2023 Barack Obama’s Summer Reading List (Barack Obama/X)

Looking for a few last-minute reads before the end of summer? Former President Barack Obama shared his summer reading list on July 20. His recommendations are listed below. All titles are available at Falvey Library through Interlibrary loan. Enjoy the final weeks of summer, Wildcats!

• Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
• Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
• King: A Life by Jonathan Eig
• Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
• All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
• Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
• What Napoleon Could Not Do by DK Nnuro
• The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
• Blue Hour by Tiffany Clarke Harrison

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

Photo courtesy of Kallie Stahl.

Searching for the oversized collection? Find it on the fourth floor. Exit the elevator to the right. The collection is on the shelving closest to the windows overlooking the Mendel Hall entrance.

Look for the signs!

Graphics courtesy of Joanne Quinn, Director of Communication and Marketing.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. Photo courtesy of Kallie Stahl.

This weekend is Blobfest at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA. Holding a special place in cinematic history, the theatre is featured in the 1958 science fiction horror film, The Blob, directed by Irvin Yeaworth and written by Kay Linaker and Theodore Simonson. The front of the theatre can be seen when movie goers rush out of the cinema when “the blob” attacks. Watch the full scene here. Each year, the theatre hosts a re-enactment of the legendary run out scene. Shawn Proctor, Communication and Marketing Program Manager, filmed the 2009 run out.

While tickets for Friday’s run out are sold out, there are still plenty of Blobfest events this weekend. View the full schedule here.

The theatre has been a staple in Chester County, PA, since the early 1800s. As stated on the Colonial Theatre’s website, “From its earliest days as a vaudeville house in the early 20th century to its mid-century transformation into a movie palace to its current embodiment as home to the best mix of movies and live performance, the Colonial serves as the center for community events.”

Stop by Phoenixville this weekend! Follow the Colonial Theatre on Instagram for movie listings and event updates. This summer Falvey Library is going to the movies! Well, we’re using our beloved Library’s resources to research the coolest film scenes set in libraries. Keep an eye on the blog for featured movies and recommendations.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. A big fan of the cinema, she recently attended a screening of High Fidelity at the Colonial.

Photo (and chalkboard art) courtesy of Kallie Stahl ’17 MA Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

We removed the plexiglass around the service desk. Stop by and say “hello!”

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library.

We’re gearing up for Lit Fest at Falvey Library! Check out the display on the first floor and be sure to stop by Speakers’ Corner for a reading and talk by Tsering Yangzom Lama on Thursday, March 16, at 7 p.m.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. Photo courtesy of Joanne Quinn, Director of Communication & Marketing at Falvey Library.

You’re one smart cookie!

Thanks for stopping by our midterm stress buster, Wildcats. Have a safe and relaxing spring break.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. Photos courtesy of Ethan Shea, Graduate Assistant at Falvey Library.

Erica Hayes, Digital Scholarship Librarian; Rebecca Oviedo, Distinctive Collections Librarian Archivist; and Jennifer Santoro, Department of Geography and the Environment, examine maps from the John F. Smith, III and Susan B. Smith Antique Map Collection with Villanova students.

Jennifer Santoro, Department of Geography and the Environment, talks with a student about historic maps.

Erica Hayes, Digital Scholarship Librarian, shows students Falvey’s online exhibit, “Projecting the World: An Audio Tour of the John F. Smith, III & Susan B. Smith Antique Map Collection,” and georeferencing tools.

Students focus on maps from the John F. Smith, III and Susan B. Smith Antique Map Collection.

Learning about georeferencing historic maps, students in Jennifer Santoro’s Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course had the opportunity to examine maps from the John F. Smith, III and Susan B. Smith Antique Map Collection on Thursday, Feb. 23, in Falvey Library. Collaborating with Santoro, Erica Hayes, Digital Scholarship Librarian, showed students georeferencing tools and Rebecca Oviedo, Distinctive Collections Librarian Archivist, shared more information about historic maps in the collection.

View the John F. Smith, III and Susan B. Smith Antique Map Collection here. Contact Rebecca Oviedo for more information.

Interested in integrating digital tools and methods into your research? Contact Erica Hayes.

Kallie Stahl ’17 MA is Communication and Marketing Specialist at Falvey Library. Photos courtesy of Shawn Proctor, Communication and Marketing Program Manager.

Will D. Cat. Photo courtesy of Shawn Proctor, Communication & Marketing Program Manager.

Will D. Cat stopped by Falvey Library to check out the new Digital Scholarship Lab!

Located in Room 218A (second floor of Falvey), the Digital Scholarship Lab is designed to support Villanova faculty, students, and staff who are working on creating digital projects and/or are interested in learning more about digital media, digital humanities, or data-intensive research and teaching. The Lab offers an expanded range of software covering a variety of digital methods and tasks, including GIS mapping, data visualization, text analysis, multimodal publishing, and more.

The Digital Scholarship Lab also offers a digital media technology loan program, where the Villanova community can check out DSLR cameras, 360-degree cameras, and podcasting equipment from the Lab for up to 1 week, with no renewals. The Lab is open by reservation-only during the following days and times: Mondays–Tuesdays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; Wednesday–Fridays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

More info: https://library.villanova.edu/digital-scholarship/lab

Contact: digitalscholarship@villanova.edu