Coastal Carolina University professor and historian Eldred "Wink" Prince will lead the discussion on "The Great Plow-Up," the first lecture in the "Dust, Drought and Dreams Gone Dry" series about the Dust Bowl at Kimbel Library on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. in Edwards Recital Hall. The public is invited to this free event.

As thousands of farmers flocked to the Plains in search of prosperity, the greatest ecological disaster of all time was forming. Prince, director of CCU's Waccamaw Center for Cultural and Historical Studies, will be joined by Matthew McDonough, a lecturer from CCU's department of history. They will discuss the differences between farming on the Great Plains and farming in the Horry-Georgetown area and the implications on social life and customs. Following the discussion will be a screening of the first part of the Ken Burns' film "The Dust Bowl: The Great Plow Up."

The photographic exhibit about the U.S. Dust Bowl is on display in the Bryan Information Commons and the Kimbel Library.

This exhibit was developed by the American Library Association and the libraries of Oklahoma State University and Mount Holyoke College and made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor. The exhibit also includes historical photographs of Horry County courtesy of the Horry County Museum.

The Bryan Information Commons is located in the Kimbel Library at 376 University Blvd. in Conway. For more information about the event, contact Dean of Library Services Barbara Burd at 843-349-2401 or bburd@coastal.edu.