Each month, the Campus Library staff create multiple thoughtful displays that can be found on the first and second floors. This post documents all of the library displays in the months of January and February 2020.

January Displays

Mass incarceration – 1st Floor

Created by Dani Rowland (American & Ethnic Studies Librarian) and Denise Hattwig (Head of Digital Scholarship and Collections), descriptions written by Dani

January: Mass Incarceration & Education Justice

Located in the lobby, including the first floor book display, large display panel and four  Concrete Mama banners 

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February: Mass Incarceration & Washington Prison History – Freedom Is a Constant Struggle 

Located in the lobby, including the large display panel and banners. This also included a book truck display on Community Reads, which is currently on Freedom is a Constant Struggle. (I didn’t create the Community Reads book display, but wove it into the Mass Incarceration display, since it is closely related.) 

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It’s common to think of mass incarceration in the United States’ as one problem. In reality, however, it’s many. It is the manifestation of the racism baked into the history of our country. The systemic racism that leads to mass incarceration starts with the nature of spaces into which children are born in our country, and continues in all our major systems: community development and government, health care, education, employment and economic systems, legal and policing systems, media and communication systems, and more.  

Last year, our mass incarceration display focused on the idea of prison abolition. That topic highlights all the ways that mass incarceration fails to solve problems for our country, states, and communities. The idea behind prison abolition is that we need many other and different solutions for the problems that incarceration purports to solve.  

This year, since the Campus Library is part of an educational institution, I wanted to focus on connections between our state and local education system and incarceration. As always, I wanted to try to highlight efforts by prisoners and their supporters to change the systems that oppress them. The display featured materials about disrupting the school to prison pipeline, and spoke to the importance of access to education for prisoners and formerly incarcerated people. It featured information about community-led efforts to support healthy reentry for formerly incarcerated people, including student support groups for people rejoining our own UW communities.  

The February display focused on our Washington Prison History Project, and on our Community Reads events this month, studying Freedom Is a Constant Struggle, by Angela Davis. The Washington Prison History Project features a robust collection of material produced by prisoners and their supporters, reflecting their experience with, and resistance against, the Washington State prison system over the last 50 years. Angela Davis has been engaged in prison abolition work over the same period, and our community reads book connects that struggle to global systemic injustice related to carceral issues. 

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Winter Books – 2nd Floor

Created by Robert Krieger and Zoe Wisser (Circulation Student Employees)

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“The topic for this children’s display display was winter books and specifically included non-denominational books to cover multiple aspects of winter. Reading level for the display ranged from picture books to longer novels. Books in this display varied to include classic stories, poetry, nonfiction, and folktales that all relate to winter. This range of reading levels and types of children’s books helps to supply different ways of providing information and stories on winter.

“I believe this topic is a meaningful theme for children’s books as it showcases the wonder and joy of winter. Especially as people grow up, winter can become a time of seasonal depression as clouds roll in and the sun is low. However, these children’s books all provide a positive point of view on how winter can be enjoyed and kept positive” – Robert

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February Displays

Celebrating the history of African-American activism, past and present – 1st Floor

Created by Suzan Parker (Head of Collections and Course Support Services) and Heather Cyre (Head of Public Services)

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“To honor Black History Month, we wanted to illustrate that the present connects to the past, and that local area activism connects to social justice work at the national level. We included famous historical figures (e.g. Harriet Tubman), as well as young and local activists such as Ijeoma Oluo. We included a variety of ways that people engage in activism (e.g. arts, politics, protest, sports). It was also important to represent the intersectionality of race, gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation, age, etc.

“We included a photo from Seattle’s Black Lives Matter march in hopes that our students see themselves as activists or potential activists, and that they are part of a long, proud tradition within the African-American story.

“A list of the UW Libraries books and videos and images used in the display is available for viewing from this Google Doc. Click on the Images and QR Code links to learn more about the movements and individuals featured.

