I don’t know about you, but the Olympics always bring out my international cooperation side. Which is a fancified way of saying that for 30 minutes every night until the closing ceremonies I’ll have the inexplicable urge to ditch work, learn all 6 official languages of the UN, and go take a job as a diplomat. Never mind that the closest I’ve ever come to international diplomacy is having both Taco Bell and Domino’s be part of the same dinner.

So, it’s that time again, and this time, I decided I’m going to make a legitimate attempt to learn a language- by reading magazines. Turns out, the Monroe Library has a super-sweet collection of foreign language magazines, newspapers, and journals. Interested in learning Spanish? Check out El Pais. German? Well, I think Stern Magazine is for you. And if French is more your thing, have a look at Paris Match, a French tabloid that I am pretty certain has had either Nicolas or Carla Sarkozy on the cover every issue for the last 6 months. There’s plenty more, too. Here’s how you look up foreign language periodicals in the catalog.

Of course, I act like I know this stuff off the top of my head, but in the ‘There’s no such thing as a stupid question’ department, I actually asked Beth how to do this. Beth, being a super-awesome reference librarian, happily complied, and now I’m taking credit for it. Anyway….

1) Go to the Library’s full catalog.

2) Under the search box, click ‘Advanced Search.’

3) In the drop down box marked ‘Language,’ pick the language you want to search for. In the drop down box marked ‘Material type,’ select ‘Periodical.’

4) Hit search, and presto! A list of periodicals in a given language!

Neat. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I hear some Thai food calling my name.

-aimee

The LC blog caught two prominent members of the team slacking off and checking out the Olympic medal count while on the clock. SHOCKING!

In other news, the super amazing digital camera and tripod that were used to take this scandalous picture are available for checkout at the LC desk. Ask us for details!

-aimee and beth

At the LC, we’re suckers for a sappy human interest story, especially if it has anything at all to do with the Olympic games. This year, the U.S. flag bearer for the opening ceremonies is Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee who at the age of six was abducted in order to become a child soldier. Lomong will be competing in the 1500 meter race.

Learn more about Lomong’s harrowing life story through newspaper reports by searching his name in our LexisNexis database. A great tutorial on using the system is available on the left when you first enter the database.

Does Lomong’s story inspire you to learn more about the plight of the Darfur region? Then check out one of these books from the library.

If you are ready to put away the Kleenex, try a lighter subject. Why not find out what other athletic standouts in prestigious events such as badminton and handball are carrying their respective countries’ flags?

The IOC’s Official List

-aimee and beth