Speak of Me as I Am

Tonight at the McClellan Center KB Solomon, an Anniston native, will be performing portions of his one man show "Speak of Me as I Am" which honors Paul Robeson who was a graduate of Columbia Law School, an NFL player, an actor, and a member of the Council on African Affairs.

Solomon is widely recognized for his music.  In opera circles he is known as a basso profondo (able to descend as low as three Gs below middle C.  He has also released an R&B album titled "Inexplicable."

Solomon's performance at McClellan is part of the ground breaking for the Freedom Riders Park in Anniston, AL and will begin at 6 p.m.

More information is available at:
http://www.annistonstar.com/view/full_story/20477718/article-Opera-singer-brings-his-one-man-show-back-home?instance=home_lifestyle

Under the Auspices of Assessment

You are invited to the opening reception of "Under The Auspices of Assessment" by David Gibbs.  The reception is Thursday, August 2, from 6-8pm, in the Meadows Gallery.  The show will remain on display through Sept 10. The reception is free and open to the public.

David Gibbs lives in Tuscon, Arizona and is a practicing studio artist in addition to working full-time in the Art Department at the University of Arizona. He received his MA in Sculpture in 2003 from the University of Alabama and his MFA from the University of Arizona in 2010.  His work has been exhibited throughout the country in solo and group exhibitions and his work was included in the 2011 Arizona Biennial.--MG

"I aim to examine and understand the people in my life.  I choose objects with a history, form or function speaking to an aspect of my relationships and work to distill those experiences. Through casting, I remove all specific history of the individual objects shifting attention to how the objects are used and what they are doing rather than where they came from.  I hope my work might move the audience to pause in self-reflection and to perhaps grow to understand their own realities in a new light. " - David Gibbs

Collages Anyone?

Have you every complained about making a collage in school?  Almost everyone has, but the collage has been around a long time.  It appears in graphic work and in written work.

Faculty Book Spine Poem

Way back in really olden times, some Roman poets and scholars thought this would be a good way to have fun and spark their own creativity.  The rules were simple: 

1. Use bits and pieces of someone else’s poem 
2. Make a new poem

The official name of joining these bits of other author’s words was cento, a Latin word meaning a piece of patchwork.

At the McClellan Library we are celebrating National Poetry Month by creating book spine poems with books that are in our library.  Drop in make a poem or sentence. MJH

"cento, n.". OED Online. March 2012. Oxford University Press. 3 April 2012 <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/29675?redirectedFrom=cento>.

Remember Your Ebenezer

Meadows Library is hosting an archival training consortium presented by Samford University on Saturday, April 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The program is designed to help people who want to start an archive/history room including those in churches, businesses, or schools.  If you are interested in attending, please register at https://s07.123signup.com/servlet/SignUp?Info=&PG=1535175182300&P=15351751911424115100 by April 6.

Please share the following information with anyone else you think would be interested.

Workshop Title ­ - Remember Your Ebenezer: Starting an Archive to Preserve Your History.

Description – This is an introductory level archival workshop. Participants will learn how to define basic archival terms, create a policy statement, evaluate your building/church for storage, choose supplies, prepare documents for storage, create a scheme of organization, and create an inventory. Participants will also receive archival materials and enjoy an opportunity to fellowship and network with other organizations. Snacks will  be provided.

Cost is $30 (to cover all necessary supplies and materials for participants)
Seating is limited.

The workshop will be led by Jennifer Taylor (jrtaylor@samford.edu), Technical Archivist at Samford University. DOF

Widge: To Commemorate the 70^th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain

On Thursday, March 8, the Meadows Library in conjunction with the Gadsden State Art Department presented “One Man’s Pursuit in Excellence: A Solo Exhibition of the Art of James Green.”  The reception began at 6:00 p.m. and included a viewing of the art as well as a talk from the artist.  Mr. Green noted both the inspiration and the technique involved with his art.  Mr. Green’s art focuses on motion and most notably includes many artistic depictions of military aircraft in flight.  His discussion about the complexity involved with aerial art was wonderfully insightful.  As he stated, an artist does not have the luxury to sketch the aircraft in flight so must rely on photographs and memory, thus making the realistic aspect of his art all the more amazing.  His collection also included pieces on loan from the Fort Payne Depot Museum featuring historical depictions of the depot.

