Friends of the Libraries Fiscal Year 2025 Highlights

The Friends of the Libraries supports the mission of the University Libraries: To provide exceptional resources, services, and spaces that support the academic and research needs of the Wright State University community while fostering a welcoming environment. The funds raised through memberships directly support Wright State students, faculty, staff, and the Miami Valley Community through a variety of programs, including a book club, scholarships, grants, and materials.

In fiscal year 2025, the Friends of the Libraries awarded a total of $4500 in scholarships to nine Library Student Assistant Award recipients at the Fall 2024 and the Spring 2025 LSAA receptions. Library Student Assistant Awards are funded by contributions to the Campus Scholarship Innovative Campaign from the University Libraries staff and other donors, and interest earned from the Friends of the Libraries endowment fund. To date 448 awards have been distributed to 258 students totaling over $210,150.

The Fall 2024 recipients were Alexis Bylczynski, Alanah Culbreath, and Mikai Dixon. Spring 2025 recipients were Darrell Blevins, Jr., Elijah Capasso, Alondra Mallia, Mariah Paynter, Emma Scott, and Ray'Ven Tillis.

Annually in April, the University Libraries and the Friends of the Libraries honor a Top Scholar from each college and the Lake Campus. The program began in 1995 and is an award given to a graduating senior with a 3.6 GPA or higher. Honorees are selected by the Office of the Dean of their college and the Lake Campus. Recipients are presented a certificate and a book is purchased in their honor. The book becomes a permanent part of the University Libraries' collections and contains a bookplate with the student's name, college, major, and award year. 

The seven Top Scholar recipients for 2025 were: Matthew Correll, Raj Soin College of Business; Gwyneth Elking, Lake Campus; Isabelle Ford, College of Liberal Arts; Zuhair Ghouse, College of Science and Mathematics; Diana Johnson, College of Engineering and Computer Science; Jane Richer, College of Health, Education, and Human Services; and Olivia Wooten, Boonshoft School of Medicine.

Each year, the Friends provide an annual staff grant award through income generated from memberships. A total of $2000 may be allocated for the FOL Board to select a project or projects based on proposals received from Libraries staff for projects and programs based on specific criteria. Funding is available on a fiscal year basis. For fiscal year 2025, the allotted $2000 for staff grants was award to Special Collections and Archives to purchase a piece of equipment to digitize historic 16mm films with optical sound in the Libraries' archival collections. Purchasing this equipment allows Special Collections and Archives staff to digitize silent and optical sound 16mm films that are in stable condition while removing a financial barrier to making the films accessible and in doing so, enhances the research value of the collections to which the films belong.

The book club, sponsored by the Friends of the Libraries, the WSU Alumni Association, and the WSU Retirees Association kicked off the 2024-2025 academic year on September 19, 2024 with Behind You is the Sea, by Susan Muaddi Darraj, which is about three main families - the Baladis, the Salamehs, and the Ammars - Palestinian immigrants who've all found a different welcome in America. Dr. Vaughn Shannon, Professor, International and Comparative Studies, joined the online discussion providing background information on the history of Palestine. The final selection each March is the winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Fiction. A brief summary of each title discussed this year is highlighted in an earlier Library and Archives News blog post. 

The Friends closed the academic year with their annual business meeting and the Friends of the libraries luncheon on April 16, 2025 featuring Wright State alumna, attorney, and award-winning BBQ pitmaster Erica Blaire Roby. Erica Shared her journey from attorney, to certified sommelier, to becoming a contestant on Food Network's "BBQ Brawl" and winning the mantle "Master of the 'Cue", and from there documenting the world of barbecue in her award-winning digital series, "The Pit Stop with Blue Smoke Blaire", and in 2023 opening Blue Smoke Blaire's Barbecue Academy to teach the new generation of pitmasters the art of BBQ at her ranch in Houston, Texas.

At the annual business meeting, The Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors elected new Board members and appointed a new Officer: Emily Sands, Student Representative; Nicolyn Woodcock, Member-at-Large; and Bette Sydelko as Secretary.

In September 2024, the Board appointed Mary Murphy to the Friends of the Libraries Board of Directors as the Alumni Association Representative. 

More about the Friends and information on how you can join us in supporting great causes like these can be found on the Friends of the Libraries webpage.