Library News

The lights were low in Falvey Memorial Library as Mark Twain and William Shakespeare, two literary titans, two gentlemen of consummate wit and profound insight, entered the building for the final match in the library Author Madness tournament.

Posey Whidden (class of ?)

But in the words of another literary master (whoever wrote Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome) “two men enter, one man leaves” in this high stakes competition. And that man happened to win by just a single vote!  With an ever-so-narrow victory of 42 votes to 41, Falvey Memorial Library is proud to announce that this year’s Author Madness champion is none other than Mr. William Shakespeare.

The Great Bard had some tough match-ups on his way to the title, including a game with Dr. Seuss that many expected he may not win, but in the end Shakespeare’s hold on the Western cannon proved persistent. Congratulations, Billy! We knew you had it in ya.

As an added bonus, students who voted in the final match were eligible for a raffle giveaway of a book by the winning author. This year’s prize winner is Posey Whidden. Posey will be receiving a handsome edition of the complete works of Shakespeare (1300 pages!), which we expect she’ll read in its entirety this summer. There’s nothing like King Lear for a little beach reading if you ask me.

Thanks to everyone who voted in this year’s tournament and to all the readers of the Author Madness blog series. Be sure to check the library catalogs when you’re picking out summer books, and from everyone here at Falvey Memorial Library we’d like to wish you happy reading.

Corey Waite Arnold is a writer and intern on the Communication and Publications Team. He is currently pursuing an MA in English at Villanova University.

Image courtesy of the Encyclopedia of World Biography.

When University Staff Council members arrived at the Library to present David Uspal, senior web specialist for Library Services and Scholarly Applications, with a Work Process Improvement (WPI) award, Uspal’s colleagues may have wondered whether it was for his wheelchair-accessible touchscreen near the library’s entrance or perhaps his imaginative campus map, featured on that same touchscreen. Actually, his interactive map of the Library earned him this distinction.

Uspal’s innovative library map accomplishes two major tasks: First, the map (see “Building Map” link on the library’s homepage) makes it easy for staff to show (instead of just tell) students how to access the adjacent building, the location of the stairs and even the section of shelving that holds the book they need. When they see how easy and fun-to-use the map is, students typically say things like, “that’s cool!””

Second, Uspal has added a “Find on map” link to the catalog record for each book, magazine, DVD, etc. in the Library. That link connects each item’s catalog record to the interactive map, showing the item’s location and even highlighting the section of shelving that holds that item.

David Uspal’s interactive map of Falvey Memorial Library has improved the library staff’s ability to quickly and effectively direct students, faculty and staff to the library resources they seek. His map also empowers all library patrons to find library materials with efficiency and autonomy.

Gerald Dierkes is an information services specialist for the Information and Research Assistance team, senior copyeditor for the Communication and Publications team, and a liaison to the Department of Theater.

To honor the University’s Senior-Class-Poet contestants and to commemorate National Poetry Month, the Library is publishing contestants’ poems on Falvey’s blog. The Library also has created posters for the contestants’ poems, which are displayed throughout the first floor.

Each spring semester, all seniors are encouraged to enter the Senior-Class-Poet Contest. The Department of English will announce the 2013 Senior-Class Poet later this semester.

…………  …Child

………by Alyssa Moudis

I did not think that this could happen

to someone as nice as you.

I remember shaking in the Church

As your pretty white coffin

Carried you down the aisle.

With purple flowers placed on top,

And I remembered that was your favorite color.

I never thought a funeral could be beautiful.

The altar was filled with so many flowers.

A big photo of you stood up there

But I can’t remember where.

My eyes kept returning to the white coffin.

Forever a nineteen year old,

Two months before twenty,

You will never suffer aging,

But I know you wanted kids,

And that was the part of you taken first.

With tightened fists of tissues I listened,

To the music and to the voices,

You were so loved, so admired.

And today, two of your pictures

Hang above my head, near my pillow,

While I lay across navy blue sheets.

They do not face me.

I have to look behind me,

As we do to see any memory.

Now I drive past your house in my car

And remember, driving, another thing

You won’t do again.  I wonder what

Your mother’s doing as I pass by.  And I try

To picture her, picture how it must feel

To lose a child.

