Papers. Publications. Posters. Research and creative pursuits that start on campus find their ways into academic journals, bookstores, conferences and performance venues. Just before the start of the spring semester, on Jan. 8, High Library hosted a Celebration of Faculty Scholarship, which recognized recent accomplishments.
The idea for such a gathering came about at a Faculty Assembly meeting last fall, when discussions arose about how to further communicate achievements and how individual faculty members could share updates with their campus colleagues. Sarah Penniman, director of High Library and member of Faculty Assembly, explained that Jean Pretz, psychology, mentioned an annual event held in the library of her previous institution that did just that. Penniman said she was interested right away and knew this type of function would fit well at Elizabethtown. With input and support from the dean of faculty, the provost and the professional development committee of Faculty Assembly, the library team moved forward with planning the scholarship celebration, first with a call for submissions.
It was a wonderful inaugural event…”
Following introductions and faculty presentations, over refreshments, attendees explored two rows of shelves in the periodical section displaying more than 90 faculty and staff works, including papers and journal articles, academic and creative books, musical compositions and performance videos. Penniman said there was “lots of fruitful conversation” between colleagues, and many shared ideas with her for next year’s event.
“It was a wonderful inaugural event,” said Penniman. “We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of submissions.” She credits librarians Elizabeth Young Miller and Susan Krall with the behind-the-scenes work. Young Miller and Krall gathered about 90 submissions and created a physical display and online showcase, through the library’s LibGuides platform, of publications and other works.
Penniman said the Library is interested in doing more to support faculty scholarship, such as hosting discussions and using its blog, “Highlights” (managed by Louise Hyder-Darlington) to promote events and publications.
Read more, monthly, in E-town NOW about recent faculty and staff scholarly and professional accomplishments. View the archives, here.
View more photos from the event.