Washington and Lee University, Magazine of the University Library Fall 2020

FALL 2020

FOLIOS

The Magazine of the University Library • Washington and Lee University

ISSN 2637-515X

FOLIOS

Volume 15, Number 1 Fall 2020 EDITOR Emily Cook CONTRIBUTORS

Mary Abdoney Jeff Barry Tom Camden ’76 Emily Cook Byron Faidley Julie Kane Amelia Lancaster ’22 Lit Lombard ’23 George Ray Elizabeth Teaff KT Vaughan

Published by Washington and Lee University Library 204 W. Washington Street Lexington, VA 24450

Friends of the Library Coordinator

IN THIS ISSUE ARTICLES 1 A Note from the University Librarian KT Vaughan

2 The Library Without Walls

Continuing to Meet Community Needs During COVID-19 Mary Abdoney, Elizabeth Teaff, Tom Camden ’76 & Julie Kane

5 Fairly Digital

The Academic Fair Moves Online Jeff Barry

6 Listening to Student Voices

The Library Student Advisory Board Amelia Lancaster ’22

7 Under Construction

Moving from the Disco Era into the Information Age KT Vaughan & Elizabeth Teaff

10 Student Spotlight Kit Lombard ’23

FR IENDS OF THE LI BR ARY NEWS & INFOR MATION 11 Moving forward in an Uncertain Time

A Note from the Chair of the Friends of the Library George Ray

Jacci Dare

11 What are the Friends?

Contacts

12 Rockbridge Rails

University Library: 540-458-8643 library.wlu.edu Friends of the Library: 540-458-8642 friendsofthelibrary@wlu.edu ON THE FRONT COVER: LEYBURN’S FACADE IN AUTUMN ON THE BACK COVER: SUN DAPPLED BENCH OUTSIDE LEYBURN LIBRARY

ISSN 2637-515X

Using Local Resources to Communicate Local History Byron Faidley

13 Discover the Friends of the Library Online

View the membership roster, renew your membership, learn about FOL benefits & more!

UPCOMING EVENTS & EXHI BITS IN THE LI BR ARY The University Library hosts exhibits, public lectures and other events.

Currently, all events are virtual due to the pandemic. To keep up to date with the library’s activities, make sure to review our online calendar at library.wlu.edu/events.

A NOTE FROM THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN

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elcome to our Fall 2020 issue of Folios! It was tempting to start my first introductory letter with some platitude about how unusual 2020 has been for the Washington and Lee University Library, but as a friend and supporter you are already aware of that. Instead, let me simply say how excited I am to be joining you, the faculty, staff and student employees of the library and the greater Washington and Lee community as your new Hal F. and Barbra Buckner Higginbotham University Librarian.

In this issue you will read about just some of the work that the library’s faculty, staff, student workers and Friends have been doing over the last year. This includes, of course, how we have worked to pivot our services, spaces and collections to the pandemic paradigm. Beyond that uniquely 2020 need, however, you will also find information about the new Library Student Advisory Board, renovations to Leyburn Library in preparation for welcoming the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning (formerly called CARPE) in summer 2021, student worker Kit Lombard ’23, and lots of library and Friends programs.

Even with all of the restrictions on access and social distancing, we have a lot going on in the library this fall. None of this is possible without the hard work and support of all of you, from the newest Friend to the most seasoned staff member. I hope you enjoy this issue of Folios. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, comments or suggestions.

Yours,

Dr. KT Vaughan

The Hal F. and Barbra Buckner Higginbotham University Librarian

FAST FACTS ABOUT KT VAUGHAN KT comes to the University Library after serving as the associate dean of libraries at James Madison University. Learn more about KT:

Education • Bachelor’s degree in biology, Harvard University • Master of Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill • Doctor of Education in Leadership and Innovation, Arizona State University

Professional Service President-elect, Virginia Library Association

Research Interests • The future of libraries • Building inclusive and equitable library environments for people with disabilities • Scholarly and digital communication in resource-constrained contexts • Career advancement and professionalism of library staff and faculty

Recent Publications Vaughan, K. T. L., & Warlick, S. E. (2020).

