Photographer/writer John Scurlock to speak Nov. 1

Western Libraries will unveil its new Northwest Collection, featuring works that have contributed significantly to an understanding of the region's unique cultural, historical, and environmental heritage, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, in the Wilson Library Reading Room on the Western Washington University campus.

As part of the event, John Scurlock, acclaimed writer, photographer, and author of Snow & Spire: Flights to Winter in the North Cascade Range, will speak about his awe-inspiring aerial photographs of the North Cascades.

Scurlock is currently working with scientists at Portland State University to photograph every glacier in the continental U.S. from the air. His images have appeared in numerous books and publications such as The American Alpine Journal, Canadian Alpine Journal, Journal of Glaciology, Alpinist Magazine, Ski Journal, and Climbing Magazine. He is also a climber, skier, and dedicated ground-based landscape photographer, and has spent much time afoot in wild mountainous regions.

Also on Nov. 1, Western Libraries invites the campus and community to a cake celebration at 1 p.m. in the Skybridge in honor of Western Libraries 50 years as a Federal Documents Depository.

According to the U.S. Government Printing Office, “The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress to ensure that the American public has [free] access to its Government’s information.”

A panel discussion will follow the cake celebration from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Library Presentation Room (Wilson Library, room 164f). Featured faculty and students will discuss the value of using government information in their research. Panelists include Andy Bach from the Department of Environmental Studies, Paul Chen from the Department of Political Science, Zite Hutton from the Department of Accounting, and Kevin Leonard from the Department of History.

For more information about the cake celebration and panel, contact Government Documents Librarian Rob Lopresti at rob.lopresti@wwu.edu. For questions about the special reception and talk with John Scurlock, contact Elizabeth Joffrion, director of Heritage Resources at Western Libraries, at elizabeth.joffrion@wwu.edu.