Dear Readers:
We are thrilled to announce that the AUC Woodruff Library has been selected as the Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL)
2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award winner in the university category!
We are proud to be among this group of distinguished libraries recognized across the industry for outstanding work. Your ongoing support was an integral part of our receiving this prestigious honor. See more details about the award below along with updates on the other exciting projects that have been happening around the Library this semester.
Sincerely,
Loretta Parham
CEO & Director
|
|
AUC Woodruff Library Wins ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Award
|
Selected as the recipient of the 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award in the university category, the AUC Woodruff Library is the first historically black college or university (HBCU) to win this prestigious award. Sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and YBP Library Services, the award recognizes the staff of a university library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institutions they serve. Previous winners in the university category include: Purdue University (2015), Cal Poly State University (2014) and Villanova University (2013). An official award ceremony and reception were held on March 23. Student representatives from the AUC institutions accepted the award on the Library's behalf.
|
|
| From left to right: Ann Campion Riley (ACRL), Darian Nwankwo (Morehouse student), Loretta Parham (Library CEO/Director), Sederra Ross (CAU student), Savannah West-Calhoun (CAU student), Jara Wellington (Spelman student), Steve Hyndman (YBP Library Services), Rollin Guyden (Library Advisory Council) |
"The Atlanta University Center Woodruff Library is thrilled to be selected for this ACRL award," said Loretta Parham, CEO and Library director. "To be recognized for our demonstrated dedication to excellence and professional services is a validation of the collective efforts of a great library team. As a single library that is shared by the academic members of the Atlanta University Center Consortium, we are honored to work in support of student and faculty success and cultural preservation. We are truly appreciative of this recognition from ACRL."
"While many of us are challenged by relationships with one group of administrators, faculty, and students, the Atlanta University Center manages to effectively support the teaching, learning and research at four different institutions, deftly managing those relationships," said Trevor Dawes, chair of the 2016 Excellence in Academic Libraries Committee and associate university librarian at Washington University in St. Louis.
Learn more about the award and winners in other categories
here.
|
 |
 |
|
|
Morehouse students perform during the event. |
AUC STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE THEIR ARTISTIC FLAIR
The AUC Woodruff Library hosted its first ever Fine Arts Salon on February 18. The event was designed to celebrate and promote the work of AUC students in the fine arts, and offered a new strategy to engage Library users through tailored marketing and outreach to arts students. Visual arts students from Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College exhibited their paintings while a jazz group from Morehouse College known as SCAAT performed throughout the evening.
|
Celebrating the Green on the Brawley Greenscape
|
The Brawley Greenscape & Pedestrian Parkway Project is now complete! The AUC Woodruff Library celebrated the official opening of the space with a ribbon cutting on April 18. Student leaders from the AUC institutions joined CEO/Director Loretta Parham for the event (pictured below).
In addition to the ribbon cutting, a full week of activities were spearheaded by Clark Atlanta University's Living Green Club, a collaborative effort by CAU, Spelman and Morehouse students to increase environmental awareness and promote eco-friendly living. Coinciding with the international observance of Earth Week, student-led activities highlighted the Greenscape as a space for relaxation, inspiration and community. From yoga on the green and spoken word performances to eco-friendly fashion and original music, students owned the new Greenscape and modeled responsible use of the space.
|
|
|
Updates from the Archives Research Center
|
|
|
|
| Open House participants review documents from the MCMLK Jr. Collection |
|
The Library's Archives Research Center (ARC) featured a special exhibit entitled "Hallowed Grounds: Sites of African American Memories in the Atlanta University Center." The exhibit title reflected the 2016 Black History Month theme selected by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), tying the AUC to the larger American story being shared through the work of ASALH. Archival documents and images showcasing sacred spaces on the AUC campuses were on display throughout the month of February through March 11. "Hallowed Grounds" also took the AUC message to social media to engage followers on Facebook and Twitter.
As the custodian of the Morehouse College Martin Luther King Jr. Collection, the AUC Woodruff Library celebrated ten years of overseeing preservation, storage and scholarly access of the collection with a special open house in January. The collection and the Library were highlighted in an
Atlanta Journal Constitution
article and web
video as part of their Martin Luther King Jr. commemoration features.
|
|
|
|
Walter Rodney Symposium Connects Newest Generation of Social Justice Activists
|
This year's Walter Rodney Symposium, which was held March 18-19 at the AUC Woodruff Library, explored the important role of youth in social justice actions and movements. The keynote speakers included: social justice advocate Dr. Raphael Warnock, senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church; global social change advocate Esker Copeland, youth and education advisor at The Qatar Foundation; Aurielle Marie, spoken word artist and spokesperson for #ItsBiggerThanYou; and Jasiri X, hip hop artist and founding member of 1Hood Media, a collective of socially conscious activists and artists who use art to raise awareness about social justice matters.
|
|
|
Dr. Warnock and a Groundings participant pose after the event. |
Following in the tradition of Walter Rodney's The Groundings With My Brothers, the symposium featured four Groundings sessions in which symposium attendees exchanged information and ideas about social justice issues today.
