WVU Libraries

Beth Royall

The Awards Committee of the West Virginia University Library Faculty Assembly has selected Beth Royall, creative arts librarian, as the Outstanding Librarian for 2016.

The award, presented triennially, recognizes a faculty librarian who has made exceptional contributions toward the delivery, development or expansion of library services or special programs for the constituencies of WVU.

“Beth has a long-standing reputation among her colleagues as a librarian who works hard and is excellent at every task she takes on. She provides excellent service to not just the faculty but to every student she encounters,” said Linda Blake, chair of the Library Faculty Assembly Awards Committee. “It is our great honor to recognize Beth for her talent, creativity and diligence as the creative arts librarian and her wider contribution to the WVU Libraries.”

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“A Legacy of Leadership” Exhibition Highlights Service of Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV

By Danielle Emerling, Assistant Curator

Left: Senator Rockefeller speaking at the Pepper Commission press event, 1990; Center: Rockefeller being sworn into the Senate by Vice President George H.W. Bush, 1985; Right: Rockefeller speaking at the Democratic National Convention, 2008.

The West Virginia & Regional History Center announces the opening of the exhibition, “Jay Rockefeller: A Legacy of Leadership,” in the Rockefeller Gallery located in the Downtown Campus Library.

Jay Rockefeller arrived in West Virginia in 1964 as a young VISTA volunteer in the small mining community of Emmons. With the people of Emmons, Rockefeller worked to affect change, from lobbying the school board for a bus stop to building a community center.

The experience was transformative. The young man from one of the wealthiest families in the country found an unlikely home in the hills and hollows of the state and a purpose that drove his fifty-year career in public service.

Characterized as compassionate, conscientious, and tenacious in pursuit of making a difference on issues he cared most about, he spent 30 years in the United States Senate working on some of the most challenging matters of the day.

The exhibition, “A Legacy of Leadership” documents Senator Rockefeller’s early years in West Virginia, his election to the United States Senate, and some of his many accomplishments during his long and distinguished career as a U.S. senator. It draws on staff Legacy Memos, written for Senator Rockefeller’s retirement, to highlight his work in the areas of health care reform; West Virginia’s jobs, economy, and industry; children, families, and education; and veterans’ affairs.

Items on display come from the Senator John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV papers, a treasure among the congressional collections held by the West Virginia & Regional History Center. To learn more about Senator Rockefeller, the archival collection, and the Legacy Memos, please visit rockefeller.lib.wvu.edu.

The exhibit was curated by Danielle Emerling, Assistant Curator, Congressional and Political Papers Archivist. Installation support was provided by Francisco Tovar, Laura Bell, and Casey DeHaven.

Evansdale Library offers drop-in research assistance at Evansdale Crossing on Mondays & Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 a.m., and Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Students and faculty are welcome to stop by Octane during these times throughout April for help with citation formats, locating scholarly resources, and general library questions. Look for the “The Librarian Is In” sign.

West Virginia University Libraries, the WVU student organization SPECTRUM, the WVU Commission for LGBTQ Equity and the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies are seeking volunteers for a LGBTQ Read-In on April 14, from 10-11:15 a.m. in the Downtown Campus Library room 104.

“Sharing literature helps us to recognize commonalities that transcend sexual orientation or gender identity. Recognizing ourselves in other’s words broadens and balances our perspectives,” said Beth Toren, Research Services and Media Librarian.

Student volunteers can read passages from poetry, prose and personal narrative. Participants can bring materials with them or select something from the array of books that will be on display at the event. There will be time for discussion after each reading.

“Reading aloud texts with personal significance and discussing our reactions to them creates an intimate atmosphere and supportive and inclusive environment. Something that inspired you may be just what someone else attending might need to hear,” Toren said.

For more information or to participate in the read-in, contact Toren at 304-293-0336 or beth.toren@mail.wvu.edu.

Harriet Lyon

One hundred and twenty five years ago this May, Harriet Lyon became the first woman to earn a degree at West Virginia University. A free symposium hosted by WVU Libraries March 15-17 will explore Lyon’s legacy and the advancements for women since her pioneering achievement.

“We are excited and honored to pay tribute to the people whose commitment to women’s education have benefited generations of students, faculty and staff at West Virginia University,” said Carroll Wilkinson, director of Strategic Library Initiatives forWVU Libraries.

The three-day program, which is free and open to the public, builds upon the work of the celebration of the Centenary of women’s graduation in 1991. Wilkinson collaborated with librarians and library staff to create a lineup of a lecture, a forum, a panel discussion, a workshop, exhibits and a student poster session.

“Along with addressing the achievements and struggles of WVU’s women over 125 years, we will focus on recent achievements and share new perspectives on WVUwomen’s history,” Wilkinson said. “Our hope is this study will help us expand our understanding of our University.”

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Changes are coming to the WVU Libraries website, and you can try it out before it goes live!

