Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Cambodia

cambodia

Featured country: Cambodia

A constitutional monarchy officially known as the “Kingdom of Cambodia,” Cambodia is located on the Indochina Peninsula, surrounded on three sides by Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand.  Ninety-five per cent of the nearly 15 million people in the country follow Buddhism, though historically Cambodia was greatly influenced politically and culturally by Hinduism.  In fact, the nation’s most visited and revered monument of Angkor Wat was originally constructed by the Khmer king, Suryavarman II in the 12th century as a Hindu religious complex.  Angkor Wat is  the largest religious monument in the world, and is portrayed on the nation’s flag.  In the 20th century, Cambodia achieved independence in 1953 from France, which had colonized the country since the mid-19th century.  After the Vietnam War, a devastating genocide of over 2 million people occurred from 1975-1979 by the Khmer Rouge.  Taking decades to recover, today Cambodia is experiencing some of the strongest cultural and economic growth in Asia through tourism to its beautiful heritage sites, textiles and the garment industry, and agriculture.  And currently, the University of Cincinnati has two Cambodian undergraduate students on campus.

Source: CultureGrams

Featured library resource: Foreign Information by Country

angkor_wat

Angkor Wat

New Digital Repository for Scholarly Works of Faculty and Students Will Enhance Teaching, Learning, and Research

The University of Cincinnati has embarked on a project to build a next-generation UC digital repository, and has joined two new consortia that will greatly advance the creation of this new repository. The initiative is being led by the University of Cincinnati Libraries in partnership with UCIT, the Office of Research, and the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP), the initial partners in what is expected to be a university-wide effort.

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Dr. Benjamin Felson Project: A Friendship that Spans Careers

Henry R. Winkler Center staff recently completed processing the correspondence portion of the Benjamin Felson archival collection, which is now available for research. The correspondence series documents many of the professional activities in which Dr. Felson was involved, such as his editorship for Seminars in Roentgenology, as well as his travel activities and his love for tennis.

Drs. Felson and Jacobson

Dr. Felson is seen here with Dr. Harold Jacobson in an undated photograph.

While exploring the correspondence series, one name appeared on a regular basis — Dr. Harold G. Jacobson. Continue reading

Music in the Gorno Library, October 9

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and UC Libraries present:

Music in the Gorno Library

A Short Recital of Medieval Polyphony and Song

CCM COLLEGIUM VOCALE

Wednesday, October 9, 2013, Gorno Library Reading Room, 6th floor Blegen Library, 5pm. Free and open to the public.

Performers Alison Kaufman, Samantha Stinson, Jonathan Cooper, Samuel Chan, Cody Bowers, Michael Fuchs, and Matthew Peattie will perform “Selections from Mass of Barcelona,” “O ignee spiritus,” and “Selections from Laudario di Cortona” among others.

National Womens Studies Associal Meeting, Nov. 7-10

NWSA: National Women’s Studies Association is holding its annual meeting in the Duke Energy Convention Center, November 7-10.  Established in 1977 to promote and support research, teaching, and learning about women and gender, NWSA’s annual conference is the only meeting of its kind within the United States that exclusively features feminist scholarship.   Continue reading

Join UC Libraries at Books by the Banks October 12

4cpossmcropped2On Saturday, October 12, the 7th annual Books by the Banks: Cincinnati USA Book Festival will take place at Duke Energy Convention Center from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Once again, UC Libraries is an organizing partner of the literary event that allows readers to meet and greet favorite authors.

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Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Bolivia

Bolivia_flag_smFeatured country: Bolivia.

Red on the Bolivian flag symbolizes valor (e.g., the blood of patriots spilled in battle); green, hope and the fertility of the land; and the yellow band in the center represents the country’s vast mineral resources.

Point of interest: Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco/Tiahuanacu).
This pre-Columbian archaeological site in la Paz is a UNESCO World Heritage

Sacred Statue in Tiwanaku - Bolivia

Sacred Statue in Tiwanaku – Bolivia

Site. Tiwanaku is believed to have obtained its name from an Aymara term, taypikala (“Stone in the Center”). Founded around 200 BC, this ancient city is  considered an important predecessor to the Inca Empire. Tiwanaku has outstanding stone carvings and ancient buildings that exemplify the Andean pre-Hispanic civilization.

 Source: Global Road Warrior.

Featured library resource: Collins world atlas : clear, detailed, and up-to-date mapping, latest stunning satellite images, UNESCO world heritage sites.  London : HarperCollins, 2010.
Langsam Reference Oversize G1021 .H59846 2010  

Posted by Olga Hart

Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Belgium

belgiumFeatured country: Belgium

Did you know the term “duffel bag” derives from the Belgian town of Duffel, where the thickly woven bags were first manufactured?  Or that Belgian beer and chocolate are world-renowned?  Approximately the size of the state of Maryland, the Kingdom of Belgium is located in western Europe, surrounded on three sides by The Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, and France to the south.  Because of its strategic location, Belgium is one of the cultural centers of Europe, and the capital of Brussels is the seat of many European Union offices.  Flemish, French, and German are the official languages of Belgium, however many people speak English, as well as Spanish, Arabic, and Dutch because historically the country has been a crossroads for immigrants.  Belgium was devastated by the World Wars of the 20tch century, but most of its centuries-old castles and public buildings have survived, and today its vibrant culture make Belgium a nation of fashion, international commerce, and tourism in such beautiful cities as Bruges and Antwerp.

Source: CultureGrams.

Featured library resource: Foreign Information by Country.

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On one of Antwerp’s city squares.

By Kevin Grace

No, this street sculpture in Antwerp isn’t a tribute to UC’s Greg Hand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel the World with UC Libraries! Destination for Today: Belarus

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Featured country: Belarus.
The Republic of Belarus is situated in north-eastern Europe. The official languages are Belarusian and Russian.

Interesting fact about Belarus: The Belavezha forest reserve is home to the zubry (European bison), which became extinct elsewhere in Europe long ago.

Source: CultureGrams

Featured library resourceEthnologue: Languages of the World

Posted by Olga Hart