Its first fruit is a thick sketchbook from Joseph H. Diss Debar, the artist who designed West Virginia’s state seal. Inside the cover are page after page of drawings of figures and events that shaped state and world history.

“Louise Robinson’s gift to the West Virginia and Regional History Center has made an immediate impact,” center Director John Cuthbert said. “The Diss Debar sketchbook has far exceeded my expectations. There are numerous sketches relating directly to the creation of West Virginia as the nation’s 35th state.”

The WVU Libraries honored the family of Louise Amelia Robinson in a ceremony in the Wise Library’s Grand Foyer. Pictured from left to right are: Katie McKinney, Adrienne McKinney, Carolyn Robinson Kovach, Nancy Walker, Tom Seiler, Susan Robinson Greaser, Terri Seiler, and Michael Robinson.

The WVU Libraries recognized the gift during a ceremony honoring Robinson’s family in April. A plaque recognizing Robinson now hangs in the center.

Robinson made the bequest with the intent of assisting the West Virginia and Regional History Center in its mission to acquire and preserve important artifacts, documents, and materials that tell the story of the state’s history.

The West Virginia native learned quite a bit about the importance of preservation throughout her career. After graduating from WVU in 1944 with a bachelor’s degree in history, Robinson went on to work with National Geographic for more than 40 years.

One of her duties involved clipping and cataloging articles from newspapers from around the world. National Geographic writers would later use them in research when penning their own articles.

The practice bled over into her personal life. Her niece, Nancy Walker, said that Robinson kept clipping envelopes for family and friends on anything she thought involved their interests.

“Aunt Louise believed in historic preservation,” Walker said. “She thought we have a lot to learn from the past and we need to preserve it as much as possible.”

Working with the Robinson family, the Libraries used the bequest to establish an endowment for future acquisitions and preservation endeavors, and a fund to enable immediate purchases and preservation efforts.

“This gift enables us to preserve in the West Virginia and Regional History Center things we would not otherwise have been able to afford and would certainly have ended up in a collection outside of West Virginia,” Cuthbert said.

The Diss Debar sketch book definitely falls into that category. Acquired through an auction house, it was at risk of landing in a private collection or at a museum in another state because of the content’s wide appeal.

There are drawings of members of royal families, author Charles Dickens, editor Horace Greely, industrialist Cornelius Vanderbilt, and Mexican General Juan Almonte.

Of interest to state historians, Diss Disbar captured President Abraham Lincoln meeting with Sen. Peter Van Winkle, a state founder and senator; a large group chatting about the succession and statehood; and a gathering of West Virginia legislators receiving news from Gettysburg.

There’s also some controversy among the pages. Two sketches of abolitionist John Brown appear to corroborate claims that he visited Clarksburg. One is of Brown sitting in the Harrison County Court House watching a slave kidnapping trial. It is dated two months before the Harpers Ferry raid and has a note that Brown was “incognito.” Another sketch is of Brown and Diss Debar traveling by horseback from Clarksburg to Shinnston.

“This sketch book is a tremendously rich resource with images of people and places in West Virginia and far beyond,” Cuthbert said.

Robinson’s gift was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia’s University. The $750 million comprehensive campaign being conducted by the WVU Foundation on behalf of the University runs through December 2015.

“Brie did a tremendous job researching her topic and presenting her findings,” said Keith Garbutt, Dean of the Honors College. “She exemplifies the undergraduates at West Virginia University who are engaged in extraordinary research. We are pleased the Libraries are recognizing her for her scholarship and hard work.”

Jessica Brielle Kawalek (center) is the 2013 Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholar. Libraries Interim Dean Myra N. Lowe and Honors College Dean Keith Garbutt congratulate Kawalek on her accomplishment.

The WVU Libraries and the Honors College established the Robert F. Munn Undergraduate Library Scholars Award in 2009 to honor Dr. Robert F. Munn, Dean of Library Services from 1957-1986.

The award goes to one or more graduating Honors students for an outstanding humanities or social sciences thesis based on research conducted in the WVU Libraries. Writing a thesis is a graduation requirement for Honors students. Along with receiving a $1,000 award, the scholar’s name is added to a plaque in the Downtown Campus Library.

Kawalek, the daughter of Don and Janet Kawalek of Bunker Hill, won the award with her paper titled “Psychopathy as a Mediator between Disgust and Violent Behavior.” The thesis examined correlations between psychopathy, disgust sensitivity, and violent behavior.

There’s growing interest in psychopathy, Kawalek explained.

