Lunch and Learn Series to Explore How Congress Works (or Should Work!)

A new program series hosted by the Richard B. Russell Library this April invites attendees to consider the powers and function of the U.S. Congress. Titled Civic Knowledge = Civic Power, the weekly program hosted from 12:30-1:30 p.m. looks to increase civic knowledge on campus and in the community with short lectures and informal discussion with speakers from UGA’s Department of Political Science.

The powers of the United States Congress are considerable and well established. Congress can collect taxes, coin money, declare war, raise and support armies and a navy, and make all laws necessary and proper to carry out its powers – just to name a few. But understanding Congress cannot be done in a vacuum or just through a listing of powers

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, a center for research and study of the American political system, devised this series as a way to promote greater understanding at a time when surveys show declining levels of knowledge and confidence in Congress. “A 2016 survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that citizen knowledge of government basics is at a new low,” said outreach archivist Jan Hebbard. “At a time when many citizens seem increasingly interested in playing a more active role in politics, we wanted to create a space for informal learning about this branch of government and its history.” The series was also inspired by the annual Congress Week initiative, led by the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress.

At each event featured speakers will address a selected topic, beginning on April 4 with Dr. Anthony Madonna and Dr. Michael Lynch discussing how a bill becomes a law. Other topics on the schedule include Congress and the media; a short history of the filibuster; and uses of the executive order. Organizers hope addressing issues that have garnered widespread attention since the 2016 presidential election will engage people from both the campus and community. “We try to keep our programming connected both to our collections and to current events – helping people to draw connections between the past and present,” said Jill Severn, head of access and outreach for the Russell Library.

Partners for the series include the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs, the UGA College Republicans, and the UGA Young Democrats. A full listing of programs in the series can be found below. For more information contact russlib@uga.edu or call 706-542-5788.

Tuesday, April 4, 12:30-1:30 (Room 277)

Lunch & Learn Program, Topic: How a Bill Becomes a Law

Speakers: Dr. Anthony Madonna, Dr. Michael Lynch

Wednesday, April 12, 12:30-1:30 (Room 277)

Lunch & Learn Program, Topic: Congress and the Media: Shaping Public Perceptions

Speaker: Dr. Audrey Haynes

Tuesday, April 18, 12:30-1:30 (Room 277)

Lunch & Learn Program, Topic: A History of the Filibuster

Speaker: Dr. Anthony Madonna

Tuesday, Apr. 25, 12:30-1:30PM (Room 277)

Lunch & Learn Program, Topic: Use of the Executive Order

Speaker: Dr. Michael Lynch

UGA Special Collections Libraries to Host Spring Exhibits Reception

The Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries at the University of Georgia will host its bi-annual reception celebrating new exhibitions April 14 at 5:30 p.m. The event will include live music from local band Hog-Eyed Man; a custom print station operated by Double Dutch Press; light refreshments and gallery tours. The reception is free and open to the public.

RSVP to lnessel@uga.edu or call 706.542.3879. For more information about the Special Collections Libraries call 706.542.7123 or visit www.libs.uga.edu/scl 

Exhibitions highlighted include:

“The Greatest Bulldog of Them All: Dan McGill,” examines the legacy of the longtime UGA tennis coach, sports information director and creator of the Bulldog clubs. Included in the display are materials donated to the Hargrett Rare and Manuscript Library by Magill’s family, and materials loaned to the Hargrett Library by the ITA Tennis Hall of Fame Museum. Tennis rackets, rarely seen photographs, and ephemera from a life dedicated to the service of the University of Georgia make up the exhibit.

“Seeing Georgia: Changing Visions of Tourism in the Modern South,” explores the state’s transformation from a way station along the route to Florida into a tourist destination all its own. The exhibit highlights six popular sites in Georgia and considers questions of access, preservation, and economics. A replica roadside stand, 1920s gas pump, as well as historic photographs, postcards, and other ephemera set the scene and invite visitors to explore the tourist experience over the course of the 20th century.

“Selections from the Georgia Disability History Archive,” highlights the establishment of the Georgia Disability History Archive at the Richard Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. A powerful collection of artifacts, documents, and ephemera tell the story of disability advocacy in Georgia. Topics addressed include initiatives for education and awareness to end employment discrimination; housing and transportation accessibility; and challenges facing disabled veterans attempting to receive adequate support and healthcare.