“This display was a collaborative effort and reflects the collegiality and creativity of library staff. Several library staff members contributed to a shared list of books and videos, and Hannah Mendro and Emily Ferguson lent their time and expertise to ensure the display was assembled in time. A most sincere Thank You to all” – Suzan & Heather

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Blind Date With a Book – 1st Floor

Created by Tami Garrard (Access Services Manager), Kathy Vuu and Zoe Wisser (Circulation Student Employees)

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“During the month of February, the Circulation team presents the annual “Blind Date with a Book” display on the first floor of the library. This allows library users to check out items that they find interesting through a simple short synopsis without exposing the book title or the author. We added a small activity where library users are able to anonymously provide their reasons as to why they love the library, bringing out more of the themes of love and appreciation in the UWB/CC Library!” – Kathy

LOVE – 2nd Floor

Created by Natalie Keys and Jolene Truong (Circulation Student Employees)

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“When I was younger, Valentine’s Day was my favorite day during school. I loved getting ready for the big day! I’d build myself a mailbox for my valentines and make cards for each of my classmates. The anticipation of wondering what boxes people made and what valentines they chose made me so excited. We would have parties and sometimes watch a movie. It was awesome. And when I came home from the sugar filled day, my mom and I would make pizzas into the shapes of hearts and watch Charlie Brown.

“So when I was thinking about what display to make for the month of February, I thought about what I liked about February from the perspective of when I was little. Valentine’s Day was a highlight. But I didn’t just want it to be about Valentine’s Day, rather about the feelings of joy and love I felt on that day. I also remembered all the cute children’s books I’ve read about love.” – Natalie

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Library Display Recaps are posted every couple of months, so if you’d like to receive notifications whenever our student employees post on this blog, please follow us by clicking on the “Follow” button on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Each month, the Campus Library staff create multiple thoughtful displays that can be found on the first and second floors of the library. This post documents all of the library displays in the months of October through December 2019.

October Displays

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – 1st floor

Created by Tami Garrard (Access Services Manager)

“According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), in Washington State 42.6% of women and 28.3% of men experience intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner rape, and/or intimate partner stalking at some point during their lives. Domestic violence is personal to many of us, and it impacts our communities as a whole. It has certainly impacted us on this campus in many ways, including the loss of UWB student Anna Bui who was fatally shot by her former boyfriend in July of 2016. The library’s display during Domestic Violence Awareness Month sought to illustrate our care for our community, letting survivors know that they are not alone while highlighting library resources and community resources that serve to support survivors, educate, and lead to change. 

“Our deepest gratitude goes to the Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County and to our Campus Violence Prevention and Advocacy program, who both provided materials for the display and provide essential services and support to our community” – Tami Garrard

Additional Resources and Information:

UWB/CC Campus Violence Prevention and Advocacy Program.  Do you need support? Does someone you know need support? 

Anna Bui World of Hope Endowment Fund

NCADV domestic violence statistics for Washington State

NCADV national statistics

A collection of Snohomish and Island county resources as well as a booklist from Sno-Isle Libraries

King County Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services

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The Campus Library Welcomes You – 1st floor Lobby

Created by Tami Garrard (Access Services Manager), Andrea Portugal, Kathy Vuu, and Zoe Wisser (Circulation Student Employees)

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“As the Campus Library welcomed new and returning Cascadia and UWB students this Fall Quarter, we wanted to provide an opportunity for library visitors to express their own words of welcome to each other and to paint a picture of how diverse our campus is. This display articulated that the Campus Library “welcomes you, whoever you are, wherever you are from” and invited participants to leave a note of welcoming in their own native language and to place a pin on a map, indicating where they are from. The visual display was paired with a book and media display exploring immigrant, refugee, and asylee experiences. Some titles that were included in this display are:

“And many more! If you are interested in additional resources, take a look at the UW Libraries guide to Immigration Resources: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/immigration

“The Campus Library values our community members and strives to create a ‘welcoming, safe, and accessible environment for all individuals including diverse populations and underrepresented students’ (language from our Strategic Directions). We hope that that this collective and participatory welcoming of our diverse students, staff and faculty has served to demonstrate that the Campus Library does value and care about you and your story” – Tami Garrard

National Voter Registration Day – 1st floor Lobby

Created by Heather Cyre (Head of Public Services)

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“The National Voter Registration Day display is meant to provide information and resources for voting in the state of Washington, including important deadlines, voter eligibility, and frequently asked questions about the voting and voter registration process. National Voter Registration Day was celebrated on the fourth Tuesday in September and its goal is to highlight the importance of registering to vote and voting in upcoming elections. The privilege to vote in elections gives citizens a voice in shaping government by choosing leaders and deciding on issues that impact our daily lived experiences. Free and fair elections that are foundational to our democracy and active participation in the voting process is imperative” – Heather Cyre

For more information about voter registration in the state of Washington, including important deadlines, visit https://guides.lib.uw.edu/bothell/vote.

