Women's History Month Archives Exhibit

There is a new archives exhibit in the library in honor of Women's History Month entitled, "Women's Work: Lutheran Missionaries in India at the Turn of the Twentieth Century." Curated by intern, Meriah Swope, the exhibit features missionaries Jessie Brewer, Annie Sanford, and Mary Baer and their work in the Guntur Girl's School in Guntur, India. The exhibit will be up all month in the library entrance. Stop by to check it out!

To learn more about Women's History at LTSG, please contact Assistant Archivist Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717-339-1317.

E-Books Are Here!

The A.R. Wentz Library is going digital, thanks to the library’s participation in the Theological Libraries Ebook Lending Project. The library is pleased to announce that we are now offering e-books as part of your available collection of library resources. The Theological Libraries Ebook Lending Project is an initiative of the American Theological Library Association (ATLA). The project currently has 13 participating libraries and plans to increase that number. The new e-book service is powered by Odilo, a software company that specializes in digital content delivery platforms.

Each currently-enrolled student, faculty and staff member can check out up to two e-books for a period of two weeks with the option of automatic renewal becoming available on the last day of the loan. There is no need to worry about an overdue notice; e-books that are not renewed or returned early will be automatically returned on their due date. E-books offer a large amount of convenience, and our library staff hopes that you will enjoy using our new service.

There are several ways to access this exciting new service:

Detailed instructions for accessing and using the new E-Book collection are available at: http://www.ltsg.edu/doc/705

Microsoft Windows 10 and Android mobile device users can download free the Odilo App to navigate seamlessly the E-Book catalog and manage your checked-out E-Books from a single app.

Those using older versions of Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, or iOS devices will need to visit www.theologicalebooks.org to access the e-book catalog and use either Adobe Digital Editions or Bluefire Reader to view the e-books.

If you have any problems or questions about our new e-books, please feel free to contact the library at: 717-338-3014 or email the staff at library@ltsg.edu.   

Movement Towards Diversity at LTSG

In honor of Black History Month, the A.R. Wentz Library and Seminary Archives would like to highlight African American history here at the Seminary. This post features African American students who fought to create a place of diversity, equality, and inclusion at LTSG, paving the way for future students of color. The research for this post was compiled from Seminary Archives records that are on display on the first floor of the A.R. Wentz Library. The exhibit will be up through March.

The Seminary was founded in 1826 and after only nine years of operation, Daniel Alexander Payne became the first African American student to attend Gettysburg Seminary, graduating in 1835. Payne went on to become a pastor, educator, and bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He was also elected as president of Wilberforce University in Ohio in 1863, becoming the first African American to lead an institution of higher education in the United States.

Daniel Alexander Payne

Although the seminary had its first African American student in 1835, they didn’t have their second until the 1960s. America was undergoing a turbulent time engulfed with protests, riots, and assassinations, all in the name of civil rights. Times were changing and many Americans began fighting for equality in all areas of life, especially the school system.

Rudolph Featherstone graduated in 1960 and was hired by the Seminary in 1977 to head a new initiative called the Black/White Studies Program. This program was funded through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for the 1976-77 school year.
Read the grant application and objectives by clicking the link below.
A Program For Black Theological Education in the Lutheran Church of America

Rudolph Featherstone

This program, split between the Philadelphia and Gettysburg campuses, was created to equip both black and white seminarians for leadership roles in the church as well as to teach inclusion for all races in their congregations.
Read more information about the Black/White Studies Program and Rev. Featherstone by clicking the link below.
"Black White Studies Begins"

The Black/White Studies program was funded by the Council for Lutheran Theological Education in the Northeast and the Lilly Endowment for three years. After the program was complete, the mission was transferred to the Black Concerns Program and was funded by each of the seminaries separately. Read more about the Black Concerns Program by clicking the link below.
Black Concerns Program Proposal

Many students and faculty voiced their concerns for civil rights in Table Talk, a student-run publication.
"White Perspectives on a Black Conference" by Rogger Digges
"Black Concerns Proposal Accepted" by Ken Regan

In one 1970 Table Talk article, a white student wrote about their experience attending a class at Morgan State College, where the professor and most of the students in the class were black. The student recognized the different perspectives in the classroom and the importance of embracing diversity as future church leaders.
This article can be read by clicking the link below.
"Studying in a Black Class" by Myron Schevy

Also featured in Table Talk is an article highlighting LTSG student participation in the 1980s Anti-Apartheid protests and staged arrests, involving fourteen students. Student Debbie Conrad shares her story, which can be read by clicking the link below.
"Protesting Apartheid" by Debbie Conrad

1985 issue of Table Talk with the headline "Protesting Apartheid."

