Hello! If you are reading this, it means 2018 has arrived. The staff at the W. R. Poage Legislative Library is back and ready to greet a new semester. The first week back is about planning and forecasting another chapter in the Poage story. Below you’ll find just a few of the projects and events we are looking forward to in the first half of 2018.
February: This month is chocked full of activity! Fellow staffer and former Congressman Chet Edwards will be in residence, teaching classes and meeting Baylor students. We are also partnering with the League of Women Voters-Waco chapter to sponsor a Candidate Forum. This unique event will feature candidates in upcoming local elections for a meet-and-greet with local citizens. And lastly, we will wrap up the month with the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair. Each year, Poage staff serve as judges at the community educational event and the Library sponsors a special award to in the historical paper category that, “best highlights citizens exercising their rights in the democratic process.”
March: To honor Women’s History month, the Poage Library is contributing resources to a new pan-library project, creating an online home for women’s collections at Baylor Libraries. These resources come from our holdings highlight congressional spouses and topical issues found in our holdings. The first phase of the website is set to launch this month.
April: This month marks the beginning of our Spring conference schedule! Director Debbie will be traveling to the Dole Institute of Politics for the Annual Meeting of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress. Debbie served on the planning committee for the conference and this year’s theme is “New Frontiers in Engagement.” Also, be sure to mark your calendars for an exciting opportunity to hear Debbie on KWBU’s newest program, “Baylor Connections.” The 30-minute extended interview program will air each Friday at 11 a.m. and will introduce the Waco community to the people behind Baylor’s teaching, research and distinct role in higher education, while also providing additional information and context to issues facing the University and higher education. We will also announce the selection of our Summer Teaching Fellows in April.
May: Before we know it, May will be here, too! This month is about celebrating our student assistants who’ve worked tirelessly through the semester and getting them through finals! We also select and announce our summer intern and we will begin planning for our 5th iEngage, the summer civics camp we participate in.
WOW! We are in for some fun! We hope you’ll join us along the way. Of course, in between our public programs and projects we continue to process and prepare our materials for research. Stay tuned to our social media channels for news and project updates.