West Virginia History through Archives–Preserving the Mountain State’s Stories
CLASS 6: “Authors in the Archives: Manuscripts, Memoirs, and More”

While a manuscript archivist at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, Laura Carroll processed the papers of award-winning author and international figure Salman Rushdie. In addition to the correspondence, journals, numerous drafts and proofs of manuscripts that are commonly found in author collections, Rushdie’s “papers” also included four of his computers and other electronic material. Laura will discuss some of the unique challenges involved in organizing authors’ papers and how these collections can inform scholarly research in a variety of disciplines. She will also discuss one of the Ohio County Public Library’s own author collections, The Elizabeth Monroe papers, which consist of Monroe’s extensive research for her book, “The Wheeling Bridge Case: Its Significance in American Law and Technology.”

A special Lunch With Books will be held the Thursday following Class 6, November 16 at noon, when award-winning biographer Walter Stahr will be at the library to tell the story of Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, the man the president entrusted with raising the army that preserved the Union. Stahr, author of the New York Times bestseller “Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man,” came to Wheeling to access the OCPL’s Elizabeth Monroe papers while doing research for his new book, “Stanton: Lincoln’s War Secretary,” and will talk about Stanton’s connection to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge.

Laura Carroll, Archivist at the Ohio County Public Library, earned her MLIS from Dominican University and her MA in Public History from Loyola University, Chicago. She served as an archivist in the Rare Book Library at Emory University and for the American Medical Association.

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Learn more about the Fall 2017 People’s University Series at http://www.ohiocountylibrary.org/news/5671

The People’s University is a free program for adults who wish to continue their education in the liberal arts, featuring courses taught by experts in each subject that enable patrons to pursue their goal of lifelong learning in subjects such as history, philosophy, and literature. There are no grades and patrons are welcome to attend all classes in a series or individual programs on a class by class basis.

To register for The People’s University: West Virginia History through Archives – Preserving the Mountain State’s Stories, please call the library at 304-232-0244, send an email to ocplarchives@gmail.com, or visit the Reference Desk. Classes are free and open to the public. Registration is not a commitment and you are welcome to attend any or all classes. Complimentary refreshments will be provided.