By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Abibliophobia 

(n) Someone who is afraid of running out of things to read 

I’ve definitely experienced this fear before, especially when getting ready to travel. I’ve always been anti-Kindle and pro-physical books, which has occasionally made it difficult to gauge how many books I need to bring with me when traveling, especially for long flights.  

The good thing about being on campus though is that there’s never a shortage of books in the Falvey collection. Stop in to pick up your next book before your abibliophobia kicks in.  

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, June 15

“That Fairyland of Ice:” Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, April 4

Mindfulness Mondays | 1–1:30 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Monday, April 4

Conversation with the 2022 Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. Chair, Emma Dabiri| 6–8 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner| Free & Open to the Public | Find more info here 

Wednesday, April 6  

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Getting Started with Building Digital Exhibits in Omeka | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Friday, April 8

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

This Week in History 

April 4th, 1968 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated 

Just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot standing on his second-story balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. King, age 39, was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers’ strike and was on his way to dinner when he was shot. He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. 

The day before, on April 3, King gave his last sermon in Memphis, saying, “We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn’t matter with me now, because I’ve been to the mountaintop … And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land.”

Today, movements such as Black Lives Matter continue to highlight racism, discrimination, and inequality experienced by Black people. 

The assassination was traced back to escaped convict James Earl Ray. Ray was arrested after being found in a London airport in early June. He was then sentenced to 99 years in prison.

Read more from History.com. 

Jenna Renaud is a graduate assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a graduate student in the Communication Department.

By Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Memorial Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

Beyond the Wildcats clinching their spot in the Final Four, the weekend brought additional excitement with what was poised to be the first “normal” Oscars since pre-COVID. However, in actuality, the Oscars were anything but. From a big win for Deaf culture to the slap heard ‘round the world, we’re breaking down everything Oscars-related, whether you have 2 minutes or 14+ hours. 

If you have 2 minutes and 39 seconds… watch Megan Thee Stallion perform “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” 

If you have 5 minutes… read this article breaking down everything you need to know about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock and why Chris Rock’s joke was problematic. Synopsis: You don’t joke about a Black woman’s hair. 

Bonus: On a lighter note, look up the memes that have resulted from the incident! 

If you have 1 hour and 14 minutes… Listen to Hans Zimmer’s score for Dune, winner of best original score category in last weekend’s awards. 

If you have 1 hour and 52 minutes… watch the 2022 Oscar’s best film CODA, a movie bringing Deaf culture and Deaf actors to the forefront. 

If you have 14 hours (and no work to do)… read the novel Dune. Because let’s be honest, the books are better than the movie nine times out of 10, and the movie had a pretty good showing Sunday night. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Anna Jankowski

https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:549706#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-1036%2C-131%2C4373%2C2592

This Saturday at 6:10pm, the Wildcats will face the Jayhawks in the first Final Four game of the NCAA tournament. Campus is abuzz with excitement and Villanova team spirit! Check out this pin from the 1985 NCAA tournament when the Wildcats made an appearance in the Final Four. That year, the team went on to win the Championship. We are wishing our Men’s Basketball Team the best of luck this weekend as they attempt to bring home another trophy!

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: Offensive efficiency 

Villanova is in the Final Four, so we’re back with more basketball terminology this week. Offensive efficiency is the number of points scored per 100 offensive possessions. Currently, according to the popular KenPom Ratings, Villanova has a top-10 offense, despite relying heavily on defense in this past weekend’s win against Houston.  

Fingers crossed for another big win this Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks! If we secure the win, I will be back again next week with more basketball vocabulary as we move into the finals. 

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, Jun. 15th  

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, March 28th   

2021 Outstanding Faculty Research Award Lecture Featuring Christopher Kilby, PhD, and Samantha K. Chapman, PhD | 1–3 p.m. | Room 205 | Free & Open to the Public | Find more info here 

Tuesday, March 29th   

2022 Literary Festival Schedule: Camille Dungy | 7–8:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public | Find more info here 

Wednesday, March 30th   

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Photo Management with Tropy for Archival Research | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Thursday, March 31st   

Spring 2022 Digital Seeds Lecture: David R. Ambaras, PhD, and Kate McDonald, PhD on “Bodies and Structures 2.0: Scalar and the Practice of Digital Spatial History | 4 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Friday, April 1st   

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

This Week in History 

March 31st, 1889 – Eiffel Tower opens  

For this week’s “This Week in History” we’re traveling across the Atlantic Ocean over to Europe, specifically, Paris, France. On March 31st, 1889, the Eiffel Tower is dedicated in Paris. Gustave Eiffel, the tower’s designer, French Prime Minister Pierre Tirard, various other dignitaries, and over 200 construction workers were in attendance.  

