The Irish Fairy Book by Alfred Perceval Graves

By: Savannah Gulick, Archives & Rare Books Library Student Assistant

Cover of the Irish Fairy BookCeltic lore has always been fascinating to me and to readers worldwide, but oftentimes it is overlooked by Greek and Roman mythology so I thought I would highlight a few of the tales that exemplify Irish mythology and that are part of our holdings in the Archives & Rare Books Library.

Celtic Irish society revolved around the cult of warrior heroes. The most important people in early Irish society, equal even to the kings, were the Seanachie or storytellers. A major part of these bards’ duties was to compose poems in praise of the daring deeds of kings and warriors; hence they were held in high esteem in a warrior society. Continue reading

Missing Game of Thrones? Check Out the Board Game in the STRC

game of thronesThe Student Technology Resources Center (STRC), located on the fourth floor of the Walter C. Langsam Library, has collaborated with the UC Gaming Club to be named an official Game Lab. As such, the STRC currently lends out approximately 20 board and card games with more added weekly. The newest board game, Game of Thrones, promises to be popular.

In addition to board and card games, UC students can also borrow a game console (Atari, Nintendo, Sega or the Nintendo switch) on a cart with a monitor. Available for check out at the STRC, all that is needed is a UC ID.

Check out the new Games of Thrones board game and create the ending you want.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bdep4Jgk0_0&w=560&h=315]

 

 

 

Poetry in Motion – A Grad Student’s Interpretation

During summer semester, Sarah Nordgren and her colleagues are spending a couple of days shooting a video in the STRC Production Room. Sarah is a graduate student (getting her doctorate of philosophy, English and comparative literature). Her specialty is poetry. The video is part of Sarah’s dissertation.

Green room production

Sarah (far right) and colleagues shooting a scene for her video.

green room red outfit

The outfits were designed just for this video.

green room strc

Try to find just the right angle.

Resiliency in Venezuela: A Brief Look at the Willpower of a Country and its People throughout History

By:  Savannah Gulick, Archives & Rare Books Library Student Assistant

Map of VenezuelaWith one glance at the current news in Venezuela, horror ensues as you witness the atrocities that Venezuelans are enduring on a daily basis. Corrupt politicians, hyperinflation, big oil, blackouts and a lack of access to food, water, and other necessities are just the beginning. In one of my Spanish courses, our professor had us pull newspaper articles about the conflict and one particular article still comes to mind: “In Venezuela, Cooking With Firewood as Currency Collapses” (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/02/world/americas/venezuela-nicholas-maduro-inflation-economic-collapse.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FVenezuela). Black markets are thriving and charging obscene amounts for items like propane gas, eggs and sugar, which in turn leads to people relying on firewood for heat and food. In this century, it is hard to fathom how quickly a country can collapse and what that means for the citizens. However, the stark reality is that countries can fall in a week if enough corruption, unrest, and poor distribution of wealth exists. Continue reading

Under the Tent of the Sky: A Collection of Poems About Animals Large & Small

By: McKenna Corey, ARB 2018-2019 NEH Intern

Under the Tent of the Sky Title PageThe Historical Textbooks Collection at the ARB contains texts that cover a myriad of subjects: history, science, civic studies, music, writing, mathematics, and more. As I browse the collection, as a literary fanatic, I tend to gravitate towards the literary texts. As I was sorting some books this week, I came across the most endearing poetry collection for children that I wanted to share.

The anthology is titled Under the Tent of the Sky, and it includes poetry that focuses on the animal kingdom. The volume was published in 1937. I was pleasantly surprised to see that some of my favorite poets were included in the volume, including William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and even William Shakespeare. It was amazing to me that such prominent poets were included in a collection for children, and I was inspired to flip through the volume. Continue reading

Simon Lord Lovat

By: McKenna Corey, ARB 2018-2019 NEH Intern

Lord LovatSimon Lord Lovat (a title of Scottish reverence) was known in his time as “the Fox,” and for good reason. He was well-known to be sly and duplicitous.Within the context of the Jacobite uprisings, he played a special role. After his execution, it was apparent that it was up to interpretation whether he was a traitor or, as he would call himself, “a patriot.

Born into the clan Fraser to Thomas and Sybilla in Scotland, Simon Lord Lovat was a brilliant student in his younger years. After graduating with a Master of Arts in 1695, Simon’s life was full of uncertainty. After the loss of his older brother in his younger years, Simon was declared the heir to his father, Thomas. The Lord Lovat at this time was Hugh Fraser, though his leadership skills weren’t excellent, and it was for this reason that Simon knew that he had to assure that his father would gain the title of Lord Lovat. To do this, he decided to create an army. Continue reading

Traveling to Hogwarts with the STRC

Recently, eight students from Dr. Brittany Rosen’s HPE 7040 Social & Behavioral Health class used the services of UC Libraries and the Student Technology Resources Center (STRC) to create a video about the importance of dental care. The students borrowed several pieces of equipment from the Desk@Langsam. They then shot the video in the STRC production room and worked with Jay Sinnard, manager of the STRC, to edit the video.

To view the videos produced in the STRC, visit their YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/STRC1.

Continue reading

Benjamin Gettler and the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees

By:  Alex Temple, Benjamin Gettler Papers Project Archivist

I’ve mentioned before that Benjamin Gettler served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Cincinnati, but I haven’t really talked about how he got there or what that means.  In short, the Board of Trustees is the governing body of the University of Cincinnati.  There are 11 members total, who are recommended by the Ohio State Senate and appointed by the Governor of Ohio.  Among other responsibilities, they select and appoint the university president, set the university budget, and grant all degrees from the university.  The trustees set the framework for students’ experience at the University of Cincinnati, as they also are responsible for setting the tuition and approving university rules, curricula, and programs.  Gettler himself was key to the creation of the Judaic Studies Department.

Gettler was first recommended as a trustee to Governor George Voinovich by legislator Stanley Aronoff in October of 1992.  Aronoff lauded Gettler’s commitment to the Republican Party (Voinovich was a Republican governor) and business prowess, but it wasn’t until November of 1993 after a second recommendation from Bob Taft, that Voinovich would finally appoint Gettler.  Taft’s recommendation better highlighted Gettler’s qualifications as both a University of Cincinnati alumnus and significant donor.  Taft also praised his experience in law, finance, community service, and business in addition to his supportive activities with the Republican Party in local, state, and national issues.  He also put his own reputation on the line by making the recommendation out of personal familiarity with Gettler. Continue reading

Help Config the Refig! Langsam 4th Floor East Remodel

4th floor reno graphicWhy do you come to the library? What kind of furniture do you want? What inspires you? These are some of the questions UC Libraries is asking users to consider as they provide input on possible changes to a large area within the library.

This summer, the Walter C. Langsam Library’s 4th floor east will be remodeled. UC Libraries is seeking input on what is desired for the space. The project encompasses approximately 13,000 square feet. One of the main objectives of the project is to add more user space (referred to as seats). Some library collections will remain, while others will be relocated. The project will begin in summer 2019 with completion during the fall semester.

To provide input, library visitors are encouraged to draw, write or tell their ideas on one of two large blackboards positioned at the entrance to the library as well as in the 4th floor east space. In addition, there is a handout(PDF) that can be filled out and either returned to the Desk@Langsam or emailed to libfacilityfeedback@uc.edu.

Get creative!