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EIU Booth Library

Library News

Exhibit focuses on 20 years of Harry Potter

Posted on August 11th, 2017

Twenty years after the publication of the first Harry Potter book, Booth Library presents an exhibit and program series, “Twenty Years of Harry Potter: Celebrating a Phenomenon.” This exhibit will be on display at the library from Sept. 14 through Dec. 31, 2017.

Author J.K. Rowling published “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” (known in the U.S. as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”) on June 26, 1997, in Britain. The book was soon a worldwide hit, and the legacy of Rowling’s world of magic had begun.

Since then, Rowling’s seven original books in the Harry Potter series have sold more than 450 million copies and have been translated into more than 60 languages. Those books were adapted into eight films that have made more than $2 billion.

Rowling’s world of Potter still continues, with a London stage play of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” soon headed to New York City and, most recently, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” a spinoff of the film series produced and written by Rowling herself, based on her 2001 book. The film is part of a trilogy, with the second to be released in November 2018.

The Harry Potter stories have inspired a line of action figures, costumes, candy, Legos, clothing lines, wands, robes and other memorabilia. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park opened at the Universal Orlando Resort in 2010. Rowling continues to share musings and stories related to her magical world on her Pottermore website.

Booth Library’s exhibit takes a look at the popularity and influence of the Harry Potter world in today’s society. The exhibit is accessible to the public any time the library is open. The library’s regular hours are 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and noon-1 a.m. Sunday.

A series of related programs also are planned. For more information on the “Twenty Years of Harry Potter: Celebrating a Pheomenon” series, click here.

Schedule of Events

Opening program: Sept. 14, 7 p.m., The Boy Who Lived: Harry Potter and the Culture of Death; keynote speaker: Suzie Park, professor of English; West Reading Room. A special musical program, “An Evening at Hogwarts,” will be performed by the EIU Graduate/Faculty Brass Quintet, with members Jemmie Robertson, Andrew Cheetham, Ben Bruflat, Kevin Miescke, Eric Dawson and Jonathan Bowman. Light refreshments will be served.

Sept. 15, 4 p.m., Family Weekend: EIU Quidditch Tournament; led by Chelsea Duncan, instructor of KSS; Library Quad; quidditch players are being sought – no experience is required! For more information, click here.

Sept. 28, 4 p.m., Dark Arts and Other Wicked Ideas: Harry Potter, Banned Books and Intellectual Freedom; by Michele McDaniel, reference librarian, and Ryan McDaniel, instructor of communication studies; Witters Conference Room 4440;

Oct. 3 and 5, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Harry Potter Menu at The Café; presented by Richard Wilkinson, professor, and FCS students; Klehm Hall 1414; $5.50;

Oct. 3, 7 p.m., Poison Pen: Rita Skeeter, her Quick-Quotes Quill & Journalism Ethics in the Wizarding World; by Lola Burnham, associate professor of journalism; Witters Conference Room 4440;

Oct. 17, 4 p.m., Muggles, Magic and Abuse; by Angie Hunt, housing program director, HOPE of East Central Illinois; Witters Conference Room 4440;

Oct. 26, 6-10 p.m., Harry Potter Night featuring trivia, costumes, music, activities and food at Booth Library and Tarble Arts Center, co-sponsored by Tarble Arts Center, UIUC Harry Potter Alliance, EIU Harry Potter Club;

Nov. 28, 7 p.m., Harry Potter & the Cult of Celebrity; by Lola Burnham, associate professor of journalism; Witters Conference Room 4440.

All programs are free and open to the public. For more information contact Steve Brantley at 217-581-7542 or jsbrantley@eiu.edu or Stacey Knight-Davis at 217-581-7549 or slknight@eiu.edu.

 

‘A Question of History’ now on display

Posted on May 1st, 2017

“A Question of History: Public History in Illinois” will be on display in the Marvin Foyer of Booth Library until July 31. The exhibit was created by EIU’s 2016-2017 Historical Administration class.

On Oct. 1, 2015, the Illinois State Museum closed its doors for nine months amidst a statewide budget crisis. This closure brought the topic of public history in Illinois to the forefront of a national conversation about the relevance of history.

Featuring items from institutions across the state, including the Illinois State Museum, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, and the Lincoln Home National Historic Site, this exhibit traces the role of public and historical institutions of Illinois to show how history was and continues to be vital to our cultural heritage and identity.

For more information on the exhibit and programs, click here.

The opening reception was held March 30 and included a keynote address by Dr. Samuel Wheeler, Illinois state historian. Several other program were held during April in conjunction with the exhibit.

