Friends of the UNCG Libraries

Celebrate the blues! That’s the theme of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries annual dinner coming up on March 28, 2012 at the Elliott University Center on the UNCG campus. That evening, the Friends will welcome William R. Ferris and Lorenzo (Logie) Meachum to the stage for an evening focusing on blues music. Ferris is a widely recognized leader in Southern studies, African American music and folklore, who has written or edited ten books and created fifteen documentary films. His book Give My Poor Heart Ease:Voices of the Mississippi Blues will be the basis of his presentation and will be featured at the book signing which follows. The former chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and now teaching at UNC Chapel Hill, Ferris has conducted thousands of interviews with musicians ranging from the famous (B.B. King) to the unrecognized (Parchman Penitentiary inmates working in the fields). Meachum, a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries, is a ...

Saving the Hansen House is the story of UNCG Professor and Associate Dean Bob Hansen who buys a dilapidated 18th-century farmhouse in Bethania, a small North Carolina town near Winston-Salem. Originally he planned to restore it and then maybe sell it and move on. But the house turns out to be something special, and the town is even more special. Before he knows it, he is putting down roots. This one-hour documentary film chronicles the unique challenges and rewards of saving a 250-year-old house. Or, as the filmmakers Deni and Will McIntyre put it, a house that might save him. The film will be screened at the Greensboro Historical Museum on Friday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. The Friends of the UNCG Libraries and the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts at UNCG to sponsor the screening in collaboration with the Greensboro Historical Museum . Admission is free. Both Hansen and the McIntyres will be present for a post-screening discussion of the film. For more information, contact Bar...

Libraries in our state are changing lives every day, and we'd like to showcase the benefits people experience because of their libraries. To begin to capture these success stories, NC LIVE, of which UNCG is a part, launched a new webpage called "My Story: Made Possible by NC Libraries." Library patrons across the state can use this form to submit their personal stories explaining why libraries have made a difference in their lives. The objective is to raise awareness of the important role libraries play. These stories will be used for outreach and awareness purposes in various NC LIVE communication pieces and reports. How can you help? It's easy! Go to this website http://www.nclive.org/mystory and tell us about how UNCG’s University Libraries, or others in North Carolina, have made a difference in your life.

Elliott University Center, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale December 1 from bookmarksnc.org Kim Edwards’ debut novel, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, became an international sensation, selling more than four million copies in the United States and spending an unbelievable 122 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, 23 of those weeks in the number one spot. The book was deemed “The Book of the Year” in 2006 by USA Today, saying, “once you've read this heart wrenching story, it's easy to understand why it has connected with millions of readers.” Her collection of short stories, The Secrets of a Fire King, an alternate for the 1998 PEN/Hemingway Award, was rereleased in 2007. On tour for the paperback release of The Lake of Dreams, A CONVERSATION WITH KIM EDWARDS, is her only North Carolina appearance. Edwards has won numerous awards, including a Whiting Award, a British Book Award, a Pushcart Prize, an...

Suzanne Angel captured this image of a hawk atop Jackson Library recently.

Please Join Us on Friday, November 4 at 10 am in the Kirkland Room for " Diversity through a Global Lens: Hong Kong Academic Libraries" a talk by Haipeng Li. Haipeng Li is currently University Librarian at the Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), leading the university libraries in strategic planning and development, among many other responsibilities. Prior to the position at HKBU, he was Associate Director of the John Cotton Dana Library at Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, responsible for research support services, coordination of personnel administration, and library planning, assessment, and innovation. He also had responsibilities for initiatives to expand outreach, engagement, collaborations, and fundraising for the Dana Library on campus. Before Rutgers, he had served as reference librarian and outreach coordinator at the Oberlin College in Ohio, the University of Arizona Library and the Arizona State University Libraries. Haipeng Li is active in...