A Senior-Class-Poet Contestant, Alyssa says “Poetry became my favorite area of writing when I quickly learned it is the only other place for me besides my home where I can make my own rules and create my own structure. It provides a freedom for my thoughts whether or not the words are just for me or to be seen by others. It helps me express what I cannot say logically. In poetry it’s okay to be a mess and it’s okay to not be perfect.”

Alyssa Moudis is an English major and GWS minor from Manhasset, N.Y.

Wait!!  Before you make the mad dash to enjoy all those delicious salsa combos you made to kick off your annual “Cinco de Mayo” celebration, I have some little-known facts to share with you about this day.

If you thought Cinco de Mayo was Mexico’s Independence Day, you would be mistaken! Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16th. Yup, you heard me. It was on that September day, in 1810, Mexicans declared their independence from Spain, which had controlled the territory referred to as “New Spain,” since 1521 when Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec Empire. If you plan to add Independence Day, aka “Grito de Dolores,” to your celebration list, be sure to check out the article in the Encyclopaedia Britannica[1] on Mexico’s struggles!

So what’s so great about the 5th of May? Although it is not an official holiday in Mexico, it does commemorate the Mexicans’ victory over the French on May 5, 1862, in the town of Puebla; thus, the holiday is called “El Día de la Batalla de Puebla,” and there are celebrations. The Mexican-American community, from the western states, began the observance shortly after the event. Ultimately, the day’s events evolved within the US as recognition of the Mexican culture and heritage.  Moreover, the U.S. Congress recently issued  resolutions[2] recognizing the historical significance of Cinco de Mayo. The Congressional Record, for the House of Representatives, recorded on June 7, 2005, a concurrent, non-binding resolution recognizing the historical significance of the day,[3]

Selected resources about “Cinco de Mayo”:

Arellano, Gustavo.  Interview by Michel Martin. Arts & Life.  Natl. Public Radio, 5 May

2011. NPR.org. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.

“Cinco de Mayo.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic

Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Ganster, Paul. “Cinco de Mayo.” Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture.

Ed. Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2008. 413. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Hamnett, Brian. “Puebla, Battle and Siege of.” Encyclopedia of Latin American History

and Culture. Ed. Jay Kinsbruner and Erick D. Langer. 2nd ed. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 2008. 401-402. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

“Monthly Record of Current Events: Mexico.” Harper’s New Monthly Magazine. 25.146

(1862): 261. Making of America, 1815-1901. Web. 29 April 2013.

“News from San Francisco.” New York Times (1857-1922): 1. Jun 01 1862. ProQuest.

Web. 27 Apr. 2013.

Pérez, Daniel Enrique. “Cinco de Mayo.” Confluencia: Revista Hispánica de Cultura y

Literatura 27.1 (2011): 210+. Academic OneFile. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Recognizing Historical Significance Of The Mexican Holiday Of  Cinco De Mayo of

2007.  H.R. Con. Res. 44. 7 June 2005. Web.

Join history librarian Jutta Seibert on Wednesday, May 1, for a 30-minute introduction to Ancestry Library Edition. Ancestry is an online database containing a wealth of historical data including U.S. census records, U.K. parish records, military records, and passenger lists. All Villanova students, faculty and staff have free access to Ancestry through the library’s website. The workshop will cover the basics of searching the database and interpreting results.

Location: Falvey Memorial Library, Learning Commons, Room 204
Time: Wednesday, May 1 at 4 p.m.
For more information, contact Jutta Seibert (jutta.seibert@villanova.edu).

On Tuesday, Apr. 16, at 7 p.m. in Connelly Center Cinema, critically acclaimed author Junot Díaz will conclude Villanova University’s 15th Annual Villanova Literary Festival with a free reading, book signing and reception.

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey, Díaz made his literary debut with his short story collection Drown (1996), which addresses the brutal and somehow beautiful realities of urban life. By offering a sharp, unflinching glare at life in the margins of modern America, Drown became a best-seller and introduced Díaz as a new, fresh voice to be reckoned with in the world of fiction.

After its success, Díaz took an eleven year hiatus, during which he produced his only novel, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (2007), which won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In this multi-generational story, Díaz merges the history of his own birthplace with modern American culture. In doing so, he crosses traditional boundaries of gender, nationality, class and language in order to create an overarching narrative of the struggle and survival so central to the narrative of being human.

