The Shelf Life - A.C. Buehler Library at Elmhurst University

There are some great examples to review here: Micro Stories

In the spirit of Halloween, the A.C. Buehler Library is inviting Elmhurst University students to submit their scariest, shortest story for a chance to win. The submissions may be about any topic but must be two sentences (400 characters or less) in length.

Stories will be reviewed blindly by judges as all identifying information will be removed. Three winners will be chosen to win prizes.

Rules:

1. Participants must be a student currently enrolled at Elmhurst University (eNumber and elmhurst.edu email address required on all entries)

2. Entries must be submitted by Friday, October 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

3. Winners will be announced on Halloween, Friday October 31, 2025.

4. Participants may submit multiple entries, but can only win one prize.

5. Stories that do not follow the 2-sentence rule will be disqualified.

6. Submissions that violate privacy, promote illegal activity, or incite violence will be disqualified.

Enter here!

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End of year survival kit: Resources to help ease stress

The end of the Fall Term is approaching fast! Final exams, assignments, and those dreaded group projects are right around the corner. If you’re able to see beyond that, there are also potential holidays or celebrations that you and your loved ones might be planning. We’re all familiar with the image that is projected about the holidays – lots of food, family, presents, and activities. It’s portrayed as a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. But for some, the reality of the end of term and the holidays can be very different. Many factors can impact how we feel and what we do to cope with pressure or stress as we approach the end of the term and holidays. Stress and stressors look different for everyone, but can include: Financial stress Family connection or disconnection Housing insecurity Food insecurity Maintaining sobriety Maintaining an image or self-esteem through gifts and celebrations Celebrating holidays when your culture, religion, or traditions are not Christian – including fearing discrimination(American Psychological Association, 2023)Even reading that list can be anxiety inducing! But, one of the important things to know is that you're not alone and help is available!Below are resources that might help you find help, or connect you to people who can direct you in the right direction for help (United Way, n.d.)Options for helpElmhurst University - Financial AidFind out how to apply for aid to reduce the cost of tuition, scholarships, and grantsPeople’s Resource Center – Financial Assistance/Social ServicesInformation on how to apply for emergency financial assistanceNote: DuPage residents onlyElmhurst Walk-In AssistanceOffers a range of assistance, including:Rental/mortgage assistanceElectric, gas or water billsCar repair Dental assistance through partnering dentistsPrescription help (through Lombard Pharmacy)Financial Help Check-upsNote: only open to Elmhurst residents or members of an Elmhurst Covenant churchAll Chicago - Emergency Financial AssistanceOffers different programs, such as:Flexible Financial FundStudent Emergency FundSpecial FundFindHelpEnter your zip code to find local resources (Greater Chicago Food Depository, n.d.)Options for helpElmhurst-Yorkfield Food PantryServing residents of Elmhurst, Addison, Bensenville, Berkeley, Hillside, Lombard, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, and Villa ParkElmhurst Walk-In AssistanceVisit Elmhurst Walk-In Assistance to obtain a voucher to the Immaculate Conception Parish Food Pantry.Note: only open to Elmhurst residents or members of a Elmhurst Covenant ChurchWest Suburban Community PantryWalk in or make an appointment to shop at the pantry in WoodridgeIn