“John Abbot, Early Georgia’s Naturalist Artist,” showcases the works of an Englishman who arrived in Georgia in 1776, hoping to jump-start a career as a natural history illustrator. Abbot intended to return to London after he had made enough drawings to establish his career. Instead he remained in rural Georgia, where he continued to collect and draw insects and birds into his 80s, producing more than 7,000 watercolor drawings. The display includes watercolor illustrations from the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript collections, along with drawings on loan from other institutions. The exhibit celebrates the 20th anniversary of the James W. Woodruff, Sr. Center for the Natural History of Georgia.

"Celebrating 75 years of excellence: The George Foster Peabody Awards" looks at the origins and evolution of this most prestigious Georgia institution through founding documents and highlights from the Peabody Awards Collection.

"Olympic Legacy" celebrates the 1996 Olympics, spotlighting events in Athens as well as Atlanta. The exhibit combines materials from the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscripts Library, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection to explore the lasting impact of this international celebration on Georgia today.

Summer Reading List from The Rest of the Story Book Club!

Have you visited the Richard B. Russell Jr. Special Collections Libraries Building? Would you like to learn more about some of the topics address in the exhibits on display? Looking for great books to add to your summer reading list? Then join us for our new monthly book club! We’ve just announced our summer selections, which include

          

June’s selection ties into the Native American collections found in our Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Jacksonland: President Andrew Jackson, Cherokee Chief John Ross and A Great American Land Grab examines the tumultuous relationship between Andrew Jackson and John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Ross lived in the Indian Lands along the Georgia-Tennessee border, which Jackson wished to claim for the U.S. Ross stood in strict opposition to Jackson’s ideals, and did all that he could to advocate for the Indian cause. However, his effort was no match for Jackson’s power and political influence. June’s meeting will take place Tuesday, June 23 from 5:30-7:00PM

In July, we’ll take a look at Drifting into Darien – a book written by one of the 2015 Georgia Writer’s Hall of Fame inductees, Janisse Ray. The book describes her devotion to the Altamaha River and its preservation. Considered the largest free-flowing river in the East, this “mighty waterway,” says the Nature Conservancy “is vital to the health of the Georgia coast.” Ray details her kayaking journey down the full length of the river, reflecting on both beauty and man-made devastation along the river’s banks. The second half of the work details ongoing conservation efforts. This work is a personal reflection and call to preservation from the author of the popular Ecology of a Cracker Childhood! July’s meeting will take place Tuesday, July 28 from 5:30-7:00PM.

And finally, the month of August always has us thinking about football. Curator Jason Hasty, who creates our annual fall football exhibit in the SCL's Rotunda, made this month’s book selection -- The Courting of Marcus Dupree by Willie Morris. This is the story of a black high school quarterback from Mississippi who was the most sought-after recruit in America, “a swift and powerful running back whom many were already comparing with the legendary Herschel Walker of Georgia.”  As Dupree’s talents on the football field drew attention to him and his town, the conversation turned from football to the lingering tensions of a recently desegregated South. August’s meeting will take place Tuesday, August 25 from 5:30-7:00PM

“The Rest of the Story” Book Club is free and open to the public. Light refreshments are served at each meeting, and discussions will be followed by staff-led gallery tours to highlight displays related to the readings. For more information please call (706) 542-5788 or email Jan Hebbard at russlib@uga.edu, or visit our Goodreads group page at https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/160379-the-rest-of-the-story-book-club

Brown Bag Film Screening, First Lady of Peace: Jeanette Rankin

On Thursday, June 11th the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, in partnership with the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, will host a lunch-time screening of the 1970 documentary film, The First Lady of Peace: Jeannette Rankin.

Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and was a notable activist for peace and women's suffrage. She served two non-consecutive terms in Congress (1917-1919 and 1941-1943), where she voted against United States entry into World War I and later became the only member of Congress to oppose entry into World War II. During her first term, she was also instrumental in passing the Nineteenth Amendment, granting all American women the right to vote, in the House of Representatives.

This film project was a labor of love for filmmaker David Fisher, who operated on a slim budget to produce the short film documenting the unique activist who spent her final years living in nearby Watkinsville. The film features extensive interviews with Rankin, who reflects on her long career and shares her vision for the future.

