When Jaime Mendoza isn't working in the Highline College Library as part of his Spring quarter internship in the Technical Services department or attending his classes in Highline College’s Achieve program, you may find him on the 4th floor of the library quietly reading a book.
He might even be reading his favorite manga series Berserk, which Jaime described as a complex story centered around a character named Guts “who is constantly pursued by demons.” Whoa!
Loving graphic novels and manga made Jaime an ideal intern for the library this Spring quarter, because his work focused on helping the Library unveil the newly consolidated Graphic Novel Collection, located on the 3rd floor of the library.
Although the Library has had graphic novels for many years, library staff wanted to make them easier to find by putting them all in one place on the 3rd floor bookshelves.
Jaime did important work to help the Library make this collection a reality.
“Before I put [the books] in the Graphic Novels collection, I needed to change the labels on the spine and make it say GN, which means graphic novel,” Jaime said. Then, he worked with the library catalog software to change the location of the graphic novels to the newly labeled Graphic Novels Collection in our catalog.
All of that work by Jaime and the Technical and Circulation Services staff means interested readers can enjoy perusing the graphic novels in one place.
Library staff report that Jaime was a great coworker and showed great attention to detail.
George Babcock, the Technical Services specialist who oversaw Jaime's work, was impressed by Jaime's skill and work ethic.
"We had anticipated that this project could take up to 3 or 4 months to complete," Babcock said. "But Jaime finished it in 6 weeks. He is a hands-on learner and mastered the tasks necessary to complete the project after a few demonstrations."
“I found Jaime to be very attentive,” said Cheryl Lulendo, an Acquisitions specialist in the Technical Services department. “I gave Jaime directions [for a task] once, he dug right in, and didn’t stop until he was done. He's a great team member!”
But, beyond Jaime's talent and work ethic, it was his "sly sense of humor," as Babcock called it, that Technical Services staff especially appreciated.
"Jaimie has an interesting sense of humor; one has to be very observant to spot and appreciate it. He’s what I like to call a 'cool cat,'" said Lulendo.
That humor came out one day this Spring quarter when Jaime found a picture of a 1960s McCall's Great American Recipe Card for "Ham and Bananas Hollandaise," a dish that involves wrapping bananas with ham and pouring a hollandaise sauce over it all. The interesting (some might say 'abominable') concoction made Jaime laugh so he shared it with the Technical Services staff, and everyone had a good chuckle.
Although Jaime's internship will end this quarter, Library staff are eager to see Jaime around campus as he pursues his interests and passions.
"He is very interested in languages and will be studying Japanese in the Fall," said Babcock. "Jaime will still be on campus next year and I’m sure to see him in the library browsing the collection. Best of luck, Jaime!"
Want to see the graphic novels collection? Check it out online or go to the Ask desk on the main floor of the library to ask for help with finding the collection.
By Ian Porter
New Vending Machine in the Library!The Library is excited to announce our new vending machine for quick access to salty and sweet snacks, acetaminophen, condoms, Plan B emergency contraceptive, and menstrual products.
Study rooms may be used by both individuals and groups. Seven rooms are located along the North wall of the library's 3rd floor -- 306-308 (West side) and 312-315 (East side). The 3 rooms on the West side are reserved for groups of 3 or more. Students with disabilities have priority use of Room 306.
Groups of 3-5 students
May use study rooms 306, 307, and 308
1-5 students
May use study rooms 312, 313, 314, and 315
Highline students and CWU students with current IDs may reserve the study rooms.
All rooms must be reserved during the library's busiest hours (Monday-Thursday 8am - 2pm and Friday 8am - 1:30pm)
After 2pm Monday - Thursday, the rooms are available to all on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Library has consolidated all of our graphic novels into a single location on the 3rd floor bookshelves, creating our newly designated Graphic Novel Collection.
Want to see the graphic novels collection? Check it out online or go to the Ask desk on the main floor of the library to ask for help with finding the collection.
AI-generated image in the style of manga created using Google Gemini
The Highline College Library is thrilled to announce the publication of In Our Own Words: Stories from Immigrant and Refugee Students, Volume 2, released online in May 2025.
Last spring 2024 Dr. Amal Mahmoud and Karen Fernandez collected stories written by his students in his Level 4/5 ESOL classes. In these stories, students shared memorable trips they’ve taken, life experiences, and details about their lives as they practiced English writing skills. Deb Moore and Karen collaborated to publish the stories online through the Pressbooks platform. Volume 1 of this series was published in spring 2024.
Karen Fernandez staffed the library resource table for Young Educated Ladies Leading (Y.E.L.L.) Summit on Saturday, May 17th, 2025 for the Resource Fair: 8:15–9:30 AM in Building 8.
Hosted by Associate Dean of Library and Student Learning Resources Gerie Ventura on the quiet 4th floor of the Library, these Silent Reading events on May 7 and May 21 were designed for faculty and staff to take a 15 minute break or 30 minute lunch break, away from their workplaces, with hot tea and "quiet snacks" like soft cookies. There is just silent reading. No talking!
