Keep Your Eyes Peeled! Photography Filled Books

Our new book display focuses on books within our collection that are filled with photos.  Often referred to as "coffee table" books these large format selections offer a chance to be transported, while delving into their subjects, and feasting your eyes on spectacular photography.

Here are descriptions of three books featured in the display:

Ice: Portraits of Vanishing Glaciers by James Balog and the Extreme Ice Survey Team (2012)

"A never-before-seen look into the forbidding environment of glaciers, this book celebrates a realm of magnificent endangered beauty. Since 2005, renowned nature photographer James Balog has devoted himself to capturing glaciers and documenting their daily changes. These stunning images are a celebration of some of the most extraordinary natural formations on earth, as well as a dramatic and timely demonstration of the stark consequences resulting from global warming—from Alaska to Iceland to the Alps." (excerpted from the book's description)

Distant Shores: Photographs from Lake Superior and Lake Michigan by Richard Olsenius (1990)

"Richard Olsenius is a 20-year veteran of newspaper and magazine photography and filmmaking.  He has won numerous awards including the prestigious World Press Photo award.  In 1987, Olsenius spent eight months on assignment for National Geographic Magazine covering the Great Lakes.  Distant Shores is an outgrowth of that assignment..."  (excerpted from the books "About the Authors" page)

Water Light Time by David Doubilet (1999)

"Beneath the world's waters lie landscapes, species, vegetation and populations as diverse and splendid as those on land, yet these kingdoms have been explored by few. is an extraordinary look at the work of David Doubilet, an artist and diver who pioneered the medium of deep-sea reportage to become widely acclaimed as the world's leading underwater photographer...From the waters of the Galapagos to the Red Sea, from the Pacific shores to the fresh waters of North America, "Water Light Time" includes over 25 years of Doubilet's work, and reveals the mesmerising beauty of more than 30 bodies of water." (excerpted from the book's dust cover)

If you are a Wisconsin resident and would like to check out this or any other book, please fill out our book request form. If you are a UW student, faculty or staff, please request books through the Library Catalog.

Summer time and it's time to read!

The graphic a right is the start of a very fun planning flowchart on how to choose your summer reading list. Click on the image to see its (impressive) full size but be warned! It might take you half the month of July to go through all the steps!

The Water Library also has some other ideas for you to try, including some great water-related titles:

• Try reading some water-related (and Great Lakes) fiction. Our recommended reading list shows just some of the great finds.
  
  
• Follow #UWSummerReads on Twitter.Librarians from across UW Madison campus will be tweeting some great suggestions.
  
  
• Madison Public Library has a great list of lists for hot summer reading.
  
  
• Do you have children in the house, bored and looking for something to do? The Water Library has recommended reading list for Beach combing, Water exploration, and much more.
  

Whatever it takes, pick up a book and head to the water!
Happy reading!!

Sarah's last day

Today we say goodbye to our blogger (and so much more) over the last 9 months, Sarah Leeman. Sarah has graduated from the UW Madison, School of Library and Information Studies and is moving on to a job at Argonne National Labs near Chicago. In her honor, here are some of Sarah's great posts:

• Careers in Water
• Take Your Water To Go
• Hug a Plumber Day!
• The Gift of Water
• Holecene vs. Anthropocene
• Historic Photographs of the Wisconsin Dells

We wish Sarah the best in her bright future. She will be missed!

photo credit:  Aquatic Sciences Center, John Karl

Drinking Water Research Challenges

What does it mean to have safe drinking water? What does water conservation really entail? According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, there are three main research challenges to consider when studying drinking water. Wisconsin's Water Library holds many resources on these topics. Click the links within this post to find library reading lists and take on some research of your own!

The first challenge is to protect the source of water- either groundwater or surface water- especially as water is becoming a scarce resource in many locations. The second is to harness the flow of water- developing technologies that control runoff. The third is to treat and deliver safe water.

Scientists and researchers have been studying to meet these three challenges for nearly a century. For more information, visit "From Source to Tap" at the US EPA website.

Recent Acquisitions in the Water Library

Wisconsin's Water Library invites you to browse our list of new books introduced into the library during March and April 2011. The library is very appreciative of a grant from the Friends of UW Madison Libraries to purchase several titles included here. Also fresh, with titles purchased during winter and spring, is our new books for kids list!

