UW-Madison Day at the State Fair (Aug 10)

Come celebrate UW-Madison’s history of service and outreach by visiting its Wisconsin State Fair event, August 10. Located on the fair ground’s Central Mall, the "UW-Madison Day" will feature staff and alumni demonstrating their expertise and inviting fairgoers to "jump around" and experience all that the university has to offer--be that to taste some Babcock Ice Cream or to witness the Wonders of Physics.

Be sure to look for your Steenbock librarians and their campus library colleagues! We will be on hand to distribute some library-themed fun and to answer your questions about how you may visit and access library resources.

The State Fair event will also be an opportunity to donate school supplies to Milwaukee-area students. By bringing a new school supply to the Fair admissions gate, you will receive a $5.00 voucher toward a Midway "Ride all Day" wristband. See the list of necessary school supplies.

For more information about the UW-Madison Day at the State Fair, visit this page.

Do Nothing but Read Day (Aug 6)

Enough said! Tomorrow is "Do Nothing but Read Day"--the brainchild of two UW-Madison alumni. And, as far as this librarian is concerned, no coaxing is required to devote some time to reading interests. As per usual, I am engaged with several texts simultaneously and look forward to making my way through some Forna, Ondaatje and Patchett.

Consult with your librarians for reading recommendations and to locate available copies from campus and public libraries.

Call for Course Reserves, Fall 2011

To ensure that your reserve materials are available in time for the first day of class, we invite you to submit your course reserve materials by our deadline date: August 10, 2011.

For more information, visit the Steenbock Course Reserves page, phone 263-7574 or email. Requests can also be placed by completing the Reserves Request Form. Note other deadlines and availability information.

Year of the Wisconsin Idea

How has the University of Wisconsin touched your life? During the academic year 2011-2012, UW-Madison will celebrate the "Year of the Wisconsin Idea" and how the university, with this particular philosophy of collaboration, outreach and service, continues to enrich Wisconsin communities.

The seeds of the Wisconsin Idea were sown in 1904 when UW President Charles Van Hise declared that he would "never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every home in the state."

In its early days, this philosophy served to forge relationships with state government and to inform legislation, but would evolve to speak more fully to the university’s commitment to public service, translating research into action.

Visit the Wisconsin Idea Website for information about its history, projects, forthcoming events and opportunities to share your experience.

Save the date for the following events:

Aug 10, 2011--UW-Madison at the State Fair (and look for the Wisconsin Idea Story Booth!)
Sept 1, 2011--Chancellor’s Convocation
Sept 22, 2011--Morgridge Center for Public Service 15th anniversary
Sept 22-24, 2011--Science Festival, Humanities-Science-Art Interplay
Oct 15, 2011--100 Year Anniversary of the First UW Homecoming
Late Oct, 2011--Reexamination of the Wisconsin Idea in the 21st century: Engaged Scholarship
Nov 11, 2011--Wisconsin Idea Forum
Feb-Mar 2012--Founders Days
March 31, 2012--Science Expeditions
April 28-30, 2012--Alumni Weekend
April 22, 2012--Nelson Institute Earth Day Celebration

Library Resources for the New Grad

Congratulations graduates! Be sure to extend your access to our campus library system with a visit to the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Library Resources page. This page supplies information about publicly-accessible online collections and association membership benefits that include access to two sizeable, article databases. If you have been a RefWorks user, do note that you will also be able to take your account with you. See the Alumni Program details page for more information.

Information is also available from our libraries’ website about borrowing privileges for residents (Wisconsin) and non-residents and fee-based document delivery services.

If you remain in the state of Wisconsin, you will also be able to use Badgerlink, a project from the Wisconsin DPI, Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning that supports access to a collection of online resources. See the Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.

Wherever you go, get to know your local public and academic libraries where you will often be able to visit and to access many of their resources, in-house and online.