Penn State Harrisburg, a Journey through Campus History 

By Tin Nguyen

Middletown, PA- Penn State Harrisburg’s faculty Heidi Moyer released Penn State Harrisburg, a book that captures the 50 years of campus history.

Ms. Moyer, a Harrisburg native and 9 year Penn State Librarian, is the pioneering force behind the book.  She is currently the School of Humanities Archivist, and acts as a liaison for the other schools since 2007.

Penn State Harrisburg covers the chronology of our school from its humble origins to today, through vivid images and descriptive captions.

Ms. Moyer, who has been around Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut, was inspired specifically by Harrisburg’s “rich history” and its central positioning to metro cities such as: New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.

With the 50th year Anniversary of the campus looming, Penn State Harrisburg looks to be a perfect token for students, faculty and history lovers wanting to catch up on the school throughout the years.

Among the 206 books in the Campus History Series, Ms. Moyer is proud about how her book differentiates itself from the other publications.  Penn State Harrisburg features an index with captions and titles that are unique to the school. Ms. Moyer said “A book is only as good as its organization.”

The path to publication was not the quickest; a proposition that lasted about a decade long aimed at the school’s 50th year anniversary.  The idea first sprung in Moyer’s head in 2007, when she started working at Penn State’s library.  It eventually became a sabbatical project with production from 2014-16.  Over 20,000 unsorted, uncaptioned photos without any context had to be organized by Moyer and her team.  Also, an extensive list of interviews and research was much needed.

The Harrisburg community is very valuable to Ms. Moyer and is described by her in 4 words as: safe, engaging, scholarship, and community.

Penn State’s librarian encourages students and aspiring writers “to not limit yourself to conventional formats of writing. Write online, write for a blog, etc.”  Moyer also shares that how you present yourself in writing is as important as how you present yourself in person.

Her book, History of Penn State Harrisburg is available now in bookstores and the university library.