Mental health – 2nd floor

Created by Kathy Vuu and Zoe Wisser (Circulation Student Employees)

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“After finding out that October 10th was World Mental Health Day, we wanted to go off of that theme and apply it to October’s Children’s Literature Display. This display allows us to raise awareness towards mental health issues and to provide different resources that can help college students if they are in need of professional support. This topic means a lot to me because I believe that the idea of mental health is difficult to discuss among your peers, friends, or even family. With Zoe’s assistance, I was able to help spread two messages: mental health is important for everyone, and you are not alone in this journey” – Kathy Vuu

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November Displays

International education week photo contest – 1st floor Lobby

Created by International Programs at Cascadia College

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“This is, I believe, the third year that the Campus Library has hosted this display as part of International Education Week. It’s a fantastic collaboration between UWB and Cascadia, as students and staff from both schools being eligible to submit photos to the contest. This year’s theme is “Global Celebrations” which you see reflected in various ways in the submissions! I hope this collaboration continues and that the number of submissions continues to increase” – Chelsea Nesvig, Research and Instruction Librarian

community reads – 1st floor

Created by Community Reads Team 2020: Sarah Leadley, Tami Garrard, Cora Thomas, and Hannah Mendro

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“The Community Reads program organizes quarterly events based on a chosen book (or excerpts of a book) with themes of social justice, equity, and diversity, in the hope of inspiring discussions on these topics across both campuses. Our goals as stated on our website are as follows:

• Build community through a common intellectual experience.
• Promote engagement with thoughtful, noteworthy works of literature or scholarship related to issues of equity and social justice across the UWB/CC campus and community.
• Offer instructors an opportunity to invigorate curriculum with vital issues and community conversation.

“In the past, we have always read a new book each quarter.  This year, we will be working with the same book all year, allowing us to choose different chapters and themes to emphasize each quarter.  In honor of Angela Davis’s visit to our campus last year, this year’s read is her book Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement.  We will be looking at the book through the main theme of democracy, with different focuses and “sub-themes” each quarter.

“Because of our deeper focus on specific excerpts and themes of the book, we wanted to provide opportunities for members of our campus community to explore the book in different ways.  No research occurs in a vacuum, and not everyone learns in the same way.  To honor other activists and artists within the community of struggle, and to provide other frameworks with which to examine the text, we have compiled a resource list of related works of art, literature, and scholarship.  Though we will continue adding to the list all year, the book display contains many of the notable works that we found relating to Angela Davis, the book in general, or the themes of Chapters 1 and 5, our fall focus. 

“More information about 2019-2020 Community Reads project can be found here: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/bothell/communityreads/19-20.  More information about Winter Quarter’s events are forthcoming.  Please join us!” – Community Reads Team

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Healthy Eating – 2nd floor

Created by Johana Montoya and Kathy Vuu (Circulation Student Employees)

“November 1st was National Vegan Day, which inspired this discussion on eating healthy. Being a vegetarian from a young age, I believe that it is important that children are taught about healthy eating patterns. Although living a meat / dairy free lifestyle is not for everyone, there are many ways in which children can eat healthier” – Johana Montoya

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December Displays

First Generation College STudent – 1st floor

Created by Cora Thomas (Circulation Lead) and Kathy Vuu (Circulation Student Employee)

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Cora says – “This First Generation College Student display was inspired by the National First Generation College Celebration on November 8. I knew that UW Bothell encouraged campus to join the festivities and celebrate first generation college students. So, we had the idea to continue in this vein and create a display for December to highlight first gen stories and means of support. We decided to collect not only research based texts but also personal narratives in order to highlight the multitude of voices that make up our first gen population here and around the country. We also highlighted articles recommended by faculty heavily involved in first gen work. We decided to offer ‘take-aways’ including first gen buttons and words of encouragement. Kathy, a Student Circulation Specialist, and I are both first gens – she volunteered to collaborate with me on this display and brought another perspective to the display design and content. This issue is close to my heart because I have worked extensively with the First in Our Families digital narrative project. Giving space and allowing first generation college students as well as staff and faculty who are also first gen to become more comfortable talking about the barriers and social and cultural nuances that first gens face while also recognizing the invaluable knowledge they bring to the table allows the sometimes uncomfortable and stigmatized issue to become a little easier to navigate. We believe continued momentum for ongoing dialogue around improving our institutional and community support systems for the unique experiences of first generation college students is extremely important for their success. I would like to thank Kathy Vuu for assisting with this display.”

Kathy says – “I think that it is significant to display the voices of first generation college students because it not only emphasizes their value and hard work as individuals, but it also raises the idea where first gens are more than just a subgroup of students. Despite being a first generation college student myself, this display helped me gain a different perspective in understanding other first gens and what they have to face when trying to fulfill an education for themselves. I am so happy that I was able to assist in creating this display, and I hope that the display inspired first generation college students to share their stories with others.”

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Holidays around the world – 2nd floor

Created by Paul Keum and Jolene Truong (Circulation Student Employees)

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“December is the time of year where many different holidays are celebrated. Whether it is Christmas, Kwanzaa, or Ōmisoka, there are various ways the world celebrates the holiday season.

“The most popular way we celebrate the holidays in America is through Christmas. The rush to get Christmas presents for our loved ones, to decorate our Christmas trees and our homes in pretty lights is very common in the month of December. Knowing this, Jolene and I wanted to shed light into how different parts of the world celebrates the holidays. We saw the month December as an opportunity to really represent the world and UWB’s extraordinary community” – Paul Keum and Jolene Truong

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While all of these displays have come and gone, these books are still available to check out!

Library Display Recaps are posted every couple of months, so if you’d like to receive notifications whenever our student employees post on this blog, please follow us by clicking on the “Follow” button on the bottom right corner of the screen.

Each month, the Campus Library staff create multiple thoughtful displays that can be found on the first and second floors. This post documents all of the library displays in the months of August and September 2019.

August Displays

Recreational Reading Collection – 1st FLOOR

Created by Members of the Rec Reading Team Summer 2019: Cora Thomas (Circulation Lead) and Mary Yutani (Reserves Supervisor)

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Message from Cora and Mary:

“For the month of August, we are highlighting our Recreational Reading Collection with some of our favorite titles and staff picks. Our collection is made possible by the generous donations of our students, faculty, staff, and community. It includes fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, audio-books, and a children’s and middle readers section. Everyone is welcome to enjoy books in the library for leisure or check them out with a valid UW or Cascadia library card at the Circulation Desk. After a test, grab a book and de-stress! On a break? Delve into a novel or funny story! Enjoy 4-week loans with unlimited renewals and no overdue fines.

“Throughout this month, we hope the campus community and our visitors have fun looking at the colorful display and then exploring our Rec Reading collection. Our Adult section is next to the Reserves area on the first floor of the library and our Children’s and Middle Readers sections are directly to your left as you walk into the library’s main entrance. In this section, we also provide canvas book carts on wheels for parents who would like to carry books as they explore the library with their young children.

“For more information about the collection, please visit our Recreational Reading Collection Guide.”

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Stranger Things [inspired] – 2nd floor

Created by Emily Oomen (Former Circulation Student Employee) and Lana Sheykho (Circulation Student Employee)

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“The display is fun and helps motivate kids to read especially because it is based on a show, Stranger Things. Since the show just came out people might be more interested in spooky books” – Emily and Lana

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September Displays

Graphic Novels – 1st floor

Created by Kimberly Kramer (Materials Processing Technician Lead)

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“This month, I wanted to draw attention to the new standalone Graphic Novels collection, located on the 3rd floor between the periodicals and curriculum collections. More than that, I also wanted to highlight our recent expansion of the Graphic Novels collection with a number of new, popular and diverse titles by diverse creators, including manga, memoirs, adaptations, and comics” – Kimberly

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BIRDS – 2nd Floor

Created by Eva Haynes Kiehn (Circulation Student Employee)

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“I chose the theme of bird-focused children’s literature, because I really enjoyed bird stories when I was little, and I grew up going bird-watching with my family. Additionally, we have a wide variety of birds on campus, and so I wanted to draw attention to that” – Eva

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While all of these displays have come and gone, these books are still available to check out!

Library Display Recaps are posted every couple of months, so if you’d like to receive notifications whenever our student employees post on this blog, please follow us by clicking on the “Follow” button on the bottom right corner of the screen.