To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, we interviewed SOU Associate Professor and Author Precious Yamaguchi, Ph.D, about her work, as well as some of her favorite books by AAPI authors.
What is your favorite thing about being a professor at SOU?
“I think the students at SOU are so unique, fun, and I love getting to know the students individually and as a class when we start building our learning community together throughout the quarter.”
What was the experience of researching and writing your novel, Experiences of Japanese American Women during and after World War II: Living in Internment Camps and Rebuilding Life Afterwards, like?
“It took me nearly eight years to write this book and I interviewed 16 Japanese American individuals who were in their 70s, 80s, and 90s – all of these individuals had experienced imprisonment in the World War II Japanese American internment camps. I had to be both patient and diligent in writing this book. I had to be patient because I needed each of these individuals to gain my trust in telling their story, so I met with many of these individuals numerous times. I also had to be diligent in my writing because many of them were passing away since some of them were in their 80s and 90s. I wanted them to read and see the finished outcome of their stories included in my book. This book was also personal for me since all of my grandparents were imprisoned in the internment camps when they were teenagers.”
What are some of your favorite books written by or about members of the AAPI community?
“I have a lot of favorite books by members of the AAPI community, my recent favorites are Jackson Bliss’s Counterfactual Love Stories and Other Experiments (Jackson Bliss is a hapa writer, meaning mixed Japanese American) and Jo Koy’s Mixed Plate. I used to work for an Asian American magazine a long time ago and our organization was also an Asian American talent agency and we helped Jo Koy get his start as a comedian. I also enjoy more academic-type AAPI writers such as Radhika Gajjala and her book Digital Diasporas, Margaret Rhee’s Love, Robot, and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart is so good!”
Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month with Precious Yamaguchi, Ph.D
Library NewsTo celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, we interviewed SOU Associate Professor and Author Precious Yamaguchi, Ph.D, about her work, as well as some of her favorite books by AAPI authors.
What is your favorite thing about being a professor at SOU?
“I think the students at SOU are so unique, fun, and I love getting to know the students individually and as a class when we start building our learning community together throughout the quarter.”
What was the experience of researching and writing your novel, Experiences of Japanese American Women during and after World War II: Living in Internment Camps and Rebuilding Life Afterwards, like?
“It took me nearly eight years to write this book and I interviewed 16 Japanese American individuals who were in their 70s, 80s, and 90s – all of these individuals had experienced imprisonment in the World War II Japanese American internment camps. I had to be both patient and diligent in writing this book. I had to be patient because I needed each of these individuals to gain my trust in telling their story, so I met with many of these individuals numerous times. I also had to be diligent in my writing because many of them were passing away since some of them were in their 80s and 90s. I wanted them to read and see the finished outcome of their stories included in my book. This book was also personal for me since all of my grandparents were imprisoned in the internment camps when they were teenagers.”
What are some of your favorite books written by or about members of the AAPI community?
“I have a lot of favorite books by members of the AAPI community, my recent favorites are Jackson Bliss’s Counterfactual Love Stories and Other Experiments (Jackson Bliss is a hapa writer, meaning mixed Japanese American) and Jo Koy’s Mixed Plate. I used to work for an Asian American magazine a long time ago and our organization was also an Asian American talent agency and we helped Jo Koy get his start as a comedian. I also enjoy more academic-type AAPI writers such as Radhika Gajjala and her book Digital Diasporas, Margaret Rhee’s Love, Robot, and Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart is so good!”
Friends of Hannon Library Speaker Series: Storytelling: Stepping from the Past to the Future with Indigenous Fantasy
Library NewsJoin the Friends of Hannon Library this Thursday at 5pm for the latest installment in the Speaker Series: Storytelling: Stepping from the Past to the Future with Indigenous Fantasy. Pre-Registration is required and can be done here.
Valerie Janis, Ojibwe author and librarian, shares the creative process of entwining her traditional culture and the Ojibwe and Lakota languages with the supernatural and mythical beasts.
Online New York Times Subscription Now Available to All Students, Staff, and Faculty
Library NewsA new deal negotiated by the Hannon Library will allow all students, staff, and faculty to access to the online version of the New York Times. Collection Development Librarian, Emily Miller-Francisco, negotiated the deal on behalf of the library.
SOU’s institutional subscription includes the following:
Those interested can access the New York Times on campus without a paywall. To access the paper off campus, or use The NY Times app, you’ll need to set up an account. If you are currently paying for a subscription that is linked to your SOU email, you have to first cancel your subscription. Once registered, students will have access until 12/31 of their graduation year; faculty and staff will have four years of account access, after which they must re-authenticate by visiting accessnyt.com.
More information can be found in the library’s A-Z list of databases on our website. The Hannon Library is always happy to provide assistance and answer any questions that may arise while users navigate their subscription.
Shining a Light on Underrepresented Voices this Women’s History Month
Library NewsThe Hannon Library is celebrating and honoring six women from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups this Women’s History Month. These women have shaped the history books in myriad of ways––even if said books haven’t give them their due credit.
A display in the library is featured until the end of the month, highlighting Ida B. Wells, Patsy Mink, Dolores Huerta, Billie Jean King, Agnes Baker Pilgrim, and Henrietta Lacks. While each has her own story to tell, these women have all fought for the rights and liberation of women. By highlighting BIPOC and LGBT+ women this March, the library hopes to bring attention and awareness to the issues that have historically––and are still currently––affecting marginalized women.
Resources and information about these women have been curated and are featured in our Women’s History Month display, which is located in the library, across from the tutoring center. Books and other materials are available for checkout for those interested in learning more about these visionary, incredible women. A virtual exhibit, created by Student Special Collections Outreach Assistant Julia Saunders, is also available for viewing here.
Hannon Library Celebrates Open Education Week
Library NewsThe Hannon Library is celebrating Open Education Week from March 7-11th, 2022. Educational and interactive activities related to open education will be available on the 1st floor of the library through the end of the month. In addition, Open Oregon has many events scheduled for March 7-11th, which can be viewed on the Oregon Statewide Events Menu.
The purpose of Open Education Week is to share and learn about open educational practices. One such practice is using Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are resources in the public domain or under a license that permits free use, and can include textbooks, tests, assignments, and more. OER save students money and improve grades, particularly for students who have been historically underserved, such as first-generation students and Pell Grant recipients.
Southern Oregon University has made several strides toward increasing the use of OER on campus. SOU started an OER Advisory Group in June 2021, which is chaired by Holly Gabriel, Open Access & Government Information Librarian. The group’s vision is for SOU to not only be in compliance with Oregon laws, but also to increase OER use to save students money and improve retention. The group has developed a SOU Textbook Affordability Plan.
Over the past several years, the Oregon Legislature has passed several laws promoting textbook affordability and transparency. As a result of these laws, SOU prominently designates course materials as No Cost or Low Cost in the Class Schedule, has a Textbook Affordability Plan, and displays links to the cost of course materials and fees for at least 75% of total for-credit courses at the time of class registration. The OER Advisory Group is proud of these achievements and looks forward to more promotion of open and low-cost teaching materials.
Students can reach out to ASSOU and have their opinions heard on increasing OER use on campus. Faculty and instructors can apply for and receive stipends from Open Oregon Educational Resources to review open textbooks and adopt OER for their courses. To learn more about OER, browse Hannon Library’s OER Guide or feel free to contact Holly Gabriel at gabrielh@sou.edu.