WVU Libraries

Stop by the Downtown Campus Library on June 20 to celebrate the state’s founding. The WVU Libraries will mark the day by paying tribute to artist, author, outdoor enthusiast, and West Virginian George Bird Evans.

“We are focusing on George Bird Evans in honor of the donation of the Evans’ papers and manuscripts to the WVU Libraries earlier this year,” said John Cuthbert, curator of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. “Evans was a giant in the field of upland game bird hunting literature. His writing about the subject, which included well over one hundred books and articles, reflected a connoisseurship that harked back to the European tradition of the gentleman sportsman.”

Evans began his professional life during the late 1920s working as an illustrator for leading magazines and other clients in New York City. After serving during World War II, he turned his talents to writing a series of acclaimed mystery novels. It was not until the 1950s that he began writing about his passion for birds, dogs, and the West Virginia mountains. He passed away in 1998.

Festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with a reception in the Milano Reading Room. A dedication ceremony for the George Bird Evans Collection follows at 10 a.m., with Evans’ biographer Catherine Harper delivering the keynote address.

An exhibit of Evans’ work opens at noon in the Davis Galleries on the sixth floor of the Wise Library. The 2008 West Virginia Day posters will be distributed at that time to those present.

The day concludes with a reception at “Old Hemlock,” the rustic Preston County home of Evans. The reception will include a barbeque, tours of the home and grounds, and demonstrations of Pointers, the dog breed Evans immortalized in drawing and word.

A native of nearby Uniontown, Pa., Evans settled permanently in Preston County in 1939. His home near Bruceton Mills became well known to sporting literature enthusiasts throughout the country during the late twentieth century. His writings were largely based upon his experiences at “Old Hemlock” and in the nearby hills and mountains.

Evans’ extensive collection, now housed in the WVRHC, includes personal papers, manuscripts, books and other materials by and about Evans and his wife, co-author and editor, Kay Harris Evans.

All events are open to the public.

In the age of iPods and YouTube, the WVU Libraries and the Wheeling Symphony are collaborating to celebrate a treasure from the golden era of radio.

Broadcast from Capitol Music Hall in Wheeling, “It’s Wheeling Steel” entered homes nationwide from 1936-1944. Millions gathered around their radios on Sunday afternoons to hear amateur musicians debut their talents in front of a live audience.

The sensation returns to Wheeling at 8 p.m. April 18 with “Remembering ‘It’s Wheeling Steel,’ Part II.” The performance at the WesBanco Arena will transport the audience back to the show’s heyday.
Read the rest of this entry »

The West Virginia University Libraries celebrated 125 years as a Federal Depository Library during an event on Feb. 14.

More than 50 people filled Room 104 of the Downtown Campus Library to hear Bill Sleeman, Chair of the American Library Association’s Government Documents Round Table, speak about the importance of Federal Depository Libraries. Following, Ted Priebe, Director of Library Planning and Development for the U.S. Government Printing Office, presented a commemorative plaque to Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien, Associate Dean Myra Lowe, and Christine Chang, government documents librarian.

Ted Priebe, Director of Library Planning and Development, US Government Printing Office, presented a commemorative plaque to Christine Chang, government documents librarian. Picture here are Bill Sleeman, chair of ALA’s Government Documents Roundtable; Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien; Chang; and Priebe.

Bill Sleeman talks to about the future of government documents in libraries.

Ted Priebe talks about government document libraries.

The celebration included an assortment of cookies, chocolate covered strawberries, and punch.

Hilary and Jo.

Cassie and Natelle

Alyssa and Penny

Joe, Dante, and Ginger

Bill Sleeman and Linda

Ted Priebe; Christine; and Dr. Majed Khader, government documents librarian for Marshall University Libraries

Eleanor McDonald and Natelle

Joe and Jo.

Myra presents a gift to Christine to mark her time as government documents librarian

Myra and Christine admire Christine’s new mantel clock

Using the WVU Libraries’ Web site resulted in more than just finding a book or an electronic journal for two students.

Nalisa Robinson, an exercise physiology sophomore, and Emily Corio, a journalism graduate student, each netted a Red iPod Nano for their efforts. They were among 230 students, staff, and faculty who participated in an information scavenger hunt the Libraries hosted in conjunction with the launch of their revamped Web site.

Pictured are Associate Dean Myra Lowe, students Nalisa Robinson and Emily Corio, and Web Service Librarian Beth Toren.
Read the rest of this entry »

Four WVU students gained some real-world experience while helping the WVU Libraries better understand how users perceive the Libraries.

The team studied three years of survey results for the WVU Libraries and presented their analysis during a session at the American Libraries Association’s mid-winter conference in Philadelphia in January. Their efforts won applause from about 50 academic library administrators from around the country.

