Reference point

              U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r i e s ’ N e w s l e t t e r
Michael Federspiel wants people to realize
the creative roots of Nobel Prize-winning
author Ernest Hemingway.
The CMU history professor wants this so
much that he wrote a book about it.
Federspiel’s recently published “Picturing
Hemingway’s Michigan” chronicles
Hemingway’s life in northern Michigan
through photos accompanied by excerpts
from the legendary writer’s literary pieces.
“I saw that the potential for a book was there;
a book that would be related not just to
Ernest Hemingway but would be related to
being up north in Michigan,” says Federspiel,
explaining that Hemingway spent summers
in northern Michigan at his family’s cottage
on Walloon Lake from the time he was
6 weeks old all the way up to his fi rst
wedding. “I wanted to allow readers to see
the images of places and people he may
have known in that time period and that he
based so much of his early fi ction on.”
CMU’s Clarke Historical Library resources
were instrumental in helping Federspiel
develop the book. It provided him access
to old letters, photographs and journal
entries from Hemingway’s time in
northern Michigan.
With these materials, Federspiel says
the book shows people a diff erent side
of Hemingway.
“Young Hemingway was just a kid. He picked
on his sisters, and he had friends he didn’t
get along with. He fought with his parents,”
Federspiel says. “It wasn’t like he had a sign
around his neck that said ‘Future Nobel
Laureate.’”
Federspiel says “Picturing Hemingway’s
Michigan” is for avid Hemingway fans as
well as people who simply love northern
Michigan, adding that it’s important for
people of all ages to get a taste of what one
of the great American authors of the 20th
century experienced in Michigan. •
Federspiel’s book shows
new side of Hemingway
To develop his book “Picturing Hemingway’s
Michigan” Michael Federspiel, CMU history
professor, tapped into the resources available
at Clarke Historical Library.
Michigan’s Hemingway headquarters
When Michael Federspiel began research for “Picturing Hemingway’s Michigan,”
CMU’s Clarke Historical Library was among the fi rst places he looked.
The historical library holds a substantial collection of material relating to
Hemingway’s life in Michigan and serves as the archives of the Michigan
Hemingway Society.
To help off set the costs associated with collecting materials by or about
Hemingway, the Michigan Hemingway Endowment was established at the Clarke.
Additional uses for this endowment include preserving Hemingway-related material
and providing educational eff orts to explain the infl uence of northern Michigan on
Hemingway and the place of Michigan in his works.
• E-mail clarke@cmich.edu
• Call 989-774-3352
Volume 7, Issue 1
Fall 2010
Clarke Historical Library instrumental in research
Reference Point is pub lished
biannually by University Libraries.
Address questions and suggestions to:
Offi ce of the Dean
Park Library 407D
Central Michigan Uni ver si ty
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Editorial Board
Thomas J. Moore
Dean of Libraries
Richard Cochran
Associate Dean of Libraries
Megan Moreno ‘06
Director of Development and
Community Outreach
Gerry Edgar
Manager, Library Business Services
Reference Point Coordinator
Production
CMU University Communications
Writers
Dan Digmann
John Ketchum
Sharasa Henley
Editor
Dan Digmann
Designer
Nathan Jones ‘10
Photographers
Robert Barclay
Peggy Brisbane
Printing
CMU Printing Services
Libraries’ website
lib.cmich.edu
Academic Year
Library Hours
Mon - Thurs: 7:50 a.m. - Midnight
Fri: 7:50 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sat: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sun: Noon - Midnight
Reference Desk
989-774-3470
libref@cmich.edu
CMU, an AA/EO in sti tu tion, strong ly and ac tive ly strives to
in crease diversity within its com mu ni ty (see cmich.edu/aaeo).
UComm 8350-4,091 (9/10)
2
Beyond bricks and mortar
Much to my
pleasure, people
frequently tell me
what a wonderful
library we have at
Central Michigan
University. I know
often people
mean that Park
Library is an
attractive and
terrifi c facility.
For our clientele
on campus in
Mount Pleasant and in the area community,
the beautiful bricks and mortar library is
indeed an outstanding resource. It off ers
an unrivaled environment for intellectual
inquiry, study, academic and social
interaction, and a highly appreciated site for
complementary academic support services
and cultural enrichment programs.