Accessibility and disability services in Virginia’s four-year academic libraries: A content analysis of library webpages. Virginia Libraries, 64(1), 2. https://virginialibrariesjournal.org/ article/10.21061/valib.v64i1.600/ Vaughan, K.T. (2020). Evaluating the single service point using the PersonEnvironment-Occupation Model. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 20(2): 361-379. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2020.0018

KT Vaughan

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Follow the library on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook: @wlulibrary

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THE LIBRARY WITHOUT WALLS Continuing to Meet Community Needs During COVID-19

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n response to COVID-19, Washington and Lee University suspended in-person classes on March 13, 2020, and prepared to embark on an entirely new endeavor — virtual instruction. This shift barely hindered most library operations. Instead, it instigated a flurry of staff activity as the library received increased requests for traditional services and created new services to meet emerging demands.

The return to on-campus instruction in Fall 2020, did not prompt a return to business as usual. The library, like the entire university, altered policies and physical spaces to ensure the safety of our campus community.

While patrons usually think of libraries as physical spaces, the shift to virtual instruction reinforced the library’s boundless reach. The library is more than a building — in our case more than two buildings. It is a collection of skilled staff and faculty eager to meet patron needs, regardless of their location. Here is how four library units worked diligently to provide resources and services for students, faculty, staff and public patrons during a historically unique time.

Instruction & Research Services MARY ABDONEY, INSTRUCTION COORDINATOR & SCIENCE LIBRARIAN In March 2020, the library scrambled to meet research needs as students returned to homes across the globe.

Within weeks, we moved on-demand research support services online. To receive help with simple research questions, patrons were able to visit library.wlu.edu and ask a question through LibChat. Initially, librarians and trained student associates staffed the chat. During Fall term, our regular research help desk student associates took the reins, now fully staffing our LibChat service.

For more complex research questions, patrons may schedule research appointments with a librarian. Booking an appointment with a librarian is not novel; yet, the format of the meeting is new. Now most sessions occur over Zoom or Microsoft Teams. This allows librarians to quickly answer student questions at their point of need and facilitates screen sharing — helping librarians better identify stumbling blocks in the research process.

As classrooms bear occupancy caps to facilitate safe social distancing, many librarians spent the Spring and Fall terms zooming into a variety of courses. Giving virtual research tutorials not only accommodates room capacity for in-person classes, it meets the specific needs of virtual and hybridized courses.

While COVID-19 influenced many of our recent innovations, several will persist. For example, we now have the skill set to virtually provide instruction to future study abroad courses or teleconference with students engaged in off-site community-based learning.

Continued on page 3

Left image: Librarian Emily Cook “zooms” into a class to provide research instruction, communicating with oncampus participants and remote students simultaneously.

Emily showcases a special guest requested specifically for this class, Cocoa the beagle.

Photo credit: Janet Ikeda

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SPRING 2018

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The Library Without Walls: continued from page 2

Access Services

Circulation Services, Interlibrary Loan and Building Access ELIZABETH TEAFF, HEAD OF ACCESS SERVICES The University Library physically closed to faculty, staff, students and visitors from mid-March through mid-August. Despite this drastic change in building accessibility, Access Services ensured patrons obtained requested library materials.

Laura Hewett, Access Services supervisor, and Shana Shutler, Access Services assistant, worked inside the library while the physical buildings were closed. They scanned articles and book chapters for remote students and faculty, shipped physical material across the country for students and faculty, and provided contactless pick-up for local W&L members and residents of the greater Lexington area. Due to their hard work, W&L remained one of the few Virginia libraries with the capacity to scan materials for inter-library loan during the spring and summer months. We were also one of the few to provide physical material pick-up for our local patrons.

As fall approached, Access Services reviewed research produced by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in order to safely reopen Leyburn and Telford to current students, faculty and staff. The IMLS study informed the library’s quarantine method for checked out and returned materials. Webinars and meetings with Virginia libraries informed service changes, such a reduction in our operating hours and modifications to our food and drink policies. Additionally, we worked with University Facilities and Public Safety to develop local safety protocols for our physical spaces.

In August, we resumed our physical interlibrary loan services.

Much of that month was spent creating and posting signage and moving furniture to create spaces that support physical distancing.

All of our intense labor and planning paid off when, on August 17, we welcomed students, faculty and staff back to our libraries.

To create safe services for our users, the library added additional self-check-out stations in Leyburn and continued contactless library services with material pick-up. Read more about our COVID-19 adaptations and services on our library website.

