Behind the Blue: A Conversation With Terry Birdwhistell

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 3, 2017) — University of Kentucky Libraries is integral to the university’s mission of teaching and learning, research, and outreach. Consisting of 10 major facilities, including the William T. Young Library, the John A. Morris Equine Library, the Lucille Caudill Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center, and more, UK Libraries collaborates with faculty across campus and the Commonwealth of Kentucky to prepare students for a future in the knowledge economy and a global society.

As the premier research library in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, UK Libraries provides ever-expanding access to information resources, teaching and learning programs and services, and helps develop new digital formats to reach users at their point of need.

On this week’s episode of "Behind the Blue," we sit down for a conversation with Terry Birdwhistell, UK’s dean of Libraries. Known as the university’s longtime historian, Birdwhistell has been working in the university's libraries since 1973. He’s done over 900 oral history interviews during that time with a wide array of people who have influenced, impacted and helped shape the state.

Dean Birdwhistell talks with us about the importance of listening, some of his favorite interviews, and his belief that while quantitative data is important, numbers can often fail to give us certain information about our history. In those moments, stories can shed light upon our history in rich and meaningful ways that transcend raw data. He also shares with us a surprising starting five for his “dream UK basketball” team

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If you have questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email us at BehindTheBlue@uky.edu, or Tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.