person, online, and senior delivery options availableNote: DuPage and Will County residents are prioritized Greater Chicago Food DepositoryEnter your zip code to find food banks and other help resources close to you Northern Illinois Food Bank – Get groceries and resourcesEnter your zip code to find food banks and other help resources close to you (Housing Action Illinois, 2020)Options for help DuPagePadsOffers emergency, interim, and empowerment housing options 360 Youth Services – HousingHelps youth between 13-24 experiencing homelessness through an Emergency Youth Shelter, Transitional and Rapid Rehousing Programs, and Cornerstone Group HomeThe Harbour – Emergency ShelterRunaway, locked out or youth experiencing homelessness can gain access 24/7/365 to short-term shelter and supportive services including case management, access to health care, meals and short-term housingMetropolitan Family Services – Family Shelter ServicesOffers support, including emergency shelter, for those affected by domestic violenceCatholic Charities Diocese of Joliet - Kathy Paulsen Hope HouseOffers housing and supportive services to individuals and families experiencing homelessness (National Alliance on Mental Illness, n.d.)HotlinesSuicide and Crisis LifelineCall or Text 988998 LifeLine - 24/7 free, confidentialCall, text, chat, and hearing impaired options are availableCrisis Text LineText REACH to 741-741Text, chat, and WhatsApp options are available. International support is also availableDomestic Violence HotlinesFamily Shelter Services: Metropolitan Family Services HotlineCall 630-469-565024/7 and confidentialAssists with shelter, orders of protection, how to identify abusive behavior, and moreNational Domestic Violence HotlineCall 1-800-799-723324/7 and confidentialCall, chat, and text options are availableRape Crisis HotlinesYWCA Chicago Rape Crisis HotlineCall 800-293-2080Call or chat options are available Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm. Must be 13 or older to use chatRAINNCall 800-656-4673Call, chat, and text options are availableHelpGuide - Mental Health HotlinesEnter your zip code to find mental health hotlines and other help resources relevant to your location and situationNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): DuPageOffers a variety of services including in-person and Zoom based support groups covering topics such as:Adults with mental health conditionsEmerging young adultsSuicide loss supportLGBTQ+ connection supportElmhurst University - Counseling ServicesElmhurst University provides individual therapy and support groups free of charge by appointment onlyThe Trevor ProjectThe Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young peopleChat, call, and text options are available 24/7 ReferencesAmerican Psychological Association. (2023, November 30). Even a joyous holiday season can cause stress for most Americans [Press release]. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2023/11/holiday-season-stressGreater Chicago Food Depository. (n.d.). Chicago’s food bank: Programs and food to end hunger. https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/ Housing Action Illinois. (2020, March 10). Report: Affordable housing scarce in Illinois, census to affect related programs. https://housingactionil.org/blog/2020/03/10/report-affordable-housing-scarce-in-illinois-census-to-affect-related-programs/ National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Illinois state fact sheet: Mental health in Illinois. https://www.nami.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IllinoisStateFactSheet.pdf United Way. (n.d.). Understand the consequences of insufficient income: The state of ALICE in Illinois. https://www.uwcil.org/ALICE#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20of%20Illinois's%20nearly%205.1%20million,in%20Illinois%20were%20below%20the%20ALICE%20Threshold...

