The Miami University Libraries are celebrating the 2019 Ohio Archives Month this October with a series of speakers at King Library. Each of the lectures takes place from noon-1 p.m. in King 320. Those who cannot attend in person can view the lectures live or recorded via Facebook Live on the Libraries’ Facebook page. All lectures are free and open to the public and a reception/refreshments will be held at each event.
The lecture series opens with “Christ’s Naturalists: Exploring Milton, Paley, and Darwin Through Miami’s Archives and Special Collections” on Tuesday, Oct. 15. The lecture, presented by Nicholas P. Money, director of Miami University’s Western Program and professor of biology, discusses the intersection of science and theology in pre-Civil War conversations. Money uses materials from the Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives to highlight similarities in current conversations around climate change.
The following lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 22 welcomes S. Chandler Lighty, the executive director of the Indiana Archives and Records Administration will present his lecture entitled, “History Relevance and Archives Advocacy”. Lighty earned his master of arts in origins and history of the United States from Miami University and will bring his expertise on state
Art and humanities librarian Stefanie Hilles will give a lecture titled “When Books Become Art” on Tuesday, Oct. 29. Hilles will discuss the popularized artist book, an artwork in book form through examples within the Libraries’ special collections including works by Edward Ruscha, William Morris, Karen Hanmer and Julie Chen.
The Walter Havighurst Special Collections and University Archives,
located in King 321, are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.
The Libraries’ special collections include more than 95,000 volumes, including rare books, manuscripts and special subject collections. University archives include manuscripts, photographs and publications from Miami University, Western College for Women and Oxford College.