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Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

African American History Month at the Music & Media Collections

February is African American History Month and to kick it off, we invite you to sit back, relax and watch these documentaries to learn more about the rich history of the not-so-distant past.

America to Me, is a 10-part series that examines racial, economic and class issues in contemporary American education in this unscripted documentary series. Poignant and funny, epic and intimate, America to Me spends an academic year at Chicagoland’s elite Oak Park and River Forest High School, allowing its students, families, faculty, and administration to tell stories of the pressures and challenges teens face in their own words. Available in full on our streaming database Academic Video Online.

Tell Them We Are Rising highlights black colleges and universities that are a haven for Black intellectuals, artists and revolutionaries and have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field. This documentary examines the impact these institutions have had on American history, culture, and national identity. Come ask about it at the Music & Media Collections.

Olympic Pride, American Prejudice delves into the climate surrounding the courageous 18 African American athletes who carried the weight and hopes of an entire movement on their shoulders as they boarded a ship to Berlin Olympic Games in 1936 – a Nazi propaganda pageant that did not welcome their participation and considered them second class citizens. Their heroic turn at the Games became a seminal precursor to the Civil Rights Movement. Narrated by executive producer and Hollywood actor Blair Underwood. Full documentary available on our streaming database Academic Video Online.

Hoop Dreams follows the high school careers of two young, African American men from inner-city Chicago as they pursue their dream of playing professional basketball.

Check out more documentaries and films like these at Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A.

By Nicole Wanttie

 

Media/Music Collections, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Christmas Movies

The Holiday season is approaching fast and if you’re not already in the holiday spirit, these movies may do the trick.

Jingle all the Way

“A father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas. However, every store is sold out of them, and he must travel all over town and compete with everybody else in order to find one.”

Filmed right here in the Twin Cities!

 

 

All is Bright

 

“While out on parole, Dennis reluctantly takes a job selling Christmas trees with his old buddy Rene in order to make enough money to buy his estranged daughter the piano she’s always wanted.”

 

 

The Nutcracker
“The story of The Nutcracker is loosely based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.”

Come into the Music and Media Collections (OSF Library 104A) to see what movies we have on our holiday display that are available for check out.

A Christmas Carol
“At first, miserable, greedy old Scrooge can’t tolerate the revelry of Christmas, much less comprehend its meaning. But visits from his former business partner’s ghost and three cautionary specters from the past, present and future force the man to soul-search.”

 

 

 

It’s a Wonderful Life

A man is saved from a suicide attempt by an angel and is then shown how important he is to the people who love him. A Christmas classic.”

 

 

 

 

By Nicole Wanttie

Media/Music Collections, Music, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Christmas Music

Tired of listening to the same Christmas songs over and over again? Want to listen to something new? Try looking for a Christmas Album on our music streaming site Naxos Music Library. Want something new but don’t have time to look through the hundreds of albums available? Here are some options for you:
Christmas Music for Strings (Christmas Without Words)

A 9 song album with songs performed by a string orchestra and some accompaniment by a violin. Some notable songs include “I’ll be home for Christmas”, “Deck the Halls” and “Sleigh Ride”

The Christmas Collection (Music Lab Collective)

A 14 song Christmas album full of piano instrumentals of your favorite holiday songs. Notable titles include “Santa Baby” , “Last Christmas”,  and “All I want for Christmas is You”.

Instrumental Ensemble Music – Flute Ensemble Triptyque

Flute Trio performs classic holiday songs as well as a few medleys that include a mashup of all your favorite tunes.  Medleys included are: “All I Want for Christmas Is You – Jingle Bell Rock – Winter Wonderland – Sutekina Horidei – I Saw Mommy … – Last Christmas – Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence – and more”

Christmas and Hanukah: I’ll Be Home for the Holidays

Performed by a trio, this album has 21 songs to listen to. Notable titles include “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow”, “Feliz Navidad”, and “Carol of the Bells/ We Three Kings”.

Feeling nostalgic and want to listen to a physical CD? Look no further than the Music and Media Collections in OSF 104A

Christmas echoes. Volume 1

Recorded at St. Paul Seminary and Studio M, Dale Warland conducts a choir that encapsulates the Christmas spirit. Notable songs on the album include “The first Noel”, “O Little town of Bethlehem”, and “What child is this?”

