Central University Libraries New, Events and Exhibits

Sustainability Film Festival

Co-Sponsored by Fondren Library Media Collection & The SMU Sustainability Committee and The Friends of the SMU Libraries.

Two days: Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th.  Attendance is free!

Thursday, April 4th at 7:00 pm – Living with the Trinity

Robert will introduce and discuss his film, Living With the Trinity.

The story of the Trinity River is both fascinating and timely.  As water resource management becomes increasingly important, it is clear that what happens on the Trinity River and the four main branches of its headwaters affects the quality of life of millions of people, including the residents of North Texas, Houston and the heartland in between.  In the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the Trinity River is currently at the center of ambitious development plans that civic leaders have called the most important public project in the region’s history.

The intent of Living with the Trinity is to make the Trinity River visible again, to restore the river to its rightful place in the consciousness of those who depend upon it.  In doing so, we seek to connect a knowledge of our historical relationship to the Trinity to the way we live our lives today.  It is our hope that this knowledge will enable all of us to make better choices regarding our future relationship to the river and to the environment through which it flows.

Friday, April 5th at 7:00 pm – YERT: Your Environmental Road Trip

YERT (Your Environmental Road Trip) is a year-long eco-expedition through all 50 United States. With video camera in hand and tongue in cheek, we explore the landscape of America’s unique approach to environmental sustainability. We believe that Americans want to do the right thing – they just don’t want to look strange doing it, and they don’t have the time or the means to explore all the options. That’s where the YERT team comes in. Follow our adventures in over 60 short films as we shamelessly bathe ourselves in the best (and weirdest) of America’s ecological progress with a mix of outrageous antics, provocative examples, and thoughtful reporting.

Jailbreaking Information: the Legacy of Hacktivist Aaron Swartz

Thursday, March 7th at Fondren Library Center, 6:30 pm

Aaron Swartz: Radical, programmer, pundit or thief?
Image by Sage Ross. CC-BY-SA 2.0

Radical, programmer, pundit or thief?

“We need to take the information, wherever it is stored, make our copies and share them with the world. We need to download scientific journals and upload them to file sharing networks. We need to fight for Guerilla Open Access.”

- Aaron Swartz, July 2008

Five years after posting “Guerilla Open Access Manifesto” on archive.org, Aaron Swartz, facing federal prosecution and the threat of decades of prison time, took his life. The crime? Downloading nearly 5 million articles from the database JSTOR after hacking MIT’s computer network.  Swartz was more than a radical or an accused thief. A fellow at Harvard University’s Safra Center for Ethics and gifted computer programmer, he was a well-known and well-liked figure in the open access movement.

SMU Central University Libraries hosts a panel discussion of Swartz’s legacy, and how his actions could impact millions of students, teachers, researchers and publishers around the globe.

Moderator

• Dr. Nathan R. Huntoon, Director Innovation Gymnasium, Lyle School of Engineering

Panelists

• Mary Hollerich, Assistant Dean for Scholarly Resources and Research Services, Central University Libraries
• Dr. Tyler Moore, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, Lyle School of Engineering
• George Finney, Director of Digital Interests/Information Security Officer, Office of Information Technology
• Dr. David Sedman, Director of Technology & Associate Professor of Cinema-TV, Meadows School of the Arts

Event Information

Date: Thursday, March 7
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Fondren Library Center, SIC Mezzanine

View campus maps and parking information.

Topic: Linda Darnell: From Dallas to Hollywood; Selections from the Jeff Gordon Collection

Date: Friday, February 8, 2013
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm preview reception (Hawn Gallery, Hamon Arts Library)
7:00 pm lecture (O’Donnell Lecture Hall, Owen Arts Center)
(view campus map)

Co-sponsored by the Hamon Arts Library.

About Jeff Gordon

Film historian and New York City native Jeff Gordon (Foxy Lady: The Authorized Biography of Lynn Bari) has bequeathed his extensive collection of posters, lobby cards, scrapbooks, and other film-related items to SMU. He has curated this exhibition drawn from its holdings as a “sneak preview,” with special attention being paid to the acting career of Dallas native Linda Darnell, who was born and raised in Oak Cliff.

The exhibition will be on display from February 3-May 17, 2013; Hawn Gallery, Hamon Arts Library.

RSVP: 214-768-3225. This event is free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by the Hamon Arts Library and the Friends of the SMU Libraries.

Is one of your 2013 resolutions to make better grades? Start with a tour of the library.

Thousands of students each year visit the Fondren Library to study, find great research and get work done.  This month we’re offering a quick 30 minute tour for new and returning students to orient you to the best study spots, our technology and get you on your path to academic success.

Date: Friday, January 18; Tuesday, January 22 to Friday January 25, and Monday, January 28

Time: 11:00 am and 4:00 pm

Location: Starting in the first floor lobby of Fondren Library

Questions? Contact Ben Toon (link btoon@smu.edu) or Evelyn Day (link eday@smu.edu) for more details.