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May is National Get Caught Reading Month, established in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) as part of an initiative to promote reading and literacy across the United States. This month-long observance encourages people of all ages to make reading a visible activity. Its goal is to inspire others by example, showing that reading isn't just a necessity but an enjoyable pastime that enriches our lives.

After months of assigned readings and scholarly articles, Get Caught Reading Month is a great way for members of the Loras community to reconnect with books on your own terms. Reading can help you unwind after finals; research shows that reading for pleasure reduces stress and supports mental well-being. Maintaining reading habits between academic years also helps preserve critical thinking skills and vocabulary over the summer. 

In addition to the general benefits of reading for pleasure, Get Caught Reading Month highlights the community aspect of reading. While often considered a solitary activity, this observance transforms reading into a community experience. Schools organize read-a-thons, libraries host special events, and many people post pictures of themselves enjoying books in unexpected places with the tag #GetCaughtReading. 

Whether it’s a quiet moment alone or a shared experience with friends, reading can be both restorative and fun. If you are looking for a post-finals week read, visit our Popular Reading Collection in the Klauer Commons on the main floor or talk to one of the librarians for some recommendations.

Children’s poetry has long delighted readers with its playful language, vivid imagery, and surprising humor. These qualities not only entertain young readers but introduce them to the power and flexibility of language. Poetry for children, like poetry in general, has ancient roots, with nursery rhymes and lullabies passed down through generations. Today's children's poetry encompasses everything from playful nonsense verse to profound reflections on childhood experiences.

Poetry provides children with essential building blocks for language development. The rhythm, rhyme, and repetition found in poems help children recognize patterns in language, build vocabulary, and expand their ability to hear and manipulate the sounds of words. Moreover, these attributes foster children's ability to remember and memorize information. Poetry can also help reading fluency and literacy as repeated reading of poems helps children improve their pronunciation and understanding. 

Besides language skills, poetry can help nurture emotional intelligence. Poems capture complex feelings in accessible ways, helping children understand and express their own emotions. Reading about diverse experiences aids in the development of empathy and understanding different perspectives. Additionally, poetry encourages children to use their imaginations to visualize images and concepts described in the poem. 

One of the most exciting developments in children's literature has been the growing popularity of novels written entirely in verse. Award-winning titles like Kwame Alexander's basketball-themed The Crossover, Sharon Creech's Love That Dog about a boy's poetry journey, and Jacqueline Woodson's memoir Brown Girl Dreaming demonstrate how verse novels combine the emotional impact of poetry with engaging narratives. These books particularly appeal to reluctant readers; the white space on the page appears less intimidating than dense prose, while the emotional directness creates immediate connection, making them perfect gateway books for children who might otherwise avoid reading.

During this National Poetry month, we invite you to explore the children’s poetry in our Library. We have both collections of short poems as well as verse novels in our display on the first floor and even more in our PK-12 Collection. 

April is Autism Awareness Month, but for a group of Loras students, supporting and celebrating neurodiversity is a year-round mission—and it now has a name: Neuro-DU-verse.

Neuro-DU-verse, Loras College’s new student organization, was founded to create a space where neurodivergent students—including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ADHD, dyslexia, anxiety, learning differences, and more—can feel seen, supported, and understood. But this group isn’t just about raising awareness. It’s about creating real community, connection, and change.

Loras has always been strong on community, but students with disabilities haven’t always felt included. As one member explained, “Especially at a school where athletics are so important, it’s easy for some groups to feel forgotten. [Neuro-DU-verse] is a judgment-free, welcoming space for anyone who feels like they don’t quite fit into other places.”

The new organization meets weekly in the Lynch Learning Center. It is an open, accepting space where students come together for games, ice breakers, and conversation. While the gatherings are consistent and routine, they are also flexible, with no pressure or long-term commitments. “It’s about having somewhere to go where you can just be yourself,” another student said. “You don’t have to stress about what’s due or what’s coming next. It’s a space where people get it.” And you don’t have to identify as neurodivergent to attend. The organization is open to everyone—students, staff, and faculty—who either identify as neurodiverse or are allies in support.

The impact of Neuro-DU-verse has already extended beyond weekly meetings. Their recent Care Package Fundraising Project created and distributed care packages to 28 members of the community during one of the most stressful points of the semester. The goal? To spark joy and ease anxiety for the recipients. The project raised $700, launched with the help of a $300 donation, and involved collaboration with a career strategies course. Students took on leadership roles in marketing, logistics, and finance—learning hands-on skills and navigating the real-life challenges of team dynamics, responsibility, and self-advocacy. One organizer said, “It wasn’t just another group project.  It felt like volunteering and was fun.” Another added, “Seeing how happy people were to receive those packages—it was heartwarming.”

As the group looks to the future, Neuro-DU-verse is already planning new events and initiatives, with leftover funds being saved to support the next round of programming. Their mission remains rooted in creating inclusive, welcoming spaces. If you are interested in joining the group, just come Monday evenings at 5:00 to the Lynch Learning Center. 

To learn more about autism and other forms of neurodiversity, please visit the book display on the main floor of the Library.

Stephanie Foo’s memoir, What My Bones Know is a powerful exploration of healing from Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Foo built a successful career as a journalist and radio producer of This American Life but beneath that exterior was a lifelong struggle with the effects of childhood abuse and abandonment. After years of therapy, she was finally told her diagnosis of Complex PTSD. This revelation became a turning point, opening a new path where Foo would come to terms with her past and find healing.

Foo’s narrative is both personal and investigative, blending her own experiences with research, expert interviews, and stories from other trauma survivors. She details her frustrating search for mental health care, the limitations of cognitive behavioral therapy, and her exploration of other therapeutic approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic experiencing, and mindfulness practices. Foo’s journey has no single breakthrough moment, but instead she takes the reader on her slow, nonlinear process of healing. 

In telling her own story, Foo also reflects on intergenerational trauma. She explores how cultural identity and inherited pain shape her understanding of trauma and resilience. She confronts the ways in which cultural silence can compound suffering while also recognizing the strength found in community and heritage. This realization inspired the title. As she writes, “"Every cell in my body is filled with the code of generations of trauma, of death, of birth, of migration, of history that I cannot understand…My family tried to erase this history. But my body remembers…I want to have words for what my bones know. I want to use those gifts when they serve me and understand and forgive them when they do not (202). 

To learn more about healing from trauma, including some books recommended by Foo, please visit the book display on the third floor. Also, please join us on Thursday, April 10 at 6:30 in the MARC Third Floor Commons to hear Foo talk about her memoir.