A forum that focused on how images in the media affect the nation’s perceptions of Appalachia is now available online.
The event, held February 7 in the Downtown Campus Library, was inspired by Looking at Appalachia, a juried collection of images by amateur and professional photographers currently on display at the DCL as part of the West Virginia University Libraries’ Art in the Libraries series.
A panel of West Virginia University faculty from journalism to public health will discuss how images in the media affect the nation’s perceptions of Appalachia during a forum on February 7 from 4-6 p.m. in the Downtown Campus Library (DCL), Room 104.
The program is inspired by Looking at Appalachia, a juried collection of images by amateur and professional photographers, currently on display at the DCL as part of the WVU Libraries’ Art in the Libraries series. West Virginia native Roger May directs the ongoing Looking at Appalachia project that chronicles life in the 13-state region more than 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.
“This forum is a great opportunity to use the Looking at Appalachia exhibit to spark conversations about how images in the media can affect a range of issues facing the region,” said Alyssa Wright, chair of the Art in the Libraries Committee.
Three friends pose for photographer Dennis Savage in Cabell County, W.Va. The image is part of the Looking at Appalachia exhibit.
A historical photograph exhibit titled “Through the Looking Glass: Early Glass Plate Views of West Virginia University” will open in the Erickson Alumni Center’s Nutting Gallery on February 7 to mark the 150th anniversary of West Virginia University’s founding.
The display will include more than 30 prints made from glass plates from the holdings of the West Virginia & Regional History Center that illustrate the formative years of WVU from 1867-1920. The exhibit will be open to the public Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and remain on display through March 31.
“These photos reveal just how much the University has changed from its early years to the present,” WVRHC Director John Cuthbert said. “Morgantown was a sleepy little village, Westover was non-existent and WVU consisted of just a single building at times. The founders would be stunned to see the sprawling globally significant institution it has become.”
One image in the exhibit is this early photograph of the West Virginia University campus taken from the hill now occupied by Stalnaker Hall, ca. 1878.
From highways to buildings and even a giant radio astronomy telescope, U. S. Sen. Robert. C. Byrd left his mark on West Virginia. The eloquent Byrd, the only U. S. Senator to work his way through law school while in office, often held his pocket Constitution high as he argued for it, not the emotion of the day, to rule Senate votes.
Byrd died in 2010 while still in office. A traveling exhibit chronicling his life opens November 10 in the West Virginia University Libraries’ Rockefeller Gallery. A reception, to be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., will include remarks from Dr. Raymond Smock, director of the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, as well as David A. Corbin, former aide to Senator Byrd and author of The Last Great Senator.
The Byrd Traveling Exhibit on display in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the U.S. Senate, photo provided by the Byrd Center.
West Virginia University students, faculty and staff will now have access to an array of unique resources from more than 110 academic institutions from around the globe through an agreement between WVU Libraries and HathiTrust.
“We are thrilled to be part of HathiTrust and bring its rich benefits to our University community,” Dean of Libraries Jon Cawthorne said. “We will have digital access to a collection of amazing digital titles from leading universities across the nation and beyond.”
HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research libraries collaborating to preserve and provide digital access their institutions special collections. The group draws its name from the Hindi word for elephant, hathi, symbolic of the memory, wisdom and strength evoked by the animal, as well as the huge undertaking of gathering prized resources from research libraries around the world.
The WVU Libraries’ Veterans Outreach Program (WVUL-VOP) is hosting a luncheon program for student veterans on Friday at noon in the Downtown Campus Library, Room 2036.
The talk, entitled “Mindfulness 101,” is geared toward student veterans and will provide an introduction to mindfulness and offer personal applications for the practice. The guest speaker is a physician and veteran. Dr. Michael Brumage, MD, MPH, FACP, is the executive director/health officer for the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department. He served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years.
November is Mindful Mountaineers Month at WVU. This program will be a preview of the special events that are coming up each day in the month ahead. For more information, contact Carroll W. Wilkinson, director of Strategic Library Initiatives at WVU Libraries, at cwilkins@wvu.edu or 304-293-0308.
West Virginia University Libraries’ West Virginia & Regional History Center has released more than 1,500 digital photographs from the Senator John D. Rockefeller IV archives. Available from the Libraries’ website, the photographs document many significant moments from Rockefeller’s 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
The images, taken by the Senate Photographic Studio, begin with the Senator’s first swearing-in ceremony in January 1985 and help tell the story of his many contributions in the U.S. Congress. The photographs capture the Senator through the years speaking at press events, presiding over committee hearings, and attending functions on Capitol Hill. He was photographed with policy leaders, business directors, and many of his congressional colleagues.
Vice President George H. W. Bush administering oath to Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller. Rockefeller is joined by his wife, Sharon, Senator Robert C. Byrd and former Senator Jennings Randolph, whom he succeeded. Senate Photographic Studio, January 15, 1985.
