Robert Cooksey and Dan Nanni’s Faculty Favorite: Homo Ludens

A new recommendation from some of the Game Art and Design faculty!

Homo Ludens by Johan Huizinga

“… A canon classic and one of the first texts to seriously question how play and fun are non-trivial parts of our lives.”  -Robert Cooksey

The faculty favorite series highlights faculty-recommended books, magazines, annuals, databases, DVDs, and more in the Ringling College Library.

Designated Smoking Areas

You may have heard that Ringling College has a new Smoking Policy on campus.

Effective immediately, smoking is permitted only in designated areas marked with an “X” on the campus map:

1. Wooden patio/bench area behind the Ulla Searing Student Center
2. Picnic table on the east side of Bayou Village near Whitaker Bayou
3. Picnic table behind the Bayou Studios complex, directly in back of the Trustees Studio, along the Whitaker Bayou
4. Bench seating between the Roy and Susan Palmer Quadrangle and the Arland and Sally Christ-Janer Center near the recycling station

Image: 'Don´t Smoke' courtesy of herzeleyd

Did you know that the library has an electronic book called The Tobacco Atlas?  This 66-page color publication is full of research that supports the college’s new policy.  For example, did you know that:

A complex mixture of chemicals is generated from the burning and smoking of tobacco. As a passive smoker, the non-smoker breathes “sidestream” smoke from the burning tip of the cigarette and “mainstream” smoke that has been inhaled and then exhaled by the smoker. The risk of lung cancer in nonsmokers exposed to passive smoking is increased by between 20 and 30 percent, and the excess risk of heart disease is 23 percent.

Mackay, Dr Judith. The Tobacco Atlas.Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 2002. p 8.

http://puddles.ringling.edu:2053/lib/rsad/Doc?id=10021038&ppg=19

New Book: Manga: The Complete Guide

New Book
Review

PN6790.J3 T56 2007

Diving right into the manga sensation can be overwhelming.  Where to start?  What to read?  Thankfully, Jason Thompson has chronicled all of the best and most famous manga out there in Manga: The Complete Guide.

The book starts with some basic information about the rise of anime and manga in Japan, starting with the “Father of Manga” Osamu Tezuka and the various genres and audiences that Japanese publishers aim for.

Following that is a large listing of manga titles arranged alphabetically, complete with plot summaries and ratings.  Every few pages there are boxes containing cultural information about manga, anime, and Japan.  These boxes of info will help the newbie obtain a more solid understanding of the manga he or she would like to read.

However, Manga: The Complete Guide is not just for those trying to get into the anime craziness.  It provides an entertaining read for the gurus who can appreciate the reviews and are looking for new series to dive into.

Make sure you read Manga: The Complete Guide before visiting your local bookstore!

Lindsey Batdorf, 02/2009

New Book: Past in Present

	Past in Present: Interior Splendor

Past in Present: Interior Splendor

NK 2110 .V36 2007

Do you love elegant interior design that brings old traditions to contemporary design purposes and dazzles your senses at that magical intersection? If so, you have no business ignoring this book.  Upon opening the front cover, you will experience the fantastic interiors fashioned by interior design firm Decoration Empire.  What ensues is an international tour of homes designed by this company.

Rich color, bold combinations of furniture and art from different times and places, and a strong sense of history enriching a modern space are some of the characteristics of each unique interior. If you are interested in how Decoration Empire actually pulls off these extraordinary amalgamations, there are plenty of insights interspersed with the gigantic full-color prints. Information here ranges from broad statements like “Interiors should not look ‘decorated’, but rather, ‘eclectically collected’” to descriptions of the clients’ requests and designers’ processes of coming to the final spectacular results. There are also occasional historical segments, like a two page spread describing the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, which illuminate the modern designs later presented.

- Brett Wharton, 1/2009

Library Insider: Periodicals/Annuals

One of the most unique and dynamic aspects of the library is its extensive periodicals and annuals collection. With over 336 current subscriptions to various magazines from around the world, you’re bound to find the information you are looking for. Not only are magazines located physically in the library; there are also certain subscriptions available for viewing online, such as Umbrella and Game Studies. Other online resources include the find articles section of the library website where you can find articles from prominent magazines on any subject from pop culture to architecture.

Another resource the library offers is an archive that contains many older issues from subscribed periodicals. These archives, known as the bound periodicals, consist of nicely bound, hardcover books containing issues of magazines in alphabetic

Periodicals

al order. It’s located in the back left of the library, behind the DVDs and to the left of the NX through PN section. Certain periodicals the library possesses can only be found in this section. Another way to search through past issues of magazines or journals is to check out the online databases Proquest, Academic Search Complete or Art Full Text. These databases are especially useful if you’re looking for sources for research papers or scholarly articles.

Regardless of whether you’re looking at magazines for work or play; come to the library, relax in one of the super-soft armchairs and catch up on your favorite subject.

Dale’s Quote of the Week

Dale, Circulation Desk Librarian

Dale’s Quote of the Week:

Karma may not be instant, but it is inexorable.

Library Insider: Artist’s Books

Beautiful, mysterious and oftentimes expensive, the artist book is very easily identified but not easily defined. According to the State Library of Queensland, an artist’s book is “An artwork in a book format, or an artwork which has its origins in the form or concept of the book.” Whereas the Livres D’Artistes/Livres-Objets states that artists books are “’Containers’ of written elements or visual imagery, of heterogeneous materials, of photographs and signs, providing a dynamic setting for the interplay between words and images, material and two dimensional space…” With such varied and ambiguous definitions it is easy to imagine the possibilities present in this art form.Formal definitions aside, typical artists books are limited edition handmade/altered books with roots stemming from the 1970s conceptual art movement. They vary in size and shape ranging from expansive, foldout 3-D pieces to smaller, more traditional 2-D bound pieces. Each book’s content also varied, and due to the nature of these individualized works, are oftentimes very personal to the artist.

Where can such books be found? Well, with a constantly growing collection of over 270 artist’s books, the Kimbrough Library is a great place to start. Artist’s books can be viewed by appointment Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm. Contact Sarah Carter for an appointment.

For more artist’s books, check out Artist’s Books Online and Artist’s Books at the State Library of Queensland where you can view images of books online. Other great resources include Artist Books 3.0, a community dedicated to the discussion of artist’s books and Vamp & Tramp, where you can purchase artists books.

Regardless of your interests or major, artist’s books can be fascinating and inspiring and I strongly recommend experiencing them while they are so close at hand.

Bon Bon Mots : A Fine Assortment of Books by Julie Chen

Images of books above used with permission. Books are available for viewing by appointment in the Kimbrough Library.

Pirates of Old-Time Radio

Kimbrough Library’s Circulation Manager, Tim DeForest, has just published an article titled “The Pirates of Old-Time Radio” on the Old Time Radio Show Catalog.  Read it here.

Dale’s Quote of the Week

Dale, Circulation Desk Librarian

Dale’s Quote of the Week:

Q: What’s the capital of Iceland?

A: About 25 dollars.