Library News - Exhibits and Events

Congratulations to VCU's new graduates

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:34:14 -0500

On Friday, May 3, hundreds of students preparing to graduate from VCU gathered at the Science Museum of Virginia for the event Your Passport to the World. Held annually, the event celebrates the achievements of the students with a soirée featuring international food from local vendors, music and dancing. Students also have the opportunity of visiting with representatives from many VCU departments to learn more about how to stay connected with the university after graduation and what resources it has to offer for helping graduates to advance their careers. VCU Libraries was, of course, there this past May 3 to talk about the VCU Friends of the Library and our extensive community programs. More importantly, though, we wanted to congratulate the students, every one of whom had visited Cabell Library or Tompkins-McCaw Library, whether in person or online, countless times during their studies. Best wishes for the future, and please keep in touch!

VCU Libraries 2012-2013 events in review

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:22:06 -0500

As the 2013 spring semester ends and the summer begins, we look back on an academicyear packed with public events. A glance through the list reveals an astonishing variety, from an exhibit of fossils to an exhibit focusing on medical outreach, from a panel about library technology to a presentation by a comic and fantasy artist. These events would not have been possible without the concerted efforts of the entire VCU Libraries staff, the VCU Friends of the Library, the James Branch Cabell Library Library Associates, and many other library supporters around VCU and the Richmond community. To everyone, a big thanks for your help.

And in case you missed any events, a number of them can be watched in video form on the VCU Libraries YouTube channel (see below for links).

Fall Events

"Books You Carry with You" exhibit | August 6-September 27
This exhibit, on loan from the Richmond Public Library, featured the reflections of more than 50 Richmond leaders about the children's books that had taught them invaluable lessons. For its appearance in Cabell Library, it was expanded to include a wall on which visitors could post their own thoughts on the children's books that they loved. The wall accumulated hundreds of Post-it Notes featuring everything from Aesop's fables to "Harry Potter."

"Australopithecine!" exhibit | August 20-December 18
The VCU School of World Studies anthropology program arranged this exhibit of facsimile fossilized skeletons of two specimens of Australopithecus sediba, a human-like primate thought by some researchers to be an ancestor of Homo sapiens. Students from the anthropology program conducted special instructional sessions for high-school classes that came to see the exhibit.
Photos

Robert Browning exhibit | October 18-December 7
In conjunction with the 2012 Victorian Institute Annual Conference held at VCU, this exhibit offered library visitors the opportunity to browse vintage papers, books, ephemera and other materials pertaining to English poet Robert Browning. All of the items came from the extensive collection of Mark Samuels Lasner and were on loan from the University of Delaware.

John J. Nance giving the CHEC 10th Anniversary Lecture

CHEC 10th Anniversary Lecture | October 18
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Community Health Education Center (CHEC), VCU Libraries and VCU Health Systems hosted this lecture by John J. Nance, popular novelist and authority on patient safety. Nance proposed a model of healthcare in which the various branches of medicine worked together to provide the highest possible degree of service to patients.
Photos

VCU Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale | October 24-28
Every year, people from miles around Richmond travel to Cabell Library for the book sale sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library. The book sale this past year was one of the most successful ever, thanks in part to enormous collections of comic books, audio books and classic series for children and young adults, such as "Nancy Drew" and "The Hardy Boys."

VCU Cabell First Novelist Award celebration | November 8
Justin Torres, winner of the 2012 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award read from his novel, "We the Animals," and was joined by his agent and publisher for a discussion, led by Richmond-based writer Valley Haggard, on the evolution of the novel and its unique style and thematic content. The event drew attendees from around the region, including many students from the Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts And Technology.
Photos

Spring Events

University Librarian John Ulmschneider with guest speakers
at the "Moving Up to the Cloud" panel

"Moving up to the Cloud" panels | January 9
Librarians from Virginia and beyond gathered for this pair of panels focusing on the future of library information systems and on VCU Libraries' historic move to Alma, cutting-edge cloud-based software for cataloging and managing library resources. The panels featured important voices in the field of information systems, including Marshall Breeding, Mark Ryland of Amazon Web Services, and Mark Triest, president of Ex Libris North America, as well as VCU University Librarian John Ulmschneider.
Panel 1 video | Panel 2 video

11th Annual Black History Month Lecture | February 5
An audience of 400 packed the house for this lecture featuring Innocence Project co-director Peter Neufeld and exoneree Marvin Anderson. The discussion between the two touched upon inequities in legal preceedings and the important role of objective evidence such as DNA in initiating reform within the justice system.
Video | Photos

"Gabriel's Conspiracy" panel | March 13
In this panel, held in partnership with the VCU Year of Freedom Committee, prominent scholars Dr. Michael Nicholls and Dr. Philip J. Schwarz considered the genesis of the suppressed Richmond slave rebellion of 1800 and its impact on attitudes and policy throughout Virginia. Janine Yvette Bell of the Elegba Folklore Society moderated a fascinating conversation between the two scholars and the audience.
Video | Photos

Dr. Jack D. Spiro giving the 28th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture

"Digital Pragmata" series | March 26, April 25, May 2
Conceived as a forum for Richmond-based professionals in the digital humanities to share their work and to discuss issues in this rapidly evolving field, the "Digital Pragmata" series consisted of three panel events, all held in Cabell Library, featuring prominent speakers addressing faculty, staff and graduate students from VCU and the local community. Edward Ayers, president of the University of Richmond, gave the keynote presentation.
Session 1 videos | Session 2 videos | Session 2 photos

"Another Untold Story of Race and Richmond" presentation | March 28
Carmen Foster, a long-time support of VCU Libraries, discussed the history of Hartshorn Memorial College, a private school for African-American women founded in 1883 and now a part of Virginia Union University, and the challenges faced by its graduates because of the racial climate in the early-twentieth-century South. The event, held in Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives, overflowed with attendees.

28th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture | April 4
Titled "What Gives Life Meaning? A Jewish Response," this lecture examined the age-old pursuit of meaning in life from a specifically Jewish perspective. Dr. Jack D. Spiro, one of the most popular speakers in the region, always draws a large crowd from across the VCU and wider-Richmond communities, and this event was no exception. With an audience of more than 500 people, it ranked among the best attended in VCU Libraries history.
Photos

Charles Vess signing books for delighted fans

"The Art of Magic Making" presentation | April 18
Aficiondos of comics and fantasy illustration gathered for this presentation and book signing. Charles Vess discussed his rise from a hopeful VCU undergraduate (and employee of Cabell Library!) to the renowned artist of hugely successful works such as "Sandman," "The Books of Magic" and "Stardust." Only a month after the event, the video recording on YouTube had already been watched more than 500 times, a record for VCU Libraries.
Video | Photos

"Rams Reaching Out" photo exhibit | April 18-September 30
For this exhibit, students in the health sciences submitted photos of their outreach activities. The photos, often touching and inspiring, illustrate the commitment of VCU students to serving the community and beyond. The exhibit is the fourth to appear on the rennovated gallery walls on the first floor of Tompkins-McCaw Library and will continue though the summer and into the fall semester of 2013.

Student lamp exhibit | April 26-May 10
Students from the VCU Departments of Interior Design and of Crafts and Material Studies teamed up to create the seven working, light fixtures that made up this exhibit. Each light fixture was inspired by objects from Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives. The exhibit, held in Cabell Library during spring exam season on the Monroe Park Campus, caught the eyes of countless visitors.
Photos

Talk on cartoonist Billy DeBeck and his comic strip Snuffy Smith

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:50:35 -0500

American cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1890-1942) created many popular comic strips over the course of a career spanning nearly 40 years. Among his best-known strips are ones that involve characters Barney Google, a loveable ne'er-do-well and aficionado of gambling in various forms, and Spark Plug, Barney Google's blanket-covered racehorse, but perhaps DeBeck's most enduringly popular character is Snuffy Smith, a moonshiner from the backwoods of North Carolina. While working on the Snuffy Smith strips, DeBeck amassed a library of more than 100 volumes of fiction, anthropology and folklore focusing on Appalachia, the Ozarks and the American South. In 1990 VCU Libraries acquired the Billy DeBeck Collection, including this library, from DeBeck's former secretary.

Paul Robertson, research assistant in James Brach Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives and a doctoral student in VCU's Media Art & Text (MATX) program, will give a presentation on Billy DeBeck and his library at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, 2013, in the second-floor Multipurpose Room in James Branch Branch Cabell Library. Robertson will look critically at the nature and extent of DeBeck's research and at the character of Snuffy Smith and DeBeck's intentions for him. The talk will be free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided. For questions, please call (804) 828-0593.

Lamp exhibit to light up Cabell Library

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:20:29 -0500

During the spring semester, a group of students from the Department of Interior Design and the Department of Crafts and Material Studies met in Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives to participate in a collaborative project inspired by Special Collections and Archives itself. The students worked in teams composed of two Interior Design graduate students and one Craft and Material Studies major, and each team selected a particular focus of Special Collections and Archives to serve as the catalyst for a design for a functional LED light fixture. With Cabell Library preparing for the construction of a major new building adjacent and attached to the existing structure, the teams also engaged with the vision for the new building, trying to imagine their completed light fixtures installed inside it and incorporated into the architecture.

The completed light fixtures will be on display on the first floor of Cabell Library from April 26 to May 10 for all patrons and visitors to see. An opening reception will take place on Friday, April 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the designers and to discuss the project. Both the exhibit and the opening reception will be free and open to the public.

'Rams Reaching Out' photo exhibit runs April 18-September

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:30:03 -0500

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences opens "Rams Reaching Out," a photography exhibition featuring contest entries about the outreach activities of VCU health sciences students from urban Richmond to rural Southwest Virginia to the faraway shores of West Africa.

All are invited to the reception at the library, 509 N. 12th St. RSVP Thelma Mack, mackta@vcu.edu or 804-828-0017

VCU Libraries hosts TEDMED 2013 simulcast April 16-19

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:25:29 -0500

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences will host a live simulcast of TEDMED 2013, April 16-19, during regular library hours. The University community is invited to join colleagues to listen to this provocative series of short, inspiring talks, curated by the well-known TED (technology, entertainment, design) conference series, which began in the mid-1980s.

TEDMED focuses on health and medicine. The conference meets at the Kennedy Center in Washington, for a 31/2 day program.

