Luria Library

In the library now is a small display of books, articles, and fact sheets regarding RED HAND DAY - an international effort to raise global awareness of the plight of child soldiers through public protests, demonstrations and other activities. The Red Hand symbol, has been used all over the world by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and many civil society organizations to say no to the recruitment and use of child soldiers.

Here are some facts, from the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers:
-- The problem is most critical in Africa, where children as young as nine have been involved in armed conflicts. Children are also used as soldiers in various Asian countries and in parts of Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.
--The majority of the world's child soldiers are involved in a variety of armed political groups. These include government-backed paramilitary groups, militias and self-defence units operating in many conflict zones.
--Most child soldiers are aged between 14 and 18, While many enlist "voluntarily" research shows that such adolescents see few alternatives to involvement in armed conflict. Some enlist as a means of survival in war-torn regions after family, social and economic structures collapse or after seeing family members tortured or killed by government forces or armed groups. Others join up because of poverty and lack of work or educational opportunities. Many girls have reported enlisting to escape domestic servitude, violence and sexual abuse.
-- Forcible abductions, sometimes of large numbers of children, continue to occur in some countries. Children as young as nine have been abducted and used in combat.

Find out more, in the library through February 12th.

February is designated as Black History Month and the history of Black History Month is worthy of study. It started as an idea for a week of public awareness, in 1915 with the foundation by Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Rev. Jesse E. Moorland of the "Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH). Their goal was to research and bring awareness to the largely ignored, yet crucial role black people played in American and world history." Since then, resources on Black History can be found more easily and the library has a display of materials now with a small sample of books from our collection. A wealth of links to timelines, biographies, news, images, videos, spoken word and many other excellent resources can be found at sites such as biography.com.

The Garner Tullis Print Collection is comprised of thirty-three works on paper donated to Santa Barbara City College in 1990 by artist and printmaker Garner Tullis. He operated the Garner Tullis Workshop here in Santa Barbara that was internationally known for its preeminence in working with artists to make monotypes, a one of a kind print. These prints are typically found in the Luria Library and, from February 27– March 27, 2009, selected pieces will be part of Gifted at the Atkinson Gallery.

The SBCC Luria Library staff has just learned, and is proud to announce, that the Association of College and Research Libraries of the American Library Association has selected Kenley Neufeld, library director at Santa Barbara City College, as the 2009 winner of the Community and Junior College Libraries Section EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award. The award honors significant achievement in advocacy of learning resources, as well as leadership in professional organizations that support the missions of community, junior and technical colleges.