Environmentalism has often focused on the bad things we do: fossil fuel burning, biodiversity loss, pollution—essentially, our whole unsustainable way of living on earth. And indeed our way of life may need to change, as recent crises ranging from climate to credit have suggested. But change is not just about doing less bad: we also need to reconstruct a larger vision of the good life in the midst of these crises to guide our hopes and our hard work. Environmental Affairs Symposium 2009 will recruit religious leaders, political commentators, economists, artists, and others working alongside environmentalists and environmental scholars in reimagining the good life and what it means for the crises we face today. The Environmental Studies department and Watzek Library invite you to read up on some of the issues that will be presented at the 12th Annual Symposium on Environmental Affairs: Reimagining the Good Life, October 27-29, 2009.

“I stood on the roof of my apartment building in mid-town Manhattan that morning and watched as the first tower crumbled. The days that followed were a mixture of silence and chaos, with everything from bomb threat evacuations to Times Square being completely empty and quiet, “ remembers Jenny Bornstein, Interlibrary Loan Specialist. It has already been 8 years since the September 11 attacks and we are honoring those lost with a September Diversions display of materials about the event.

Check out a selection of Gender Studies literature this month. Many titles relate to the March Gender Studies Symposium, "Poverty, Property, and Personhood: Challenging Gender Injustice".

In celebration of February's Black History Month, check out the Diversions display for books exploring the African-American arts.

Put down those textbooks! Pick up some of our favorite books to enjoy over your winter break holiday. Browse the Diversions display for fun reads that have nothing to do with your classes.

We know you voted! Now delve further into U.S. politics with our November Diversions display dedicated to elections and political science.

Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is Sept. 27-Oct 4. For the entire month of September enjoy our Diversions display on your way to the computer lab and see a sampling of titles that have been challenged or banned in recent years.