Mark your calendars!

Miami University’s Brill Science Library will hold an orientation/open house event for students and interested faculty and staff members on Friday, October 5 from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Brill Science Library, located on the west side of the Hughes laboratory building.

During the event, participants will explore several different “microclimates” devoted to research, information and literature about global climate change that will help them make their own informed decisions about the topic. Microclimates will also provide information about services available at the library, such as chat reference, OhioLINK, and RefWorks. The final microclimate will feature locally produced and organic foods.

At the beginning of their journey, participants will be given a passport to have stamped at each “microclimate” they visit. Students must be documented at six total “microclimates” to be eligible for prizes and extra credit. Some of the prizes to be awarded at the event include digital cameras and flash drives.

Dr. William Burns, Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Law & Policy, Santa Clara University School of Law (Santa Clara, CA), is the featured speaker for the event. He will speak about global climate change at 3:30 pm on Brill’s fourth floor.

A photo contest will complement the event. Those interested in taking pictures of nature subjects are invited to submit their photos online at http://www.lib.muohio.edu/gaia. Photos will be displayed during the event and judges will determine the best submission. Prizes will be awarded to contest winners.

Sponsors of the event include Miami University’s Office of Student Affairs Special Events Fund; the Institute of Environmental Sciences; and several departments, including Zoology, Mathematics & Statistics, Botany, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Computer Science and Systems Analysis, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Manufacturing & Mechanical Engineering, Geography, Microbiology, Paper & Chemical Engineering, and Geology.

This event is free and open to the public.