Are you interested in mapping and GIS trends? We’ve recently created a recommended reading list on Mapping. For scholars, we’ve updated content on our Water Research Guide. If you aren’t affiliated with UW, use the ‘Resources for Guests’ tab for helpful hints on water research.

And don't forget to follow us on Twitter = @WiscWaterLib and please "like" our Facebook page = UW Wisconsin’s Water Library

Happy reading!

Library Instruction at the Water Library

This week individualized instruction sessions began to take place for Aquatic Sciences Center staff members interested in learning more about the UW-Madison library catalog MadCat and library resources in general.

A prepared handout (right) features instructions on how to find books, journals, known and unknown articles. Feedback has been very positive so far and staff seem excited when they hear about library services they were of which they were previously unaware. Spring is here in Library Land!

National Library Week Photo Contest

In honor of National Library Week last week, Wisconsin's Water Library hosted an all-staff photo contest. Submissions from various staff members were received and everyone was invited to a chocolate themed potluck in the library to vote on their favorite photos. Graduate student Robbie Greene's photo (right) took first place.
Greene also brought a water-themed chocolate treat (left) featuring gummy sea creatures for potluck goers. Participants enjoyed homemade brownies in addition to varieties of chocolate and cookies. We plan to make this an annual event.

Photo credits: Canoe by Robbie Green & Chocolate by Amy De Simone

Wisconsin's Water Library: Story Hour

Wisconsin's Water Library has been successful in our outreach programming to youth around the area. In addition to our Frog story hour, with real live frogs (pictured right), the library has also been working on other themes including early literacy with ABC's and counting, fish and waterfowl. During the story-times we read a few books to the children, sing a song or play Simon Says, and usually finish up with the ever popular craft.

Previously programming has included venues such as Monona, Baraboo, Black Earth, Mount Horeb, Cambridge, and Cross Plains Public Libraries, as well as work with the Ho-Chunk Nation and Head Start Program. The Water Library is excited to announce that in the upcoming months, a new series of story hours will be taking place. We look forward to seeing some familiar faces as well as getting to meet a few new ones. The public is welcome to attend any of the public library programs.

Upcoming Events:

January 27 - Ho-Chunk Nation Head Start

March 1 - Monona Public Library

March 17 - Cambridge Community Library

April 4 - Allied Drive Learning Center

May 3 - Waunakee Public Library

More story hours will likely be added in the coming months. Watch our Facebook page for updates. To see more photos from past story hours, visit our Flickr page. For ideas and outlines of some of our past story-times, visit our website.

Photo credits: top right by Amy De Simone, middle by Anne Horjus, bottom right by Carolyn Betz.

29th Annual Banned Books Week

Banned Books Week has officially arrived. Kick-0ff events took place on September 25th and celebration will continue through October 2nd. Over 200 participants attended Chicago's kick-off event in the city’s historic Bughouse Square. Recognizing Banned Books Week is a way to celebrate the freedom to read. This began in 1982 because of a sudden increase in the number of challenged books. ALA defines a challenge as "an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group."

Ideas for and information about Banned Books Week can be seen here, and a listing of events by state is also available.

Photo of the Lakeview Branch Banned Books Week display courtesy of Madison Public Library.

New Climate Change Resources in the Library

Recently, Wisconsin's Water Library updated our website to include information on, and access to a variety of climate change materials. We have created several climate change recommended reading lists for adults, which are broken down by category. These include Economies and Society, Policy, Great Lakes and Water.

We have also added a climate change recommended reading list for children, as well as a list of websites that were designed specifically for kids. For teachers and educators, we have added a curriculum ideas page which will provide some good starting points for those wishing to incorporate climate change into their lesson plans.

Book cover of Climate change begins at home: Life on the two-way street of global warming by David Reay.

New books about water for children

The Water Library has a new list of books for children and their adults!

This spring and summer, we have added books on a wide range of topics relating to water - climate change, ponds, frogs, science writing and more.

Check it out!

The library is continually adding to its collection so we encourage you to check back often to our Kids Library website.

