Hutchins Library News Blog

Black Working Class Struggle Exhibit at Hutchins Library

02/19/2023

Angel Rivera

Hutchins Library is pleased to announce the exhibit "Black Working Class Struggle in U.S. Labor and Tenant Movements." The exhibit is curated and set up by Berea College student Tyrell Banks ('23), representing the Madison County Tenants Union and the Young Communist League. The exhibit features a variety of books provided by Banks as well as from Hutchins Library. Books in the display can be checked out. The display also features various photographs, artifacts, and additional informational materials.

The exhibit started the week of February 12, and it will be on display through the month of February. Exhibit is free and open to the public during library regular hours.

Black Working Class Struggle exhibit main wall view

A view of books and pamphlets from the exhibit

Second view of books on display

African Americans

Special Collections and Archives Announces Friday Finds for Spring 2023

02/01/2023

Angel Rivera

Tim Binkley, Head of Special Collections and Archives, is pleased to announce the following events at SC&A for the months of February and March 2023.

3:00-4:00 PM, January 27 – February 24

Explore the Writings of Carter G. Woodson

Berea College graduate Carter G. Woodson, Ph.D. (1875-1950) was a prominent historian who initiated the field of Black studies. In 1926 he founded “Negro History Week,” the predecessor to today’s annual Black History Month. This year during Black History Month, Hutchins Library invites you to spend an hour (or more!) each week reading published and unpublished writings of Dr. Woodson that are in the Berea College Special Collections and Archives.

“Friday Finds” tours of Woodson’s books and letters will begin at the Hutchins Library foyer at 3 PM each Friday starting January 27 and ending February 24. To participate in these free events, please register in advance at https://bctrace.com/explore/. For additional information, or to schedule a group visit on days other than Fridays, please contact Tim Binkley at binkleyt@berea.edu or 859-985-3267.

3:00-4:00 PM, March 2 – 31

Explore the Writing of bell hooks

Former Berea College professor bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins, Ph.D., 1952-2021) is no longer with us. Fortunately, many of her writings and recordings are preserved in the Berea College Special Collections and Archives. Throughout Women’s History Month 2023, Hutchins Library invites you to spend an hour (or more!) each week reading from bell hooks’ writings and listening to episodes of the recent Think Humanities podcast series, “bell hooks: becoming, being, and beyond.”

“Friday Finds” tours of bell hooks materials and recordings will begin at the Hutchins Library foyer at 3 PM each Friday in March. To participate in these free events, please register in advance at https://bctrace.com/explore/. For additional information, or to schedule a group visit on days other than Fridays, please contact Tim Binkley at binkleyt@berea.edu or 859-985-3267.

History, African & African American Studies, Women's & Gender Studies, Special Collections & Archives, African Americans, bell hooks

Subjects

Agriculture & Natural Resources

4

Hutchins Library

60

Appalachian Region

7

Foodways / Cookbooks

2

Philosophy

1

Berea College

13

Music

7

Art & Art History

18

English

6

Technology & Applied Design

1

See more...

Tags

books

2

reading

1

reviews

1

LGBTQ

1

celebrations

2

observances

1

HarveyMilk

1

FromOurShelves

1

BookReview

1

economics

1

See more...

Recent Posts

A few library resources for celebrating Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. June 19th, 1865 was the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce emancipation. Though the federal holiday started in 2021, many communities have been celebrating it and continue to do so. Here are a few books from our collections you can read. Title links lead to the catalog record so you can locate the book. Ralph Ellison's novel, Juneteenth, may be of interest. If you've read his Invisible Man, you may want to try this next.On Juneteenth by Anette Gordon-Reed. How the word is passed : a reckoning with the history of slavery across America by Clint Smith. Go back and get it : a memoir of race, inheritance, and intergenerational healing by Dionne Ford. Want to find some scholarly articles or other periodicals? Try one of our databases which you can access from our website. Please note: if you are off campus, you will need to authenticate access with your Berea College credentials and DUO. If you would like assistance using our databases or any other of our resources, you can visit or contact us at the Reference Desk. Our contact information is on our website where you can also chat virtually with the Reference Desk and set up an appointment with a librarian for in-depth research. Academic Search CompleteAmerica: History and Life.J-Stor. Ethnic Newswatch. Here are some free online resources that may also be of interest: The Wikipedia entry for Juneteenth. It provides a history overview and list of references. Congressional Fact Sheet for Juneteenth, from the Congressional Research Service. You will find a link to the PDF document at the site. An article from the Library of Congress. A digital toolkit with various resources for Juneteenth from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, part of the Smithsonian. This is where I found the graphic for Juneteenth. Some resources from PBS to learn about Juneteenth. Finally, from now to the end of the month, we have a small library display of books with a slideshow that you can come view during library regular hours. ...

