"Wag-by-Wall" and a Wartime Christmas
Beatrix Potter is not a name that you would usually associate with Christmas. Her name conjures up beloved children’s classics like The Tale of Peter Rabbit or The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck. But Potter is also the author of a little-known, “homely Christmas story” entitled Wag-by-Wall (1944), which was published after her death. Like much of Potter’s writing, Wag-by-Wall features a cast of fantastical figures—a talking clock, a singing kettle—nestled in the English countryside.
Christmas Crafts Delight Students
During the first week of December, Pepperdine students enjoyed a well-deserved study break with a couple of crafty activities courtesy of the Libraries. In the Genesis Lab, we hosted ornament and Christmas card making. On the first floor by the circulation desk, we organized a make-your-own mini gingerbread house activity. Many took their houses to decorate their dorms or gobble down for a much-needed snack, while others left theirs in the library to add to the Christmas decor at Payson. The Libraries documented the activities, so enjoy a selection of photographs we took.
The Pets of Pepperdine Libraries
‘Tis the season to dress your pets in outlandish Christmas outfits or photograph them getting into trouble with the holiday decor. Enjoy some cute festive snapshots of the Pepperdine Libraries team’s four-legged friends.
Christmas Season Resources Online
We're more than just books! Here at Pepperdine Libraries we have a wonderful array of electronic resources. We've compiled a sampling of resources like ebooks, videos, and more to help you get in the holiday spirit.
Fall Events Thrive with Packed Attendances
More than 1,000 students, faculty, staff, and members of the local community attended a flurry of events at Payson Library this fall. Our new Chamber Music at Noon series was met with great fanfare as student performers delighted the audience with music by French composers during the October concert and scores by Johannes Brahms in November. Presentations in the Surfboard Room included a variety of themes, with lectures illustrating the University's Christian values, celebrating our faculty's scholarly work, and presenting the latest research from scholars across the nation.
The Intersection of Libraries and Museums
Museums and libraries share a common mission of preserving important cultural, historical, and educational materials for the public, making their collections accessible so people can learn, explore, and connect with new ideas. Our campus is no exception, where both Pepperdine Libraries and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art preserve cultural heritage and make it available to our learning community.
From the Archives: In October 1996, Pepperdine Basketball Launched Midnight Madness
Pepperdine's annual tradition Midnight Madness, now called Blue and Orange Madness, began on October 14, 1996, when a raucous crowd of 3,000 filled Firestone Fieldhouse to celebrate the men's and women's basketball teams first season as NCAA Division 1 teams. The festivities officially began at 8 PM in the Firestone parking lot with a tailgate party that included free burgers from In-N-Out. Shortly after 10 PM—and immediately following the teams' first official practice of the year—the event moved inside for intrasquad scrimmages guest-coached by Home Alone actor and Malibu resident Daniel Stern and NBC 4 weathercaster Christopher Nance. Hundreds of students lined up, eager to be among the first 1,000 to receive a free T-shirt and witness the unveiling of the new mascot.
Pepperdine Libraries Invites Recently Tenured Faculty to Comment on Inspirational Books
Recently tenured faculty members were invited to select a book title that is personally or professionally significant to them. Pepperdine Libraries added these books to the collection and honored the faculty members' achievement with a decorative bookplate placed on the inside cover of their chosen book. The books are on display at Payson Library and are available for checkout.
Pepperdine Libraries Names James L. Gorman as Senior Fellow
Pepperdine Libraries is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. James L. Gorman as senior fellow in the Libraries. In the role, Gorman will carry out projects in the Pepperdine Libraries Rushford Center for Research on the Churches of Christ, including developing pedagogical tools and delivering presentations that articulate the University’s historical and spiritual foundations in the Churches of Christ and make the history of the Churches of Christ more widely known.
From the Archives: Fifty Years Ago, President Ford Dedicated Firestone Fieldhouse
On September 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford arrived at Pepperdine via Marine One, touching down on the soccer field. They were greeted by a crowd of 18,000—shattering an attendance record for campus events—at the new $2.5 million athletic complex, there to celebrate its completion. The complex was named Firestone Fieldhouse in honor of Leonard K. Firestone, a donor and member of Pepperdine’s Board of Trustees, the former president of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, and the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium.