Hello again! Annie Hoffman here, Student Journalist for the libraries.

The snow this week has made it harder to get outside, but easier to cozy up with a book. Here’s what I’ve been up to!

Fall honors seminar

I registered for fall semester. Making decisions about the future while the present feels uncertain is strange and hard. But I am really excited about my fall schedule. Among other things, I’m taking an Honors seminar with Professor Sally Kohlstedt entitled “Campus Obscura: A University of Minnesota Cabinet of Curiosity.”

The course explores the history of science, technology, and medicine through physical objects such as maps and instruments. I’m looking forward to visiting the Wangansteen Historical Library and the University Archives as part of this class!

Choreography, knitting, and baking

The stay-at-home order has a lot of us turning to hobbies, old or new. For me this means learning choreography from old Disney movies, brushing up on my knitting skills, and baking bread.

If you’re looking for some suggestions, check out this article by Library student workers Caitlin McBride and Abby Miller.

Emergency online access to U of M books

Finally, good news for us readers! The U of M community now has digital access to millions of U Libraries print books through the HathiTrust Digital Library, while library buildings are closed due to COVID-19. Find out more here.

Here are some titles I’ve loved that are currently available:

• The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver — A beautiful exploration of motherhood and found family
• The Giver by Lois Lowry — A middle grade classic about individuality and coming of age, worth revisiting as an adult
• Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin — A semi-autobiographical novel about a teen in 1930’s Harlem

This is a weird time to be alive. I’m taking time for school, for art, and for rest, and I hope you can do the same. Stay home, stay healthy, and keep reading!

—Annie Hoffman