“The students did an incredible job from start to finish,” WVU Libraries Dean Frances O’Brien said. “They did a thorough job analyzing the data, and they impressed a roomful of deans and directors with their presentation at the conference. Both are difficult tasks, even for professionals in the field.”

A team of WVU marketing seniors shined during their presentation at the American Library Association mid-winter conference in Philadelphia. Pictured are Frances O’Brien, Dean of the WVU Libraries; Angela Julien, marketing senior; David Hughes, marketing senior; Martha Kyrillidou, Director, American Research Libraries Service Quality Programs; Amanda Benson, marketing senior; Ryan D’Souza, marketing senior; and Dr. Paula Bone, marketing professor.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Daily Athenaeum, January 24, 2008

By Kathryn Gregory
Managing Editor

Harold M. Forbes slowly puts on a pair of pristine white gloves and reaches onto a dusty shelf to grab a treasure from a collection that dates back hundreds of years. He turns the treasure over in his hand and slowly opens the binding to reveal the intricate details of the pages within.

The book, which is part of Dennis Diderot’s Dictionary, is just one of the many rare finds that have a safe and well-maintained home at West Virginia University’s Downtown Library Complex.

The gloves are worn to protect the books from oils that might transfer from hands to pages, which can speed along the process of a book’s deterioration.

Forbes is the curator of rare books at WVU libraries and has been working on collecting and preserving the books since 1989.

Books are donated to the Rare Books Room, and the curator’s job is to preserve the books and hunt for any books that might be missing from a particular collection.

Stewart Plein, assistant West Virginia rare books curator, holds open “Hortus Indicus Malabaricus.” This botanical
book dates back to 1700 and is translated in four languages.
Read the rest of this entry »

If someone is keeping track of West Virginia’s best-kept secrets, somewhere near the top of that list is probably a line about the mountain state’s rich artistic heritage. West Virginia has been home to several acclaimed artists; its people and its rolling hills have been the subjects of thousands of paintings.

Some of those painters and their works will be the focus of a presentation at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 15, in the Norman L. Fagan West Virginia State Theatre at the Cultural Center, State Capitol Complex.

“It’s a topic that has often been overlooked,” said John Cuthbert, Curator of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection at the WVU Libraries. “Any time I talk before a group about West Virginia’s fine arts heritage, people are always shocked to learn how much significant fine art heritage this state has.”
Read the rest of this entry »

The latest issue of Ex Libris, the WVU Libraries’ newsletter, is now available online. It can be accessed by visiting www.libraries.wvu.edu/exlibris or clicking on this link.

WVU Today, September 12, 2007

Science fiction fans will be delighted to know the West Virginia University Libraries features a nationally recognized Isaac Asimov Collection.

The American Library Association (ALA) recently named the WVU Libraries’ ensemble of Asimov books and items its Digital Collection of the Week. The ALA spotlights the collection in the current issue of AL Direct, its online newsletter.

An exciting exhibit of the collection, put together by Libraries staff, is available at http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/exhibits/asimov/

Rare Books curator Harold M. Forbes and Web Services librarian Beth Toren show some of the more than 600 books, games, audio recordings, videos and wall charts included in the WVU Libraries’ Isaac Asimov Collection. The collection and its digital exhibit was recently recognized by the American Library Association.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Daily Athenaeum, August 21, 2007

By Tricia Fulks, News Editor

West Virginia University Libraries are undergoing major changes for the fall semester.

Student government representatives met with Dean of WVU Libraries Frances O’Brien in June to discuss further improving campus libraries. One change SGA Governor Leslie Saunders wanted to see was 24-hour access to libraries during the last two weeks of the semester.

O’Brien said that 24-hour access during those weeks are now in place at the Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries. She said that now there is adequate staffing during the extended hours. However, not all library services will be available for students during the period.

“What students tell us they want is a place to study,” O’Brien said about the extension of hours.

Read the rest of this entry »

The WVU Libraries want to help students and faculty to get off to a good start this fall. The Libraries have unveiled multiple changes that will enhance your library work.

First, you don’t even have to physically visit any of the libraries to benefit from one addition, IM Chat Reference. You can simply go online and Instant Message your question to a reference librarian.  Contact us using the following screen names: AIM, wvulibraries; Yahoo, wvulibraries; Google Talk, wvulibraries@gmail.com; and MSN, wvulibraries@hotmail.com.

Feel free to “Ask a Librarian” whenever a question arises while you study for a class, write a paper, or work on a project.  IM reference service is the newest component of “Ask a Librarian” services, which include telephone, email and in-person research assistance. You can find all the details at: http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/ask/.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dominion Post, August 6, 2007

By J. Miles Layton

Attention Civil War buffs.

An exhibit in the West Virginia and Regional History Collection at WVU offers visitors an engaging glimpse of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era in which he lived.

“For people looking for a historical experience in Morgantown, we have a great deal to offer here at the West Virginia Collection,” said John Cuthbert, the collection’s curator.

