Time travel has been a staple of science fiction since H.G. Wells wrote The Time Machine, over one hundred years ago. You can travel through the history of Austin, Texas using the Austin Past & Present kiosk, which is on loan from the Austin History Center. Austin Past & Present is a collecion of eight videos which summarize Ausitn's history from prehistoric times to the present and over 300 slide shows comprised of over 1600 images, accompanied by stories told by Austinites themselves. A user-friendly interface allows access to this treasure trove either through a timeline or through icons on a map of Austin. The kiosk contains a video monitor, a tracking ball and a button to control the cursor, and a pair of headphones. Austin Past & Present, as a DVD-ROM disc, can be borrowed from Austin Public Library. Spend some time with travelling in the Fourth Dimension with Austin Past & Present.
Problem: there is a seemingly limitless amount of information clamoring for your attention and you only have a limited amount of attention. In his book 
Here are more favorite films from Terrazas Branch staff member, Aaron Parker: Horror is a critically maligned genre in popular American cinema today and with good reason. I have to say I don't really enjoy horror movies. This particular emotion is one of the hardest to instill utilizing film as an intermediary. Horror can be good campy fun, but when was the last time a truly effective and innovative scary movie was made in the States (A fourth Scream anyone?)
Not long ago, I was browsing the multitudinous selections on the shelves at the Terrazas Branch and I came across two of my favorites. While seemingly disparate, the two films have a uniting thematic similarity: that of the journey. Tales of expeditions have been with man since the beginning, from The Illiad in 1200 BCE to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in '72. While questing always makes for good storytelling, these two movies are particularly anxious and tension ridden odysseys.
This is the first of what I hope will be a series of postings about media treasures from the Terrazas Branch. You can find many popular movie titles here as well as films off of the beaten path. I often borrow films that I know nothing about other than the blurb on the cover. The results aren't always satisfying, but the price is always right. I enjoy foreign films because they provide glimpses of other cultures and world-views. Unless you speak the language of the film, you've got to read the captions. That means you've got to focus on the film and put the laptop computer, or whatever other media source you like to use, away. Sometimes the sacrifice is worthwhile.
On Tuesday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m., UT's Butler School of Music is sponsoring a Texas Music Panel in room MRH 2.634 at the School of Music. The room is on the first floor, near the Trinity Street Entrance (see this 
Our six-week journey through America's Music ends on Tuesday, April 30, with a look at how Latin rhythms have affected American popular music in general, then we will hear how Puerto Rican immigrants and African Americans created hip hop music during the 1970s, in From Mambo To Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale. The program begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Terrazas Branch Meeting Room.
On Tuesday, April 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Terrazas Branch, the America's Music series continues with "Rock." We will be viewing all of "Plugging In," from 
The America's Music series of music documentaries and discussion continues at the Terrazas Branch on Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. with "Broadway and Tin Pan Alley." We'll be watching Episode Two; "Syncopated City" of the documentary film "Broadway: The American Musical." If you are a fan of the Jazz Age and the music it produced, you won't want to miss this film.
Week Two of America's Music is centered on the fast picking and high-pitched singing of the branch of country music known as "bluegrass". We will watch about an hour of "High Lonesome", which shows how bluegrass music evolved from it's rural roots during the Twentieth Century. If you are not familiar with bluegrass, "High Lonesome" is a great introduction to this style of music. If you are already a fan, you will be thrilled by the musical gems included in this cinematic time capsule. In either case, I hope you will join us to view the film and discuss it with UT musicologist Caroline O'Meara at the Terrazas Branch at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 2. For more information about bluegrass and the film "High Lonesome" click 