Mr. Green is a resident of Fort Payne where he has his studio.  He is a retired airborne infantryman with the U.S. Army and served in the Persian Gulf War with the 101^st Airborne Division.  He was also an Army recruiter and Range Safety Non-Commissioned Officer-in-Charge of the Range Division.  More information about the artist and excerpts of his art may be found on his website http://www.jamesgreenfineart.com/.

The exhibit will be on display in the Meadows Library art gallery until Tuesday, April 24.  Contact the library or Mario Gallardo in the Art Department at mgallardo@gadsdenstate.edu. DOF

The Things We Carry

Dr. Beidler in Action

Dr. Philip Beidler was the speaker at the Gadsden Reads event at Meadows Library on March 7, 2012.  Dr. Beidler is a professor of American Literature at the University of Alabama.  He is also a veteran of the Vietnam Conflict and has a lot in common with Tim O'Brien, the author of The Things We Carry.  Like O'Brien he served during the height if the conflict (he pointed out that Vietnam was a Conflict not a War, it was never declared by Congress). 

Dr. Beidler compared Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan.  He gave a very frank and honest discourse on war and the repercussions which he is still experiencing. 

Vietnam will always be considered a turning point in American history.  This is when war lost the respect of many of it's survivors.  Dr. Beidler believes that the current soldiers will be living through the same horrors that he and his fellow Vietnam vets have. 

Dr.Bridler's speech is just one of many events planned for this years Gadsden Reads.  Checkout the website at http://www.gadsdenreads.com/ for more information on upcoming events. DMB

Committing Random Acts of Reading



Yes we really use a bowl.



Where do reading groups come from?  At Gadsden State’s McClellan campus it began because we were talking about books in the hallways, at lunch, or in the mail room.  We might have been shushed a time or two during a tornado drill.  Everyone had a different book, and we were all talking about our different books at once. 

Our basic rule is that anyone can come whether or not you’ve finished the book.  You can choose any format you feel comfortable with from paper copy to e-book to audio book.  But which book to choose?  Everyone interested can submit a title (or 2) before the last meeting of the semester.  The trusty librarian makes sure the books are in print, and we pull the titles out of a bowl.  Just like that, you have a reading list.

McClellan Bookworms meet on the last Friday workday of the month.  At the end of the semester, we draw the titles for the next semester, and we begin reading.  We’ve discussed women’s rights in The Dressmaker and the Holocaust in Suite Française and Sarah’s Key.  We’ve sought truth in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and justice in The Help.  We are still attempting to decide what happened to Joseph Edelstein’s feet in The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake.  But whatever the book, there’s food, good discussion, and book lovers. 

The next gathering of the ‘worms is Friday, March 23 at 10:00 am on the McClellan Campus.  For more information contact your local Gadsden State Library.  MJH

It's a beginning

Here it is the maiden voyage into blogging for Gadsden State Community College Library.

Gadsden State Library has five locations which serve six campuses of Gadsden State Community College. Austin R. Meadows Library on the main campus; McClellan Center Library at the McClellan Center; Pierce C. Cain Learning Resource Center on the Ayers Campus; Gadsden State Cherokee Library in Centre; and Valley Street Library on the Valley Street Campus.


Meadows Library hours:
Mon - Thurs. 7:30 am - 8:30 pm
Fri 7:30 am - 3:00 pm

McClellan Library
Mon - Thurs. 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Ayers Library
Mon - Thurs. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm
Fri 7:30 am - 3:00 pm

Cherokee Library
Mon - Thurs. 8:00 am - 6:30 pm
Friday 8:00 am - 1:00 pm

Valley Street Library
Mon., Wed, Fri. 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Tues, Thurs. 8:00 am - 6:00 pm