However, the essential element is not the
facility, of course, lovely as it is, nor even the
conspicuous scholarly collections, extensive
and valuable as they are. Rather, it’s the
myriad interlocking
parts and pieces,
comprising a highly
organized system
of resources and
services, that enables
our library users,
including CMU
students who have
never set foot in
Mount Pleasant, to identify, acquire, and
employ or enjoy the right information, book,
article, or multimedia item where and when
they need or want it. This orchestrated
system includes the websites and online
catalog CENTRA, the expertise and eff orts of
library staff , the combined paper and digital
collections, and much more.
While centered in an architecturally splendid
building, much of this less physical and less
visible library core extends through web
magic to students and faculty across campus
and across the wide world of off -campus and
online programs.
It also extends into the future as our staff
today works diligently preparing to support
CMU’s academic programs of tomorrow,
including the new College of Medicine,
which will enroll its fi rst class in 2012.
Yes, we truly do have a wonderful “library” at
CMU, of which all of us can be proud!
I hope you enjoy the news and views in this
Reference Point issue. It’s been redesigned
for a new look and to make extra audio and
video features available online; look for the
library.cmich.edu/pubs after selected
articles in this newsletter.
Let us know your comments and questions.
Tom Moore
Dean of Libraries
Tom Moore
> Dean’s Column
Yes, we truly do have
a wonderful ‘library’ at
CMU, of which all of us
can be proud!
Library users benefi t from
system of resources
In Park Library’s
Course Reserves and
Copyright Services
offi ce Ted Clayton,
CMU political science
professor, discusses
with Laurie Bellinger,
library specialist
clerk, the Libraries’
copyright permission
services for the
documents he wants
to post electronically
for his students.
3
Reserves in a
digital age
In an increasingly electronic learning
environment, CMU and its faculty and
students are benefi ting from the CMU
Libraries staying ahead of the fair use and
copyright curve.
The Libraries’ recently established Course
Reserves and Copyright Services offi ce is
helping faculty members secure the needed
copyright permissions that will provide
students access to the best resources
available electronically.
“All the faculty members have to do is say
what they want, and we get it,” says Timothy
Peters, director of Off -Campus Library
Services. “This benefi ts the students by
making more robust materials available to
them. We’ve talked to the libraries at seven
or eight other institutions about copyright
and fair use, and CMU is defi nitely ahead of
the curve.”
While the Libraries historically have off ered
this service for faculty teaching off -campus
courses, the new service was developed to
further assist on-campus faculty. In addition,
the university has provided the Libraries with
funding to cover charges associated with
using copyrighted material.
Carefree copyright
compliance
Ted Clayton has received the Libraries’
assistance with electronic materials for
his classes.
The political science professor uses an
out-of-print translation of Sophocles’ play
“Antigone” and, through
the Libraries’ Course
Reserves and Copyright
Services offi ce, Clayton
can put the play on
electronic reserve for
his students.
“It allows me to keep
using the classroom
materials I want to use,”
Clayton says. “The fact
that the library takes
care of the details means that I don’t
have to become an expert on copyright
law, and it saves me a lot of work.”
Marsha Simpson and Laurie Bellinger
work in the Course Reserves and
Copyright Services offi ce and help faculty
members throughout the process. They
take care of everything, from fi nding
books and article links to securing
copyright permission and posting the
article in Blackboard.
“They don’t need to worry about
anything. We do all the footwork for
them,” Bellinger says. •
Material world
Follow these links to learn more about how faculty and
students benefi t from the copyright and reserve material
resources available through CMU Libraries.
Course Reserves and Copyright
Services offi ce
library.cmich.edu/departments/reserves
Copyright and fair use website
copyright.cmich.edu
Peters says copyright and fair use have
risen to the forefront of higher learning
as more electronic material is needed to
accommodate the rapid increase in
online classes and Blackboard-based
course reserves.
Contributing to
these concerns is a
pending copyright
infringement
lawsuit. Cambridge
University Press,
Oxford University
Press and Sage
Publications fi led
a complaint in
2008 that Georgia
State University
was engaged
in “systematic,
widespread and
unauthorized
copying and
distribution”
of copyrighted
materials.