It's wonderful to be in a room of people talking about books. Please join the Fiction Book Club for HC faculty and staff in reading and discussing fiction books for pleasure, something that has been shown to increase empathy, reduce stress, and help us sleep better. All are welcome to join the monthly book club for faculty and staff.
Mike Caulfield is a superstar in the world of combatting “the spread of online rumors and misinformation” (source). Previously a research scientist at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public and creator of the SIFT method for "sorting out truth from fiction" in online information, Caulfield is an independent writer, speaker, and consultant whose current work "focuses on how students and citizens can use AI as a tool for reasoning and critical thinking, learning to tap into the power of LLMs to contextualize evidence and data, and to model and critique arguments" (source).
His past research led to the "About the source" information in Google search results, and he recently created a generative AI prompt called the SIFT Toolbox to help you fact-check and context-check information you find online.
Caulfield's work inspired Google to add About the source information to Google search results. Heres how to use it:
Step 1: Do a search in Google (ex: algorithmic bias)
Step 2: When looking at the results, click the 3 vertical dots just to the right of the web page's URL, as shown in the screenshot below:
Step 3: A pop up will open on the right that gives you more information about the source. In the example below, we learn that the Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published by Harvard Business Publishing, a not-for-profit, independent corporation that is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. The source is Wikipedia. Use this with your students to help them begin to evaluate and think critically about the information sources they use.
Caulfield recently developed the SIFT Toolbox for use with generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. This is a tool with the potential to be a game-changer for fact-checking and contextualization. You can see an example of what it can do here and here, or click on this image to learn more about the truth of the snow in the Wizard of Oz.
Highline has a new printing system called PaperCut. Each student has a $10.00 printing balance for the quarter. Our fancy new printer is better quality, makes color AND black white copies, and can print from your laptop/phone - and it’s cheaper!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It also will send scanned documents straight to your email for free! For instructions on how to use PaperCut, look for printouts in the Information Commons or just ask at the Reference Desk. You can also read instructions on using PaperCut at the ITS website.
Don't forget! All Highline College students and employees have free and automatic access to the King County Library System (KCLS) Online Library.
Interesting read about our Pacific Northwest natural environment.
From KCLS website: Intended as an introduction for the general reader and geological non-specialist… the book presents evidence of changing ecosystems and ancient life, as well as the Northwest's exceptional record of past climate changes and the implications for our future.
Renee DiResta analyzes the information ecosystem we inhabit today (dominated by algorithmically-managed news media and social media sites). She shows how this ecosystem gives rise to what she calls "bespoke realities," that is, the realities some people inhabit that are shaped significantly by rumors, misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda. She focuses on influencers, algorithms, and crowds as the main actors in spreading online rumors, misinformation, and propaganda. Written with both analytical rigor and storytelling verve, DiResta's Invisible Rulers is the single best book I've read so far that helps readers understand how we find ourselves in a world where we struggle to agree on basic facts and find a shared reality.
Psychological mysteries set in Ireland with clever, interesting writing and characters.
Book about a highway that is part of Americana car culture. Route 66 no longer exists as a complete highway, fun to see what once was a well-traveled road.
From KCLS website: Route 66 Adventure Handbook is a guide to the vanishing American roadside, with all of its exuberance, splendor, and absurdity.
I have read this four times. Simply stated, it is one of the very best historical novels written about United States history. Set in the American Civil War, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1975.
The novel centers around the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3), perhaps the key battle of the Civil War. Sticking to historical facts and using actual soldiers as its main character, the novel explains the battle and its importance. The main character is Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, a former college professor who would win a Medal of Honor at Gettysburg for his leadership and bravery in helping the Union win the battle.
If you want to read more about this battle in a well-written and historically accurate book, read The Killer Angels.
This is a Japanese murder mystery set in Japan in the years following World War II. It features the private detective Kosuke Kindaichi, who was also featured in over 70 more mysteries written by Yokomizo, considered one of the founders of the Japanese mystery/crime genre.
The book, written in 1951, centers around the wealthy Inugami clan, living in the Nagano prefecture of Japan. It is an intricate, well-plotted story of inheritance, greed, envy, lust, and did I mention greed? The main character, Detective Kosuke Kindaichi, is somewhat like a Japanese version of Lt. Columbo. He is rumpled, unimposing, slightly stutters, and scratches his head when excited.
Not only is the book a really good mystery set in a different time and culture, it gives insight into Japan in the years following their defeat in World War II.
Contact refhelp@highline.edu if you are interested in working with the Library to schedule a pop-up library for your upcoming event. Library staff are eager to work with you to bring books and resources tailored to your event participants.
Do YOU have suggestions for future library newsletter content or interviews you'd like to read? Let us know at refhelp@highline.edu
Photo credit to librarian Hara Brook for this gorgeous photo of the Olympics, as seen from the Highline College Library.