Two Sentence Horror Story Contest!

What are 2-sentence horror stories also known as micro horror stories? They are works of fiction, under 400 characters. They contain usage of words, setting, and plot in order to deliver a quick scare. There are some great examples to review here: Micro Stories In the spirit of Halloween, the A.C. Buehler Library is inviting Elmhurst University students to submit their scariest, shortest story for a chance to win. The submissions may be about any topic but must be two sentences (400 characters or less) in length. Stories will be reviewed blindly by judges as all identifying information will be removed. Three winners will be chosen to win prizes. Rules: 1. Participants must be a student currently enrolled at Elmhurst University (eNumber and elmhurst.edu email address required on all entries) 2. Entries must be submitted by Friday, October 24, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. 3. Winners will be announced on Halloween, Friday October 31, 2025. 4. Participants may submit multiple entries, but can only win one prize. 5. Stories that do not follow the 2-sentence rule will be disqualified. 6. Submissions that violate privacy, promote illegal activity, or incite violence will be disqualified. Enter here! ...

Banned Books Week Oct. 5-11, 2025

Banned Books Week is October 5th-11th, 2025. This is an annual week event organized by the American Library Association (ALA) and Banned Books Week Coalition to bring awareness about ongoing attempts to challenge or ban books in schools, libraries, and bookstores. The theme this year is “Censorship is so 1984. Read for your Rights.” Book challenges are increasing in school and public libraries. They appear to be concerns about age appropriation or content but mask broader efforts to silence diverse voices and perspectives. The Process Book bans begin with challenges. They are the formal attempt to remove or restrict access to materials. This could look like submitting a formal complaint, which some public and school libraries have forms for. According to “Banned & Challenged Books,” common reasons books are being challenged include: Sexually explicit content Offensive language Age Appropriateness Despite these reasons, the challenges are aimed at titles that address issues such as race, racism, LGBTQ+ identities, and characters of color. “Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves,” found that challenges successful in school book bans often contained topics such as sex-related content, race and racism, LGBTQ+ people and characters, and people and characters of color. The Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 from ALA featured LGBTQ+ characters, characters of color, and claim to have sexually explicit content or drug use. One of the common groups that challenges books is Moms for Liberty, a conservative group located in Florida that advocates for parental rights. Other groups impose Christian nationalist political views toward public schools. Some politicians also actively support book bans (Chavez, 2022). While these attempts are often posed as protecting children, their primary function is censorship, suppressing diverse stories, and infringing on the First Amendment.The Goal The ultimate goal of a challenge is to ban books. This refers to the book being removed from the shelf by groups presenting a challenge and winning, restricting perspectives and ideas. Some states, like Illinois, have laws prohibiting book bans in public libraries like House Bill 2789 (Eberle, 2024). But other states are not granted protection. South Carolina, under Regulation 43-170, has the most mandated banned books for all public schools. They have a list of titles that have been challenged and taken off the school library shelves according to PEN America’s report. It’s important to note that a true book ban would mean the government mandates the title illegal and ceases publishing and selling of it. It would also mean removing it from those in possession of it (McCluskey & Akyol, 2023). The U.S. government have yet to mandate true book bans, but localized bans and increasing political support for censorship is cause for concern. These actions are impacting readers, authors, educators, and librarians across the country. Therefore, it is important to have weeks dedicated to this cause and to defend your right to read. Raffle To bring awareness to the ongoing challenges and books bans, the A.C. Buehler Library is holding a Banned Books Week Raffle. How to enter: Students can submit banned books they have read or the books’ film adaptations to win a prize. To confirm the title is banned, students can use this link before submitting and use the search bar to quickly find the title. When: September 28th -October 12th Where to enter: Submit your entry in person at the library or digitally here. References About banned & challenged books. American Library Association. (2012, December 10). https://www.ala.org/bbooks/aboutbannedbooks Ala Announces Banned Books Week 2025 theme. American Library Association . (2025, September 5). https://www.ala.org/news/2025/04/ala-announces-banned-books-week-2025-theme Banned in the USA: Beyond the Shelves. PEN America. (2024, November 1). https://pen.org/report/beyond-the-shelves/#heading-5 Chavez, N. (2022, September 19). At least 50 groups in the US advocated to ban books in the past year. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/us/book-ban-movement-pen-america-report-reaj Eberle, H. (2024, September 3). How Illinois is helping to stop book Banning, one state at a time. Illinois Library Association. https://www.ila.org/publications/ila-reporter/article/206/how-illinois-is-helping-to-stop-book-banning-one-state-at-a-time McCluskey, N., & Akyol, M. (2023, October 6). There Are No ‘Banned Books’ in America, But That Doesn’t Mean Freedom Reigns . CATO Institute . https://www.cato.org/blog/there-are-no-banned-books-america-doesnt-mean-freedom-reigns South Carolina replaces Utah as the state with the most mandated banned books for all public schools. PEN America. (2025, May 7). https://pen.org/press-release/south-carolina-replaces-utah-as-the-state-with-the-most-mandated-banned-books-for-all-public-schools/ ...

Summer Reading Displays

Summer is a great time to read a good book or pick up a new hobby. Our three library displays will help you achieve your #SummerGoals. We have three displays this summer full of all sorts of goodies. Circulation Windows – As we welcome incoming students and their families into the Nest, we are featuring books about higher ed and making it through the college experience. These books are behind glass, but you are welcome to check them out! Cafe Shelf – June is Pride Month! The display on the cafe shelf features a display of Stonewall Awards and Lambda Literary Awards winning novels. The novels celebrate LGBTQIA+ readers and authors. Taste the rainbow!! Reading Area – Do you play chess? Maybe you don’t have time for a whole game or can’t find someone to play with. We got you covered. Check out our "Impress with Chess" table. We have set up a chess board so that people can play chess asynchronously as they wander by. Simply make your move and slide the marker over to the “other” side. Come back later in the day or next week to make another move. We also have a few books about chess on display....

A.C. Buehler Library

Two Sentence Horror Story Contest!

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