WorldFest 2019 is Here! Don’t Miss the Trivia Night on March 6!

Posted on March 1, 2019 by hartod

A joyful opening ceremony on February 28 marked the beginning of WorldFest 2019 at the University of Cincinnati. This year’s program includes 15 cultural programs and events, all of them free and open to the public!

On March 6th UC Libraries and the Quiz Team will co-host an annual Trivia Night.

event information

Come and show off your knowledge of geography, history, cultures, and miscellaneous facts! You don’t have to compete! You will still learn a lot, meet interesting people, and enjoy free food, including Bearcat pizza.

We are sure that the competitors will be as strong as in the past. The top three teams will win the prizes shown below.

prizes to win in the 2019 trivia night

You Are Invited! WorldFest Trivia Night hosted by the UC Libraries and UC Quiz Club.

Posted on March 3, 2017 by hartod

What: WorldFest (#UCWorld17 ) Trivia Night hosted by the UC libraries and UC Quiz Club.

When: Wednesday, March 8th, 3:30 – 5:30 PM.

Where: 462 Langsam Library

How to participate: Form a team with a friend (each team will have 2 people) and answer question about world cultures, UC libraries, International Women’s Day and general knowledge.

What to look forward to: The top 3 team win fabulous prizes + Audience Prizes. Pizza and snacks will be served.

Want to come prepared? Check out the CultureGrams and Global Road Warrior databases at http://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/main/databases/inda_browse.php

Please visit the event Facebook page for more information, including awards.

RSVP at: https://goo.gl/forms/yN51IaNnXRHAnwZS2.
(This would help us get a better count on the expected crowd!)

#UCWorld17 has an amazing variety of great events. See the main calendar and the descriptive calendar.

Celebrating International Education Week with New Online Guides

Posted on November 17, 2015 by hartod

International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. The University of Cincinnati participates in this joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education aimed at preparing Americans for a global environment and attracting future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

This year UC Libraries celebrates IEW with two new online guides. Continue reading →

Coming Up: Student Panel on Study Abroad Experiences

Posted on March 31, 2015 by hartod

Are you going on a study abroad tour soon or thinking about a program sometime on the future? If so, there is an opportunity to learn from UC students who have studied abroad.

What: student panel focusing on skills, attitudes, and resources, which help make the most of a study abroad experience. This panel is part of the UC Libraries’ efforts to increase cross-cultural understanding and foster student academic success. It is funded by the Diversity Challenge Grant.

Who: UC students who participated in a variety of study abroad experiences. Moderator: Kevin Grace, Head of Archives and Rare Books Department, who has taught many Honors courses and taken students abroad on several occasions.

When: Tuesday, April 14^th at noon.

Where: 480 Langsam Library.

Lunch will be served. RSVP to olga.hart@uc.edu. Please indicate if you have special dietary needs.

Image source: TheStudyAbroadBlog

Happy Lunar New Year!

Posted on February 19, 2015 by hartod

Happy Lunar New Year to all members of the UC Community who celebrate! According to Chinese Zodiac, 2015 is the Year of the Sheep/Goat/Ram.

On February 13th Langsam Library hosted a wonderful Lunar New Party. Sounds of traditional Chinese tunes performed by Tsun-Hui Hung, Adjunct Professor of Musicology at CCM, set the tone for the gathering. Dean Xuemao Wang welcomed the guests and talked about the exciting upcoming events and projects at UC Libraries. Picking up on the lunar theme, Head of Archives and Rare Books Kevin Grace talked about moon folklore and New Year customs in the Appalachian region. Probably the most memorable part of the program was the Lion Dance presented by students of the Chinese Language School. Professor Gergana Ivanova introduced the audience to haiku and following the presentation of the artist Frank Satogata, whose art combines calligraphy and abstract impressionism, several members of the audience wrote their own haiku poems and shared them with the public. After enjoying the food the guests participated in multiple activities, including calligraphy, karaoke, origami, and games. Several guests recorded video greetings for family and friends using the props in the STRC green screen room. The event also featured an exhibit of Chinese paper cutting.

The party definitely gave us enough warm memories to cherish during the cold days that followed. Please enjoy glimpses of the party, whether you were part of the celebration or missed it.