His most recent collection of short stories, This Is How You Lose Her (2012), is on The New York Times Best Seller list and was a National Book Award finalist. It carries the same spirit of his previous works as the character Yunior, who narrates The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and is the predominating voice in Drown, once again becomes the focus in many of these stories about identity, family, romance, literary struggle and multicultural conflict. As with his previous works, Díaz confronts his audience with Spanish words and phrases, which have the effect of either alienating readers or inviting them into the diversity that influences American language and culture today.

Díaz is the recipient of many honors such as a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, a Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a PEN/Malamud Award and The O. Henry Award, among others. Currently, he is the fiction editor at Boston Review, creative writing professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and honorary chairman of the Dream Project. His current work in progress, tentatively entitled Monstro, will hopefully fulfill his dream of becoming an established voice in the science-fiction genre.

During an interview hosted by John Joseph Adams and David Barr Kirtley for Wired.com, Díaz described the work as an “insane novel about a strange invader virus-type thing that takes root in the poorest, hottest places in the world in the near future, and of course one of those places is going to be Haiti.” The novel, he explains, came from “this crazy idea to write a near-future story where these virused-up 40-foot monstrosities are going around eating people, and taking it from there. I’m only at the first part of the novel, so I haven’t really gotten down to the eating, and I’ve got to eat a couple cities before I think the thing will really get going.”

Alexander Williams, ’11 MA, is an intern on the Academic Integration and the Information and Research Assistance teams. He is currently pursuing an MS in Library and Information Science at Drexel University’s iSchool.

In what appears to be the most surprising library development in several decades, Falvey Memorial Library has acquired a red Solo cup thought to have belonged to country singer and rabble-rousing scoundrel Toby Keith. The cup was found in a closet in Sullivan Hall, and library authorities have reason to believe it may be the very cup featured in Keith’s hit song “Red Solo Cup.” Keith attended Villanova University during the 1979-1980 academic year, and has since been granted an honorary degree from the University.

Michael Foot

“If we’re right about this cup, then it’s an object that bears an important connection to Villanova’s history,” says Michael Foot, Falvey’s Special Collections librarian. Since the cup’s discovery a few weeks ago, it’s been Foot’s task to date the piece and to verify claims that it may have belonged to Mr. Keith. After employing an array of archival techniques including finger printing, saliva sampling and DNA forensics, Foot seems convinced that this is the very cup of country music legend.

“When I matched some hardened residue at the bottom of the cup to major ingredients in Miller Lite, that’s when I knew,” Foot declared, before adding: “That’s Toby’s brand.”

The cup was discovered after members of the University grounds crew had been called to Sullivan to deal with a routine bat infestation. Searching through one of the vacant dorm closets for a broom, they found instead an old box which included objects from Mr. Keith’s past. Beneath empty cans of dip, camouflage hats, broken bowling trophies and delicately phrased love letters, the crew found the mother lode itself: a single crumpled cup.

If Foot’s investigation proves successful, Library Director Teddy Fuller has agreed to name the new wing of the Library after Keith.

“At this point, it’s so much more than a cup,” says Fuller. “I mean, country fan or not, this is an object of tremendous cultural value nationwide. To think that when Keith penned the line ‘you are the best receptacle for barbecues, tailgates, and festivals,’ he could have just as easily included Villanova University Parent’s Weekend Brunch…” Visibly pleased, Fuller looked out the window towards Sullivan Hall. “This is a very exciting time to be a librarian,” he enthused.

Corey Waite Arnold is a writer and intern on the Communication and Publications Team. He is currently pursuing an MA in English at Villanova University.

Author March Madness is underway in Falvey Memorial Library! Students and staff have placed first-round votes for their favorite authors in our bracketed tournament, posted on the first floor of the Library. The tournament is now entering its second round, so make sure to check out the poster and vote for your favorite author.

The first round votes rolled in strong, proving that the Villanova community has a true lust for literature, and also that they may now know how a tally system works (seven tally marks with a slash through it? C’mon guys.) In case you missed the first round, here’s a recap of the major match-ups and upsets by region:

MIDWEST

Joseph Heller, hoping to razzle-dazzle with his moves in the low post(modern), was absolutely trounced by William Shakespeare, a number one seed and heavy favorite in the tournament. Heller lost 12-3. All best to Billy Shakes anon—I see him making it to the Final Four, no sweat.

The matchup between John Steinbeck and Dr. Seuss proved particularly contentious, with Dr. Seuss advancing with an 8-6 victory. Did you know that Dr. Seuss actually penned his own version of The Grapes of Wrath? Just kidding, that’s a lie.