While our buildings remain closed to those not officially affiliated with W&L, local residents can request physical materials by emailing titles and call numbers to library@wlu.edu.

Continued on page 4

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Top image: Laura Hewett ensures physical library materials remain accessible to local residents.

Center image: Shana Shutler checks in a book that has finished its quarantine period.

Bottom image: Two students follow the library’s Fall 2020 protocols: wearing masks inside while remaining 6 feet apart.

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The Library Without Walls: continued from page 3

Special Collections & Archives TOM CAMDEN ’76, HEAD OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES The staff of Special Collections has spent nearly a decade breaking down potential barriers to access the rare and unique materials housed in within our collection. Although many previously perceived Special Collections as an elite, off-limits section of the library, it has experienced an explosion of traffic from students, faculty and the community at large in recent years. Our staff heartily embraces this broader service mission, experiencing the joy of discovery, along with our patrons.

2020 compelled us to creatively implement our public service mission while following social distancing guidelines and safety protocols. While we are temporarily prohibited from hosting large in-person classes or community presentations, virtual technologies allow us to share our treasures beyond the confines of the Boatwright Room. We have led virtual classes, socially distant in-person classes, and the occasional hybrid class with participants both in-person and online.

The most challenging aspect of our current situation lies in the inability to welcome those not officially affiliated with W&L into our reading room. We work hard to ensure this alteration to building access does not impact material access. We are busy, scanning one-of-a-kind items to provide digital surrogates for researchers. Sometimes, this results in more staff provided research support than what would occur in an in-person setting.

Our reputation for efficient and effective public service remains well-known throughout the academic community and the greater Lexington community. We maintain that standard during these times due to enhanced flexibility and the commitment of our staff. Special Collections has been fully-staffed and on-site since August 10.

This experience clarified the importance of our digital presence.

In many ways, we now reach a larger and more diverse audience through online exhibitions, subject specific webinars and social media. Ultimately, no virtual medium replaces the face-to-face engagement and the tactile experience of handling one-of-akind objects, particularly with our undergraduates. However, the creative reassessment of our operations as a research center proved to be a healthy and positive endeavor.

Continued on page 5

Top image: Seth McCormick-Goodhart navigates nineteenth-century newspapers to answer researchers’ questions.

Center image: Byron Faidley scans rare and one-of-a-kind material for independent researchers and classroom use.

Bottom image: Tom Camden ’76 showcases Special Collections materials for Professor Julia Hernández’s hybrid class.

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The Library Without Walls: continued from page 4

Collection Services Acquisitions, Cataloging, eResources and the Digital Archive JULIE KANE, HEAD OF COLLECTION SERVICES Collection Services, the unit that purchases material, catalogs books, manages eResources, and maintains our Digital Archive, has worked diligently to provide materials for the W&L community—wherever community members are located. In the earliest days of the pandemic, print purchasing quickly ceased and we transitioned to an acquisition model that prioritized electronic resources. The shift to virtual learning brought an increased demand for ebooks and expensive streaming media, which required vigilance in monitoring a potentially precarious budget situation.

During the spring and early summer, as staff worked from home, we reconfigured job duties to ensure the continuation of essential functions: ordering, activating resources, paying bills, and communicating with each other and the Business Office. A staff retirement during the summer precipitated the reorganization of duties, prompting others to learn new tasks to ensure coverage of needed services.

As some returned to in-building work, print ordering resumed. We instituted changes in our processes, procedures and spaces to keep our staff and community

members as safe as possible. Quarantining materials at each stage of processing helps us ensure safety and minimizes contact among staff members. Unfortunately, supply chain issues and safety procedures slow the time from order to fulfillment—but, even with these necessary delays, users receive both the physical and digital resources they need.

Many thanks go to Kaci Resau, our electronic resources librarian, who has shouldered the bulk of collections’ burdens during this time. Kudos are owed to Jamie Di Risio (see picture of her office workstation below), serials assistant, and Cricket Brittigan, library assistant in cataloging.

Highlighted in a recent Columns article, our Digital Scholarship Librarian Paula Kiser and Digital Services Manager Cindy Morton worked tirelessly, along with the Special Collections staff, on projects to capture and preserve documents and borndigital artifacts relating to both the COVID pandemic and anti-racism efforts on campus.