Coming Together to Give Thanks

Posted on November 18, 2014 by hartod

Over 50 students and UCL staff got together on the afternoon on November 13th to learn about holidays, traditions, and feasts around the world celebrating fall, harvest, family, or giving thanks. Alongside Thanksgiving favorites, including turkey, corn bread, greens and pies, the dishes on our holiday table featured Caribbean jerk chicken with rice, beans, and vegetables, Chinese mooncakes, Russian apple cakes, Indian rice and carrot puddings, and other delicacies. After filling (and refilling) our plates and learning to say “thank you” in several languages, we embarked on a tour of the world spotlighting holidays and festivals in China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Kurdistan, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, and United States. We learned a lot about various holidays and food associated with them. Continue reading →

Documenting India: Day 6

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Melissa Cox Norris

day6f Over Spring Break, Jay Sinnard, manager of the Student Technology Resources Center (STRC), is traveling with a class to provide media support as they record testimonials as part of their class project.

Over the course of their trip, Jay and the students will share on this blog some of their observations, images and video from their travels. Check back often…

From Jay:

Pre meeting before seeing another NGO (swift laundry). The workers were rescued from the sex trade

Then lunch somewhere in Goa. This was the best meal of the entire trip for me.

We visited another NGO. Then a trip to a Tibetan market.

Finished the day at a night club situated at the top of a large hill requiring a two-minute drive in an open jeep to the top.

Pool side at the club. This concluded the longest day of the trip. I was up at 6am, then I finally crawled into bed at 4am.

Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Bolivia

Posted on September 25, 2013 by hartod

Featured country: Bolivia.

Red on the Bolivian flag symbolizes valor (e.g., the blood of patriots spilled in battle); green, hope and the fertility of the land; and the yellow band in the center represents the country’s vast mineral resources.

Point of interest: Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco/Tiahuanacu).
This pre-Columbian archaeological site in la Paz is a UNESCO World Heritage

Sacred Statue in Tiwanaku – Bolivia

Site. Tiwanaku is believed to have obtained its name from an Aymara term, taypikala (“Stone in the Center”). Founded around 200 BC, this ancient city is considered an important predecessor to the Inca Empire. Tiwanaku has outstanding stone carvings and ancient buildings that exemplify the Andean pre-Hispanic civilization.

Source: Global Road Warrior.

Featured library resource: Collins world atlas : clear, detailed, and up-to-date mapping, latest stunning satellite images, UNESCO world heritage sites. London : HarperCollins, 2010.
Langsam Reference Oversize G1021 .H59846 2010

Posted by Olga Hart

Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Belgium

Posted on September 19, 2013 by hartod

belgium Featured country: Belgium

Did you know the term “duffel bag” derives from the Belgian town of Duffel, where the thickly woven bags were first manufactured? Or that Belgian beer and chocolate are world-renowned? Approximately the size of the state of Maryland, the Kingdom of Belgium is located in western Europe, surrounded on three sides by The Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Because of its strategic location, Belgium is one of the cultural centers of Europe, and the capital of Brussels is the seat of many European Union offices. Flemish, French, and German are the official languages of Belgium, however many people speak English, as well as Spanish, Arabic, and Dutch because historically the country has been a crossroads for immigrants. Belgium was devastated by the World Wars of the 20tch century, but most of its centuries-old castles and public buildings have survived, and today its vibrant culture make Belgium a nation of fashion, international commerce, and tourism in such beautiful cities as Bruges and Antwerp.

Source: CultureGrams.

Featured library resource: Foreign Information by Country.

On one of Antwerp’s city squares.

By Kevin Grace

No, this street sculpture in Antwerp isn’t a tribute to UC’s Greg Hand.

Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Belarus

Posted on September 17, 2013 by hartod

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Featured country: Belarus.
The Republic of Belarus is situated in north-eastern Europe. The official languages are Belarusian and Russian.

Interesting fact about Belarus: The Belavezha forest reserve is home to the zubry (European bison), which became extinct elsewhere in Europe long ago.

Source: CultureGrams

Featured library resource: Ethnologue: Languages of the World