University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries Magazine | Page 28

By Arielle Perry
School of Library and
Information Studies (2016)
Interim Friends of the
Libraries Administrator

The Friends of the University of Wisconsin–
Madison Libraries adopts the motto “the
more, the merrier” in event planning. To
increase awareness about the exceptional
resources provided by the UW–Madison
Libraries, the Friends are reaching out to a
variety of campus and community partners.
Our growing list of collaborators helps create
a unique series of events, promotes the
Libraries, increases event attendance, and
generates positive impacts across the campus
and the community. The partnerships are
vital to the Friends’ ability to pool resources
and draw top-notch, nationally known guests
to campus.
On October 8, 2014, the Friends joined the
UW–Madison History Department’s George
L. Mosse Program, the Department of Special
Collections, and the Wisconsin Historical
Society to commemorate the outbreak of

Standing room only in the WHS auditorium for Adam Hochschild’s lecture.

28 | LIBRARIES Fall 2015

World War I. As part of this special event,
noted author and historian Adam Hochschild
gave a lecture in the WHS auditorium, “1914–
1918: The War within the War,” which was
attended by more than 300 students, faculty,
staff, Friends, and community members.
After the lecture more than 150 audience
members enjoyed a special book-signing
by Hochschild, as well as a gallery talk and
exhibit on WWI in the Department of Special
Collections at Memorial Library. The exhibit,
“1914: Then Came Armageddon,” was curated
by UW–Madison History graduate students
Skye Doney and Eric O’Connor, with the help
of Special Collections Librarian Robin Rider
and Mosse Program leader John Tortorice. A
majority of the items featured were donated
by UW–Madison alumnus Andrew Stangel.
C-SPAN picked up on the Libraries’
commemorative events and exhibits. During
the network’s visit to Madison to highlight
the city, a feature piece was filmed on the
exhibit, with Doney and Rider providing
important context during filming. The
documentary, part of C-SPAN’s Cities Tour,
was featured nationwide in November. It
can still be viewed at http://www.c-span.org/
video/?322405-1/university-wisconsin-world-warexhibit.
Last November the Friends partnered with
UW–Madison Librarian Emilie Ngo-Nguidjol
Songolo, Professor Mary Hark of the UW–
Madison’s Design Studies, and the Madison
Public Library for “Inside Out/Outside In”
at MPL’s Central Branch. The lecture and
interactive experience explored the role of
print cloth, especially commemorative cloth,
in African culture.

and symposium. In addition, the Kohler
Art Library and the Department of Special
Collections showcased two exhibits featuring
illuminated manuscript facsimiles during this
time.
The Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries
are grateful for another successful year,
and would like to thank all of our partners
for helping provide a series of terrific and
successful events.

http://www.c-span.org/
video/?322405-1/universitywisconsin-world-war-exhibit
http://www.library.wisc.edu/
specialcollections/

WWI exhibit curators and Ph.D. graduates Skye Doney and Eric
O’Connor visit with author Adam Hochschild in the Department of
Special Collections.

Bibles on display in the Department of Special Collections.

C-SPAN shoots a documentary with Skye Doney in the
Department of Special Collections, Oct. 2014.

Students and community members in their own (and borrowed) print cloth.

University of Wisconsin–Madison | 29

Friends

A Helping Hand: Partnerships
Give a Boost to Friends’ Events

On February 26th, the Friends’ annual
Schewe Lecture, which featured renowned
illuminated manuscript expert Dr.
Christopher de Hamel, drew more than
250 faculty, staff, students, and community
members. For this event the Friends
partnered with the Lubar Institute for the
Study of Abrahamic Religions, the Chazen
Museum of Art, and the Department of Art
!