According to organizers, "TEDMED believes that the future of health and medicine will be shaped by vital input from leading medical colleges, teaching hospitals, government agencies and non-profit institutions around the world." In this spirit of collaboration and information sharing, the TEDMED event is broadcast free to these institutions.

This is the first time VCU has participated in TEDMED Live.

Selected highlights and topics include:

Tuesday, April 16

John Maeda, Rhode Island School of Design President: "How can design principles lead to more discovery and better treatment?"
America Bracho, CEO and President, Latino Health Acesss: "What happens when patients become leaders on the health team?"
Harvey Fineberg, President, Institute of Medicine: "What is the U.S. health disadvantage?"

Wednesday, April 17

Amy Abernathy, Director, Duke Center for Learning Health Care: "Can patient data have a second life?"
Sally Okun, VP Advocacy, Policy and Patient Safety, PatientsLikeMe: "Does anyone in healthcare want to be understood?"
Francis S. Collins, NIH Director: "Can science take the next leap?"

Thursday, April 18

Susan Desmond-Hellmann, Chancellor, University of California, San Francisco: "Attention stressed-out docs: Can the consumer be the 'cavalry'that rescues you?"
Elizabeth Marincola, President, Society for Science and the Public: "With open access, who translates medical research?"
Elazer Edlman, Senior Physician, Harvard-MIT Biomedical Engineering Center: "The Big Bang in Medicine and Engineering - will the knowledge explosion actually hurt innovation across disciplines?"

Friday, April 19

Laura Deming, Partner, The Longevity Fund: "How do we make prevention a $1 trillion business?"
Isaac Kohane, Professor of Pediatrics and Health Sciences Technology, Harvard Medical School: "How can every clinical visit be used to advance medical science?"

Preservation Week, April 22-26

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:09:33 -0500

Preservation Week returns to Cabell Library April 22-26. This year, Patricia Selinger, Head of the Preservation Department, will demonstrate the art of book repair in the lobby from noon to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. These demonstrations will provide a fascinating look at the structure and durability of books. The Preservation Department works to keep library resources available to those who need them now and to future generations. Visitors to the demonstrations will also be able to learn more about how best to take care of their own collections and what to do in case of accidents and disasters. Ms. Selinger will answer questions and have handouts available. The VCUL Preservation Department is at http://www.library.vcu.edu/preservation/.

Throughout the week, the American Library Association (ALA) will offer webinars and webcasts on various topics in preservation. For a complete listing and for access, see the ALA Preservation Week calendar. To get started with preserving your family treasures, see this helpful VCU Libraries guide. See also the ALA's in-depth Preservation Toolkit.

Preservation Week was begun in 2010 to promote the role of libraries and other institutions in preserving public and personal collections and treasures. Some 630 million items in collecting institutions in the United States require immediate attention and care. 80 percent of these institutions have no paid staff assigned responsibility for collections care, and 22 percent have no collections-are personnel at all. Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan. As natural disasters of recent years have taught us, these resources are in jeopardy should a disaster strike. Personal, family, and community collections are equally at risk. Preservation Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA), the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), the Library of Congress, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Society of American Archivists (SAA), the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and Heritage Preservation: The National Institute for Conservation.

Video: 'Gabriel's Conspiracy"

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:51:43 -0500

In 1800, a literate slave known as Gabriel planned a rebellion that was to involve a march into Richmond. Although the action was suppressed, it confirmed the growing outcry for justice and the volatility of the slave economy. VCU Libraries hosted "Gabriel's Conspiracy: Exploring the Richmond Slave Rebellion of 1800" on March 13, in partnership with the Year of Freedom Committee, the VCU Department of History, the VCU Department of African American Studies and the Library of Virginia.

The event featured two prominent experts on the subject of Gabriel's Rebellion, discussing this landmark in Virginia history: Dr. Michael Nicholls, professor emeritus of history at Utah State University and author of "Whispers of Rebellion: Narrating Gabriel's Conspiracy," and Dr. Philip J. Schwarz, professor emeritus of history at VCU and author of "Gabriel's Conspiracy: A Document History." Schwarz is also emeritus of the VCU Friends of the Library Board. These two books, "Whispers of Rebellion" and "Gabriel's Conspiracy," both recently published by the University of Virginia Press, aim to present a complete account of the rebellion.

Reception honors MCV campus class of 2013

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:28:40 -0500

All graduates in the MCV Campus class of 2013 are invited to a graduation reception honoring them hosted by Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, noon to 1 p.m., April 25 in the Special Collections Reading Room. For special accommodations or to RSVP, contact Thelma Mack at mackta@vcu.edu or (804) 828-0017. Congratulations to graduates of the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing and Allied Health as they begin the next stages of their study, research and careers.

Have your voices heard at Cabell Life Forum April 3

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:23:49 -0500

By Yusef Ariyibi
Member, Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee

As you may have heard, James Branch Cabell Library is preparing to undergo major changes. The plans for a new building have begun and many of us students are curious about what to expect. At 5 p.m., April 3 in the Multipurpose Room, 250, the Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee (CLUAC) and the VCU Student Government Association (SGA) will be co-sponsoring the 2013-2014 Cabell Life Forum.

Each year the Cabell Life Forum has been an amazing way for students and library administration to connect and discuss issues, share ideas and make suggestions. The Cabell Life Forum has covered various issues such as building hours and resources. The 24/5 library hours that we have been enjoying so much this past year came about, in part, due to discussions from prior Forums.

On April 3, Dennis Clark, the associate university librarian for public services, will be discussing the new library. This is an opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions on what you would like the new building to encompass. Cabell Library faculty want the new building to be the perfect place for VCU students to study, research and get the best learning experience possible. Your opinion is going to be taken into great consideration.

The Cabell Life Forums have always been a great experience in my past three years at VCU. If Cabell Library is like a second home to you, I would greatly recommend you come out and join this incredible discussion.

Registration Open: Digital Pragmata series for faculty and grad students

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:05:43 -0500

How scholars and artists share their work is changing. More and more, arts and humanities scholarship, creative activity and teaching occurs in the digital environment. VCU Libraries' new forum, "Digital Pragmata" (Digital Things) will explore these trends and techniques in modern scholarship, teaching and creative work.

"Digital pragmata flourish at the nexus of research, teaching and creativity," said John Glover, assistant professor and reference librarian for the humanities. Glover is organizing the sessions along with Kristina Keogh, assistant professor and reference librarian for the arts. Digital pragmata can be textual databases, creative visualizations of information, multimedia explorations, collaboratively annotated maps, course-related blogs and a thousand other projects. Digital objects can be wildly creative, deeply complex or simple communication tools.

"In working with faculty in various departments, we see a need to broaden the conversation about digital material," said Keogh, who is also a doctoral candidate in art history. Instructors requiring the creation of digital objects are scattered across all disciplines. "We want to bring together faculty and graduate students from a range of disciplines to learn and share ideas."

These sessions are free and open to all. Space is limited. Please register.

The March 26 and April 25 panels will be recorded and shared online.

For more information contact Glover at jglover2@vcu.edu or Keogh at keoghkm@vcu.edu.

March 26

1 to 3 p.m., followed by reception

Visualizing the Digital

Design, ideas and platforms

Edward L. Ayers, president, University of Richmond, pioneer in the digital humanities
Amanda French, THATCamp (The Humanities and Technology Camp) coordinator, Center for History and New Media, George Mason University
Emily Smith, executive director, 1708 Gallery, Richmond, curator and creator of InLight Richmond
Moderator: Roy D. McKelvey, associate professor, Department of Graphic Design, VCU, co-founder of Loop: AIGA Journal of Interactive Design Education

April 25

1 to 3 p.m., followed by a reception

Crafting Content

Creation, scholarship and organization

Ben Fino-Radin, digital conservator for Rhizome at the New Museum and manager of the Museum of Modern Art Digital Repository
Francesca Fiorani, associate professor, History of Art and Architecture, UVA, director of Leonardo da Vinci and His Treatise on Painting
Michael Poston, database applications associate, Folger Shakespeare Library
Moderator: Joshua Eckhardt, associate professor, Department of English, VCU, and founding, general co-editor of British Virginia

May 2

Noon to 2 p.m.

Funding Innovation

Avenues, resources and project support

Jessica Venable, grant analyst, Office of Research, VCU
David Holland, research and entrepreneurship specialist, School of the Arts, VCU

Save the Date: Vess to speak at VCU April 18

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:16:47 -0500

World-renowned comic artist and illustrator Charles Vess, VCU alumnus and recipient of the Eisner and World Fantasy Awards, will visit the Monroe Park Campus under VCU Libraries sponsorship April 18. He will speak about his new book with novelist Charles de Lint, "The Cats of Tanglewood Forest" (Little Brown, 2013). Event details and details of registration will be posted soon. Seating will be limited. Check the VCU Libraries home page or calendar for updates.

Vess has collaborated with Charles de Lint on several highly successful novels and collections of stories, including "A Circle of Cats" (Viking, 2003), "Moonheart" (Subterranean Press, 2004), and "The Green Man: Tales from the Mythic Forest" (Viking, 2001). Some of Vess's most popular works have been collaborations with Neil Gaiman, beginning with their work on comic series "Sandman" and "The Books of Magic." Issue number 19 of "Sandman," titled "A Midsummer Night's Dream," won the 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story, and is the only single issue of a comic book ever to win this prestigious prize. More recently, Vess and Gaiman have collaborated on the bestselling novel "Stardust."

Clark lectures on re-imagining the library

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:12:11 -0500

VCU Libraries Associate University Librarian for Public Services Dennis T. Clark will speak at the University of Tennessee March 18. His topic will be "Re-imagining Library Services."

At VCU Libraries, Clark leads the public services team. He is involved in the design of a new library building at VCU and is re-imagining the library service model as well as invigorating outreach efforts.

Prior to his current appointment, he was head of public and research services at Texas A&M University Libraries. In addition, he has extensive experience as a music librarian, including positions at Samford University and at Vanderbilt University where he was director of the Wilson Music Library. At Vanderbilt, he co-founded the Global Music Archive, a streaming repository of traditional music. He holds the master's in library information studies from The University of Alabama and a bachelor's degree in music from Samford University.

"Sketchy Medicine" on view in Special Collections Reading Room

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:57:14 -0500

"Sketchy Medicine" is now on display in the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences Special Collections Reading Room.