From Our Shelves: War Made Invisible

Welcome to another edition of “From Our Shelves” where I read a book from our collections and write a short review. This week I read War Made Invisible: how America hides the hidden toll of its military machine (link to library catalog) by Norman Solomon. In this book the author discusses in detail how the United States stays in a continuous state of war, but its citizens have no idea it is happening. The US Government uses all kinds of propaganda and subterfuges to cover up the constant warfare, and the American media is complicit in the process. This is something that both political parties maintain when they are in power. The book mainly stays within the late 20th Century and into the 21st Century. The role of 9/11 in ramping up the American war machine is prominent, but the United States was already deep in constant warfare well enough before 9/11.The narrative in the book is not fully linear; the author often jumps back and forth in time. Overall, the military industrial complex is very much alive, well, and wealthy in the United States. The book is not an easy read at times, but it is worth reading. It is well written and accessible. Locally, classes in political science may be interested in adding it to their reading lists. ...

Honoring Harvey Milk Day: some library resources

May 22 is Harvey Milk Day, a day to honor the life and legacy of the first openly gay politician in California and civil rights leader and activist. Sadly, he was assassinated by a political rival in 1978, but his legacy and contributions live on. If you would like to learn more, here are some library resources that may be of interest: An Archive of Hope: Harvey Milk's Speeches and Writings (e-book). Harvey Milk: his lives and death by Lillian Faderman (biography, e-book). The Right Side of History: 100 Years of LGBTQI Activism (essay collection, print edition). See the essay “The Mayor of Castro Street.” You can find the book in the General Collection Stacks (2nd floor) by call number 323.326 B873r 2015. Milk (2009, film). This is the biopic of his life with Sean Penn portraying Harvey Milk. You can find it in our DVD Collection in the main floor under call number DVD 791.437 M644 2009. The Times of Harvey Milk (2004, Documentary). You can find it in the DVD Collection under call number DVD 364.152 T583 2004 Discs 1-2.If you want to find and read articles on Harvey Milk, LGBTQ+ topics, and other civil rights issues, the following databases may be of interest. You can find our databases on our library website via the “Databases A-Z” link: Academic Search CompleteAlt Press WatchJ-Stor Project MuseResources from the open web: Harvey Milk on Wikipedia. Harvey Milk Day on Wikipedia.The Harvey Milk Foundation. The Mayor of Castro Street. This is the 1982 biography written by Randy Shilts. I was a bit surprised our library does not have it at the moment, however, you can borrow it online via the Internet Archive. Notes: Please note that to access our library's electronic resources off campus, you will need campus authentication (your Berea College username, password, and DUO authentication). You can also access our electronic resources if you visit the library in person. If you need research assistance, you can always stop by the reference desk, use the chat widget on the library website, or make an appointment with one of the librarians from the library website. To borrow books on Internet Archive, you will need an account with Internet Archive. If you do not have one, you can set up a free account with Internet Archive. I have one, and I do use it. Just click on their “Sign Up/Log In” link to get started. ...

From our shelves: Antifa

Welcome to another edition of “From our shelves” where I read a book from our collection and write a short review about it. This week I am reviewing Antifa: the antifascist handbook by Mark Bray.The term “fascism” seems to be in the news constantly. We also often hear the terms “anti-fascist” or “antifa.” If you want to learn more about what antifa is and its history, this book is a pretty good primer that goes over the history of anti-fascism, Antifa, to today. The history starts around the 1920s with the rise of Hitler and Mussolini then the author takes us through to the 20th century and into the 21st century. The book has six chapters including history of the movement, interviews with anti-fascists from around the world, though the focus is a bit Eurocentric, tactics and philosophy of the movement. The book offers an accessible text, and unlike other texts on the topic this one does not get bogged down in theory and jargon. It also includes a list of resources for further reading. You can find the print edition of the book Antifa: the anti-fascist handbook in the library's General Collection Stacks (second floor) under call number: 320.533 B827a 2017 (link to catalog record)....