Guide to the Birss Memorial Lecture Series and Exhibit Materials , 2000-2020
Roger Williams University
Roger Williams University
One Old Ferry Road
Bristol, RI 02809
Tel: 401-254-3049
Fax: 401-254-3631
email: hbenedict@rwu.edu
Published in 2014
Collection Overview
| Title: | Birss Memorial Lecture Series and Exhibit Materials |
| Date range: | 2000-2020 |
| Creator: | Roger Williams University Library staff |
| Extent: | 14 box(es) |
| Abstract: | The annual Professor John Howard Birss Memorial Lecture Series at Roger Williams University provides a unique opportunity to study a single text in depth and to investigate why these significant works remain relevant for modern readers. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | Roger Williams University |
| Collection number: | UA 2014.005 |
Scope & content
The collection is composed of materials created or collected in support of Roger Williams University's annual Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Lecture and University Library Exhibit.Access Points
Subject TopicsArrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically by year.
- 2001: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
- 2002: Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
- 2003: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- 2004: Walden by Henry David Thoreau
- 2005: Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
- 2006: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
- 2007: On the Road by Jack Kerouac
- 2008: Night by Elie Wiesel
- 2009: Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
- 2010: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
- 2011: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
- 2012: Their Eye Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
- 2013: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- 2014: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- 2015: Native Son by Richard Wright
- 2016: In Cold Bloos by Truman Capote
- 2017: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
- 2018: Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver
- 2019: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
- 2020: The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
- 2021: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pitman by Ernest Gaines
- 2022: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
- 2023: My Son's Story by Nadine Gordimer
- 2024: The Street by Ann Petry
Biographical note
The Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Lecture and Professor John Howard Birss, Jr. Memorial Library Fund were established by University alumnus, Robert Blais '70, to honor Professor John Howard Birss, Jr., nationally recognized for his knowledge of first editions.The annual lecture series provides a unique opportunity to study a single text in depth and to investigate why these significant works remain relevant for modern readers. Each year, the University celebrates a book with a prominent anniversary. Past selections have included Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird;” Elie Wiesel’s “Night;” Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road;” Ray Branbury’s “Fahrenheit 451;” and Joseph Heller’s “Catch 22.” As a companion to every lecture, an exhibit is mounted in the University Library that contains a variety of artifacts, photographs and historical records relating to the author and the text.
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. |
| Use of the materials: | Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the University Library. Although Roger Williams University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim copyright except where noted. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them. |
| Preferred citation: | Birss Memorial Lecture Series and Exhibit Materials, UA 2014.005, Roger Williams University. |
| Contact information: | Roger Williams University Roger Williams University One Old Ferry Road Bristol, RI 02809 Tel: 401-254-3049 Fax: 401-254-3631 email: hbenedict@rwu.edu |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | Exhibit materials created or collected by library staff are retained by the University Archives. Video recordings of lectures and events are created by Media Services and retained by the University Archives. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Molly Jencks. |
| Encoding: | Finding aid encoded by Molly Jencks 2014 August 12 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |