Iwasaki Library Blog

We recently received a new book called Translating Hollywood: The World of Movie Posters, which is all about how movie posters get different treatments in different countries. The example here shows the American and Polish versions of the Midnight Cowboy poster from 1969. Because the U.S. focuses on the star-system, it shows Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight looking all fancy and rugged on the street corner, while the Polish version "perfectly encapsulates the lust-filled, androgynous sin that was late 60s New York." Personally, I like the Polish movie posters the best because they became a direct response to the post-WWII government. Basically the government controlled culture (arts), though somehow the movie poster (along with theatre posters) were given some creative freedom, resulting in the best movie posters you've ever seen. I learned that from another book called A Century of Movie Posters: From Silent to Art House. This book has way more information about movie posters from around the world, but it doesn't provide side-by-side comparison like Translating Hollywood does. Another book to definitely check out is Art of the Modern Movie Poster. This book is huge, colorful, and pretty much all-around awesome. I suggest taking a look at these books for the different worldviews, great design, and pretty pictures. Also, if you head back to the PN1995.9.P5 section, you'll find a bunch more books about movie posters.

Now available on the Library's Database trials page: Trial access to Plunkett's Research Online (Business & Marketing), New York Tribune Historical Archive (Journalism & Media), Critical Mention iTV (Broadcast Journalism/TV), and Reference Universe (all subjects). Coming soon: Humanities & Social Sciences Citation Indexes. Click here for access instructions.

These trials are provided by the database publishers for the review of Emerson's students, faculty & librarians. Your feedback detailing your thoughts and experiences with these trials will assist the library in providing useful resources in all formats. Most of these trials are only accessible from on-campus locations.

The St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture , available both in print and online, is the perfect beginning source for any related research interest. Covering the areas of social life, music, print, film, television, radio, sports, art and performance, this five-volume encyclopedia features entries on people, groups, bands, organizations, corporations, brands and products, films, genres, TV and radio shows, fashion trends, historical events, technologies, sports teams, social and political movements, social issues, and much more. With illustrations and bibliographies for most entries, the St. James serves as a general and interdisciplinary entry point into the secondary literature on 20th century American popular culture.

The Library is pleased to present a special edition of READ posters in celebration of National Library Week. Each poster features a student and a recommended Library resource related to his or her major. Students were selected by the Library Committee.

Ben Grossman

Hannah Borkowski

Jeffrey Young

Laura Kenar

Rachel Stevenson

Steven Lewis

Tamika Reynold

The 2009 Leisure Reading List is now available, with reading suggestions on display throughout the Library and on the Library website.

Thank you to all the students, faculty and staff who contributed reading recommendations to this list!

Interested in seeing some of the most frequently recommended authors and titles? Check out the following visualization:

Happy National Library Week! Here are some ways to celebrate:

Leisure Reading List
Check out suggestions from students, faculty and staff on display throughout the Library and on the Library's website.

READ Posters
View a special edition of the Library's READ posters. Each poster features a student and a recommended library resource related to his or her major. Students were selected by the Library Committee.

Fine Amnesty
Return overdue circulating books and have up to $5 of late fines waived upon request. This offer is valid for circulating books returned during 4/12/2009 - 4/18/2009.

Movies
Watch a movie featuring librarians or libraries from our Media Collection. Stop by the Media Desk for recommendations.

Chocolate
Visit the Reference Desk and enjoy free chocolate while librarians help you find the information you need.

Today's Boston Marathon is streaming live from CBS affiliate WBZ here: http://wbztv.com/bostonmarathon. The marathon activities will make for an interesting day just outside our doors, but the library is open regular hours and running as steadily as ever.

Take a Study Break with Coffee and Snacks at 8!

Beginning Monday, April 20, and continuing through Monday, May 4, the Library will offer extended hours, remaining open until midnight, Sunday through Thursday evenings, and until 8 p.m. on Saturdays. Coffee and snacks will be served at 8 p.m. on the evenings of April 20-23, 26-30 and May 3-4.

* Monday - Thursday: 7:45 am - midnight

* Friday: 7:45 am - 9:00 pm

* Saturday: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

* Sunday: noon - midnight

For a full schedule and hours of operation, see the Library Hours and Calendar page.

For this year's National Poetry Month, the Library recognizes the poetic works of wartime.

The Summer Jobs Worldwide 2009 may have just the gig for you! This excellent guide affords general advice and job listings supplemented by "red tape" information detailing visa requirements and work permits. Conservation in France, leading hikes in Costa Rica, teaching English in Korea - check it out!

"Please get the DVD of Life.Support.Music. It's a really awesome documentary about a guitarist that suffers a terrible brain hemorrhage and how his family and rehabilitative therapists (YAY speech path!) help bring him back to performing. It would be a really useful and inspiring resource for CDS (and all) majors! Thanks!"

Sounds good--we will order it--
We're always interested in strengthening the media collection in CSD-related materials, so thanks so much for this suggestion!

National Library Week is almost over, so be sure to watch a library-related movie as soon as possible! We have several good ones in our collection:

Desk Set (DVD 902) Katharine Hepburn's Head of Reference exudes competence. She and the other librarians who staff the TV network reference department handle questions efficiently, and with a sense of humor. So like our own reference librarians!!!

Party Girl (DVD 900).Bohemian free spirit Mary ( Parker Posey) is forced to work in her godmother's library to pay her back for bailing her out of jail. Her transformation from wild party girl to dedicated-and-totally-cool librarian is so familiar, somehow.

Puss in Books (V 1969) Do you like libraries? Do you like cats? Then this documentary is for you! All about cats that live in libraries, and the librarians who love them. Raises interesting questions about public spaces and individual rights. But the Media Librarian believes that cats and lilbraries go together like, well, like Will and Grace!

Watch a video at the Library to celebrate!

The Library Media desk will spotlight films that feature librarians as main characters, or libraries as important settings. Got any suggestions? Post them here. (We already know about The Music Man, Desk Set, and Party Girl!)