The Libraries began offering a new search system called Worldcat on March 7. Beginning the week of March 21, the Books/Media tab on the Libraries website search box will begin searching WorldCat.  This will be 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 users to quickly search 1.9 billion items including electronic resources and print materials from a single search box.  Users will be able to quickly determine what the WVU Libraries own and seamlessly request materials through Interlibrary Loan for items we do not.

Beginning the week of March 21, Mountainlynx and Summon will no longer have 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 or contact Jessica Tapia at jessica.tapia@mail.wvu.edu.

WVU Today

Cheryl Ball

Cheryl Ball, associate professor of English at West Virginia University, has joined WVU Libraries as director of the newly established Digital Publishing Institute. Professor Ball is a leading scholar of digital publishing studies and a member of the Professional Writing and Editing faculty in the department of English.

The DPI is a hub for scholarly digital communications that will support researchers at WVU and abroad in producing journals, e-books and other multimedia-rich, peer-reviewed content, making it available online for free whenever possible.

“Dr. Ball will bring valuable expertise and vision to the Digital Publishing Institute and ensure that WVU remains committed to high standards of excellence and a rigorous peer review process while providing open access to scholarly communication,” Provost Joyce McConnell said. “WVU Libraries and the Digital Publishing Institute will be a model for innovative publishing in a time of enormous change in academia.”

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Help the West Virginia University Libraries recognize an exceptional librarian by submitting a nomination for a librarian who you think is doing an outstanding job.

The WVU Libraries Faculty Assembly sponsors the Outstanding Librarian Award once every three years to recognize exceptional contributions toward the delivery, development, or expansion of library services or special programs for the constituencies of WVU. Attributes sought in the finalist may include leadership, initiative, creativity, dedication, and exemplary attitude. The award is open to both current and retired WVU Libraries faculty.

Nominations will be accepted from WVU administration, faculty, and staff and must be submitted to Stewart Plein, stewart.plein@mail.wvu.edu, on the official nomination form by February 15. Selection criteria, dates, and the nomination form with submission details can be found on the Libraries’ website.

The Awards Committee includes Linda Blake, linda.blake@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-0328; Mary Strife, mary.strife@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-9756; and Jessica Tapia, jessica.tapia@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-0312.

Two student artists in the West Virginia University College of Creative Arts have won the Dean of the Libraries Award from the Art in the Libraries Committee. Matthew Gillette won for his sculpture “Slumped,” and Floyd-Wheat Robinson for his sculpture “Tap Water.”

Matthew Gillette with his sculpture “Slumped.”

Floyd-Wheat Robinson with his sculpture “Tap Water.”

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The Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries opened at 9 a.m. Sunday and will remain open through 2 a.m. Friday night/early Saturday, Dec. 12. Both libraries will be open Dec. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. They will then be open from 9 a.m. Dec. 13 through 8 p.m. Dec. 16.

The Health Sciences Library will be open 7:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 7-10; 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 11; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 12; 10 a.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 13; and 7:30 a.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 14-17.

Semester Break hours are available on the Libraries’ website.

Help the West Virginia University Libraries recognize an exceptional librarian by nominating a librarian who you think is doing an outstanding job.

The Outstanding Librarian Award, sponsored every three years by the WVU Libraries Faculty Assembly, honors exceptional contributions toward the delivery, development, or expansion of library services or special programs for the WVU community. Attributes sought in the finalist may include leadership, initiative, creativity, dedication, and exemplary attitude. The award is open to both current and retired Library faculty.

Nominations will be accepted from WVU administration, faculty, and staff and must be submitted to Stewart Plein, stewart.plein@mail.wvu.edu, on the official nomination form by February 15, 2016. Selection criteria, dates, and the nomination form with submission details can be found on the Libraries’ website.

The Awards Committee includes Linda Blake, linda.blake@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-0328; Mary Strife, mary.strife@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-9756; and Jessica Tapia, jessica.tapia@mail.wvu.edu, 304-293-0312.

Behind the scene changes in how West Virginia University Libraries manages resources will translate to a better search experience and fewer headaches for library users.

WVU Libraries has signed an agreement for OCLC WorldShare Management Services (WMS), a cloud-based library management system, to administer its entire lineup of books, journals and electronic resources.

WorldShare Management Services (WMS) is a complete, cloud-based library management system that offers all the applications needed to manage a library, including Acquisitions, Circulation, Metadata, Resource Sharing, License Management and a single-search Discovery interface to connect library users to the information they need. WMS also includes a range of Reports based on local data that help libraries understand their activities and track key metrics over time.

“My priority has been to move WVU Libraries to a next generation library system,” Dean of WVU Libraries Jon E. Cawthorne said. “I am impressed with everything I have learned about WorldShare Management Services, and I am excited about the growth potential. I am grateful that the entire University community and the regional institutions will benefit from the Libraries partnering with OCLC.”

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The Downtown Campus Library has added software that streamlines the process of recording a video in its Presentation Practice Room.