By Nicole Wanttie

 

 

Services

More Improvements Coming to LibrarySearch and Interlibrary Loan

Hopefully you noticed the changes we made this summer which simplified Interlibrary Loan options and expanded content available to request within LibrarySearch. We’re rolling out more improvements at the beginning of the new year on January 4. New request options will look something like this:

described new request options for ILL

There will also be a new method in LibrarySearch to expand your options beyond just what St. Thomas and our consortium has available. If your search turns up empty, try the new options to expand your search at the top of your search results:

expand your search message

This expansion of your search will give you citations for most academic journal articles, books chapters from a large number of electronic books, and – new in January – physical items of partner libraries in our new national network. The new best way to make ILL requests is to “expand your search” and request directly from the citation with the new request options. It saves you time since you don’t have to manually enter data, which also makes your request more accurate and likely to be filled more quickly by our partner libraries.

Speaking of partner libraries, we are also now participating in a new network for digital requests with an average turnaround time under 24 hours.

There are many benefits to you from the new changes:

  • Know how quickly your interlibrary loan request will be delivered
  • Know how long you can keep physical items from interlibrary loan
  • Receive your digital requests faster: normally within 24 hours
  • Navigate LibrarySearch easier with a better visual layout for requesting options
  • Request from a citation in LibrarySearch to avoid time spent on manual data entry; data is pulled automatically from the citation
  • Search a much larger expanded index which now includes physical materials
  • Access all of your loans and requests in one library account, your LibrarySearch account
  • Download interlibrary loan digital materials directly from your library account under “Requests”

Let us know what you think of our new changes at libillosf@stthomas.edu.

Database Highlights & Trials, Media/Music Collections, Music, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Database Spotlight: Medici.TV

Get the concert hall experience from your own home with Medici.TV. This streaming service offered by the Music & Media Collections specializes in classical music performances and has everything from high quality recordings of operas, ballets, and concerts led by world-renowned conductors to master classes taught by famous musicians. Medici.TV also stays up to date on the latest performances, so there is always something new to watch.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by Christian Spuck, music by Tchaikovsky
This is just one of the Nutcracker ballet productions that Medici.TV offers, and it features a new choreography alongside the spectacular music of Tchaikovsky and the stunning costume design.

Gershwin in Rhythm
George Madaras conducts the Liège Royal Philharmonic in this concert which features pieces by George Gershwin. Among the pieces performed is “Rhapsody in Blue”—one of Gershwin’s most famous compositions.

By Jayde Hoppe

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Database Spotlight: Digitalia

Looking to expand your film-viewing habits? If so, then check out Digitalia—one of the streaming services offered by the Music & Media Collections. This database hosts a wide variety of films and documentaries from around the world. Digitalia offers a multitude of films from South America, Europe, Africa, and North America. The database allows you to browse by country or regional collection.

Dos Fridas
This drama explores the life of Frida Kahlo’s Costa Rican nurse, Judith Ferreto, who cared for her in the last years of the artist’s life. Later, Judith is cared for by a nurse in Costa Rica, and her dreams take on a life of their own.

Un Mundo Secreto
In Mexico City, eighteen-year-old Maria sets out on the road to spiritual self-discovery. As she road-trips through the deserts of Sinaloa and reaches the La Paz coast, she embraces the natural world and it embraces her back.

By Jayde Hoppe

Media/Music Collections, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

“Thankful Tree” Display from Music & Media Collections

Happy Thanksgiving Week Tommies!

Before we leave for break, The Music & Media Collections invites you to partake in our “Thankful Tree” Display.

Simply stop on by and write what you are thankful for on a leaf or acorn cut out and staff will add it to our display. This is a great way to remind yourself and others that there are many things to be thankful for this busy holiday season.

Also, the Music & Media Collections will be playing fall movies outside of the collections on Monday, November 22nd and Tuesday, November 23rd. Stop on by and see what we have available to watch on our streaming databases or come in to see what fall movies we have available for check out.

Our hours for Thanksgiving Break are: 

Wednesday – 7:30-6:00
Thursday – Closed
Friday – Closed
We resume normal hours on Saturday 12:00-4:00.

Have a good break!

 

by Nicole Wanttie