Goldstein Library Updates - LibGuides at Ringling College of Art + Design

Blog written by Destini Brown, Creative Writing '27, Library Research Consultant.

I found myself back at the library.

Again.

No surprise.

As a junior, I underestimated the workload and the new amount of responsibilities this year has to offer. The assignments that require every ounce of attention have led me to take more trips to the library, and I cannot complain.

$image.png$

Third Floor But First in My Heart

I love every floor of the library; they all have something so unique to offer, whether it be the first floor’s helpful displays and free books or the second floor's extensive comic book section and Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman. However, the third floor has a magnetic pull that I cannot resist.

As soon as I walk in, I take the elevator right up to the top. And I am welcomed by a quiet that you cannot find on any of the other floors. But that could also be because of the sign that tells people not to talk… Still! Quiet as can be.

Then I take myself and my thirty-pound bag to one of the chairs at either side of the floor. Both sides of the floor offer something different; you can choose to sit at the windows that overlook our beautiful bayou and a distant view of downtown Sarasota, or the side that faces the street with the residences and dining hall. Nonetheless, you can find stunning natural light through both views, and a calm that no artificial light can bring.

And if I want to get some fresh air or, at night, look at the stars, I can go to the terrace that overlooks the campus. And if I stay there long enough, I can forget all about homework, that is, until the timer I set earlier brings me back to work.

A Treasure Trove of Resources

But enough about my experience, and a little more about the floor.

One of the more unique features of the floor is the mobile shelves that you can open and walk through to find books on cultural studies, filmmaking, literature, philosophy, government, politics, and many more that I can’t fit all in one sentence.

If you are interested in film and photography, you can find a wide variety of screenplays, scripts, film theory, and books on photography, both on how to create great photography and photobooks with collections from the best photographers around the world.

If you are interested in interior design, animal anatomy, or contemporary art and its impacts on culture, or even rugs, the third floor has got you covered.

And don’t even get me started on our section of oversized books. I vividly remember the first time I saw them, wondering how, in 20 years of living, I had never seen a book half my size. If you want a more in-depth look at that topic, check out library research consultant Milli Walton's blog post, Big Things Happening with Big Books!

On the floor, we have posted on the walls a Call Number Map that helps you find out where the book you want is located. For example, in section B you can find books on philosophy, psychology, religion, and mythology. The letters will be at the top of each shelf, along with a short description of the subgenres of books in that specific topic.

Some of my Favorite Finds

Here are some of my favorite finds I found in the P section of the library. All three of these books are helpful for writers, and filmmakers who want to go beyond classroom learning.

Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - A book that describes Stephen King's journey as a writer and his advice to aspiring writers.
Story by Robert McKee - An in-depth book that covers story and act structure for screenplays.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The Shooting Script - The shooting script of a brilliant film about love and heartbreak.

Study Spaces and Amenities

And remember you don’t have to come alone! The third floor also has a large group study room for private group study, with whiteboards, a television, and plenty of chairs, no matter how big your party is!

But remember- it’s first-come, first-served so get there quick!

Come Visit Us!

Any student of the arts can benefit from going to Alfred R. Goldstein Library. You could close your eyes, choose any book at random, and find a book that could change your life as a creative person. And this blog post can barely scratch the surface of what this floor has to offer, so stop reading and go check it out for yourself!

We can't wait to see you there!

Recent Posts

All About Zines!

