Did you know that I’ve hidden a quote in a book in the library, and if you find it you can win a Stephen King hardcover novel?
Did you know you can rent DVDs out the wazoo down in the lower level of the downtown campus library?
Did you know that the library itself is actually two buildings on the main campus, and that there are five in the system?
Did you know that there are now ebook collections?
Do you know where the bust of Dante is?
Did you know that the library has one of the largest collections of books by Isaac Asimov, as well as large collections of Mark Twain and Shakespeare?
Did you know that there are librarians that like to text answers to you?
No? Read on. With the help of some librarians and students, I got to poke around in the nether regions of one of the more interesting places I’ve been in.
I am the son of a librarian. I’m also the son of a mechanic, but for some reason I turned out to be a bibliophile, much to my dad’s chagrin. I have a healthy respect for libraries, especially libraries that are adapting to today’s technologies and oft-changing times. Anyone in the digital media market knows how volatile it can be with DRM platforms constantly changing, along with the devices people are using (Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhone, etc.). Students are demanding folks, especially undergrads that have never been around a strong, university library system.
Here in Morgantown, at West Virginia University, is a lovely collection of libraries. Individually they are known as the Evansdale, Health Sciences, Law, Charleston Health Sciences, and downtown campus libraries. The most action – and intrigue – is found at the downtown campus library. When I first entered the library last semester, I got lost. For those who haven’t been indoctrinated, the downtown library is actually TWO libraries—the Wise Library (or “old” library) and the addition to the front of it, simply called the downtown campus library. You’ll also notice that if you take the stairs on the front half of the building, you’ll end up going to floors two and four. In the back half, you’ll have to go up a flight of stairs, and then go up a half flight of stairs on either side to access places like the Robinson Reading Room. If you want to access the rare book room in the Wise Library, you have to go to the back left elevator, go to the sixth floor, and then walk across the access hall into the other building. Let’s just say that you’ll want to stop by the main desk for a map if you have to look something up.
At that main desk I had a chance to chat up Linda Blake, the electronic journals coordinator and science librarian. It turns out that what my librarian mother always said, “If you don’t know, ask a librarian,” is true. If you think about it, most librarians have to have a master’s degree in a field like information technology. They’re pretty savvy, and they put to rest the old stereotypes of bitter women with peacock glasses and a hatred for children. If you talk to someone like Linda Blake, you can find out a lot.
“Did you know about the Asimov collection?” said Blake, “There was even an article in the D.A. (Daily Athenaeum) today about it.” And so there was. Turns out that over 600 Isaac Asimov books now reside in the downtown campus library, and you can take a look at them.
“Or how about the bust of Dante?” Blake was referring to a beautiful bust of 13th-century poet Dante Alighierhi. There’s a fascinating story that can be found here, regarding the history of the library, where in 1940, Italian immigrant Thoney Pietro commissioned the bust to be given to WVU “as a token of his appreciation of happiness which had come to him since his arrival from Italy.” In short, it took 19 years for the bust to find its way home, after spending some time in the Library of Congress. For those in Morgantown not indoctrinated in the history of Pietro, you can check out pictures of one of his houses on Kingwood here, or a rendition of his “castle” (an old friary) here. (You really should take a look at the friary, at least). Blake stated that on her tours of the library (oh, yes, there are tours), the history of Dante’s bust is one of the stories she tells.
But if you want to catch a glimpse of history, you should take a tour of the rare book collection. Librarian Christy Venham gave me a short tour.
When you go, the process is pretty strict. First, you need to check in with one of the students at the entrance.
He’ll have you fill out a form if it’s your first time in the rare books section. If you have a backpack or purse he’ll give you a locker key. Then you’ll be monitored when you look through the books. White gloves keeps the oils from your hands from rubbing off on the books. You can always ask curator John Cuthbert any of your questions.
“We’ll let you take books into the Stealey Manuscript Reading Room, and you can only have a pen or pencil, paper, or a laptop, and nothing else.” said Venham. “We have security cameras and one-way mirrors to observe the readers.” Needless to say, the experience is something all students should go through. “Some classes come here—a variety of English classes are assigned to rare books.”
Venham wants students to know that to look at the rare book collection you can only come on Monday through Friday.
But if you’re like most students, you’ll probably want to know the cool stuff, like the fact that you can check out DVDs in the lower level, a floor a lot of students don’t think of venturing to. Linda Blake wants to remind students that the collection isn’t “browsable like Blockbuster,” and that if you want to find out ahead of time what you might want, go to the media section of the website, and look up DVD or VHS.
It’s also good to know that you can always text or instant-message a librarian one of your questions. And if you’re really into the digital world, it’s good to know that WVU is building an Ebrary, and Blake is in charge of around 30,000 electronic journals.
