Friends of the University Libraries

Public Programs The Friends support the comprehensive program planning of the Libraries when called upon. 2007 The International Application of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Nonviolent Philosophy January 17, 2007, 12 pm Dr. Walker will examine the state of international affairs in the early twenty-first century and the practicality of nonviolence as an instrument for settling global conflicts. Stax: Tellin' It Like It Was" February 6, 2007, 11:30 pm The film is a look at the Memphis-based Stax Record Company from its inception in the mid-1960s to its unfortunate demise in 1975. "Readings in the Rotunda" February 13 and 20, 2007, 11:30 pm The library is hosting a series of readings in the McWherter Library rotunda of texts germane to the month and theme of Black History Month 2007. New Orleans: Birthplace of Jazz February 15, 2007, 7:30 pm The University Libraries will host a free seven-part series called "Looking At: Jazz, America's Art Form," which will include films, live performances, and discussions. The program will feature the New Orleans Jazz Ramblers. Paul Canonici: Author, Artist, and World Traveler March 21, 2007, 12 pm Those interested in genealogy and in Italian culture in Europe and America should plan to attend this fascinating presentation by a most engaging author, artist and traveler. The Jazz Age: 1920s March 29, 2007, 7:30 pm The University Libraries will host a free seven-part series called "Looking At: Jazz, America's Art Form," which will include films, live performances, and discussions. The program will feature the University of Memphis Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra Faculty Scholarship Week 2007 April 15 - 19, 2007 Faculty Scholarship Week 2007 features displays of faculty-authored material in a variety of formats, displays of computer aids to instruction, daily lectures by faculty, musical events, and the Arts & Sciences “Great Conversations” event. The Swing Era: 1930's April 18, 2007, 7:30 pm The University Libraries will host a free seven-part series called "Looking At: Jazz, America's Art Form," which will include films, live performances, and discussions. The program will feature the U of M Faculty Jazz Players, the University of Memphis Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra, and swing dance troupe. Book Fair April 23, 2007, 10 am - 4 pm Select from 100s of NEW books and gifts, up to 70% off! Treat yourself! We have something you'll love! “The Threads of Time, The Fabric of History” April 25, 2007, 12 pm - 1 pm Rosemary E. Reed Miller will discuss the profiles of African American designers and dressmakers from 1850 to the present Swing, Bebop, and Cool June 3, 2007, 2:30pm The University Libraries will host a free seven-part series called "Looking At: Jazz, America's Art Form," which will include films, live performances, and discussions. The program will feature the University of Memphis faculty Birth of the Cool group The Delta - Everything Southern! June 28, 2007, 8 am - 4:30 pm The Delta Everything Southern is a day-long event focusing upon the history, life, and culture of the Delta, among the most interesting and diverse regions of the nation. "Looking Down On Memphis: Aerial and Bird's Eye Views from the 19th and 20th Century " September 12, 2007, 12 pm - 1 pm In this presentation Mr. Frank will give an illustrated talk using these visuals to trace the development of the Memphis cityscape from a different perspective. Women of Jazz September 20, 2007, 7:30 pm Explore women's role in jazz, including popular artisits such as Bessie Smith, Billy Holiday, and others. Featuring Joyce Cobb and the U of M Faculty Group. Jazz-Soul Fusion October 11, 2007, 7:30 pm Hard bop was the most exciting jazz style of its day, continuing into the present-day influence of Soul and Fusion. This conglomerate of changing styles will be presented in this show. Featuring the U of M Southern Comfort Jazz Orchestra. Looking Back: The King and Anderson Plantation Through My Eyes October 24, 2007, 12 pm - 1 pm Marne Anderson will share the history of the King and Anderson Plantation from the 1800s to the present, as well as describing her childhood in the Delta. Latin Jazz November 15, 2007, 7:30 pm Latin jazz was popularized in the late 1940's by Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Kenton. The flavor of this music and its background are the subjects of this program. Featuring widely acclaimed New York trombonist and vocalist, Luis Bonilla. Luis Bonilla plays Antoine Courtois trombones. 2006 Memphis: Then and Now December 13, 2006 Robert Dye will be speaking on two of his books: Memphis: Then and Now and The Mid-South Fair: Celebrating 150 Years. The talk will be accompanied with images of Memphis and the fairgrounds from the year 1890 to present. EEI21 Symposium Doubletree Hotel Memphis October 2 - 3, 2006 The Ethics of Electronic Information in the 21st Century (EEI21) Symposium features a panel of scholars and technology professionals that examine the ethical issues related to management of information in the electronic age. Banned Books Week Celebrated! McWherter Library, Lobby/Rotunda September 25 - September 29, 2006, 11:30 a.m. through early afternoon The University Libraries will celebrate Banned Books Week with readings from 100 banned or challenged books as documented by the American Library Association. The Special Collections/Mississippi Valley Department: Its