Library News

NuCast “Future of Reading” features Dean Wakeling

I just finished watching the latest NuCast installment–a live discussion on the Future of Reading, with our library dean, Will Wakeling,  and Professor of English and Vice-Provost Mary Loeffelholz, along with Eve Bridburg, a literary agent, (moderated by Tawna Rathe). It started out with a discussion of the Kindle, and then took up the question of whether it’s different to read books, write about and discuss books, edit, sell, and preserve books, when books are digital. (Not to give anything away, but the short answer is “Yes!”)  It’s less than an hour long, and if you missed it, for now anyway you can watch it here.

The Race Beat: Then and Now

This coming Wednesday, the Library is co-sponsoring a talk titled “The Race Beat: Then and Now” along with the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project (CRRJ), the Northeastern University Law School Forum, and the School of Journalism. With Gene Roberts, Hank Klibanoff authored The Race Beat, winning a Pulitzer for the work in 2007.  Klibanoff, former managing editor of the Atlanta Constitution and a distinguished journalist (with a successful stint at the Boston Globe), is currently managing editor of the Cold Case Truth and Justice Project.  As he describes it, “this multimedia, multi-partner project uses investigative reporting to dig out the truth behind unsolved racial murders that took place during the modern civil rights era in the South.  The project, led by the Center for Investigative Reporting, is using professional reporters, documentary filmmakers, multimedia experts, public interest advocacy groups and lawyers to fill in history’s huge gaps, to correct its myths and to bring exposure, reconciliation and, where possible, criminal prosecution.”  Klibanoff, a long-time resident of Atlanta, is working on a Corporation for Public Broadcasting-funded treatment for a four-part documentary series on unsolved civil rights murders. Joining Hank Klibanoff will be Judy Richardson, award-winning filmmaker (Eyes on the Prize, American Experience’s Malcolm X Make it Plain), educator, and lifelong social and civil rights activist.  Richardson was a staff member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) for three years in the early 1960s.  Richardson will show a clip from her newest documentary, Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968. Described as a “powerful antidote to historical amnesia,” the film has won wide acclaim. Margaret Burnham, Director of CRRJ, will moderate.

The Race Beat: Then and Now

Wednesday, October 7th, at 6 p.m.

Northeastern University School of Law

65 Forsyth Street; 230 Dockser Hall

Boston Gets Greener

As some of the readers may or may not know I am also an intern and writer at Blast Magazine. I penned (keyboarded?) an article for them last week that stated that Boston had been listed as one of America’s leading cities for protecting clean water and the public with green solutions by an organization called American Rivers. This is due to the purchase of various wetlands adjacent to the Charles, which helps prevent floods and water damage.

Currently, sections of a climate bill are being debated in Congress which would establish standards for dealing with natural disasters such as drought and waterborne disease. American Rivers’ report could lead to Boston becoming a national model in this area.

Northeastern University’s Libraries possess an expansive collection on works relating to environmetal sustainability. I reccommend anyone interested in this area check them out.

 

Electric vehicle charging stations

Electric Vehicle Charging Station This is a an addendum to the blog that I did on the Green Car Challenge. California has plans for the world’s first solar-powered, fast-charging, electric car charging corridor. Well done California, they seem to be moving ahead with renewable transportation, solar power and zero emissions. It seems that Solar City and Rabobank are going to be teaming up to create a carbon-free trip for those who own electric vehicles along Highway 101 from San Francisco to Los Angeles, (this is approximately 400 miles.) This means one can now commute long-distances, and use these EV (electric vehicle) charging stations like gas stations. SolarCity will build four Tesla fast-charging stations at Salinas, Atascadero, Santa Maria and Goleta. These four charging stations will provide a full charge in one-third the amount of time of other stations. The hope is that after focusing on cars produced at Telsa Motors, they plan to retrofit these to fit all electric vehicles, eventually making all the stations solar-powered. So with an eye to zero emissions, faster charging times, renewable transportation and wonderful scenery what more could one want?