Hello everyone! Thanks for tuning into our third podcast for National Library Week! As you might recall from Monday’s post, we are celebrating with a podcast a day from English as a Second Language students! Today’s podcast comes from Nhi Pham, ESL 51:

“Libraries! I don’t know why, but for some reason, every time I’ve been been at one, I feel extremely nostalgic. Maybe it’s because they have classic ancient styles and historical books from long ago ages. If you want to have a silent place to read, to study, or even to take a deep break (because why not?), you nailed it. It is definitely the library!

A library in people’s view may have a astronomical number of books, books, and books. And they’re right! But those books are invaluable. They record the milestones of millions of people who have been taken by war and other factors. It’s just like when people realize that their lives have nearly run out of time. But they want to keep something lasting about themselves. They write books that one day could be at the public library. And of course, everyone will know and they could learn or put it down to experience.

Currently, libraries have changed a lot. Some of them are way more confident and modern, with advanced technology that others. But libraries and education still inevitably depend on each other.. It’s hard to find a school that doesn’t have at least one library, isn’t it? That’s the power of libraries, the ones that have existed for millennia but show no signs of  downfall. However, for me, the libraries with the old-school styles are way more nostalgic and memorable.”

Hello everyone! Thanks for tuning into our second podcast for National Library Week! As you might recall from yesterday’s post, we are celebrating with a podcast a day from English as a Second Language students! Today’s podcast comes from Nael Lozano, ESL 51:

“Hi, my name is Nael Lozano, and I’m taking ESL 51: advanced composition. In my opinion, the library is a place where we can get books from medicine to biographies to novels. Furthermore, libraries provide information about rec centers to computer classes and more. Nowadays, books are expensive, and libraries like the one at NOVA provide us with some books to borrow and used books to buy at affordable prices. Therefore, every time I go to the library, I like to read, research for information, and study.

I remember that every Sunday, my mom used to take my brother and me to the library to read and get some books for the week. Since then, I have fallen in love with all the Harry Potter books! As a foreign student, every time I get these books, I was always happy to look for the meaning of words that I did not understand. Furthermore, I believe books enrich our brains and expand our vocabulary. Finally, I love that when I get new books, I gain knowledge and learn more–because we never stop learning.”

Hello everyone, and happy National Library Week! We are excited to announce that Shirley Nuhn’s English as a Second Language class is back to remind us of the importance of libraries. Students Jun Choi, Nael Lozano, and Nhi Pham dropped by the Faculty and Staff Resource Center to record podcasts on what libraries mean to them. We will publish their recordings daily, so stay tuned!

Our first podcast comes from Jun Choi, ESL 51:

“Hi, everyone! I’d like to talk about my library experience for National Library Week. It is said that reading is nourishment for the mind. Reading can make our thoughts strong and abundant. When I was in elementary school, I went to the school library every lunch period. I just enjoyed reading books along with friends! Even though we can now use Kindle or a tablet PC for reading, I like the feeling of a book in my hand. The scent of books and feel of paper fascinate me. In my view, the library is an ideal place to study. Study rooms are available for group work too. I like the atmosphere in the library. It’s one where students are studying hard, and it encourages me to focus on my work. Creating this podcast was a great chance for me to look at my reading life these days. I have visited our library to work on my assignments and study for tests. But I haven’t read for pleasure since I came to college. As I participated in this project, I decided to read more. It’s a pleasure to share my ideas with you guys. I’m Jun Choi from ESL 51.”

This semester, the Annandale Campus Library will be working with student organizations to create book displays, showcasing topics relevant to our own campus community. Below is our first featured group, DREAMers Empowered!

DREAMers Empowered

What we do:
“We aim to provide an inclusive environment for undocumented students through education, advocacy, and community awareness.”

Why we want you to read these books:
“We at DREAMers Empowered want to illustrate the importance of understanding both the cultural and political background that surround undocumented immigrants. The topics range from comprehensive immigration reform to the understanding of psychological effects that result from being undocumented. We want NOVA students and faculty to better understand the current realities that undocumented immigrants face.”

A few of the books we chose:

We are Americans: undocumented students pursuing the American Dream by William Perez

Undocumented: how immigration became illegal by Aviva Chomsky

Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario

The DREAMers by Walter J. Nicholls

Our contact information: dreamersempowered@gmail.com

Come to the Annandale Library to see their full display and learn more!

If your student organization would like to create a book display, please contact hdarnell@nvcc.edu.

Did you know that NOVA  is the ninth most internationally diverse institution of higher education in the nation? Included in our international population are many immigrants and refugees from all over the world! We at the library are excited about the richness of our community and encourage everyone to learn about immigration policy and history and to read stories by and about refugees. To learn more, come check out our book display, “Love Makes the World Go Round,” located near the reference desk. Here are a few of the titles:

Becoming American : Why Immigration is Good for Our Nation’s Future
Author: Ghadar Fariborz

Refugees
Author: Margaret Haerens

Fight to Freedom: The Story of Central American Refugees in California
Authors: Rossana Pérez, Henry Ramos 

The Lightless Sky: A Twelve-Year-Old Refugee’s Harrowing Escape from Afghanistan and His Extraordinary Journey Across Half the World
Authors: Gulwali Passarlay, Nadene Ghouri

The World Comes to America: Immigration to the United States Since 1945
Authors: David M. Reimers and Leonard Dinnerstein

Forced to Flee: Human Rights and Human Wrongs in Refugee Homelands
Peter W. Van Arsdale