Blog post written by Mili Walton, Illustration '27, Library Research Consultant All About Zines! If you’ve spent any amount of time in the library, you’ve probably seen some little booklets lying around. Maybe you’ve ignored it, maybe you’ve picked it up and had a peek through, maybe you’ve taken it back to your room and put it up on your wall as a fun decoration. If you were unaware, the little piece of folded paper you’ve interacted with there is called a zine! And you’ve just done your part in the role that zines play in society- reaching, teaching, and strengthening communities. Last semester, I made the “Radical Reading” zine that focused on censorship and book banning within the state of Florida. I made this because I felt like people needed to know how severe this issue is specifically within Florida. I had never made a zine before, and I found the whole experience to be extremely rewarding and effective in connecting with the Ringling community and Sarasota area. My zine has traveled from the library, to the coffee shop across the street, all the way to the ALA conference this past summer! Zines truly are an effective, fun, meaningful way to share information and start a conversation. Ok, so what is a zine? Zines have an incredibly extensive and colorful history. If we want to go really far back, it’s argued that Martin Luther’s 95 Theses was the first zine! And if you take a peek at the definition of a zine, a self published booklet or pamphlet geared towards a specific group within a community, it kind of fits! Better examples of early zines, specifically within America, started to appear during the early 1900s with the Harlem Renaissance “little magazines”. They often covered “Radicalism, experimental writing, and space for subversion.” They also frequently featured poetry and prose. Despite their significance to literary history, Little magazines are “exceedingly hard to track down”. Later on, in the 1930s, fanzine content became exceedingly popular. The first ever fanzine was “the Comet” which was a science fiction zine that ran for 3 years. From there, fanzine communities grew to extend into other fanbases, particularly music, horror, and comics. Notably, Star Trek zines were incredibly popular and even saved the show at one point after its cancellation was announced. Communities hold power! The use of photocopiers in the 1960s allowed zine creators to make more zines at a relatively cheap price. This is the era where the “homemade” and “grungy” look became commonplace for zines. Zines were frequently distributed at concerts, high schools, and universities. Because they were cheap and easy to make, people made and gave out hundreds of zines within their communities. They were there to educate, humor, and even inform people about music venues. Zines built and maintained communities across America!In the 80s, zines commonly became a way for people to tackle societal issues and educate their communities on various topics. Due to the lack of public education during the AIDS epidemic, many queer creators took it into their own hands to create educational zines on the disease and safe sex. They were also “Used as a form of civil disobedience to protest the U.S government’s slow and ineffective response to the AIDS crisis.” This was also the time when the RIOTGRRRL movement began, and zines were used to educate people on feminist issues and social consciousness. These were popularized by many of the classic Riotgrrrl punk bands like Bikini kill and Bratmobile. Are zines still a thing? YES! Zines are not only an active thing on Ringling campus, but across the nation as a whole! Zine festivals are still happening often and always across cities, usually as local community building and educational events. It’s always good to keep an eye out at local comic shops/bookstores/libraries/community centers to see if any are happening near you. Bat City comics in Bradenton often hosts comic and zine related events! Whether that be festivals, creator nights, or informative sessions. Go check em out! What if I want to make a zine? You totally should! Part of the appeal of a zine is the ease and accessibility to make one. Sure, you can make a fancy one with a risograph or photocopied collage. Or you could just use a piece of paper and a pencil! There’s no specific way to make a zine, but there’s hundreds of things that a zine can be made for. Whatever you can think of, that can be a zine! Want to show off your photography?Got a topic you want to rant about? Got information you want to share?Want to make a cool present for a friend or family member?Want to get your feelings out? Need a warmup? Make a zine! Help! I need inspiration!Ok! You’re in luck, Goldstein library special collections has an INCREDIBLE collection of zines that you can peek through. Feel free to schedule an appointment here! Or you can check out more info on the catalog or special collections here!!Here’s an example of some of the things that we have in the collection: The Demon on Sourwood Mountain by Natalie Andrewson (A Ringling alumni!)Its not nice for a girl by Christina Atik; It's not nice for a girl / Christina Atik.Only by Diane Zhou; Only / Diane Zhou.Gunitaan: a Filipino Folktale library ; Gunitaan : a Filipino folktale library. SourcesLibrary of Virginia. (2023). Research Guides & Indexes: Zines and Self-Published Materials: Timeline of Zine History. Libguides.com. https://lva-virginia.libguides.com/c.php?g=1332410&p=9812968Kero, R. H. (2021, December 2). A History of Zines. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/history-of-zines/Matthias, M. (2023, December 8). Zine | History, Definition, Printing, Making, & Facts | Britannica. Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/zineMagazine, S., & Nowakowski, T. (2023, December 5). How Zines Brought Power to Those on the Margins of Culture. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brooklyn-museum-explores-how-zines-offered-a-voice-to-those-outside-mainstream-culture-180983351/The Little Magazines of the Harlem Renaissance. (2025). The Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetry-news/81342/the-little-magazines-of-the-harlem-renaissance...

