John (Auburn Class of 1962) and Faye Vick of Andalusia, Ala. recently donated thousands of 19th.-century artifacts to Auburn University.   The Vick Collection focusses on American postal history, the Civil War, naval history, and the history of Alabama.

A portion of the collection is currently on display in 13 glass display cases in the Special Collections and Archives Department located on the Ground Floor of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library.

Among the items on display is a letter signed by Raphael Semmes, captain of the Confederate Navy commerce raider CSS Alabama.  The ship was the South's most successful naval commerce raider during the Civil War.  Also on display are Confederate Marine Corps letters from Lieut. Edward Crenshaw of Butler County and many historical postal items.

The Vick Collection will remain on display through August.  Click on this link to see hours of operation for the Special Collections and Archives Department.

Be sure to click on the Hours link located in the upper central section of the Auburn University Libraries homepage to find out library hours of operation during the Intersession schedule, May 4 - 15.  Regular hours of operation begin on May 16.

Discover Auburn Lecture Series

Alabama Gulf Coast Innovation and Oyster Production

William Walton  (Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and Auburn University Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures)

Date and Time:  Thursday, April 18 at 3 p.m.

Location:  Special Collections and Archives, Ground Floor, Ralph Brown Draughon Library

Sponsored by:  Auburn University Libraries and the Auburn University Bookstore.

The University community and the general public are invited to hear

Dr. Xolela Mangcu (Department of Sociology, University of Cape Town and Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution)

Black Consciousness in the Intellectual History of Western Modernity: Re-Reading Steve Biko

Date and Time:  Thursday, April 11 at 3:30 - 4:15 p.m.

Location:  Special Collections and Archives, Ground Floor, Ralph Brown Draughon Library

A reception and book-signing will follow Dr. Mangcu's talk.

Presented by:  Africana Studies, Auburn University Libraries, and the Multicultural Center with assistance from the Special Lectures Fund.

On Saturday, April 13 from 1 - 3 p.m. we're packing meals for those in need.

Location:  Ralph Brown Draughon Library, Newspaper Reading Room on the First Floor.

Please do your part to help reach our goal of 10,000 meals packaged.

Sign up to donate or volunteer at events.stophungernow.org/auburn or send e-mail to DLW0015@auburn.edu .

Meet Littleton-Franklin Speaker Lewis Hyde, Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing, Kenyon College

Author of Common as Air:  Revolution, Art, and Ownership as well as The Gift (1983) and Trickster Makes this World (1998).

Date and Time:  Monday, March 25 at 10 - 11 a.m.

Location:  Special Collections and Archives Department, Ground Floor, Ralph Brown Draughon Library

Sponsored by Auburn University Libraries and Auburn Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Discover Auburn Series

Panel Discussion

Charles Darwin: A Celebration of his Life and Legacy

Edited by James Bradley and Jay Lamar (Director of Special Programs, Office of Undergraduate Studies, Auburn University)

Date and Time:  Tuesday, March 19 at 3 p.m.

Location:  Special Collections and Archives, Ground Floor, Ralph Brown Draughon Library

Sponsored by Auburn University Libraries and Auburn University Bookstore.

Presentation

The Saint John's Bible

The first illuminated handwritten Bible commission by a Benedictine monastery in more than 500 years.

Location:  Special Collections and Archives, Ground Floor, Ralph Brown Draughon Library

Date and Time: Thursday, March 7 at 3 p.m.

"One of the extraordinary undertakings of our time." - Smithsonian Magazine.