“European Medieval Manuscript Leaves: Varieties of Script and Content from the Jim Sims Collection” Now Open!

This physical and online exhibit looks at the progression of medieval handwriting primarily in liturgical books, lay prayer books and Bibles. While not all types of medieval handwriting are in the exhibit, scripts such as Carolingian, Gothic, and Humanist among others are featured. The exhibit was curated by Casey Welby, Classical Languages and History Major ’21 as part of her Honors Project and as a student humanities fellowship at the Gail and Francis Slattery Center for the Humanities. Welby worked with Special Collections Librarian Prof. Michael Knies, Digital Services Librarian Prof. Colleen Farry, with the support of Digital Services Web Developer Jennifer Galas. The Heritage Room will be hosting the physical exhibit of the Sims medieval manuscript leaf collection from February 8 through May 21. However, due to COVID restrictions, the campus is closed to the general public. The online version of the exhibit can be viewed here: digitalprojects.scranton.edu/s/sims-exhibit.

For more information please contact Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies at michael.knies@scranton.edu 

 

In Memory of Terry Connors

It is with great sorrow that we announce the loss of Terry Connors, University of Scranton photographer of nearly four decades. At once both an omnipresent and unobtrusive figure on campus and in the greater community, Terry documented almost every major activity and accomplishment of the University while serving under five different administrations. Not only did Terry fastidiously record history in conventional fashion but showcased a knack, undoubtedly aided by his geniality, for capturing candid moments. He also documented the many distinguished visitors to the region, including politicians, religious figures, actors, musicians, and many other celebrities, Nobel Prize winners, military officials and international dignitaries. In addition to work on campus, Terry provided services to such clients as the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the Lackawanna Bar Association, Moses Taylor Hospital and the Diocese of Scranton. His photographs are therefore an invaluable asset not only to the University but the greater Scranton area, constituting a survey of its events and people dating back to 1976. He will be deeply missed. 

Donated in 2008, the Terry and Paula Connors Collection contains thousands of negatives, prints, and born digital photographs spanning much of his impactful career. Selected negatives and prints (1976-2005) can be viewed in Digital Collections.

University of Scranton President J. A. Panuska, S.J., on the roof of the newly constructed Weinberg Memorial Library (1992)

 

Loyola Hall on the University of Scranton campus (ca. 1978)
Two students walking up a hill by the Long Center after a snowfall, with the city of Scranton behind them (ca. late 1970s) 
Architectural model of the University of Scranton’s planned University Commons. From left to right, Ralph Mancuso, executive vice president, S. G. Mastriani Construction Corp., Rev. Bernard McIlhenney, Robert Ryder, John Flanagan, and Marilyn Coar (ca. 1979 or 1980)
Mother Teresa receiving an honorary degree from University of Scranton President Rev. Joseph A. Panuska. In the background is Marilyn Coar (August 16, 1987)
Students having a snowball fight outside of Alumni Memorial Hall after a snowfall (1994)

Passionist “Lift High the Cross” Exhibit Now Open!

Aware that so many of us carry everyday crosses in life, Italian St. Paul of Cross (1694-1775) founded the Passionist Congregation in 1720. This exhibit shows how Passionist priests, brothers, sisters, nuns and the peoples of the world have found compassion through the wisdom of Jesus on the Cross. See how sacred Passionist relics and inspirational art invites us to meditate on contemporary faith and healings and how artifacts and photos offer an understanding of Passionist monastic traditions and Scranton’s devotion to Good St. Ann.  The diversity of Passionist ministry is represented by scholars, various media and a commitment to peace and justice.   

On April 1, Fr. Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D., Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Scranton and Passionist historian will offer a free public lecture entitled “Our Modern Quest for Compassion of the Mind and Heart: Reflection on the Passionist Tradition, 1720 to 2020.”   

The Heritage Room exhibit will run through April 19. For more information please contact Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies at 570-941-6341.

Selections from the 25th Anniversary of the Library Friends Exhibit, Now Open

This June marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library in 1994. Since its inception, the Friends have worked tirelessly to promote the library through numerous donations and events, many of which are represented in our exhibit, currently on the 5th floor in the Heritage Room and seen in these photos. The exhibit is titled “Celebrating 25 Years of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library,” and will run until December 13. For further information, contact Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies at 570-941-6341.

The first meeting of the Friends of the Weinberg Library Advisory Committee, held on June 20, 1994.
Dr. Darlene Miller-Lanning, former Weinberg Librarian Joe Fennewald, Dean of the Library Charles Kratz, Jack Walsdorf, Dr. Josephine Dunn, and former President of the Weinberg Library Board Rev. Royden Davis, S.J., at the 1994 William Morris Exhibit reception.
2009 Distinguished Author Award winner William Bernhardt with Distinguished Author Award Committee Chair Jane Oppenheim, Dean of the Library Charles Kratz, former President of the Friends of the Weinberg Library Ann Moskovitz, current President of the Friends of the Weinberg Library Mary McDonald, and Friends of the Weinberg Library member Leo Moskovitz.
2013 Distinguished Author Award recipient Susan Campbell Bartoletti with Provost Hal Baillie, Friends of the Library Board Member and Distinguished Author Award Committee Co-Chair Phyllis Reinhardt, former University President Kevin Quinn, S.J., Vice President of the Friends of the Weinberg Library Board and Distinguished Author Co-Chair Gretchen Welby, and Dean of the Library Charles Kratz.
Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies with members of the 2007 Book & Plant Sale Committee Barb Evans, Ann Voorhees, and Phyllis Reinhardt.
2013 Book & Plant Sale Committee
Dr. Midori Yamanouchi, Friends of the Weinberg Library Board Member, with Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies and Dean of the Library Charles Kratz in 2013. Dr. Yamanouchi provided funding for the acquisition of a fine art facsimile of the Lindisfarne Gospels.
2015 Book & Plant Sale in the Heritage Room