Meet Me on the Third Floor

Blog written by Destini Brown, Creative Writing '27, Library Research Consultant.I found myself back at the library. Again. No surprise. As a junior, I underestimated the workload and the new amount of responsibilities this year has to offer. The assignments that require every ounce of attention have led me to take more trips to the library, and I cannot complain. Third Floor But First in My HeartI love every floor of the library; they all have something so unique to offer, whether it be the first floor’s helpful displays and free books or the second floor's extensive comic book section and Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman. However, the third floor has a magnetic pull that I cannot resist.As soon as I walk in, I take the elevator right up to the top. And I am welcomed by a quiet that you cannot find on any of the other floors. But that could also be because of the sign that tells people not to talk… Still! Quiet as can be. Then I take myself and my thirty-pound bag to one of the chairs at either side of the floor. Both sides of the floor offer something different; you can choose to sit at the windows that overlook our beautiful bayou and a distant view of downtown Sarasota, or the side that faces the street with the residences and dining hall. Nonetheless, you can find stunning natural light through both views, and a calm that no artificial light can bring. And if I want to get some fresh air or, at night, look at the stars, I can go to the terrace that overlooks the campus. And if I stay there long enough, I can forget all about homework, that is, until the timer I set earlier brings me back to work. A Treasure Trove of ResourcesBut enough about my experience, and a little more about the floor. One of the more unique features of the floor is the mobile shelves that you can open and walk through to find books on cultural studies, filmmaking, literature, philosophy, government, politics, and many more that I can’t fit all in one sentence. If you are interested in film and photography, you can find a wide variety of screenplays, scripts, film theory, and books on photography, both on how to create great photography and photobooks with collections from the best photographers around the world.If you are interested in interior design, animal anatomy, or contemporary art and its impacts on culture, or even rugs, the third floor has got you covered. And don’t even get me started on our section of oversized books. I vividly remember the first time I saw them, wondering how, in 20 years of living, I had never seen a book half my size. If you want a more in-depth look at that topic, check out library research consultant Milli Walton's blog post, Big Things Happening with Big Books! On the floor, we have posted on the walls a Call Number Map that helps you find out where the book you want is located. For example, in section B you can find books on philosophy, psychology, religion, and mythology. The letters will be at the top of each shelf, along with a short description of the subgenres of books in that specific topic.Some of my Favorite FindsHere are some of my favorite finds I found in the P section of the library. All three of these books are helpful for writers, and filmmakers who want to go beyond classroom learning. Stephen King's On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - A book that describes Stephen King's journey as a writer and his advice to aspiring writers.Story by Robert McKee - An in-depth book that covers story and act structure for screenplays.Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: The Shooting Script - The shooting script of a brilliant film about love and heartbreak. Study Spaces and AmenitiesAnd remember you don’t have to come alone! The third floor also has a large group study room for private group study, with whiteboards, a television, and plenty of chairs, no matter how big your party is!But remember- it’s first-come, first-served so get there quick!Come Visit Us!Any student of the arts can benefit from going to Alfred R. Goldstein Library. You could close your eyes, choose any book at random, and find a book that could change your life as a creative person. And this blog post can barely scratch the surface of what this floor has to offer, so stop reading and go check it out for yourself! We can't wait to see you there!...

