USC Libraries

On Thursday, May 16, the USC Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study honored its newest fellows in a special ceremony in Doheny Memorial Library. University Professor and USC Libraries Associate Dean Kevin Starr, who directs the academy, inducted 21 USC students as Academy Fellows—its largest group of inductees to date—presenting them with certificates and academic stoles. Click through for a full list of the new inductees and for photos from the ceremony.

A new exhibition of materials from the USC Libraries' Special Collections honors the late Leo Buscaglia, a USC alumnus and professor who earned the nickname "Dr. Love." Keep reading to learn more about the exhibit, on display on the second floor of Doheny Library through the end of June.

In September 2011, the USC Libraries hosted To Stay or Not to Stay?, the fifth biennial conference of the International Feuchtwanger Society (IFS). The three-day gathering explored one of the key decisions faced by German-speaking exiles in Los Angeles: whether to remain in Southern California or return to Europe. Now, the proceedings have been published in book form. Edited by IFS president Ian Wallace, the book includes contributions by two USC librarians. Marje Schuetze-Coburn, senior associate dean of the USC Libraries and Feuchtwanger Librarian, wrote "Lion Feuchtwanger in Los Angeles," and Exile Studies Librarian Michaela Ullmann contributed "Literary Agent, Advisor, Entrepreneur: Felix Guggenheim’s Life and Business on Two Continents."

Beginning May 20, Leavey Library will replace the Doheny Memorial Library as a destination for items paged from Grand. The Science & Engineering Library will remain as an alternate destination for paged materials.

USC Libraries Vice Dean Martín Gómez was recently featured on Zócalo Public Square, an online forum that invites influential figures to provide their views on a broad range of ideas. With Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa leaving office this summer, the website asked Gómez and other contributors, "what would your ideal mayor say to Los Angeles?". In his response—written in the form of a public address—Gómez's hypothetical mayor announces that "we can turn Los Angeles into the model city for the next century." 

From Saturday, May 4, through Tuesday, May 14, several USC Libraries locations will be open for extended hours to serve students studying for their final exams. Leavey Library will remain open for 24 hours, while Doheny Memorial Library and the Science and Engineering Library will be open daily from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. the following morning. After the exam period, several libraries will be open for reduced hours as commencement activities take place. Please check the Library Hours page for the most current information. Click "View Exceptions" for exam period and commencement hours.

The ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives recently processed 59 collections as part of a project that received a $133,577 grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC). The project includes many diverse collections that document the beginnings of the LGBT civil rights movement in the United States and the daily lives of prominent artists, activists, and writers. The newly processed collections include photographs dating to 1850 and the records of organizations such as the Lambda Literary Foundation and LGBT running clubs. Another highlight is the papers of intersex activist Lynn Edward Harris. Keep reading for a complete list of the newly processed collections.

The USC Chronicle printed USC graduate student Andrew Woodham's Wonderland Award-winning crossword puzzle, "A Reflection on Lewis Carroll," in its April 22, 2013, issue. Find the puzzle on page 8, or download this PDF and try to solve it yourself. The solution will appear in next week's issue of the Chronicle and here on Libwire.

In an instant, Doheny Library's Nazarian Pavilion courtyard became the scene today of the first in a series of live, pop-up plays staged by the USC Libraries and USC School of Dramatic Arts Professor Oliver Mayer. Directed by USC School of Dramatic Arts graduate Jonathan Munoz-Proulx, the performance featured USC student actors and captured the essential role of libraries in creative and intellectual discovery. Guest star David Zayas (also known by television viewers as Sgt. Angel Batista) played himself, touting the wealth of resources available at the USC Libraries. "Aren't you on TV," a student actor asked him in the flash play. "Aren't you on Dexter?" Click through for photos from the flash play.

USC graduate student Andrew Woodham took first prize in the ninth-annual USC Libraries Wonderland Award competition for “A Reflection on Lewis Carroll.” Judges chose the 3-foot by 4-foot 64-word crossword puzzle from a field of 42 imaginative submissions by students from USC and other participating institutions. Woodham, a Ph.D. candidate at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, accepted the award at a ceremony in Doheny Memorial Library on Friday, April 5. His win marks the first time in Wonderland history that one student has earned the top prize in two consecutive years. Keep reading to learn more about Wonderland Award and the April 5 ceremony.