Animals and Planet Display

03/13/2025

Michael Sanders

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With the Spring season approaching, the USC Upstate Display Committee wanted to do a display that focused on either science, nature, or animals. After some discussion and planning the committee decided for March that our display would focus on animals in nature and the solar system. Many people enjoy astronomy, astrology, or animals, so we thought this would be a perfect fit. Our students and patrons might not be aware that we have books on these different subjects, so we hope that by highlighting a selection from our collection they will be well informed. The committee worked diligently to find both decorative items and items for this display. We hope everyone who comes to the library will see our display and become more educated about animals and planets. Every book on display is available for checkout. In April we will transition our display to focus on the solar system and ocean life. Please be on the lookout for that display coming soon.

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Support the library, get a Goostavo tote bag!

03/28/2025

John Barnett

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We invite you to participate in USC Upstate’s Day of Giving, which starts at noon on April 1^st and continues until noon on April 2^nd.

On this Day of Giving, one way that we hope you will support Upstate students is by contributing to the University Library’s Excellence Fund.

We use this fund to build collections and sponsor programs and activities. This includes the library’s Wellness Collection, which supports student mental health and well-being. It also includes our growing textbook collection, which helps reduce the cost of education by providing in-demand course materials for check-out. And soon we will use this fund for our forthcoming leisure reading collection, which will offer students a break from their studies to explore their love of reading and learning.

The fund also supports library outreach activities. Over the past year, in conjunction with the local non-profit Walt’s Waltz, we’ve held painting workshops to foster student well-being. We’ve hosted an exhibit and event on climate sustainability and stream conversation, in collaboration with the university’s Watershed Ecology Center. We’ve built student awareness of volunteer and career opportunities through the Non-Profit Career Fair. And in our “library of things” we’ve provided puzzles, games, fidget toys, podcasting equipment, and more for student enjoyment and relaxation.

We are excited about these collections and activities – we feel it makes the library a vibrant “third place” where students will want to study and learn and feel that they belong.

As extra incentive to donate to the Excellence Fund, for those who contribute $50 or more, you’ll receive one of our new branded tote bags, featuring Goostavo, the library’s mascot. Goostavo has quite the fan following! So make a gift today and get a tote bag while supplies last.

On behalf of the USC Upstate Library and the students we serve – Thank you for your gift!

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Library Spotlight - Meet Tessie Holiday!

02/12/2025

Virginia Alexander Cononie

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Tessie Holliday, Library Technician Assistant

What are some of the Library's most commonly asked questions?
1. Where can I study/plug in my laptop? Lots of places! We can walk around together to see what might work best for you. Just ask.
2. How do I print something in the library? This page is super helpful when learning how to print at the library. - https://uscupstate.libguides.com/TechHelp/printing
3. Where is [a professor's office/campus resource/the dining hall]? We have a ton of maps and lists at each of the service desks, but here is a link to some common telephone numbers that might help. https://uscupstate.libguides.com/UpstateFAQ
4. What time do you close? Check our library hours here
5. Do you have a charger I could borrow?
What are you reading right now?
1. I'm just starting Outlander by Diana Gabaldon and Night by Elie Wiesel, and I'm in the midst of reading Neuroqueer Heresies by Nick Walker and, The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
What is something you want students to know about the library?
1. I want students to know that they don't need to struggle alone! College life can be overwhelming and stressful, and it's hard to know where to start when you need help with a problem. Librarians are good problem-solvers, so whether it's help with the research process, finding a campus or community resource, or connecting you with the right people to answer your questions, the library is a great starting place. We're here to help you!

Library intern suggestion:

Celebrate Black History Month! Check out these great contributors to our history/literature and many more: Read inspiring poetry by Maya Angelou, the empowering words of Martin Luther King Jr., or the bravery of Rosa Parks.

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Let Freedom Read! Banned Books Week

10/05/2023

John Barnett

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Let Freedom Read - Banned Books Week 2023 During the week of October 1 through 7, 2023, the American library world commemorates Banned Books Week, a national effort to celebrate the freedom to read and the freedom to view while drawing attention to the hundreds of challenges that libraries and schools face each year to censor and remove books and other materials from their collections.

Book challenges and bans are happening ... a lot

As the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom notes, "In a time of intense political polarization, library staff in every state are facing an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books." In 2022, the American Library Association (ALA) documented 1,269 requests to ban library books and resources, the highest number of attempts since ALA began keeping track more than 20 years ago.

An attempt to ban library materials often impacts numerous titles. In 2022, the 1,269 documented demands to remove materials from libraries targeted 2,571 titles. While no one person, group, or type of library material is immune from censorship, such efforts inordinately target works "by or about LGBTQIA+ persons and Black, Indigenous, and people of color."

In the effort to censor library materials, school and public libraries bear the brunt of the challenges while college and university libraries account for only 1% of all would-be censors' demands. A survey commissioned by ALA in 2022 "confirmed national, bipartisan support for the freedom to read" finding that 7 out of 10 American voters "oppose efforts to remove books from public libraries, including majorities of voters across party lines." Nevertheless, censorship has the potential to impact entire communities, age groups, and audiences. Some 82% of challenges in 2022 targeted books, graphic novels, and textbooks, but films, displays, exhibits, programs, and meeting rooms are also targeted.

Here's how to help

There are ways you can get involved, to voice your concerns about censorship, celebrate free expression, and show the importance of intellectual freedom. The ALA Banned and Challenged Books website provides guidance on what you can do to resist censorship and "let freedom read." The Advocacy Committee of the South Carolina Library Association (SCLA) offers another way to stay informed, show support, and get involved, as does the South Carolina Association of School Librarians (SCASL).

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