Spring Semester Sign Off! 2025

A collaborative blog post/end-of-the-year wrap-up from Instructional Design Librarians Kelly and Dan, and Research Consultants Emily Kang, Mili Walton, Hayden Oliveri, Destini Brown, and Anna Herrara! A Wrap-up from your LibrariansKelly: Wowza! This semester has been a wild one, and we’ve accomplished so much this past year at the library. We’ve had an absolute blast with helping students do research, participating in Wonderful Wednesdays and Paws and Relax, and so much more. We created so much cool library swag and signage! We hired THREE new Student Research Consultants, we made our Research Consultation Office feel more like a classroom, and we’ve been enjoying every busy day!I especially appreciated being invited to special events like the "Beyond Roberto, el Zorro Rojo: Art, Autism & Authorship" event celebrating our student Antonio Machado Boada who published a book with Penguin Random House, the Earth Day/Terrific Tuesday celebration, having the Pop-Up Public Library back on campus, and even things I participated in off campus such as presenting on “A Zine History” at St. Pete College as part of St Pete Zine Fest, the BAM! Fest in Bradenton with Professor Gary Barker and our friends from Bat City Comic Professionals (and oh, did I mention the current special collections exhibition “Off-Panel: a Ringling College x Bat City Comic Professionals Collaboration”?!). As you might have noticed, I love campus and community collaboration, so feel free to reach out to me if you would like to connect! I even had a poster proposal accepted for the upcoming ARLIS/NA conference on community engagement and using comics and zines for educational and outreach purposes! I'm so happy to be working at Goldstein Library (and I will miss our graduating student worker Emily dearly)! Kelly at BAM! Fest in Bradenton, promoting zine making and Ringling College! Dan: As the academic year comes to a close at the Alfred R. Goldstein Library, we’re reflecting on an incredible year of learning, collaboration, and growth. It’s been my first full year as Instructional Design Librarian at Ringling College of Art and Design, and I’m so proud of all we’ve accomplished together! From visiting dozens of classes to teach students how to make the most of our library’s powerful resources, to presenting on critical information literacy and developing a CIL framework for classroom use, we’ve been busy helping students and faculty engage deeply with research, media, and creative inquiry.Beyond the classroom, we’ve been active across campus—tabling at events like Wonderful Wednesdays, Paws and Relax, and open houses to connect with our community in fun and meaningful ways. We’ve had the pleasure of working alongside five outstanding student research assistants this year; while we’re sad to say goodbye to Emily, we’re excited to see all she will accomplish in her next chapter. We also welcomed three fantastic new staff members, and we look forward to their continued contributions next year. To our graduates: we are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what’s next. Congratulations and best wishes from all of us at the library! Hayden and Dan at our last Wonderful Wednesday of the semester, with graphic novels and comics to celebrate the exhibition on the second floor in Special Collections, “Off-Panel”!Dan at a Paws and Relax outreach event! Congratulations on your graduation, Emily! Class of 2025! Emily: Hi, everyone! My name is Emily Kang, and you may have previously seen my art on the walls of the library or a post by me on this blog. I'm a fourth year majoring in General Illustration and I'll be graduating in two weeks. I started working with Kelly and Dan as a Research Consultant in February of last year, and to be honest, I'm torn at the fact that it's already over. Make no mistake -- even while majoring in the most visual of all mediums, I love reading. As a kid, I'd check out as many books as humanly possible at my local library and make my mom help carry them to the car. Occasionally there would be multiple trips made, me with books stacked in my arms higher than I could look past it and my mom hefting a plastic cart that could do nothing but bend under the weight of all that paper. Looking back, there's no doubt that it must've been a hassle for the workers, too. There's so much unseen that goes into the function of a library to make it run every day. Yet I also know that there must've been some happiness in seeing that kind of passion. What touched me most was learning how enthusiastic the Goldstein staff are about their workplace. They love reading, are very passionate about their knowledge, and want to share it all with as many students as they can. Back in the summer when I was working on the third floor map, I distinctly remember a conversation with Christina, the Circulation Assistant Manager, on what was or wasn't allowed in the library. 