Recent acquisitions in the Water Library

Wisconsin's Water Library invites you to browse our list of new books introduced into the library during May and June 2010. The library is very appreciative of the grant from the Friends of UW Madison Libraries to purchase several climate change titles included here.

Library staff enjoyed offering Frog Story Hour at Black Earth and Cambridge Public Libraries, and is looking forward to offering this program at Cross Plains, Monona and Mount Horeb Public Libraries in the upcoming weeks. For more information about our children’s services, check out our blog.

Recently, there was an amazing discovery of a Lake Michigan shipwreck. You can read more about the L.R. Doty that was discovered and other shipwrecks on our blog here, and if you’re interested in further reading, check out our Recommended Reading List on shipwrecks!

Happy reading!

Make a Splash! Read!

School is getting out very soon all across Wisconsin and the Water Library encourages everyone to Make a Splash! Read! This is the title of the 2010 public library summer reading program. Kids everywhere will be jumping into exciting books on water.

To help public librarians, we've developed story time ideas for two of of our favorite water-related subjects: frogs and fishing. Read, learn, create, and listen. The story times include book suggestions, crafts, and songs.

We also compiled a list of some the best children's books about frogs and fishing. And don't forget, most books can be checked out directly from the Water Library!

Visit the Water Library for Kids to learn more...

Storytime ideas
All about frogs reading list
All fish and fishing reading list

Recent Acquisitions in the Water Library

Wisconsin's Water Library invites you to check out our list of new books cataloged into the library in March and April 2010. The library is very appreciative of the grant from the Friends of UW Madison Libraries to purchase the climate change titles included here.

Library staff were thrilled to see and hear a phenomenal sight recently at Stricker’s Pond near Middleton. On a recent weekend, the sound of American Toads filled the air and the pond was overflowing with the little critters. To learn more about toads, visit Wisconsin Sea Grant’s information page. And if you want to learn more about frogs and toads, the library offers this recommended reading list.

And as we mentioned last month, if your travel plans include the Great Lakes, visit the Great Lakes Circle Tour Web site. Or read one of the great guides from the library.

Happy reading!

Anne Moser

AquaLog is going on vacation for a week

Water Library staff will be out of the office next week during UW Madison's spring break. We ask that you take the time to email the library with your water-related ideas for future blog posts. You can send a message to askwater at aqua.wisc.edu

Your thoughts and suggestions are very welcome. All ideas will be considered.

We leave you with this image of the day. This juvenile owl has been hanging around the Water Library all week. We've all enjoyed watching and wondering about this wonderful bird. The photo was taken by UW photographer Jeff Miller.

Enjoy!

New books on water for kids (and adults alike)

The Water Library has a new list of books for children and their adults!

This winter and early spring, we have added titles on climate change, Lake Superior, rain, and shipwrecks.

Check it out!

The library is continually adding to its collection so we encourage you to check back often to our Kids Library Web site.

Book of the day: A Deadly Voyage

Today's read is called, Deadly voyage : the S.S. Daniel J. Morrell tragedy.

From the publisher:

This is the harrowing story of one of the worst shipwrecks in Great Lakes history. In the early morning hours of November 29, 1966, the S.S. Daniel J. Morrell was caught in a deadly storm on Lake Huron. Waves higher than the ship crested over it, and winds exceeding sixty miles per hour whipped at its hull, splitting the 603-foot freighter into two giant pieces. Amazingly, after the bow went down, the stern blindly powered itself through the stormy seas for another five miles! Twenty-eight men drowned in the icy waters of Lake Huron, but one sailor — 26-year-old Dennis Hale — miraculously survived the treacherous storm. Wearing only boxer shorts, a lifejacket, and a pea coat, Hale clung to a life raft in near-freezing temperatures for 38 hours until he was rescued late in the afternoon of the following day. Three of his fellow crewmates died in his raft.

In Deadly Voyage, Andrew Kantar recounts this tale of tragedy and triumph on Lake Huron. Informed by meticulous research and the eyewitness details provided by Hale, and illustrated with photographs from the Coast Guard search and rescue operation, Kantar depicts one of the most tragic shipwrecks in Great Lakes history.

