News

The Baylor Libraries Author Series will highlight Baylor faculty authors Dr. João Chaves and Dr. Mikeal Parsons and their publication, “Remembering Antônia Teixeira: A Story of Missions, Violence, and Institutional Hypocrisy” (Eerdmans, 2023). This author series session will take place on Tuesday, September 24, at 3:00 p.m. in the Schumacher Flex Commons on the main floor of Moody Memorial Library, as well as online via Zoom Webinar. Dr. Beth Allison Barr, the James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History at Baylor, will interview the authors.

Baylor Provost Nancy Brickhouse recently announced author selections for this academic year’s “Readers Meet the Author Series.” Selections include faculty publications on American history and religion, contemporary Christian music, the Supreme Court, and the ethics of architecture.

Over the last three years, Dr. Laine Scales as worked alongside the Baylor University Libraries Learning Design team designing and facilitating a number of professional development opportunities for Baylor faculty and graduate students. The Learning Design team is pleased to welcome Dr. Scales as a Faculty Fellow.

Publication and online workshop from BUIOH offer step-by-step guide to interviewing using distance-bridging methodologies

Baylor Libraries' Institute for Oral History has partnered with the Oral History Association to present an online symposium on artificial intelligence in oral history: "AI in OH: How New and Evolving Technologies Will Impact the Profession."

On July 1, Deborah McCarthy will join the Baylor Libraries as the Catalog and Database Maintenance Librarian. She recently retired from the University of Wyoming Libraries after 20 years of service as Associate Librarian, Head of Technical Services, and Assistant Dean of Resource Discovery and Management.

Karla Garrett Smith, CPA, director of Payment Services at Baylor University, will succeed Ralph Sherman as the Business Officer for Information Technology Services, University Libraries, Mayborn Museum, and Baylor University Press on May 1. Sherman will retire from Baylor after 22 years of service with the university.

Director of the Institute for Oral History and History professor, Stephen Sloan, Ph.D., was honored for his outstanding contributions to Baylor’s learning environment.

Truett Seminary Dean and Professor Todd Still will moderate a conversation with Pastors Matt Snowden and Joshua Hays about their recent publication, “Soul Culture,” on Tuesday, April 23, at 3:30 p.m. on the first floor of Moody Library on the campus of Baylor University and online via Zoom Webinar. This Baylor Libraries Author Series event is free and open to the public.

Laura McNeal, author of the recently released novel "The Swan’s Nest" that features Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, will speak on the role of invention in historical fiction writing as part of the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum’s annual Browning Day celebration on Friday, April 12, at 3:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, and will be followed by audience Q&A, a reception, and book signing. Baylor CAE credit is available for students attending in person.

On Thursday, April 11, 2024, at 12:15 p.m. on the first floor of Moody Library, Philip Jenkins, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of History & Co-Director of the Program on Historical Studies of Religion, and Beth Barr, Ph.D., The James Vardaman Endowed Professor of History. These colleagues will converse about Jenkins’ latest Baylor University Press publication, “A Storm of Images: Iconoclasm and Religious Reformation in the Byzantine World“ (2023). Audience Q&A, a reception with light refreshments, and a book signing will follow the conversation.

Heidi Yarger has been appointed Health Science Librarian for the Baylor Libraries after a competitive national search. Yarger earned her Master of Library and Information Science and Master of Arts in Folklore Studies degrees from Indiana University Bloomington in December 2023 and brings experiences that span creative writing, organic farming, beekeeping, course instruction, reference librarianship, and exhibit curation and production.

On March 1, 2024, the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum of the Baylor Libraries welcomed Joanna Lamb as their new Assistant Librarian and Curator. Lamb earned her Master of Library and Information Sciences from the University of Denver and brings experiences in archives, libraries, museums, and records management in higher education and the energy sector to her new appointment.