Orwell squared off against Eliot in a battle of the Georges. Orwell took the match 10-4, and during Women’s History Month!  We should all be ashamed of ourselves.

WEST

Ayn Rand proved weak against Dante when she couldn’t go left. The classic poet won the match-up 11-1, the most lopsided victory in the tournament thus far.

Kentucky-boy Hunter S. Thompson pulled a major upset over Yasnaya Polyana-boy Leo Tolstoy, defeating the Russian heavy hitter by a single vote. When reached for commentary, Thompson slurred something about vultures. It was beautiful.

SOUTH

All eyes were on the Dickens/Morrison game. Morrison somehow entered the tournament with a 16 seed, creating this overpowered first round match-up. It was close, but Dickens squeaked by, 7 votes to Morrison’s 6.

The Brothers Grimm had their Cinderella story cut short by Jane Austen, who advances to face Mary Shelley in round two. I’m rooting for Shelley in this one, but my prediction is that Austen will take it by a landslide.

EAST

The East is absolutely stacked this year, making for some fine first round match-ups between some major American icons.  Fitzgerald beat Richard Wright 12-2 and omigod speaking of icons you guys, can you believe Leo is playing Gatsby in the upcoming film?!?  So American-dreamy.

Aldous Huxley pulled an unfortunate match-up against J.K. Rowling, a heavy tournament favorite. J.K. Rowling took it 12-8. Huxley would totally be a Hufflepuff, by the way. What a nerd.

So there you have it—be sure to stay tuned to the Library News blog for further re-caps and updates. Now get out there and cast your vote for the second round!

Graphic Design by Joanne Quinn

Corey Waite Arnold is a writer and intern on the Communication and Publications Team. He is currently pursuing an MA in English at Villanova University.

The Villanova University Faculty Congress recently passed two resolutions relating to Falvey: one “commend[s] the staff members of Falvey Memorial Library for their sustained commitment to furthering the academic mission of Villanova University,” and the other thanks University Librarian and Library Director “Joseph P. Lucia for his numerous contributions to the academic culture of the University.” The Faculty Congress passed just one other resolution for the academic year 2012-2013. When receiving the resolutions, Lucia said, “[They are] a wonderful mid-week gift, totally unexpected.”

The Faculty Congress is “an organization constituted by the faculty … for the purposes of discussing all matters of interest to the faculty and, where appropriate, passing resolutions expressing its opinion on such matters.”

Alice Bampton is a visual specialist and senior writer on the Communication and Publications Team.

Stephanie Liu, a senior biology major from Allentown, Pa., is Falvey Memorial Library’s newest student employee of the month. Stephanie works for Scholarly Outreach; she has worked for Falvey since January 2010, her first year at Villanova. From 2010 until summer 2012 she worked for Access Services. Last summer she began working for Scholarly Outreach. She helps Gina Duffy, library events and program coordinator, with setting up for events but also has been working with Joanne Quinn, design specialist and member of the Scholarly Outreach team. Stephanie has created PowerPoint slideshows and helped mount exhibits for Quinn. “It’s one of my favorite parts of the job,” she says. When time permits, Stephanie aids Stephen Spatz, assistant Scholarly Outreach librarian and a research support librarian, with the Community Bibliography.

Stephanie has a minor in Chinese. She doesn’t have any definite career plans yet, but says, “I love art, design and dancing.”

The University Staff Council (USC) at Falvey selects a student employee of the month based upon nominations from the department supervisors of student employees. Gina Duffy, the supervisor who nominated Stephanie, says, “Stephanie is a great asset to the Scholarly Outreach team. Not only does she help us with Library event logistics, but she is also quick to take on new projects. Stephanie especially enjoys helping with tasks in which she can demonstrate her creative and artistic abilities, such as helping to mount our window displays. She is a pleasure to work with!”

Joanne Quinn says, “Though Stephanie is a biology major, she has a great eye for art. I trust her design sense and often rely on her to create components such as PowerPoint presentations or vignettes for our displays. She contributed greatly to our recent Emancipation Proclamation display, as well as October’s Hispanic Heritage display and the playful fictional road trip exhibit last summer. She will be hard to replace!”

Alice Bampton is a visual specialist and senior writer on the Communication and Publications Team.