These dual herculean efforts will extend far into the future for researchers and students looking for information on the different ways in which our community met this moment.

Above image: Jamie Di Risio’s cat, Mr. Cat, looks on as she catalogs ebooks from her remote workspace.

FAIRLY DIGITAL The Academic Fair Moves Online JEFF BARRY, ASSOCIATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN

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highlight of orientation week for first-year students is the academic fair, typically held on the main level of Leyburn Library. An opportunity for students to meet faculty from all academic programs prior to registration, it was held virtually this year on August 20 due to the pandemic. Jason Rodocker, dean of first-year students, normally coordinates the fair but requested a point person from Academic Affairs to handle the details. Interim Provost Elizabeth Oliver reached out to KT Vaughan, university librarian, and the library stepped up to the challenge.

To keep the technological hurdles to a minimum, an academic fair website was created to serve as a central hub for listing Zoom links to the various majors and minors.

A big thanks goes out to Helen MacDermott of Academic Technology Services for help in getting the site ready.

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Fifty-six academic programs and offices participated.

Students connected via Zoom to visit programs of interests. Several programs opted to post videos, handouts, suggested course sequencing and other details on the academic fair site. The site has remained up throughout the year for students who want to revisit the information.

With less than a month to plan and implement, the virtual academic fair was a complex task. Breaking the components into simple steps made the initiative manageable for a small team. On the day of the fair, no major glitches were reported. While we hope the fair returns to an in-person event next fall, it’s exciting that everyone pulled together to make sure the virtual fair was successful this year.

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LISTENING TO STUDENT VOICES

The Library Student Advisory Board

AMELIA LANCASTER ’22 LIBRARY STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR, LIBRARY EVENT AND OUTREACH STUDENT ASSOCIATE

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he Library Student Advisory Board (LSAB) is a relatively new Student Executive Committee (EC) subcommittee, created last academic year with the goal of bringing a distinct student perspective to the improvement of library services, spaces, collections and programming. After all, the library is one of the most central units on campus, and students take advantage of it in a variety of ways through all four years of their undergraduate education. By participating in LSAB, students get the opportunity to freely express their opinions and perspectives on the library and work directly with library administration to implement new initiatives.

LSAB is starting strong this year with 10 student members, seven who are new to the board and ready to bring fresh ideas and perspectives! We hope to continue initiatives from last year in addition to creating new ones. Highlights from last year’s board activities include the creation and approval of new library signage, acquisition of a new selfcheckout machine for the fourth floor and several members’ participation in the interview process for the new University Librarian. Those are just some of LSAB’s activities, but my personal favorite was our finals study break. LSAB set up a table with fruit, cookies and drinks for students to grab

while studying for finals in Leyburn, as well as a suggestion box for them to submit suggestions or thoughts about the library. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to advertise LSAB as a new committee and connect with other students.

Despite the challenges COVID-19 brings to enacting library initiatives and events, everyone has been enthusiastically bringing new ideas to the table. One exciting project we’re working on is getting LSAB’s very own webpage up and running. We hope that this will make us an even more accessible resource for the student body to voice their opinions or suggestions about the library. Part of the page will include a permanent online suggestion box (though we do have a physical box in the library, as well). As a student-led group, we hope that in the coming years we can work to make all library spaces inviting and useful for the whole community, but most importantly our fellow W&L students.

Contact LSAB at lsab@wlu.edu.

2020/2021 LSAB MEMBERS Temi Adeyanju ’21 Sam Choi ’21 Matt Condon ’22 Rose Hein ’22 Amelia Lancaster ’22 Kit Lombard ’23 Kayla Monaghan ’24 Posi Oluwakuyide ’24 Tiffani Thomason ’22 Madison Williams ’23 *Librarian Advisors: Elizabeth Teaff & Emily Cook

Top image: Amelia Lancaster ’22 & Rose Hein ’22 give out healthy snacks during finals week in Fall 2019 and solicit feedback about the library.

Left image: LSAB’s first meeting of 2020/2021, a virtual gathering

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION Moving from the Disco Era into the Information Age

KT VAUGHAN & ELIZABETH TEAFF

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ompleted in 1979, Leyburn Library remained largely unaltered into the 21st century, with the exception of a main floor renovation completed in 2009 and improvements to Northen Lobby finished in 2017.

