Acknowledgments

Indigenous people lived for at least 12,000 years in what is called Kentucky, and Shawnee and Cherokee peoples called home the land of Madison County, where Eastern Kentucky University is located. Indigenous people continue to live in Kentucky with latest estimates over 31,000.

As a compilation of scholarship, Accessible Appalachia: An Open-Access, Introductory Reader in Appalachian Studies was a combined effort of many minds, who kept it from becoming a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. The contributions of consulting editors Dr. Deann Allen, Dr. James Maples, Mx. Valerie Miller, and Dr. Erin Presley tightened the scope of the textbook and offered valuable insights for the authors as they moved from the topic proposal to a full chapter submission.

In Jacob Johnson’s crucial role as undergraduate editorial intern, he learned by doing; he tracked down sources, verified the accuracy of quotations, and worked to streamline the chapters into Chicago Style bibliographical format. His interest in the project didn’t wane upon his graduation from EKU, and his valuable input continued even as a very busy graduate student in the University of Kentucky’s History Department; I trust we’ll see his name on many original publications as well as edited compilations in the coming years. All of these key players helped me to move the project from idea to reality.

I will always sing the praises of the Eastern Kentucky University Libraries. From the first conversations in February 2020 about an open electronic resource in Appalachian Studies to its fruition in summer 2024, I worked closely with open strategies librarian Bailey Lake, whose dedication to consistency in format and to fine details matched my own; university librarian Kelly Smith, whose passion for open electronic resources is absolutely contagious and vitally important in EKU's innovations in textbook publishing; associate librarians Laura Edwards and Linda Sizemore, whose vast knowledge in accessibility and copyright issues are surely unmatched by anyone else in the country; and dean’s office coordinator and MPA graduate student Meghan Mariah, whose careful double- and triple-checking of Chicago Style soothed my compulsive bibliographical needs. They provided immense assistance and their sharp expertise throughout the textbook’s creation. The librarians at EKU have always been outstanding faculty of the university, staying current with resources and strategies as well as providing fully informed perspectives about research areas. They also make sure their collection and databases are top-notch quality not only in content but also in their availability in different formats. While Jacob and I were checking source material during the editing process, I was consistently impressed (and a bit spoiled!) by our library’s readily available research and full range of publications, and on the infrequent occasions when I wasn’t able to find a source in electronic format, I was able to request it through Library Express and Ashley Cole, whose quick attention and acquisition skills put the source into my email inbox with truly impressive efficiency.

The Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents provided the necessary funding to launch this project, and I am grateful for this support from the university.

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences granted me the gift of time in the form of a sabbatical after I stepped down from leadership in Appalachian Studies and Women & Gender Studies. The semester without classroom and service duties allowed me to focus my full attention on this textbook, and while I greatly missed interacting with students, I’m quite proud of the work that will benefit future students in Appalachian Studies.

Finally, I am immensely fortunate to share a home with Dr. Travis Martin, whose love and support during the textbook project came in many tangible and intangible forms. He was my sounding board as a seasoned professional in editing and publishing, and he also served as the voice of wisdom when it came to closing my computer for the night. Witnessing my nearly monomaniacal focus during my sabbatical, he also made sure I was taking care of myself and carving time for walking our two energetic shepherds.

Dr. Lisa Day

June 2024