term this substance was designed to make traces of ink more legible, the long-term impact on the manuscript is disastrous as shown in the image below.

Curious about which university classes are incorporating games into their studies? Here is a list of game-related classes happening this semester.