Category Archives: ARB Library

Posts related to the archives and rare books category.

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.

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

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

Sign into your ORCID account using your UC login

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What is an ORCID?   ORCID stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID.

You can now access your ORCID account using your UC login.

Visit the ORCID login page and click the Institutional Account button.  Choose University of Cincinnati Main Campus.  You will be prompted to link the two accounts.

Don’t have an ORCID yet?

You can register directly on the website http://orcid.org

OR Even Better

You can access a prefilled registration form linked to your UC email through Scholar@UC on your profile page.

Currently you can enrich your ORCID profile with content in Scholar using a DOI given to the work. (link to video-http://www.kaltura.com/tiny/ycktt 2017-03-17)

For more information about this new login feature, please refer to the blog post from ORCID

https://orcid.org/blog/2016/05/21/what-was-my-password-again

Contact ASKDATA@UC.EDU for more information or with questions.

Shakespeare, Beethoven, Bearcats and More – All in Latest Issue of 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 with Xuemao Wang, dean and university librarian, about how UC Libraries is utilizing Organizational Development to help bring about transformational change. Kevin Grace, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library writes about the Enoch Carson Shakespeare Collection and how it will be a part of autumn 2017 Shakespeare celebrations in Cincinnati. Another great reading collection, the Cohen Enrichment Collection, is also featured in this issue.

Other articles in Source include an update on two UC Libraries Strategic Plan initiatives – eLearning and Digital Literacy and the Digital Scholarship Center, a recap of the most recent annual Cecil Striker Lecture and the addition of Beethoven’s “Life Mask” in the Albino Gorno Memorial (CCM) Library. Read these articles and more.

Source is available 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.

40th anniversary of University of Cincinnati state affiliation

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By: Eira Tansey

Bennis Campaign 1976Many of us are looking forward to 2019, when the University celebrates its bicentennial. But another important anniversary is already upon us. On July 1, 1977, the University will mark its 40th anniversary as a state-affiliated institution. Prior to 1977, the University of Cincinnati was overseen by the City of Cincinnati. Continue reading →

Dudes in Drag: An Exploration of Humor through Merry Wives of Windsor

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By: Sydney Vollmer, ARB Intern

Dudes in Drag: An Exploration of Humor through Merry Wives of WindsorIn my previous blog I mentioned that the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company would be putting on free productions of Merry Wives of Windsor this summer as part of its Shakespeare in the Park series.  If you’ve read the play or seen the show, you know a main plot point is about Sir John Falstaff and how he tries to seduce Mistress Page and her best friend, Mistress Ford—at the same time.  Both women, faithful to their husbands, decide to create quite the fool out of Falstaff by feigning interest and arranging secret meetings between Falstaff and Mistress Ford.  Those meetings are always interrupted by Master Ford coming home, thus putting Falstaff in precarious positions.  One of the most notable scenes involves Falstaff donning a dress, pretending to be the fat aunt of the Fords’ servant so he can leave the house without being recognized.  It’s been long thought of as one of the funniest scenes in the play…why? What is it about a man in a dress that gives us a big chuckle? Continue reading →

A Very Shakespeare Summer

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By Sydney Vollmer

Shakespeare in the ParkCongrats to all the Bearcats who graduated and to those who celebrated surviving another semester! Now that it’s summer time, you might be looking for some fun things to do.  I can tell you about one that’s right in your backyard…well, park.  Once again the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will offer their free Shakespeare in the Park summer series.  It opens July 14th and runs through September 4th. Each year Cincinnati Shakes prepares two shows for their various performances at parks around the city and Hamilton County.  This year’s shows are Romeo and Juliet and The Merry Wives of Windsor.  Past years included A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, and Much Ado About Nothing.  The official schedule hasn’t been posted yet, but it will be coming soon!  You can check their website for updates. Continue reading →