The Eiffel Tower is 984 feet tall and boasts an iron framework supported on four masonry piers, from which rise four columns that unite to create a single vertical tower. There are observation decks on each of the three levels.  

Despite now being regarded as an architectural masterpiece, the project was originally met with some resistance, in part due to concerns it would be structurally unsound. At the time, it was the largest man-made structure in the world, a title it held until the New York Crysler building was completed in 1930.  

Read more from History.com. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Anna Jankowski

Villanova College Band, 1926
source: https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:591455#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-792%2C-136%2C4583%2C2716

1989
Source: https://digital.library.villanova.edu/Item/vudl:656390#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-735%2C-120%2C4469%2C2386

Even though Villanova University does not currently have a music major, the Villanova Band, in various configurations, has become a staple at our sporting events. Here they are in 1926 and in 1989. These photos highlight how the look and feel of the band has changed throughout the years. Recently, the Villanova Alumni Pep Band was featured on The CBS Morning Show!

In addition, tune in tonight at 7:30 p.m. to see Villanova’s Alumni Pep Band support the men’s basketball team in the Sweet 16!

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

By Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Memorial Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

As the month of March wraps up, so does Women’s History Month! This week we are spotlighting a variety of news articles, websites, videos, and more that celebrate women. Whether you have three minutes or  three hours, there’s a recommendation for you. Missing a recommendation or want to celebrate the accomplishments of a women in your life? Find us on Instagram (@villanovalibrary) or Twitter (@FalveyLibrary) and leave us a comment.  

If you have 3 minutes… scroll through this timeline celebrating the accomplishments of rule-breaking women from 2013 to 2022. 

If you have 5 minutes… take some time to learn about the gender pay gap with this comprehensive guide from The Skimm. 

If you have 6 minutes… read about how last month the U.S. national women’s soccer team settled in the equal pay dispute. 

If you have 2 hours and 15 minutes… watch one of my favorite movies, Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig. 

If you have the weekend… watch some of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Villanova’s women team may not be there, but that doesn’t prevent you from putting a bracket together and watching some games with friends and family. Find the full weekend schedule here. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

Word of the Week: Vernal Equinox (also known as: Spring Equinox, March Equinox) 

Yesterday marked the official first day of Spring! Each year spring is marked by the vernal equinox, which falls around March 20 or 21 and is when the Sun crosses the celestial equator going north. 

Equinoxes occur when the axis of rotation of the earth is exactly parallel to the direction of motion of the earth around the sun. Day and night are about the same length on this day, hence the name “equinox.” The name is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). 

Now that we’ve passed the vernal equinox, be prepared for earlier sunrises, later sunsets, softer winds, and sprouting plants—all signs that Spring is here.  

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, June 15

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, March 21 

Mindfulness Mondays | 1–1:30 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Monday, March 21 

The Interfaith Human Library: Where Books Talk and We All Learn About Life in a Multi-Faith World | 4:30–6 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Register Here 

Tuesday, March 22 

Scholarship@Villanova–Billie Murray, PhD, on Combating Hate: A Framework for Direct Action | 4–5:15 p.m. | Room 205 | Find more info here 

Wednesday, March 23

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Introduction to Digital Archives and Research | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Thursday, March 24  

Spring 2022 Digital Seeds Lecture: Matthew Bui, PhD, on “Toward Urban Data Justice: Auditing the Racial Politics of Data” | 4 p.m. | Virtual | Register Here 

Friday, March 25

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

This Week in History 

March 23, 1839 – “OK” enters national vernacular  

On March 23, 1839, the initials “O.K.” are first published in The Boston Morning Post, partially as a joke. It was meant as an abbreviation for “oll korrect,” a popular slang misspelling of “all correct.” However, “OK” then steadily made its way into the everyday speech of Americans. 

In the late 1830s, many younger people would misspell words intentionally, then abbreviate them and use them as slang. Some examples include “KY” for “no use” (“know yuse”) and “OW” for all right (“oll wright”).  

OK rose above the rest and made its way into common vernacular even to this day in part thanks to the Boston Morning Post. From there, its popularity continued when it was picked up by politicians at the time. 