“It’s a construct that people find intriguing but almost a little bit terrifying,” Kawalek said. “Someone high on the scale may not have a conscience. They can commit violent crimes. They’re manipulative. They do what they can to get to the top, be that a serial killer or a CEO.”

However, by studying the disorder, hope exists for those afflicted.

“If we can learn about psychopathy, we can possibly prevent some things from happening,” Kawalek said.

She credits Dr. Natalie Shook and John Terrizzi, a graduate student, for sparking her interest in delving into the topic. They also helped her collect data from human subjects.

The foundation of her work, though, came through hours of shifting through journals and other materials.

“I was constantly using the online databases and coming to the library between classes to see what was previously done in area,” Kawalek said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do my thesis without the library because that’s where I got all of my literature.”

Those long hours paid off for her.

“I’m sure Dr. Munn would be proud of Brie and the level of scholarship she undertook,” said Myra N. Lowe, Interim Dean of the WVU Libraries. “It always excites me when a student starts with a hypothesis, thoroughly researches it, and clearly and concisely presents it in a finished paper.”

After graduating with degrees in psychology and German, Kawalek will spend a year in Germany teaching English on a Fulbright Scholarship. It will be her second trip to Deutschland. She was there for two months last summer.

As for what’s next, she’s keeping her options open.

She has already been accepted in WVU’s Teaching English as a Second Language Program, and she plans to explore opportunities at other schools. A master’s in psychology is also on the horizon. The question is whether she’d pursue it back in the United States or in Germany.

“I’d like to do research, teach, and be a mentor,” Kawalek said. “No matter what I end up doing, it will involve teaching.”

• Improved navigation that is fully integrated with all of WVU Libraries sites and resources
• A Summon search box on every page
• Ask A Librarian chat links on all pages

Please contact us if you have any questions or to provide feedback on the new site.

In the resolutions adopted at the First Wheeling Convention, the delegates declared the Virginia Ordinance of Secession to be “unconstitutional, null and void,” and rejected Virginia’s joining the Confederate States.  The seventh resolution gives a taste of the deep divisions running between the eastern and western parts of the state:

“Resolved, That in view of the geographical, social, commercial and industrial interests of Northwestern Virginia, this Convention are constrained in giving expression to the opinion of their constituents to declare that the Virginia Convention in assuming to change the relation of the State of Virginia to the Federal Government, have not only acted unwisely and unconstitutionally, but have adopted a policy utterly ruinous to all the material interests of our section, severing all our social ties, and drying up all the channels of our trade and prosperity.”

Some of the delegates to the Convention wanted to create a state of New Virginia immediately, to encompass roughly the area of today’s West Virginia.  Such a step was seen by the more conservative delegates as revolutionary, unconstitutional, and premature, since the Ordinance of Secession had yet to be ratified by popular vote.  The Convention’s resolutions urge citizens of northwestern Virginia to reject secession at the polls:

“Resolved, That we earnestly urge and entreat the citizens of the State every where, but more especially in the Western section, to be prompt at the polls on the 23d instant [May 23, 1861]; and to impress upon every voter the duty of voting in condemnation of the ordinance of Secession, in the hope that we may not be involved in the ruin to be occasioned by its adoption, and with the view to demonstrate the position of the West on the question of secession.”

In case the Ordinance of Secession was ratified by the vote, the delegates laid the groundwork for what would be the Second Wheeling Convention, to be held June 11, 1861.  The possibility of creating a new state at a later date is set forth in the ninth resolution:

“…we believe we may rightfully and successfully appeal to the proper authorities of Virginia, to permit us peacefully and lawfully to separate from the residue of the State, and form ourselves into a government to give effect to the wishes, views and interests of our constituents.”

The popular vote in May supported the ratification of the Ordinance of Secession, which paved the way for the Second Wheeling Convention to establish the Restored Government of Virginia.  Comprised of northwestern Virginians, this government was loyal to the Union, and its creation and acceptance by the federal government was a step toward constitutionally allowing western Virginia to secede from Virginia and become its own state.

Interested in learning more about West Virginia’s path to statehood?  Look for the West Virginia and Regional History Center’s upcoming exhibit, to premiere on the 150th anniversary of our state, June 20, 2013.

A collaborative endeavor between the Libraries and the Provost’s Office, the program focuses on fulfilling the University’s 2020 Plan which calls for “engaging undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in a challenging academic environment.” Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and effectively use information.

“We at the Libraries are proud of the integral role we play in every student’s academic pursuits,” said Myra N. Lowe, Interim Dean of Libraries. “We are pleased that the Course Enhancement Program continues to help students to become better researchers and to gain more from the classroom experience.”