Join us for a screening of "The Day Carl Sandburg Died" on Tuesday, November 1 at 7:00 pm in the Elliott University Center Auditorium. Carl Sandburg died in July of 1967, but director Paul Bonesteel finds his life story and his creative legacy as relevant and provocative as it was in 1916 when his "Chicago Poems" changed American poetry. “Labor unrest, global wars, socialism, immigration and race issues… this was the subject matter that fueled Sandburg for much of his poetry and writing that shocked the world.” comments Bonesteel. “The intensity of his work was over simplified later in his life. He was both an anarchist and a deeply patriotic American.” The Friends of the UNCG Libraries are pleased to present a screening of Paul Bonesteel’s new documentary film, “The Day Carl Sandburg Died.” Bonesteel will introduce and discuss the 82 minute film on Tuesday, November 1, beginning at 7 pm in the Elliott University Center Auditorium. Please join us in re-examinin...

Across a front page featuring one of Matthew Lewis’ pictures, the iconic image of a white girl and a black girl swinging together, Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee scrawled “Just Beautiful!” with a red marker. A few years later, in 1975, Bradlee would summon Lewis to his office to tell him he had won the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography. Lewis, an African American, was the first Post photographer to win a Pulitzer. “It’s about capturing that emotion on film,” Lewis says of his calling. “That’s what it’s all about.” Lewis, who now lives in Thomasville, will share his photographs and photographs by his grandfather, Harvey James Lewis, who forged a career in photography in the late 1800s, Wednesday, Oct. 19, in Jackson Library. The event, moderated by Jeri Rowe of the Greensboro News & Record, is sponsored by the Friends of the UNCG University Libraries. Lewis will begin his presentation at 5 p.m. in the Hodges Reading Room on the second floor of the library; it is free and op...

The Diversity Committee of the University Libraries is pleased to present an event with one of UNCG's distinguished faculty members and renowned poet, Dr. Mark Smith Soto. Dr. Mark Smith-Soto will discuss his writing career and the ways in which his ethnic identity has influenced both the perception and creation of his poetry. Please join us on Tuesday, October 25, at 4:00 pm in Kirkland Room, Elliott University Center. Dr. Smith-Soto was born in his father's hometown, Washington D.C., and reared in his mother's native country, Costa Rica. He is Professor of Spanish, editor of International Poetry Review , and former director of the Center for Creative Writing in the Arts at UNCG. A 2005 winner of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship in creative writing, his poetry has appeared in Nimrod , The Sun , Poetry East , Quarterly West , Callaloo , Literary Review , Kenyon Review and many other literary journals. The author of three award-winning poetry chapbooks, ...

The ongoing Friends of the UNCG Libraries book sale will restart on Tuesday, October 18. Books will be restocked each Tuesday morning during the active part of each semester (monthly during the summer).

UNCG librarians and staff, as well as LIS faculty and students, were very active participants in the recent North Carolina Library Association biennial meeting in Hickory. Not counting alumni, we counted 24 presentations involving UNCG personnel and 9 poster sessions. Assistant Director Mike Crumpton also served on the Program Committee. Presentations from UNCG included the following: Educating Community College Librarians Nora Bird, UNCG & Mike Crumpton, UNCG Everybody Teaches! Creating Effective Online e-learning Experiences Beth Filar Williams, UNCG & Amy Archambault, UNCG Lauren Pressley, Wake Forest University Establishing the Library in the Cultural Fabric of the Community: Ten Tips for Linking the Library to the World Barry K. Miller, UNCG Lessons Learned: Getting the Most Out of Libguides Jennifer Balance, CPCC Randall Bowman, Elon University Michelle Cosby, NC Central Law Library Jenny Dale, UNCG Nina Exner, NC A&T University Susan Wolf Neilso...

In Spring of 2010 the University of North Carolina (UNC) system administered the biennial Sophomore and Senior surveys to all 16 campuses. Several questions about the campus libraries are included in each survey. The Senior Survey included four questions about libraries. Approximately 1,000 UNCG students answered each question. On a four-point scale with 4 as “excellent” the UNCG University Libraries received the following scores: • Hours of operation (3.7) • Staff responsiveness (3.5) • Access to databases and collections (3.6) • Library services overall (3.6) We exceeded the UNC average for these questions in each category. Because these questions have remained the same for over 10 years we are able to get a longitudinal picture of our progress; our scores have improved each year. UNCG had a 57% response rate to the Sophomore Survey. It included six questions about libraries using a five-point scale with 5 as “very satisfied.” The University Libraries received good results...