This exhibit was inspired by the website Graphic Medicine that explores the use of graphic novels and comics as a resource for patients, medical professionals and caregivers.

This exhibit provides a brief overview of the subject and displays a sampling of VCU Libraries' collection of medically themed graphic novels as well as some examples of web comics with a medical focus.

"Arabic Poems for English Readers" breaks barriers

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 12:05:44 -0500

A new exhibition at James Branch Cabell Library gives the Richmond community the opportunity to take down one wall to the Middle East: the language barrier.

"Breaking Barriers: Arabic Poems for English Readers," a selection of poetry books from VCUQatar Libraries, is on view in Special Collections and Archives, Fourth Floor, James Branch Cabell Library through May 10.

Arabic is a rich and beautiful language with a longstanding tradition of poetry. In order to capture the essence of Arabic verses for a wider audience, this collaborative exhibit among VCU Libraries in Richmond, VCUQatar Libraries in Doha and the Poetry Foundation Library in Chicago presents a collection of Arabic poetry books for English readers.

The materials from VCUQatar Libraries showcase a diverse sampling of poems from medieval Islamic Spain to the modern Arabian Gulf. The genesis of the display was the tied to publication of the first anthology of modern and contemporary poetry of the so-called Gulf region.

That book grew from a need expressed by Qatar students for a book that featured poets of their region and language. The translators and editors focused on the Arabian Gulf countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Edited by Patty Paine and Samia Touati of VCUQatar, and by Jeff Lodge, who taught at Qatar and now is in Richmond at VCU's University College, "Gathering the Tide: An Anthology of Contemporary Arabian Gulf Poetry" offers 200 poems by some 50 poets. Noted VCU poet David Wojahn wrote the introduction. The 2011 book inspired the current exhibition.

"Students everywhere are limited in their exposure to poetry," said Carol Hansen, director of libraries at Virginia Commonwealth University's School of the Arts in Qatar.

"When they are exposed, it is often to poetry from the United States and the United Kingdom. The Arab countries have a long tradition of poetry and we felt library users may be interested in widening their exposure to Arabic poetry in translation. A recent cultural phenomena in the Gulf is the highly successful television show called "The Million's Poet" which is similar to "American Idol" but focuses on oral recitation of Gulf poetry instead of pop songs. The show, produced in Abu Dhabi, draws millions of viewers. ... We hope viewers of this collection might further their interest in the Arab world, and in poetry from the region."

Cabell Library's display is arranged geographically among Spain and the Mediterranean, Northern Arabia and the Arabian Gulf countries. The books are arranged geographically because Arabic is not a monolithic language. Different dialects are spoken between North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Regional histories and culture shape themes that appear in the literary arts. Romance stirs passion in Moorish sonnets while politics dominate Iraqi odes.

One display case is devoted to Arab women poets. Women from all the major Arabic-speaking countries have been composing poems for as long as men but have not received ample recognition. Curator for the Richmond display is Leila Prasertwaitaya, library specialist for the arts who managed all aspects of the exhibition.

Says curator Prasertwaitaya: "Many people may feel intimidated by the Arabic language, but these books from VCUQatar Libraries allow English readers to have access to a rich and longstanding tradition of poetry. The mainstream media has a tendency to emphasize only the violent and negative aspects of Arab countries, which paints a one-sided perspective.

"I'm hoping readers will be able to connect with the poems that they read and see that people in the Middle East are human just like everyone else with similar emotions and problems. Poetry transcends language because it is about finding the common humanity in all of us."

On display through May 10, 2013
Open during Special Collections and Archives Department hours, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
These books are available for close inspection: Ask for help at the service desk in the archives during regular hours

New library programs serve international students

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 11:12:05 -0500

International students can receive special library tours and research workshops designed for them this spring. Language challenges and cultural differences can present barriers to academic success for some international students. Libraries in their home nations may be vastly different from academic libraries in the United States.

Tours of James Branch Cabell Library: Jan. 16, 4 p.m. and Jan. 22, 5 p.m.
Introduction to Research: Feb. 6, 7 p.m.
Finding Information in the Library I: Feb. 25, 5 p.m.
Finding Information in the Library II: March 19, 6 p.m.

These workshops are a partnership between VCU Libraries and the Global Education Office. No registration is necessary. Workshops and tours are free and open to all.

For a detailed description of the workshops and additional helpful information, including foreign language dictionaries, see VCU Libraries' International Students Guide.

Exhibit marks 95 years of VCU's pioneering School of Social Work

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 15:00:48 -0500

In January 1917, the institution that became Virginia Commonwealth University's School of Social Work was founded by a small group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the social conditions of Virginia's urban and rural poor. Their efforts led to a training school for social workers, the first of its kind in the South.

VCU's School of Social Work is celebrating its 95 years of service during the 2012-2013 school year. An exhibit on the history of the school is on display at James Branch Cabell Library. The fourth floor exhibit shows rare materials from Special Collections and Archives.

To learn more about the founding of the school, see "History of the Richmond Professional Institute: From Its Beginning in 1917 to Its Consolidation With the Medical College of Virginia in 1968 to Form Virginia Commonwealth University" by Henry H. Hibbs Jr. (1887-1977), long-time leader of Richmond Professional Institute (RPI).

(The photograph: First class of the School of Social Work and Public Health pose with Dr. Henry H. Hibbs Jr. in front of the monument to Dr. Hunter H. McGuire, former professor of surgery at the Medical College of Virginia.)

'Moving up to the cloud': Library technology leaders to gather at VCU Jan. 9 for panel session

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:33:36 -0500

As one of the first major research universities to launch a pioneering new cloud-resident enterprise library platform, Virginia Commonwealth University is hosting an educational session Jan. 9, designed to help other libraries around the world prepare for the next generation of library technologies.

VCU Libraries went live in the fall semester with Alma, cloud-resident enterprise library software from Ex Libris Inc. Alma is a unified resource-management system that replaced the system VCU had used for the past decade, which had also been developed by Ex Libris. VCU is the third library in North America to have launched Alma.

"Libraries have always been on the cutting edge of technology," said University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider. "Emerging cloud technologies are building blocks for the research libraries of the future--more accessible, scalable, secure and content-rich than ever to advance scholarly endeavor."

At the Jan. 9 event, industry leaders will discuss how emerging cloud-based technologies are transforming research libraries.

Speakers are:

Marshall Breeding, the national authority on enterprise library systems, is editor of Library Technology Guides and author of a monthly column in Computers in Libraries.
Mark Ryland, chief solutions architect for Amazon Web Service's Worldwide Public Sector team, began working with Microsoft Federal Systems as a senior architectural engineer in the early 1990s and has witnessed the industry mature.
Mark Triest, president of Ex Libris North America since 2010, previously was president of Inigral, a social-media start-up delivering applications for the education market. He also served as senior vice president of global sales at Sunguard Higher Education
John Ulmschneider, university librarian at VCU, is a past president and board member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, and leads VCU's growing and innovative research library system.
Gene Damon, panel moderator, is director of library automation for the Virginia Community College System, one of the nation's largest community college systems. He is chair of the steering committee for the Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA), and brings a distinguished background of leadership in enterprise library systems in both corporate and academic environments.

An audience of Mid-Atlantic academic library leaders will participate in two sessions, which will be streamed live on the Web and posted for viewing by interested parties worldwide. The two-session discussion will consider the role of technology innovation in libraries and the implications in particular of implementing Alma.

The 1 to 2:45 p.m. panel will consider cloud computing, trends in the industry, the intersection of corporate and educational worlds, the state of library technologies and their continuing evolution.
The 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. panel will provide a general introduction to Alma and discuss how Virginia Commonwealth University went about implementing the software, with its impact on such operational areas as acquisitions, cataloging and fulfillment.

Both panels will allow ample time for questions and audience discussion.

Collaborative course showcases innovative student work in 'Portrait as Community' through Dec. 9 at Anderson Gallery

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 16:40:11 -0500

A collection of student multimedia projects documenting communities in and around Richmond runs Nov. 30-Dec. 9 at Anderson Gallery.

"Portrait as Community" is the culmination of a special course inspired by Growing Up in Civil Rights Richmond: A Community Remembers, a project organized by the Anderson Gallery with South African photographer Zwelethu Mthethwa and American Studies scholar Laura Browder. Students from the VCU Departments of Photography and Film and Art Education examined historical examples, research methodologies, ethical concerns and artistic strategies related to the representation of communities. They selected and worked with Richmond communities over the semester to create their projects.

This collaborative course was offered by the Department of Photography and Film, VCU Libraries and the Anderson Gallery. Teachers were Yuki Hibben, assistant head, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, and Michael Lease, head of exhibitions and design, Anderson Gallery.

The show is on view during regular gallery hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

More The opening reception, Friday, Nov. 30, 5-8 p.m., is free and open to all.

Student projects on display are by:

Jaclyn Brown
Casey Collier
Kate Fowler
Lauren Lyon
Jessica Overcash
Mark Strandquist
Breonca Trofort
Michael Weinheimer

VCU Libraries' collections tied to annual symposium on architecture and decorative arts

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:05:01 -0500

Nov. 16 marks the 20th year for an annual conference organized by Charles E. Brownell, Ph.D., the head of VCU's Architectural History Program. Traditions IV: 20th Symposium on Architecture and Decorative Arts was scheduled to take place at the Virginia Historical Society. (Above: a detail from a book cover by the Richmond publisher Engelhardt.)

In the words of Brownell, the conference was created "to air valuable work by current and recent VCU graduate students, as well as important research by other members of the VCU family circle." Ray Bonis, archives coordinator at Cabell, was scheduled to present on "Griffin and Randall, American Masters" and University Librarian John E. Ulmschneider chaired a session on "Twenty Years of Research at VCU."

