Celebrating the Centennial of the Founder of the Modern Environmental Movement

This month, in honor of Rachel Carson, marine biologist, ecologist, bestselling writer of popular science and author of Silent Spring, one of the most influential books of the 20th century, the Library will be putting up a display of her works in the 2nd floor along with a collection of books and documents on pesticides and their damaging effects on the environment.

Rachel Carson
May 27, 1907 – April 14, 1964

One of Carson’s first jobs was with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries during the Depression. There, she scripted a series of seven-minute radio programs on marine life called "Romance Under the Waters." At the same time, she wrote articles on conservation and nature for newspapers and magazines, in which she encouraged regulation of “the "forces of destruction", urging her readers to consider always the welfare of the "fish as well as that of the fisherman." Her articles were published by the Baltimore Sun and other syndicated papers.

Carson's first book, Under the Sea-Wind was published in 1941. After getting a position with the new government agency. the U.S. Bureau of Fish and Wildlife, she used her talents as a writer of popular science to write pamphlets and speeches for Fish and Wildlife personnel as well as edit all the work of their writing staff. Her second book, The Sea Around Us, was a great success, enjoying 81 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and enabling her to quit her government job in 1952 and pursue her writing full time, In 1962, she published her environmental classic Silent Spring.

Carson had been aware of the dangers of chemical pesticides but also knew she would face opposition from the agricultural community, which needed pesticides to increase crop production. Concerned in particular about the effects of DDT, she produced Silent Spring after years of research across the United States and Europe. The controversial book provoked attacks on Carson’s professional integrity by the pesticide industry, which made every effort to discredit her. When CBS Television scheduled an hour long news report on Carson's work, during which she explained how the chemical industry was pouring poisonous runoff into the country's water supply, two corporate sponsors withdrew. The federal government, however, ordered a review of its pesticide policy and called Carson and others to testify before a Congressional committee. As a direct result of the study, DDT was banned. With the publication of Silent Spring, Carson is credited with launching the contemporary environmental movement. Former Vice President Al Gore credits Carson's work with prompting the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency as well as helping millions of Americans to develop an environmental consciousness.

Rachel Carson died of breast cancer in 1964. Some persons speculate that this cancer may have been caused by exposure to the environmental carcinogens which she studied. However, her influence is still felt by the chemical industry, which to this day passionately tries to convince people that she was wrong.

On the second floor, the Library has placed a number of Ms. Carson’s books as well as biographies and numerous publications about pesticides and their effects on the environment. There are also printouts from numerous web sites dedicated to her memory, such as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (Pennsylvania is Carson’s home state), the Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale, PA, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge, and the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Display Cases, May – Jamestown

Most of us learned about Jamestown in school. We learned the mythological story of Captain John Smith and the teenaged Native American princess Pocahontas who supposedly threw herself over John’s body to keep her father from killing him. We also learned that the colony, despite being planted in an area abundant with plant and animal life, was a death trap for the unfortunate colonists who moved there. Forty of one hundred and forty four died on a five month sea crossing after which famine, disease and fights with the Indians (and each other) killed more than half of the rest. The colony, after many difficulties, enjoyed some success in planting tobacco before it was gradually abandoned and the capital was moved to Williamsburg. In recent years, thanks to the hard work of archaeologist Dr. William Kelso and the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities the actual fort that the colonists built after their first landing has been found, partly excavated and reconstructed. Many things which were not known about the colonists were found out in the course of the excavations. The excavations of the Fort have taken place only since 1994 because before that, the site was believed to have been washed away by the James River. But Dr. Kelso reread the histories and diaries left by the original colonists and found the fort between the church and the river.

Dr. William Kelso, Archaeologist
and Jamestown’s Newest Founder.

In honor of the 400th anniversary of the first landing at Jamestown (May 14th, 1607) the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and the National Parks Service is holding a celebration known as “America’s 400th Anniversary” from May 11-May 13. (The site has already hosted Vice President Cheney, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip on May 4th, and will host the President during the Anniversary festivities.) And Axe Library, not wanting to be left out, has put up a display case in honor of the troubled but tenacious colony.

We had the good fortune to have one of our staff members, Mr. Robert Lindsey, our Library Resource Instruction librarian, come back from a trip to Jamestown at the beginning of May. He lent us postcards, fold out brochures and a CD loaded with photos of the archaeological sites, museums and art. He made a great shot of the replicas of the expedition’s three boats, the “Susan Constant”, the “Godspeed” and the “Discovery” and in one of the photos his son Erik, with the help of some watchful re-enactors dressed in period costume, parries a pike, the standard weapon of the British colonists. Among the many publications about Jamestown which are in the case are the latest issue of National Geographic, whose cover story this month is “Jamestown: The Real Story”. Among the many fascinating facts it teaches us are how Jamestown colony with its new cash crops (tobacco) and its domestic animals such as pigs, cattle and goats, reformed the entire landscape of the east coast of Virginia. We also learn that among the diseases which the white man brought to America was malaria, endemic to the swamps of southeastern England (England!?) and which the colonists brought with them in the form of plasmodia in their blood. (If you ever read a novel by Dickens or some other 19th century English novelist, you may have run across the disease known as “ague” characterized by shaking, fever and chills. That’s malaria.)

