Texas Films Added to National Film Registry

Each year the Library of Congress adds 25 films of cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to the National Film Registry. This year there are two films by Texas filmmakers. Melton Barker's "The Kidnappers Foil" is an interesting addition in that it is what is know as an itinerant film. These were films produced from the late 1930s to the 1970s using local talent in small towns across the United States and around the world. The film maker would charge a small amount  to shoot a"town booster" film or one featuring local talent and local landmarks. "The Kidnappers Foil" was filmed hundreds of times by Melton Barker using the same script. The plot line was fairly simple, Betty gets kidnapped from her birthday party and the local kids come to her rescue. At the end their was a big party to celebrate where the local children could showcase their talent. While there were hundreds of these films produced only a few remain today. The Texas Archive of The Moving Image has ten of these films that you can view online. The Texas Archive of the Moving Image has also created a website about Melton Barker and his films.

The second Texas film added to the National Film Registry is Richard Linklater's "Slacker". Linklater filmed "Slacker" for $23,000 on 16mm film in Austin Texas. Rather than a having a plot the film is a series of vignettes that are connected. The film takes place in a single day with a cast of colorful Austin characters as they discuss Scooby Doo, UFOs, Leon Czolgosz, the JFK assassination, and other topics. The film came to influence a whole generation of independent film makers and was picked up by a major distributor and made more than $1 million at the box office. 

Other films added include Dirty Harry, Breakfast at Tiffany's, A Christmas Story, A League of Their Own, One Survivor Remembers, 3:10 to Yuma, and Two-lane Blacktop. 
The entire list of films added to the National Film Registry can be found at:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2012/12-226.html

Pick a Book, Any Book!

The Blind Assassin
By Margaret Atwood

Thunderstruck
By Erik Larson

You may be wondering what to do with all of that "extra" time you'll have during the Christmas break. I say READ A BOOK! The Library Staff has collaborated to bring you a list of suggestions. You can find these books on "display" on the main level near the new books! Check them out and then CHECK THEM OUT! If you can't find something you like, you can search Discovery @ Tarleton to find that little bit of literature to keep your mind healthy over the holidays!

Check out some audiobooks for your holiday travels

Yea! Finals are over. It's time to enjoy your holiday. Yea!

Many of us will spend some time on the road during this semester break -- taking vacation trips, visiting relatives, enjoying road trips with friends and family, finding excuses to explore roads not taken, etc. 
 
What a great opportunity to take along some of the library's audio books; we have quite a diverse selection. 

To look for titles that might suit you,

• Click the library catalog link on the library's homepage.
• Click "Advanced Search Options" under the basic search box.
• Choose Audiobook from the "Type" menu.
• Click "Search" to see a list of all the library's audiobooks (over 600 of them).
• You can also put in search terms to locate
  -- book types (i.e. mystery, detective, biography, fantasy, etc.),
  -- authors' works (i.e. James Patterson, Tom Clancy, Rebecca Makkai, Kamala Nair, etc.), and
  -- books on subjects of interest (i.e. history, friendship, music, etc.).

Once you've located some audiobooks you're interested in,
jot down their call numbers so you can easily find them in the library's audiovisual collection on our lower level.  Then you can check them out with your Tarleton ID, pop 'em into your CD player, and enjoy listening to great stories. 

The library is open Dec. 17-21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

So there's still plenty of time for you to pick up some audiobooks to listen to as you travel down those long, winding highways during the semester break.

We wish you a great holiday and a splendid 2013!

Tarleton Thursdays: Did You Know?

“Lucky 13”

On Friday December 7, 1962, the Wainwright Ball was held in the Tarleton State College dining hall from 8-12 pm.  Because of the day and time of the event, the residents of the women’s dorm were given permission to stay out until 12:30 a.m.

The theme for the formal dance was “Lucky 13” in honor of the 13th anniversary of the organization of the Tarleton rifle team.  The birthday theme was carried out in the decorations.  Blue parachutes were lowered from the ceiling ,  a fresh cedar tree was used, and fresh cedar and white candles adorned the tables.  Revolving colored lights were placed at the entrance and around the dance floor.

A few highlights of the evening included the naming of Mackie Wright as Wainwright Sweetheart,  cutting the huge "Lucky 13" birthday cake, and dancing to the dreamy music of Tarleton’s Tophatters dance band combo.  Mr. Jim Woodie, choir director, played a medley  of classical and popular songs on the piano during intermission.

Prior to 1949 the Tarleton precision drill team was known as “Crack Company” and was a long established tradition on campus.  As one of the finest drill teams in Texas, the Wainwright Rifles participated in inaugural parades both in Washington, D.C. and Texas, Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau in San Antonio.  The drill team was named for General Jonathan Wainwright, World War II hero of Bataan and Corregidor.

Have a wonderful and safe Christmas break!

Grassburr, 1963

JTAC, December 4, 1962, December 11, 1962.

