The Top 10 Banned Books that Changed the Face of Black History

In honor of Black History Month, Lehman Library brings you The Top 10 Banned Books that Changed the Face of Black History (from the NCAC).

Inspired by the blog post from the National Coalition Against Censorship, this special topics list shares fiction and nonfiction works—often banned or censored for personal, ideological, or political reasons—that have shaped the Black American narrative through "important stories of survival in the south during slavery, black struggle in the north during the bustling 20s and 30s, and the search for identity that many faced in the twentieth century." Check out the Top 10 Banned Books that Changed the Face of Black History at Lehman Library today!

#TBT in the Archives 2/26/15

The Black SSCene, November 1975

The Black SSCene was a Shippensburg State College (SSC) underground newspaper that was produced in the late 1970s by African American students. These images are the first productions of the newspaper, which premiered in November 1975. Giving voice to black students, the editor's statement on the front page proclaims, "we, the Brothers and Sisters of SSC, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice...do hereby create and perpetuate the BLACK SCCENE."

The Black SSCene was the first SSC periodical that discussed black student issues, activities, and events on campus and was intended for readers of all races and ethnic backgrounds. This issue in particular addresses the lack of unity among black students, explaining that the key to unity is communication. The Black SSCene's creation and publication was just one step towards bridging this gap. Other articles highlight black students on campus such as Gwen Brown, the first "Sweetheart" of the Alpha Beta Omega fraternity; poetry; music reviews; sports; and civil rights and race relations at the national level.

The complete November 1975 issue of the Black SSCene, along with two other issues, are available to view in the University Archives & Special Collections at Ezra Lehman Memorial Library.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Visit Archives & Special Collections during our open research hours, or contact us via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.

Cookies & Milk with ED on February 24th

You might have seen some signage around the library recently talking about ED. And you're probably wondering... who is this ED character?

Stop by the library on Tuesday, February 24th from 3:00-5:00pm to find out! There will be cookies. I repeat: There will be cookies. This is not a drill. Delicious baked goods in the library.

If you're thinking, "Cookies? I love cookies! Can I have one?" I'm going to say "Yes, yes you can. All you have to do is bring your wonderful-snack-loving-self to the library and be willing to learn a thing or two about ED."

Lehman Library recently launched a search tool called Ebsco Discovery Services (EDS) which enables library users to search the majority of the library's print and electronic resources in one place. The library is hoping to give this interface a personality. We'd like your help designing ED, a sort of mascot for this search service. To learn more, visit the ED design contest homepage: http://library.ship.edu/edcontest .


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TL;DR: Feb 24th @3-5pm-- Cookies in the library! Learn more about how Ebsco Discovery Service can help you, and how you can help the library by giving ED a personality!

#TBT in the Archives 2/19/15

March for Humanity, 1990

This Throwback Thursday, in honor of Black History Month, we would like to look back on the roles of African American students in Ship's campus community. On January 26, 1990 over 100 marchers participated in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. March for Humanity, which was sponsored by the African American Organization. The marchers chanted "Stand by our side, keep the dream alive!" as they traveled across campus. Their final destination was the Old Main Chapel where a memorial service was held with remarks from coordinator Tyrome Smith and President Ceddia, followed by speaker Rev. Belgium Baxter from Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church in Harrisburg. The university continues to hold marches and events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The 27th March for Humanity was held this past January.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Visit Archives & Special Collections during our open research hours, or contact us via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.



Source: "Afro-Am tribute march proves to be quite successful," Slate 34, no. 13, January 30, 1990, University Archives & Special Collections, Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, PA.

Exhibit: John Taggart Poetry Collection

View the current library exhibit highlighting the John Taggart Poetry Collection to learn more about one of Archives & Special Collections' newest acquisitions. The exhibit will be on display in Ezra Lehman Memorial Library's main gallery from February 16-27, 2015.

Renowned poet John Taggart (Shippensburg University Professor of English 1969-2001), has published widely in literary magazines alongside notable contemporaries such as Allen Ginsberg, Susan Howe, and Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge. The exhibit will feature several poems from selected publications.

Contact Archives & Special Collections via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516 for more information.

#TBT in the Archives 2/12/15

Ship students socializing, 1909

Join Archives & Special Collections as we take some time to turn back the clock and remember Ship's past on Throwback Thursdays! #tbt

In light of this upcoming Valentine's Day, we thought it would be interesting to look back at the social lives of young men and women on Shippensburg's campus (then the Cumberland Valley State Normal School) in the early 1900s. The origins of Valentine's Day go back to ancient Rome, but by the nineteenth century the first valentine greeting cards were produced by Esther Howland who became known as the "mother of the valentine." By 1913, Hallmark began mass producing cards, and as they say....the rest is history.

Shippensburg students in the early 1900s were no strangers to love, but rules about socializing with the opposite sex were very strict on campus in those days. Students had to retire to their dormitories by 10pm and male and female students were not allowed to "hold prolonged conversations with one another" unless in connection with school duties or with permission of a faculty member or administrator. However, these rules didn't stop the lovestruck! Many young men were written up for meeting with female students after dark. On February 21, 1919, two male students were written up for meeting with two girls outside the gymnasium. These same couples also met in the music studios and excused themselves from church to take a walk together. The boys' fathers were notified of their rule-breaking behavior, and as a result the male students were essentially grounded--they had to remain on campus--and their social privileges were revoked. These consequences reflect both the values of the school and society during this time period.

Want to learn more about Ship's history? No need to wait for the next Throwback Thursday! Visit Archives & Special Collections during our open research hours, or contact us via e-mail: specialcollections@ship.edu or phone: 717-477-1516.

Design Contest - Win Glory Forever

Calling all students!

Do you have a knack for illustration/design? The library wants YOU to enter our design contest.

The Ezra Lehman Memorial Library recently implemented use of a single search product which gives users the ability to search nearly all of the print and electronic resources available through the library in one place! We want to give life to this spectacular search tool, which is why this semester the Library will hold a contest for students to create an image that will represent the Ebsco Discovery Search (or ED).

Give ED a persona and submit your creation to the contest by sending a .jpg or .png file to librarian@ship.edu. Be sure to include your name and contact information too!

Submission deadline: March 31, 2015

Student voting on 3 finalists: April 6-10, 2015

Winner announced: April 14, 2015

Learn more about contest details and ED related events by visiting the contest webpage. We hope you'll help us bring ED to life!