'Sleeping was okay,' she told me. 'Actually, we had to move some chairs so there were more inviting spots for people to lay around.' What about bringing in food? 'That's okay (within reason) too. Especially the first floor section, near the cafe. The goal is to make students feel that they can spend as much time as they'd like here.' That's a fact I love bringing up when talking about the library -- to never forget that they want you here. Invite your friends to hang out on the second floor and let the staff know what about the space you like and dislike. Borrow CD players from the front desk and use the third floor light box and ask the library to purchase that new juicy romance novel you want to read, because there might be others who feel the same way. And find out everything about Goldstein Library. It's a space meant for you, so take advantage of it. Thank you and goodbye! Emily showing us her process of making us posters for promoting library instruction! Emily loves the Student Learning Center ducks (but don't we all!?)A Word from Our Busy BeeMili: The library is such a wonderful environment to work, learn, and collaborate in. I’ve been able to do a lot of really fun and impactful things through the library- Like tabling for events, welcoming the mobile library, designing stickers and T-shirts, and making my “Radical Reading” zine. I’ve also loved helping students get a better understanding of the catalog and all the resources available to them through the library. I’ve got to assist really cool people with some really cool projects- the work rewards itself. I can’t wait to continue my work with the Ringling library next year (My Junior year! Time really flies!) We're very lucky to have one of Ringling's Busiest Bees as our Library Research Consultants - Mili!Mili designed our latest library stickers - are you a dizzy spinning Remy or a comfy chair chill Remy?Mili's popular “Radical Reading” zine! And now…Introducing our Newest Research Consultants: Anna: My name is Anna Herrera, I am currently a freshman in Entertainment Design. I like the library because of the vast amount of resources they have for students. In particular, I have used the light tables, printers, computers, and databases for many academic and personal projects this year. I also appreciate the fact that the library has dvds and dvd players as someone who is passionate about physical media. I enjoy working at the library as well because of all the opportunities it has given me. I’ve had a lot of fun working on projects like buttons, zines, and my own Remy design for some animated shorts I hope to make for the library. Working at the library has also allowed me to meet new people and tell others about all the cool stuff they have to offer. Anna, Hayden, and Destini - our new Library Research Consultants!Anna designed these buttons!Destini: Hello! I am Destini Brown, and I am a second-year student in Creative Writing who loves screenplays and anything film-related. I am a research consultant at the library. I chose to work here because of my love of the library’s incredible selection of books, especially the books on photography in film that I spend my free time reading. Being a research consultant allows me to mix my interests in both finding helpful resources and being able to help students with their Ringling workload! If you see me on campus feel free to say hello! Destini at our Asian American and Pacific Islander Wonderful Wednesday outreach event, cutting out some dragon temporary tattoos we brought along! Hayden: My name is Hayden Oliveri, I am a Second Year Illustration student. I chose Ringling because it had one of the best programs for illustration and it was close to home. I loved how they run the illustration department and the courses they offer here have helped me develop my art. The reason I wanted to work at the library was because I am at the library a lot, it is one of my favorite places on campus. In my first year, I would look up some of my favorite artists to see if their art books were in the library. One of my favorite books was The Big Kopinski by Karl Kopinski. I loved his style, especially his pencil sketches. I am also the Sketchbook Club President and the club meets every Saturday in the Library, I knew the library was the perfect place for the club as there are so many resources to study from, and I could bring in any books that are relevant to the artist or theme we’re studying at that meeting. Hayden with George Pratt as a guest speaker for Sketchbook Club! One of our Whiteboard Doodle Stickers made by Christina - an accurate portrayal of how a lot of us feel after a busy semester!Thanks for a great year, everyone, and we're looking forward to working with you all in the Fall! ...