Photo of present day excavations by
Axe Staff Member, Mr. Robert Lindsey.

We also have numerous books, such as biographies of Captain John Smith, accounts of the history of Jamestown, some written before, some after, the discovery of the fort, and articles from the New York Times, the Washington Post and American History. Websites are also available, such as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and the Historic Jamestowne site where they have pictures of numerous artifacts being dug from old cellars, wells and trash heaps close to the fort and many, many more things of interest. Oh, and if you would like to borrow something from the display case, just ask. We will be glad to make our resources available to you.

Heavily corroded rapier hilt,
and hammer from the APVA website.

Display Cases, April and May

Partly to commemorate the European discovery of Brazil by Pedro Alvares Cabral on April 22, 2007 and partly because Brazil was a key (and problematic) stop on George W. Bush’s March visit to our restive neighbors in South America, our first floor lobby display is entitled Brazil, Economic Powerhouse. Brazil, one of the more prosperous countries in South America, enjoys a trade surplus due to the demand for its commodities, a strong currency and also hopes to profit from the production of ethanol from its sugar cane. (Cheaper than the U.S. corn based ethanol.) To give a profile of the economic outlook in Brazil, we have placed articles from some of our online newspapers on the wall around the display case and have also placed many books and government documents on Brazil’s history, economy, relations with the United States and with its neighbors, internal politics, lingering poverty and efforts at social reform.

At the end of April (April 23rd to 27th) the Early Childhood Organization of PSU has asked us to put up a display on the Week of the Young Child. Here, we will put books, documents and periodical articles on such subjects as Education of young children, emotional and behavioral problems, reading, learning, play, guidance, gifted education and many other pertinent subjects..

Finally, on or about May 1st in honor of Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday which commemorates the battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. (French forces fighting for Napoleon III, under General Charles de Lorencez were unexpectedly beaten by Mexican forces fighting for Benito Juarez under General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin near the Mexican town of Puebla.) we will place books and articles in the display case pertinent to the history, culture, archaeology and politics of Mexico.

In the second floor display case we are commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. (In 2007 it falls on March 31st for Sunnis and on April 5th for Shi’a) Several books are on display which are very informative about Islam, describing its global spread, its cross cultural appeal and the many different forms of worship in the many countries where it is practiced.

On May 1st, these materials will be replaced by biographies of the persons who most affected events in Mexico during the battle of Puebla. (Benito Juarez, the Emperor Maximilian, his wife Carlota and Napoleon III). So, come and see them and if you would like to ask us to check out a book from the cases, just ask. We’ll be glad to get it for you.


Benito Juarez, Mexico’s most brilliant and revered leader. He served as President from 1858 to 1872, successfully resisted the French occupation of Mexico and is lovingly remembered as being a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy, equal rights for the nation's indigenous Indian population, lessening the great power that the Roman Catholic Church then held over Mexican politics, and defense of national sovereignty. He died of a heart attack in 1872 while working at his desk in the National Palace in Mexico City. [Wikipedia]

Library Display Cases: A Way to Keep Abreast of College and National Events

Do you take an interest in national and international events? Would reading books, newspapers and magazines about them give you an idea for a report or speech.? Is it between terms and you find yourself with time on your hands to read? Then have a look at our library display cases. (First Floor Lobby and 2nd Floor Stacks.) If an event of interest comes up in the news or on campus, we gather our best books, magazines, government documents, films or web sites and put them on display for people to look at and, if they wish, take out. Everything in the cases, except for restricted items such as periodicals, is available to check out. We have covered the war in Iraq several times, and 9/11 at least three times. We cover elections, famous (or notorious) people, commemorative events, holidays and on campus events such as Alcohol Awareness Week. We occasionally cover Library events such as the Annual Gene DeGruson Memorial Lecture or the Annual Faculty Author Reception.


2nd Floor to be Dedicated to International Affairs and Culture

Dr. Ananda Jayawardhana, Associate Professor of Mathematics, recently approached the Library and asked us to set aside a display area dedicated to international themes. We promised him we would dedicate the second floor display area to this purpose. We just recently put a display up on African Art and Culture, which has many beautiful picture books on display about masks, sculpture and painting as well as pictures from web sites and online encyclopedias. However, when Dr. Jayawardhana informed us that the Chinese Student Association was celebrating the Chinese New Year on February 17, 2007 (Year of the Pig) at the First Church of the Nazarene, we made of a display on the first floor to honor Chinese Culture and History. We have pictures of Chinese New Year celebrations from New York City, two towns in California, London, Liverpool, Vancouver and Augusta, Georgia and books with Chinese fashions throughout the centuries, art, religion and food as well as material on China's new economic miracle.

In the future, we will announce all displays in our library newsletter. For more information, please contact Jane Victor.

- JV