Just after Baylor’s Spring Break, on Wednesday, March 13, at Noon in Moody Library, David A. Smith, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in History, will discuss his latest book, "A New Force at Sea: George Dewey and the Rise of the American Navy," with Ronald Angelo Johnson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, and The Ralph and Bessie Mae Lynn Chair of History, as part of the Readers Meet the Author Series. This event is free and open to the public. Audience Q&A, a reception with light refreshments, and a book signing will follow.

On Thursday, February 29, at noon, Dr. Devan Stahl, Associate Professor of Religion, will present her book, “Disability’s Challenge to Theology: Genes, Eugenics, and the Metaphysics of Modern Medicine,” as part of Baylor University’s ongoing Readers Meet the Author Series. The conversation, presented by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President, will be held on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library in the Schumacher Flex Commons. The event is free and open to the public.

On Friday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m. in the Mayborn Museum Theater, Baylor basketball legend and 2024 Founders Medal recipient Tommy Bowman (BBA ‘71) and sports journalist and author Chad Conine will discuss the recently released Baylor Press publication, “Tommy Bowman: Answering the Call.” A reception and book signing will follow the conversation. The event is free and open to the public.

The Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society welcomes an international panel of diplomacy experts to discuss, “Seeking Peace in Times of War: Hope or Hopeless?” on Thursday, February 22, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. in Moody Memorial Library, Room 104, on the campus of Baylor University.

Former Baylor Provost, Emeritus Professor of Literature and the Humanities and Resident Distinguished Professor of Baylor's Institute for Studies of Religion, Dr. David Lyle Jeffrey will discuss his recently released spiritual memoir, “We Were a Peculiar People Once: Confession of an Old-Time Baptist” (Baylor Press, 2023), on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 12:15 p.m. in Moody Memorial Library on the campus of Baylor University.

On Tuesday, January 30, at Noon, come and hear Baylor’s own Dr. Felipe Hinojosa, Professor of History and the Jackson Family Chair for Baylor in Latin America, discuss his recent publication, “Apostles of Change: Latino Radical Politics, Church Occupations, and the Fight to Save the Barrio” with his colleague Dr. Elesha Coffman. Refreshments and a book signing will follow the conversation.

On January 5, the Music Library Association announced that Bruce Evans was chosen as President-Elect of its Board. Evans will begin on March 2 and will serve a four-year term.

On January 3, Allison Yanos began her tenure as Director of Library Systems for the Baylor Libraries, transitioning from her previous role as Assistant Director of Cataloging and Metadata Services.

Dr. Bethany McLemore Stewart has been selected as the Music Liason Librarian for the Baylor Libraries. She will transition from her current position with the Oral History Association on January 3, 2023.

On Friday, December 1, Laura Morrell will join the Baylor Libraries as their new Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian.

Project explores Waco community memory, associations around brutal 1916 lynching and 1953 tornado

Baylor University Information Technology Services invites all faculty and staff to explore the new Bing Chat Enterprise service, which is powered by Microsoft and most easily accessible using Microsoft’s Edge web browser.

On Wednesday, November 8, at Noon, Dr. Felipe Hinojosa will interview Dr. João Chaves about his recent publication, “Migrational Religion: Context and Creativity in the Latinx Diaspora” (Baylor Press, 2021), as part of Baylor University’s ongoing Readers Meet the Author Series. The conversation, presented by the Office of the Provost and the Office of the President, will be held on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library in the Schumacher Flex Commons. The event is free and will be hosted in person and livestreamed via Zoom Webinar. Light refreshments and a book signing with Dr. Chaves will follow the conversation.

Michaela Kufová presents the 2023 Keston Fall Lecture, "War, Music, and Dissonance: A Czechoslovak Case Study," on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 3:30 p.m. at the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum on the campus of Baylor University. Light refreshments and conversation follow the lecture, and a livestream of the event via Zoom Webinar is available. This event is free and open to the public.