‘For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights’

Posted on July 28th, 2016

Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose Salt and Pepper Shakers, c. 1950s. Plastic, F & F Mold and Die Works, Dayton, Ohio. 2011. (Photo: E.G. Shempf)

Aunt Jemima and Uncle Mose Salt and Pepper Shakers, c. 1950s. Plastic, F & F Mold and Die Works, Dayton, Ohio. 2011. (Photo: E.G. Shempf)

“United We Shall Overcome” bumper sticker, c. 1960s. 2011. (Photo: E.G. Shempf)

“United We Shall Overcome” bumper sticker, c. 1960s. 2011. (Photo: E.G. Shempf)

Medgar Evers Funeral, Life Magazine, June 28, 1963. 2011. (Photo: E.G. Shempf)

Medgar Evers Funeral, Life Magazine, June 28, 1963. 2011. (Photo: E.G. Shempf)

“For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights,” a national traveling exhibition, will be on display at Booth Library, Eastern Illinois University, from Sept. 1-Oct. 20. A full schedule of related programming is also planned. More information is available here.

Through a compelling assortment of photographs, television clips, art posters, and historic artifacts, the exhibition traces how images and media disseminated to the American public transformed the modern civil rights movement and jolted Americans, both black and white, out of a state of denial or complacency.

Visitors to the immersive display will explore dozens of compelling and persuasive visual images, including photographs from influential magazines such as LIFE, JET, and EBONY; CBS news footage; and TV clips from “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Also included are civil rights-era objects that exemplify the range of negative and positive imagery — from Aunt Jemima syrup dispensers and 1930s produce advertisements to Jackie Robinson baseball ephemera and 1960s children’s toys with African-American portraiture.

“For All the World to See” is not a history of the civil rights movement, but rather an exploration of the vast number of potent images that influenced how Americans perceived race and the struggle for equality.

“This exhibit offers an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the past history of civil rights in our nation while pondering today’s issues,” said Allen Lanham, dean of library services. “I look forward to hearing from our campus and the greater community as we explore this important topic together.”

“For All the World to See” will be accompanied by a series of programs, including lectures, book discussions and a musical performance. The series will kick off at 7 p.m. Sept. 8 with an opening program and reception in the West Reading Room at Booth Library. Keynote speaker Janice Collins, assistant professor in the Journalism Department at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, will give the keynote address, “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: Race, Relations and Reflection.”

The exhibit and all programs are free and open to the public. More details are available here.

This exhibit at Booth Library is held in conjunction with “A Dark Matter …,” a visual conversation about violence, economics and power featuring contemporary artists, which will be on display from Aug. 13 through Oct. 30 at the Tarble Arts Center on the EIU campus.

“For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights” was curated by Dr. Maurice Berger, research professor, The Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore. It was co-organized by the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution, and The Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture. For All the World to See has been made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). It has been adapted and is being toured by Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA).

Local sponsors of the series are the Tarble Arts Center, Academy of Lifelong Learning and Illinois Humanities.

During the spring semester, Booth Library’s regular hours will be from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 1 a.m. Sunday. For more information on the library, call 217-581-6072, or find the library on Facebook or Twitter.

Exhibit showcases Little Theatre on the Square

Posted on May 27th, 2016

exhibitexhibit2 Nimoy Grable

A new exhibit now on display at Booth Library showcases the 59-year history of The Little Theatre on the Square in Sullivan, IL. Photos from past productions at The Little Theatre are archived in EIU’s digital institutional repository and electronic archive, known as The Keep. The archive contains thousands of photos and continues to grow. Photographer David Mobley donated negatives of his photos from the early years, circa 1960-1980. The archive also contains digitized programs beginning with the first show in 1957.

Many well-known actors appeared at The Little Theatre over the years. Several of them are highlighted in this exhibit, now on display in the South Lobby. Featured is a thumbnail page of images from the 1965 production of Dracula, starring well-known actor John Carradine. Many other photos and autographed programs also are included in the display.

To browse the Little Theatre digital collections, go to http://thekeep.eiu.edu/little_theatre/ or follow the links in The Keep to the Special Collections section.

Countdown to the Summer Olympics

Posted on May 23rd, 2016

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Countdown to the Olympics: The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, began on Aug. 5. Get into the Olympic spirit by viewing the many Olympic posters now on display at Booth Library. These posters date back to the Games of the I Olympiad in 1896 in Athens.

Dust Bowl exhibit and program series

Posted on December 16th, 2015

“Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry,” a national traveling exhibition about the causes and aftermath of the historic Dust Bowl period, will be on display at Booth Library from Jan. 11-Feb. 26.

The exhibition recalls a tragic period in our history — the drought and dust storms that wreaked havoc on the Great Plains in the 1930s — and explores its environmental and cultural consequences. It raises several thought-provoking questions: What caused fertile farms to turn to dust? How did people survive? What lessons can we learn?

“The Dust Bowl was one of the worst man-made ecological disasters in American history. We are proud that Booth Library was selected to help make the public more aware of this important era,” said Allen Lanham, dean of library services. “This exhibition delves into the history and geography behind the Dust Bowl, but also provides a human element; through the words of the survivors themselves, we learn what it was like to live through such a difficult time.”

“Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry” will be accompanied by a series of free library programs, including lectures and film screenings. The exhibition and programs feature several overlapping humanities themes: the nature of the connection between humans and nature; the many ways human beings respond to adversity; and how people came to understand and to describe their experiences living through the Dust Bowl.

Lanham invites community members and groups to view the exhibit any time the library is open. More details are available here.

