Huntingdon College Library

10/30/2026

I am the target audience for this joke.

Thank you, Staffan, for this 💎

10/30/2026

Happy (almost) Halloween! (Jack-o-lantern on the right compliments of student assistant Griffin Osborn; on the left by Administrative Assistant Camden A. Thornton). Candy compliments of Frank.

10/29/2026

This feels appropriate to share this close to Hallows eve.

Today, the Malleus Maleficarum is recognized as one of the most influential books produced during the European witch trials. With popular rhetoric like this, it is no surprise so many innocent women were targeted.

It is chilling to note that the 1600 edition held in our museum's collection contains not just this infamous witch-hunter's manual, but numerous other demonological treatises. Among these are Bernard Basin’s 1483 work, which argued that women, especially older women, were more superstitious and thus more prone to fortune telling and Johannes Nider's 1475 Formicarius (The Ants Nest), which is generally regarded as one of the earliest books published on the subject of witchcraft.

Interested in learning more about the world of witchcraft and superstition? Join us on Wednesday, November 18th for an international collaboration "Witch Trials: Bury to Salem— Live from the Museums."

For this special evening, Dan Clarke, Heritage Officer at Moyse's Hall Museum in Bury St Edmunds, England, and Rachel Christ-Doane, Director of Education at the Salem Witch Museum, will take us behind the scenes of exhibits at their respective museums — live from the museums themselves.

Dan and Rachel will use these exhibits as starting points to explore the history, beliefs, stories and folklore surrounding witch trials, offering two fascinating perspectives on how witchcraft has been understood, remembered and presented to the public.

Two museums. Two Speakers. One fascinating history. Join us live for an evening of witch trials and folklore.

This free virtual event will take place at 2:00 pm EST, 7pm GMT. Registration is required.

www.salemwitchmuseum.com/event/witch-trials-bury-to-salem-live-from-the-museums

10/28/2026

We are officially in Ghost Hunting Season! Drop by the Library from 8 am-9 pm today and tomorrow to hunt. If they have not all been found by then, the hunt is also open on Friday from 8 am-5 pm. The ghosts you are looking for are crocheted (thank you, Fiber Arts Workshop folks) in three different colors for two of our most famous ghosts--Frank (grey), the Red Lady (red) -- and white for our many other campus ghosts.

Rules:
1. One ghost per student; bring your ghost to the front desk to claim your prize.
2. If you find a ghost and can't reach it while keeping both feet on the ground, take a picture and bring that to the desk.
4. Ghosts will only be found in the non-"24/7" section of the Library.

Happy Haunt--I mean hunting.

10/27/2026

Today is the day of the Annual Fall Salon! Join the Library and the Department of Literature, Language, and Communications to read through a one-act play version of Poe's short story "The Fall of the House of Usher." We can't guarantee an appearance from Frank... but we do know he enjoys stories as he pushes a few off the shelves from time to time.

10/26/2026

Hoist the colors! Pirate King Kidwell taught us how to put together our own flags that represent us whenever we get around to manning our own ship.

10/20/2026

Ahoy, me hearties. It be time for pirate flag makin' this Sunday at 5:30pm. Pirate King Kidwell will be leading our wee workshop on flag makin' so send him an e-scroll at [email protected] by Wednesday afternoon to let him know you're coming; we need to know how many scallywags to expect in the Library atrium.

Walk-ins are welcome to drop anchor with us but keep a weather eye out; if a lot of buccaneers show, we may not have enough for everyone and those who RSVP have first claim at the beginning of the workshop. The only thing ye need bring is a wee thought about what to put on yer pirate flag.

10/19/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19Qs6BYTGd/

Hawks, do you have a story to tell about Martha, Hank, or others?

The Library and the Archives are collecting your stories! Scan the QR code or use the link below to share your anonymous story today.
https://conta.cc/4sc0Dsa

10/11/2026

Final Answer: "Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary." In 2010, a Southern California school district temporarily removed Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary from elementary-school shelves after a parent challenged sex-related entries as age-inappropriate.

10/10/2026

Yesterday's Answer: "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West" by Gregory Maguire. The book has been challenged and banned due to sexual content including sexual violence, profanity, drug use, and other “adult” themes. Interestingly, in early interviews Gregory Maguire stated that due to the source material for the book (i.e The Wizard of Oz) he included such material to emphasize that this was a book meant for adults or more mature readers and not for children. This bears a similarity to the (first) film Jurassic Park. Steven Spielberg felt it necessary to issue a statement informing parents that, yes, the movie is about dinosaurs, but it is not a movie for young children.

Today's Question: What classic reference work has been challenged because it includes definitions of sexual terms or “objectionable” words?