On Friday, October 20, at 3:00 p.m. the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum is honored to host Dr. Kristen Pond, associate professor of English and the Margarett Root Brown Chair in Robert Browning and Victorian Studies, as she presents the 2023 Benefactors Day lecture, “It's Okay to Talk to Strangers: Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë on Enchanting Encounters." Dr. Pond’s lecture is available both in person and via Zoom Webinar. A Q&A and reception will follow. This event is free and open to the public, and CAE credit is available to students who attend in person.

The 2023-2024 Readers Meet the Author series begins on Thursday, Oct. 12, at 12:15 p.m. on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library in the Schumacher Flex Commons. Dr. Greg Garrett, professor of English and the Carole McDaniel Hanks Chair in Literature and Culture, will discuss his recently published novel, “Bastille Day” (Paraclete Press, 2023).

Greg Garrett, the Carole Ann McDaniel Hanks Chair of Literature & Culture at Baylor University, and Robert P. Jones, president and founder of Public Religion Research Institute, will converse about race, history, and James Baldwin at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 in the Schumaker Flex Commons on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library on the campus of Baylor University. This event is free, open to the public, and will also be broadcast via Zoom Webinar. A light reception and book signing will follow.

TOLD project seeks to identify oral history collections across Texas

Dr. Jon Singletary will converse about his recently released “Leadership by the Number: Using the Enneagram to Strengthen Educational Leadership” (Jossey-Bass, 2023) and hold a book signing at Moody Memorial Library Sept. 21, 2023, at 6 p.m. Meghan Becker, director of Student Care and Well-Being at Baylor University will interview Dr. Singletary. Light refreshments will be served during the book signing.

Dr. Kristen Pond, Associate Professor of English at Baylor University, has been selected as the seventh Margarett Root Brown Chair in Robert Browning and Victorian Studies at the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum.

Materials from St. James United Methodist Church, founded in 1874, greatly expand Baylor’s holdings of Waco-related African American archival collections

Newby will provide interdisciplinary leadership, research and scholarship efforts associated with the Black Gospel Music Preservation Project, among others duties

Former British Ambassador Roland H. Smith CMG, member of the British Diplomatic Service from 1967 to 2002 and Vice Chair of the Keston Institute Council of Management, died unexpectedly at his home in Worthing on June 15, 2023.

As students wrap-up final papers and projects and begin preparing for exams, the Baylor Libraries and HelpDesk+ are, as always, ready with people, resources, and spaces that inspire success.

The Baylor Libraries host Henan University Professor of British Literature Kevin A. Morrison as he explores the background of Robert Browning’s poem, “The Guardian Angel: A Picture at Fano,” for the 2023 Browning Day lecture.

The Baylor Libraries host a conversation with Texas State Library and Archives Commission Director and Librarian Gloria Meraz and Texas Library Association President Mary Woodard on their journeys in education and librarianship, the current state of libraries in Texas, and the future of Texas libraries.

Legendary gospel music singer and songwriter Andrae Crouch will be featured at a series of free concerts, panels and presentations as part of the 2023 Pruit Memorial Symposium, "My Tribute: The Life and Legacy of Andrae Crouch," March 15-18, 2023. Crouch, who died in 2015, is among the most significant gospel artists of all time and was instrumental in creating both contemporary gospel and praise and worship music. He received Oscars and Grammy awards, recorded with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and others, sold millions of recordings, and toured the world with his group, the Disciples.

Keston Institute (UK) Chair Xenia Dennen will present the Keston Spring Lecture, “Irina Ratushinskaya: Triumph of the Spirit,” on Friday, February 24, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. in Room 104 in Moody Memorial Library on the Baylor University campus. A brief reception and conversation will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

British poet and writer Fiona Sampson curated an online exhibit, "Writing and Responsibility: Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Poetics" which grew out of her digital fellowship with the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum.

