Author Archives: Haiwang Yuan

After her service as the Manager of Community Outreach for WKU Libraries for four years, Tracy Harkins left her position for another job on campus. WKU Libraries threw a  farewell party to thank her for her service on May 19, in Cravens 100.

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On the afternoon of May 9, 2011, WKU Libraries gave Dr. Mike Binder, Special Assistant to the Provost and former Dean of Libraries, a reception for all he has done in the past 25 and a half years. Among the gifts was a memorabilia scrapbook photos. On behalf of Interim Dean Connie Foster and the employees of the WKU Libraries, Brian Coutts, Head of Department of Library Public Service, made a speech thanking Dr. Binder for his services and initiatives.

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In the News: Osama bin Laden
Free Salem Reference of Current Interest

by Peter W. Tobey, Salem Press

Osama bin Laden’s death returns us to the subject of September 11, 2001 in a number of ways. But the events of that day, the personalities, frustrations, and cultural clashes involved are far from straightforward. And the repercussions are, of course, far-reaching.

Salem Press has published a great deal on the history, biographies, religious and cultural backgrounds of terrorism. Perhaps most significantly, Salem has brought libraries two critical works by the Schlager Group covering the original source documents (plus analysis) of works by both George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden.

Free Relevant News
We’ve selected these and two other articles on this subject (from four different reference works) because we feel your patrons and students may find them informative. You may download them freely, print as many copies of these articles as you need, and distribute them any way you’d like.

“George W. Bush’s Address to the Nation on September 11, 2001: The Full Text & Analysis” (1,186 and 4,920 words) from Milestone Documents in American History

“Osama bin Laden’s Declaration of Jihad against Americans: The Full Text & Analysis” (2,322 and 5,048 words) from Milestone Documents in World History

Salem also has published a brief, helpful biography of Osama bin Laden and an overview of the war on terrorism. See links to these articles below:

“Osama bin Laden” (1,682 words) from Great Lives from History: The 20th Century

“The War on Terror” (4,656 words) from Weapons & Warfare

Complimentary Downloads
To download these articles click on In the News.

In 2010 a project was initiated to  digitize WKU theses and dissertations for the period 1994-2009. These theses were stored in University Archives awaiting microfilming, however with the changes in technology, the decision was made to secure funding for digitization instead.   In June 2010 the funding was secured.  The theses were checked against the microfilm and a few additional theses going back to 1935 were found that had not been microfilmed.  Each theses was checked for student permissions and a page count was compiled.  28 boxes containing 759 theses were shipped to North Carolina to be digitized.  A jpg file was created of each page and a pdf file was created of each theses.  The originals and a hard drive returned to WKU in late March 2011.  From April 5 – 26, 2011 the theses were uploaded onto TopScholar and links were created from the library catalog TopCat to assist researchers in accessing them.  They are available by department and also at Masters Theses & Specialists Projects.

On the afternoon of April 28, 2011, WKU hosted a dedication for the Gary A. Ransdell Hall, home of the College of Education and Behavioral Science as well as the WKU Libraries’ Educational Resources Center (ERC). To celebrate the dedication, ERC featured several fine arts and had the honor of being visited by their creators.

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Rosemary Meszaros, Associate Professor and Coordinator of Government Documents & Law from the Department of Library Public Services, received the 2010 Award for Research and Creativity. Christy Spurlock, Assistant Professor and Education Curator from the Department of Library Special Collection, received the Award for Public Services. They were nominated and selected by their peers. They received their awards at a reception given by the University on the evening of April 26, 2011.

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On April 26, 2011, two students from University Experience classes were honored at Cravens Library with the first Undergraduate Research Award. WKU student Andrew Alvey accepted his award for Best Career Essay and faculty representative Paula Trafton accepted the Best Annotated Bibliography award on behalf of WKU student Megan Stohner. These awards were the result of the collaborative effort between WKU Libraries and University Experience.

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Kentucky Museum Summer Camps are held each week in June from 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

After camp care is available from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.   Space is limited so please register early!

For more information call 745-2594 or visit: Summer Camps

Lynne Marrs Hammer Ferguson

Artist In Residence at Kentucky Library & Museum

Head of Library Public Services, Dr. Brian Coutts, conducted his annual Best Reference Workshop on Friday, April 22 in Helm-Cravens Library. Coutts’ is the co-author of the annual “Best Reference” article in Library Journal — 2011 marks his 25th year. This year’s selections included some unique titles like The Story of Men’s Underwear, Salamanders of the Southeast, and Weeds of the Midwestern United States and Central Canada. Other important publications include the new The Oxford Companion to the Book, the first Encyclopedia of Muslim-American History, the updated classic The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages, the Encyclopedia of the Ghettos During the Holocause, and many more.  For the complete review, please see Library Journal‘s Spring 2011 issue, available online at LibraryJournal.com or in print at Helm Library (Periodicals, 2nd Floor). –Amy Slowik

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The 2011 SOKY Book Fest, our 13th in a row, took place on Saturday, April 16, preceded by the Writers Conference and Children’s Day at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center on WKU’s South Campus. Headliners like Nicholas Sparks drew a big crowd to the event. They gave presentations and signed their books for hundreds of people.

The Southern Kentucky Book Fest is one of the state’s largest literary events and is presented by WKU Libraries, Warren County Public Library, and Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Held annually during National Library Week, the Book Fest appeals to thousands of readers of all ages who welcome the occasion to meet their favorite authors and purchase signed copies of their books.

Photo Albums: Headliners | Authors | Panels | Authors’s Reception | Writers Conference | Children’s Day