This engaging tale is available for checkout from Wisconsin's Water Library. Just askwater at aqua.wisc.edu for assistance.

Recent acquisitions in the Water Library

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush." - Doug Larson

March feels like the longest month of the year when you live in Wisconsin. The days get longer but there is still a foot of snow on the ground in Madison. The vernal equinox happens but that just means the days are only as long as the night. Dreams of green grass and daffodils are just dreams. Happily it is a good month to read and maybe plan your gardening or some summer travel.

Wisconsin's Water Library invites you to check out our new acquisitions list of books cataloged into our library in January and February 2010. The library has been heavily acquiring materials on climate change but there are also new titles on shipwrecks, writing science, and titles on the care and feeding of frogs.

Wish you had a green thumb? How about making that thumb even greener with a few tips and helpful guides to garden in an environmentally safe way? If you prefer to read books about green gardening or environmentally-friendly lawn care, be sure to see our recommended reading list - it's chock full of great readings.

And if you are beginning to make summer plans, be sure to consider our Great Lakes. There is so much to do and see.

Happy reading!

Some new books in the Water Library

Climate change : the science, impacts and solutions. London : Earthscan, 2009.
The author examines the latest analyses of climate change, such as new and alarming observations regarding Arctic sea ice, the recently published IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, and the policies of the new Australian Government and how they affect the implementation of climate change initiatives. 2nd ed.

Hormones and pharmaceuticals generated by concentrated animal feeding operations : transport in water and soil. New York : Springer Verlag, 2009
This book examines how hormones, antibiotics and pharmaceuticals generated from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) of cattle, poultry, swine and aquaculture are transported in water and soil. Edited by Laurence S. Shore and Amy Pruden.

Fractals and multifractals in ecology and aquatic science. Boca Raton : CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, 2010.
This book provides scientists with a basic understanding of fractals and multifractals and the techniques that utilize them in analyzing ecological phenomenon. These techniques are especially valuable for analyzing spatial data sets and physical-biological couplings at different spatial and/or temporal scales.

Sea soup : phytoplankton. Gardiner, Me. : Tilbury House, 1999.
Sea Soup introduces children to the world of phytoplankton, plants so tiny that a million can fit in a teaspoon of sea water and so numerous that they produce half the world's oxygen. Each section of the book answers a question, such as "Are they plants or are they animals?" "How did tiny phytoplankton help build the largest structures on earth?" and "How do we know so much about things most of us have never seen?" For grades 5-8.

Dane waters: a reflection of us all [videorecording]. Worthwhile Films, 2007.
A look at how storm water from urban areas negatively impacts lakes, rivers and streams in Wisconsin in the Madison area and provides information on what each of us can do to prevent pollution from reaching these water resources.From the Madison Area Municipal Storm Water Partnership. 26 minutes. DVD format.

The care and feeding of your frog

Wisconsin's Water Library receives many questions form children and adults alike on how to care for a frog. We love to help our patrons with those questions. On that note, library staff would also like to offer a few titles you might consider buying if you are thinking of getting a frog for a pet:

Reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates : an identification and care guide Hauppauge, NY : Barron’s: 2001. Hobbyists will appreciate this pictorial identification guide and basic husbandry manual covering more than 250 species, subspecies, and color morphs of reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. All animals shown in this volume can be purchased at pet stores and other outlets. The authors advise on the do s and don ts of purchasing, proper caging, and correct feeding.

Frogs, toads, and treefrogs : everything about selection, care, nutrition, breeding, and behavior Hauppauge, NY : Barron’s: 2007. Terrarium keepers will find advice from two of the country’s leading experts on amphibians, their housing, care, and breeding in this helpful title. This book is a title in Barron’s extensive line of Complete Pet Owner’s Manuals . Heavily illustrated with color photos and instructive line art, these books present information on housing, feeding, health care, the title animal’s traits—and where applicable, on grooming, training, and breeding.

Frogs and toads / By Steve Grenard. Hoboken, N.J. : Howell Book House: 2008. The authoritative information and advice you need to have frogs and toads as pets. Include easy-to-care for breeds and intriguing, exotic varieties. 2nd edition.

These books and more are all available for checkout from the library. Please send an email to askwater at aqua.wisc.edu