Following is the schedule of upcoming events. The exhibit and all programs are free and open to the public.

  • Jan. 25 and Jan. 26, 7 p.m., Doudna Fine Arts Center Recital Hall; two-part film screening of “The Dust Bowl,” Ken Burns documentary, presented by Cameron Craig, professor laureate of geography;
  • Feb. 3, 4 p.m., Witters Conference Room 4440, Booth Library; “Illinois Plows and Breaking the Plains: Technology, Ecology and Agricultural Production during the 1930s,” by Deb Reid, professor of history;
  • Feb. 8, 4 p.m., Witters Conference Room 4440, Booth Library; “Dust Pneumonia Blues,” by Sheila Simons, professor of health studies;
  • Feb. 10, 4 p.m., Doudna Fine Arts Center Lecture Hall; “Dust Bowl Ballads: Woody Guthrie and the Politics of the Working Class,” by J.B. Faires, adjunct professor of music;
  • Feb. 16, 4:30 p.m., Witters Conference Room 4440, Booth Library; “Recapturing the Experiences of Women in the Dust Bowl: The Life and Writings of Caroline Henderson,” by Bonnie Laughlin-Schultz, assistant professor of history;
  • Feb. 17, 4 p.m., Witters Conference Room 4440, Booth Library; “The Politics of Drought in ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’” by Robin Murray, professor of English;
  • Feb. 18, 4 p.m., Tarble Arts Center Atrium; film screening of “Grapes of Wrath,” featuring the work of cinematographer Gregg Toland of Charleston, presented by Kit Morice, curator of education, Tarble Arts Center;
  • Feb. 22, 4:30 p.m., Witters Conference Room 4440, Booth Library; “Dust Bowl Lessons: Soil Conservation Then and Now,” by R.J. Alier, Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District.

For more information about “Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry,” including complete program and exhibit descriptions, visit the program web page here. More information also may be obtained by contacting project directors Janice Derr, jmderr@eiu.edu or 581-5090; Kirstin Duffin, kduffin@eiu.edu or 581-7550; or Pamela Ferrell, pferrell@eiu.edu or 581-7548.

“Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry” was developed by the American Library Association Public Programs Office in collaboration with the libraries of Oklahoma State University and Mount Holyoke College. The exhibition and tour were made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities’ Exploring the Human Endeavor.

Local sponsors of the series are the Tarble Arts Center, Academy of Lifelong Learning and WEIU-TV.

During the spring semester, Booth Library’s regular hours will be from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 1 a.m. Sunday. For more information on the library, visit the website, www.library.eiu.edu; call 217-581-6072; or find the library on Facebook or Twitter.

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War

Posted on July 29th, 2015

Booth Library will host a national traveling exhibit titled “Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War” from Sept. 4-Oct. 16. In addition to the national exhibit, a variety of related exhibits will be on display in the library on a variety of subjects, including Lincoln’s connection to Coles County. During the six-week period of the exhibit, the library will host several programs related to the Lincolns and the Civil War era. More information is available on the series web page here.

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War offers a fresh perspective on Abraham Lincoln’s presidency. Organized thematically, the exhibition explores how Lincoln used the Constitution to confront three intertwined crises of the Civil War — the secession of Southern states, slavery, and wartime civil liberties. The exhibition presents a more complete understanding of Abraham Lincoln as president and the Civil War as the nation’s gravest constitutional crisis.

Even as the convention that framed the U.S. Constitution ended in September 1787, Americans began debating critical issues that their founding charter left unresolved. Were the states truly “united”? How could a country founded on the belief that “all men are created equal” tolerate slavery? Would civil liberties be safe in a national emergency? Like ticking time-bombs, these issues threatened to explode.

Finally, with the election of Abraham Lincoln as the nation’s first anti-slavery president, they did. As the country plunged toward civil war, Americans wondered whether their new president-elect — a one-term congressman and trial lawyer from Illinois — could resolve the crisis. Would Abraham Lincoln survive the test? Would the nation?

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War, a traveling exhibition for libraries, was organized by the National Constitution Center and the American Library Association Public Programs Office. The traveling exhibition has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War is based on an exhibition of the same name developed by the National Constitution Center.

Summer exhibit takes a look at Eastern’s history

Posted on May 26th, 2015

Booth Library is hosting several exhibits this summer that take a closer look at the history of Eastern Illinois University.

New President David Glassman is the focus of an exhibit looking at past presidents of the university. Other displays focus on the history of campus buildings, past Panther logos and administrators who were instrumental in developing EIU into the campus it is today. All are welcome to stop by the library to view this free exhibit!

Booth Library’s summer hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, closed on Sundays. Beginning June 21 the library will be open from 2 to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Parks and Recreation

Posted on April 30th, 2015

image fileAs the weather warms and we think of the time off ahead, Booth has a fantastic display of information online and in print related to National Parks and Recreation of all kinds, Take a look in the reference room and at the Reference News post

Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Posted on April 26th, 2015

image fileMay is Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage month across the United States. EIU is celebrating in April and Booth is joining in through this “Reference News”  post.

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Charleston, IL 61920
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