Category Archives: ARB Library

Posts related to the archives and rare books category

What Do Martin Luther, a Hidden Paleontologist and German-Americans Have in Common? They are All in the Latest Source.

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sourceRead Source, the online newsletter, to learn more about the news, events, people and happenings in UC Libraries.

This latest issue of Source includes an article from Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian, about UC Libraries core beliefs and their role on how we achieve our mission “to empower discovery, stimulate learning and inspire the creation of knowledge by connecting students, faculty, researchers and scholars to dynamic data, information and resources.” Kevin Grace, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, writes about a hidden bust of a famous 20th-century paleontologist and philosopher. Two important gifts are announced in this issues of Source – the first, an endowment from the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation for the German-Americana Collection; the second, a legacy gift from Sandra and Robert Cohan to benefit musical collections in the Albino Gorno Memorial Library. Exhibits highlighting the Archives and Rare Books Library’s Shakespeare Collection, the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and a book display for Hispanic Heritage Month are also featured in this issue of Source. In addition, a collaboration between the College of Medicine and the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library to create a grant program to partner medical faculty with library informationists is announced.

Read these articles, as well as past issues, on the web at http://libapps.libraries.uc.edu/source/ and via e-mail. To receive Source via e-mail, contact melissa.norris@uc.edu to be added to the mailing list.

Breaking in a New Stage

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By: Sydney Vollmer, B.S., Marketing ‘17

Otto M. Budig Theater StageLast week, the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company said hello to their new home at the Otto M. Budig Theater with performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I was fortunate enough to be invited to their Media Night on September 7, when I got a first look at the space and the show.

The Theater

Located at 1195 Elm Street, the new theater features a modern style of architecture one might not expect for a company boasting Shakespeare’s name.  There is a large lobby area for everyone to gather before the show and during intermission and it is Otto M. Budig theater lobbypeppered with Shakespeare quotes and play titles everywhere you turn, from the steps to the seating. I personally am a fan of the bathroom sinks which read, “A little water clears us of this deed” – a direct quote from Lady Macbeth. When you go to a performance, see how many you can find!  Upstairs, an open room is used for classes and meetings for various presentations. During Media Night, Jeremy Dubin, Director of Creative Education, gave an informative presentation on the costuming and set design for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Continue reading →

Most UC Libraries Closed Labor Day, September 4

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labor dayUC Libraries will be closed Monday, September 4 for Labor Day, except for the Donald C. Harrison Health Sciences Library, which will be open 9am-5pm. This closing includes the Langsam Library 4th floor space, which will close Sunday, September 3 at 11pm and re-open Tuesday, September 5 at 7:45am.

A complete listing of library hours can be found online at www.libraries.uc.edu/about/hours.html.

Enjoy the long holiday weekend.

An Environmental Legacy

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By:  Eira Tansey

Bob MarshallOver the last couple years, I’ve been exploring the relationship between record keeping, archives, and environmental policy. Right now, I’m shifting my research gears towards the role of recordkeeping practices in the formulation and enforcement of environmental policy.

To understand how we’ve arrived at today’s environmental problems and policies, it’s helpful to go back to the past and look at one of the most influential periods of federal action on natural resource protection. During Roosevelt’s New Deal, major environmental protection projects were undertaken, as well as the introduction of a major federal regulatory state. The Civilian Conservation Corps employed thousands of young men to build trails and buildings still in use today, as well as undertaking environmental restoration projects such as reforestation. While most of today’s major federal environmental laws have their roots in the 1970s, the legal foundation for federal action to be taken on issues that no state can resolve on its own can be traced back to many New Deal-era regulations. Continue reading →

GIS Learning Community – First Meeting for 2017-2018

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 GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems.  GIS has applications for both teaching and research across many disciplines.

Do you need to visualize your spatial data but don’t know how? Do you have spatial data but don’t know how to map it?  Are you looking for guidance or have expertise to share regarding the analysis of spatial data?  Are you an ArcGIS, Q-GIS or other GIS program user and want to connect with other people who use these programs?  Are you simply curious about GIS and want to learn more?

The GIS Learning Community can help you address these and other questions.  The goal of the community is to be a user-driven forum for novice and expert practitioners to come together and discuss tools, resources, projects and solutions surrounding the spatial aspects of their data.   We invite interested individuals across all of UC to join us in building this community. The community is open to All Faculty, Staff and Students, as well as interested parties from outside of UC.  Please share with your colleagues and students.