Now, Leyburn Library welcomes additional renovations while preparing to serve as the home for the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning.

Plans for Lower Level 1 spaces include a new Writing Center, a classroom/meeting room with glass moveable walls overlooking Woods Creek, an experimental classroom, a video editing space, offices for the Harte Center and Academic Technologies, a Special Collections classroom, and spaces to support various forms of study. While the Harte Center will reside on Leyburn Library’s Lower Level 1, both Lower Levels 1 and 2 are undergoing construction. Lower Level 2 will be the new location of our Collection Services department and will receive a brand-new classroom. In addition to the creation of new spaces, this partial renovation allows Leyburn to better meet student needs in today’s information age.

Construction on this project started in earnest during the summer of 2020. Although slightly delayed due to various factors, including the pandemic, we are on course to open the spaces for the Fall 2021 term.

Turn the page to view what we’ve done so far, and what will happen during 2021.

Continued on page 8 Top image: Scaffolding ascends Leyburn Library’s Woods Creek facing exterior, providing an entry point for construction on Lower Level 2.

Right image: As construction coincided with the pandemic, the university set protocols to ensure the safety of construction crews and W&L community members. At various times, these included the designation of constructiononly spaces and reminders to social distance.

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Under Construction: continued from page 7

WHAT WE’VE DONE June-July 2020

September-October 2020:

American Interfile and Library Relocation Services moved nearly every volume, not including the reference collection, in Leyburn Library. Books with call numbers in the A’s are on Lower Level 1 and books with call numbers in the Z’s are on Lower Level 4. Call numbers now flow from A-Z in an uninterrupted and logical manner from the top of the building to the bottom floor. Low-use items, such as bound journals, microcards and government documents, moved into compact shelving. Overall, this created space on Lower Level 1 for the Harte Center and on Lower Level 2 for new staff spaces and a classroom.

Contractors first demolished the northeastern and southwestern sections of Lower Level 2 to accommodate the new Collection Services suite, on the Elrod Commons’ side, and a new university classroom, on the Science Center’s side. The firm framed the new spaces, improved the HVAC and electrical systems and drywalled rooms. The new suite will include an integrated digitization space for high-end scanning, offices and team workspaces, all with natural light. One large classroom will accommodate current university needs for large, socially distant spaces. During this period, Lower Level 2 remained inaccessible MondayFriday, from opening until 6 p.m. The library pulled needed materials located on Lower Level 2 upon patron request.

Continued on page 9

August 2020 The construction firm Kjellstrom and Lee (K+L) removed empty shelving on Lower Levels 1 and 2 and rearranged furniture in Leyburn to create socially distant student-study spaces for the duration of the project. A full-building upgrade to the fire-safety system started and will continue through November 2020.

Top left image: Plastic sheeting separates construction space from browsable stacks on Leyburn’s Lower Level 2.

Top right image: New offices for Collection Services take shape on Leyburn’s Lower Level 2.

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Above image: A new, large classroom takes advantage of Leyburn’s plentiful windows.

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Under Construction: continued from page 8

WHAT WE’LL DO November-December 2020: Work on Lower Level 2 will conclude before the winter holidays. The library will close to visitors for a few days before Thanksgiving to allow for the very disruptive, final testing phase of the firesafety upgrades. We also plan to upgrade carpet on Lower Level 4.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM wlulibrary

Leyburn Library

January 2021-August 2021 In January, K+L contractors expect to start construction on Lower Level 1, the first phase of the Harte Center renovation proper. As a construction zone, much of Lower Level 1 will be closed to public use from January through the end of the project.

Special Collections and Northen Auditorium will remain accessible through this period. During construction, the library will pull needed materials located on Lower Level 1 upon patron request.

We hope to invite you all to Leyburn for the grand opening next year.

In the meantime, keep an eye on our social media for updates!

wlulibrary Tom Camden ‘76 & his Special Collections

crew have been working tirelessly to provide access to research materials...whether researchers can make it into Special Collections or not. ...

Thanks, @wluwashterm for the picture.

CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE LIBRARY? Access some of W&L’s unique holdings, local resources and institutional history through our Digital Archive:

library.wlu.edu/digitalarchive Available through the Digital Archive: The Calyx, Ring-tum Phi & Alumni Magazine.* *Digitized issues of the Alumni Magazine are now available through 1988.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

KIT LOMBARD ’23

What do you want to do after college?

