Time: Noon to 1 PM
About the book: In less time than it takes to run a hundred-yard dash, Don Helin's life is shattered with the stunning news of an illness, triggering numbness, shock, confusion and despair. In a fast-paced memoir that reads more like one of his thriller novels, Helin leads us through his journey while weaving into the narrative of his military life the chaos of Vietnam, Watergate, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and political intrigue in the Pentagon. Finding himself on the threshold of the five steps of grief, he considers the different roads he might have traveled. He enters a National Cancer Institute study protocol, designed for Vietnam veterans with health issues caused by Agent Orange. Will the results of this study help the many veterans who suffer from Agent Orange inflicted diseases? With the help of his wife and others as well as his own strength of human spirit, Helin considers changing priorities in his life which might lead to a different conclusion. But is it too late to make changes or must he simply play out the hand he's been dealt?
About the author: During his time in the military, Don Helin served at several stateside posts as well as overseas in Vietnam and Germany. He is the author of seven thrillers that draw from his military experience, including three tours in the Pentagon. He writes for
TheBurg, a community magazine based in Harrisburg.
Don is the editor of the new anthology,
Voices from the Pandemic. 2020 has brought changes in everyone's life. Read the memoirs of healthcare workers, educators, writers and entertainers, people who have experienced loss, and a special group — elementary school students — to better understand what this period has meant to all of us.
His novel,
Secret Assault, was selected as the Best Suspense/Thriller at the 2015 Indie Book Awards. His novel,
Long Walk Home, won a Five Star review at Readers Favorite Awards and his latest novel,
Roof of the World, was a finalist in the 2020 Indie Book Awards.
You can reach Don at:
www.donhelin.com
Register in advance to attend this free virtual program. You will receive an email with a link to attend the meeting on the Teams platform.
About the exhibit:
From April through October 1980 approximately 125,000 refugees fled their homes in Cuba and traveled by American ships and boats to Key West in the United States. Among those who left from the Cuban port of Mariel (and thus have become known as Marielitos) were a sizable number of LGBTQ Cubans.
These new residents of the United States were assisted in their resettlement by dedicated members of the LGBTQ community, including many from Pennsylvania who assisted at the resettlement camp in Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, or helped those who settled in Pennsylvania. This exhibit explores the circumstances surrounding the exodus and resettlement, focusing on the personal stories of LGBTQ Cuban immigrants who have since made their lives in this country.
In early 2019, The John J. Wilcox Archives of the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia mounted a ground-breaking exhibit, With Open Heart and Open Arms: LGBTQ Cuban Refugees and Our Community's Response to the Mariel Boatlift, chronicling the story of LGBTQ Cubans who were part of the Mariel Boatlift of Cuban refugees in 1980.
In preparation of the 40th anniversary of the Mariel Boatlift that occurred in 2020, the PA LGBT History Network worked with the Wilcox Archives to create a traveling exhibit based on this original exhibit. Original photos, text (in both English and Spanish languages) and documents were digitized and incorporated into the exhibit. Video clips of interviews with LGBTQ Marielitos and those who assisted in their resettlement are displayed in panels of the exhibit.
To visit the exhibit:
In cooperation with the LGBT Center, this traveling exhibit will be on display from June through August 2022 at the State Library of Pennsylvania's temporary location in the Keystone Building, 400 North Street in Harrisburg. Please stop in to view the exhibit from Tuesday through Thursday 10AM – 4PM and Wednesday evenings until 8PM.
When you visit the exhibit, please share your feedback via this form.
Time: Noon to 1 PM
Join Conservator Aaron M. Warkentin in a discussion about bringing the glory of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education building back to life! Hear about how the Forum Building offices and historic State Library of Pennsylvania renovations are progressing. State Library staff will facilitate a Q and A discussion after the talk.
The Forum was designed for the Department of Public Instruction and is a "veritable record of the history of mankind... Upon its walls are engraved the rise and fall of civilization, its sculptures, inscriptions and magnificence inform and inspire all who step within its portals."
Aaron M. Warkentin is an armchair historian, bibliophile, and museum professional, currently serving as curator with the B.R. Howard Conservation team. In his free time, Aaron enjoys visiting Civil War and Pennsylvania's industrial history sites with his two sons and wife, and volunteering with the Rolls-Royce Foundation, where he indulges his love of pre-war automobiles. He enjoys opportunities to dialogue with the public!
Please preregister for the virtual event. You will receive an email with a link to attend the meeting on the Teams platform.
Join William Fee to learn about how all streams, big and small, play an important part in our ecosystem. We will cover how to protect and preserve them.
Register to receive your link to join.
Time: Noon to 1 PM
Pre-registration is required. Register here in advance, you will receive an email with a link to attend the meeting.
On Nov. 28, 1969, Betsy Aardsma, a 22-year-old graduate student in English at Penn State, was stabbed to death in the stacks of Pattee Library at the university's main campus in State College. For more than forty years, her murder went unsolved, though detectives with the Pennsylvania State Police and local citizens worked tirelessly to find her killer. The mystery was eventually solved—after the death of the murderer. This book will reveal the story behind what has been a scary mystery for generations of Penn State students and explain why the Pennsylvania State Police failed to bring her killer to justice. More than a simple true crime story, the book weaves together the events, culture, and attitudes of the late 1960s, memorializing Betsy Aardsma and her time and place in history. - Goodreads
Commonwealth employees may borrow the book from the State Library or request the book through EzBorrow , InterLibrary Loan , or from Pennsylvania Public Libraries