Archivists Jill Severn and Margie Compton will introduce the film. Sue Lawrence, director of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, will offer closing remarks.

This brown bag lunch event will take place from 12:00-1:30PM in room 285 of the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries (300 S. Hull Street). The event is free and open to the public; beverages and dessert will be provided, but attendees should plan to bring their own lunch. For more information about the event email russlib@uga.edu or call (706) 542-5788. For more information about Jeannette Rankin, follow #Rankin135 on Twitter throughout the month of June 2015!

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies hold the Jeannette Rankin Papers and is the official repository for the records of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation.  The Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection holds the film The First Lady of Peace: Jeannette Rankin as well as other commercial and non-commercial audiovisual materials that document Jeannette Rankin.

135 Tweets for 135 years: Rankin Matters!

In June 2015 the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies will mark the 135th anniversary of Congresswoman and activist Jeannette Rankin’s birth with the social media series, 135 tweets for 135 years: Rankin Matters.

Throughout the month, our Twitter feed @RussellLibrary will spotlight selected quotes, events, and achievements drawn from the life and career of this trailblazer for equity, justice, fairness, and peace in American politics. You can follow the Rankin Matters Series at #Rankin135. We're also planning a little birthday party, so stay tuned to the blog for details on that event happening June 11th!

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies holds the Jeannette Rankin Papers and is the official repository for the records of the Jeannette Rankin Foundation.  

Documentary Screening, Yuck!

Join the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies on Saturday, March 21st from 4:00-5:00PM in the auditorium of the Special Collections Libraries Building (300 S. Hull Street) for a free community screening of Yuck!, a short documentary film chronicling fourth grader Zachary’s efforts to document the school lunch offered in his New York City public elementary school. The film will be followed by a discussion about school lunch in the Athens area. Doors open at 1:45.

This screening is connected to the Russell Library’s ongoing exhibition, Food, Power, Politics: The Story of School Lunch, on display in the Harrison Feature Gallery through August 2015. For more information call (706) 542-5788 or email russlib@uga.edu

We're Having a Food Fight!

Are you ready for a good food fight?

Then we hope you'll join us on Saturday, March 28th in the cafeteria of Barrow Elementary School (100 Pinecrest Drive) as local chefs take on the School Lunch Challenge -- creating tasty dishes that meet USDA requirements for the National School Lunch Program for attendees to sample!

Building on the increased public interest in school lunches, and inspired by the ongoing exhibition, Food, Power, Politics: The Story of School Lunch currently on display in our gallery, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, the Clarke County School District, the Athens Land Trust, Athens Farm to School, and UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences have partnered to plan a fun, educational event to engage the Athens community with the past, present, and future of the National School Lunch Program. 

The centerpiece of this event will be a cooking competition which invites participating teams, drawn from local restaurants and non-profit organizations, and advised by members of the Clarke County School District (CCSD) nutrition staff, to create dishes in accordance with USDA guidelines for the National School Lunch Program. Each team will create plates including meat/meat alternate, grain, and vegetable components that can appeal to a K-12 audience. Event attendees will be invited to a sample-size serving of each plate created, and will vote for a crowd favorite in each category. A panel of student judges drawn from CCSD schools will vote to determine an overall winner. The winning team’s plate will be incorporated into the CCSD school lunch menu during the 2015-2016 school year.

Attendees can also pick up information and talk to local representatives about sustainable agriculture, community gardens, and farm to school programs in the Athens community, and explore a display of materials related to the history of the National School Lunch Program. 

Competing teams will include The National, Heirloom Café and Fresh Market, newly opened Goodie Two Shoes, and the non-profit Athens Land Trust. Each team has been paired with one of the four local middle schools, and encouraged to incorporate that school’s colors, mascot, or other identifying features into their dish or plate presentation. The event will be free to the public but attendance will be capped at 150 people. Tickets are available through the Eventbrite website. 

Members of the planning committee hope parents and families associated with the local school system, as well as community groups and individuals interested in school lunch and related food initiatives will come out to the event. But, they hope that anyone who has a passion for healthy, delicious food will join the fun. 

“We hope to engage the Athens community with the topic of school lunch, providing some information about the history of the program, and helping to connect that history to the ongoing changes to the program through recent legislation on the federal level,” said organizer Jan Hebbard, outreach archivist at the Russell Library. “Hopefully this is a chance for community members to have some fun and also get a better understanding of school lunch locally, especially ongoing efforts to incorporate community gardens and local produce into cafeterias in CCSD.”

