Library Instruction Available!

ARE YOUR STUDENTS FINDING IT? CONSIDER A MEETING
WITH A LIBRARIAN IN YOUR CLASSROOM OR OURS

As Thanksgiving approaches, student writing/research projects start entering the frenzy phase at times. If your students are having trouble understanding the difference between valid library information sources and wacko google websites, if they "can't find anything" in the way of sources for their argumentation essay about national health care or their speech about the foibles of Lindsay Lohan, if they just don't Get It when trying to find their way around the library (whether physical or virtual/electronic), help is here!

Librarians are available to meet with your classes to conduct mini-workshops (or other presentations faculty desire) that are often very useful for upcoming student writing assignments. The format of these sessions can vary according to your needs, often combining demonstrations of how to use print and electronic resources for specific assignments with hands-on exercises students can complete during the learning session (often a good extra-credit opportunity).

Contact your Librarian Liaison (see left column of The Text Messenger) for more information (advance notice is always a good idea when scheduling a librarian-conducted training workshop).

NEW BOOKS, MINI-REVIEWS BY VU LIBRARIANS

Grindon, Leger. The Hollywood Romantic Comedy. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011) 791.43 G866h

This analytical look at the romantic comedy shows the depth of a genre often disregarded as film fluff. Leger Grindon, a Professor of Film and Media Culture at Middlebury College, first gives an overview of the genre's history and the cycles writers tend to follow, leading to somewhat formulaic plots, characters, and themes. Grindon then addresses specific titles, chosen to illustrate the elements found in successful Rom-Com attempts, such as His Girl Friday (1940), Some Like It Hot (1959), Annie Hall (1977), When Harry Met Sally (1989), and There's Something About Mary (1998), among others. This is a good resource for those interested in film history and thematic patterns. --Abby Creitz, Technical Services Librarian

Fisher, Len. Crashes, Crises, and Calamities: How We Can Use Science to Read the Early-Warning Signs (Basic Books, 2011) 363.34 F534c

For centuries humans have tried to predict events based on the stars, the behavior of animals, and even through cards. Fisher’s book, the last book in his trilogy of scientific explanations, serves to explain how science can shed light on our age old obsession. This highly readable and accessible book seeks to show how mathematics, physics, ecology and even economics are seeking to describe and pinpoint critical transitions, those events that can drastically change, for good or bad, a seemingly stable system. Written for nonprofessionals, Fisher easily details the fundamental scientific concepts behind the theories, the computational models and the issues and problems associated with prediction. This is a perfect book for those looking for an interesting read or for those looking for an introductory book on the subject. --Laura Hiatt-Smith, Public Services Librarian

Little-Known Treasures from Lewis Historical Library... The Methodist Circuit Rider's Writing Desk (The First Laptop?)

[NOTE: Members of the Theobald family visited Lewis Library recently to provide some historical background on a 19th Century writing desk they donated to Lewis Historical Library.]

By Jill Larson, Archivist

Josiah Adams left England after denouncing Queen Victoria in 1856. He migrated to America and settled in Fostoria, Ohio, where he married and raised four children: James, Carrie, Emma, and Thomas Henry Adams. In 1859, Josiah became a deacon of the Methodist-Episcopal Church in Fremont, Ohio and later served as a circuit rider.

Circuit riders were itinerant preachers of the Methodist denomination. A circuit consisted of 20-40 “appointments,” with circuit riders traveling the district and preaching in pioneer cabins, schoolhouses, and taverns. This circuit system, devised by John Wesley for his English societies in their formative period and later developed in America by Francis Asbury, proved especially adapted to the conditions of the American frontier and came into its own in the trans-Allegheny region. Its success was a factor in establishing Methodism in America. A circuit rider, traveling on horseback because it was economical and suited to the forest pathway, preached nearly every day and twice on Sundays, thus covering his circuit every 4-5 weeks. (Columbia Encyclopedia)

Josiah Adams carried a small, wooden writing desk on his circuit in Ohio (as shown in accompanying photograph). This solidly built desk (17 ½ inches by 8 ½ inches) is quite unique. It opens to a flat writing board complete with a small ink well and hollowed slots for quills. Underneath storage provides space for a Bible, hymnal, and writing paper, etc. Images come to one’s mind of Josiah resting by the fireside in the evening and working on sermons or writing letters home to the family.

Josiah Adams' youngest child was Thomas Henry Adams, who at age 14 came to Edwardsport, Indiana, in Knox County where he became a printer. He later founded the Vincennes Commercial newspaper as a weekly. He was recognized as an energetic, colorful editor who wrote extensively of the events in Knox County. Thomas' great-grandsons are Edward and Thomas Theobald of Vincennes (pictured below). The Theobald family donated Josiah Adams’ writing desk to Lewis Historical Library some years ago. We are very pleased to have “the first laptop,” as I call it! It is a fine treasure for us and for all who wish to come to our library to view the desk on display.