To learn more about the Walter Rodney Foundation, click here
.
|
|
|
|
|
Dr. Carolyn Denard of the Toni Morrison Society gives remarks during the bench dedication. |
BENCH BY THE ROAD
During their annual tea on February 28, the Inquirers Club, the oldest-known, continuously meeting African American women's literary circle, joined the Toni Morrison Society, an official member of the coalition of American author societies that comprise the American Literature Association, to dedicate a bench in the Greenscape. This was the society's 18th bench worldwide. The "Bench by the Road" project, begun in 2008, is a community outreach initiative to remember the lives of enslaved Africans.
|
|
|
| Friends' Council Hosts Annual Spring Authors' Program |
|
|
| Authors share their work during the Friends' Council Spring Authors' Program. |
|
The Friends' Council of the AUC Woodruff Library hosted the 2016 Annual Spring Authors' Program on April 17 in the Library's Virginia Lacy Jones Exhibition Hall. The theme, "Books by, for and about Children (and Other Topics We Share)," explored children's literature from every angle.
Launched in 2014, the Spring Authors' Program, which serves as the Council's signature event, seeks to recognize and promote Atlanta area authors. This year's featured guests included 13-year-old author Imani Alsobrook, author Michael Hickman and educator and author Dr. Kecia M. Ashley. In addition to these provocative speakers, attendees enjoyed meet-and-greet opportunities with other authors along with a sampling of delicious food during this one-of-a-kind event for all book lovers.
If you're interested in joining the Friends' Council, contact us at 404.978.2018. Or click
here to learn more.
|
|
|
DigitalCommons has launched its first archival photograph collection, the
Vivian Wilson Henderson Photographs. The collection includes approximately 150 photographs, dating primarily from the 1960s, documenting Henderson's activities as president of Clark College as well as his family life. The images can be viewed within the DigitalCommons interface, which offers zooming and scrolling for each image along with three download options. These materials were digitized as part of the Preservation of Photographs III Grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and LYRASIS.
Other items new to DigitalCommons include:
- Oral History Interview with Atlanta Inquirer's John B. Smith Sr.
- "Egyptian Elements in Hermetic Literature" by Thomas McAllister Scott
- "The African American Presence in Physics" by Ronald E. Mickens
|
|
Atlanta Student Movement Highlighted in Film and Art; "Start Something" Exhibit Extended
|
In conjunction with the "Start Something: Activism and the Atlanta Student Movement" exhibit, the AUC Woodruff Library presented three special programs to highlight the history and legacy of the movement. A screening of "a Trek to River's Edge" documented firsthand accounts of AUC students during the movement; a presentation from fine arts photographer Sheila Pree Bright discussed her photographic series,
#1960Now; and a screening of
"Foot Solders: Class of 1964" highlighted the role of Spelman students in the movement.
Also as part of "Start Something," voter registration drives and two voter education forums were hosted at the Library to further inform and engage students in the political process.
"Start Something" outlines the history of the student-led, civil rights protests in Atlanta in the 1960s and their legacy to today's youth-led protests, such as #AUCShutItDown, #ItsBiggerThanYou and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Due to popular demand, the exhibit was extended through May 20, 2016. Don't miss it! For details, visit the online resource guide.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Safety First: News from Security Services
|
Did you ring? Four new callboxes are located around the Library to increase our security presence and response times around the AUC community. They are located within the Greenscape, at Brawley and Beckwith, in the Library's rear parking lot and at Parsons and Brawley. During library hours, the callboxes ring to the Library Security Services office; after hours, the boxes ring to the Clark Atlanta University Police.
Lights, Cameras, Action... Did you know that there are dozens of cameras located in and around the Library? Our Security Services team can view the interior and exterior spaces to better patrol the Library to maintain a safe environment and to discourage misconduct.
Don't panic! Emergency phones are located inside each of the elevators (main and freight) within the Library. Just press the call button if you need assistance.
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright © 2016. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