Carroll Wilkinson, WVU Libraries’ Director of Instruction and Information Literacy, is eager to build on the past success and work with the new teams.

“Fostering collaborative teaching between librarians and faculty is a challenging and rewarding part of my responsibilities in the University Libraries. To see the positive results in student learning is really exciting. ” Wilkinson said.

Selected from a field of applicants, this year’s group includes Jenny Boulware, lecturer in the Department of History, Eberly College of Arts & Sciences; Brian Jara, senior lecturer, Center for Womens’ and Gender Studies/Eberly; John Jones, assistant professor, Department of English, Eberly; Ugur Kale, assistant professor, Technology Learning and Culture/College of Education and Human Services; Tom Sydow, professor, English, Potomac State; and Farshid Zabihian, assistant professor, Engineering, WVU Institute of Technology.

They will work with Wilkinson and their librarian liaisons Linda Bane, Potomac State; Kevin Fredete; Jewel Rucker, WVU Tech; Mary Strife; Jessica Tapia; and Martha Yancey to create discipline-specific active learning assignments that incorporate information literacy concepts. Faculty will each earn a $3,000 stipend or, if a 12-month faculty member, other relevant professional remuneration.

Faculty will begin teaching the revised courses during the Fall 2013 or Spring 2014 semester and take part in the Information Literacy Showcase during the Libraries’ Faculty Assembly program in May 2014.

This year’s showcase will be held in the Milano Reading Room, Wise Library, on May 13 and will include professor/librarian teams for the 2012-13 academic year. Poster sessions are scheduled from 8-9 a.m. and 10:30-11 a.m.

There will be a presentation and panel discussion at 9 a.m. in Room 104, Downtown Campus Library. It is titled “Teaching Students the Value of Thoughtful Research: Source Assessment and Ethical Writing.”

Participants for the 2012-13 academic year included David Beach, assistant professor, associate undergraduate writing coordinator, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences; David Bess, associate professor of music education, College of Creative Arts; Kristen Dieffenbach, assistant professor, College of Physical activity and Sports Sciences; Mikel Holcomb, assistant professor of physics, Eberly; Lauryl Lefebvre, assistant professor of educational leadership studies, College of Human Resources and Education; Afrin Naz, assistant professor, computer science, WVU Tech; Donley Studlar, Eberly Family Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Eberly; Sven Verlinden, associate professor of horticulture, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design; Lisa Weihman, associate professor of English, Eberly; and Mark Wilson, associate professor of economics, WVU Tech.

Their librarian liaisons were Linda Blake, Kelly Diamond, Noel Kopriva, Barbara LaGodna, Bill Rafter, Jill Rafter, Alyssa Wright, Martha Yancey, and from WVU Tech, Mitch Casto and Jewel Rucker.

• a search bar for some of our major collections
• a page that showcases the exhibit currently in the WVRHC’s galleries
• improved displays of our physical and digital collections
• information for new visitors and potential donors

Please take a few minutes to explore the new site.  If you can’t find what you need, or just want to give us feedback, contact us.

“Visiting and working in an academic library in China will be a tremendous learning experience for our librarians,” Interim Dean of Libraries Myra N. Lowe said. “We are excited about the insights and ideas Jing and Martha will bring home.”

This trip is the second phase of a partnership that began last fall when two librarians from SUFE, Yu Huang and Deyu Gong, spent the semester learning about operations at the WVU Libraries.

Jing Qiu

Martha Yancey

It will be a homecoming for Qiu, a Shanghai native who moved to the United States in 1990. She is eager to learn how academic libraries operate in China and what they do in terms of public services.

“Even though I went to school there through college and worked at the university for five years, I never used library services that much,” Qiu said. “Back then, you basically went to the library to study and check out books. I don’t know about other services they offered.”

Her presentation will focus on teaching. Teaching information literacy is a responsibility for most academic librarians in the US, but the concept is a new one for libraries in China. Qiu plans to focus on why librarians teach.

“Teaching is a big part of what we do as librarians,” Qiu said. “My hope is they see the value of information literacy and will want to incorporate it in their libraries.”

Yancey wants to concentrate her time with the Access Services and Reference departments, exchanging ideas, comparing practices, and learning how they work with their library users. In her presentation, she plans to focus on a customer service training program the WVU Libraries instituted.

“I am interested in finding out their philosophy of customer service and comparing it to the Libraries’ initiative on service that we began last fall,” Yancey said.

Among other tasks, her plans also include visiting the Shanghai Library to gather information about Chinese stories and fables for children so that she can augment the children’s collection at the Evansdale Library with more multi-cultural titles.