Of course, if all else fails, you can still go make out in the stacks.
And speaking of stacks, here’s your clue to win a new, hardcover book by Stephen King—Under the Dome. There’s a book in the stacks that has to do with one of Americana’s finest writers and humorists on the subject of the Mississippi River. There is a rare, first edition book in the rare books that you can view, but librarians will ask if you’ll read one of the other editions downstairs, like the one I hid the clue in. I’d give you the call number, but that would be too easy. Here’s another hint: the rare book collection has the 1883 edition. I’ve hidden my clue in a 1957 edition. The first person to write the clue down in the comments section will win. Disclaimer: Librarians and library staff are exempt from winning.
I’ll admit it, I’ve spent very little of my time in the libraries, and I definitely have not taken advantage of them in any way. The only times I’ve been there, it’s usually been the result of working on a group project and it was the obvious meeting place. Much of what you’ve mentioned I haven’t seen, such as the bust of Dante and the rare books collection. I don’t know if I’m the exception or the rule in regard to my lack of library usage. Chances are I’ll never venture out to look for the hidden clue, so I’ll just have to buy the book if I want it. Nice post, with a lot of interesting info about our grand old library.
Oh yeah, and every time I see one of those signs that says to text a librarian for help, I can’t help but chuckle about it.
Thanks for your comment. I’ve found going to libraries to be sort of like working out: you just need to get there, and then the good stuff happens. You also need to go several times to get good results. Traditionally we think of them as places to find books for class, or maybe a pit stop to use the computers, but in reality there are so many layers to the WVU library system that you should use them before you’ve graduated and left. I mean, no offense to the public library downtown, but it’s like a pinto bean, compared to the grand buffet of the WVU library system that our student fees pay for.
Nice post. I know Linda quite well, and you are correct – she knows her stuff and is a very nice librarian (despite stereotypes to the contrary).
I very much enjoyed the information about the Dante bust – I have been at WVU since 2000 and have wondered ever since about the story behind it. I suppose I should have asked Linda. *facepalm*
This was an awesome post! I thought I knew a lot about our library, but this was bursting with so much information that I never knew! I personally love the library. There is just something about being in there that really makes you feel like a true college student. I have found books that have helped me immensely for my classes and at times I just find myself in there to read leisurely. If I did have one complaint about it, it would be to have more non-academic books in that area right by Eliza’s. But thanks for this post and I loved how you really took us on a tour of this impressive building on campus.
Jason, thanks for your comment. Linda was fabulous. I’m going to have to bug her more often. Regarding the Thoney Pietro bust, I’m now intrigued about the friary he lived in just outside of Morgantown. I linked to the picture in that paragraph. At first I thought I was looking at a computer-generated picture or something heavily photoshopped.
Thanks, collegeandwine! I have about 300% more information, but I chopped it out to keep the article from dragging down the reader. There’s 10 floors of goodness in the old library, as well as a facility outside of campus over by the WVU farms that students aren’t allowed to go to. If you want a completely different experience, go to the rare books area, sign in, and do some reading or homework there. When I went it was, as curator Cuthbert said, “very busy.” I counted about 8-10 people.
Color me impressed. I thought I knew everything about this campus. You proved me wrong. I am a fan of your visual work on this post, and you are nothing if not thorough. Nicely done.
Thanks, Jazz. I was hoping no one would get onto me for using my crappy little cellphone to take pictures. Your comment was the exact opposite of what I was expecting. And if you know this campus inside and out, I’m coming to you for new ideas. I know about 5% of WVU.
First of all, I think that as a member of your group, I should get the low-down on this clue you hid.
Secondly, this was a really awesome post. I already knew a lot fo the stuff you talked about, but at the same time, some of it really surprised me. I had no idea there was a rare books room. The fact that there is a one-way mirror in that room to watch you seems crazy to me. Who knew?
Also, can you actually rent the dvd’s to take home and watch? My friend tasha and I tried to do that with a DVD for one of our Italian classes and they told us we had to watch it at the library.
Great post Aaron!
Toni, if you ask the reference librarian, she’ll probably take you right to the book. Nobody has found the clue, yet. Has anybody looked?
As far as I know, there are a lot of DVDs that you can take home; Linda Blake the librarian says that she checks them out all of the time. I had no idea they were there, and next Tuesday I’m going to find me some movies!
Thanks so much for the kind words.