Due to the efforts of a group of dedicated students, staff, and faculty, Moody and Jones Libraries and Starbucks remained open while the university transitioned to remote instruction and telework.

Amigos Library Services is making a first of its kind investment in increasing the capacity of its 500+ library members by implementing a multi-year partnership with talent management platform Skilltype.

Free online resources, a collaboration between The Texas Collection and Institute for Oral History, illuminate local history

The Texas Library Coalition for United Action (TLCUA) announced today that they have concluded negotiations with Elsevier and that all TLCUA members have signed or are finalizing new agreements for subscription journal access.

The Baylor Libraries are proud to announce Dr. Elizabeth Rivera as Baylor’s new University Archivist.

Jenny Bolech, who has served with the Baylor Libraries since 2009, has accepted a newly created position as Electronic Resources and Serials Librarian. She will transition to this new role on December 1, 2022.

On Tuesday, November 15, Duo is getting a new look and some new functionality. The new look is streamlined and provides a simplified user experience. As part of the update, we are adding Verified Duo Push when accessing Baylor's Microsoft 365, Ignite, and BearWeb services. With Verified Duo Push, after you Accept a push notification from these systems, you will receive a 6-digit code that must then be entered to verify that the person requesting access is actually logging into the system. To learn more about these changes, visit baylor.edu/helpdesk/duo

Dr. Deborah Logan, professor emerita of English from Western Kentucky University, will present, “Harriet Martineau: Spirit of the Victorian Age” at Armstrong Browning Library & Museum on the campus of Baylor University and online via Zoom on Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. as part of their annual Benefactors Day celebration.

The Armstrong Browning Library & Museum will welcome Baylor alumni, family, and other friends for Homecoming tours on Friday, October 21, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Refreshments will be available.

The Baylor Libraries will host several events during Homecoming on October 21 and October 22

This fall, the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum is hosting “Mythic Women: Archetypal Symbology in ‘Fifine at the Fair,'” an exhibition exploring the topics of sexual desire, social class, and the male objectification of women in Robert Browning’s 1872 poem “Fifine at the Fair.”

Baylor alumna and author Aurelia Davila Pratt will introduce her new book, “A Brown Girl's Epiphany: Reclaim Your Intuition and Step into Your Power,” and hold a book signing at Moody Memorial Library Oct. 18, 2022, at 6 p.m., as the first presenter in the Baylor Libraries Author Series.

The Texas Collection, located in Carroll Library, is home to “Becoming the Bears: A Snapshot into Baylor’s Mascots” until the end of this semester. Students, faculty and visitors can travel through time with the bear mascots through photographs, memorabilia and visual aids.

The Baylor Libraries are pleased to announce the appointment of Millicent Weber as a Data Science Librarian on their Research and Engagement team. Weber is currently a Ph.D. student in Applied Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her dissertation research explores job stress, burnout, and turnover among academic librarians.

Art and music intertwine in the latest exhibit at the Martin Museum of Art, which features abstract paintings paired with music from multiple famous composers provided by the Baylor School of Music and Baylor Libraries.

A collaboration between the University Libraries and the University Writing Center offers students pre-submission review of papers, reports

The Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society at Baylor University and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame present “Afghanistan: The Next Chapter” on Friday, September 16, 2022, at 3:00 pm CDT.

The Baylor Libraries is pleased to announce the appointment of Laura Semrau as their new Humanities Librarian on September 1, 2022.

Ezra Choe is joining us in August at the Baylor Libraries as the new Theology & Philosophy Librarian.

On Sunday, May 15, the Starbucks at Moody Library will close for the summer for renovations. The Starbucks at the Baylor Sciences Building and Common Grounds in the SUB will be open.

New Oral History Database Seeks Collection Information from Institutions Statewide to Create First-Ever Texas Oral History Locator Database

Access to Webex and BigBlueButton within Canvas will end at the end of the spring term. Microsoft Teams and Zoom will serve as Baylor's videoconferencing solutions moving forward.