Representatives from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will visit West Virginia University on Thursday, Sept. 29, and Friday, Sept. 30, to provide training on patents and trademarks.
WVU Libraries and the Health Sciences Innovation Center will co-sponsor the program on Sept. 29, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., at the Evansdale Library. Sessions will include an introduction to intellectual property, hands-on training for patent and trademark searches, and a panel discussion on services available at WVU for inventors.
West Virginia University’s Downtown Campus Library will host a reception Saturday, Sept. 17, 1-3 p.m. for two exhibits designed to create conversations about life in Appalachia.
Looking at Appalachia is a juried collection of images by amateur and professional photographers directed by West Virginia native Roger May. It chronicles life in the 13-state region more than 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. The pictures line three walls on the Library’s first floor.
Looking at Appalachia provides a glimpse into the 13-state region, photo by Alyssa Wright.
Hollow is an award-winning web-based interactive documentary created by WVU alumna and state native Elaine McMillion Sheldon. It examines the issues facing McDowell County residents and the reasons behind the massive exodus from the area over several decades. Hollow won a Peabody award in 2013 and was nominated for an Emmy in 2014. An exhibit in the Downtown Campus Library Atrium showcases the participatory project.
Images from the documentary Hollow adorn a wall in the Downtown Campus Library Atrium, photo by Alyssa Wright.
The Downtown Campus Library is looking for 10 students to participate in a discussion about textbook prices and alternatives on Sept. 7.
Did You Know?
Experts from the University of Minnesota’s Open Textbook Network will be on campus and we would like to give students an opportunity to talk about how the cost of textbooks affect them.
Where: Downtown Campus Library, Room 2036
When: Wednesday, Sept. 7, 5-6 p.m.
If you have a story to tell, please sign up here. Space is limited to 10 students. Dinner will be provided for all participants. If you have questions, please contact Genifer Snipes, chair of the WVU Libraries Open Educational Resources Committee, at 304-293-4240 or genifer.snipes@mail.wvu.edu.
This focus group is sponsored by WVU Libraries.
Are you an instructor who is concerned about the impact of high textbook costs on your students? Explore a possible solution – open textbooks – by attending a two-hour workshop and writing a short textbook review on a textbook in your field. Receive a $200 stipend for your efforts.
Did You Know?
Open textbooks can help alleviate the burden of textbook costs for students and provide faculty with content that can be customized for their course. Open textbooks are complete, real textbooks, used by many faculty across the country, and licensed to be freely used, edited, and distributed.
What you can do
Researchers choosing to publish their work Open Access may be eligible for assistance from the WVU Libraries’ Open Access Author Fund (OAAF). The Libraries established the OAAF in January as part of its commitment to provide open access to scholarly content published by WVU authors for anyone anywhere.
Dr. Peter Giacobbi is among the first faculty members who have benefited from the pilot project.
The Journal of Medical Internet Research published his research protocol for a National Institute of Health-funded project he began working on while at the University of Arizona with principal investigator Dr. Judith Gordon. He and a multi-disciplinary team developed a Smartphone app that assists women with smoking cessation and diet simultaneously.
“The Open Access grant was extremely helpful. Unfortunately, we did not budget in this grant for publications,” Giacobbi said.
Are you interested in helping WVU Libraries conduct usability testing on an upcoming game? If you are one of the 20 undergraduate students selected to participate, you will receive a $25 gift card to Amazon.com.
All you have to do is complete a brief survey to sign up as a potential game tester, if you are chosen you will be required to attend a 11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. session which includes test plus a discussion forum. Food and refreshments will be provided.
You must be an undergraduate student and have a smartphone with Internet access to be eligible. If you have any questions, please contact Penny Pugh at 304-293-3640 or Penny.Pugh@mail.wvu.edu.
This year’s West Virginia Day celebration will include a homecoming for revered basketball legend, “Mr. Clutch” Jerry West, who will dedicate the Jerry West Collection to the West Virginia & Regional History Center, part of WVU Libraries, beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, June 20 in the Wise Library Atrium.
Members of the public are invited to attend the day’s events, in addition to West’s book signing the evening prior (June 19) at the WVU Visitors Center from 5 to 6 p.m.
In addition to the dedication, the celebration will include refreshments, a West Virginia Day forum and the opening of the Jerry West Exhibit, which will include an array of artifacts from Jerry’s personal collection, including his NBA championship ring, trophies and uniforms. Special guests scheduled to attend the dedication include Willie Akers, President Gordon Gee, Dean of Libraries Jon Cawthorne, Senator Joe Manchin and Rod Thorn.
The creators of two exhibits on display at West Virginia University’s Downtown Campus Library want their works to open up conversations about life in Appalachia.