The exhibit, “Abraham Lincoln and West Virginia: Selections from the West Virginia and Regional History Collection,” will be open for the next several months at WVU. The exhibit is located in the James Horner Davis Family Gallery (No. 1) on the sixth floor of the Wise Library on the Downtown Campus.  It is free and open to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues-Saturday, and until 9 p.m. Tuesdays, according to the WVU Web site.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Dominion Post, July 5, 2007

Looking for a hard-to-find photograph from West Virginia’s past – a picture of basketball legend Jerry West, the last game at the Field House or perhaps construction of the old Mountaineer Stadium?

Try the WVU Libraries online database, West Virginia History OnView (go to the WVU Libraries home page at www.libraries.wvu.edu, and click on the West Virginia History OnView link at the bottom right of the page).

OnView, which provides Web-based access to digital versions of historical photos housed in the West Virginia and Regional History Collection, recently topped 21,000 digital images.  The database continues to grow in popularity, WVU Libraries officials said. It’s even caught the attention of bloggers.

“People are finding out about us because we’ve been discovered by the blogs,” said Dennis Newborn, head of systems for the WVU Libraries.

Read the rest of this entry »

It has been a familiar scenario for many. You return a stack of books to the library and discover they are all a week overdue. You try to quickly calculate the fine in your head and then realize you have no cash in your pockets.

That frustrating situation is a thing of the past. A new WVU Libraries’ policy, which begins July 1, provides a 30-day grace period for library users to renew or return overdue books without incurring fines.

“We expect the rule change to be good news to those who return or renew their books within the allowed time,” said Hilary Fredette Head of Access Services for the Downtown Campus Library.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Daily Athenaeum, June 20, 2007 

By Tricia Fulks, Staff Writer

Student Government representatives met with Dean of Libraries Frances O’Brien on June 15 to discuss improvements to campus libraries.

Leslie Saunders, SGA governor, said in an e-mail interview that since the meeting the SGA has sent a formal request for the libraries to stay open 24 hours during the last two weeks of the semester.

“I think this is a monumental step toward the advancement of student academic performances at West Virginia University,” Saunders said in the interview.

Read the rest of this entry »

WVU Today, June 7, 2007

West Virginia University’s Library Faculty Assembly has named Penny Lee Pugh and Carroll Wetzel Wilkinson as co-recipients of the 2007 Outstanding Librarian Award.

The award is given every three years to a current or retired library faculty member who has exemplified extraordinary leadership, initiative, creativity and dedication in supporting the mission and goals of WVU Libraries.

“The selection process was especially difficult this year,” said Susan Arnold, chair of the awards committee. “We had several outstanding nominees. Penny and Carroll both have long careers with the WVU Libraries and have been impressive role models and innovators both on campus and in our field.”

Read the rest of this entry »

The WVU Libraries are participating in a nationwide survey of library service quality. Beginning April 16, a random sample of 5,000 faculty and students will receive e-mail invitations to participate in LibQual 2007.

LibQual is a multiple choice online survey to help librarians get a better understanding of what library users think. It is an excellent way to tell the WVU Libraries where improvements are needed. Eliza’s coffee shop is one example of a library service that happened because of LibQual responses.  Three iPod nano’s will be awarded in a random drawing from survey participants.  For more about LibQual see http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/libqual/faq2007.html

WVU Intranet, March 23, 2007

The West Virginia and Regional History Collection (WVRHC) of the West Virginia University Libraries has teamed with the Department of History in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences to add two new internships to their longstanding instructional partnership.

The internships are being offered through the Department of History’s Public History and Cultural Resource Management (CRM) programs. Graduate students will have the opportunity to intern with the WVRHC’s printed ephemera and archives and manuscripts collections.

“I am delighted we have this new partnership with the West Virginia and Regional History Collection,” said Barbara Rasmussen, director of the Public History and CRM programs. “It allows for training in library and archive management and practices.”

Read the rest of this entry »

WVU Intranet, March 16, 2007

Susan Arnold, interim director of West Virginia University’s Health Sciences Library, was recently named to the Medical Library Association’s prestigious Academy of Health Information Professionals (AHIP).

The honor recognizes medical librarians based on their involvement in the field and in professional organizations, as well as their efforts in continuing education.

“It’s a sense of accomplishment,” Arnold said of the recognition. “I think it lends a sense of credibility to my work as a medical librarian.”

Read the rest of this entry »

WVU Intranet, March 5, 2007

The West Virginia and Regional History Collection at West Virginia University Libraries recently received some unique memorabilia from a famous alumnus – the late actor and Morgantown native Don Knotts.

The Collection, housed on the sixth floor of the Wise Library on WVU’s Downtown Campus, is now home to television scripts, awards, an original poem and the manuscript and cassette recordings from the actor’s autobiography — from his wife of many years, Francey Yarborough.

Photo by: Ted Webb Read the rest of this entry »