For more information, contact Jan Hebbard at jlevinso@uga.edu or (706) 542-5788. To obtain tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/school-lunch-challenge-tickets-15847094085

Recap: 2014 Scholars & Policymakers Symposium

The two-day Scholars & Policymakers Symposium here at the Richard B. Russell Library came to an end last Tuesday, and it was a success! We were so lucky to have remarkable speakers, panelists, and moderators here to join us for this occasion celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Library. Thank you to all who participated!

Each of the four panel sessions covered one of our established collecting areas: politics of public good, social relations, economy, and environment. By having three panelists and a moderator for each, attendees heard a variety of viewpoints from individuals with different research specialties and life experiences. While opinions of those on a given panel may have differed, each discussion as a whole shed light on the topics at hand.

Throughout the symposium there was praise for the library’s namesake, Richard B. Russell. The event kicked off with opening remarks from Norman Underwood, current chairman of the Russell Library Foundation, who thanked the the Library's director Sheryl Vogt, for giving, “40 years and most of her heart to furthering Senator Russell's legacy and preserving his papers."

Without the strong foundation provided by the Richard B. Russell Collection, the Library could not have expanded in scope and collecting to the wide array of political papers it now holds. And truly, the core of this programming initiative was to recognize the scholarship that has grown from these archival holdings. From discussion of  early transportation efforts, labor unions, and the National School Lunch Program, to the history of race relations in the South, Georgia’s agricultural economy and poultry industry, and national security and foreign relations during the 1950s and 60s -- scholars reported clearly that their explorations through the collections of the Richard B. Russell Library provided great help in producing rich, new insights into modern American history.

Chris Lopez, oral history and audiovisual archivist, was able to record all of the panel sessions. The full video should be up on the YouTube channel soon. In the meantime, our staff has created an audio playlist on SoundCloud. We hope you enjoy the re-listening to the program, or enjoying it for the first time!

Powell Moore Lecture at UGA Today!

Longtime federal government official Powell A. Moore will deliver a lecture on politics titled "Washington Insights Over Half a Century: Midterm Elections in the Sixth Year of a Two-Term Presidency" today (Nov. 3) at 3:30 p.m. in Room 271 of the University of Georgia Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

The lecture will consider whether the Democrats will maintain control of the U.S. Senate or if control will shift to the Republican Party. Co-sponsored by the UGA School of Public and International Affairs, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, the event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served in the lobby immediately following the lecture.

Moore, a UGA alumnus, most recently served as representative of the U.S. secretary of defense to the Organization for Security and Cooperation (2006-2009). Active in public policy affairs in Washington, D.C., for more than 40 years, Moore has also served as assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs under President Ronald Reagan; on the White House staff under Presidents Nixon, Ford and Reagan; and as chief of staff for Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee. He began his Washington, D.C., career in 1966 as press secretary to Sen. Richard B. Russell of Georgia, for whom one of three U.S. Senate office buildings is named, as well as the library on UGA's main campus.

"UGA alumnus Powell Moore has enjoyed a remarkable career in service to five presidents in domestic roles in legislative affairs and in the foreign policy arena," said Stefanie Lindquist, dean of UGA's School of Public and International Affairs. "His interview with Bob Short for the Russell Library oral history series is a must-see: a fascinating walk through the Georgia and national political scenes from Richard Russell to Watergate to the Cold War and beyond. These experiences provide Powell Moore with a unique vantage point on today's politics. Come and be fascinated."

This summer, the Russell Library announced the opening of the Powell A. Moore Papers. The papers capture Moore's career involved in legislative affairs, public policy and international relations in the federal government and in the private sector. The papers include reports, news clippings, invitations, program materials, artifacts and audiovisual materials related to his work and to numerous presidential campaigns, conventions and inaugurations from 1972 to 2009.

Moore is a graduate of Georgia Military College and received a bachelor's degree in journalism from UGA. He serves as a board of visitors member for both the School of Public and International Affairs and the Cox International Center.

