WKU Libraries Blog

Circulation Services will begin operations in the Helm Reference Room tomorrow, Wednesday 9/26. Ceiling tiles are already disappearing from 4^th floor Cravens. The renovation has begun. Most furniture has been removed.

Leisure Reading Books are in Helm 100; audio books are permanently located in VPAL, Cravens 2^nd floor.

There will be limited access to the 4^th floor lobby for the ATM but as construction progresses that entrance may not always be available. Please check our blog and website for updates.

The VPAL second floor entrance is accessible for that floor.

Access to Cravens 5-9 will be through Helm 2^nd floor to Cravens 5^th floor elevators. Some access will be available from Reference to 4^th floor elevator unless flooring is involved.

Please check signs or ask! Thank you for your patience.

Patrons needing accommodation for mobility issues, please call 270-745-3951 for assistance.

Connie Foster, Interim Dean
WKU Libraries

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A crowd of WKU students, faculty, staff and administration attended an open house and reception honoring WKU art students who created two separate art display projects housed in Helm and Cravens Libraries. Interim Dean Connie Foster gave opening remarks thanking art faculty member Kristina Arnold and her students for their vision and innovation to enhance WKU Libraries. Kristina Arnold, Associate Professor of Art and coordinator of the project, gave special insight into the Art Installation class and the students who worked more than 400 hours to bring the works of art to completion.

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Book cover features item from WKU collection.

A new geneaology titled Descendants of Revolutionary War Soldier Samuel W. Garrison (1762-1833) and Esther Alexander (1762-1829) features many references to collections housed in the Manuscripts & Folklife Archives division of the Special Collections Library at WKU.  The book’s cover features a watermark of a manuscript poem written by Samuel about his ideal wife in the late eighteenth century. The late Ray H. Garrison, who is listed as a co-author of this book, found that WKU owned the original manuscript of this poem and a family geneaology via TopSCHOLAR, WKU’s online digital repository.  After locating the poem and geneaology Ray and fellow author, Ellen Elaine Featherston Boston, utilized other WKU collections via TopSCHOLAR including Warren County marriage records, wills, vital statistics, and military service records.

The book’s cover features a poem titled “Choice” written by Garrison about his future wife.  In it he outlines the type of woman he is interested in marrying:

I first would take a partner to my bed,

One ruled by reason not by passion led,

Whom I my wife most willingly would make,

Of all the joys I knew she should partake,

The better if near twenty years of age,

Of temper mild of understanding sage.

Whether his wife Esther met all his requirements, we do not know, but they did remain married for life.  Garrison was born in Maryland and migrated to Kentucky via Mecklenberg County, North Carolina.  He and Esther settled in southcentral Kentucky on Bay’s Fork Creek.  A monument praising his life and service in the Revolutionary War was dedicated on May 12, 2001 in the Old Scottsville Cemetery.

To see a finding aid for Samuel W. Garrison’s collection, click here.  To search TopSCHOLAR for other family histories click here.

Florencia Mallon, Professor and Head of the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, spoke in WKU Libraries’ Far Away Places Series at Barnes & Noble on the evening of September 20, 2012. She read from her book, discussed it in the context of Chilean history, and answered questions from an overflow crowd. Mallon signed copies of her book following her presentation.

Photo Album | Audio | Podcast

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WKU Libraries is transforming spaces and trading places on the fourth floor of Cravens to develop a new Information Commons area for its students, faculty, and staff. Effective Friday, September 28 at 4:30 pm to January 2, 2013, the entrance to Cravens 4^th floor will be closed and individuals needing library services will use the Java City/Helm entrance.

“Patrons may have already noticed books, tables, chairs, and other items disappearing from the floor,” said Connie Foster, Interim Dean of WKU Libraries.

The newly redesigned floor will have varied and flexible seating, collaborative areas for study, 28 computers, two email stations, four laptop charging stations, and a fresh updated look.

Access to Cravens’ floors 5-9 will be available from the 2^nd floor of Helm. Beginning Wednesday, September 26, Circulation Services will be relocated to Helm 1^st floor next to the Reference Desk. In addition, The Writing Center will also be moved to the same area in Helm. Any student needing disability accommodations can call 745-3951 for assistance.

“We apologize for this interruption during the semester but our goal is to open by January and realize a very inviting, functional, and updated library environment for the future,” said Foster.

Patrons can check out the library’s website for updates at wku.edu/library.

WKU Libraries featured Kirby Gann for the 2012/13 season of Kentucky Live!. Gann talked about his new book Ghosting to a diverse university and community audience. The talk concluded with a book signing by the author.

Photo Album | Audio | Podcast 

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Students and community members met in the basement lounge area of Java City Wednesday, September 12 for a book discussion over author Neil White’s memoir In the Sanctuary of Outcasts. White’s book was this year’s book selection for the Southern Kentucky Book Fest partners’ SOKY Reads community read program. In an effort to encourage reading in the community, SOKY Book Fest partners gave away more than 500 books, provided book discussions, offered free writing workshops, and brought in the author of the book for presentations to various groups throughout the community.