Lastly,  “An Urgent Message from LHS” asks students to call or write to their representatives regarding bills that concerned the affairs of South Africa and Apartheid. Their plea can be read by clicking the link below.
"Urgent Message from LHS" by Roy J. Enquist

To see these documents in person please stop by the first floor of the A.R. Wentz library to view the exhibit.

Sources Cited

Strobert, Nelson T. Daniel Alexander Payne: The Venerable Preceptor of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Lanham: University Press of American, 2012.

Written by intern Meriah Swope, graduate student at Shippensburg University.

Looking for another read? Check out the On the Glorious Hill Blog.

To learn more about Black History at LTSG, please contact Assistant Archivist Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717-339-1317.

Black History Month Exhibit

There is a new Seminary Archives exhibit in the library entitled "Black History Month: Movement Towards Diversity at LTSG." Curated by intern Meriah Swope, a graduate student at Shippensburg University, the exhibit features LTSG's first five African American students and efforts made in the 1970s towards incorporating diversity programs such as the Black/White Studies Program and the Program for Black Theological Education in the Lutheran Church.

The exhibit will be up through March and an accompanying blog post expanding on the exhibit will be published soon. Be sure to stop by the circulation desk area to check it out!

An Update from the Digital Journal Archives

It is a pleasure to announce that the Digital Journal Archives has grown from its original size of 100 issues of sixteen different titles to 370 issues of thirty titles. It has nearly quadrupled in size in a span of just over five months and we are only just past the half way point in the digitization project. We have received emails from our users, one of whom was from the U.K. It’s good to see that the digital collection is being put to good use by users from near and far. Additionally, we encourage our users to contact us at cswisher@ltsg.edu should they experience any difficulties such as missing pages or any other issues.

In another exciting announcement, the holdings within the Digital Journal Archives will soon be made searchable within the online catalog of the A.R. Wentz Library. Currently, the only way to access the holdings of the Digital Journal Archives is by visiting the archives webpage. Once the digital archives holdings are added to the online catalog the digital files of the archive will be able to be discovered by using the online catalog’s search features.  

Visit the Digital Journal Archive here. 

Sermons on Martin Luther King Jr.

Photo Source

On Monday, January 16, we celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was an activist and leader of the Civil Rights Movement. Known for his use of nonviolent disobedience, Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Today we honor him and his advancement in civil rights that has provided the freedoms we have today.

The Seminary Archives contains two sermons from the collections of Rev. Robert W. Koons and Rev. Herman G. Stuempfle that address the tragic event that unfolded on April 4, 1968. These are available to read and download in PDF format in our Seminary Archives Digital Collections which can be found by clicking here under "Sermons."

Rev. Koons addresses the Holy Trinity Church in Lynchburg, VA with the question, "Do you think there is racism in Lynchburg?" and praises Dr. King as an "advocate of non-violence, and of human rights, and of reverence for the truth of God's Word which makes free."
Rev. Koons sermon, "The Church That Makes God Sick" can be read in full here.

Rev. Stuempfle mentions that "we live in a scarred world. And a scarred world is no place for an unscarred God. But whatever else He may be, our God is not unscarred."
Rev. Stuempfle's sermon, "Isaiah 53" can be read in full here.

*****

As we take this day to remember Dr. King, it's important to honor his accomplishments and apply his principals in the present day.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

Want to learn more about Seminary Archives holdings or Gettysburg Seminary History? Contact Assistant Archivist Sheila Joy by email at sjoy@ltsg.edu or by phone at 717- 339-1317.

Karen's Winter Reading Recommendations

Happy Winter Solstice! Since a new season is upon us it's time for another round up of reading recommendations from our Library Assistant, Karen Hunt. Karen has picked out some reads perfect to cozy up with by the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa or tea.

1. Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth & Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
2. Misty Manor by Linda Rawlins
3. Woman of God by James Patterson
4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
5. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
6. The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
7. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
8. The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose
9. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
10. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins

Stay warm this winter and happy reading!

Karen Hunt is the Library Assistant at the A.R. Wentz Library.

For reference assistant please call 717.338.3014.