Speaker Spotlight: Monica Gisolfi

Dr. Monica Gisolfi is another featured speaker at our upcoming Scholars & Policymakers Symposium hosted Oct. 27-28. Gisolfi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina Wilmington

She received her Ph.D. in United States history from Columbia University in 2007 and now teaches history courses on the Gilded Age, the United States, the South, and public & environmental history. She specializes in southern American history and her research interests include the histories of environment, agriculture, and landscape as well as public memory and commemoration.

Gisolfi’s piece “From Crop Lien to Contract Farming: The Roots of Agribusiness in the American South, 1929-1939” was published in Agricultural History and later included in a compilation of writings entitled The Best American History Essays 2008. As Gisolfi writes in her piece, the crop lien system was thought to be the catalyst behind southern poverty and issues in the South. This publication examines the changing agribusiness industry from the crop lien credit system used by sharecroppers and farmers in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries to the multi-million dollar contract farming business today that includes the poultry industry.

Her next piece, “Leaving the Farm to Save the Farm: Poultry Farmers, Contract Farming, and the Necessity of Public Work, 1950-1970” was published in Moving Workers, Moving Capital. Gisolfi is currently working on an untitled book examining the growth of southern agribusiness and its effects on humanity and the environment.

Don’t miss Dr. Monica Gisolfi’s appearance on the Politics of Social Relations panel (Oct. 28, 1:45-3:15PM) at the Scholars & Policymakers Symposium happening Oct. 27-28, 2014 at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. And stay tuned to the blog for more speaker spotlights in the weeks leading up to the event!

Athens Science Café to Spotlight Nutrition and Childhood Obesity

ATHENS, GA – University of Georgia foods and nutrition professor Caree Cotwright will speak about nutrition and childhood obesity at the October meeting of the Athens Science Café on Oct. 22 at Chase Street Elementary School. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the event will start at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Science cafes are informal meetings commonly held in coffee shops, pubs or community centers where people have an opportunity to learn from and interact with a scientist. Unlike traditional lectures, science cafes involve more open discussion and debate among the audience.

For this event, organizers of the Athens Science Café decided to branch out from their traditional downtown venues. “While we typically hold our cafes at bars and coffeehouses, we welcome the occasional opportunity to develop community partnerships," said ASC representative Stephanie Pearl. “ASC is excited about partnering with the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and the Clarke County School District for this edition of the cafe.”

On Sep. 26 the Russell Library, a political archives at the University of Georgia, will open the new exhibition, “Food, Power, and Politics: The Story of School Lunch” examining the complicated history of the National School Lunch Program. “We approached the organizers of Athens Science Café about developing an event connected to the issues explored in this exhibit,” said lead curator Jan Levinson. “It seemed only fitting that a discussion about childhood nutrition should take place in one of our local schools.”

The event will take place in the cafeteria of Chase Street Elementary School. Cotwright will give a short introductory talk before leading an informal discussion among participants about nutrition and innovative interventions to combat the problem of childhood obesity. Healthy snacks will be generously provided by Heirloom Café and Fresh Market.

For more information about this event visit the Athens Science Café website at http://athenssciencecafe.wordpress.com or follow @AthScieCafe on Twitter. For more information about the new exhibit “Food, Power, and Politics: The Story of School Lunch” visit the Russell Library’s website at http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell or follow @RussellLibrary on Twitter.

40th Anniversary Symposium Scheduled Oct. 27-28

What: Russell Library 40th Anniversary Symposium

Where: Auditorium (Room 271), Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries

When: Oct. 27 (evening); Oct. 28 (8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) Follow us on Twitter (@RussellLibrary) #Russell40

The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies will host a scholars and policymakers symposium to celebrate the Library’s 40th anniversary year on Oct. 27-28, 2014 in the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.

Richard Baker, US Senate Historian Emeritus, will kick off the symposium with a keynote address at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27. On Tuesday, Oct. 28 scholars from across the country will participate in panel discussions, highlighting their use of Russell Library collections in recent publications. Policymakers will join these discussions, building on the historical context of the themes presented and adding commentary on the creation of related public policy and its oversight. Panels will be organized around the Russell Library’s six key collecting areas: Politics, Social Relations, Public Good, Environment, Economy, Peace and War. 

The keynote address and symposium sessions are free and open to the public and will be held in the auditorium on the second floor of the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. For more information contact Jan Levinson at (706) 542-5788 or jlevinso@uga.edu.