“We are working to
educate our faculty
about copyright and
about the resources
we have available to help them here,” Peters
says, explaining the Libraries also launched
a website to off er information regarding
copyrighted materials
and their use within
the educational
setting. “Copyright
is the law, and this
is why we’re trying
to do the right
thing and provide
convenience to
faculty at the same
time.” •
New library service for
faculty ensures fair use
of electronic materials
Nationally known
copyright expert Lolly
Gasaway, a law professor
at the University of
North Carolina School
of Law, shares with
CMU faculty and staff
her insights into using
copyrighted materials
in the classroom during
a special workshop
March 26 in Park Library
Auditorium.
Take a campus tour with Campus
Ambassador Amber Cummings, and she’ll
understand if you need to pause when you
get to Park Library.
“The library was my favorite place on campus
when I took a tour myself,” the Dansville
sophomore says. “I was really impressed with
the 33 miles of compactable shelving. It’s just
a beautiful building.”
Library continues to impress
students and visitors
Prospective undergraduate, graduate and
transfer students see Park Library up close
through events such as campus tours,
Centralis Scholarship competitions and
New Student Orientation, which is pictured
here. Michelle Howard, assistant dean of
students and director of academic advising
and assistance, says the library is an ideal
place to host orientation sessions. “It helps
to expose students to the main campus
library while at the same time providing an
academic setting for students to register for
their classes,” she says.
Touring Park Library
with Tom Moore,
dean of libraries, was
among the events
planned when Michigan
House Appropriations
Subcommittee members
recently visited the
Mount Pleasant campus.
Moore says such a tour
provides the opportunity
for legislators to learn
about library academic
and support services
and for CMU to express
its appreciation for their
support in Lansing. CMU centerpiece
As a student pursuing elementary education
with a Spanish major and minors in
leadership and language arts, Cummings
quickly realized Park Library was more than a
beautiful building. That’s precisely what CMU
Libraries Dean Tom Moore and his colleagues
had in mind when they redesigned Park
Library and positioned it, including Off -
Campus Library Services and Clarke Historical
Library, to serve members of the university
and area communities into the future.
“We knew we were going to build a
monumental building, and we wanted it
to represent the university’s commitment
to academic pursuits,��� Moore says. “It’s not a
static building.
“It will continue to grow and change to meet
the needs of our students, faculty and staff ,
as well as people beyond the university.”
Take a look here at how Park Library has
developed into a CMU centerpiece of sorts,
from impressing prospective students and
visiting lawmakers to hosting campus and
community outreach events. •
Pierre Banks is a senior organizational
communication major who serves as an
orientation mentor during sessions held at
the library. “As an orientation mentor our role
is to make sure the students feel comfortable
and to make them feel at home in knowing
that a student has been through this before,”
he says.
Grandparents and grandchildren gathered in Clarke Historical Library for a
storytelling program included in this year’s Grandparents U, an annual three-day
event coordinated by CMU Alumni Relations.
To further help incoming students explore library resources available
to them, the library sets up informational displays for events including
CMU and You Day, New Student Orientation and college summer
visit days. Here, librarian Stephanie Mathson visits with incoming
freshmen in Bovee University Center.
5
As the new CMU Libraries’ Director
of Development and Community
Outreach, I would like to introduce
myself. I look forward to the
opportunity to meet many people
who care deeply about the Libraries,
and to share with others the
outstanding services we provide, for
which support is critical.
I’m not new to the Libraries, nor to
CMU. In fact, I take pride in being
a native of Mount Pleasant, a graduate of
Central Michigan University and a staff
member invested
in the Libraries.
As exhibits
coordinator since
2006, I’ve worked
on numerous
library exhibits and
special projects,
many of them in
collaboration with other university offi ces.
I’ve experienced fi rsthand the services that
the Libraries provide to students, faculty, staff
and the community at large.
My experience in the nonprofi t sector
has given me a great appreciation for
community involvement and support.
Having completed an internship at the
Muskegon Museum of Art while attaining my
bachelor’s degree, and also having served
as Program Coordinator at Art Reach of Mid
Michigan, I know that without the support
and involvement of constituents a nonprofi t
Libraries’ value is immeasurable
> Development Column
6
institution cannot provide great services and
advance. I’m keenly aware and appreciative
of donors and volunteers alike. Serving as
the director of development allows me to
combine my knowledge and the passion
acquired from previous experiences into
one position.
