The University of Virginia Library has nearly five million print books available for checkout, five million e-books, myriad cozy study spaces, and a slew of teaching librarians to help you in the classroom or with research. And did you know we also offer events ranging from workshops to musical events for UVA and the Charlottesville community throughout the year?
Below, check out five upcoming events for those who love reading, crafting, eclipses, and more. All Library events are free.
1. “DIVERSIFY IT!” Reading Challenge
Inspired by the Pizza Hut BOOK IT! reading challenge in elementary schools, we’re hosting a higher education remix to encourage UVA students, faculty, and staff to read diverse stories. Each month we’ll be hosting themed pop-up libraries within the School of Education and Human Development that include children’s, young adult, and adult books. For February we are celebrating Black authors! Everyone who checks out a book from our February pop-up library will receive a “Free People Read Freely” bookmark.
Each month you will get a stamp on your “DIVERSIFY IT!” challenge card if you check out a book. At the end of the semester, if you have checked out at least one book each month from our pop-up libraries, you'll receive a special prize and we’ll celebrate with a pizza party!
- When: Tuesday, Feb. 27; 12 – 3 p.m.
- Where: Ridley Hall Lobby
2. Prepare for the April 8th Total Solar Eclipse!
On April 8th there will be a total eclipse of the sun visible from the United States, the last one until 2045. If you viewed the last U.S. total solar eclipse in August 2017, the April 8th eclipse will appear markedly different at totality because the sun is in a period of much greater activity. In addition, this eclipse will last longer, and will cover a wider path, as well as covering a more populated swath of the US.
To help you prepare for the eclipse, Professor Edward Murphy from UVA’s Department of Astronomy will give a lecture and demonstrate safe solar observing on Tuesday, February 27. During the program, we will discuss what to expect during the eclipse, where to go see the eclipse if you can travel to it, and how to safely observe the eclipse. (This event is part of the “STEM for Everyone” lecture series.)
- When: Tuesday, Feb. 27; 6 – 7 p.m.
- Where: Alderman Library, Room 330
- Registration is required: Register to Prepare for the Eclipse
3. Alderman Library Re-Orientation
We’re back and better than ever! Join Education and Social Science Research Librarian, Ashley Hosbach-Wallman, for a tour of the new spaces in Alderman Library. This tour will cover the history of library design at UVA and all of the new study spaces and services open to students (both undergraduate and graduate). We'll meet in the main lobby to get started.
This tour is a joint initiative between the UVA Library and the School of Education and Human Development’s student affairs office.
- When: Wednesday, Feb. 28; 1 – 2 p.m.
- Where: Alderman Library, main lobby/Memorial Hall
- Registration is required: Register for Alderman Re-Orientation
4. Pi Day Maker Craft
Make a Pi Day craft to celebrate the best holiday a-round!
Register to secure your spot, or drop in to the Scholars’ Lab Makerspace anytime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 14, to make a craft. And dig in to some FREE pie while supplies last!
The Scholars’ Lab Makerspace is located in Alderman Library on the third floor (308i). See here for Makerspace hours and a map.
- When: Thursday, March. 14; 11a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Where: The Makerspace (Alderman 308i)
- Registration is required: Register for the Pi Day Maker Craft
5. AI Tools Beyond ChatGPT
ChatGPT exploded on the scene and has been the focus of much of the conversation around AI and AI tools. But there are a host of others that offer similar functions but are trained on different corpuses and many tools that offer different functionalities. In this workshop, we’ll cover a variety of AI tools including Bard, Claude, Copilot, and more.
If you’re curious about AI tools and would like to learn more, this workshop will offer an introduction and opportunity to explore these tools yourself. There will also be opportunity for discussion and sharing, so if you have an AI tool that you use and find helpful, we’ll be asking for suggestions and demos from attendees as well.
- When: Thursday, March. 14; 3 – 4 p.m.
- Where: Online
- Registration is required: Register for AI Tools Beyond ChatGPT