Looking at Appalachia, the latest exhibit in the West Virginia University Libraries’ Art in the Libraries series, is a juried collection of images by amateur and professional photographers that chronicles life in the 13-state region more than 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. The pictures line the wall on the Library’s first floor.
“The greatest effect photographs can have is to encourage conversation,” said Roger May, director of the Looking at Appalachia project. “We see thousands and thousands of images a day. Many of those pictures may cause a brief emotional response, but how many of those pictures actually call us to action?”
Looking at Appalachia provides a glimpse into the 13-state region, photo by Alyssa Wright
Sharing their thoughts paid off for West Virginia University students Allison Evans and Cody Morales who each won a Microsoft Surface 3 tablet for participating in a survey for the WVU Libraries.
The questions focused on what activities and needs most often bring users to the Libraries’ website, as well as how the Libraries can make the search box on its homepage easier to use. The Libraries’ web team will use the feedback to make changes to the website over summer break. Libraries staff randomly selected Evans and Morales from a pool of participants.
The survey was open to all WVU students, staff, and faculty and was promoted on the Libraries’ website, Facebook, Twitter and MIX.
Evans
Morales
Traveling for the summer? Need a beach read or audiobook? WVU Libraries have expanded services with eBooks and digital audiobooks available to enjoy from the Libraries’ website. Students, faculty and staff can borrow popular digital media anytime, anywhere by visiting wvu.lib.overdrive.com.
Users can browse the Libraries’ website, borrow titles with a valid WVU login and start reading or listening on a computer and mobile device. Many titles can be enjoyed immediately on any device with an internet browser or download materials with the free OverDrive app. All titles will automatically expire at the end of the lending period so there are no late fees.
“We are excited to expand our leisure reading collections with the addition of eBooks and audiobooks. And summer seems a particularly good time to spend a lazy afternoon listening to the latest audiobook or reading a new novel on your mobile device,” said Penny Pugh, head of Research Services for the WVU Libraries.
This new service, powered by OverDrive, is free for all students, faculty and staff. To get started, visit wvu.lib.overdrive.com.
Pearl S. Buck
Chronicling the life and works of Pearl S. Buck, a new website launched by the West Virginia and Regional History Center enables online visitors to explore the Nobel Prize winner’s archives now preserved at West Virginia University Libraries.
“Our website will bring this important collection of original manuscripts by one of the world’s greatest writers to the attention of scholars, teachers and students for the first time,” WVRHC Curator John Cuthbert said. “The Pearl S. Buck Collection is open to anyone who is interested in Pearl Buck and her work.”
The website, pearlsbuck.lib.wvu.edu, includes a guide that details the contents of the extensive collection (nearly 80 archival boxes), which includes manuscripts of Buck’s novels, non-fiction, children’s books and short stories, as well as articles, speeches and other materials.
“While much of her writing may be found in published form, our collection contains the vast majority of her original manuscripts, not only in their final form but in various versions that reveal her creative process and the changes she made as her thoughts evolved when writing,” Cuthbert said.
WVU became caretaker of Buck’s archives in October 2014 after beginning a partnership with West Virginia Wesleyan College and the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation to protect and promote Buck’s legacy. Under the agreement, the WVRHC assumed the responsibility of providing physical care for and access to the Buck Collection. Previously, West Virginia Wesleyan housed the collection. Read the rest of this entry »
The Books/Media tab on the WVU Libraries’ website search box is now searching a new system called Worldcat. This is the only place to find up-to-date availability for the Libraries’ print materials.
This is the first step toward a full rollout of Worldcat for finding books, articles, videos, journals, and more, which will take place after finals have ended. Worldcat will enable you to quickly search 1.9 billion items including electronic resources and print materials from a single search box. You will also be able to quickly determine what WVU Libraries own and seamlessly request materials through Interlibrary Loan for items we do not.
Mountainlynx and Summon no longer has up-to-date availability for print collections, and Mountainlynx will no longer be available beginning May 31.
For more information about these changes, please visit the Libraries website. If you have questions, please contact Jessica Tapia at jessica.tapia@mail.wvu.edu.
Enroll in ULIB300: Film and Media Literacy to earn three credits and fulfill GEC requirements 5: Artistic Expression and 7: American Culture. ULIB300 has a service designation as civic engagement for work students do while editing Wikipedia articles on course related topics. The CRN is 51012.
Become a savvy media consumer while studying film vocabulary, criticism, and movie databases. In the context of Quentin Tarantino films, students study gangster films, dark comedy, Blaxploitation, slasher films, westerns, themes of revenge and historical revision. Media and information literacy concepts are practiced in media object analysis and experienced in immersion as Wikipedia editors.
For more information, visit the Libraries’ website. Questions? Contact the instructor: beth.toren@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-0336.