As the current construction projects remind us, our campus is always undergoing change. Where once there was a lake, we now have a three-hole golf course. Walker Avenue no longer connects Aycock and Tate Streets because Jackson Library stands in the way. And the McIver Building is the second of that name, and the first McIver Building replaced another structure on that site. Last weekend, the University Libraries began a project to connect our campus to its past. We placed QR codes (see picture) in three spots so that returning alumni, armed with smart phones, could instantly be whisked back in time and watch changes to UNCG's landscape unfold. We hope in the future to create more of these short videos and continue to unlock the history of our campus. We invite you to now watch the first video of the McIver Building. Special thanks to David Gwynn,(who provides the wonderful narration), Richard Cox, Hermann Trojanowski, and Beth Filar Williams for their work on this project.

A new website has been established to communicate about the budget cuts being made by the University Libraries.

Mary Krautter, Head of Reference & Instructional Services in the University Libraries at UNCG, is featured in this recent WFMY TV story about the impact of Google.

UNCG recently joined the prestigious Folger Institute consortium . Through this new membership, UNCG’s faculty and graduate students now have access to the Folger's archive and related conferences and seminars, and may also apply for acceptance and grants-in-aid to the Folger Institute's many programs. Dr. Christopher Hodgkins, Professor, English Department and Director of UNCG’s Atlantic World Research Network, led the consortium membership initiative. For details on applying to Folger Institute programs, please visit the AWRN web site or contact Dr. Hodgkins at cthodgki@uncg.edu . Reader privileges at the Folger Institute are available to any person, regardless of academic affiliation. To access the collections, the borrower must first email the Folger's registrar about their visit. That communication should be followed by a letter from the UNCG dept. head to the Folger library, verifying the patron's identity and research needs. When the UNCG researcher finall...

Two UNCG librarians have been awarded grants from the North Carolina State Library to support projects. Keith Gorman (left), who is Assistant Head of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, received support for the North Carolina Literary Map. Digital Projects Coordinator David Gwynn (right) received support to digitize North Carolina Runaway Slave Advertisements. Congratulations to both principal investigators.

We are going to hold the September 26 book discussion on No God But God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam in the Faculty Center , a building located near the UNCG Alumni House on College Avenue. While we normally hold book discussions in the Hodges Reading Room of Jackson Library, the ongoing renovation project necessitated the move. We plan to be back in Hodges in October. Room is still available for this discussion, and we invite you to register online or call 336-256-8598 if you would like to attend. No God But God by Reza Aslan provides a comprehensive and highly readable overview of the history of Islam. Dr. Omar Ali (African American Studies) has spoken widely on this topic, and he recently was interviewed on WFDD. To listen to the interview, click here . After the introduction, skip ahead to the 17 minute mark. Dr. Ali's segment lasts approximately 13 minutes.

Dean Rosann Bazirjian talks about the impact of the state budget cuts on the University Libraries. More information (pdf format)

Each year for the past five years, the University Libraries have hosted a nationally known children's book author and storyteller, and invited the community to campus for free performances. How did this relatively new tradition come to be? More information (pdf format).

A new web portal connects several new and existing online collections related to the history of UNCG and makes over 3200 photographs, documents, and publications available to the public. More information (pdf format).

Recent paintings by Greensboro artist Jack Stratton will be on display in the Jackson Library Reading Room beginning on September 12. Join us on Friday, September 23 at 5:00 pm for the exhibit's opening reception. A percentage of all sales will benefit the University Libraries. Jack Stratton is no stranger to the University Libraries--he first started working in Jackson Library as a student. After receiving his BFA in Painting at UNCG in 1977, Jack joined the library staff full time as a bookbinder. From the library, Jack moved to the Weatherspoon Art Museum where he worked for 20 years as a preparator. Last year, after thirty years of service, Jack retired from UNCG, but not from the art world. He currently paints in his Greensboro studio, as well as teaches drawing and watercolor painting at the Art Alliance, an organization sponsored by the City of Greensboro. He also works as a freelance preparator, curator, art handler and lighting consultant. We asked Jack about what co...

