Librarian brings Kool-Aid to campus
SEL Web site features link to Kool-Aid home page in celebration of 75th anniversary
By
PATRICIA DONOVAN
Contributing Editor
Academia
is not only about barrier containment technologies and the latest literary
trends. It's also about Kool-Aid.
This
year marks the 75th anniversary of the marketing of the drink so sweet
it can set your teeth on edge, and a thirsty, sugar-loving UB librarian
wants you to know all about it.
David
J. Bertuca of the Arts and Sciences Libraries has linked the Web site
of the university's Science and Engineering Library (SEL) to the Kool-Aid
home page. You can wade through Kool-Aid's bursts, pops, twists and
jammers, and sail right into the Kraft kitchens to pick up the five-star
recipe for Kool-Aid Super Sour Kool Kubes.
You
can also go straight from the SEL site to the biography of Edwin Perkins,
who created the stuff. Start here: http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/sel/
"No,
I wasn't around when Kool-Aid first showed up," says Bertuca, "but I
know that everyone who lived in the 20th century has enjoyed at least
one glass. My favorite flavor is cherry. At least I think it is."
Bertuca
points out that Perkins began his career in soft, sugary drinks at age
11 when he started experimenting with drink combinations in his mother's
kitchen.
"By
the early 1920s, he had developed the commercial product that was the
forerunner of Kool-Aid and in 1927 released the first powdered-drink
packages and became a leader in the beverage industry," Bertuca adds.
He
probably took good care of his mom and dad, too—another reason
to encourage science learning in our children.
Kool-Aid
isn't the only story on the SEL home page, however.
It
can take visitors to a variety of fascinating and fun stories and sites—from
UB science librarian Laura Taddeo's new online exhibit of books by the
university's science faculty to a story about UB biologists living under
the sea.
There's
an assessment of the state of the local watershed and up-to-date stories
on the latest asteroid near-miss, computers and women, climate change
and recommendations for what to do this weekend.
The
SEL site also links to great educational sites like "Eduscape," which
offers weekly, in-depth studies on topics from literature, science,
history and beyond, designed for all levels of readers, adult and children
alike.
Rainy
day? Bored? Feeling dull-witted and boring? Head to the SEL Web page.
At the very least, with the knowledge you absorb you'll be the center
of attention at parties.
