Library Awarded Big Read Grant

Columbia College Chicago Library has been awarded $16,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts through The Big Read. The Big Read is an NEA supported reading inititiave which provides funding for community partnerships across the country to highlight one book through book discussions and programming to encourage reading among all ages. The Library has chosen In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez as its Big Read reading selection for Spring 2013.

This is the fourth Big Read in which the Library has participated. The first was Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club in 2007 (in partnership with the Center for Asian Arts and Media) followed by Farhrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in 2009, and The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien in 2011.

The Library is one of 78 communities throughout the United States to receive this award, and the only one representing the Chicago area. Other Illinois libraries include Quincy, DeKalb and Galesburg public libraries.  For more information about the 2012-2013 grant awards, the official press release from The Big Read is available here.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. More about The Big Read is available at http://www.neabigread.org.

Summer Fun with new classes at Lynda.com

Lynda.com

Did you know that EVERYONE at Columbia College Chicago has access to the entire professional library of training videos and courses at Lynda.com for FREE?  That's access to over 60,000 videos and classes!  An individual subscription to Lynda.com would normally cost $375, but you have access to all of the videos and classes at no cost!

Try Out Some Lynda.com Classes Over the Summer

Here are some new classes that are being offered this summer by Lynda.com.  Learn some new skills and start getting prepared for your Fall Classes today!

• Managing Your Career
• iPhone Photography, from Shooting to Storytelling
• iPad Tips and Tricks
• Flickr Essential Training
• Family Photography: Taking and Sharing Great Photographs
• Effective Meetings
• Creating Photo Books with Blurb
• Facebook Essential Training
• Time Management Fundamentals
• Twitter Essential Training
• Creating a Vacation Video with iMovie

How to Access Lynda.com

You can click HERE to access Columbia's Lynda.com subscription.  Also, Students, Faculty and Staff can access Lynda.com on or off-campus through their OASIS account.  For detailed information about Lynda.com and  how to access Lynda.com through OASIS click here.

Will it Ever End?

Construction, that is. We've been enjoying a couple of summer construction projects on and around Columbia's campus, and wanted to share the love!

Those of us who regularly cross Congress Parkway have been suffering through a project begun in 2010 to make the Parkway more pedestrian-friendly. The construction has of course made things quite a bit less pedestrian-friendly, but we may be turning a corner. Major work has ceased, and it looks like we are just awaiting some decorative metal trellises (illustrated above) to complete the friendlier look.

As the project is slated for completion in "late 2012", we look forward to an easier and more aesthetically pleasing crossing soon. For more information, check out this glossy brochure from the City and slideshow about the Congress Parkway Improvement Project.

An interesting campus project is centered on the front of the 618 S. Michigan building: a facelift to take its look back to the past and forward to the future at the same time. The late '50s metal-and-blue-rectangular structure has been removed, and the underlayer of bricks is being repaired. Once the brickwork is finished, a glass wall will be installed on the front of the building that features a "ghost image" of its original 1913 terra cotta façade.

For the time being, the building looks like it's on life support, with windows removed, dessicated masonry on display, and a scaffold to end all scaffolds gracing its front. Here's hoping the finished product provides that blast from the past that takes us back to the future. For pictures of what the finished building may look like, see the Chicago Tribune's Cityscapes blog.

Gold Medal Apps for the Summer Olympics

Yes, it's that time once again.  The Summer Olympics are approaching and couch potatoes across the globe become sudden experts in Archery, the Canoe-Slalom and Equestrian Dressage.  If you'd like a little help in understanding the finer points of Fencing or nautical strategies in Sailing, here are some Web Pages and Apps that will help you enjoy viewing the summer games (and also provide you with enough Olympics History and Trivia to win bar bets for weeks!)

London 2012:  Official Join In App for the Olympic and Paralympic Games

For more information:  http://www.london2012.com/mobileapps/

London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games

Updated:  June 14, 2012

Cost:  Free

Description

This FREE app is a mobile guide to help you plan, enjoy and share your Games Experience.



Some of the Key Features include: 

• What's On:  up-to-date event listings for thousands of activities happening across London and the UK
• See and Do:  (For those of you lucky enough to be in London) full listing of London 2012 Festival Cultural Events
• Torch Today:  follow the Olympic Torch Relay across the UK
• Spectator Guide;  searchable maps, details of faciltiies
• Jump To:  interactive maps of the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays, London and the Olympic Park
• Live Updates from the Games
• Facebook, Twitter and FourSquare integration

Ultimate 2012 Olympic Guide

Dennis Publishing:  http://www.dennis.co.uk/apps

Updated:  May 16, 2012

Cost:  $0.99

Description:

On July 27th the greatest show on Earth kicks off in London, in the form of the 2012 Olympic Games.  Celebrating the event of the year in all its glory, this unofficial 148 page MagBook app covers all 39 disciplines, highlights the athletes to watch out for  and even includes a day-to-day interactive Olympic schedule, ensuring you will never miss a thing.  Facts, figures and fun:  it's the ultimate guide to the ultimate aporting event.


Olympics Organization:  http://www.olympic.org/london-2012-summer-olympics
London 2012 Olympic Games videos, photos, dates, athletes, schedule, and news. Olympic website for the XXX London England 2012 Summer Olympics.


The Official London 2012 Olympics Page: http://www.london2012.com/
Official Website & Mobile Apps for the London 2012 Summer Olympics. Live results, competition schedule, news, photos, videos, medal count, athlete bios.


HuffPost The London Olympics 2012:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/2012-summer-olympics/

NBC Olympics on the Go: http://www.nbcolympics.com/on-the-go/index.html

NBC Olympics Mobile Website (www.nbcolympics.com)  Stay in the know, on the go with the NBC Olympics Mobile Website! Enjoy great content including news, video clips, photos, information on every sport, and more! The mobile optimized website is available by entering www.nbcolympics.com into your device’s browser. You can also access the mobile website by entering m.nbcolympics.com, mobile.nbcolympics.com or wap.nbcolympics.com directly into your browser.  Stay tuned for further enhancements to the mobile website as the Summer Games approach.

NBC Olympics App  - download available soon.  Follow the 2012 London Games with the free NBC Olympics application (available in July), delivering the latest news, results & schedules, video highlights, TV Listings, real-time medal counts, photos and much more! Plus, you can track your favorite athletes, teams and sports, and engage with fans on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter -- all from your smartphone or tablet.

NBC Olympics “Live Extra” App - Watch comprehensive LIVE coverage of the 2012 London Games through the NBC Olympics "Live Extra" application (available in July), offering live video streams and full replays for all 302 events across all 32 sports! Never miss a second of the action with the app designed specifically for your phone and tablet. Access is free for subscribers to a cable, satellite or telco TV service package that includes CNBC and MSNBC.