Archive for August 2006
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August 29, 2006
Writers in the Library Announces Fall Line Up
Poet Singer-Songwriter Tom House to Launch Series on September 25
The University of Tennessee Writers in the Library series has an exciting slate of readers for its Fall 2006 season. The first reading of the season will be held on Monday, September 25 and feature Tom House, a Nashville-based poet and singer-songwriter.
"If there's a reincarnation of Woody Guthrie's unique sprit and talents, it's not Steve Earle, not Springsteen, not Dylan, but Tom House. His abilities and purity are untouched in the wasteland of artists our current culture serves up," RB Morris, Jack E. Reese Writer in Residence, said.
As a musician, House has received worldwide attention for his unique recordings and performances. His most recent album, The Last Desperate Man, was released in September 2005, called by the Nashville Scene, "a melodicism that drinks as deeply of the plaintive lyricism of Appalachia as of the lilting, brooding folk-blues of East Texas."
House has also collaborated on a number of musical adaptations of literary works, including an opera based on the first chapter of William Faulkner's Light in August, song cycles based on Faulkner's As I Lay Dying and Connie May Fowler's Remembering Blue, and the songs for a play based on Lee Smith's novel, Fair and Tender Ladies.
Tom House will read for Writers in the Library on Monday, September 25 at 7 pm in the Lindsay Young Auditorium of Hodges Library. The event is free and open to the public.
Upcoming Writers in the Library authors include:
Vivian Shipley: October 18
Knoxville Writers Guild: October 23
Yusef Komunyakaa: November 6
Roger Smith: December 4
The Writers in the Library series is sponsored by the University of Tennessee Libraries and the Creative Writing Program of the UT English Department. For further information, please contact Jo Anne Deeken, Head of Technical Services, UT Libraries, at 974-6905 or deeken@aztec.lib.utk.edu, or R.B. Morris, Jack Reese Writer in Residence, UT Libraries, at 974-3004 or rbmorris@utk.edu.
Posted by Laura Purcell at 04:11 PM in Writers in the Library
August 28, 2006
UT Libraries Associate Dean to Retire
Aubrey Mitchell will retire after 42 years of service on August 31
Aubrey Mitchell first came to work at the University of Tennessee Libraries as a student assistant in 1958. He earned $.75 an hour. On Thursday, August 31, 2006 Mitchell will retire from the libraries from his position as Associate Dean. He has been a faculty member of the UT Libraries for 42 years.
Mitchell was appointed Head of the Agriculture Library in 1964. He served in that role until 1981, when he was appointed Associate Director of Collection Development. He became Associate Dean of Public Services in 1985 and moved into the position of Associate Dean for Access Services in 1992. In 1997, Mitchell was appointed Associate Dean of Libraries. He served as Interim Dean of Libraries from 1999-2000.
"Aubrey Mitchell has made a tremendous contribution to the university through his leadership in the libraries," Joe Johnson, University of Tennessee President Emeritus, said. "He always placed first the well being of the campus through library services. I admire his dedication-he is a first-class human being," Johnson said.
When he started his career the UT Libraries had closed stacks; each time a student wanted a book, they had to submit a request and have the book retrieved for them. Throughout his career, Mitchell has been dedicated to increasing information access for not just the University of Tennessee, but for all Tennesseans. Mitchell has been an active participant in TENN-SHARE, a coalition of more than 450 Tennessee libraries dedicated to sharing resources throughout the state. Through this group, Mitchell was integral to the creation of the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL), which provides free online access to electronic databases for all libraries serving the citizens of the state of Tennessee. The databases index more than 1,000 magazines, journals, newspapers and reference works. More recently, Mitchell helped create Volunteer Voices, a TEL project dedicated to providing access to Tennessee's rich culture and history through digitized primary sources.
In 2004, Mitchell was awarded the Tennessee Resource Sharing Award from the Tennessee Library Association for this outstanding work in promoting resource sharing in Tennessee libraries.
"Speaking for libraries across Tennessee, we are thankful for an advocate such as Aubrey Mitchell," Jeanne Sugg, Tennessee State Librarian and Archivist, said. "His dedication to the expansion of TEL through his leadership in TENN-SHARE has brought libraries of every type together in a successful, first-ever collaboration. It is because of his respected participation in such professional organizations in Tennessee that such a strong and cohesive alliance has come to be. Aubrey is a gentle giant who has raised the bar for all of us," Sugg said.
"Aubrey Mitchell is an outstanding individual, librarian, and public servant of the state of Tennessee," Barbara Dewey, Dean of Libraries at the University of Tennessee, said. "He has tirelessly moved these projects forward without bringing any attention to himself. He has been a key player in lobbying state officials such as the Secretary of State and the Commissioner of Education as well as state legislators to the benefits of state resource sharing and the TEL projects in particular."
"What I will miss most about Aubrey Mitchell is his optimism," Dewey continued. "Whenever a problem arises, or there's some issue with the budget, Aubrey always insists that everything will be all right, and that things will work out in the end. I will certainly miss his calm reassurance and warm smile," Dewey said.
Mitchell looks forward to spending more time at his home in Seymour with his wife, Marla, two children and five grandchildren. In retirement, he will continue to serve as a member of the University of Tennessee Library Friends.
Aubrey Mitchell's retirement party will be held Monday, August 28, 2006, from 4:00-6:00 pm at the University Club.