And, stay tuned to the blog in the coming weeks as we post updates about our featured speakers! Look for us on Twitter (@RussellLibrary) #RBRL40

Exhibit on the Atomic Age Opens Jan. 28th @ Russell Library

 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow: Living with the Atomic Bomb Opens January 28, 2014 at The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
 
On August 6, 1945, a specially-equipped American B-29 Superfortress dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9, another atomic bomb fell on Nagasaki. For most Americans, the immediate reaction to the atomic bomb was relief: it had ended the war. But as the United States celebrated, it also braced itself for the uncertain future of the Atomic Age. For the next two decades, the looming threat of Atomic war dominated American society.

Traveling exhibition Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow: Living with the Atomic Bomb, 1945-1965, which opens January 28th  at The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, explores the ways in which Americans experienced the Atomic threat as part of their daily lives—at school, in the home, and even at play. The show features more than 75 original objects from the era, as well as large-scale graphics, radio broadcasts, and film. Visitors will experience how Americans were flooded with messaging through images and media that depicted the dangers of atomic energy. Although the threat of Atomic annihilation eventually drifted to the background of American consciousness in the late 1960s, the Atomic Age left a legacy of governmental response and civic infrastructure that remains relevant today.

Inspired by the exhibit, the Russell Library will host a series of eleven public programs during the spring semester, in collaboration with partners across the UGA campus, that spotlight some of the most significant events of the time period and invite attendees to reflect on life in America during the Atomic Age. Programs will include panel discussions, film screenings, community forum and storytelling events, and a day of oral history. More information on the program series is available on the Russell Library website at www.libs.uga.edu/russell/programs/events.

The Russell Library Gallery is located inside the Russell Building for Special Collections Libraries; the exhibit is free and open to the public. The gallery is open from 8:00am-5:00pm Monday through Friday and from 1:00-5:00pm on Saturdays. Guided tours of the gallery are available on Tuesday afternoons from 2:00-3:00pm; meet in the 2nd floor rotunda. For more information on the exhibit or program series email russlib@uga.edu or call (706) 542-5788. 

 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow is curated by Michael Scheibach, an independent collector in Independence, MO, and Leslie Przybylek, Curator of Humanities Exhibitions at Mid-America Arts Alliance. The exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than 25 exhibitions on tour to more than 100 small- and mid-sized communities every year. Mid-America is the oldest nonprofit regional arts organization in the United States. More information is available at www.maaa.org and www.eusa.org.

Thank you to our sponsors...
The display of this exhibit at The Russell Library is supported in part by the President’s Venture Fund through the generous gifts of the University of Georgia Partners and other donors, and by the Georgia Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities and through appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.

The program series was made possible by contributions from several UGA campus partners including The Center for International Trade and Security, The School of Public and International Affairs, the Department of History, the Department of English, and Film Studies. 

It Was a Big Year: Russell Library Program Series Looks Back at 1973

What do you know about 1973? Join the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies for It Was a Big Year, a program series that considers how a few key events in a single year can change the culture and course of a nation for years to come.

1973 was the year of the Roe v. Wade decision and the return of POWs from the war in Vietnam. It was the year President Richard Nixon proclaimed he was not a crook, even as the Watergate scandal unfolded on national television. It was the year of the Yom Kippur War, the Arab oil embargo, the launch of Skylab, and passage of the Endangered Species Act. Forty years later, history reveals 1973 to be a pivotal year in American history with a lasting legacy.

Inspired by the exhibit Now and Then: 1973, currently on display in its Harrison Feature Gallery, the Richard B. Russell Library will host three events this October that spotlight some of the most significant events from that year and invites attendees to consider what “makes” a big year in history.

All events in the series are free and open to the public. All events will take place on the 2nd floor exhibit level in the new Richard B. Russell Building for Special Collections Libraries, Georgia’s newest cultural destination. Dates and descriptions for individual events are listed below. For more information, please contact russlib@uga.edu or call (706) 542-5788.   

To learn more about the Richard B. Russell Library, visit:
http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell

Wednesday, October 16, 2013, 5:30-7:30PM
Panel Discussion, Now and Then: The Endangered Species Act
Location: Auditorium (Room 271), Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries

Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Endangered Species Act, this panel discussion will help attendees engage with the legacy of this landmark piece of environmental legislation and consider both its impact and relevance forty years later. Panelists will include: Dr. Brian Drake (Department of History), Dr. Laurie Fowler (Odum School of Ecology), Dr. Michael Mengak (Warnell School of Forestry), and Dr. Terrance Centner (College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences). Following the event, attendees are invited to partake in tours of the gallery. 

