#LibraryNews

This week we welcome to the blog Italee Castellon from the Counseling Center to talk about Brain Health Awareness Week (October 5-11, 2025) here on campus.

According to Mental Health America’s (MHA) 2025 calendar, October is a month full of awareness and specifically holds Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 5-11). Loras is choosing to move forward calling this week “Brain Health Awareness Week” as Mental Health is inherently Brain Health. Our brain is an incredibly powerful organ that is in control of so many important features of the body and self; including how we think, how we move, how we behave, how we experience sensations, and overall well-being. Everything that the brain is responsible for – mental and physical – is a part of brain health.

Being able to maintain good brain health is essential to everyone’s overall wellness. Brain health conditions and mental health diagnoses are common, manageable, and treatable. According to MHA’s Quick Facts and Statistics (2025), 1 in 5 people will experience a mental health condition in any given year and approximately half of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their lives. Many times, the symptoms begin to appear after the age of 14 years old and especially pop up in late adolescence/early adulthood.

What Loras tries to promote during Brain Health Awareness Week is education on brain health, encouraging and enabling people with healthy coping strategies, and contributing to destigmatization in the community. The public’s knowledge and understanding of brain health has moved in a more positive direction over the last 20 years – it is our duty to continue the spread the kindness, hope, and understanding for our Duhawks that have been affected by brain health in their lives. Look out for the events coming up during that week hosted by the Loras Counseling Center and be a part of the change and promotion for better brain health for everyone.
 

This week on the blog, we welcome Kate Cain, Peace and Justice Student Intern, as she shares what Peace and Justice Week is. 

On September 21st of every year, countries all over the world recognize the International Day of Peace. It is a day dedicated to relationships across divides, ceasefires, and finding solutions to the problems that impact individuals as well as global institutions. Here at Loras College’s Fr. Ray Herman Peace and Justice Center, we are dedicated to celebrating the International Day of Peace by hosting a full week of events called Peace and Justice Week. This is a yearly tradition in which the Loras community comes together to actively engage in dialogue and activities centered around the issues we face as a society today.

This year's Peace and Justice Week features a variety of events, with something for everyone!

The keynote speaker this year is Marie Dennis of Pax Christi International’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative. She will speak on “Choosing Nonviolence for a Just Peace,” on Monday, September 22. Her free speech is in the ACC ballrooms at 7pm. Before the keynote speech, stop in the ACC concourse between 10-1 or 4-6:30 to get your professional portrait taken, and to answer the question “When have you seen an example of peace?” 

On Wednesday there are two events, the Solidari-Tea with Du-Peace and Justice in ACC 460 from 4-5pm. After Solidari-Tea, there’s a meal and conversations in the Interfaith Event: Beginning Together from 6-7:30. 

And finally, Peace and Justice Week this year will come to an end on Friday with the Dubuque Service and Retreat Weekend, where Loras and UD students will serve the community with other students. 

Interested in learning more? Check out our book display on the 2^nd floor of the library to see books related to peace and justice. 

Today marks the start of Latin American History month. Though most heritage month celebrations in the United States begin and end with the calendar month, Latin American Heritage Month begins on the 15th of September in celebration of the independence days of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, and ends one month later on October 15. In 2023, we published a blog post discussing issues and controversies regarding the name “Latin-American History Month” itself, which is well worth a read.

Latin American artists, historians, and citizens have formed an integral part of the foundation and continuation of the United States. From the early days of the United States to today, Latin Americans have played important roles in United States history, and at 18.9% of the population according to the Census bureau, they are the largest minority population in the United States. 

LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) is the student organization here on campus for Latin American students. In 2024, Loras’ LULAC organization was awarded National Collegiate Council of the Year at the LULAC National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. An involved student org here on campus, LULAC posts about their events on their Facebook page, which you can check out here. 

In Dubuque more generally, Dubuque Unidos is an organization that celebrates and promotes the Latinx community here. This year, they are hosting the Latinx Fiesta on October 11, in the Dubuque Museum of Art’s temporary location in the Millwork District. The Fiesta will also serve as the grand opening of the Museum of Art’s temporary space on 1000 Jackson Street. 

The Latinx Fiesta will feature Latinx live music, ethnic food, folkloric dancers, vendors, a food eating contest, art, and more! The Dubuque Museum of Art will host an exhibit featuring Indigenous and Latinx artists. 

Interested in reading more by Latinx authors? Check out our research guide on Latinx History month to read more!

You can also check out our collection of books by Latin-American authors, and about Latin-American history on the 3rd floor. And don’t forget about the Latinx Fiesta on the 11th of October, from 1-7pm. 

Today, September 8, is international Literacy Day. International Literacy Day was designated by UNESCO in 1966 to celebrate and highlight literacy in general, as well as the importance of literacy in creating a more just and sustainable society. Celebrated worldwide, International Literacy Day provides an opportunity to look at how far we’ve come, and to consider how far we have yet to go in fostering a fully literate world.

Since 1966, different themes have been picked yearly to highlight specific aspects of literacy that are particularly relevant to that year. This year, the theme is “promoting literacy in the digital era.” While the digital era has been around for a few decades, digital literacy is something that continuously evolves, just as the digital world itself continues to evolve. This year’s theme was selected to celebrate the achievements made possible through digital resources, as well as to consider what literacy means in 2025, and how digital literacy is taught today. Read more from UNESCO about this year’s Information Literacy Day here.

Digital literacy is more than just the ability to read. It means knowing how to interact with digital sources, the dangers that can come with them, and how to evaluate those digital resources. Digital literacy is an essential skill for navigating the 21st century, one that allows you to navigate the digital world effectively. 

While the digital era has made resources more available for more people through digitization of materials, online publications, academic databases, and so on, it has also created an additional barrier. Technology, the skillset to effectively use technology, and access to the internet have added additional barriers for users. The inability to access these resources can lead to double marginalization, where people are unable to interact with either traditionally published materials and digital materials, preventing them from traditional learning and the opportunities afforded by digital resources. 

While the state of Iowa does not track digital literacy, it does track literacy rates. Last year in Iowa, literacy rates for elementary schools have finally reached pre-pandemic levels again. However, middle and high-schoolers literacy rates are still below pre-pandemic levels. Read the State of Iowa’s report on literacy here. 

To learn more about literacy in general, please visit our book display on 4th floor.  
 

Elizabeth Tulley is the new Instruction, Outreach, and Assessment Librarian. She promotes the library, provides library instruction, and helps with assessments of library services and collections. She also assists students with research questions. 

How can you assist students? 

I’m happy to work with students during every stage of the research process, from narrowing down ideas to evaluating and finding resources to use!

How long have you worked at Loras?

I started at Loras right before the school year started, so I've been here for just a few weeks. I’ve loved getting to learn more about Loras’ history and campus over the past few weeks, and can’t wait to meet all of the students, faculty, and staff that call Loras home.

Why did you choose libraries as a career/vocation?

I’ve always loved reading and working with my community, and so in high school I started working at my local public library as a library page. My experience there showed me that I did truly enjoy working in libraries, and I’ve worked in libraries ever since. At the University of Northern Iowa, where I went for undergrad, I worked at the academic library and discovered that academic librarianship was the part of librarianship that I was most excited about. I love how libraries are community centers, and that by working in a library, I get to help people find the resources they need! I especially love helping people with research, which is part of what drew me to academic libraries. 

What is a book you would recommend?

It’s always so hard to choose, but right now I would say Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (call number: PreK12 Collection Chapter M767). It's the third book in the Anne of Green Gables series, and is my personal favorite, especially as the school year begins!