Baylor is known for its beautiful campus, rigorous academic programs, and Christian mission, but one aspect that sets it apart is its people. The Libraries remember Dr. Sue Margaret Hughes, a former library director who left a lasting mark on the Baylor Libraries.

On Friday, April 8, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. CDT in the Hankamer Treasure Room of Armstrong Browning Library, Dr. Mark Sandy, Professor of English, Durham University (UK) and Armstrong Browning Library Three-Month Research Fellow, will present, "She hath a Spell Beyond Her Name: Byron's Poetic Reflections on Venice, Subjectivity, and Temporality." This event is free and open to the public and will be livestreamed on Zoom.

Professor Deborah A. Logan, professor emerita of Victorian literature at Western Kentucky University, recently gifted Baylor's Armstrong Browning Library and Museum with her personal Harriet Martineau collection. This donation includes over 100 volumes that will fuel future research for visiting scholars.

Beginning on Thursday, March 24, the Starbucks Coffee located in Moody Memorial Library will be open until midnight on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Dr. Stephen Norris, the Walter E. Havighurst Professor of History and Director of the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at Miami University in Ohio, will examine the changing ways Soviet and post-Soviet film directors attempted to articulate the meanings of the Battle of Stalingrad (1942) and the impact these films had in Russia in each era. This event is free and open to the public. Baylor CAE credit is available for the MLC World Cinema Series Selection, Stalingrad (2013).

The Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society launched an online resource that features links to lectures, conferences, position statements, and other sites that provide context around the events unfolding in Ukraine.

Jeff Pirtle, current director of Archives & Collections at NBCUniversal, has been named the new director of The Texas Collection and University Archives at Baylor University following a nationwide search.

Dr. Artyom Tonoyan, Baylor alumnus and author of Black Garden Aflame: The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict in the Soviet and Russian Press (2021), will converse with Dr. Stephen Gardner about this publication and the ongoing conflict in this volatile region on Tuesday, February 22, at 4:30 p.m. in Cashion Academic Center, Room 501. A reception and book signing will follow. This event is free and open to the public.

The collaboration between OpenStax and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board explores the potential of open educational resources and transformational learning

Baylor University's annual Pruit Memorial Symposium will be held at 12:15 p.m. CST on Feb. 16, 2022, on Zoom with a hybrid option. This year's symposium, titled "Go Tell It on the Mountain: Perspectives on Black Preaching, Theology, and Gospel Music," will feature three guest presenters: Dr. Dulcie Dixon McKenzie, Dr. Lisa Weaver and Dr. Carol Tomlin. Dr. Monique Ingalls will moderate.

When the Baylor Libraries welcomed students and faculty back into Moody Memorial and Jesse H. Jones Libraries on Tuesday morning to start the spring semester, there were a few new enhancements across the academic life center of the campus...

The Baylor Libraries have hired Rachel Blume to serve as their Health Sciences Librarian. Blume completed her MLIS at the University of Washington and previously worked with Oregon Health and Sciences University, the University of Utah, and most recently at Texas A&M, where she served as Public Health Librarian.

"New Quizzes" will replace current system by July 2022. Instructors are encouraged to prepare for transition during the Spring 2022 semester.

Two powerful Teams functions - Meetings and Classes - will be integrated into Canvas in December, providing new ways to connect with course participants.

A new fashion exhibit is on display in the Baylor Libraries through Dec. 10, 2021. The exhibit, located in the Schumacher Flex Commons on the first floor of Moody Memorial Library, features over 25 unique designs created by distinguished Baylor faculty members.

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. CST, the Baylor website (baylor.edu) will undergo maintenance and all baylor.edu-based web resources will be offline. Read more for links to online library resources and other cloud-based platforms that can be accessed directly while baylor.edu is offline.