I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity
to promote the Libraries and the important
library role in student learning and faculty
research. The value of the Libraries at CMU
is immeasurable. The wealth of knowledge,
legacy of service, breadth of collections
and strength
in information
technology are
all pillars upon
which we
continue to build.
The CMU Libraries
are a gem at
Central Michigan
University: in content, character and quality
of service.
If you’d like to discuss the library mission and
services and how you can add your support
if you’re not already a supporter, please
contact me at 989-774-1826 or by e-mail at
brook1mr@cmich.edu. I’ll be happy to be in
touch with you.
Megan R. Moreno ‘06
Director of Development and
Community Outreach
Megan Moreno
Greetings from the new
development director
I’m very fortunate to
have the opportunity to
promote the Libraries.
Libraries provide foundation for
award-winning author’s work
7
Walking to the middle of the Park Library
auditorium stage, award-winning author
Dava Sobel paused and smiled.
“I’m happy to be here. I’m even happier to
be here in a library,” she told the nearly 100
people attending her presentation at the
annual Friends of the Libraries luncheon on
Saturday, May 22.
It was in a library, Sobel said, that she
stumbled on the idea for her book “Galileo’s
Daughter,” which won the 1999 Los Angeles
Times Book Prize for science and technology,
a 2000 Christopher Award and was a fi nalist
for the 2000 Pulitzer Prize in biography.
While conducting research about Galileo,
Sobel discovered a letter he received
from his eldest child. Through further
investigation Sobel realized there were
John Grossa, geography professor emeritus, shows Dava Sobel a photo of a tall case clock
he owns that has a face developed on the meridians of longitude. Sobel’s most famous
book, “Longitude,” won the 1997 British Book of the Year Award and was made into a cable
network movie starring Jeremy Irons.
Science writer Dava Sobel
presents as the 2010 Friends of
the Libraries guest speaker.
124 surviving letters to Galileo from his
daughter, and they are preserved in a
library in Italy. Sobel soon translated them
from the original Italian and used them to
share the story of Galileo’s work.
“I had to go to Italy to see the actual
letters. It was the thrill of my life,” Sobel said.
“(My mentor) said, ‘When you read the letters,
just remember who read them fi rst.’
“Something about libraries that I don’t
know if people respect are the collections
of things that are rare, that are wonderful,
and that are available to the public free of
charge,” Sobel said.
Sobel is a former New York Times science
reporter. Throughout the past three decades
her writing has appeared in numerous
magazines, including Harvard Magazine,
Omni, Science Digest, Discover and The
New Yorker.
While her most recent book is “The Planets,”
her most famous book is “Longitude,” which
won the 1997 British Book of the Year Award
and was made into a cable network movie
starring Jeremy Irons. In addition, “Longitude”
and “Galileo’s Daughter” were developed into
NOVA documentaries.
To learn more about how you can become
a member of the CMU Friends of the
Libraries, contact Megan Moreno, director of
development and community outreach, at
989-774-1826 or brook1mr@cmich.edu. •
resource Key
One of CMU Libraries’ senior
offi cers will lead Michigan’s
oldest and largest library
organization beginning
in 2011.
CMU Associate Dean of
Libraries Richard Cochran
recently was elected to
a three-year term on the
board of the Michigan
Library Association and will
serve as president from 2011
to 2012. MLA was founded
in 1891 and has advocated
for libraries on behalf of the
state’s residents for more
than a century.
Cochran says the most important aspect
of the position is that he will represent all
librarians in the state. MLA’s membership
is comprised of nearly 2,000 individual and
institutional members from public, academic,
private and special libraries.
He says he hopes to support the eff orts of
libraries that spark the curiosity and interests
of young people to make a stronger and
more competitive Michigan.
“Libraries can be great collaborators in
helping people learn and succeed,”
Cochran says.
8
Lead librarian
Cochran elected president of
Michigan Library Association
Of the 101 presidents in MLA
history, only 32 were librarians
from institutions of higher
learning.
“And when you consider
Michigan has about a hundred
colleges and universities,
while only 13 schools have
sent one of their own to head
the MLA, you get a sense of
the company we’re keeping,”
Cochran says.