For 20 years, Dr. Brownell, professor in VCU's Art History Department, has deposited copies of his graduate students' research papers on architectural history topics to Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library. More than 300 of these papers exist and they offer a deep scholarly imprint on Richmond's architectural history. Many of these papers develop into topics for master thesis and others are turned into papers presented at the VCU Annual Architectural History and the Decorative Arts Symposium. About the papers

Some of the most architecturally significant buildings of 19th and 20th century Richmond are located on, or adjacent to, the campuses of Virginia Commonwealth University. A focus has been on documenting the architecture of what is known today as Richmond's Fan District and especially the buildings of VCU's Monroe Park Campus. More about the collection

Health sciences library celebrates 80 years on 12th Street

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 09:51:47 -0500

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences will mark 80 years at 509 North 12th Street at a drop-in birthday party Tuesday, Oct. 30, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. (Note the change in date due to VCU's closure on Oct. 29.) Members of the university community are invited to come for a slice of cake and to tour the 2012 renovations of the basement and second floors and see just how well the gracious Georgian-style building has held up over the years.

Eighty years ago in September, 1932 students entered the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences for the first time. Simply called the "college library" when the building opened, the facility featured a large reading room with windows on three sides (the current Special Collections and Archives Reading Room, shown here), stacks with steel shelving and study cubicles, some of which are in use today, and five seminar rooms, used today for group study. The interior of the original building included a skylight and walls painted in a shade of gray-green popular with designers at that time.

Today's Tompkins-McCaw is one of the top medical libraries in the nation. It has the largest medical collection in the state and on the East Coast, it trails only Harvard and Yale for the depth and breadth of its collection, which includes extensive journal collections dating to the 19th century. Its recently opened second-floor classroom space is one of the smartest classrooms on the MCV or Monroe park campuses. It features technology for sharing work in small groups and with an instructor or presenter-led session and seats 44, each with individual screens and computer access.

A Web presence details some of the history of Tompkins-McCaw Library.

Exhibition: The toll of the Civil War

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:19:26 -0500

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences is hosting the traveling National Library of Medicine exhibit, "Life and Limb: The Toll of the Civil War" from Oct. 22 to Dec. 1 in the Special Collections and Archives Reading Room. This exhibit explores the experiences of disabled Civil War veterans and their role as symbols of the fractured nation.

The perspectives of surgeons, physicians, and nurses are richly documented in the history of Civil War medicine, which highlights the heroism and brutality of battlefield operations and the challenges of caring for the wounded during wartime. Yet the experiences of injured soldiers during the conflict and in the years afterwards are less well-known. "Life and Limb: The Toll of the American Civil War" explores the experiences of disabled Civil War veterans and their role as symbols of the fractured nation. The exhibition's web site

Oct. 29 Workshop: Arts and humanities resources for graduate students

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:31:33 -0500

New to graduate school? Short on time to search for the best online resources to find scholarly sources, images, and dissertations? This workshop will provide information on good places to start your research, tools to manage your citations, tips on how electronic resources work at VCU and suggestions for how to use free online resources like Google Books.

The workshop leaders are assistant professors Reference Librarian for the Humanities and Reference Collection Coordinator John Glover and Reference Librarian for the Arts Kristina Keogh.

No registration is necessary but faculty who intend to bring a class are asked to contact library faculty in advance so we may prepare for you. For more information please contact John Glover (jglover2@vcu.edu) or Kristina Keogh (keoghkm@vcu.edu).

James Branch Cabell Library
Room 319
2 to 3 p.m. Oct. 29

Robert Browning artifacts on display Oct. 18-Dec. 7

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 15:27:20 -0500

W. H. Grove, Robert Browning, photograph, albumen cabinet card, [1889]. Mark Samuels Lasner Collection, on loan to the University of Delaware Library.

Related to the 2012 Victorians Institute Annual Conference, to be held at Virginia Commonwealth University Oct. 19-20, VCU Libraries presents "Robert Browning, 1812-1889: A Bicentenary Exhibition from the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection." This exhibition will run from Oct. 18 through Dec. 7 in Special Collections and Archives on the fourth floor of James Branch Cabell Library.

Featured in the exhibition are vintage papers, ephemera, and other materials pertaining to Robert Browning, widely regarded one of the greatest poets of the Victorian period and a forefather of modern poetry. The exhibition is curated by Ashley Rye, graduate assistant in the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection and a doctoral candidate in art history at the University of Delaware.

On Thursday, Oct. 18, an opening reception will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the exhibition space and Mark Samuels Lasner will give an introductory talk at 7:30 p.m. Lasner is senior research fellow at the University of Delaware Library, as well as an author, collector, bibliographer, typographer and authority on the Victorian period. Lasner's extensive collection is on loan to the University of Delaware Library.

Special Collections and Archives is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will also be open on Saturday, October 20, from noon to 2 p.m. for a special showing of the exhibition for the Victorians Institute Conference. Running simultaneously with the exhibition will be a fourth floor gallery show of steampunk comic books and comic art from the VCU's Comic Arts Collection. Steampunk, a sub-genre of science fiction, is heavily influenced by the industrialization movement of the 19th century, a setting where steam power is the dominate energy source. Stories are often set in alternative histories of the British Victorian or the American wild west eras.

Health sciences service photos needed for gallery show and contest

Thu, 06 Sep 2012 14:06:55 -0500

Hundreds of MCV campus students take part in health-related community service projects each year. They work in free clinics, do rotations in community settings or go on group service trips such as the annual health care project in impoverished Southwest Virginia.

To showcase the breadth of those experiences, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences invites members of the university community to submit photographs to the Rams Reaching Out Photography Contest. Details

Submit an entry form and submit it to libtmlsca@vcu.edu via VCU File Drop.

Images of people who are clearly identifiable may require signed photo release forms before they can be displayed in the exhibition at the Tompkins-McCaw Gallery. And, some cell phone photos may not meet quality guidelines.

Exhibit in Cabell Library marks significant discovery in anthropology

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 09:14:25 -0500

From left to right: Jim Coleman, Dean of the VCU College of Humanities and
Sciences; the Honorable Ibrahim Rasool; John Ulmschneider, University Librarian;
and Jim Moore, President of the VCU Friends of the Library

"Australopithecine!" (aw-stral-o-PITH-eh-seen), an exhibit on the first floor of James Branch Cabell Library, features facsimiles of fossils of a recently discovered species that anthropologists say could be a missing link between the genus Homo and the more ancient genus Australopithecus.

The facsimile fossils on display make up the partial skeletons of two specimens of Australopithecus sediba (aw-stral-o-PITH-eh-cus seh-DI-ba), unearthed in 2008 at the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa, and offer library visitors the rare opportunity of observing the differences between life two-million years ago and life in the present day. The exhibit will be open through December 18 before moving to the Virginia Museum of Natural History in Martinsville.

The exhibit is made possible through the generous loan of the facsimile fossils from the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa. In a visit to VCU on August 28, the Honorable Ibrahim Rasool, South African ambassador to the United States, spoke about the importance of the discovery to his nation and to the world as a whole, suggesting that the successful advancement of civilization would not be possible without a deep understanding of the past. Dr. Noel Boaz of the VCU Anthropology Program said that the "Australopithecine!" exhibit was intended to showcase the ongoing developments in the study of hominid ancestry. More

The exhibit is supported by partnerships with the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa, the Virginia Museum of Natural History, Integrative Centers for Science and Medicine and the International Institute for Human Evolutionary Research. It is cosponsored by the VCU Anthropology Program in the School of World Studies, the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences and VCU Libraries.

Getting Your Bearings

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:04:38 -0500

Take advantage of orientations, tours, workshops and other events designed to help students and faculty succeed in their research.

Consult the VCU Libraries calendar
See the Libraries link at the bottom of every TelegRAM, the University-wide email system

Some highlights:

Library Fest at James Branch Cabell Library Aug. 20
Open houses and orientations Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences Aug. 21 and 23
Walk-in Tours of Cabell Library

"The Tri-State Gang in Richmond" book talk on June 20

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 16:24:21 -0500

Richmonder Selden Richardson, author of "Built by Blacks: African American Architecture and Neighborhoods in Richmond," will discuss his newly released book, "The Tri-State Gang in Richmond: Murder and Robbery in the Great Depression," on Wednesday, June 20 at 3 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room (room 250) on the second floor of James Branch Cabell Library. Following the talk will be a reception in Special Collections and Archives on the fourth floor. Books will be on sale at the reception, and Mr. Richardson will be signing books.

Leading the infamous Tri-State Gang were Robert Mais and Walter Legenza, the "Dillingers of the East." In 1935, their ring of organized crime came to an end in Richmond. Mais and Legenza's sensational story made a powerful impact on the nation, and for decades after it would be used as the basis for crime fiction, comic books and numerous movie and television crime dramas, including "The Untouchables."

Selden Richardson holds master's degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond, and he is a former archivist for Architectural Records at the Library of Virginia. For a review of his book "Built by Blacks" by VCU Libraries Archives Coordinator Ray Bonis, click here.

Richmond cartoonist Chick Larsen featured in Cabell exhibit

Mon, 04 Jun 2012 12:55:39 -0500

Longtime Richmond Times-Dispatch cartoonist Chick Larsen is the subject of a small exhibition in the Fourth Floor Gallery of James Branch Cabell Library.

From 1950 to 1954, Carl E. "Chick" Larsen (1923-1991) studied commercial art at Richmond Professional Institute (RPI), the forerunner to VCU. He worked for the Richmond Times-Dispatch for more than 35 years.

He worked in the pre-digital age when X-ACTO knives and India ink were among the trade's tools. Some of those art supplies are on display along with samples of his work for various clients and his student work.

Also on view are clippings of the color comic strip he created around a newspaper delivery carrier. "Carrier-Toons" ran in newspapers nationwide from 1979-84.

The materials on view are from the Carl "Chick" Larsen Papers housed in VCU Libraries Special Collections and Archives in James Branch Cabell Library. The materials in the exhibit were donated by Larsen's family to VCU Libraries. The collection documents Larsen's career as a professional artist and contains materials ranging from Larsen's original art work to the art supplies he used during the 1950s through the 1980s. The photograph of Larsen, left, was taken in 1978.

* * *

VCU Libraries' Comic Arts Collection, housed in Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library, consists of some 100,000 items, including more than 40,000 comic books, graphic novels, editorial cartoons, comic strips, memorabilia, comic journals, fanzines and an array of reference materials. In addition to the growing, comprehensive collections for the study of comic arts, VCU Libraries is the repository for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Archives.

Military Month exhibit features "Willie and Joe" creator

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:27:21 -0500

To mark May as Military Appreciation Month, two display cases on the fourth floor of James Branch Cabell Library pay tribute to the work of two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist William Henry "Bill" Maudlin. His World War II cartoons were published abroad and in the United States. (Image at right: cover of "This Damn Tree Leaks, A Collection of War Cartoons," by Bill Mauldin, 1945.)