One Button Studio is a simplified video recording system that requires no production experience or training. All you need is a reservation and a flash drive. The One Button Studio monitor guides you through the process:

1. Insert a thumb drive
2. Push the start button
3. Following a five-second countdown, begin presenting.

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West Virginia University Libraries’ newly hired Wikipedian in Residence for Gender Equity, Kelly Doyle, will help Wikipedia address its gender gap while increasing the presence of Mountain State natives in the online encyclopedia.

“We are thrilled for Kelly Doyle to lead West Virginia University in this extensive endeavor to enhance Wikipedia’s content and reliability,” said Jon E. Cawthorne, dean of the WVU Libraries. “This project will enable us to promote the accomplishments of West Virginians, both historical figures and those making a difference in the world today.”

A Wikipedian in Residence (WiR) is an editor based at an institution to facilitate the creation and improvement of Wikipedia articles related to that institution’s mission. A relatively new role, the first WiR was a volunteer at the British Museum in 2010. By 2014, there were 31 Wikipedians working at institutions around the world.

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Don Knotts would be proud. Not only has a Pulitzer Prize-winning author penned a book about him and Andy Griffith, but the author is stopping in Knotts’ hometown and at his alma mater to talk about the book and how he performed research in the West Virginia University Libraries’ West Virginia and Regional History Center.

Daniel de Visé, author of Andy & Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show, will speak at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 in the Robinson Reading Room of the Charles C. Wise, Jr. Library. Following his remarks, he will sign books.

“Mr. de Visé’s presentation will be tailored to fit the interests of not just Don Knotts fans but also those interested in the process of writing a book from the ground up,” WVRHC Curator John Cuthbert said. “He will discuss his research methods, sources, and emphasize the role of the WVRHC in his research regarding Don’s Morgantown roots.”

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Downtown Campus Library is calling for a zombie horde to descend on its building. As part of the 9th Annual Morgantown Zombie Walk, the Downtown Campus Library will host a one-hour cosplay and live reading performance of “World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War,” the 2015 WVU Common Read, on Saturday.

Zombies can enter the Downtown Campus Library at 5 p.m., and the reading will run from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Robinson Reading Room.

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The West Virginia University Libraries’ West Virginia and Regional History Center has received a $155,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue digitizing historic newspapers published in West Virginia from 1836 to 1922.

“This new grant will enable us to increase our digital newspaper database to over 300,000 pages and extend our reach to communities across the state,” WVRHC Curator John Cuthbert said.

The award is the Libraries’ third grant from the endowment as part of the National Digital Newspaper Program. This collaborative effort between the endowment and the Library of Congress enlists libraries and institutions from around the country to provide enhanced access to historical United States newspapers. As part of this project, the NEHawarded the West Virginia and Regional History Center a $266,000 grant in 2011 and a $135,000 grant in 2013.

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WVU Today, September 21

Congressman Nick J. Rahall

Scholars and historians will have access to a treasure trove of information about some of the most significant events in West Virginia during the last half of the 20th century, thanks to former Congressman Nick J. Rahall’s decision to donate the papers from his 38-year career to West Virginia University.

The Rahall Congressional Collection consists of 2,000 boxes of testimony, speeches, news releases and other documents generated during the years Rahall, a Democrat, served in Congress and showcases the impact his service has made on the nation, state and the region.

To commemorate the occasion, a ribbon cutting/celebration will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at 410 Neville Street – future home of the WVU Beckley Book Store. A reception will follow.

“My grandfathers came to America from the hills and hollows of southern Lebanon to the hills and hollows of southern West Virginia,” Rahall said. “They dedicated their lives to the American dream through faith in God, hard work and a better life for their families’ future.”

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WVU Today, September 18

Student veterans at West Virginia University will soon have more resources available right at their fingertips with a new grant from The Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The nearly $25,000 Sparks! Ignition Grant for Libraries will provide funding to help address the unique challenges student veterans face daily. WVU Libraries is just one of 20 projects selected to receive the funding and was chosen based on its potential for a broad impact through its community.

“Veterans have unique academic needs and libraries are in a position to support student veterans through a collection of developmental initiatives,” said Jerry McCarthy, Director of WVU Veterans Affairs. “This grant will foster the development of 21st century skills to veterans by customizing information literacy services and providing development initiatives for collaborative instruction to veterans that will lead to student success.”

WVU Libraries has been improving service to student veterans in recent years, as Dean of Libraries Jon E. Cawthorne, the spouse of a veteran, made it a priority on his list of initiatives. Read the rest of this entry »

By Rachel McBride, The Daily Athenaeum

The aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks shook the United States. In Iran and Afghanistan, families and everyday routines were fractured into unrecognizable pieces.

Lois Raimondo, now the Reed College of Media’s Shott Chair of Journalism, traveled to the middle east two years after the attacks. She’s an award-winning international journalist who combined her passion for people and photography in her most recent exhibit at West Virginia University’s Downtown Campus Library.

“I always try to present perspectives that aren’t necessarily already in the media,” Raimondo, the photographer, said. “Each story, every picture has a point of view, and each one of those are very important.”

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