CMU library staff members
have quite a history with MLA
and other literary organizations
across the state.
The fi rst CMU faculty member to serve as
MLA president was Eudocia Stratton in 1942.
Then Pamela Grudzien, CMU Libraries’ head
of technical services, served as MLA president
from 1997 to1998.
In addition, Grudzien served as Michigan
Library Consortium chairwoman of the board
from 2007 to 2009, and Frank Boles, director
of Clarke Historical Library, served as Society
of American Archivists president from 2008
to 2009. •
Richard Cochran
From the comfort of his
home Dave Peters logs onto
the Internet to take classes
toward his undergraduate
degree online and use the
resources available through
CMU Off-Campus Programs.
Conference addresses serving
online students’ needs
Whether or not Dave Peters realizes it,
he is the type of student more than 250
librarians anxiously talked about at the
national Off -Campus Library Services
Conference in Cleveland.
Peters is an
undergraduate
student who is close
to completing his
bachelor’s degree
in community
development. But
for nearly 20 years he
hasn’t taken a class
toward his degree
on CMU’s Mount
Pleasant campus or
at any of its 60
locations worldwide.
The 57-year-old
father of three has
completed his
classes online.
“I had tried to come
back for my degree several years ago, but my
back started to give me trouble, and I had to
stop,” says Peters, who originally enrolled at
CMU in 1972 and returned in the early 1990s.
“With 105 credits on CMU’s campus in Mount
Pleasant prior to 1991, I never thought I
would graduate. Learning online is making
my degree possible.”
According to Marnie Roestel, manager of
CMU Online Programs, CMU experienced
a 20 percent growth rate in online
programs over the past year, with 877
undergraduate-, graduate- and doctoral-level
courses off ered in the 2009-2010
academic year.
Contributing to this trend are increases
in the number of courses and degree
programs developed for online
delivery, as well as an increase in the
number of students admitted to online
undergraduate programs, Roestel says.
In addition, she says 38 percent of
off -campus students who take classes
at CMU centers around Michigan also
enrolled in an online class.
“The busy lives of students make
taking online courses a good fi t,
providing them with the convenience
and fl exibility they need to keep on
track toward their educational goals,”
Roestel says.
She points out that there is no typical
online student, explaining that an
online class can consist of all types of
students, such as a stay-at-home parent,
a business executive, a soldier serving in
Afghanistan, a retired lifelong learner, an
unemployed worker looking to re-enter
the workforce, and a traditional full-time
student enhancing his or her regular
campus class schedule. •
Dave Peters is part of the nationwide trend
of more university students enrolling in
online classes. This was the topic of many
conversations at the biennial conference
CMU’s Off -Campus Library Services hosted
in April, says Timothy Peters, director of Off -
Campus Library Services.
“What’s nice about the conference is it brings
together off -campus librarians from across
the nation to talk about the types of things
we’re all experiencing so we can learn from
each other,” he says.
The increase in online classes raises a lot
of questions and changes regarding what
off -campus librarians off er students, Timothy
Peters says. Among these changes are more
online tutorials and instructional sessions.
CMU Off -Campus Library Services has proved
to be a valuable component for Dave Peters
as he completes his online courses.
“The library services people have been
excellent in following up with the questions
I’ve had and with helping me fi nd the
information I need and putting my mind at
ease knowing I’m using credible sources,”
he says. “What’s exciting is that in one of
my classes there are students from Saudi
Arabia, Georgia, Virginia and California, and
they have these library resources available to
them as well.” •
Tracking online trends
connections
New kinds of
Dave Peters knew after his professional
position at Mid Michigan Community
Action Agency was eliminated in
February 2009 that he needed to earn
his undergraduate degree if he wanted
to re-enter the workforce. Peters, who
lives in Shepherd with his wife, Michelle,
will be the last member of their family to
earn a college degree when he graduates
with his bachelor of science degree in
community development this December.
9
Stop by Clarke Historical Library this fall, and
you’ll see the Cat in the Hat and the Bobbsey
Twins and even learn about Babar and The
Steadfast Tin Soldier.
But the new exhibit – “Educating the Next
Generation: The World of Children’s Literature”
– is more than childlike fun and games.
In addition to looking at how children’s
books entertain, the comprehensive exhibit
delves further into how these books create
a framework that shapes the future of
individuals and society.