Maudlin (1921-2003) first gained a following drawing cartoons for the 45th Infantry Division newspaper. His reputation grew at the global military newspaper Stars and Stripes. Willie and Joe, his best known creations, typified common soldiers and gave voice to their experiences.

After winning the Pulitzer Prize for his wartime work in 1945, Maudlin received a second Pulitzer for a Cold War cartoon. At the Chicago Sun-Times, he created what many observers consider among the greatest editorial cartoons ever penned. In response to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1963, Maudlin drew Abraham Lincoln of the Lincoln Memorial bowed in shock and grief.

More about the Military Month display
More on his work from a comics arts blogger and from his official site
About VCU's new Military Veterans Alumni Council: Take the survey.

* * *

The Military Appreciation Month exhibition includes items from VCU Libraries' Comic Arts Collection, housed in Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library. It consists of some 100,000 items, including more than 40,000 comic books, graphic novels, editorial cartoons, comic strips, memorabilia, comic journals, fanzines and an array of reference materials. In addition to the growing, comprehensive collections for the study of comic arts, VCU Libraries is the repository for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Archives.

Student photobooks on exhibit at Cabell

Mon, 07 May 2012 17:23:07 -0500

Student work from a spring semester topics course, "The Photobook," is on view in the Fourth Floor Gallery at James Branch Cabell Library.

The Department of Photography and Film and VCU Libraries collaborated to develop and teach the 400-level course. The exhibit includes work by Christine Addison, Stephanie Fry, Anna Hendrick, Emily Jones, Melissa Rabin, Stephen Turner and Diego Valdez.

"The Photobook" course coupled studio instruction in bookmaking with a critical examination of artists' books and photobooks in the Cabell Library collection. Throughout the semester, students learned bookmaking techniques and structures ranging in difficulty from concertinas to case bindings. Students also met in Special Collections and Archives each week to explore the history and ideas represented by rare and important examples of artists' books and photobooks. Combining technical skills with their knowledge of the genre, students designed and produced their own photobooks.

A photobook is an autonomous art form in which images are sequenced to tell a story or convey specific concepts. Unlike other photography books, the images in a photobook are less significant as stand-alone photographs but are meaningful as parts of a comprehensive whole.

The course was taught by Helen Cassidy, a professional bookbinder, and Yuki Hibben, assistant professor and assistant head of Special Collections and Archives.

Some 300 attend reading; poetry thrives at VCU

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 12:09:14 -0500

Yusef Komunyakaa, a renowed poet and teacher, presented March 22 at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts. Some 300 attendees listened as he read and took questions. Event Web site To put his visit in context, University News reporter Leila Ugincius wrote an article "Poetry Thrives at VCU" that details the university's role as a mecca for poets. The article is reprinted here with permission of University News Center:

* * *

Writers and poets may not be able to pinpoint exactly what makes Richmond a hotbed for poetry, but most would agree the city is undoubtedly a mecca for poets, with Virginia Commonwealth University at its very heart.

"Richmond is a city with a wealth not just of history, but of living, breathing talent, perhaps literary talent especially," said Gregory G. Kimbrell, membership and events coordinator with VCU Libraries and himself a poet.
"Not every historical city thrives in this way, and I would say that we have VCU to thank for much of Richmond's vivacity. The nationally ranked MFA in Creative Writing Program continually brings to the literary community fresh faces to remind us all what it means to discover oneself as a writer, that good writing is not just about beautiful or important things, but about dedication and passion."

David Wojahn called the university a rich community for poetry. "There are a lot of complementary ventures on the campus that really are focusing on trying to give requisite attention to poetry in general and poetry in Virginia, specifically," said Wojahn, a professor in the creative writing program in the Department of English.

The university's latest celebration of poetry takes place this week with a reading by Pulitzer Prize-winner Yusef Komunyakaa (pictured) on Thursday, March 22.

Komunyakaa's often-autobiographical poems draw from diverse experiences and interests: the civil rights movement, classical literature, the Vietnam War, class struggle and jazz.

"He's really one of America's premier poets," Wojahn said. "He began in the 1980s and '90s to write a lot about his experience - and the American experience in general - about Vietnam. So he's known above all for the poems he's written about that conflict."

Events that bring writers such as Komunyakaa to campus serve two purposes: both encouraging students and offering something to the community.

"Creative-writing students need contact with the great poets in order to have examples to aspire to and to improve their work, and this means not just reading the classics, but also reading and hearing the great poets who are living and writing right now," Kimbrell said. "The community provides VCU so much moral and financial support, and we are always looking for ways of both saying thank you and inviting them to come back to visit us.

"These readings bring people from all across the city. I suppose that the stereotype of poetry readings is the coffee house in which only five people are actually paying attention to the poet sitting on the wooden stool in the spotlight, but these readings at VCU attract hundreds. In a world that often seems to think that poetry stopped being written after the beat generation, this is tremendously heartening."

The event, part of the English Department's Visiting Writers Series and sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library, continues both entities' interest and commitment to promoting poetry in the community.

The English Department has "a nationally ranked creative writing program in poetry and in fiction. And so, we also bring a lot of visiting poets to campus," Wojahn said. "The Cabell Library has really been in recent years very interested in promoting poetry in Virginia and in trying to beef up its special collections to include a lot of poetry."

Among Cabell's more notable acquisitions are the papers of the late Larry Levis, (pictured, left) a major American poet who taught at VCU at the end of his life.

The English Department's celebrated poets include Kathleen Graber, a National Book Award finalist whose many awards include the Library of Virginia's Literary Award for Poetry, and Wojahn, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, three-time winner of the Pushcart Prize and recipient of the Carole Weinstein Prize in Poetry.
Student and alumni poets also have earned accolades for their works.

In 2006, the online literature and arts journal Blackbird -- already a national presence among literary and poetry magazines -- scored a coup when it featured a previously unpublished poem by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Sylvia Plath. That same year, VCU MFA alumni Elizabeth Seydel "Buffy" Morgan and Ron Smith were named co-winners of the first Carole Weinstein poetry prize, which rewards $10,000 to a Central Virginia poet annually for his or her contribution to the art of poetry. Smith and Morgan then became curators for the prize.

Other recent alumni honorees include Catherine MacDonald, (pictured, right), who won the 2012 Miller Williams Arkansas Poetry Prize, and Anna Journey and Allison Titus, who each won NEA Literature Fellowships.

Why the university has devoted so much attention to poetry is simple, Wojahn said: "I think it's a force that may not help people to live their lives in a better way, but it certainly helps them to endure their lives a little bit better. When you read a poem that you're moved by, impressed by, compelled by, you feel like the author of the poem is speaking only to you and no one else.

"As a poet myself, I feel very lucky to be in a place where I practice a discipline that's appreciated. And I think not every academician -- even in a school that has a thriving creative writing program -- would be able to say that, but I feel no reluctance in saying that about VCU."

INTERSECTIONS: ART AND SCIENCE on view

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:43:48 -0500

Expressions of the science of art made to inform and the art of scientific illustration are on view March 8 through September 28 at Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University.

INTERSECTIONS: ART AND SCIENCE. is curated by James Miller, chair of VCU's Department of Communication Arts, and organized by VCU Libraries' health sciences library on the MVC campus. Event Web site

The exhibition includes human anatomy: structural, muscular and anatomical drawings of the figure. Images in various media and digital technologies include plants, animals, insects, microorganisms, surgical procedures and animations.

"These artists' objective is to observe, draw, describe and reveal the majesty and wonder of our subject matter with the insight and vision of an artist and the acuity of a scientist," says curator Miller.

Works are by students, alumni and faculty of the Scientific and Preparatory Medical emphasis area. In 2006, the Department of Communication Arts created this academic focus area to prepare students for careers as scientific illustrators and for advanced study in the field of medical illustration.

Fitting for a university with both world class arts and medical schools, the VCU program is among a few in the nation. Students gain the skills and knowledge to produce images that present complex scientific and/or medical information for the purpose of explaining and understanding scientific, technical ideas, concepts, principles and facts.

"Students develop the ability to accurately interpret and portray the real and the abstract, fact and conjecture with either extreme precision or interpretive expression as required by the content," says Miller. "Observation and critical thinking are key to being a scientific or medical illustrator."

Participating artists are:

Students:

Austin Anderson: "Insect Study," watercolor on paper
Grace Huddleston: "Arm Study," graphite on paper
Emily Bradfield: "Bone Study 1," and "Bone Study 2," graphite on paper
Caitlin Johnston: "Artichoke," digital print
Mary Carter: "Insect Study," watercolor on paper, "Phalaenopsis Orchid," digital print, "Feather Study," watercolor on paper, "Observatory," acrylic on panel, and "Chicken Heart Study," acrylic on panel
Lucy Koo: "Figure Study," graphite on paper
Jessica Foley: "Squid Dissection," watercolor on paper
Lori Panico: "Cicada Study," watercolor on paper
Juliana Phung: "Female Figure," graphite on paper.

Alumni:

Anastasia Demson: "Portrait of a Hand II," graphite on paper, and "Performing an Emergency Cricothyrotomy," digital print
Lauren Conroy: Animations entitled "Revolving Skulls and Endocasts," and "Bacteria World"
Don Di Fiore: "Fish Head Study," watercolor on paper, and "Mouse," ink and watercolor Vinh Chau: "Open Clam," watercolor on paper, "Pompano Dissection," ink and watercolor on paper, "Hawk," ink and watercolor on paper, "Vulture," ink and watercolor on paper, and "Cricket," Prisma markers and graphite on paper
Suzanne Ghuzzi: "Pedicle Graft," digital print, "Fontanelles: A Guide to an Infant's Soft Spot," digital print, "A Closer Look at Foliculogenesis," digital print, "Acute Otitis Media," digital print, "Chelydra serpentina: The Common Snapping Turtle," digital print, "Culex pipiens: The West Nile Virus Vector," digital print.

Adjunct faculty member:

Sarah Faris: "Laparoscopically Assisted Right Hemicolectomy," graphite and digital media, "Hands," graphite on paper, "LBWC," digital print, "Hip Bone," carbon dust on paper, "Muscles of the Pharynix," digital print, "Malaria," digital print, "Lumbar Surgery," digital print.

