On Friday, March 27, the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Bookstore will have its grand re-opening. Festivities will take place from noon to 5 p.m., and will include book-signings, an art exhibit and a ribbon cutting. Light refreshments will be served throughout the day, and those in attendance can enter a drawing to win a digital camera. The event is free and open to the public.

At 1 p.m., Paul Salstrom, Ph.D., associate professor of history at SMWC, will sign copies of his book “From Pioneering to Persevering: Family Farming in Indiana to 1880.” 

In the book, Salstrom describes how Thomas Jefferson envisioned an America based on family farming. Indiana’s southern-born pioneers turned his vision into a reality, but the “easy-entry farming” of the early 1800s came to an end well before that century ended. Salstrom carries the Hoosier family-farm story only as far as 1880, but he also mentions that it wasn't actually until World War II, when the full mechanization of corn-harvesting finally caught on, that Indiana’s tradition of family farming started to become a relic. In the book, Salstrom questions if Indiana and America are ready yet to realize that defending the family farm is the choice of a whole society.

At 2 p.m., there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Also at 2 p.m., Chris (C. S.) Marks, Ph.D., professor of equine studies at SMWC, will sign copies of her books “Elfhunter,” “Fire-heart” and “Ravenshade.”

“Elfhunter,” which was re-released in September 2007, is the first of the tales of Alterra, the World that Is. The story follows the lives two Wood-elves, Gaelen and Nelwyn, who are sworn to protect all the Elves of their woodland home and destroy Elfhunter villain, Gorgon. In their journeys, the two meet other interesting characters and are faced with trials of courage, betrayal, and the hefty task of saving Alterra, “the World that Is.” “Fire-heart” and “Ravenshade,” the second and third books in the series, provide the dramatic conclusion of this highly original fantasy story.

The grand re-opening, will also feature a display of artwork by Pat Jancosek, assistant professor of art at SMWC. Jancosek holds a master of fine arts degree in design theory from the University of Kansas, a master of arts degree in painting and printmaking from Purdue University and a bachelor of fine arts degree from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.

Her research is centered on visual communication and problem solving, visual cognition and visual information processing. Her teaching integrates cutting edge information into the areas of visual communication, graphic design, studio art and digital media.

In November 2008, SMWC, in partnership with the Follett Higher Education Group, announced that the campus bookstore would be totally remodeled to enhance the shopping experience for faculty, students, alumnae/i, and the community.

The renovation, a culmination of many months of planning, was designed to enhance the shopping experience for the entire Saint Mary-of-the-Woods community. The renovation includes:

• Shopping efficiency that provides greater shopping ease, increased merchandise space, improved clothing displays and gift items, and an overall ambiance that invites both students and faculty to browse. Aisles and end caps are clearly visible upon entering the store.
• More than 1,100 square feet dedicated to trade and textbooks and more than 2,000 square feet featuring clothing, gifts, supplies, and greater convenience offerings such as health and beauty aids. In total, the bookstore covers more than 4,800 square feet of space.
• A new, richer and more cohesive look that incorporates the school colors into the store’s palate. The color scheme is warm and inviting, and it is coordinated to provide a pleasant retail ambiance. The fixtures feature an oiled cherry finish.
• Customer seating in a new trade book department that encourages leisure reading and customer browsing.
• A relocation of the clothing and gift departments to the store’s entrance for increased customer visibility.
• A relocation of the checkout counter to one side of the store’s entrance to create more noticeable merchandise displays.
• The integration of campus life photos, capturing campus scenes, to enhance the store’s ambiance and tie the store into the community.
• Modernized fixtures and accessories to incorporate Follett’s “signature look.” In addition, the departments are sized to meet the current needs of students.
• A new flexible merchandise plan that meets changing merchandising needs and traffic flow.

The bookstore is located on the SMWC campus in the basement of Hulman Hall. For more information, contact Becky Knezevich, SMWC Bookstore Manager, at 812-535-5228. More information about the bookstore is also available online at http://smwc.bkstr.com.