The Details –

Date: September 6, 2017

Time: 3:00 to 4:30 pm

Place: (VENUE CHANGE 480 Langsam)

Light refreshments will be served

RSVP and Join the GIS LC at https://form.jotform.us/72324913145149.

If you are interested in the GIS Learning Community and are not able to come to the first meeting, RSVP or email ASKGIS@UC.Edu to be added to the GIS LC email list. Future invites will go to the GIS LC email list only.

More information is available on the GIS LC page on the GIS research guide:  http://guides.libraries.uc.edu/GIS/GISLC

The Mystery and Emotion of “Blue”

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By: Kevin Grace

The Three PrincessesIt is a color that has both negative and positive connotations, is symbolic of mysticism, social rank, both high and low emotions, and of serenity and wisdom.  Blue is a color that is a signifier of both Hell and purity, of luxury and dignity.  There are as many interpretations of what “blue” symbolizes as there are cultures in the world.

And the symbolism of the color is the rationale behind an online exhibit created by Archives & Rare Books Library.  Intended to highlight the spectrum of rare books in the collections, the selections show the cultural diversity over the ages of this particular color.   Nineteen volumes are represented in the exhibit, with several examples from each of illustrations and bindings, ranging from a 15th century illuminated book of hours to early Qur’ans and Persian poetry.  There are botanicals, fairy tales, Art Deco bindings, Asian drawing Ms. No. 20manuals, pochoir pattern books, and Turkish ebru marbled paper.  Each indicates a specific use of blue that depends on religion, technology, or geographical heritage. Continue reading →

Stratford-upon-Avon: “A Town Synonymous with William Shakespeare”

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By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Ah, summer. A time for frolicking on the beaches, zipping swiftly through busy cities with bright lights, tolerating that toddler kicking your seat on the plane just because it means you’re finally getting to spend some time away from work, and appreciating the Bard? It’s true. Shakespeare’s home, Stratford-upon-Avon, has been relying on tourism to bolster its economy since 1769.

Shakespeare’s Birthplace. Source: Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Continue reading →

County Cork: A County Unchanged by History

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By:  Savannah Gulick, Archives & Rare Books Library student assistant
County Cork, Ireland, Scilly Walk

County Cork, Ireland lies in the southwest region of the country and contains many historically famous cities and buildings, such as Cobh (formerly Queenstown) where the Titanic last docked before its disastrous maiden voyage Smith's History of County Corkin 1912, and Cork City itself, the second largest city Ireland.   In terms of its beauty and traditions, this particular county has not changed very much over the centuries, though like the rest of Ireland, has seen economic hills and valleys as well as its own take on revolution and patriotism in the island.  In Charles Smith’s two-volume 1774 work in the Archives & Rare Books Library, The Ancient and Present State of The County and City of Cork, the author discusses the vast history of County Cork up to his own time in the 18th century.  He explains all aspects of Irish history in Cork, ranging from wars to flora and fauna with maps and photos to illustrate what he is discussing.  The volumes are part of the growing body of Irish literature in ARB and are consulted frequently by students and scholars interested in urban development, the history of cities, and the general history of Ireland.  Smith’s work also includes maps and engravings of Cork City and the surrounding countryside. Continue reading →

Reporting back from the Archives Leadership Institute

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By:  Eira Tansey

Archives Leadership Institute

Twenty-five archivists, five and a half days, and untold quantities of coffee: these are the basics that make up the annual Archives Leadership Institute (ALI). ALI is a week-long leadership training institute for a cohort of 25 archivists, selected each year following an extensive application and review process. The institute is funded by a 3-year grant from the National Historical Publications & Records Commission (NHPRC), and is currently located at Berea College (Kentucky). Continue reading →

Data & GIS Collab hours for the next two weeks

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The hours for the Data & GIS Collab (located in the Geo-Math Physics library in Braunstein Hall) for the dates Friday July 7th to Monday July 17th  will be as follows:

Friday July 7th the consult hours will be 10 am to 2 pm

There will be no consult hours from Monday July 10th through Monday July 17th.  On July 18th  the normal schedule will resume.

During these times, both workstations will be available for self directed public use.

This information will also be on the campus guide: http://guides.libraries.uc.edu/GIS/CollabInfo

Email ASKGIS@UC.Edu with questions