Will Eisner Week: Death in the Newspaper Revisited

Blog written by Tim DeForest, Library Circulation Manager. Will Eisner Week is annually the week of March 6th, and celebrates the “father of the Graphic Novel”. Visit willeisner.com for more information on Will Eisner and his legacy, and check out our materials on Will Eisner here at the Goldstein Library.In 1940, the Register and Tribune Syndicate of Des Moines began to distribute a 16-page comic book that newspapers would include in their Sunday edition (along with the regular comics section). Though their subscriber base was never large and their page count eventually dropped to 8 pages, this newspaper/comic book hybrid ran for 12 years.The main feature for the comic was The Spirit, created by Will Eisner. Except for a few years spent in the army during the war, Eisner drew the strip and did most of the writing. He often re-wrote scripts when he didn't originate them, so The Spirit was pretty much his baby from start to finish.Superheroes were all the rage in 1940, but Eisner resisted the pressure to turn his hero--criminologist Denny Colt--into a costumed hero. Instead, he slapped a mask and a pair of gloves on the character, which made everyone happy and left him free to tell the sort of stories he wanted to tell. Any one Spirit story might be a comedy, a hard-boiled crime story, a fantasy or a combination of genres. Often the Spirit was only a peripheral character in a particular story, because that story was centered on an inevitably fascinating one-shot character.I got to meet Mr. Eisner once when he spoke here at Ringling way back in 2004. It was just before my first book came out and the teacher (David Steiling) giving him the campus tour mentioned this. Mr. Eisner was kind enough to ask me about the book. When I mentioned that it was in part about pulp magazines such as Black Mask, he said he learned to write short stories from reading Black Mask. This was a magazine published before World War II and was responsible for popularizing the hard-boiled school of detective fiction. These were stories about tough private eyes and violent criminals, told in a terse style that doesn’t waste any words in getting to the point.And he was indeed a master of the short story format. The post-war Spirit stories, which usually ran only 7 pages, were models of concise storytelling and often packed an extraordinary emotional punch.For instance, the November 10, 1949 issue is about Freddie, a young man who is apparently well-liked in his neighborhood, but who sick of his life and wants to move on. Moving on costs money and the most convenient way to get money is to rob the local candy store.Well, we've been told right up front that this story is about the last ten minutes of Freddie's life, so it's not surprising when things go wrong. Freddie ends up killing the candy store owner and, after spending several tense moments serving malteds to customers while a corpse is hidden behind the counter, he's forced to make a run for it. The Spirit nearly catches him in a subway station--Freddie makes a break for it, but his hands get stuck in a subway car, pulling him to his death against a steel support.Several things make the story work. First, Eisner quickly but effectively sketches out Freddie's character for us. He looks young and his character design wouldn't be out-of-place in an Archie comic, but we soon see that he's a bitter man who's about to make several horribly bad decisions. We are made to sympathize with Freddie to a degree, but without in anyway being told to excuse his actions.Also, Eisner casually inserts a number of elements that remind us the entire story takes place in only ten minutes. For instance, on the first page there's a little girl bouncing a ball while reciting an alphabet rhyme. She's on "A my Name is Alice" when Freddie walks by on his way to the candy shop. She's still at the game, up to R when Freddie is fleeing for his life a few minutes later. It's such a simple thing, but it works perfectly, reminding us just how quickly events are unfolding.. I can really believe that Eisner learned to write short stories from Black Mask. Were this a prose story, it's exactly the sort of tale you'd have expected to find in that magazine.It you have an interest in writing and/or illustrating graphic literature, then this story has a lot to teach you about using both script and art together to tell a story well; how to lay out a plot without wasting time; and how to give your stories a real sense of movement and the passage of time. You can read this story in A Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics, located on the library’s second floor in the Graphic Novel section (call # PN6726 .S58 1981).Circulation manager Tim DeForest behind his desk, with a photo of his first book! Tim DeForest has worked at Ringling for over 35 years, and has a wealth of comic knowledge! This blog was originally published on Tim's blog in February 2014 - over ten years ago, and ten years after he met Will Eisner! Visit him behind the library circulation desk, and be sure to check out the rest of his blog (Comics, old time radio, and other cool stuff), the other books he's written (which we have available for check out in Goldstein Library), and his YouTube Videos on comics.There is a Sarasota Herald-Tribune article about Eisner's visit to Sarasota in 2004, when he was 86 years old: HUISKING, CHARLIE. 2004. “Will Eisner’s Art Goes Far beyond ‘Funny Books.’” Sarasota Herald-Tribune. March 12, 2004. https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2004/03/12/will-eisners-art-goes-far-beyond-funny-books/28793548007/. The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at OSU contains correspondence between Will Eisner and Ringling School of Art and Design in their Special Collections. Librarian Kelly Lindberg has reached out to OSU to ask if they can share this correspondence for our own archives, check back soon for updates!Will Eisner Week Display 2025, a selection of some materials available for check out at Goldstein Library!‌...

Meet Me on the Third Floor

Leave a comment