Posted by Laura Purcell at 08:50 AM in Announcements
August 21, 2006
Is There a Book Doctor in the House?
UT Libraries Hosts Clinic to Repair Damaged Books
From treasured family bibles, beloved children's storybooks and valuable antique volumes, books hold places of prominence in every home. But a much-loved book often suffers tremendous wear and tear. How can you best mend a book with ripped pages, worn bindings, and broken spines? Ask the Book Doctor!
University of Tennessee Libraries' annual Book Doctor clinic, featuring preservation librarian Mary Ellen Starmer, will be held on Wednesday, August 30 from 12:30-2:30 pm at the Pendergrass Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Library. The clinic is free and open to all. Books needing simple repairs can be repaired on the spot; rare or valuable items with severe damage may be referred to a conservator for specialty work.
The Book Doctor is in:
Wednesday, August 30 12:30-2:30
Pendergrass Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Library
A-113 Veterinary Teaching Hospital
University of Tennessee Agriculture Campus
free and open to the public
For more information, contact Mary Ellen Starmer, Preservation Coordinator, at 974-5226
Posted by Laura Purcell at 02:55 PM in Events
UT Librarian a True "Vol"
UT Librarian Felicia Felder Hoehne was honored by Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale on July 25 at the rededication of Spring Place Park in East Knoxville. Hoehne was the lead Park Vols volunteer for the park, and Mayor Ragsdale presented her with a bench commemorating her contributions to the park's redevelopment.
She is pictured left with Mayor Ragsdale and members of Caring Kids park volunteers.
In 1969, Hoehne was the first librarian of African descent hired by the University of Tennessee. As a reference librarian, Hoehne has assisted countless students and faculty in their research. She has also has pursued important research projects of her own, such as Tennessee Authors Past and Present and the George Washington Carver DVD project.
Hoehne has a distinguished record of community service and is a strong advocate of human rights and the rights of children. In 1997, she co-founded Linking Librarians with At-Risk Students (LARKS), a program designed to mentor inner-city male youth. She has also volunteered with the Kerbela Shrine Circus Fund Project, Habitat for Humanity, the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, the Center for Neighborhood Development and the Knoxville Opera Company, among many other organizations.
In 2003, Hoehne was recognized by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission with the Harold B. Love Jr. Outstanding Community Involvement Award and UT's Volunteer Spirit Award. In April 2006, she was presented with the University of Tennessee Hardy Liston Symbol of Hope Award for promoting cultural diversity and enhancing the university's educational mission.
Posted by Laura Purcell at 01:34 PM in Good News
August 08, 2006
OIT HelpDesk and Repair Center Move to Commons
The OIT HelpDesk and Student Computer Repair Center are moving from Aconda Court to The Commons room 220 in Hodges Library.
The OIT HelpDesk answers questions about email support, Internet usage, password resets, Blackboard, Wireless ResNet connectivity, and much more, for students, faculty and staff. The Student Computer Repair Center troubleshoots desktop and operating software problems for student-owned computers.
The OIT HelpDesk and Student Computer Repair Center will be leaving Aconda Court on Friday, August 11 and should be open in the Commons on Monday, August 14. Please direct any questions or concerns to Ashley Jarrell, Manager, Technology Consulting and Support, at ajarrell@utk.edu.
Posted by Laura Purcell at 01:11 PM in Commons
August 03, 2006
RB Morris to Continue as Jack E. Reese Writer in Residence
Morris will direct Writers in the Library series for third year
UT Libraries is pleased to announce that RB Morris will continue as the Jack E. Reese Writer in Residence for the 2006-2007 academic year. This is Morris' third year in residence at the UT Libraries.
"It has been a great and unexpected honor to serve as the Jack E. Reese Writer in Residence at the University of Tennessee Libraries," Morris said.
The libraries provide an office and computer for the writer in residence, as well as access to library materials and a small stipend. In his first two years in residency, Morris has prepared two books for publication and written a play, which he is now working to produce.
During his tenure, Morris has worked tirelessly organizing one of the libraries' most successful events, the Writers in the Library Reading series. His involvement with the series has been one of the most fulfilling parts of the job, Morris said. Since he began at UT in 2004, Writers in the Library has featured Pulitzer Prize-winning poets Ted Kooser and Charles Wright, National Book Award nominee Elizabeth Gilbert, and poet-rockers David Olney and Steve Earle.
"Being a part of the Writers in the Library series, I've watched the connection grow between UT and the local, regional and national literary scene. I believe this is very much in the great legacy of Dr. Reese and I'm proud to have been a part of that," Morris continued.
The Writers in the Library reading series will begin on September 25 with author Tom House. The series will celebrate its seventh year with readings from notable authors such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Yusef Komunyakaa and Pulitzer nominee Vivian Shipley.
"RB has made such a positive contribution to the libraries, the campus, and the local literary community. His enthusiasm is palpable, and his energy has attracted diverse readers and audiences to Writers in the Library. We are so pleased that he has agreed to stay for a third year," Barbara Dewey, Dean of Libraries, said.
"I'm looking forward to a third and final year with a lot of excitement and anticipation," Morris said.
For Fall 2006 Writers in the Library reading series dates, please visit http://www.lib.utk.edu/writersinthelibrary.
Posted by Laura Purcell at 03:40 PM in Writers in the Library