IBM's Next 5 in 5

Pretty interesting stuff here from the engineers at IBM:

The third annual "IBM Next Five in Five" is a list of innovations that have the potential to change the way people work, live and play over the next five years. The Next Five in Five is based on market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBMs Labs around the world that can make these innovations possible.

It would be nice to have reminders about the people that I have met. I've always been weak on remembering names. At any rate, will technology save the day, or simply lead to more information overload? Feel free to add your comments below.

Fall 2008 Finals Week Schedule

The library's late hours continue through next week for all of your last minute study needs. Here are our hours of operation for Finals Week:

• Sunday, December 7th 2:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M.
• Monday, December 8th 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.
• Tuesday, December 9th 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.
• Wednesday, December 10th 8:00 A.M. - 2:00 A.M.
• Thursday, December 11th 8:00 A.M. - 12:00 – A.M.
• Friday, December 12th 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
  

Librarians are available Sunday through Thursday at the Ask Here Desk until 9:00 P.M. The library will be closed on Saturday, December 13th and Sunday, December 14th. Good luck to all students during Finals Week!

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday is the day the Library staff throws its annual holiday extravaganza for our student workers. It's our way of thanking our students for their hard work and many contributions to the library. When I came to Montevallo in 1999, the Library staff told me that I was to bring the cheese ball. Apparently, the previous director had always made this particular cheese ball, and the staff really liked it. So I tracked down the recipe, and I've made the cheese ball ever since.

This cheese ball is always a hit. I think it has a lot to do with the quantity of cream cheese and butter that go into it.

Curious? Here's the recipe!

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese -- it's okay to use low fat, but the non-fat will not set up properly

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

Soften the butter and cream cheese at room temperature. Mix them together thoroughly. Blend in 1 cup of chopped dates and 2 or 3 tablespoons of brandy. Roll into a ball and refrigerate overnight.

Before serving, roll the ball in 1/2 to 1 cup toasted almonds.

Serve with crackers.

Enjoy!

Jamie King Gets Caught Reading

Jamie King, an English Major here at UM, was named Senior Elite in English at Elite Night this year. We caught up to Jamie before the Thanksgiving holiday and asked her a few questions.

What are you reading?

I am reading A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess.

Why did you choose this book?

Anthony Burgess is one of my favorite authors. I first read this novel in high school and fell in love with the very nature of the book, and Kubrick’s film adaptation just furthered my love of this novel even more. Now, as an English major, there are so many ways in which to analyze and read A Clockwork Orange. I love Burgess’ command of the English language—his use of the English language is almost as good as Vladimir Nabokov’s in Lolita. But most of all, I find Alex, the main character, one of the most captivating villains (or is he?) in literature. I hope in the future, Sigma Tau Delta’s Book Club will read this novel. I bet that we would have wonderful discussions on A Clockwork Orange.

How do you use your campus library?

The campus library is wonderful place to go to get sources for my papers. The website and databases that the library provides help me find articles and books for my research. Furthermore, I like how the library is always quiet whenever I visit. Because of this quietness, the library offers a perfect place to study. There have been a couple of times when my friend and I have went to the library to study, and each time we go, we always accomplish what needs to be done. Last but not least, I really appreciate the fact that the faculty and staff at the library are willing to let Sigma Tau Delta’s Book Club hold our meetings there for when we do not have a place to conduct our meetings. This fact will be helpful to us in the future for when Hill House is booked. Overall, my experiences with the campus library have been pleasant and rewarding. Keep up the good work!


Special Thanks to Joel Bullock and Jason Cooper for their work in this installment of our Get Caught Reading Series.

Messiah Concert to take Place on UM Campus

Palmer Hall will be the site of tonight's performance of Messiah, by George Frideric Handel. Messiah remains Handel’s best-known work and is among the most-popular works in Western choral literature. It includes the widely known "Hallelujah" chorus. The 100-voice chorus will feature members of the University Concert Choir, University Chorus, University Chamber Singers and the Montevallo Chorale. Dozens of UM student, faculty and staff choristers and several faculty soloists will be performing this evening.

For more information on tonight's free performance, check out the UM press release. Also, you may be interested to know that the library's Classical Music Library database contains two full performances of Messiah, as well as highlights of the oratorio in another six recordings. (Here's a permanent link to one of those performances.) Members of the UM community may stream all of these tracks from the CML web site.