In late 2019, Marta Gimenez Orti, a doctoral student from Spain, received a scholarship from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. The award enabled her to conduct dissertation research for a semester at Armstrong Browning Library & Museum at Baylor University, which is the international center for research on the lives and works of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. However, as she began to make travel plans it soon became clear her Baylor visit would be delayed due to COVID-19.

On November 1 at 3:30 p.m., the W. R. Poage Legislative Library in partnership with the Institute for Oral History will host a virtual panel discussion on Zoom, "Redrawing Texas: Who Chooses Whom?"

On October 7 at 3:30 p.m., the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society at Baylor, in partnership with the Czech Heritage Museum and Genealogy Center welcomes Dr. Flagg Taylor, Associate Professor of History at Skidmore College, for a lecture and panel discussion, "Totalitarianism, Faith, and Dissent: Czech Catholic Václav Benda and Beyond.” The event will be held in the Armstrong Browning Library & Museum and will also be streamed on Facebook Live.

On September 1, Baylor graduate (BA, 1990) and former Armstrong Browning Library & Museum student assistant Gloria Meraz began her tenure as Texas state librarian and director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Meraz is the first person of color and the first Hispanic woman to serve as State Librarian of Texas since the position was created in 1909.

Read and Publish agreements promote the dissemination of institutional research through open access

On Friday, September 10, Baylor faculty and graduate students who participated in the Baylor Libraries' Fundamentals of Data Research Fellowship presented the results of their research.

“Collective Memory,” staged by artist Sheryl Oring in 2011, asked New Yorkers for their reflections of 9/11

Baylor's Armstrong Browning Library & Museum in partnership with the Beall Poetry Festival host renowned British poet and writer Fiona Sampson for a virtual poetry reading and lecture Sept. 15 and 16 at 3:00 p.m. CDT

The Baylor Institute for the Study of Religion and the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society present "Facing Forward: Afghanistan After America," a panel presentation and conversation hosted on Zoom on Thursday, September 2, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. CDT.

Event is free to the public and provides a family-friendly opportunity to explore Waco’s earliest days

As Baylor’s August commencement ceremony began this past Saturday, Dean of University Libraries Jeffry Archer led the faculty procession and inaugurated a new tradition by carrying a volume of the Saint John’s Bible.

During the pandemic, Baylor Libraries' Associate Dean Sha Towers used his spare time at home to make over a dozen artist books.

Mary Goolsby, Director of the W. R. Poage Legislative Library at Baylor University, has been elected Chair of the Congressional Papers Section of the Society of American Archivists.

Starting in mid-June, the Baylor Libraries began posting a series of positions that will help enhance the Libraries' support of the Baylor community, create a more diverse team, and bring fresh perspectives to the organization.

As the Libraries make plans to move into the Fall 2021 semester, the Crosshatch Galleries committee has completed the installation of two new exhibits in Moody Memorial Library and Jesse H. Jones Library.

Amy James, Baylor Libraries Assistant Librarian and Director of Instruction and Information Literacy, published an article, “A Noteworthy Next Class: Making Learning Objectives Work for You," that was selected by the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Instruction Section Teaching Methods Committee to be included on the "List of Selected Resources" for this year.

A summer intern and a Libraries staff member provide support for cutting-edge technology designed to show “the colors between the colors” on screens of the future

Associate librarian and director of Liaison Program, Ellen Hampton Filgo, and associate dean of Research and Engagement and librarian, Sha Towers recently co-authored a new book, Liaison Engagement Success: A Practical Guide for Librarians (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2021).

The Baylor Libraries' OneSearch online catalog will be offline due to a data center migration from Saturday, May 29, at 8:00 p.m. until at least Sunday, May 30, at 8:00 p.m. As a result, all of the Baylor Libraries will be closed on Saturday, Sunday, and also on Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

Massimo Seri, mayor of Fano, Italy, was a surprise guest at this year's annual meeting of the Armstrong Browning Library's Fano Club on Saturday, May 15.