Soccer might not be a big sport in the United States, but the World Cup is without a doubt the biggest global athletic event. Media outlets estimate that over 3 billion people will watch the World Cup this year, and it stands a chance of becoming the most watched event in human history. That said, […]
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25 years later: Reflecting on the Tiananmen Square massacre
Today marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, one of the most significant events in China’s modern history and the country’s struggle with freedom of speech. More so than any conflict of the Cold War era, the incident at Tiananmen Square owes its iconic status in large part to the powerful images and […]
Continue readingNew Acquisitions – May 2014
Adios, spring semester. Hello, summer! As we wrap up the academic year, the last of our new acquisitions are trickling in. That’s not to say we don’t have some fantastic new items. Among our favorite items are popular Mexican dramedy Instructions Not Included, debauchery anthem The Wolf of Wall Street, acclaimed Danish political series Borgen, […]
Continue readingMusic Library Sez: 20 Feet from Stardom
We have a lot of music-related films and documentaries in our collection. Our friends over at the Music Library love them too, and they occasionally write reviews for their favorites. In our first post in this series, Music Library part-timer Jesse writes about the recent Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom (HU DVD 11199). […]
Continue readingNew Acquisitions – March 2014
Welcome back from spring break! Since you’ve been gone, we’ve been very busy. The AU Library is now home to many of the year’s biggest award nominees, including Captain Phillips, Blue is the Warmest Color, 12 Years a Slave, Lee Daniel’s The Butler, Prisoners, and Gravity. And if you’re feeling something lighter, we now also […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: the NCAA’s equity problem
As you may have heard, American University’s men’s basketball team beat Boston University yesterday, winning their first Patriot League title in five years and earning a coveted spot in the March Madness tournament bracket. Go Eagles! This is crazy exciting for AU, but let’s step back for a minute. March Madness has become a formidable […]
Continue reading12 Years a Slave now available
A quick FYI: newly minted Best Picture winner 12 Years a Slave is now available in Media Serviecs in the AU Library. The DVD for this film was just released yesterday, and given its current critical acclaim, we’ve made a point of getting this item onto the shelf as quickly as possible. It is available […]
Continue readingNew Acquisitions – February 2014
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? After a relaxing winter break, we’re back in at full steam with a bounty of great DVDs. Looking for something critically acclaimed? Fruitvale Station, Behind the Candelabra, and Breaking Bad will itch that scratch. Mindless entertainment? Pacific Rim and Man of Steel. Need some AU pride? History professor Peter […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: Football under scrutiny
February 2nd is upon us, and we’re only 8 hours away from Super Bowl XLVIII kickoff. We’re as excited as anyone, especially given the exciting match-up this year. That said, there is a dark side to the professional football as well. The continued threat of brain damage has plagued the NFL for years, and with […]
Continue readingALA names Notable Videos of 2013
Every year, our friends/overlords at the American Library Association release a list of Notable Videos for Adults featuring some of the most significant and interesting videos recently released. The ALA has just released their picks from 2013, and they’re good ones. Most of these are in our collection, but since we trust the ALA, we’re […]
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