Finals week and social media

Finals week is incredibly stressful. Many students take the opportunity to diffuse emotional stress by posting on social media sites like Tumblr, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  If you are a student and/or follow students, you are likely to see posts and pictures about finals, sleep (the lack of), and food. As of right now, the Twitter hash tag #finalsweek is being updated every few seconds. 



As you're tweeting and blogging to blow off steam, keep in mind that other students aren't the only ones who use social media...professors, staff, and parents do as well.  If your Twitter profile has your name and/or real picture, watch what you tweet and/or consider setting your account to private.

If you'd like to learn more about social media and tools like Twitter, browse the library catalog or our Discovery Search Tool by searching words such as social media, Facebook, and Twitter.Besides this blog, you can keep up with the library (and give us feedback) via other social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr,  Pinterest and Foursquare.  You may want to drop by next semester as we sponsor several Lessons @ Lunch sessions on social media presented by the Texas Social Media Research Institute.

A screenshot of the library's catalog records of books about Twitter.

Top Ten Tuesday - Study food

Walking through the library yesterday afternoon, I saw all kinds of meals being consumed - sandwiches, tacos, chicken, pizza, nuggets, burgers, and LOTS of coffee and power drinks.  That got me to thinking about the best type of food to help you study.  According to this post on the Campus Talk Blog: the Top 10 Brain Foods that Help You Study and Get Better Grades are listed below.

• Fish
• Nuts
• Grains
• Apples
• Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)
• Dark Chocolate - YEAH
• Spinach
• Colorful Berries or Grapes
• Beans (legumes)
• Onions

What is your favorite type of study food? The library encourages you to make yourself at home while you study, but please follow our food and drink policy (no eating around computers or in the Special Collections area).  Post a comment and share your best study foods.  Good luck with finals!!!  Oh  BTW - I have some nuts I will share if you need a snack - Library Room 250 - while supplies last.

Stunning Photos of Snowflakes

I found this on Gizmodo recently, and I thought it would be of interest to some out there who absolutely love photos. It's a post about stunning photos that people have taken of real snowflakes, and I've got to say, they're pretty amazing. Some of them just don't look real. If you'd like to see them, and I suggest that you do, they are linked on Gizmodo under "You'll never believe these stunning photos are real." To learn more about photography and how to take professional pictures on your own, try searching Discovery@Tarleton and see what you can find.

Arts and Crafts Showcase

Need to do some last minute Christmas shopping?

The 19th Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Showcase will be Friday, December 7th starting at 9:00 a.m. till 6:00 p.m. It will be held at the Barry B. Thompson Student Center Ballrooms. Lots of items to choose from. A home made craft is always a special gift. Proceeds from the sale of vendor booths supports the university's Staff Council empolyee scholarshipand grant program. Check it out, you may find a gift that you won't find in a department store.

http://www.tarleton.edu/scripts/calendar/getEventInfo.asp?E=11091&T=20121207

Come Take a Look at Our New Display!

 





If these images intrigue you, stop by the library and see the whole thing - we've got a brand-new Coca-Cola themed holiday display. It's located right across from the Suave Cafe, so you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack at the same time.

So long Larry Hagman: A Real North Texas Gentleman

The recent news of Larry Hagman’s death made me pause to remember my associations with the infamous J.R. Ewing and Hagman’s mother, Mary Martin.  According to the database, Credo Reference, Mary Martin, was a Weatherford native. She married a local Fort Worth lawyer, Benjamin Hageman and gave birth in Fort Worth to a son, Larry, in 1931. Martin and son soon went to live with the maternal grandmother in Weatherford freeing up Martin's time so that she could work on theater.  I remember Martin as a lithe, short-haired pixie in green tights playing her most famous role as Peter in Peter Pan. 

 Larry, who changed his name from Hageman to Hagman, was most well-known for his two television series roles:  Major Tony Nelson in I Dream of Jeannie

 and his role as the notorious oil-baron, J.R. Ewing of Dallas.  According to the database, Literature Resource Center, my search of “Hagman, Larry” revealed that Hagman penned a book in 1980 entitled Hello Darlin’: Tall (And Absolutely True) Tales About My Life.  This book is available at numerous libraries in Texas. Tarleton students, staff and faculty may obtain it via a TexShare card or Interlibrary Loan.

  I lived outside of the state of Texas at the height of the Dallas series, and while I wasn’t dying to know "who shot J.R.", I was always interested in watching the opening of show which panned over the skyline of the city of Dallas and showed glimpses of Texas ranchland.  My heart felt a little closer to home seeing familiar sights and hearing Texas accents flowing out of the mouths of characters such as J.R. Ewing and Sue Ellen. 

According to a friend of mine who lives in Weatherford, she and her mother (who is from Weatherford) actually ran into Hagman while out and about in town. She asked him for his autograph. He declined saying that he did not have any photos with him and would not sign a piece of paper.  He did promise to send her an autographed photo if she would give him her address which she did, although she thought that she would never see the promised photo. True to his word, an 8x10 autographed photo showed up in her mailbox a week later! 

            For those of you who would like to read more about this real-life Texas gentleman, a search using the database tool, Discovery, listed more than 1,050 full-text online articles.