“People often think of children’s books as
child’s play,” says Frank Boles, director of
Clarke Historical Library. “Children’s books
really are about adults teaching children
something.”
According to Boles, the exhibit shows
how children’s literature teaches, conveys
societal views about change and continuity
within various cultures, and casts a global
perspective on issues aff ecting the lives that
children will lead as adults.
Lessons
Clarke exhibit centers on
children’s literature
‘Educating the Next Generation:
The World of Children’s Literature’
Looking into how literature shapes children’s lives
• Oct. 1, 2010, through February 2011
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Clarke Historical Library
• clarke.cmich.edu
Boles and student intern
Jillian Matthews worked
closely with CMU English
Department faculty
members, including
Anne Alton, Susan Stan
and Susan Griffi th, to
develop the themes and
items featured. Among
the themes are literacy,
moral education, images
of children, technology
and illustrative styles.
“Children’s literature isn’t
just about the reading.
There are concepts
involved in everything,
from the illustrations
that are used to the
way they’re presented,”
says Matthews, a senior
history major from Flat Rock, Mich., who is
pursuing a minor in museum studies.
Alton says children’s literature is one of the
very few fi elds of literary study that is not
defi ned by its authors, periods or regions. It
instead is defi ned by its intended audience
– children – and how parents, teachers,
caregivers and other adults perceive
children to be.
esso s
10
of
childhood
“When thinking about children’s literature,
I think it’s important to remember that,
as John Rowe Townsend has suggested,
children’s literature like any other literature
off ers the enjoyment of ‘the shaping by art
of the raw material of life,’” she says. “This
really highlights the notion that literature for
children is just as signifi cant as literature for
anyone else; ideally, the Clarke exhibit will
remind people of this.” •
11
For most of their lives John and Audrey
Cumming have passionately pursued
their interests in Michigan history and
children’s literature.
Now their life passions will inspire others
through an endowment their friends recently
established to honor the longtime Mount
Pleasant residents and avid Central Michigan
University supporters.
John Cumming is very humbled by the
way he and his wife are being honored,
commenting, “I don’t know what to say.”
The John and Audrey Cumming Endowment
will support a speaker series featuring
lectures on Michigan history as well as
children’s literature.
“John has played a fundamental role in
shaping the institution, while at the same
time maintaining an active interest in history,”
says Frank Boles, director of the Clarke
Historical Library.
Humbling experience
Endowment honors
John and Audrey Cumming
CMU student intern
Jillian Matthews
demonstrates the
evolution of technology
in children’s literature,
including pop-up books
all the way back to “The
Speaking Picture Book”
published in 1895.
‘Dr. Seuss, American Icon:
The Legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel’
John and Audrey Cumming Speaker Series presentation
by nationally renowned Dr. Seuss expert Philip Nel
• 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11
• Park Library Auditorium
• Free and open to the public
Prior to his retirement, John was the
longest-serving director of the Clarke
Historical Library, a position he held for 21
years. Audrey began teaching after World
War II and taught in the Detroit and Mount
Pleasant areas. Her passion for education
continued into her graduate studies, during
which she wrote her master’s thesis on
children’s literature.
The endowment program’s fi rst lecture
will feature Philip Nel, a national expert on
Dr. Seuss books, and will help to launch
the new Clarke exhibit, “Educating the
Next Generation: The World of Children’s
Literature.” Nel’s presentation, which is
free and open to the public, is scheduled
for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11, in Park Library
Auditorium. •
Audrey and John Cumming
Stop by Clarke Historical Library this fall, and
you’ll see the Cat in the Hat and the Bobbsey
Twins and even learn about Babar and The
Steadfast Tin Soldier.
But the new exhibit – “Educating the Next
Generation: The World of Children’s Literature”
– is more than childlike fun and games.
In addition to looking at how children’s
books entertain, the comprehensive exhibit
delves further into how these books create
a framework that shapes the future of
individuals and society.
“People often think of children’s books as
child’s play,” says Frank Boles, director of
Clarke Historical Library. “Children’s books
really are about adults teaching children
something.”
According to Boles, the exhibit shows
how children’s literature teaches, conveys
societal views about change and continuity
within various cultures, and casts a global
perspective on issues aff ecting the lives that
children will lead as adults.