“I hope to learn new ways of doing my work and to learn more about the Chinese culture,” Yancey said.

Qiu and Yancey will also spend some time off campus. With a degree in ancient history and religions, Yancey is eager to explore places such as the Zhujiajiao Ancient Town and the Jade Buddha Temple. Huang, who is now secretary of foreign affairs for the SUFE Library, is working on their itinerary.

Qiu and Yancey leave for China in mid-May.

The Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries will open at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 28, and remain open until 10 p.m. Friday, May 3. Both will be open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, May 4.

The libraries will open at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 5 and remain open until 10 p.m. Friday, May 10. They will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 11.

For more information, check out the Libraries’ calendar: www.libraries.wvu.edu/hours

The Libraries are among 843 institutions across the nation to receive the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a collection of books, films, and an online database assembled to introduce the public to Muslims and the Islamic culture in the United States and around the globe. The bookshelf is part of NEH’s Bridging Cultures Initiative.

“Borrowing from the title of the grant, we want to help build bridges where there are deep misunderstandings, mistrust, and a lack of knowledge,” said Beth Toren, a reference and religious studies librarian.

The Muslim Journeys Bookshelf is the first in the NEH’s planned series of Bridging Cultures Bookshelf programs. The NEH, along with the American Library Association, awarded the WVU Libraries with twenty-five books, three documentary films, a DVD of short films, and a one-year subscription to Oxford Islamic Studies Online. The books and DVDs are currently being added to the circulating collection and will be available to be checked out by all students, faculty, and staff. Members of the public are welcome to visit the Downtown Campus Library to use the books.

On its website, the NEH describes the Bookshelf as a tool to introduce readers to some new and diverse perspectives on the people, places, histories, beliefs, practices, and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world. The subject matter of the books is diverse, falling under five themes: American Stories, Connected Histories, Literary Reflections, Pathways of Faith, and Points of View.

“This collection will definitely compliment the religious studies curriculum, which focuses on world religions. Learning about a great religion in more detail is a fantastic opportunity for students,” said Dr. Aaron Gale, Chair of the Religious Studies Program.

Sohail Chaudhry is Imam at the Morgantown Islamic Center and teaches a class on Islam in the Religious Studies Program. He is also impressed with the books in the collection.

“There’s a lot of misconception about Islam and Muslims. These books will go a long way in helping religious studies students and other students who are interested in Islam to gain deeper insight and a more diverse knowledge base,” Chaudhry said.

Toren worked with Gale and Chaudhry to secure the NEH grant. The three are now planning a forum that will enable the University community and the public to open a dialogue about Islam. Tentative plans call for an informal gathering at the Downtown Campus Library in the fall.

The organizers are excited about the potential in bringing the community together and helping people learn about others with differing views.

Chaudhry believes fear is often a hindrance in establishing a dialogue between people of different faiths.

He said people in general are hesitant to talk with others because they are sensitive about their beliefs and see religion as something private. Asking a question about religion becomes more difficult when they don’t know the other person well.

“People don’t know where to go to seek answers. They’re afraid of talking to others, especially afraid to talk to Muslims about Islam,” Chaudhry said “This forum will provide people a platform to get together, bring out those misconceptions, and chat with each other.”

Gale witnessed firsthand that the interest in such a discussion exists. Earlier this year, he traveled to Charleston to participate in an event titled “Jesus’ Role in Islam.” More than 150 people attend the talk. He’d like to see the same size audience at the Bridging Cultures forum here in the fall.

“This is an opportunity to break down barriers and really see what Islam is about,” Gale said.

A list of all Bookshelf resources is available at the Muslim Journeys’ website, www.programminglibrarian.org/muslimjourneys.

A Research Guide to Islamic Studies is available on the Libraries’ website, http://libguides.wvu.edu/islam. It includes links to Oxford Islamic Studies Online; Mango, a database that students can use to learn Arabic; and information on where to find books and articles about Islam.

Genres include the films of Quentin Tarantino, slasher movies, world cinema, graphic novel adaptations, dark comedy, westerns, gangster films, and Blaxploitation. Students select four from these choices to study.

Students learn film vocabulary, criticism, and movie databases. They watch films on streaming video online or on DVDs at the Library. They join an online learning community in small discussion groups where they discuss film and media, and develop skills to become savvy media consumers.

Visit the website for more information about the course including a complete film list and student comments: http://libraries.wvu.edu/instruction/classes/ulib300/

For more information, contact the instructor: beth.toren@mail.wvu.edu (304) 293-0336.