Virginia R. Donovan, Department of French at University of Wisconsin-Superior, has been named the first James Ford Bell Library Research Fellow. The $1000 fellowship facilitates research in the Bell Library's premier collection of rare books, maps, manuscripts, and archival collections documenting the history and impact of international trade prior to ca. 1800.

Professor Donovan's research centers on French and French colonial history during the period 1661-1830. Her recent work on the Quebec corsair Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville led to the project she will be pursuing at the Bell Library, a literary comparison of d'Iberville's writing with the Bell's French corsair archive. Professor Donovan intends to make available a textual analysis and translation of selected French corsair manuscripts for use by other scholars as part of her project.

The selection committee for the 2011 award included U of M professor emeritus Mary Louise Fellows (Law School and Friends of the Libraries Board), professor Kathryn L. Reyerson (History/Director, Center for Medieval Studies/Advisory Board, Center for Early Modern History); and Arvid Nelsen (Head of Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Minnesota Libraries).