"Their illustrations suggest the beauty in the complexity of science and medicine," says Tompkins-McCaw Director Teresa L. Knott. "My aspiration for the attendees is that they come away with an appreciation of the amazing talent of those affiliated with this unique arts program and a broader vision of medical and scientific illustration and how it might be used. I believe that the exhibit will stimulate conversations and cooperation between the Monroe Park and MCV campuses."

Medical illustration is far more than art just for art's sake. Graduates are in demand for scientific, medical and biomedical visualization artwork in teaching, in digital and textbook illustration, as well as in patient and consumer health education. Artists with this specialty are hired for medical legal illustration, pharmaceutical advertising, web design, medical iPhone/iPad applications, to name a few. New digital imaging technologies and 3D interactive applications enable the scientific and medical and biomedical visualization illustrator to animate and employ movement and sequential imaging. These advanced technologies make possible imagery and special visual effects that are changing, expanding, and enriching the possibilities of the discipline and the way we learn and teach medical and scientific concepts.

The public is invited to attend an opening reception on Thursday, March 8, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. RSVP for the reception at www.support.vdu.edu/event/intersections. If special accommodations are needed, please contact Thelma Mack at (804) 828-0017 or mackta@vcu.edu. The exhibition will continue through September 28, 2012. The Tompkins-McCaw Library Gallery is at 509 North 12th St. on the MCV Campus. It is open to the public during regular library hours.

'Jerusalem: A Tale of Three Cities' Dr. Spiro's topic for March 29 annual lecture

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:02:53 -0500

Dr. Jack D. Spiro will present "Jerusalem: A Tale of Three Cities," the 27th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture on March 29 at 7:30 at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts. Spiro will explore the city's diverse meanings in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam through memories, practices, literary sources, values and beliefs. He will discuss the conflicting visions of the city as "sacred space"--in addition to the controversial issue of Jerusalem as the unified capital of Israel?

The lecture is free and open to the public, but because seating is limited, registration is required. If special accommodations are needed or to register offline, please call (804) 827-1165 or (804) 828-0593 prior to March 27. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. A reception will be held immediately following the lecture. Doors open at 7 p.m.To register

The 27th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library, the VCU Center for Judaic Studies, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Richmond Jewish Foundation and the Weinstein JCC.

Dr. Jack D. Spiro holds the Harry Lyons Distinguished Chair in Judaic Culture at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also director of the VCU Center for Judaic Studies and editor of its online publication, Menorah Review. He has earned two doctorates from the Hebrew Union College and the University of Virginia. He has authored, co-authored or edited over 30 books and written numerous articles.

www.library.vcu.edu
www.vcu.edu/judaicstudies
www.menorahreview.org

INTERSECTIONS: ART AND SCIENCE showcases work that combines the insights of artists with the acuity of scientists

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:26:47 -0500

Austin Anderson: "Insect Study," watercolor on paper
Grace Huddleston: "Arm Study," graphite on paper
Emily Bradfield: "Bone Study 1," and "Bone Study 2," graphite on paper
Caitlin Johnston: "Artichoke," digital print
Mary Carter: "Insect Study," watercolor on paper, "Phalaenopsis Orchid," digital print, "Feather Study," watercolor on paper, "Observatory," acrylic on panel, and "Chicken Heart Study," acrylic on panel
Lucy Koo: "Figure Study," graphite on paper
Jessica Foley: "Squid Dissection," watercolor on paper
Lori Panico: "Cicada Study," watercolor on paper
Juliana Phung: "Female Figure," graphite on paper.

Alumni:

Anastasia Demson: "Portrait of a Hand II," graphite on paper, and "Performing an Emergency Cricothyrotomy," digital print
Lauren Conroy: Animations entitled "Revolving Skulls and Endocasts," and "Bacteria World"
Don Di Fiore: "Fish Head Study," watercolor on paper, and "Mouse," ink and watercolor Vinh Chau: "Open Clam," watercolor on paper, "Pompano Dissection," ink and watercolor on paper, "Hawk," ink and watercolor on paper, "Vulture," ink and watercolor on paper, and "Cricket," Prisma markers and graphite on paper
Suzanne Ghuzzi: "Pedicle Graft," digital print, "Fontanelles: A Guide to an Infant's Soft Spot," digital print, "A Closer Look at Foliculogenesis," digital print, "Acute Otitis Media," digital print, "Chelydra serpentina: The Common Snapping Turtle," digital print, "Culex pipiens: The West Nile Virus Vector," digital print.

Adjunct faculty member:

Sarah Faris: "Laparoscopically Assisted Right Hemicolectomy," graphite and digital media, "Hands," graphite on paper, "LBWC," digital print, "Hip Bone," carbon dust on paper, "Muscles of the Pharynix," digital print, "Malaria," digital print, "Lumbar Surgery," digital print.

Feb. 22: Advertising leader to deliver 10th annual Black History Month Lecture

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:01:59 -0500

VCU Libraries, the Friends of the Library and the Francis M. Foster Francis M. Foster African-American History Endowment Fund present the 10th Annual Black History Month Lecture Feb. 22.

The event is free and open but registration is required
Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks.
If special accommodations are needed, call (804) 828-0593.
A reception will follow the lecture.
Event Web site
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Legendary advertising executive Tom Burrell created some memorable moments in advertising and media history in campaigns for McDonald's and Coca-Cola. By showing the world that "black people are not dark-skinned white people," Burrell's firm tapped into the purchasing power of the African-American community in new and positive ways and he became part of the ongoing conversation on race in America.

Burrell will deliver the 10th Annual Black History Month Lecture, Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m., University Student Commons, Richmond Salons, 907 Floyd Ave. The VCU Libraries event is free and open to all but seating is limited and registration is required.

The Chicago-based former CEO's 2010 book, "Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority," sparked a lively, global conversation on race and brought attention to the media's role in the perpetuation of racism and race-based self-esteem issues. "Brainwashed" was named one of Ebony magazine's "65 Greatest Books" and was a Jet magazine editorial pick.

His Resolution Project, established in 2007, works to challenge and reverse ongoing mass media stereotypes and negative race-based conditioning. The Resolution Project is dedicated to creating and promoting positive "new media" campaigns, curricula, books, products and strategies that foster intra-racial dialogue and equip individuals, organizations and institutions with the tools necessary to counter centuries of negative societal and media messaging and conditioning.

The winner of many awards, including Advertising Person of the Year and the Albert Lasker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Advertising, Burrell is a member of the American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Fame. He also received the Revolutionary Award from ImageNation for his work with his non-profit and his efforts to combat negative images of African Americans in the media. About the firm he founded.

Feb. 4: Klezmer ensemble performs as part of Jewish songwriters exhibit

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:28:57 -0500

Richmond klezmer ensemble Klezm'Or'Ami'm will explore the relationship between klezmer and jazz in a program of hit tunes by Gershwin and klezmer classics on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Richmond Public Library.

This event is one of several tied to the exhibit "A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910-1965" at VCU's James Branch Cabell Library Jan. 19 through Feb. 24.

Auction of art to benefit pharmacy scholarships

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:33:52 -0500

The Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy will host an auction of selected paintings from Dean Victor A. Yanchick's "Watercolors" exhibit at Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences. The exhibition's run has been extended through January.

Proceeds from the auction will go toward pharmacy student scholarships.

The auction will take place 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 3 at the library, 509 N. 12th St. Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails will be served.

For event details, contact Ellen Leverich at (804) 828-3016.

More about the exhibit

VCU Basketball History: Siegel skybox display shows The Green Devil era

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:33:09 -0500

VCU's basketball history is showcased at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in an exhibition panel created by Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library.

Before VCU donned black and gold, it wore green and gold. The panel focuses on the Richmond Professional Institute (RPI) intercollegiate men's team The Green Devils, formed in 1946. At that time, this forerunner of VCU, was affiliated with the College of William and Mary and shared the Williamsburg college's green and gold school colors. The Green Devils and they competed against other small Virginia colleges that formed an informal league the "Little Eight."

The green-and-gold Devils retired when RPI separated from William and Mary in the 1962-63 academic year. The 1963-1964 team took the court in blue and gray and RPI chose the ram as its new mascot. Following the merger of RPI and the Medical College of Virginia to form VCU in 1968, the new university selected black and gold for its colors and kept the horned sheep for its mascot.

"With the NCAA championship season last year, interest in basketball is especially high," said Archives Coordinator Ray Bonis, who researched and organized the display. "We'll be doing more of these basketball history displays for the Siegel Center."

The display exhibition notes some university firsts:

•   During the team's first season, local sportswriters dubbed the team "Big Green."
•   In 1950, RPI hired its first full-time athletic director and basketball and baseball coach, Ed Allen (1922-2005). The Rhode Island native came to Richmond after his first wife, Edythe Johnson Allen, became an instructor in social work. Allen was director of athletics from 1950-67, head basketball coach from 1950-68 and coach of the baseball team from 1950-75. He retired in 1985 and was one of the first inductees into the VCU Athletic Hall of Fame.
•   The first winning squad was in the 1956-57 season. The team finished with 13 wins and nine loses. One of the keys to this team's success may have been maturity. As team member Ed Peeples remembered: "We had some players who were Korean [War] veterans and they were more confident in themselves."
•   The first basketball team associated with what is now VCU was a women's team. RPI was founded in 1917 and by 1919, the department of recreation was fielding a team. It was not until the surge of post World War II GIs attending RPI that there were enough men on campus to organize a team.

The exhibition is part of the display in the second floor VIP skybox section of the Siegel Center. A new one will be mounted in the spring semester and the Green Devil panel will move to the Fourth Floor of James Branch Cabell Library.

* * *

Want to know more about the 1956-57 Green Devils season? Turn to VCU Libraries Special Collections. The Cobblestone, the RPI yearbook, highlights the Green Devils winning 1956-1957 basketball season. Yearbooks from RPI, MCV and VCU also are housed in the libraries and also available online.

'Jewish Songwriters, American Songs' exhibition opens Jan. 19

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:41:31 -0500

"A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs" is a traveling exhibit about the contributions of iconic Jewish songwriters such as Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein to the great "American Songbook" during the period 1910-1965.

It opens at the James Branch Cabell Library Jan. 19 and is free and open to the public.

