Author Archives: Haiwang Yuan

WKU Libraries, Warren County Public Library, and Barnes and Noble Booksellers partnered up to present another successful Southern Kentucky (SOKY) Book Fest at the Carroll Knicely Convention Center adjacent to WKU South Campus on April 19-20, 2013. This was our 15th annual event. It comprised the Kentucky Writers Conference, the Children’s Day, and the event where participants had a chance to meet the authors, purchase their books, and get their autographs.  This year’s event featured such headliners as Henry Winkler, Mary McDonough, Chuck Sambuchino, Jarret J. Krosoczka, and many others.

A fundraiser for the promotion of literacy in our community, the SOKY Book Fest is one of the state’s largest literary events held annually during the third weekend in April. Each year, it draws thousands of readers of all ages who welcome the occasion to meet their favorite authors and purchase signed copies of their books.

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Dr. Michelle Dvoskin from the Department of Theatre & Dance, WKU gave a presentation on the history of American musical in the Choir Rehearsal Room of the Music Hall on the main campus on the evening of April 9, 2013. The program included a short film followed by discussion.

It was one of the America’s Music series organized by WKU Libraries and the Department of Music and sponsored by several institutions and organizations including the Tribeca Film Institute and the American Library Association.

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Dr. Brian Coutts, Head of the Department of Library Public Services at WKU (Western Kentucky University), received the 2013 Outstanding Alumni Award from Louisiana State University’s (LSU) School of Library and Information Science at their annual awards banquet held March 25, 2013, at the LSU Faculty Club.

“It was a thrill to be honored by one of the nation’s most distinguished Library Science Programs and to return to LSU where I met my wife Karen,” said Coutts.

Coutts earned his PhD and MLS from LSU.   LSU School of Library and Information Science Director Beth Paskoff noted that Brian had twice appeared on the front cover of Library Journal, the nation’s leading library trade journal, where his award winning feature “Best Reference Sources of the Year” has appeared annually since 1986.

“Dr. Coutts continues to achieve excellence in his career, and this recent award validates his sustained scholarship on a national level,” said Connie Foster, WKU Libraries Dean.

Dr. Coutts gifting a WKU Libraries t-shirt to the LSU faculty.

Dr. Erica Brady from the WKU Department of Folk Studies gave a presentation on bluegrass music on the evening of April 2, 2013 in the Choir Rehearsal Room of the Music Hall on campus. It was part of the America’s Music event co-organized by the WKU Libraries and the Department of Music and sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute, the National Endowment for Humanities, the American Library Association, and the Tribeca Flashpoint.

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On the evening of March 28, 2013, Dr. Stephen Groce from the Department of Sociology, WKU gave a presentation on “Women and the Sociology of Popular Music” in Helm Library 100. The presentation was one of the “America’s Music” series organized by the WKU Libraries and the Department of Music and co-sponsored by the Tribeca Film Institute, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Library Association, and the Tribeca Flashpoint.

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On March 4, First Lady Beshear Visited WKU Libraries’ Educational Resources Center (ERC) and sat in a literacy class taught by Roxanne Spencer, Professor and Coordinator of ERC. Present during Mrs. Beshear’s visit were President Gary Ransdell, WKU Libraries Dean Connie Foster, and Head of Library Public Services Brian Coutts.

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WKU Libraries’ “We’ve Been Everywhere” series featured Connie Foster, Dean of Libraries, on the morning of February 26, 2013 in Room 100, Helm Library. She shared her trip and adventure in Alaska and the Yukon with her fellow library employees.

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At the monthly faculty meeting in Helm 201 on February 14, 2013, faculty from the Department of Library Public Services surprised Brian Coutts, head of the department, with a party to celebrate the 65th anniversary of his birthday. Faculty and staff from other units of the WKU Libraries joined in the party.

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On February 10, 2013, WKU Libraries’ faculty members Peggy Wright, Brian Coutts, and Haiwang Yuan paid a visit to Chip Tullar, proprietor of Patti’s Restaurant at Grand Rivers. Mr. Tullar has been invited to give a presentation of his restaurant for the Libraries’ talk series “Kentucky Live!” to take place on February 21 at Barnes & Nobles, Bowling Green. Brian’s wife Karen and Haiwang’s Shizhen, who is a staff member of the WKU Libraries, were also present during the visit.
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