Outstanding Collections and Resources McWherter Library, Rotunda September 20, 12 pm Mr. Edwin Frank, Curator of Special Collections, the University Libraries, the University of Memphis will discuss the strengths of the department, including the materials germane to the Mississippi Valley region; the Martin Luther King, Jr. Sanitation Strike Collection; the newly acquired the newly-acquired Lawrence and Sarah J. Wynn Collection, and other noteworthy collections of materials on historic persons and events. Inauguration of the Wynn Collection McWherter Library, Rotunda August 4, 3 pm The University Libraries will host a ceremony and reception to celebrate the Wynn Collection and to honor the Wynn family. The Delta: Everything Southern! Fogelman Executive Conference Center June 28, 8 am - 4:30 pm The Delta - Everything Southern! is a day-long event focusing upon the history, life, and culture of the Delta, among the most interesting and diverse regions of the nation. Inside Out: 23 Poets for the 21st Century McWherter Library, Rotunda April 26, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm The University Libraries is celebrating National Poetry Month (April) with public readings by Campus School kids. "Poetry in the Rotunda" McWherter Library, Rotunda April 19, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm The University Libraries is celebrating National Poetry Month (April) with public readings by four well-published Memphis poets (S. Beth Bishop, Mary Leader, Mary Molinary, and Treasure Williams). "Readings in the Rotunda" McWherter Library, Rotunda March 15 and 22, 10:00 am- 12:00 noon; March 29, 11:30 am - 1 pm In honor of Women's History Month, the University Libraries will host readings of Women's Literature. I Have A Dream: King's Vision for America Revisited McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) February 22, 12:00 pm- 1:30 pm A viewing of Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech followed by a panel discussion composed of Dr. Beverly Bond, Director of U of M's African and African-American Studies, Dr. James H. Nelson, Associate Director of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, and Reverend Chester Berryhill of the Gandhi Institute. Discussion will be moderated by Dr. Randolph Mead Walker. The Wade Scandal McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) February 15, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Michael De'Shazer, acclaimed 17-year-old Germantown High School student, talks about the success of his first work of fiction. A Dialogue with Ernest Withers: A Life in Photography McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) February 8, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Don't miss this opportunity to view photographs and dialogue with one of the Mid-South's greatest documentary photographers. Shelby Foote: The South's Homer McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) February 1, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Come hear this informative discussion focusing upon Shelby Foote's literary skills in making The Civil War: A Narrative, a classic in American historical literature 2005 Joseph Smith: American Prophet of the Restoration McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) December 21, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Rodney Blain will discuss the life, influence and mission of Joseph Smith, Founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints PANEL DISCUSSION: Cotton and Memphis: Culture and Economy McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) November 16, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Come hear this fascinating discussion of the cotton industry and culture and their impact on Memphis and the Delta by three panelists with deep and diverse experience with the commodity and cultural icon called cotton LECTURE: The Meriwethers, Two Remarkable Memphians McWherter Library, 4th floor (Special Collections area) October 26, 2005, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Edwin Frank, Curator, Special Collections, University Libraries will discuss the lives Elizabeth Avery Meriwether and her husband Minor. Banned Books Week McWherter Library, Lobby/Rotunda September 26 - September 30, 2005, 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The University Libraries will celebrate Banned Books Week with readings from 100 banned or challenged books as documented by the American Library Association. PANEL DISCUSSION: 60 YEARS AFTER - PART THREE McWherter Library, rm 226 August 17, 12:00 pm- 1:30 pm Veterans configured as a panel will discuss their experiences in the Second World War. LECTURE: 60 YEARS AFTER - PART TWO McWherter Library, rm 226 July 20, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Mr. Wayne Dowdy discusses E.H. “Boss” Crump and how Memphis benefited from the Federal programs he procured during World War II. PANEL DISCUSSION: 60 YEARS AFTER - PART ONE McWherter Library, rm 226 June 29, 2005,1:00 pm- 2:30 pm Apropos of the sixtieth anniversary in 2005 of the end of the Second World War, scholars from a variety of fields configured as a panel will discuss the impact of the War as reflected in contemporary Europe and America. LECTURE: The Irish in Memphis McWherter Library, rm 226 May 18, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Dr. John Harkins will talk about the history, experiences, accomplishments, and contributions of the Irish in Memphis, from