See the library web page for information about public events and exhibits at the University libraries.

Tom Kirby-Smith has donated a collection of modern poetry books and established the Noel and Tom Kirby-Smith Poetry Fund in the University Libraries at UNCG. UNCG Dean of Libraries Rosann Bazirjian says of the gift: “We are excited to receive this impressive collection. Our students and faculty will also appreciate the alcove space being planned on the third floor of the Jackson Library Tower to house it. That area will be a comfortable place to read and reflect on these volumes. We are especially grateful for an endowment that will allow us to continue to add to the collection and to preserve these valuable books of poetry.” Noel Callow Kirby-Smith came to Greensboro in 1968 as one of the first Randall Jarrell fellows in UNCG's graduate Writing Program. A graduate of St Xavier College in Chicago, she had already published poems in The Sewanee Review and The Denver Quarterly written during the five years she taught reading and English in Chicago Catholic and public grade s...

The Service Desk at the entrance to the Jackson Library/EUC Connector is being named in honor of Dr. Frieda Elaine Penninger, a 1948 graduate of Woman’s College.Dr. Penninger, who majored in English at WC and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, later earned M.A. and PhD. degrees at Duke. She taught at several institutions, most notably for many years at the University of Richmond, where she was head of the English Department. After moving back to Greensboro following her retirement, Dr. Penninger has made generous gifts to the general collection of the University Libraries to support teaching, scholarship and research.

Carl Sandburg died in July of 1967, but director Paul Bonesteel finds his life story and his creative legacy as relevant and provocative as it was in 1916 when his "Chicago Poems" changed American poetry. “Labor unrest, global wars, socialism, immigration and race issues… this was the subject matter that fueled Sandburg for much of his poetry and writing that shocked the world.” comments Bonesteel. “The intensity of his work was over simplified later in his life. He was both an anarchist and a deeply patriotic American.” The Friends of the UNCG Libraries are pleased to present a screening of Paul Bonesteel’s new documentary film, “The Day Carl Sandburg Died.” Bonesteel will introduce and discuss the 82 minute film on Tuesday, November 1, beginning at 7 pm in the Elliott University Center Auditorium. Please join us in re-examining the life and work of the poet/biographer/ troubadour/ journalist/philosopher who spent the last years of his life at Flat Rock in the North C...

Dr. Allen Trelease, Emeritus Professor of History and former member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries, has died. Among other accomplishments, Dr. Trelease was the author of Making North Carolina Literate: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro from Normal School to Metropolitan University , covering the period 1892-1994. In doing so, he spent many hours over a ten-year period in the University Archives, and was a familiar sight in Jackson Library. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries for a total of six years. He was known to the Board for his generosity and wry sense of humor, and once told us, “I wanted to make the title ‘Making Carolina Literate,’ but was dissuaded from doing so in deference to the sensibilities of our colleagues at Chapel Hill.” Trelease was also the author of the books Indian Affairs in Colonial New York: The Seventeenth Century , White Terror: The Ku Klux Klan Conspiracy and Souther...

Sometimes, a picture is worth more than a thousand words. Combine a picture with the story of four generations of African American photographers, and you have even more: an eye on history. Matthew Lewis was the first photographer at the Washington Post ever to win a Pulitzer Prize when he did so in 1975 for a portfolio of his color pictures. Now “retired” and living in Thomasville, NC, Lewis is coming to the University Libraries at UNCG on Wednesday, October 19 at 5 pm in the Jackson Library Reading Room to display and talk about some of his favorite photos for an event moderated by News & Record columnist and Friends of the UNCG Libraries Board member Jeri Rowe. The list of famous people photographed by Lewis ranges from Muhammed Ali to Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Included are politicians , musicians, celebrities and movie stars. All his photos, says Lewis, have a story. He is an enthusiastic man, with many stories. As he speaks, one senses that Lewis has...

