The DNL Report

Mon. 4/4 2:30-3:30pm, Lobby - Stop by for a slice of cake served up by our Dean of the Library, Christina McGowan. Play our quick trivia game "How well do you know your Library?", grab some swag, and learn about our new mission statement and Strategic Plan.

Wed. 4/6 1:30-3:00pm, Library Lawn or Cafe - Meet and pet Dakota, a therapy dog!

Wed. 4/6 is also STAGiving Day. This is the first time that the Library is participating! Alumni, families, and friends can designate a gift to the Library or another area of their choice on this day.

Thurs. 4/7, 3:00-4:30pm, Lobby - Drop by to learn how to do Bullet Journaling from a member of the Student Library Advisory Board. Journals available while supplies last, and enter our raffle!

Learn more about the DiMenna-Nyselius Library the following ways:

• Browse our website and read our new mission statement and Strategic Plan
• Read our recent newsletter, Beyond the Stacks, Vol. 2 Issue 2
• Follow us on social media @fairfieldulib
• Talk to a Librarian! Ways to get in touch

Ask yourself the following 5 questions. If your answer is YES to all five, we hope you will apply for the 2022 Library Research Prize. Deadline to apply: April 11, 2022.

1. Interested in winning $1,000?
2. Are you a current undergraduate OR graduate student?
3. Did you do a research project this spring 2022 semester, fall 2021, or over winter break or summer 2021?
   1. If you have not completed your project, and have a draft to share with us, that is eligible too!
   2. You can apply as an individual or as part of a team if you did a group project.
4. Are you proud of this project and your research process?
5. Did you use library resources or library services to help you with your project?
   1. There is no expectation that your project involved original or high level research. A literature review, compare/contrast or argumentative paper, poster, digital project, etc. that involved your use of our resources and services is eligible. All digital and creative works can be eligible too.

See our Library Research Prize website for more details about eligibility, judging criteria, and be sure to see the FAQ page. If you have any questions you can email Lisa Thornell, Student Engagement & Outreach Librarian, at lthornell@fairfield.edu

The DiMenna-Nyselius Library provides access to many different types of news sources. Here are a few ways to access this content:

• View the list of library databases that contain news sources by selecting

The town of Fairfield chooses a book each year and encourages the whole town to read it and engage through various programs. The One Book One Town (OBOT) committee is run by the Fairfield Public Library and consists of librarians and staff from FPL as well as the Pequot Library, Fairfield Museum & History Center, Fairfield University Bookstore, and our Library! This year we also welcomed representation from Sacred Heart University's Library.

The 2022 One Book One Town selection was The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Genres: Fiction/Fantasy/LGBTQIA+. Copies are available at our Library and there still may be some signed copies for purchase at the downtown bookstore! View past book selections on the OBOT website.

The Fairfield University student Book Club read the book over winter break and many other members of campus read it as part of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library's Winter Reading Challenge. Here are a few comments from the reading challenger's about The House in the Cerulean Sea:

"Loved it and couldn't put it down!"

"A perfect book at this time when the world is grey and chaotic to give you a feeling of hope."

"Each character was nuanced and a joy to discover. I was excited to read it, but enjoyed it even more than I thought I would."

"The LGBTQ representation was powerful and I think well done."

The main OBOT event each year is the author talk. If you missed it you can watch the recording on the Fairfield Public Library's YouTube page:

The DiMenna-Nyselius Library's 2nd Winter Reading Challenge (WRC) kicked off in December and concluded at the end of February. The purpose of the WRC was for Fairfield University students, staff, and faculty to find reading motivation, try out new genres, and choose titles from a wider range of voices and perspective. Thank you to all of the readers and to the Health & Wellness committee and Fairfield University Bookstore for the prizes!

We had 23 staff, 15 students, and 13 faculty members sign up to take on the Challenge. They read 202 books within the 10 categories. Of course we had to add the One Book One Town selection, The House in the Cerulean Sea, as one of them! Participants also logged an additional 96 books outside the categories.

In the post-challenge survey 90% of respondents said the WRC helped them read more diverse books, gain the motivation to read, and feel connected to the reading community. 100% said they would sign-up again! And on that note, the 3rd annual Summer Reading Challenge will be promoted in early May.

Some of the popular books read for the WRC:

All That She Carried : The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black family Keepsake

Apples Never Fall : A Novel

Between Two Kingdoms : A Memoir of a Life Interrupted

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood

Hell of a Book : Or the Altogether Factual, Wholly Bona Fide Story of a Big Dreams, Hard Luck, American-Made Mad Kid

His Only Wife : A Novel

The House in the Cerulean Sea

Matrix

The Plot

Under the Whispering Door