Friends of the Weinberg Library 25th Anniversary Exhibit

 

This June marked the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library in 1994. Since its inception, the Friends have worked tirelessly to promote the library through such events as the Leaves of Class drawings, the annual book sale, and Distinguished Author Award dinners. They have purchased rare books and facsimiles, donating more than $75,000 to acquire more than 1240 books and other items for Special Collections as well as for the circulating and reference collections. The Friends have sponsored numerous other donations and events, many of which are represented in our exhibit, currently on the 5th floor in the Heritage Room. The exhibit is titled “Celebrating 25 Years of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library,” and will run until December 13. For further information, contact Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies at 570-941-6341.

Apollo 11 Moon Landing Photograph Signed by Glynn S. Lunney for Rev. Dexter Hanley, S.J.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we are honoring Glynn S. Lunney H’71. Lunney was a flight director for NASA and was on duty during the Apollo 11 moon landing. A native of Old Forge, Lunney graduated from Scranton Prep and studied at the University of Scranton from 1951 to 1953 before receiving his B.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Detroit.

He autographed this moon landing photograph, probably in 1971, for Rev. Dexter Hanley, S.J., president of the University of Scranton from 1970-1975.

The full citation for his 1971 honorary doctor of laws degree is in our digital collections. If you’re on campus, you can also browse newspaper clippings concerning his honorary degree and undergraduate commencement address.

 

 

University of Scranton Alumni Authors Exhibit

Each June, the Weinberg Memorial Library presents the University of Scranton Alumni Authors Exhibit. Covering a range of subjects, the exhibit presents the works of alumni who became nonfiction writers, novelists, children’s literature writers, and historians. The earliest alumnus featured is Clarence Walton, ’37, 10th president of The Catholic University of America and the first layman to hold the position. Also presented are works by Jason Miller, ’61, H’73, who received the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play That Championship Season. The exhibit also includes Highways into Space, by retired NASA engineer, Glynn Lunney, ’55, H’71.  Lunney joined NASA as an engineer in 1958 and went on to become a flight director for the Gemini and Apollo programs, including the Apollo 13 crisis for which he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

For a full list of books by alumni at the Weinberg Memorial Library, please visit Scranton.edu/alumniauthors. The exhibit will be on display in the Library’s 5th floor Heritage Room through the month of June. It is open to the public and can be viewed during normal library hours. For more information, please email Special Collections Librarian, Michael Knies, at michael.knies@scranton.edu or call 570-941-6341.

Alumni interested in donating their published works to the Library can mail a copy to the Office of University Advancement, 800 Linden Street, Scranton, PA 18510.

Faculty Scholarship Exhibit Now Open

During the month of May, the Weinberg Memorial Library hosts its annual Faculty Scholarship Exhibit in the Library’s 5th floor Heritage Room. The exhibit features books and articles produced by University of Scranton faculty members since 2016. The exhibit, organized by academic department, provides an overview of the diversity and quality of scholarly accomplishments by the University’s faculty. For more information, please contact Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies at michael.knies@scranton.edu or call 570-941-6341.

 

Passionist Exhibit Reception on Monday!

This coming Monday, April 8, from 6-8 p.m., the exhibit reception for “Life, Death and Memory: Art and Artifacts from the Passionist China Collection,” will be held in the library’s Heritage Room. Passionist priest and historian Father Rob Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D., will give a lecture dedicated to remembering the Catholic witness of faith in China and especially honoring the memories of three Passionist priests who were martyred there in April of 1929.

The event, generously sponsored by the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Schemel Forum, is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact archives@scranton.edu or call 570-941-6341.

Fr. Rob Carbonneau Promotes Passionist Exhibit on WYOU

WYOU recently interviewed Father Rob Carbonneau, Passionist Historian and Adjunct Professor of History, concerning the new Passionist exhibit currently on display in the Heritage Room. Watch the interview here! The exhibit, titled “Life, Death, and Memory: Art and Artifacts from the Passionist China Collection,” will be on display during normal library hours until April 24. On Monday, April 8, at 6:00 p.m. in the Heritage Room, Father Carbonneau will give a lecture focused on the Chinese Catholic witness of faith and honoring three priests who were martyred in China. The reception is free and open to the public – don’t miss it! For further information, contact Special Collections Librarian Michael Knies at 570-941-6341.