The best songwriters of this time combined a genius for melody, a talent for pairing it with the perfect words, and an ability to connect with a wide audience. A high percentage of them were Jewish, from families that had immigrated to America in the 1800s or fled pogroms and persecution in Europe at the turn of the century. Their sophisticated and romantic songs--"Body and Soul," "Over the Rainbow," "That Old Black Magic," "It Had to Be You"--became beloved classics of American popular culture.

VCU Libraries and various co-sponsors are offering these companion programs in connection with the exhibit.

Exhibition Web site

FREE SPECIAL EVENTS

"One Singular Sensation: The American Jew and the Musical Theater," a lecture by Dr . Jack Spiro, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, 7:30 p.m., University Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms, 907 Floyd Ave., Richmond.
"America's Music: Funny, You Don't Sound Jewish," Klezm'Or'Ami'm, Feb. 4, 2012, 2 p.m., Richmond Public Library, 101 East Franklin St. , Richmond. This is part of the Gellman Concert Series.
"Grasping Gershwin: The Man Behind the Music," a lecture by Dr. Patrick Smith, Feb. 9, noon, Room 250, Cabell Library
"From Broadway, With Love," performance by Gianna Barone and Denver Walker, noon, first floor, Cabell Library
"Jewish Women in the Arts" exhibition at Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives, 1109 W. Franklin St., Richmond, features Richmond songwriter Edith Lindeman Calisch. She penned "Red-Headed Stranger" and "Little Things Mean a Lot." The museum hours are Sunday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

* * *
The exhibit and events are sponsored by the VCU Libraries, the Friends of the Library, the VCU Center for Judaic Studies, Richmond Public Library, and Beth Ahabah Museum and Archives.

"A Fine Romance" was developed by Nextbook, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Jewish literature, culture, and ideas, and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The national tour of the exhibit has been made possible by the Charles H. Revson Foundation, the Righteous Persons Foundation, the David Berg Foundation, an anonymous donor, and Tablet: A New Read on Jewish Life.

See 'Voyage to Health' through Dec. 17

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:46:15 -0500

Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences is hosting the National Library of Medicine's "A Voyage To Health," traveling exhibition through Dec. 17. "A Voyage To Health" explores the revival of the ancient arts of navigation and voyaging that first brought the people of Hawaii to their island homes. Much of the valuable knowledge of voyaging was lost as a consequence of the suppression of traditional ways. As part of a wider movement to reintroduce traditional ways, Native Hawaiians are mastering the knowledge and skills of their elders. By restoring their heritage, this new generation seeks to heal the people. "A Voyage to Health" explores this resurgence and its significance for health, well-being and self-determination.

In the News: Virginia Living features VCU First Novelist Fest

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:57:20 -0500

"A Decade of Firsts" published online by Virginia Living Magazine offers an in-depth portrait of the 10th annual literary prize, its background and its meaning. The VCU Cabell First Novelist Festival is a free and open-to-all event held on campus Nov. 15 and 16. Details.

In the News: RVA interviews Cabell First Novelist winner David Gordon

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:32:49 -0500

A week prior to the Nov. 15-16 VCU Cabell First Novelist Festival, RVA published an in-depth interview with the 2011 honoree.

Cabell First Novelist Festival marks 10 years of national award

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:51:00 -0500

Writers will converge on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus for informal meetings with creative writing graduate students and free-and-open to all public events Nov. 15 and 16. The line-up of events:

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7 p.m., Commonwealth Ballrooms, VCU Student Commons
Publishing and Building a Career

"First and Last Novels: Rumblings About Writing and Publishing in the 21st Century:" NPR book critic Alan Cheuse speaks

"Building a Career After Winning an Award:" Tom De Haven, award co-founder, leads a panel with Cheuse and previous recipients Michael Byers, Maribeth Fischer and Victor Lodato

Reception and book signing

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 7 p.m., Commons Theater, VCU Student Commons

Celebration of the 2011 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award Winner

David Gordon reads from "The Serialist."

"Inside the Business: Bringing a Book to the Public:" Susann Cokal, award administrator, moderates a discussion among Gordon, his agent and editor--Douglas Stewart of Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. and Karen Thompson of Simon & Schuster--and Victor Lodato

Reception and book signing

Details

All events are free.
Parking: West Main Street and West Cary Street decks
Festival Web site
To register or to request special accommodations, please use our online registration system or contact VCU Libraries membership and events coordinator Gregory Kimbrell at (804)-828-0593 or kimbrellgg@vcu.edu.
About current and past winners
About the speakers:

Alan Cheuse is widely known as the voice of literary criticism and publishing for NPR's "All Things Considered." He is the author of five novels, including "Song of Slaves in the Desert," (Sourcebooks, 2011), three collections of short stories, and a book of travel essays. His stories have appeared in many magazines and journals. He teaches creative writing at George Mason University.

David Gordon is the recipient of the 10th VCU Cabell First Novelist Award for "The Serialist" (Simon & Schuster). He attended Sarah Lawrence College and went on to earn a master's degree in English and comparative literature and a master of fine arts in fiction writing, both from Columbia University. He has worked in film and publishing, as well as in several genres of fiction. "The Serialist" is a rollicking story, part thriller and part paean to writing itself, about a writer stuck grinding out pulpy serial novels about vampires and space adventurers. His life begins strangely to imitate his stories when he agrees to ghostwrite a killer's memoir.

Michael Byers received the 2004 award for "Long for This World" (Houghton Mifflin). In 2010, Henry Holt published his second novel, "Percival's Planet." He teaches creative writing at the University of Michigan.
Susann Cokal directs the nationally ranked creative writing program at VCU and is the author of two novels.
Tom De Haven teaches fiction and screenwriting in the creative writing program at VCU and is the author of 18 books.
Maribeth Fischer received the inaugural award for her 2001 novel, "The Language of Good-bye" (Plume). In 2007, Simon & Schuster published her second novel, "The Life You Longed For." She founded a writers' guild in Delaware and also directs an annual writers' conference.

Victor Lodato is the 2010 award winner for "Mathilda Savitch" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) and is one of the judges who selected the 2011 recipient. Known also as a poet and playwright, he is a Guggenheim Fellow, as well as the recipient of the Weissberger Award for his play "Motherhouse."

Post-its and pencils: Interactive wall of memories a hit

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 12:52:20 -0500

Visitors to James Branch Cabell Library are pausing in front of the boards in the lobby reading, conversing and sharing their reflections and their memories about September 11, 2001. The technology is as low-tech as you get these days, a Post-it note and a yellow pencil.

The interactive wall of memories was set up as part of 9/11 Commemoration, a group of art installations and exhibitions. It started with one dry-erase board. Now, one week after the exhibit opened, there are five boards filled with notes. Some are simple notes or drawings. Some read "like," "agree" or have an arrow pointing to another comment.

"This is the first time we've offered this sort of interactive opportunity and I think students like it," says Gregory Kimbrell, who coordinates events for VCU Libraries. "We try to do so much to serve our students, who come to the library to study and research. But, this time, we're giving them an opportunity to participate not as passive observers of an exhibit but as participants. I think it's been meaningful to people. As I walk past, I've seen many students in conversation at the boards or people quietly reading the notes and others pointing out particular comments to their friends."

Since most undergraduate students were children in 2001, most entries are of the "I was in school" ilk. One poster said "I was in the third grade and crying. My dad worked at the Pentagon. He survived."

Others wrote they were in New York or Washington and saw smoke and fire. Another shared a memory of watching TV coverage in the VCU Student Commons with a close friend.

Given the international scope of the VCU community, some writers note they were far from Richmond, Va. -- in Kenya, Venezuela, Germany, Ghana or Cambodia. One was on a plane traveling from India. Another was "in Kuwait watching the planes crash. I was evacuated a week later." One posting noted the writer was in Nigeria preparing for national exams on that fateful day. There's a "me too" note beside that one.

Among the hundreds of Post-its are these that remembered it as the day:

Good Muslims will begin to forever be slandered by extremists.
I became a firefighter.
I decided to join the FBI.

One writer who identifies him or herself as a homeland security student wrote that "9/11 completely redirected the course of my life. Never forget."

9/11 Commemoration continues through Sept. 23 at Cabell Library on the Monroe Park campus.

From the Collection: Video about 9/11 offers perspective

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 14:33:20 -0500

Online and on TV, images, videos and words about the meaning and memorialization of September 11 abound. For a deeper look and more scholarly perspective, turn to VCU Libraries search engine. Input any search terms you find interesting and see what turns up. You'll find a documentary "The Search for al Qaeda: Its leadership, ideogy and future" and the feature film "United 93" as well as the Michael Moore documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11."

Here are 10 examples of what is available in VCU Libraries media collection. The service desk is located on the Third Floor of James Branch Cabell Library.

