MERIT Library is excited to take part in a unique event during the Wisconsin Book Festival this October.  In support of the Cartonera Publishers Conference, on October 8th and 9th, MERIT Library will be displaying some colorful and fun cartonera books during the end of September and the first half of October.

What's a Cartonera book? you may be asking.   Cartonera books play a special role to support literacy in Latin America.   Paloma Celis-Carbajal, the Ibero-American Studies Librarian, explains "the cartonera publishing phenomenon originated in Buenos Aires in 2003.  Cartoneras books are hand-made from recycled cardboard collected off the streets by cartoneras, or garbage pickers, who then sell the cardboard they collect to cartonera publishers.  The cardboard covers are hand-painted in the styles that are unique to each of the eight Latin American publishing houses.  UW-Madison Libraries hold one of the largest and most comprehensive collections in the United States."

So if you are a teacher looking to introduce a new and fun topic to your classroom, or just someone interested in these cool books and the conference, please come check out the display, which will be up mid-September in MERIT Library! Additionally, there will be several workshops taking place on October 9th, for students, staff and community members to learn more about and make their own cartonera books.

To read more about the Cartonera Publishers Conference and to find out about workshop dates, please see http://www.library.wisc.edu/cartoneras/.
To view sample books online, visit the UW-Madison digital collection of Cartonera books.

MERIT Library is currently in the process of enhancing our resource guides with Web 2.0 tools and a more user-friendly and interactive design. We recently completed the first guide, Physical Education Teacher Education, using the LibGuides platform, and we are moving forward with other education-related subjects. These guides are great aides for doing research and having many library and Web resources gathered in one place. If you have suggestions for resources in any subject area or would like to collaborate on a LibGuide in your subject area, please e-mail Amanda Manteufel.

April is National Poetry Month, and our poetic display will have you rhyming and smiling with Edgar Allen Poe and many others. Come in to find Web resources and colorful children's books for use in your classroom or for leisurely reading. For one week in April we celebrate National Library Week (April 12-18). Stop by our display and see why libraries are so important to students and the community at large. Don't forget to plant a tree this month! We are celebrating Earth Day (April 22) with a display full of environmental resources and lesson plan ideas. We hope to see you in MERIT Library soon!