I have always had a plan to go to college, but the after part has left me confused. I think I am just going to go with the flow and see what happens. I do think, however, that I want to take a break from school because this is all I know of in life, and I want to experience what else is in the world. I always wanted to live in a different country. So, I may apply for opportunities abroad, whether it is research, a full-time job or partnering work with an organization. I also will apply for jobs in the U.S., but I would like to live in a different state than where I lived previously.

What does your job at the library entail?

I am an Information Desk associate. Any time you have questions about the library — whether on our resources or books — you come to me. I help individuals find books or films, I checkout a variety of items the library provides and I answer any phone calls. Also, the Information Desk is usually where visiting families or community members ask for directions. Overall, this role has allowed me to meet a lot of people.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Above image: Kit Lombard ’23, safely behind an acrylic partition, staffs Leyburn’s Information Desk.

As a student, it is fair to say that I am appreciative for any moment that I am not stressed out. For me, this work-study provides an effective break from my schoolwork. The library is naturally quiet and peaceful, so it is very relaxing to be here. I also value how grateful the library staff is to have work-study students. They know our names, greet us and have conversations with us. This creates an overall amazing experience. Every time I have a workstudy shift, I am grateful that is here.

What is your fondest library memory?

Being told I get to work at the front desk early on in my first year was exciting. Normally this role is possible after a year of stacking books. But, during my first year, the library was short on substitutes. It reinforced the trust and appreciation the library supervisors had for work-study students. I enjoyed stacking books because it gave me an understanding of the layout in our library stacks. This allowed me to unintentionally stumble across the vast variety of books we have in our inventory: cookbooks, poetry, autobiographies and historic books. We have so many books that you could not find at your local library.

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MOVING FORWARD IN AN UNCERTAIN TIME A Note from the Chair of the Friends of the Library

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GEORGE RAY, CHAIR OF THE FRIENDS BOARD PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH, EMERITUS

he worldwide influenza epidemic of 1918 also impacted Lexington and W&L. In his history of the college, Ollinger Crenshaw wrote, Lexington’s schools, churches, and moving picture house were closed. Eighty cases were reported on October 10, causing conversion of East Dorm into a hospital. The influenza situation continued to be serious throughout October but gradually abated and passed.

In early October of 2020, however, the duration and severity of the current pandemic, COVID-19, remains unknown. COVID-19 continues to disrupt global life and life in the greater Lexington area.

When the campus lockdown began last spring, the Board of the Friends of the Library (FOL) canceled its annual general meeting and lecture. Despite this setback, FOL is prepared to move ahead.

Part of this momentum comes from our new additions to the Friends board. Three new members of the board’s class of 2020-2023 are Dr. Gilbert Smith Jr. ’68, retired from Duke University’s Office of Science and Technology; Joanne Kinney Smyth, journalist and biographer of James Thurber; and Nicole Allaband ’10, an alumna who worked in Leyburn during her undergraduate years. Three members of the board completed their terms this year — Dennis Cross, Pamela Luecke and Gerald Malmo ’79 — all of whom receive our profound thanks for their service. We also welcome as an ex officio FOL board member Dr. KT Vaughan, Hal F. and Barbra Buckner Higginbotham University Librarian. We thank John Tombarge for his previous leadership in that role.

Physical changes are also underway at Leyburn Library, notably on Lower Levels 1 and 2 in preparation for the installation of the Houston H. Harte Center for Teaching and Learning. See KT Vaughan and Elizabeth Teaff’s article “Under Construction: Moving from the Disco Era to the Information Age” (p. 7) to learn more about this project.

The Friends eagerly plan to contribute to additional improvement initiatives — specifically updates to Special Collections’ Boatwright Room. We remain grateful to our membership of some 300 loyal Friends for allowing us to take on these important projects. Please continue to support FOL as you are able.

WHAT ARE THE FRIENDS? The Friends of the Library (FOL) is a support organization comprised of members committed to making the University Library a place of growth and scholarly engagement.

By pooling large and small donations, the Friends make an essential contribution to meeting current needs and building the collection.