Lessons
Clarke exhibit centers on
children’s literature
‘Educating the Next Generation:
The World of Children’s Literature’
Looking into how literature shapes children’s lives
• Oct. 1, 2010, through February 2011
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Clarke Historical Library
• clarke.cmich.edu
Boles and student intern
Jillian Matthews worked
closely with CMU English
Department faculty
members, including
Anne Alton, Susan Stan
and Susan Griffi th, to
develop the themes and
items featured. Among
the themes are literacy,
moral education, images
of children, technology
and illustrative styles.
“Children’s literature isn’t
just about the reading.
There are concepts
involved in everything,
from the illustrations
that are used to the
way they’re presented,”
says Matthews, a senior
history major from Flat Rock, Mich., who is
pursuing a minor in museum studies.
Alton says children’s literature is one of the
very few fi elds of literary study that is not
defi ned by its authors, periods or regions. It
instead is defi ned by its intended audience
– children – and how parents, teachers,
caregivers and other adults perceive
children to be.
esso s
10
of
childhood
“When thinking about children’s literature,
I think it’s important to remember that,
as John Rowe Townsend has suggested,
children’s literature like any other literature
off ers the enjoyment of ‘the shaping by art
of the raw material of life,’” she says. “This
really highlights the notion that literature for
children is just as signifi cant as literature for
anyone else; ideally, the Clarke exhibit will
remind people of this.” •
11
For most of their lives John and Audrey
Cumming have passionately pursued
their interests in Michigan history and
children’s literature.
Now their life passions will inspire others
through an endowment their friends recently
established to honor the longtime Mount
Pleasant residents and avid Central Michigan
University supporters.
John Cumming is very humbled by the
way he and his wife are being honored,
commenting, “I don’t know what to say.”
The John and Audrey Cumming Endowment
will support a speaker series featuring
lectures on Michigan history as well as
children’s literature.
“John has played a fundamental role in
shaping the institution, while at the same
time maintaining an active interest in history,”
says Frank Boles, director of the Clarke
Historical Library.
Humbling experience
Endowment honors
John and Audrey Cumming
CMU student intern
Jillian Matthews
demonstrates the
evolution of technology
in children’s literature,
including pop-up books
all the way back to “The
Speaking Picture Book”
published in 1895.
‘Dr. Seuss, American Icon:
The Legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel’
John and Audrey Cumming Speaker Series presentation
by nationally renowned Dr. Seuss expert Philip Nel
• 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11
• Park Library Auditorium
• Free and open to the public
Prior to his retirement, John was the
longest-serving director of the Clarke
Historical Library, a position he held for 21
years. Audrey began teaching after World
War II and taught in the Detroit and Mount
Pleasant areas. Her passion for education
continued into her graduate studies, during
which she wrote her master’s thesis on
children’s literature.
The endowment program’s fi rst lecture
will feature Philip Nel, a national expert on
Dr. Seuss books, and will help to launch
the new Clarke exhibit, “Educating the
Next Generation: The World of Children’s
Literature.” Nel’s presentation, which is
free and open to the public, is scheduled
for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11, in Park Library
Auditorium. •
Audrey and John Cumming
Stop by Clarke Historical Library this fall, and
you’ll see the Cat in the Hat and the Bobbsey
Twins and even learn about Babar and The
Steadfast Tin Soldier.
But the new exhibit – “Educating the Next
Generation: The World of Children’s Literature”
– is more than childlike fun and games.
In addition to looking at how children’s
books entertain, the comprehensive exhibit
delves further into how these books create
a framework that shapes the future of
individuals and society.
“People often think of children’s books as
child’s play,” says Frank Boles, director of
Clarke Historical Library. “Children’s books
really are about adults teaching children
something.”
According to Boles, the exhibit shows
how children’s literature teaches, conveys
societal views about change and continuity
within various cultures, and casts a global
perspective on issues aff ecting the lives that
children will lead as adults.
Lessons
Clarke exhibit centers on
children’s literature
‘Educating the Next Generation:
The World of Children’s Literature’
Looking into how literature shapes children’s lives
• Oct. 1, 2010, through February 2011
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Clarke Historical Library
• clarke.cmich.edu
Boles and student intern
Jillian Matthews worked
closely with CMU English
Department faculty
members, including
Anne Alton, Susan Stan
and Susan Griffi th, to
develop the themes and
items featured. Among
the themes are literacy,
moral education, images
of children, technology
and illustrative styles.