For somebody that basically lives at the library, I learned a lot from this post. First, I didn’t even know there was an area for rare books, nor did I know about the Isaac Asimov books. It’s great going to such a big university because they provide us with ANYTHING we might need. My friend was telling me the other day that you can request any book in the world and the library will get it to Morgantown within 7-10 days. Being able to locate books to attain better knowledge of a particular subject is something that we shouldn’t take for granted because some college students don’t have libraries anywhere near the level of ours. Great post and thanks for teaching me something new about our school!
bostonkid124: Thanks for commenting. I wish I could say I already knew these facts, but I had to be nosy. The thanks goes to the librarians.
I seriously don’t know how you have the time in your life to write such awesome and detailed blog posts ALL THE TIME! Wife and kid, full time job, plus other classes…seriously, Aaron, quit making us all look bad.
In other words, good job. 🙂
K.Wish.: if it weren’t for you, I would be suffering much more in Research Methods. I wouldn’t get by if it weren’t for my friends, colleagues, and wife. And thanks so much!
Aaron, thanks for the wonderful article about the hidden treasures in the Downtown Campus Library. We appreciate your helping to get the word out.
I thought of something else interesting after I talked with you. The paintings in the atrium of the Wise Library are by David Hunter Strother, a West Virginian. He was quite famous in the 19th century because he went to the frontier, western Virginia, Kentucky, and even down into North Carolina, and drew sketched to send back for publication in New York. They people there were hungry to know about the untamed land. His pen name was Porte Crayon. His sketches are up in the West Virginia Collection on the 6th floor. I could go on and on, and evidently I did when you and I talked. 😎
Thanks again for your fresh look at the Downtown Library.
(Hey, Jason.)
Oh, and the student probably couldn’t take that one video home because it was on reserve for a whole class…just a guess.
Is this clue a quote by Cathy Betler in Mark Twain on the Mississippi- if so I have found it 🙂
Life is raw material. We are artisans. We can sculpt our existence into something beautiful, or debase it into ugliness. It’s in our hands
🙂
Katie P is the winner for this week! She found the quote that I hid in the 1957 edition of “On the Mississippi” by Mark Twain. Katie P wins a free hardcover of Stephen King’s “Under the Dome.” Next week I’ll be looking to entice you guys with some sort of game involving poets for National Poetry Month.
Haha I’m with Toni I think we should get the inside scoop on this clue! Other than that, great post! I actually had no idea there was a rare book section or that it was so hard on security! This post definitely made me want to just wander around and check things out, being as I normally only use the main floors (1, 2, 4, and 6)..but I think I’ll save my library adventure for a random time when there won’t be tons of people there watching some crazy girl wander around! Great post again Aaron!
Thanks, kerigero. Some of the spaces in the library are so vacant I feel as if I shouldn’t be there. I kept waiting for a staff member to sneak on me, just to bark, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?”
One helluva post! I wish I had read this a few days ago as some of the small details and secrets I literally had no clue of. I used to work at the Regional History Collection and that in and of itself would take someone months to look over and inspect all of the amazing and rare books, documents, and artifacts that are housed at the downtown library. I’m just really impressed by the level of reporting you put into this library post…and had I known, I would have let you use a mini-multimedia piece I did on some of the secrets of the Regional History Collection.
Corey, we must speak about this multimedia piece on Tuesday. I also lament the fact that I didn’t know you worked for the Regional History Collection. That sounds pretty neat, actually. How long ago was this?
This is a great post, I think that very little is known about how much the library offers. It’s really incredible. I love the librarians chat feature, and on the app iWVU, it shows open computers, which is often one of the most difficult things to do at the libraries. It’s also REALLY interesting how they’ve created a QR code to link to the website with the open computers.
I also saw on Twitter last week, people had Lady Gaga lyrics scattered throughout the library. I don’t know what exactly that’s saying about it, but it’s something unusual, that’s for sure.
Hahah, what’s with the Lady Gaga stuff? I feel like there are several different “businesses” going on in the library. It’s more like a book mall. Thanks for the comment.
I wonder if the Lady Gaga quotes referred to were in the banned book display which was taken down today. There was a Lady Gaga quote for each banned book displayed. It was in the lobby display cases.
Apparently, I know almost nothing about our library. It’s a shame, because I’ve always thought it was one of the best things on campus, but it’s such a labyrinth in there, it’s easy to get stuck in one of the reading rooms and never take the time to explore the rest.
I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve gotten lost there many times, but I do know that the librarians are super helpful, just like you said!
[…] Secrets of the downtown campus library at WVU « Mountaineer Life “Or how about the bust of Dante ” Blake was referring to a beautiful bust of 13th-century poet Dante Alighierhi. There's a fascinating story that can be found here, regarding the history of the library, where in 1940, I wish I had read this a few days ago as some of the small details and secrets I literally had no clue of. I used to work at the Regional History Collection and that in and of itself would take someone months to look over and inspect all of the amazing . […]