Ms. Anne Courts Herman ’87 has established The Carol Walker Courts Children’s Literature Preservation and Acquisition Fund for the University Libraries in honor of her mother. Anne’s mother graduated from Woman’s College with a degree in Physical Education in 1947. Because of her love of books and reading, she came back to UNCG to get her M.Ed. in Library Education in 1968. Mrs. Courts served as a librarian for almost 30 years in the High Point school system including Griffin Elementary School and Andrews High School. Anne received a Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981, then earned an M.L.S. at UNCG in 1987. She served as a librarian for 12 years at Summit School in Winston-Salem and currently works at Cash Elementary. Anne honors her mother’s love of libraries with a gift that will continue to provide ongoing support for acquisitions and the preservation of children’s literature. The fund will be used to support the Girls B...

This year we celebrate ten years of the faculty-led Friends of the UNCG Libraries Book Discussions. Please join us as we peruse a history of Islam, a comic academic novel, an account of a brief life and immortal cells, a Victorian classic, a new analysis of cities, and a "story of stuff." Come for one; come for all--register today at http://library.uncg.edu/giving/friends_of_the_libraries/Register.aspx . Schedule of Discussions all discussions will be held in the Hodges Reading Room on the second floor of Jackson Library Monday, September 26 at 4:00 pm Dr. Omar Ali , African American Studies, selected No God But God by Reza Aslan, because it provides a comprehensive and highly readable overview of the history of Islam. As Booklist notes, "Beginning with an exploration of the religious climate in the years before the Prophet's Revelation, Aslan traces the story of Islam from the Prophet's life and the so-called golden age of the first four cal...

Stories are powerful. A well-told story even more so. Five years ago, the University Libraries began a series that brings children’s book authors and storytellers to campus. The goal? To reach out to area school children and to teach future educators about using stories in the classroom. This year, Bobby Norfolk, co-author of “Anansi and the Pot of Beans,” “The Moral of the Story: Folktales for Character Development” and “Anansi Goes to Lunch,” will share his tales with area school children and the public Sept. 12. The event is made possible by the Pam and David Sprinkle Children's Author and Storyteller's Series Fund. Norfolk, who began his career as a stand-up comedian and actor, discovered storytelling in 1979. Since then he has performed living history programs that highlight the African-American experience as well as musical shows that feature live musicians. His stories promote character education traits (such as respect and responsibility), cultural diversi...

Rosann Bazirjian, Dean-University Libraries, David Arneke - Sponsor of the Award & Dana Boyle, Winner of Outstanding Libraries' Student Worker

Anna Craft has been appointed Metadata Cataloger at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Most recently, she was Metadata Librarian at Western Carolina University. She holds the M.S.L.S. from UNC Chapel Hill. Erin Lawrimore has been appointed University Archivist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Most recently, she was Associate Head and Curator at the North Carolina State University Special Collections Research Center. She holds the M.S.I.S. from the University of Texas in Austin.

Combined, the faculty and staff of the University Libraries gave 157 presentations to professional and scholarly conferences in 2010-2011, and collectively wrote 1 book, 75 articles and 22 book chapters. Photo: Lynda Kellam, author of Numeric Data Services & Sources for the General Reference Librarian .

Cindy Zaruba (on left in photo with award creator Martha Ransley) has won the Staff Service Award at the University Libraries for 2011. Cindy was extolled by her colleagues as a truly gifted problem solver--efficient, hardworking, and productive. She is known for solving workflow problems with an eye on how a patron would approach searching and how decisions will influence the work flow between departments. Within the Cataloging Department, Cindy leads by example, calling little attention to her accomplishments. She often volunteers for anything that needs doing, tackling complex projects with skill, diligence, and cheer. She is known for her balanced perspective and dry sardonic humor. Having worked in five different positions with in her nearly thirty years with the Libraries, Cindy is also respected for her wise counsel and historical memory of the library. Cindy is also a respected leader and teacher, having spent much time training student assistants, library faculty and staff, ...

