Author: Mandy Shannon

Need Streaming Videos? Check out Films on Demand!

Over the past several years, there’s been an increasing demand for access to streaming video content for curricular purposes. We’re excited to announce that the University Libraries now have a subscription to Films on Demand, a database of curriculum-focused streaming films. We have access to content from the Master Academic, World Cinema, Nursing, and Allied Health modules.

All films in this database can be streamed at any time, on campus and remotely. The films are captioned and include transcripts. Links to films can be embedded in Pilot and shared via social media. If you don’t need to use the entire film, you can easily create custom clips for use in classes or presentations. Films on Demand also includes an option for instructors to create and embed quizzes within individual films. Additionally, instructors have the option to create your own introductory video and attach it to a playlist to introduce the content to students.

Temporary access to the database  was previously provided for 15 months through OhioLINK and the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to bridge COVID-created gaps in higher education instructional materials and library resources. This gave ample opportunity to evaluate how well the content met faculty curricular needs.

Based on the positive reviews of the content, breadth and variety of available films, and the stability of the funding model, Films on Demand will be the primary access point for streaming films provided by the University Libraries. Faculty who are interested in obtaining licenses for streaming films for titles not available from Films on Demand should contact their subject librarian to make the request. We will search for available content and work with faculty to identify alternatives as the budget allows.

Libraries team up to support Raider Food Pantry March Madness

According to the Raider Food Pantry, 48% of the students at Wright State University experience food scarcity. We can help our students by participating in their March Madness competitive food drive, which runs from March 1st – 31st.

library staff with food donation box
University Libraries staff with food for the Raider Food Pantry

Teams composed of WSU organizations and departments will compete each week to bring in the most donated food items. The University Libraries is one of those teams!

We are offering incentives to all who bring in donated items during the competition. Bring in food items for a chance to play Dunbar Plinko. The more food you bring, the more chances you have to play! Prizes include candy, fine reductions, and raffle entries to win an 8-hour reservation in 328A, our most popular quiet study room!

Bring in non-perishable food items and drop them in the collection box in the lobby of the Dunbar Library during the March Madness event. If you’d like to play Dunbar Plinko, stop by the circulation desk first and show our staff your donations.


Each week, the focus will be on a different food item:

  • Week #1 March 1-4: Breakfast foods (ex: cereal, oatmeal, breakfast bars, etc.)
  • Week #2 March 7-11: Microwavable/Dorm ready meals (ex: Cup of Noodles, mac n’ cheese cups)
  • Week #3 March 14-18: Pantry Essentials (cooking oil, condiments, seasonings, NO COOKWEAR)
  • Week #4 March 21-25: Pasta & Rice (plain pastas, white rice, brown rice, etc.)
  • Week #5 March 28-31: Peanut Butter, Jelly & Nutella 

Please remember, expiration dates are important – the Raider Food Pantry is unable to accept food past its expiration date.

Temporary Suspension of OhioLINK print borrowing

The University Libraries recognize the value of OhioLINK print lending for access to books and other materials not owned by the University Libraries. Beginning in July 2021, OhioLINK contracted with a new provider for the courier service. While we expected to see some disruption of service during the transition, the new provider has not risen to the high standard we have come to expect. As a result, it has been more difficult this year to get library materials delivered in a timely manner, causing both frustration and inconvenience for many.

Because of these ongoing delivery issues, OhioLINK will be changing its delivery provider. While this will cause additional short-term gaps in service, we believe that in the long-term services will return to their previous level.

As you plan for the remainder of the spring term, please be aware that:

  • From March 11 through April 30, you will not be able to request material through the OhioLINK Central Catalog. This is necessary to avoid a backlog of materials in the system during the transition; however, we are happy to discuss your needs and help you look for alternate formats or other ways to secure materials, such as using Interlibrary Loan, which does not rely on this intrastate delivery service.
  • Material requested before March 11 will be delivered, but we anticipate that the service will continue to be slower than normal

These temporary changes in service will allow us to ensure proper handling of shipments and prevent a backlog of material in process as we transition between providers. We are confident that the new company will be able to deliver your library materials efficiently once again.

We understand that the timing of this change is far from ideal. However, OhioLINK libraries share this statewide delivery service with 350 public library locations (which account for two-thirds of delivery activity). High-volume libraries, both public and academic, across the statewide delivery network are experiencing severe service challenges. Because of this, the courier transition could not be scheduled to better align with our academic calendar. We ask for your patience as we implement this long-term solution.

As always, our library staff is available to provide assistance. We will make every effort to help you find the resources you need.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].

Paul Laurence Dunbar: 150 years

Image by local artist Angelo Hopson

Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first African American literary figures to gain national critical acclaim. On May 2, 1992, Wright State University’s main library was renamed in recognition of Dunbar’s significant literary contributions, importance to Dayton, and friendship with Wilbur and Orville Wright for whom the University is named. This year, we join with the National Parks Service and local organizations in celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. 

This spring semester the University Libraries and the Friends of the Libraries will host several events to commemorate the anniversary. These events offer an opportunity to explore the history, the work, and the legacy of this influential author.  

Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask: Documentary screening and discussion with filmmaker Frederick Lewis 

February 17, 3:00 Register now 

In recognition of Black History Month and as part of the Dunbar 150 Celebrations, the University Libraries present “Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask,” a documentary on the life and legacy of the first African American to achieve national fame as a writer, followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Frederick Lewis. Read more details here  

Book Club: The Sport of the Gods 

March 8, 5:30 Register now 

The University Libraries Book Club sponsored by the Friends of the Libraries, WSU Alumni Association, and the WSU Retirees Association continues the 2021-2022 season with one of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s four novels. The Sport of the Gods tells the story of Berry Hamilton, an emancipated Black man working for a white employer, and the ripple effects on his family and those around them when Berry is accused of stealing money from his employer’s safe 

The book club meets virtually via Webex. Read more details here

Visions of Dunbar 

April 15 4:30 pm 

Paul Laurence Dunbar’s legacy continues to be seen in modern poetry, art, and literature. Perhaps the most well-known is Maya Angelou’s book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, whose title uses the last line of Dunbar’s 1899 poem, Sympathy. To continue the legacy of work inspired by Dunbar, the Friends of the Libraries and the University Libraries invite students from Wright State and area high schools (grades 9-12) to submit original poetry or visual art inspired by the work of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dunbar’s poems and biographical information are available on the Special Collections & Archives website

Student submissions will be shared at a reception at Dunbar Library on Friday, April 15 at 4:30 pm. The event will include light hors d’oeuvres, and feature presentations from the Northmont High School. Drama Club, and music selections from students in the Wright State University School of Music.  

Friends of the Libraries board members will review all submissions and award distinctions in each category. 

Students can submit original poetry and art now through March 16. Submission form link 

Friends of the Libraries Virtual “Lunch-In” 

April 20, 2022 12:00 p.m.  Register now

The Friends of the Wright State Libraries present Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of His Birth, featuring Herbert Woodward Martin, Professor Emeritus, University of Dayton. Join us for a dramatic presentation and discussion as we honor the 150th anniversary of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s birth. Read more details here. 

Silver Melted into Sound music festival

Silver Melted Into Sound 

May 6, 2022 

The Wright State University School of Music will host Silver Melted Into Sound, a music festival for concert band, vocal ensemble, and string orchestra designed to support the programming of diverse composers. 

Performing Ensembles will have 20 minutes on stage in Schuster Hall or in the Festival Theater to perform for feedback from a panel of adjudicators. After their performance, students will meet with a composer for an interactive discussion about the importance of having many voices represented in music literature and the value of performing works by underrepresented composers. Read more details here.