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Upcoming Events

Crafting Corner: "Stained Glass" Making with Donna Femenella

02/15 3PM Bender Library MakerSpace

Event Details

Crafting Corner Stained Glass Making

Join us for the second installment of Crafting Corners and make some imitation stained glass artwork with our crafting extraordinaire and manager of the Library MakerSpace, Donna Femenella.

No prior artistic experience is required – We will guide you through the process, providing tips and tricks to make your creations truly spectacular.

We will have stations set up for 30 crafters at a time and new crafters can join us as seats become available. Completing one stained glass piece will take about an hour plus dry time to complete!

See examples and gain inspiration here: https://pin.it/4tLualyxw

Sounding the Alarm: A Conversation on the Rise of Authoritarianism Behind Latin America's Humanitarian Crisis

02/27 6:30PM Bender Library MakerSpace

Event Details

Sounding the Alarm: A Conversation on the Rise of Authoritarianism Behind Latin America's Humanitarian Crisis

Sounding the alarm marks American University's 10-year partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the work done to provide coverage on underreported, systemic issues around the world. Join just for a panel with expert voices as they discuss the rise of authoritarianism behind Latin America's humanitarian crisis. There will be a welcome reception from 6:00-6:30PM followed by the panel discussion. After the discussion, there will be a raffle to announce the winners of a copy of AU Professor, Journalist and Filmmaker Bill Gentile's Book "Wait for Me" and one of three prints from photographer Robert Nickelsberg.

Speakers

Kara Andrade is one of the very first winners of AU's Pulitzer Reporting Fellowships and has more than two decades of experience in various sectors, including journalism and media, social entrepreneurship, public health, research, and development, launching and supporting projects in more than twenty countries.

Douglas Farah is the Founder and president of IBI Consultants, former foreign correspondent for the Washington Post, co-author of the recent report, “Remilitarization in Central America". Farah's work sounds the alarm on the failure of US policymakers to address key issues that impact the region and that culminate in the current humanitarian crises.

Dr. Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian is Director of the Department of Social Inclusion of the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity at the Organization of American States (OAS), where she is responsible for directing the work of the OAS in matters of social inclusion and access to human rights with special consideration to populations in vulnerable situations. 

Steven Dudley (Moderator) is the co-founder and co-director of InSight Crime and senior research fellow at American University’s CLALS in Washington, DC. Dudley is a former bureau chief of the Miami Herald in the Andean Region, a former fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and a current member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Past Events

Crafting Corner: Amigurumi Octopus with the University Librarian

12/07 3PM Bender Library MakerSpace

Event Details

Crafting Corner with Jee Davis

Join us at the Library for the first installment of the MakerSpace Crafting Corners on December 7th at 3PM! 

Take a study break and learn how to create your very own adorable Amigurumi (crochet!) study buddy with Jee Davis, our University Librarian.

The MakerSpace will have all the materials you will need — just bring yourself and your enthusiasm!

SciPop Talks: Cocktail Chemistry

11/08 7PM Bender Library Lower Level

Event Details

SciPop Talks Chemistry of Cocktails

Mixing drinks is such great fun. But doing so is also an incredible way to learn about how our brains process flavors and flavor combination. This talk covers some mixology, chemistry, biology, neuroscience, and a little bit of social science, too. Join us for a talk with AU Chemistry Professor Matthew Hartings from 7-7:30PM followed by Q&A and some fun DIY mocktail mixology and snacks!

Jeffrey Yoo Warren - Seeing Lost Enclaves: Archival Reconstructions of Neighborhoods of Color

11/09 3PM Mary Graydon Center (MGC) 200

Event Details

Seeing Lost Enclaves with Jeffery Yoo Warren

Jeffrey Yoo Warren is an artist, community scientist, illustrator, and researcher based in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2023, he became the Library of Congress Innovator in Residence for his ongoing work on Seeing Providence Chinatown and the broader project, Seeing Lost Enclaves: Relational reconstructions of erased historic neighborhoods of color. In these projects he uses photographs, maps, film, and audio recordings from archival collections to build immersive digital models of historic Chinatowns.

SciPop Talks: When the NBA Became Black

10/25 7PM Bender Library Lower Level

Event Details

SciPop Talks When the NBA Became Black

How did the NBA transform from a white-dominated league that catered to a largely white fanbase, to a majority-Black league that embraced a multinational and multicultural fanbase? Theresa Runstedtler answers these questions and more by exploring the trials and triumphs of players from the 1970s, such as Spencer Haywood, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Earl “the Pearl” Monroe.  Join us for the program from 7:00-7:30PM followed by Q&A and some concession style treats!

SciPop Talks: Are You the One? Breaking Down the Algorithms Behind Love

10/04 7PM Bender Library Lower Level

Event Details

SciPop-Talks: Are You The One? Breaking Down the Algorithms Behind Love

Have you ever wondered about how dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble do the math to help you find 'The One'? Join us in Bender Library for the second installation of this speaker series with SOC professor Aarushi Sahejpal from 7-7:30 followed by a Q&A. Stay after the talk to enjoy some food that is perfect for a first date!

Learn more about the algorithms behind love.

SciPop Talks: Frye Science and the Truthqueen

9/20 7PM Bender Library Lower Level

Event Details

SciPop Talks: Frye Science and the Truthqueen

AU Professor of Chemistry Dr. Raychelle Burks explores the weird and wonderful connection between science, the U.S. courts, and superheroes.

About the Speaker: After working in a crime lab, Dr. Burks returned to academia, teaching, and forensic science research. An analytical chemist, she enjoys the challenge developing detection methods for a wide-variety of compounds. Beyond the lab, Dr. Burks is a popular science communicator, appearing on TV, in podcasts, at large genre cons such as DragonCon and GeekGirlCon. She also writes a science-meets-true crime column called “Trace Analysis” for Chemistry World, the magazine of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Learn more about this quirky combination.

Workshops and Tours

  • The Library provides workshops on various Library resources throughout the Academic year. Visit our workshops page for more information.

  • The Library Academic Technology department offers a variety of Canvas trainings for faculty. You can register for them here.

Suggest an Event

Do you have an idea for an event that would be perfect for the Library? Please email us with as much detail as possible for consideration. We also can provide staff, resources, or logistical support for co-sponsored events anywhere on campus.