Donors make possible many of the elements that make the University Libraries special. They support programs, help us make the building attractive and inviting, and help build collections. To recognize those who have been major donors in recent years, a Wall of Honor has been installed on the first floor of Jackson Library at the entrance to the Tower Lobby. Annual gifts of $1,000 or more ensure your place in the Jackson Society. Payments may be spread throughout the year or matched by your employer. New gifts to the Society are recognized on the Wall of Honor. For more information, please contact: Ms. Linda Burr Director of Development UNCG University Libraries PO Box 26170

In its inaugural year, more than thirty persons have joined the Jackson Society to support the University Libraries at UNCG. After a kickoff brunch hosted by Chancellor Brady in May of 2010, the membership has grown rapidly. We thank all who have supported us, and invite others to consider joining. The Jackson Society honors donors who have generously contributed to the goals and enrichment of the University Libraries at UNCG As the Libraries’ leadership giving society, these dedicated supporters are committed to the Libraries’ mission -- to advance and support learning, research and service at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and throughout the state. Annual gifts of $1,000 or more ensure your place in the Jackson Society. Payments may be spread throughout the year or matched by your employer. New gifts to the Society are recognized on the Wall of Honor on the first floor of Jackson Library. For more information, please contact: Ms. Linda Burr Director of Development...

When Bobby Norfolk began reading bedtime stories for his seven year old, he found he had a slight problem. Instead of putting his son to sleep, the boy was so engaged by his father’s energetic style that he was ready for popcorn, soda, and more entertainment instead of rest. Norfolk realized that he should channel his efforts into storytelling, and he has become one of America’s best practitioners of the storytelling art. From traditional Anansi folk tales to a rap of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, historical themes to poetry, the St. Louis-based Norfolk now performs around the world and is a recipient of the prestigious Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network. On September 12, the University Libraries at UNCG will host performances by Norfolk for the children and adults of the Triad. Norfolk will perform for invited schools and UNCG students during the day, and for the general public that evening at 7 p.m. in a free performance in the Elliott University Cen...

Author Sara Paretsky, best known her V.I. Warshawski novels, talks about the value of public and academic libraries in this video .

Mr. Tom Kirby-Smith has been elected chairperson of the Friends of the UNCG Libraries and to a new term on the Board of Directors. He was elected at the recent annual meeting of the Friends, which featured a presentation by authors Lee Smith and Hal Crowther. Mr. Kirby-Smith, who taught at UNCG for many years, was an early editor of the Greensboro Review. He is also the author of several books, including a guide to U.S. observatories, a book on the philosopher George Santayana, a book that examines free verse poetry and one on the emergence of poetry from music. His poetry and essays have been published in the Southern Review, the Sewanee Review, the Virginia Quarterly Review, Shenandoah, Poetry (magazine), the Mountain Goat, the Southern Poetry Review, Ploughshares, and the Hudson Review. He has served on the board of editors of Versification. His chapbook of poems, The Musical Constellations, was published by Unicorn Press in 2007. Among his former students is Claudia Emerson,...

2011 marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility . Jane Austen's novels have been read, translated, adapted, critiqued, and loved ever since. On May 3, the Friends of the UNCG Libraries will gather with students from the Department of English and Professor Jim Evans to read selections from Austen's first-published novel and drink tea. Please join us! We will be at the Faculty Center from 3:30-5:30 on Tuesday, May 3. Contact Kimberly Lutz at kdlutz2@uncg.edu for more information. I posted this quiz on the many adaptations of Sense & Sensibility last week . Now, as promised, the answers, in red , below. The picture to the left? From the cover of the 2010 Marvel comic book version of the novel--we'll have it on hand at the reading next week. 1) Which actress knew, at age 22, that Sense & Sensibility would make a great movie? She later won an academy award for her screenplay and was nominated as best actress. Emma Thompson 2) How many BBC...