Read more from History.com. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Anna Jankowski

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Check out these colorful and festive whiteboard displays the library has showcased throughout the years. All whiteboard display photos have been saved in Falvey’s digital collection and were created by Falvey’s resident artist and graphic designer, Joanne Quinn.

2011 St. Patrick’s Day whiteboard sketch

2015 St. Patrick’s Day whiteboard sketch

2016 St. Patrick’s Day whiteboard sketch

In addition, here are some links to great resources about the history of St. Patrick’s Day all from Falvey’s collection!

St. Patrick’s Day
Consuming St. Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland; A Memoir of his Life and Mission

Anna Jankowski ’23 CLAS is a Junior Communication Major from just outside Baltimore who ​​works as a Communication & Marketing Assistant in Falvey.

By Jenna Renaud

Word of the Week: March Madness 

This week instead of strictly defining a word, we’re talking about the origin of the phrase March Madness in honor of the tournament kicking off!  

March Madness originated from the phrase “mad as March here”; however, it did not come from the NCAA tournament, but rather Henry Porter, an Illinois high school athletics administrator in 1939. In the 1940s, March Madness was used for Illinois state basketball tournaments, before spreading elsewhere in the Midwest region. 

40 years later in the 1980s, March Madness came to be associated with the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, an association many credit to commentator Brent Musburger. 

This Week at Falvey  

NOW–Wednesday, Jun. 15th  

“That Fairyland of Ice”: Polar Exploration in Mind and Memory Exhibit | Falvey First Floor & Virtual | Free & Open to the Public 

Monday, March 14th 

Mindfulness Mondays | 1–1:30 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/j/98337578849 

Wednesday, March 16th 

2022 Falvey Forum Workshop Series: Mastering the Labyrinth: Newspaper–Magazine Archives | 12–1 p.m. | Virtual | https://villanova.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMsfuqsrTsvG9BvwhHkwcD9LIxFsFF0yACe  

Friday, March 18th  

Villanova Gaming Society Meeting | 2:30–4:30 p.m. | Speakers’ Corner | Free & Open to the Public 

This Week in History 

February 15th, 44 B.C. – Assassination of Julius Caesar  

“Beware of the ides of March” 

2,066 years ago on March 15th, Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome, is stabbed to death in the Roman Senate house by 60 conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. This day then infamously came to be known as the “Ides of March.”  

Despite now being associated with a more ominous connotation, the ides of March has a tamer origin. Ides simply referred to the first new moon of a given month, with each month having its own ides, typically falling between the 13th and the 15th. The ides of March was the 74th day in the Roman calendar and traditionally associated with religious celebrations and at one point, the new year. 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.

By Jenna Renaud

Happy Friday, Wildcats! Falvey Memorial Library is delivering you another semester of Weekend Recs, a blog dedicated to filling you in on what to read, listen to, and watch over the weekend. Jenna, a graduate assistant from the Communication department, scours the internet, peruses the news, and digs through book stacks to find new, relevant, and thought-provoking content that will challenge you and prepare you for the upcoming week. 

We are mere days away from Selection Sunday and anticipation grows as March Madness teams are selected and the tournament commences. To help you prepare and get excited, I’ve compiled recommendations you can dive into over the weekend from a 5-minute article to a link to the Villanova archives, where you can spend hours looking at old Villanova basketball photos and more! Enjoy and go, Wildcats! 

If you have 5 minutes… keep up with Villanova Bracket Watch as we inch closer and closer to Selection Sunday. See how the rules of the tournament and where all the teams stand now may impact Villanova moving forward.  

If you have 14 minutes… read this article with predictions on which 68 teams will make it into the 2022 NCAA tournament.   

If you have 33 minutes… listen to the March Madness 365 podcast hosted by college basketball analyst and correspondent Andy Katz. Each week he breaks down the biggest news in men’s college basketball and makes his predictions.  

If you have 1 hour… watch Perfect Upset: Villanova vs. Georgetown, the 2005 sports documentary about the Villanova Wildcats’ shocking win against the heavily favored Georgetown Hoyas in the 1985 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. 

If you have an afternoon… spend some time digging through the Villanova Digital Collection and their collection of Villanova basketball items. The archives include everything from images and media guides to tickets and more! 

Jenna Renaud is a Graduate Assistant in Falvey Memorial Library and a Graduate Student in the Communication Department.