Reprint from Collections & Connections
Spring 2000, Vol.4, No.2
 

Book Festival 2000
It's all about Rainbows!!

LeVar Burton, host and co-producer of the critically acclaimed PBS program "Reading Rainbow," star of the Star Trek movies and TV series, and published author, will headline this year's Southern Kentucky Festival of Books, scheduled for March 25-26 at the Bowling Green/Warren County Convention Center.

Also featured among the 100+ authors lined up for this year's festival are David Halberstam, Pulitzer prize-winning journalist/author/historian, whose last nine books made the New York Times Bestseller list; and Cherie Bennett, writer of fiction, stage and screen plays, major network daytime TV and the WB series "Dawson's Creek."

A weekend full of fun and interesting activities for both children and adults is planned. Children's activities include a Saturday appearance at the festival by LeVar Burton; performances of "Pecos Bill and Slewfoot-Sue" by the Lexington Children's Theatre; make-and-do activities; costumed literary characters; storytelling; celebrity readers; and a Sunday afternoon writing workshops led by Cherie Bennett and her husband, Jeff Goettsfeld, especially geared toward teen-age writers. Besides meeting favorite authors and getting books signed, adults can enroll in a variety of writing workshops led by noted writers such as Richard Taylor, currently Kentucky's Poet Laureate. Attendees can choose from a wide array of breakout sessions where authors will do presentations; readings, and panel discussions.

In addition, the Friends of the Public Library will be doing a "Used Book Sale" throughout the festival; several publishing houses, such as Larkspur Press, will be participating, and out-of-print books, maps and ephemera for sale. Other exhibitors will have booths to distribute information about their publications or products.

One highlight of the weekend will be the dedication of the Bowling Green Public Library's newly renovated facility, which will include a ribbon-cutting Friday afternoon, March 24, and a chance to tour the facility before it opens to the public.

Other special activities planned as a part of the book festival will be a Friday night "Meet the Authors" social event; an opportunity to "Lunch With David Halberstam" and two performances of "Love Letters," a Public Theatre of Kentucky production, directed by Mark Funk. Mike Thomas and Rosemary Cundiff will be featured in the starring roles.

All of the social activities are ticketed events, with the proceeds benefiting the book festival.

The Southern Kentucky Festival of Books would not be possible without the support of underwriters. As of mid-February, donors included: Presenting Sponsor: the Margie Helm Library Fund/WKU College Heights Foundation; Major Sponsors: the Daily News and WBKO-TV; Patron Sponsors: Chevron Oil Company; Citizens First Corporation; Delta Dental; First Union Securities; and J. C. Kirby and Son Funeral Chapels, Inc.; Event Sponsors: Franklin Bank & Trust; General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant; Hilliard & Lyons, Inc.; Holley Performance Products; Morgan Stanley Dean Witter; and Jack & Kim Sheidler. Additional support: Altrusa Club of Bowling Green; BANDO; Blake, Hart, Taylor and Wiseman; Dobson & Hatcher, PSC; English, Lucas, Priest, & Owsley; Mick Murph Construction, Inc.; NASCO; Rivendell Behavioral Health Services; Rotary Club (noon); Stupp Bridge Company; and Evelyn Thurman Children's Author Fund/WKU College Heights Foundation. Media Sponsors: 930am/WKCT; The Beaver, Country FM; 103.7 "The Point;" Country 95/WGGC; The Gator/G-107; PremierNET, Inc.; WKYU-PBS; and WKYU-FM.

 

WKU Libraries Millennial Exhibit Opens

WKU Libraries and Museum decided to celebrate the entering of a new millennium by publicly focusing on the history of WKU Libraries and how they have developed throughout the last century. Peggy Wright, former Research Instruction Coordinator at Western, first conceived of the idea for the Millennial Exhibit and approached Dean of Libraries, Dr. Michael Binder for his approval and input. Professor Wright envisioned a display that would show, both pictorially and in text, a time line of the WKU Libraries. Dean Binder subsequently appointed Professor Wright Project Coordinator for the Millennial Exhibit.

Professor Wright continued to develop her vision when she approached Frank Jarboe and Al Baker of Shutterbug Photo. Jarboe was able to use an innovative new multimedia process to make a Photo Mural, a composite of several photographs depicting the time line on a large format. Using special computer software, Jarboe was able to combine the photos and text into one image. The final image, the Millennium Exhibit itself, was 4 feet by 14 feet long (53.7 square feet)! The Photo-Mural image was created on an eight color ink jet printer and was so large, that Jarboe had to deliver the exhibit to the Cravens Library using a horse trailer.

January 20th was selected for the formal opening of the WKU Libraries and Museum Millennium Exhibit which will be permanently housed in the circulation lounge area of the Cravens Library. WKU President Ransdell officiated at the ribbon cutting honors before an assembled crowd of employees, students, university officials as well as retired and current librarians. The ribbon cutting was followed by presentations by WKU Libraries and Musuem's faculty members recounting events from the Libraries history and addressed the accomplishments of the six directors/deans of the Libraries. Connie Mills, Jonathan Jeffrey, Dr. Brian Coutts, Dr. Sally Anne Strickler and Riley Handy all provided brief glimpses of the unique people and events, making clear to the crowd, how far both the Libraries and the university have come since the institution began in 1906.

Dean of Libraries and Museum, Dr. Michael Binder, introduced all the speakers for the exhibit, and then Provost Barbara Burch came forward to present a number of service awards beginning with Earl Wassom, who was honored for his work as Director of the Libraries and Museum form 1972 to 1985. Next, Dean Binder received an award for his 15 years of service. Sara Tyler, who started and organized the WKU Libraries and Museum's archival collection, was also recognized for her service, but was unable to attend the festivities in person.

The Millennial Exhibit, a 14 X 4 foot Photo Mural, is on display in the lounge area on the fourth floor of Cravens. The continuous sheet of laminated paper, mounted on a wood frame and attached to the wall as a permanent reminder of the dedication and hard work that was required to make the WKU Libraries the fine institute it remains today.

~Beth Knight