Welcome!

We're glad you're here, whether you're a new student or a repeat offender returning student. Either way, you add energy to our lives!

We've got some great things in store for you this year. I went to the Romance Writers of America conference in July and nabbed some wonderful books for the collection--most of them signed--and I got meet my favorite writers, including Melissa Marr (who won a RITA for Wicked Lovely!) and Cathy Yardley.

We also say good-bye and thank-you-thank-you-thank-you to Jess Lourey, who was our Author of the Summer! Jess, you've been great! By the way, when we first talked to Jess about this, it was the fall of 2007, and she wrote a wonderful letter to the students at UND. Here's what it says:


To the Bright Students of the University of North Dakota:

Why read? You have hours of homework staring at you, and after reading a dictionary-sized textbook on Aerospace Engineering, why in the blue blazes would you want to crack open another book? On top of homework, you have to find time to make money, clean up your space, eat, socialize, and maybe, just maybe if you're lucky, to catch a movie or watch a little TV.

So I repeat, why read?

I can tell you why I read: I have no social life. But that's not why you should read. You should read recreationally because it introduces you to worlds you could never hope to visit in real life. A good book can make you understand yourself better, and become more aware of your community and your role in this big picture we call life. Literature connects us to other people, explains why the world moves the way it does, and stretches our minds so they are big and strong enough to get us through another day.

Books are comfort. They can distract and ease you in a complete way that television and movies could never hope to achieve. If you have a stack of books waiting for you at home, you'll never be alone--you'll have new cities to visit, characters to get to know, and insight to glean.

Plus, books make you interesting. They hone your sense of humor, allow you to make clever allusions, and give you something to talk to your friends about.

I guess what I'm saying is, make time to read. You'll never be sorry that you picked up a good book.

I am flattered to be the UND Library's author of the month, and I hope my books bring a smile to your face.

Jess Lourey, Author
Murder by Month Mysteries



This is the Last Weekend of the Summer. You can't be in the boat all the time. Stop by and pick up something to read or listen to (we have audiobooks, too). I have my mystery all picked out. Kristen, what do you have to read this weekend?

--Janet

Popular Magazines

As the summer winds down and students return to UND, we may need to postpone starting that big novel (no Crime and Punishment??) until another break. There’s no reason, though, that you can’t pick up a popular magazine such as Glamour or GQ at the Chester Fritz. Maybe you didn’t know we had recreational reading shelved among our academic journals but we do have a few.

To make them a bit easier to find, one of our co-workers made a handout with titles and location. Click on this link then scroll down the list to Popular Magazines & Newspapers and click on that link. You’ll want to pay attention (for me that means write down) which floor of the library and the call number. You won’t be able to check them out if you’re an undergrad but that’s ok—you just wanted something to fill the time between classes, right?

Update: Janet and staff member Patty spent the last of the student government funds for popular reading books and audiobooks this year. We hope you’ve enjoyed our selections and that you continue to suggest new items to us. Please make sure to thank your senators for supporting your recreational reading and tell them it’s a good use of your student fees if you believe that’s the case. While you're on line at the UND Bookstore, thank the terrific staff there too, we couldn't have done such a great job without them (plus their delicious food and drinks to keep our strength up!)