University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 34

Bob Karrow, ‘ 71, a Chicago resident
and member of the UW–Madison Library
Advancement Board, attended the event,
commented, “I was fascinated to learn about
the technology available to help sound
librarians preserve these fragile artifacts.”
The presentation was sponsored by the
Friends of the Libraries, the Mayrent Institute
with support from the Chicago chapter of
YIVO.
Year of Shakespeare in Wisconsin
In April, the noted American actress,
playwright, and professor Anna Deavere
Smith ushered in the Year of Shakespeare
in Wisconsin with an energetic and
complex one-woman show in Shannon Hall
(Memorial Union). After an introduction by
Associate Dean Susan Zaeske, Smith took
the audience on an emotional roller coaster
of diverse dramatic monologues, which
she developed by interviewing individuals
often marginalized in American society. Her
performance aptly demonstrated the breadth
of Shakespeare’s reach and brought to life
how those themes and voices still resonate
today in her own professional work.
Student members of the Wisconsin
Union Directorate Publications Committee
also adopted a Shakespearean theme for
their annual Lit Fest, hosting free artistic
workshops in Wheelhouse Studios and
several other featured events – all in
Memorial Union and including a sonnet
contest to end the evening. Madison’s own
Young Shakespeare Players performed
a selection of scenes from a variety of
Shakespeare’s plays in the Fredric March Play
Circle.
American Players Theatre (APT) hosted an
exhibit that demonstrated their history and
craft of putting their performances together,
from designing and building costumes,
sets, and props, to casting, to rehearsals and

performances. Guests were encouraged to
don costumes, take selfies, and record a short
video as part of the international “We Are
Shakespeare” Digital Video Festival, sharing
their Shakespearean thoughts. APT’s artistic
directors Brenda DeVita and Carey Cannon
presented “Why Shakespeare?” delighting a
rapt audience with an hour of witty dialogue
and personal reflections on their own
experiences with these plays.
Support for the Year of Shakespeare
is provided by the Madison Community
Foundation.
Friends of the Library Annual Dinner
Friends of the Libraries gathered for
fellowship, fine dining, and faculty member
William P. Jones’ intrigu ing talk on his
long-standing usage of the collections of
the UW–Madison Libraries and Wisconsin
Historical Society. Professor Jones spoke
on the importance of civil rights and labor
collections on campus that were integral to
his books on African American industrial
workers and the March on Washington.
Michael Chaim, President of the Friends of
the Libraries, addressed the gathering and
gave a special “thank you” to Lis Owens, who
retired after numerous years of service to the
UW–Madison Libraries and the Friends. Also
acknowledged for their service and dedication
to the Friends were Annette Mahler and
Eleanor Albert, who retired from the Board
this summer.
Amateur Journalism Conference
Individuals from Wisconsin, across the
United States, and as far away as Austria,
participated in a three-day conference that
focused on the history, present, and future
of amateur journalism.  The conference
was sponsored by three national amateur
journalism organizations and hosted by the
UW–Madison Libraries with sponsorship

support from the Friends of the Libraries.
The Fossils (dedicated to the history
of amateur journalism), the National
Amateur Press Association (NAPA), and the
American Amateur Press Association (AAPA) 
collaborated to host joint panel sessions,
a banquet, an auction, and numerous
opportunities to meet other individuals
interested in the craft, history, and practice
of amateur journalism. Over 50 individuals
attended parts of the conference.
A detailed description of the journey the
Library of Amateur Journalism (LAJ) took
before finding a home at UW–Madison was
presented by panelists Ken Faig, president
of the Fossils; scholar Jessica Isaac; and
librarian Robin Rider. Additional panels
included a history of “Little Magazines” by
librarian Susan Barribeau; a discussion of H.P.
Lovecraft’s role in amateur journalism with
S. T. Joshi and David E. Schultz (co-editors of
15 volumes of Lovecraft letters), and Ken Faig.
Local Wisconsin writers Russell and Delores
Miller discussed family tales of their life on
a farm outside Hortonville, Wisconsin. The
Department of Special Collections also hosted
a hands-on exhibition of rare and unique
materials from the LAJ Collection.
Jessica Isaac, a recipient of the Friends of
the Libraries visiting scholar award, presented
the keynote lecture that detailed her research
on how amateur journalism provided an early
opportunity for American youth to share,
find, and voice their opinions. She shared
how amateur journalism got its start with the
invention of small printing presses following
the Civil War and described the appeal that
writing, editing, and printing one’s own
paper had for young people of the time. The
presentation highlighted well-known amateur
journalists, including L. Frank Baum, as well
as the stories of ordinary young people.
   At the closing banquet, Michelle

Klosterman, president of NAPA, announced
that the organization would be donating
$5,000 to support the Library of Amateur
Journalism at UW–Madison: $2,000 for
work underway cataloging and preserving
the collection and $3,000 for the Leland
M. Hawes endowment. Another member
of NAPA, William Boys, pledged a $3,000
challenge match to encourage other members
to also contribute.  An additional $1,500 in
gifts were raised as part of this challenge
before the evening ended. The Fossils and
AAPA also donated their share of the auction
– over $800 – to the Hawes endowment.
“We are most grateful for the generosity of
the amateur journalism organizations and
their members in establishing an endowment
fund for the long-term care of the LAJ
Collection,” said Robin Rider of Special
Collections. “The Hawes Fund and other gifts
will help preserve fragile materials in the
LAJ Collection and support creation of more
detailed finding aids to facilitate use of this
large and complicated body of materials from
the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.“
• Jessica Isaac, “A grant-in-aid scholar uses
the Library of Amateur Journalism of Special
Collections,” in the Friends of the UW–
Madison Libraries Newsletter, spring 2014, pp.
6-7
• Robin E. Rider, “Library of Amateur
Journalism Collection in the Department of
Special Collections,” in Friends of the UW–
Madison Libraries Newsletter, spring 2014, pp.
5-6
For more information visit:

• aapainfo.org/ajconference
• thefossils.org
• uwlittlemags.tumblr.com 
• amateurpress.org
• library.wisc.edu/wp-content

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