the American Revolution to Memphis in May 2005. Peddling Poetry McWherter Library, Rotunda May 12, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Fifth-grade students at the University of Memphis Campus School will read their poetry. LECTURE: The Enigma of the New Madrid Earthquakes McWherter Library, rm 226 April 13, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Mr. Gary Patterson, Information Services Director at the U of M Center for Earthquake Research and Information, will provide a public lecture on the New Madrid seismic zone in the Central United States. New state-of-the-art 3-D computer animations of seismic hazards in Shelby County and the Central US are also included in the presentation. LECTURE: "Our Mothers' War" McWherter Library, rm 226 March 23, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Ms. Emily Yellin, noted scholar and journalist, will provide a public lecture of her new book, "Our Mothers' War," which discusses the role of women in the World War II war effort. Reading in the Rotunda McWherter Library, Rotunda March 22, 2005, 11:00 a.m. - 2:30 pm The University of Memphis Women's History Month Committee presents readings of Women's Literature in the McWherter Library Rotunda. LECTURE: Zora Neale Hurston in Memphis McWherter Library, rm 226 March 17, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Professor Ladrica Menson-Furr, Department of English, University of Memphis will provide a public lecture on the noted African-American author and folklorist, Zora Neale Hurston. LECTURE: Community and Communitas Among the Black Creole Women in Soileau, Louisiana at Mardi Gras McWherter Library, rm 226 March 2, 2005,1:00 pm- 2:00 pm Madame Monicque Larocque, faculty member, Dept. of French, University of Memphis will provide a public lecture, "Community and Communitas Among the Black Creole Women in Soileau, Louisiana at Mardi Gras," in which she will discuss the roles of women in the community and the community-building function of the celebration of the courir Mardi Gras. Memphis in Black and White McWherter Library, rm 226 February 16, 2005, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm The University Libraries will present a lecture by Dr. Janann Sherman and Dr. Beverly Bond, respectively Chairperson and Associate Professor, History Department, University of Memphis on their 2003 book, "Memphis In Black and White." Readings from African-American Authors McWherter Library, Rotunda February 8, 2005, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm In honor of of Black History Month 2005, the University Libraries will host readings from African-American U of M faculty authors. 2004 Lecture: TURNING NUMBERS INTO NAMES McWherter Library, rm 226 December 15, 2004,12:00 pm- 1:00 pm Dr. H. Pierre Secher will review and discuss his latest book, Left Behind in Nazi Vienna: Letters of a Jewish Family Caught in the Holocaust, 1939-1941, McFarland & Co., Inc., Publishers, 2004. Lecture: THE VAST WORLD OF VICTORIAN FICTION McWherter Library, rm 226 December 1, 2004, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm A lecture by Dr. Benjamin Fisher, Victorian Literature Scholar, The University of Mississippi Banned Books Week McWherter Library, Lobby/Rotunda September 27 - October 1, 2004, 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The University Libraries will celebrate Banned Books Week with readings from 100 banned or challenged books as documented by the American Library Association. Lecture: THE "LITTLE BUGS" SPEAK: VOICES FROM THE CIVIL WAR McWherter Library, rm 226 September 1, 2004, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm A lecture, illustrated with archival material, by Edwin Frank, Curator, Special Collections, University Libraries. Lecture: From Under Faulkner's Shadow: The Subtle Success of Joan Williams' Fiction McWherter Library, rm 226 June 30, 2004, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm A public lecture by Dr. Lisa C. Hickman "Spring Fling" June 19, 2004, 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm A Friends of The University Libraries' gathering and cookout, "Globalization and Africa: Light at the End of Tunnel or an Oncoming Train?" McWherter Library, rm 226 May 20, 2004, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm A public lecture by Dr. Johannes Britz, Professor of Information Science, University of Pretoria and University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (Visiting) Poetry Workshop" McWherter Library, rm 226 April 27, 2004, 12:00 pm- 1:30 pm A public workshop directed by Ms. Maria Golias, GA, English Department, The University of Memphis. "Grace, Glory or Glamour" McWherter Library, rm 226 April 8, 2004, 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm A public lecture by Prof. Cynthia Runions, Department of Communication, The University of Memphis. "Hoxie: The First Stand", Faulkner Lounge, University Center, The University of Memphis February 4, 2004, 6:00 pm- 8:00 pm a film by Dr. David Appleby, Department of Theater and Communication, The University of Memphis, a panel discussion moderated by David Appleby following 56- minute film. For more information, please contact Mr. Tom Mendina at 901-678-4310. back to top of page This page is maintained by the Friends Communications Committee. Please send any comments or changes to Janell Rudolph, Ned R. McWherter Library 203, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN 38152 or nrudolph@memphis.edu.