Exploring the past and future of agricultural economies in Kentucky

Good Foods Co-Op in Lexington sells food from local producers.

UK Libraries will sponsor "Thresh and Sow: The Past, Present, and Future of Agro-Food Economies in Kentucky," a panel discussion at West Sixth Brewing (501 W. Sixth Street, Lexington) on Monday, April 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Lilian Brislen, director of The Food Connection at the UK College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment will moderate the panel. The conversation will center around Kentucky's transition from a tobacco-centered agricultural economy to a focus on other crops and value-added food products.

The panel will include five prominent figures in the local food economy: Henry County farmer and cattle rancher David Neville; co-owner of Sweet Grass farm and Sweetgrass Granola Carolyn Gahnn; director of New Roots Louisville and the Fresh Stop project Karyn Moskowitz; Western Kentucky University folklorist and University Press of Kentucky author Ann Ferrell; and Bill Bickford, general manager of Good Foods Co-op. 

Good Foods Co-op will provide light refreshments for attendees and West Sixth’s usual drink offerings will be available for purchase. 

Join UK Libraries for this informal and engaging event, which is free and open to the public.

UK Libraries participates in Engineers Day

A future engineer played "Giant Jenga" at E-Day

Shaver Engineering Library and the Transportation Library participated in the UK College of Engineering E-Day event on Saturday, February 27. E-Day is held annually on campus and is open to the public, with exhibits and activities promoting and demonstrating all aspects of engineering. Children are especially encouraged to learn more about engineering on E-Day. The Engineering and Transportation Libraries offered a "100 Cup Challenge," Giant Jenga, chess, and checkers in the Shaver Engineering Library.  Sue Smith, head of Shaver Engineering Library, Laura Whayne, head of the Transportation Library, senior library technician Jeffrey Dalrymple, graduate student intern Natalie Bishop, and undergraduate student worker Priscilla Landham all participated in the event.

Upcoming UK Libraries Events

•          "WE ARE HERE!" is a panel discussion featuring perspectives on African American LGBTQ* experiences. More details available on UKNow. 2 p.m. September 19, 2015, Lexington Public Library Downtown Branch. Free and open to the public. 

Dr. Donald A. Ritchie

•          The Wendell H. Ford Public Policy Research Center presents the 2015 Edward F. Prichard, Jr. Lecture delivered by Dr. Donald A. Ritchie, Emeritus Historian of the United States Senate.  Dr. Ritchie will speak on "Where Is Henry Clay Now That We Really Need Him? Political Compromise in an Uncompromising Era." 3 p.m. September 24, 2015, UK Athletics Auditorium, William T. Young Library. Free and open to the public.

Nunn Center partners with East End Listening Project

Photo by Matt Goins, Lexington Herald-Leader/Kentucky.com

The Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History and the UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center are partnering with several community organizations on the East End Listening Project, an oral history project to document memories of the Lyric Theater and Lexington’s historic East End neighborhood. Organizers recorded several interviews at the recent Lexington Roots and Heritage Festival. For more information, see the complete article that recently appeared in the Lexington Herald-Leader and on Kentucky.com.

Students from Sutton Elementary visit UK Libraries

UK Libraries welcomed nearly 80 students and family members from Sutton Elementary of Owensboro, Kentucky, on Tuesday, March 24. The visitors had the opportunity to observe college students at work and to learn how UK Libraries supports students at UK. UK Libraries faculty, staff, and graduate assistants invited the Sutton students to picture themselves as future college students. They also emphasized how librarians in large research libraries, public libraries, and their own school media center can help them now. 

While on a tour of William T. Young Library, the visitors saw the compact shelving units in action (a highlight of many school group visits) and visited UK Libraries' partner, the Media Depot @ the Hub. In the Media Depot they saw the green screen room and learned about multimedia resources available to UK students. 

The students’ tour ended with a hunt for fossils along the floor of the atrium thanks to the work of Reference Services graduate assistant Brittany Netherton, who designed a learning activity and brochure about fossils in the Young Library flooring. Debbie Sharp, Beth Fuchs, Beth Kraemer, Jen Martin, Anna Jester, Tawni Miller, and Stacey Greenwell all assisted with the visit by Sutton Elementary.