Just this year, FOL provided funds for the following popular resources: • Academic Search Complete Alumni • Business Source Complete Alumni • JSTOR Alumni Past initiatives include, but are not limited to: • Substantial contributions to the Light It Up! campaign, which helped renovated and illuminate Northen Lobby • The purchase of furniture for Leyburn Library’s patio • The purchase of digital access to the letters of George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson and the BBC Shakespeare Plays streaming video series To join FOL and help support the many initiatives of the University Library, use the online giving form to pay using a credit card.

Select Friends Fund for Leyburn Library in the “Designation” drop-down list.

When this pandemic will abate and pass is not clear. Regardless of circumstance, the Friends look forward to uniting at our Annual General Meeting in May 2021 — whether in person or virtual — to celebrate 16 successful years of support!

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FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Use the membership/donation form to join/renew by mail using a check.

ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP Individual: $50 Family (2 or more): $75

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ROCKBRIDGE RAILS Using Local Resources to Communicate Local History

BYRON FAIDLEY

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Above image: Buffalo Forge Station: Rockbridge Historical Society Photographs

hortly before the university transitioned to online learning due to the pandemic, on February 29, 2020, Byron Faidley discussed the area’s rich railroad history in an event hosted by the Rockbridge Historical Society. Byron showcased a variety of primary sources from Special Collections and beyond in order to tell this important and complex story. The following article outlines some of that story.

In the mid-19th century, Rockbridge County residents sought to remain connected to the ever-growing railroad networks then under construction throughout the United States. The “iron horse” quickly eclipsed the area’s connections to the Great Wagon Road and the James River and Kanawha Canal.

abruptly halted for the decade. Valley residents, including those from Rockbridge, passed resolutions and pleaded with the larger companies that were backing these projects to urge their speedy completion.

Finally, in the early 1880s, the two lines opened into Rockbridge. But, only one achieved the goal of connecting with the Norfolk and Western Railway at Roanoke. The Shenandoah Valley Railroad, winning the local race, serves as an important part of the modern Norfolk Southern network.

Today, freight trains from the line are heard occasionally on W&L’s campus.

Continued on page 13

The Virginia Central Railroad, later the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, first entered Rockbridge County through Bell’s Valley and into Goshen in 1857. The line became regionally and nationally important, due to the discovery of coal deposits in West Virginia during the line’s drive toward the Ohio River in the late 1860s and early 1870s.

However, most people found Goshen to be an inconvenient location for a local depot when transporting goods to market or travelling any great distance.

Two competing rail lines, The Valley Railroad (backed by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad) and the Shenandoah Valley Railroad (backed by the Pennsylvania Railroad) charted parallel courses through the Shenandoah Valley into Rockbridge County. Both strove to create a regional connection near Salem and Roanoke, respectively, along what would become the Norfolk and Western Railway.

After the Panic of 1873, America’s original Great Depression, construction on both lines

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Above image: Fairfield Station: Rockbridge Historical Society, Lyle Collection

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

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Rockbridge Rails: continued from page 12

The first line to make it as far as Lexington, in 1881, by the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad, built lines on the towpath of the old North River (now the Maury River) and James River canals. This line operated successfully for over 80 years, hauling students, cadets, local citizens and important freight. In August of 1969, Hurricane Camille decimated the region, causing extensive flooding, which destroyed many bridges on the Maury that were needed to bring the heavy trains to Lexington. The C&O Railway abandoned the line. Through the efforts of various local groups, outdoor enthusiasts now enjoy the old line as the Chessie Nature Trail.

Along the Woods Creek Trail, walkers can pass through one of the original Valley Railroad culverts — completed in 1874.

An original mile post also remains on the Woods Creek Trail, reading “BF 20.” This code designates the 20-mile distance to Balcony Falls, near Glasgow, where the main-line still runs along the James as part of CSX Transportation.

To learn more about local railroad history, and explore Special Collections resources on this topic, contact Byron Faidley at faidleyb@wlu.edu.

Above image: This stone culvert remains visible near W&L’s parking deck. East Denny Circle currently crosses above Woods Creek, which passes through the culvert.

From Michael Miley Photograph Collection Special Collections is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., to current students, faculty and staff.

While those who are not current W&L students, faculty and staff cannot enter our physical buildings due to the pandemic, researchers can email questions to Tom Camden ’76 at camdent@wlu.edu.

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Fall ripens outside Leyburn Library

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Sun dappled bench outside Leyburn Library