Thursday, October 24, 2013, 7:00-9:00PM
It Was a Big Year: Storytellers and Scholars
Location: Large Event Space (Room 285), Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries

Inspired by the storytelling format of popular radio show This American Life, and co-sponsored by local non-profit Rabbit Box, this event will invite selected scholars and community members to tell stories around the theme “It was a Big Year.”

Three scholars drawn from departments on the University of Georgia campus will reflect on what they consider to have been a big year in their field of study – addressing music, fashion, and film. Presenters will include Professor David Barbe (Music Business Program, Terry College of Business), José Blanco F. (Historic Clothing and Textiles Collection, College of Family and Consumer Sciences), and Dr. Richard Neupert (Department of Theatre and Film Studies).

Rabbit Box, a local non-profit that fosters the art of storytelling by providing a forum for people to share true stories from their lives, will solicit three storyteller participants from the Athens community to participate in the program, composing pieces around the same theme. Storytellers and scholars will be interwoven in the program, shifting the focus from national and international events to personal stories about significant events in the lives of individuals. Light refreshments will be served during the event. 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013, 6:00-8:00PM
Reconsidering Roe: A Dialogue & Deliberation Event
Location: Large Event Space (Room 285), Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries

This event will ask attendees to engage with the legacy of the landmark court case, Roe v. Wade, and consider both its impact and relevance forty years later. Presenters Professor Lori Ringhand and Professor Randy Beck from the UGA School of Law will give brief presentations, followed by rounds of moderated conversation in the World Café format. Light refreshments will be served during the event.

1973: Rebellious Teen from Madison County

Me at age 14, September 1973

This post was submitted by Ann, one of our docents here at the Special Collections Building. It is part of our ongoing A Look Back at 1973 series, crowd sourced from readers of the blog. If you have a story to tell, read more about this project HERE.

In 1973...I entered the rebellious stage of puberty as social unrest and protest movements swept the nation.  I was half way through the eighth grade and my Madison county [Georgia] girlfriends were boy crazy and mad for the new blue mascara from Maybelline, but I was obsessed with the war in Vietnam and feared that my little brother and my best guy friends would be drafted into battle where they would be maimed or killed like my KIA cousin. We debated the ERA in school and wondered if its passage would subject girls to the draft.  Would we be sent to 'Nam as well?

Wounded Knee II and the American Indian Movement informed my youthful poetry and I wrote my ninth grade term paper on the Yippee Revolution.  I organized protests against excessive library fines (ten cents), the middle school lunch program, and even my local city hall where my best friend and I marched with homemade banners reading "Make Love, Not War, " and "Down with the Draft."  I persuaded my buddies to join me in a letter-writing campaign to Senators Talmadge and Nunn concerning the problems encountered by migrant farm workers.  I played my old Bob Dylan LPs until the grooves wore out.  This young teen believed in the power of the people.

A Look Back at 1973

In May we opened our latest feature exhibit here at the Russell Library, Now and Then: 1973. The exhibit looks back at a pivotal year in modern American history and considers the impact of events that filled the public mind for a moment in time.

1973 was the year of the Roe v. Wade decision and the return of POWs from the war in Vietnam. It was the year President Richard Nixon proclaimed he was not a crook, even as the Watergate scandal unfolded on national television. It was the year of the Yom Kippur War, the Arab oil embargo, the launch of Skylab, and passage of the Endangered Species Act. Forty years later, history reveals 1973 to be a pivotal year in American history with a lasting legacy.
  
In crafting the exhibit, our outreach staff got into the habit of asking everyone who crossed our paths what they recalled about 1973. And we'd like to take this opportunity to ask you, our blog readers, the same question: How do you remember 1973? 

We're interested to know where you were and what were you doing in 1973. Tell us a story about your life in that year in 2-3 paragraphs, paired with a picture that you don't mind us posting to the blog site (http://www.rbrl.blogspot.com). We'll accept submissions through the end of October 2013.

If you're interested in this opportunity, send an email to russlib@uga.edu and a member of our staff will respond with further information. We look forward to hearing from you!

Spotlight on Tour at 2!