America Rebuilds: A Year at Ground Zero. Documents the clearing of the wreckage of the World Trade Center from the perspective of the construction workers, firemen, and engineers who accomplished the task in the nine months following the Sept. 2001 terrorist attacks. Also shows the dialogue among community members, victims' families, real estate developers, architects, and city officials about what should be done with the site. Part two traces the progress made during 2002 to 2006 and continues to follow the discussion and plans for memorial space and other uses of the former site of the World Trade Center. Cabell Media and Reserves DVDs HV6432.7 .A63 2006 DVD/Video Loan
The Balancing Act: Security and Liberty Post 9/11. CNN journalist Frank Sesno moderates this energetic and informative program exploring the post-9/11 relationship between security and personal freedom in America. Seven distinguished panelists - including USA PATRIOT Act author Viet Dinh, bioterrorism specialist Margaret Hamburg, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government professor Juliette Kayyem - confront scenarios involving hypothetical attacks on American soil. Their discussions examine such critical issues as indefinite detainment, the rights of Arab-Americans, the relevance of the Freedom of Information Act, and varying interpretations of USA PATRIOT Act. Cabell Media and Reserves DVDs KF4850 .B345 2005 DVD/Video Loan
Divided we fall: Americans in the aftermath. 2008 Valarie Kaur was a 20-year-old college student when she set out across America in the aftermath of 9/11, camera in hand, to document hate violence against her community. From the still-shocked streets of Ground Zero to the desert towns of the American west, her epic journey confronts the forces unleashed in a time of national crisis--racism and religion, fear and forgiveness--until she finds the heart of America... halfway around the world"--Container. Cabell Media and Reserves DVDs JV6456 .D58 2008 DVD/Video Loan
Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero. Frontline illuminates the myriad spiritual questions that have come out of the terror, pain, and destruction of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, and explores how the spiritual lives of both believers and non-believers have been challenged in the aftermath of September 11 by questions of good and evil, God's culpability, and the potential for darkness within religion itself. Internet Resources HV6432.7 .F35 2005 INTERNET
In Memoriam: New York City 9/11/01. An HBO documentary. At 8:47am, the city would be jolted into its worst nightmare as a chain of tragic events unfolded, changing the lives of New Yorkers and Americans forever. People from 115 different countries died at the World Trade Center. From still and video cameras of 118 people and 16 news agencies, much of it never-before seen, from in and around New York City, the attack on the WTC was the most documented event in history. The film features the Honorable Rudolph W. Giuliani, Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, Fire Commissioner Thomas von Essen, Operations Chief of City Government Joe Lhota, Communications Director Sunny Mindel, Executive Assistant to the Mayor Beth Petrone. The score, composed entirely of music by American composers, was recorded expressly for the film on April 2, 2002 by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin at Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. New York Center of the World. One of eight episodes. The first part of this final chapter of the series provides a powerful portrait of the events leading up to and following September 11, 2001. To understand the impact of 9/11, episode eight reaches back to when the idea of a "world trade center" was first conceived and the towers were constructed. You'll then explore the physical, economic, and symbolic aftermath of the attack--and what Americans can learn from the recovery effort. Internet Resources F128.3 .N563 2005 episode 8, pt.1 INTERNET
Inside 911. Originally produced as a television documentary for the National Geographic Channel in 2006. Examines the events of September 11, 2001, tracing a time line that led up to the terrorist attacks and the subsequent government response. Cabell Media and Reserves DVDs HV6432.7 .I55 2006 DVD/Video Loan
Now with Bill Moyers. September 10, 2004. NOW analyzes the 9/11 Commission report and connects the dots of what happened that day and the warning signs leading up to it. This special episode highlights the agonizing close calls, missteps, and outright failures of two administrations and America's intelligence and security agencies in the months and years leading up to 9/11. Cabell Media and Reserves DVDs HV6432.7 .N14 2004 DVD/Video Loan
The Pentagon. Presents archival footage of the construction of the Pentagon, the largest office building in the world and its progress from the drawing board to today. Engineers reveal the reasons behind its unique shape and show off some of the innovative features that have helped the nearly 60- year-old headquarters handle the changing demands of its occupants over the decades. An all-access tour to rooms rarely seen by the public, and new footage documents the destruction of the September 11th terrorist attack. Internet Resources E173 .A729 Internet
Searching for the Roots of 9/11. "World is Flat" author Thomas L. Friedman tries to answer two of the most puzzling questions about 9/11: What drove 19 young, middle-class Muslim men to give up their lives to murder almost 3,000 people? And why does this violent act elicit so much support from millions of ordinary Muslims around the world? Cabell Media and Reserves DVDs HV6432.7 .T56 2003 DVD/Video Loan
Why the Towers Fell. A WGBH Boston presentation. For most people, the image of the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, was not only a scene of unforgettable horror, it was a moment of unimaginable consequence. This follows a blue ribbon team of forensic engineers as they begin searching for clues that would tell them why the towers fell. From detailed examination of the buildings original design to the relentless process of searching the scrap steel yards and Ground Zero itself for evidence. Cabell Media and Reserves Film and Videos TA219 .N68 2002 DVD/Video Loan

In the News: 9/11 Commemoration featured in text and video

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 13:19:41 -0500

The Tuesday, Sept. 6 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch featured 9/11 Commemoration, VCU Libraries collection of exhibits designed to offer the VCU community opportunities for learning and reflection 10 years after terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. The multimedia presentation featured a moving video testimonial by a VCU student who witnessed the tragic events in New York City that morning. The article and videos

'A Family's Life in Letters' on view at Tompkins-McCaw Library through Oct. 15

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:05:51 -0500

VCU Libraries presents "The Henkel Physicians: A Family's Life in Letters," on view until Oct. 15 at Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences.

This National Library of Medicine exhibit offers a glimpse into the lives of 19th century practitioners in the Shenandoah Valley.

The Henkel Family Correspondence collection (MS C 291; 1.5 linear feet) consists of 828 letters and is largely the product of Caspar C. Henkel's (1835-1908) life. This digital edition is divided into five-year blocks for ease of navigation and contextual narrative. The family was based in New Market.

Items dating before 1850 were written by ancestors of both Caspar and his wife, Margaretta. The bulk of the correspondence, however, is directly related to Caspar and Margaretta. Caspar retained letters written to him while he was away at medical school and in the field during the Civil War. Upon returning home from these extended absences, he also collected several letters he himself had written to New Market. He also kept letters written to him from his two brothers during their medical training and afterward when they lived and practiced away from New Market. Letters written to Margaretta from her sisters during the late 1860s and early 1870s are also included.

Unfortunately at some point before the Library's acquisition the segment of correspondence coinciding with the battle of New Market in 1864 was removed, leaving no accounts of the battle in this collection.

For more information

The digital collection on the National Library of Medicine site

9/11 Commemoration: Sept. 6-23

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:50:25 -0500

Programs and exhibits at James Branch Cabell Library in the center of VCU's Monroe Park campus offer opportunities for the community to reflect on September 11, 2001 and its aftermath.

VCU Libraries and its Friends of the Library present "9/11 Commemoration," a collection of installations and exhibits open from Tuesday, Sept. 6 through Friday, Sept. 23 at James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Ave. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Sept. 9 from 4 to 6 p.m. beginning with remarks from contributors.

These programs explore September 11, 2001 before and after:

Wall of Memories. Just inside the entryway of James Branch Cabell Library, patrons will find a blank wall where they may post brief reflections on September 11, 2001.
World Trade Center Recordings: Winds After Hurricane Floyd. Stephen Vitiello, associate professor in the VCU Department of Kinetic Imaging, supplies an installation of sound recordings that he made from the 91st floor of the first World Trade Center tower in 1999. Vitiello's sound installation will be housed on the first floor of Cabell Library in an intimate gallery space where patrons can experience the recordings in small groups. Originally presented at the 2002 Whitney Biennial, the installation will also appear this year at MoMA PS1 as a part of the group exhibition "September 11."
Construction Prints of the World Trade Center, 1967-1973. In the gallery space near the elevators on the first floor of Cabell Library will be detailed sketches commissioned to document the progress of construction of the World Trade Center from the foundation up to its significant position in the New York City skyline. These prints are on loan from VCU Friends of the Library members John Jay and Gail P. Schwartz and are by artists Nicholas Solovioff and Lili Réthi.
Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary of 9-11. Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives stages three exhibits: "Comic Artists Respond to September 11, 2001," "Artists' Books Commemorate September 11" and "Richmond and 9-11: 10 Years Ago." These exhibits draw on materials in three major collections (the Comic Arts Collection, the Book Art Collection, and university archives). The display is in the fourth floor gallery area.

This program, including the opening reception, is free and open to the public. Register online or by contacting Gregory G. Kimbrell at (804) 828-0593 or kimbrellgg@vcu.edu. Please also contact him for special accommodations. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks.

Event website
About the artists

Lunchtime workshop for book lovers Aug. 26

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:02:01 -0500

John Glover, reference librarian for the humanities, presents What Do I Read Next? on Friday, Aug. 26, noon to 1 p.m. in Cabell Library Room 250.

This workshop will introduce participants to tools for finding leisure reading materials at VCU Libraries. It will cover resources such as Book reMarks, Fiction Connection and free online tools to help readers discover authors and explore genres.

The event is free and open to all. No registration is required.

"Watercolors" by Dean Victor A. Yanchick runs through November

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:36:48 -0500

Art and science mix for painter and scholar Victor A. Yanchick, dean of the VCU School of Pharmacy.

His paintings will be on display during the fall semester through Nov. 23, at Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, 509 N. 12th St.

Watercolor is the pharmacy educator's medium of choice, and work on display includes landscapes, pastoral scenes, still lifes and themes from the American Southwest. He started painting 11 years ago. A self-described lifelong learner, he said, "I wanted to do something totally different from what I do on a day-to-day basis. Painting is a way of expressing one's self."

Yanchick, who has served as dean of the School of Pharmacy since 1996, has been a leader on the national level as president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. He studied pharmacy at the University of Iowa and received his Ph.D. in pharmacy from Purdue University. His wide-ranging interests in the pharmacy profession have included medication use in the elderly and inter-professional education. He has guided several programs through a time of rapid change with a personal commitment to improve patient care outcomes through advances and innovation in pharmacy education.

Yanchick donates his watercolors to help raise funds for student scholarships and philanthropic organizations.

For special accommodations, please contact Thelma Mack at (804) 828-0017 or mackta@vcu.edu.

For more information, please see the event website.

New book art on display

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:17:39 -0500

In the exhibit area on the fourth floor of James Branch Cabell Library, two new exhibits of book art are on display. The first focuses on pieces from the Women's Studio Workshop, the nation's largest publisher of hand-printed, hand-bound books. Founded in 1974, the Workshop has published nearly 200 volumes. Special Collections & Archives at James Branch Cabell Library is a repository for the Workshop and has over 170 volumes from its collection. The second exhibit is of travel-themed pieces and includes the work of Linda K. Johnson, a graduate of VCU's MFA in Visual Communication program.

Davi Det Hompson art on display

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:50:24 -0500

In the exhibit area on the fourth floor of James Branch Cabell Library, a new exhibit is on display, focusing on the work of Richmond-based visual artist Davi Det Hompson. Davi Det Hompson was the pen name for David E. Thompson (1939-1996), best known for creating mail art, book art and text-based paintings inspired by the Dada and Fluxus movements. Beginning in the 1970s, he taught in the School of the Arts at VCU. In 1978, he was one of the founders of 1708 East Main Street Gallery. Thompson also made major contributions to Special Collections and Archives at James Branch Cabell Library. Not only did he serve on a committee to establish the Book Arts Collection in 1979; he donated an assortment of book art, mail art, and archival materials. This exhibit showcases selections of his own work and examples of mail art that he received from nationally renowned artists.