A geology exhibit eons in the making will be on display June 10 in Pennsylvania College of Technology's Madigan Library."Rockhounds: Digging the Ground Beneath Us" will spotlight more than 150 specimens of rocks, minerals and fossils from local personal hobbyists' collections. Hours will be 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; the public can "meet and greet" the Rockhounds (members of the Penn College community who contributed to the exhibit) from 5:30 to 7:30 that evening.
"This one-day exhibit will feature geological items that run the entire gamut from precious gems and stones to dinosaur fossils," said Jeffrey A. Bower, virtual resources developer at the library. "There will be fossils from ancient seas, fossils from ancient forests and large fossilized bone fragments from a certain "˜King of Dinosaurs.' The fossil section will be sure to inspire adventurous minds to head out and find a piece of the past."Quartz, kyanite, aventurine and jasper represent a few of the minerals that will be in the exhibit, which Bower organized with the assistance of Jeannette F. Carter, director of Outreach for K-12, and Sara Houseknecht, a 2006 graduate of Lock Haven University.
"Minerals can form in pockets or inside of rocks called geodes. They form delicate stalagmites and stalactites in caves, and several minerals are often turned into jewelry," Bower explained. "While not as popular as fossils or as interesting as minerals, rocks have their rightful place in the Rockhounds exhibit. Rocks tell the tales of our geological past. Many times we can date how old fossils are by the layer in which they are found within rock strata. Rocks form mountains and hold information about events that occurred millions of years ago."
Specimens from all classifications were generously loaned to the exhibit by Penn College faculty, staff and students: Thomas J. Anderson, Web server administrator/programmer; Thomas E. Ask, associate professor of HVAC technology/mechanical refrigeration and design; Carter; Clifford P. Coppersmith, assistant dean of integrated studies; Matthew David, the college's assistant director for library services; Henriette K. Evans, Act 101 academic and career specialist; Jan Jost, call center coordinator; Renee M. Kranz, technical services assistant at the library; Jennifer S. Kurtz, a general studies student from Williamsport; Anita J. Shultz, of Watsontown, enrolled in the bachelor-degree nursing major; and Shannon L. Skaluba, library circulation assistant.After June 10, the main exhibit will be taken down and moved to smaller display cases throughout the library.
For more information, visit online, e-mail or call (570) 327-4523. For general information about Penn College, visit on the Web, e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.