Drumroll please

We are all excited to announce our new 'Donate a Book' campaign.

We love the idea of opening a book in the ROMC library and seeing a graduate's name and major celebrated right there on the front cover.

Friends and family can donate some money to the library, and we can buy new materials (or process older materials) for the next generation of students and community members. (Go to www.sfsustudentcenter.com/DonateABook)

We invite you to head on over to the webpage and celebrate your favorite grad!!!

!!!!CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL GRADUATES!!!

And if you have any suggestions for books for the library, please let us know by leaving a comment.

Suggestions and Feedback

We held our second preview event on Wednesday. We again enjoyed showing people the library and sharing their excitement and suggestions.

We posted the following questions up on the wall, and had visitors fill out index cards with their ideas.

Questions:
• What does a resource library mean to you?
• What books, films, or other publications would you recommend for the ROMC resource library?
• Why would you use the resource library?
• How would you collaborate with the ROMC library?

And here's some of the feedback.

• A resource library implies a library/ resource center with access to line local and national databases; I would recommend information on various tribes and cultural groups native to the bay; I would use the resource library to research for personal, educational, or work related projects.
• A resource library is a place where people can come and learn about multicuturalism, different people’s experiences, as well as a place where they can donate—be it a book, an experience, or a narrative; I would like to learn more about Richard Oaks and his family today.
• A place to study and do research. It is a source that will help and promote my learning and growth as a person; I would recommend more docs regarding various minorities and religions groups to eliminate discrimination. I would encourage doing research concerning cultures and ethnic groups.
• How about an ROMC Resource library book club! A monthly discussion among faculty/ students about a relevant piece in the library; I would also love to collaborate the ROMC resource library and our office’s leadership in Action programs.
• Cross reference with LEAD leadership library in the future.
Suggestions:
• Resources on how to write papers and do research. If they are first year students, then it might be there first time writing research papers.
• T-143 should be a lounge when the computer lab is moved. Since students cannot check out books and media, they should be able to have more space to do research and read.
• A copier for the resource library would also help as well since books cannot be checked out.
• Blank CDs for sale just in case students would like to scan and save literature that they would like to read at home.
• More books on Richard Oaks would be great.
• The Autobiography on Malcolm X is one of the greatest books. It is a bit lengthy so having a lounge area would be great.
• There is a new resource center in the ethnic studies building as well as the Behavioral and Social Sciences building. Get in touch with both directors who have their own connections from their resource library.

What do you think of these ideas? Do you have any of your own? Post a comment and let us know.

Preview - The ROMC Library

Last week was a huge week for us. The computers in the library are up and running. We're moved the materials that have already been donated and that we have gathered from the Student Center's archives.

And we've hosted a preview for various staff, community members and students.

So, we'd like to share it with you too, our blog readers. Head on over to Flickr and check out our photos of the event.

Libraries on the web

We're working hard on the Reference Library and Archive project at the ROMC.

One aspect of the library is to have materials online, as a 'virtual branch' to allow greater access to materials about Richard Oakes in particular, and about multiculturalism more broadly.

There's a huge project making global materials available globally at the World Digital Library.

For example, this is the 1720 map of California, created by Nicholas de Fer. Just one of 133 items from North America, including letters, photos, posters and books. 

There's also 157 items from the Middle East and North Africa to explore, to mention just 2 regions.

Footage of Richard Oakes

We had a great meeting last week with Alex Cherian, a film archivist with the SF Bay Area Television Archive at the Library at SF State.

He has some amazing footage from the Occupation of Alcatraz from various new outlets at the time. We're going to be working with him to make more of it available online.

In the meantime, here's 6 minutes of interviews from KQED, including Dennis Turner, Richard Oakes and LaNada Means.

Getting the word out.

We're lucky enough to work with a fabulous team of SF State students at the Cesar Chavez Student Center's Publicity Department. Like 80% of the staff at the CCSC, they are all students enrolled at SF State, producing their wonderful images while attending lectures, completing classes etc. etc.

Here's their latest visual for the ROMC.

15th Annual Cesar Chavez events

Aimee has been busy arranging the music, discussions and food in honor of Cesar E. Chavez, the amazing man that the Student Center is named after.

This is the 15th year we've taken the time to remember his work and legacy and be inspired again by his powerful activism.

Join us for some great events on Wednesday, March 15!

(The details are on the poster.)