Library News

Congratulations to Sai Estep for earning her Masters of Library Science from North Carolina Central University! The NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences offers a course of study leading to the ALA-accredited Master of Library Science degree (MLS) with a...

Appalachian Journal's online journal, As the Crow Flies, released its second edition on December 15.  Featured in the publication is poetry by library faculty, Allan Scherlen. Also,  Allan wrote a poem honoring Dr. Barbara Freiman. It was read at a reception last week...

We are pleased to announce that Greta Browning will be the new Head of Special Collections beginning January 1st. As Head of Special Collections, Greta will provide strategic leadership, vision, and oversight for Special Collections, which includes the Appalachian...

We would like to congratulate all of our graduating seniors student employees.  Thank you for your hard work for the University Libraries.  We will miss you all very much! Ileana Gomez-Arceo Noah Malin Victoria Dobson Jordan Docto Amelia Ross Cowan Ramirez Uriel...

The University Libraries hosted Library Finals Fest December 1 - 10, 2025 to help our students destress and take time to have fun during finals week. The Libraries offered over 30 events at our 3 campus libraries and hosted well over 160 students even though inclement...

An Honorary Doctorate Degree was conferred to Library Advisory Council member, Barbara Foard Freiman on Friday, December 12 during the 9am commencement ceremony. Chancellor Norris said, “On occasion, Appalachian State University honors individuals who have made...

Library Advisory Council member, Kay Borkowski was recognized by the Watauga County Board of Commissioners as one of the six Watauga County recipients of the 2025 North Carolina Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards. The Governor’s Volunteer Service Award honors the...

Dean Sue Polanka led several VIP building tours for donors this fall, welcoming participants from the Library Advisory Council and the University Board of Trustees. The tours highlighted key spaces throughout the library, including the Makerspace, audio and visual...

Special Collections hosted a Rhinehart Room Open House on December 3 offering students faculty and staff an opportunity to explore the Library's stately rare book room and see some centuries-old volumes. The Bill and Maureen Rhinehart Collection on British History is...

The Student Library Advisory Board worked closely with Dean Sue Polanka, Librarian Breanne Crumpton, and Board Advisor and Executive Assistant to the Dean, Kelly Burkett, on Phase 2 of the Belk Library study room project. Throughout the process, students played an...

The University Libraries sponsored a ticket check out for the Annual Hayes School of Music Holiday Scholarship Concert held in the Schaefer Center on Friday, Nov. 21st, at 7:30 pm..     All App State students had the option to "check out" up to 2 tickets from the...

Special Collections staff reviewed a busy fall semester in which they hosted 26 class visits for library instruction. The English and Watauga Residential College departments brought the largest number of classes, with four each, alongside sessions for Appalachian...

Music Library’s Dr. Gary Boye and Shane Watson performed with the Appalachian Chorale on Tuesday, November 18th. Under the direction of conductor, Jordan Shomper the concert celebrated the Appalachian Chorale’s 50th anniversary. As part of the celebration, they...

Library Advisory Council Member, Candace Tippett was awarded the 2025 First Place Award for her poem, Requiem for Father at the third annual ARS POETICA exhibition.  (page 30) The reception to announce the winners was held on Thursday, November 13.  The reception...

The Association of Creative Technologies in Academic Libraries (ACTAL) held its 4th Annual Meeting, November 5–7, 2025, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Continuing in the tradition of past ACTAL meetings—where creative library professionals gather to share...

The Charleston Conference is an informal annual gathering of librarians, publishers, electronic resource managers, consultants, and vendors of library materials in Charleston, SC, in November, to discuss issues of importance to the library and scholarly publishing...

Ever wonder what makes a children’s book award-worthy? As part of the Pink Noise Speaker Series Jewel Davis, current chair of the Caldecott Award committee and jury member of other national awards, shared insights into the criteria, evaluation and passion that go into...

The Belk Library is adding a new dose of Mountaineer spirit with the installment of Yosef throughout the stairwells. The update transforms everyday pathways into energetic, welcoming spaces that reflect the university’s identity. By bringing Yosef into the Library,...