“Children’s literature isn’t
just about the reading.
There are concepts
involved in everything,
from the illustrations
that are used to the
way they’re presented,”
says Matthews, a senior
history major from Flat Rock, Mich., who is
pursuing a minor in museum studies.
Alton says children’s literature is one of the
very few fi elds of literary study that is not
defi ned by its authors, periods or regions. It
instead is defi ned by its intended audience
– children – and how parents, teachers,
caregivers and other adults perceive
children to be.
esso s
10
of
childhood
“When thinking about children’s literature,
I think it’s important to remember that,
as John Rowe Townsend has suggested,
children’s literature like any other literature
off ers the enjoyment of ‘the shaping by art
of the raw material of life,’” she says. “This
really highlights the notion that literature for
children is just as signifi cant as literature for
anyone else; ideally, the Clarke exhibit will
remind people of this.” •
11
For most of their lives John and Audrey
Cumming have passionately pursued
their interests in Michigan history and
children’s literature.
Now their life passions will inspire others
through an endowment their friends recently
established to honor the longtime Mount
Pleasant residents and avid Central Michigan
University supporters.
John Cumming is very humbled by the
way he and his wife are being honored,
commenting, “I don’t know what to say.”
The John and Audrey Cumming Endowment
will support a speaker series featuring
lectures on Michigan history as well as
children’s literature.
“John has played a fundamental role in
shaping the institution, while at the same
time maintaining an active interest in history,”
says Frank Boles, director of the Clarke
Historical Library.
Humbling experience
Endowment honors
John and Audrey Cumming
CMU student intern
Jillian Matthews
demonstrates the
evolution of technology
in children’s literature,
including pop-up books
all the way back to “The
Speaking Picture Book”
published in 1895.
‘Dr. Seuss, American Icon:
The Legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel’
John and Audrey Cumming Speaker Series presentation
by nationally renowned Dr. Seuss expert Philip Nel
• 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11
• Park Library Auditorium
• Free and open to the public
Prior to his retirement, John was the
longest-serving director of the Clarke
Historical Library, a position he held for 21
years. Audrey began teaching after World
War II and taught in the Detroit and Mount
Pleasant areas. Her passion for education
continued into her graduate studies, during
which she wrote her master’s thesis on
children’s literature.
The endowment program’s fi rst lecture
will feature Philip Nel, a national expert on
Dr. Seuss books, and will help to launch
the new Clarke exhibit, “Educating the
Next Generation: The World of Children’s
Literature.” Nel’s presentation, which is
free and open to the public, is scheduled
for 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11, in Park Library
Auditorium. •
Audrey and John Cumming
CMU Libraries’ exhibits and events calendar
lib.cmich.edu/exhibits
‘Educating the Next Generation: The World of
Children’s Literature’
Looking into how literature shapes children’s lives
• Oct. 1, 2010, through January 2011
• 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Clarke Historical Library
• clarke.cmich.edu
‘Dr. Seuss, American Icon:
The Legacy of Theodor Seuss Geisel’
John and Audrey Cumming Speaker Series presentation
by nationally renowned Dr. Seuss expert Philip Nel
• 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 11
• Park Library Auditorium
• Free and open to the public
‘Fable and Form: A Study in Narrative
Imagery’
Mixed media drawings and fi gurative teapots by Carrie Anne Parks
• Through Oct. 24
• Baber Room, Park Library
‘Quilts Old and New’
Reproductions from the Great Lakes Quilt Center from
the Michigan State University Museum
• Oct. 25 through Nov. 25
• Baber Room, Park Library
‘Refl ections of Florence’
Watercolor paintings, supplementary drawings and
photographs by honors student Abby Peters
• Nov. 1 through Nov. 30
• Extended Hours Study, Park Library
‘Returning to Earth Paintings’
Series of paintings by Jill Eggers infl uenced by the writings
of author Jim Harrison
• January through February 2011
• Baber Room, Park Library
12
University Libraries
Park Library 407
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Non-profi t Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Permit No. 93