A short video spotlighting the Special Collections Building's weekly Tour at 2, which takes place every Tuesday from 2:00-3:00PM, if featured on the UGA homepage today! Check it out below.

Community Concern Gathering: Give Us Your 2 Cents!

How should we build a strong vibrant community?
What are the challenges to achieving this goal?  

On Tuesday, February 12th the Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia invites you to participate in a community forum to share ideas and concerns about how communities work (and don’t work) together to tackle tough public issues. Trained, nonpartisan moderators will guide the forum discussion.  The ideas gathered during the program, along with others happening around the country, will inform the development of a new National Issues Forums discussion guide that  will offer commonsense approaches  to transcending partisanship, breaking gridlock, and finding common ground  at the community level.

When: February 12, 2013, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Where: Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries, Second Floor, Rm. 285 
Contact: Jill Severn Director, Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia at 706-542-5766.

This program is free and open to the public. The Russell Forum for Civic Life in Georgia is the civic engagement program of the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies.

Call for Volunteers!

The University of Georgia’s Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries is now accepting applications for participants in its docent program. 

The Docent Corps is a skilled group of volunteers who provide tours of the library galleries to visitors, ranging from fifth graders to adults. Docents are trained to highlight permanent and rotating exhibitions and to help increase awareness of the many resources offered by the three special collections libraries: the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Walter J. Brown Media Archive and Peabody Awards Collections and the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies. 

“Participation in the docent program requires a substantial commitment of time and energy on the part of volunteers, but we think it is tremendously rewarding,” said Jan Levinson, outreach archivist with the Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, who coordinates the program. 

A 10-week training program provides an opportunity for docents to meet curators, archivists and other special collections staff; learn about the collections and techniques for leading tours; and become familiar with all parts of the Russell Special Collections Building. Follow-up meetings throughout the year provide opportunities to learn about new exhibits in the galleries and programs sponsored by the three special collections libraries. 

“We are looking for applicants who are enthusiastic, flexible and open to working with visitors of all ages,” Levinson said. “We don’t require prior experience in the arts and humanities, but a love of history and experience with teaching or public speaking is desirable.” 

For more information about the docent program, see http://www.libs.uga.edu/scl/contribute/volunteer.html. For more information about the training schedule and expectations, see http://www.libs.uga.edu/scl/contribute/docent_training_overview_faq_spring13.pdf. 

Interested individuals can apply online at http://www.libs.uga.edu/scl/contribute/docentapp.html. Applications must be submitted by Feb. 8, 2013. Questions may be directed to Jan Levinson at jlevinso@uga.edu or 706/542-5788. All candidates selected for admission to the docent program will be required to submit to a background investigation.

First Person Project Celebrates Stories of Love

Do you remember the first time you fell in love?

This February the First Person Project, an oral history series documenting the experiences of everyday Georgians, invites participants to tackle the topic of love. How did you meet your spouse? What do you remember about your worst breakup or most awkward date? Find an interview partner and join us to record stories about love, loss, and relationships in celebration of Valentine’s Day.  

Six sets of partners will be accepted for this First Person Project session, scheduled for Friday, February 8th between 9:00am and 4:00pm. Each audio recording session takes one hour to complete. Photographs will also be taken for each session. The Russell Library will archive the interviews to add to its documentation of life in post 20th century Georgia and will provide participants with a free digital download of the recording and photographs. Participants are charged a fee of $10 per group for the session.

If you have a friend or family member with a story to tell, become a part of the First Person Project. Reservations are on a first come first serve basis and can be made by calling 706-542-5788 or registering online at http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell/fpp/fpp_register.html.

For more information on this event and other upcoming First Person Project days, please email russlib@uga.edu or call (706) 542-5788.

More About the First Person Project
Modeled roughly on StoryCorps, a national initiative partnered with National Public Radio and the Library of Congress, the First Person Project is smaller in scale but similar in concept, providing tools to would-be oral history interviewers and interviewees, including tips on how to create questions and conduct interviews. The project was inspired by the belief that everyone is an eyewitness to history, and that everyone, sometimes with a little encouragement, has a story to tell.

Free event parking available in the Hull Street Parking Deck. For more information visit:
http://www.libs.uga.edu/scl/visit/parking.html  

To learn more about the Richard B. Russell Library, visit:
http://www.libs.uga.edu/russell