Writers are still needed to contribute to the Encyclopedia of Appalachia which is being compiled by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services.
The Encyclopedia of Ap-palachia is scheduled for publication in 2002 by the University of Tennessee Press and will be the most comprehensive reference work on the Appalachian region ever produced.
It will contain over 2,000 entries that profile the land, people, economies, traditions and institutions of the 13-state Appalachian region.
Jill Oxendine, managing editor of the project, said that writers will not be paid for their contributions but that for young and new writers, it is a good way to get published.
“It looks good on a resume,” she said.
Writers do not need to have been published in order to contribute and they can contribute more than one topic, Oxendine said.
Knowing how to research a topic is the most important skill.
Oxendine said many writers contribute because of enthusiasm for a particular subject, but all entries should be objective and free of bias.
Questions writers should ask as they are writing the entries are “Why is this entry being included?” and “How did the subject impact Appalachia?”
The “Encyclopedia of Appalachia” is intended to be a reference for teachers, scholars, students, organizations and the public.
Oxendine said the goal is to place it in every public school and library in the Appalachian region, which includes parts of 13 states extending from New York to Mississippi.
It is believed that the book will present a truer picture of a region that is perceived and portrayed in a stereotypical manner.
“There is a lot of history in it,” Oxendine said. “It is a unique culture.”
For more information, call the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services at 439-5348 or 439-7480.
Detailed information, contributors’ guidelines and a list of unassigned topics can be found by visiting the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services Web site at http://cass.etsu.edu and clicking the link to the Encyclo-pedia of Appalachia or by going to http://encyclopediaofappalachia.org.

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