Sherrod Library News

The Sherrod Library Celebrates National Poetry Month

A view of the poetry exhibit from one wall

This year, the Sherrod Library hosted an inaugural poetry competition with submissions solicited from students across campus. In honor of Earth Day, a theme of “nature” was provided to participants, though in future years, different themes may be incorporated into the competition to play to the strengths of different types of poets. 

After a rigorous selection process through a panel of judges, sixteen poems were selected with a combination of both finalists and honorable mentions. These sixteen poems can be found from April 1 through finals week, hanging in the Sherrod Library’s third floor gallery space, just outside the juvenile collection. 

On April 3, a reception was held in this space, honoring all selected poets with readings, food, and the announcement of the contest’s overall winners. Third place went to “Please do not Take me,” by Rachael Nester, a junior in the communication and storytelling program. Second place went to “Angel of Melton Hill Lake,” by Suzi Peter, a junior in the English program. The first-place prize of one-hundred dollars went to “The Garden,” by Ruby Purgason, a senior psychology student. 

"The Garden" by Ruby Purgason

In addition to the poetry contest, the Sherrod Library is supporting National Poetry Month through both collections and librarian activities. On Wednesday, April 2, librarians Lydia Gwyn and Sarah Bull ran a poetry workshop at the Johnson City Public Library, which enjoyed good attendance from an engaged crowd of community members. They will also be running a poetry session during this month’s iteration of the Coffee and Creative Writing Club, open to all ETSU students.

Books on display for the Spring 2025 Literary Festival

Collections-wise, the library has stocked up on books authored by this spring’s Literary Festival guests. The Literary Festival, sponsored by ETSU’s English Department and the Bert C. Bach Written Word Initiative, will take place between April 23 and 24, and will feature guest authors from across the country. You can find our collection of these authors' books on display in the first floor-stairwell, ready to be checked out.