‘Curious and Curiouser’: Baylor Libraries to Recognize 150th Anniversary of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ with Annual Symposium

October 5, 2015
Alice at 150

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Media contact: Lori Fogleman, (254) 710-6275

WACO, Texas (Oct. 5, 2015) – Baylor University Libraries will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the classic novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” written by Lewis Carroll, at its 2015 Baylor Libraries Symposium, “Alice at 150.”

Since its publication in 1865, the novel has achieved enduring popularity among adults and children in addition to a range of criticism and research that reaches across disciplinary divides.

“The Baylor Libraries Symposium provides an opportunity for Baylor faculty and students from diverse academic disciplines to share their research and scholarship,” said Jennifer Borderud, associate director of Armstrong Browning Library. “This year, we look forward to hearing about the great work being done in history, art, theatre arts, English, communication sciences and disorders, environmental science and the libraries. The 150th anniversary of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” offers a fun, unifying theme to the symposium, making it accessible to those who grew up loving the book or who are being introduced to it for the first time.”

The schedule of events is as follows.

Tuesday, Oct. 6

3:30 p.m. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: A Public Reading - People of all ages are invited to gather in the Allbritton Foyer of Moody Memorial Library for a public reading of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” The novel will be read by Karen Savage, professional voiceover talent and analyst and programmer for the Electronic Library; Alton Hassell, Ph.D., senior lecturer and director of the undergraduate program in the department of chemistry and biochemistry; DeAnna Toten Beard, Ph.D., professor and associate chair of the department of theater arts; and Thomas Hanks, Ph.D., professor of English and Master Teacher.

Thursday, Oct. 8

4 p.m. Mad Hatter’s Tea Party - Journey into the world of Alice with a tea party at the Cox Reception Hall of Armstrong Browning Library. Guests are encouraged to explore the library’s latest exhibit, “A World of Their Own: Children’s Literature in the Armstrong Browning Library.”

5:30 p.m. Keynote Presentation - Robin J. Wilson, Ph.D., emeritus professor of pure mathematics at Open University, emeritus professor of geometry at Gresham College and a former fellow of Keble College at Oxford University, will provide the symposium’s keynote presentation, titled “Lewis Carroll in Numberland,” in Bennett Auditorium.

Friday, Oct. 9

Symposium Presentations - Hear and discuss engaging papers from Baylor faculty and students on a variety of Alice-themed topics that span the disciplines of linguistics, music, mathematics and literature. All events will take place in Jones Library, Room 200.

The 2015 Baylor Libraries Symposium is sponsored by Baylor’s department of history, the Honors College, the department of English, the department of art and the Robbins College of Health & Human Sciences.

Each year, the symposium highlights research and scholarship at Baylor by recognizing the major anniversary of a significant publication. Works are chosen based on its cross-disciplinary appeal in the humanities, arts and sciences.

Moody Memorial Library is located at 1312 S. Third St., Armstrong Browning Library is located at 710 Speight Ave., Bennett Auditorium is located inside Draper Academic Building at 1420 S. Seventh St., and Jesse H. Jones Library is located at 1301 S. Second St.
For more information and a full list of symposium events, click here. -->

by Ashton Brown, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 16,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.

ABOUT THE BAYLOR UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The Baylor University Libraries support excellence in teaching and learning, enhance research and discovery, and foster scholarship and success. Through its Central Libraries and special collections – Armstrong Browning Library, W.R. Poage Legislative Library and The Texas Collection – the Libraries serve as academic life centers that provide scholarly resources and technological innovation for the Baylor community and beyond.