T. M. Berry Project: A Fond Farewell

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By Laura Laugle

It’s been just over a year since I began working with the Theodore M. Berry papers and in that time this collection has become a part of me in a way I never guessed it would. I have learned about 20th century American history and the black experience in a way that no history book or classroom setting could ever duplicate; I have gotten an insider’s look at the US government during the civil rights movement; and I have come to know a man whom I never had the opportunity to meet but whom I greatly admire. This will be my last blog post for this project and, though I am sad to be leaving, I know that this collection will always be with me in its contribution to my education and understanding of the world. Continue reading →

Speaking of Lotspeich. . .

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By Lauren Fink

Seven Hills School LogoA new, 11-box installment has been added to the Seven Hills School collection which is housed at the Archives and Rare Books Library.

In 2002, the library processed a collection of archival materials belonging to the Seven Hills School. This collection contains photographs, yearbooks, and other memorabilia documenting the school’s history and evolution from 1908-1999 and can be viewed by visiting the following link http://www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives/inventories/seven_hills.pdf. The new accession of materials is a continuation of the 2002 collection. However, it spans the years 1953-2011 and pertains mainly to the Lotspeich School.

Print materials – self-studies of the Seven Hills School, mailings, newsletters, class lists, directories, and annual reports – are included, as are photographic materials. Professional school pictures, principals’ albums, yearbooks (right), faculty photos, and candids all document the myriad of people and happenings at the Lotspeich School throughout the years. Events like Halloween, “Shearing ‘Lot Sheep’ at Lotspeich, and May Fete, are certainly of interest and nostalgia to alumni of the Lotspeich School. Continue reading →

The Albert B. Sabin Digitization Project: Dr. Sabin’s Name, Take 2

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This "Sabin Street" sign is located on the campus of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Sabin project student assistant Megan Ryan and I have been working very hard on converting the Sabin collection inventory into a web-based finding aid for the archives, which will be accessible online next week. For those of you that don’t know, according to the Society of American Archivists, a finding aid is “a tool that facilitates the discovery of information within a collection of records,” or “a description of records that gives the repository physical and intellectual control over the materials and that assists users to gain access to and understand the materials.” In the case of the Albert B. Sabin archives, this finding aid will help users across the globe have a better understanding of the materials we have in our collection, as well as help the Winkler Center provide access to the collection to its users. We have used the Encoded Archival Description (EAD) format, which is the standard used by archival repositories worldwide and endorsed by the Society of American Archivists. Continue reading →

Expand Your Global Perspective During International Education Week Activities at UC

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Food, film and plenty of information-sharing will be brought into focus Nov. 14-19, when UC celebrates International Education Week.

UC Libraries is participating in International Education Week with the exhibit Travel the World with UC Libraries, currently on display on Langsam Library’s 4th floor and featuring guidebooks, phrase books, and websites that will aid people in their travels. More information about the exhibit is available online.

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The Albert B. Sabin Digitization Project: World Polio Day

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Found in the Sabin Archives - Dr. Sabin receives “Rotary Award for World Understanding” at the 1985 RI Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

October 24 is World Polio Day, which is sponsored by Rotary International. Since 1985, with the implementation of the PolioPlus program, this organization has been working to end polio throughout the world. As I had mentioned in my first blog post, there are only four countries in the whole world – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan – where polio is still considered “endemic.” Due to the massive effort of Rotary International and its partners, through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, less than 1,700 polio cases were reported in 2009. World Polio Day is an effort to bring attention to the fight against polio. Rotary International’s “End Polio Now” website states, “As long as polio threatens even one child anywhere in the world, children everywhere remain at risk.” Continue reading →

New Summon Advanced Tutorial Now Available

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         Click image to start tutorial in a new window.

The Summon Advanced tutorial introduces advanced features, tips and tricks for the Summon search engine. It’s helpful to view the Summon Basics tutorial for a general overview of the tool.

Click here to get started or visit: http://www.ucblueash.edu/library/tutorial/summon-advanced/summon-advanced.swf

The Albert B. Sabin Digitization Project: A Polio Research Collaboration

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Saul Benison, PhD

Recently, I was reading a chapter on the history of polio research by Saul Benison, a former professor of history at the University of Cincinnati. Prior to coming to Cincinnati, Dr. Benison held a notable position as the historian for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (see a previous blog about this organization). During this time, he wrote a memoir of virologist Thomas Rivers, which received much acclaim when it was published in 1967. While at Cincinnati, Dr. Benison worked extensively on a biography – really an oral history – about Dr. Sabin, but this book was never published.

Dr. Benison’s chapter on polio research began in 1907 with Dr. Simon Flexner and discussed over 50 years of poliomyelitis research. Of course, no history of this disease can be covered without discussing Dr. Sabin. In one part of the chapter, Benison recalled a 1956 conference sponsored by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which gathered scientists together to help Dr. Sabin in “choosing stable nonpathogenic virus strains” for the oral polio vaccine (p. 331-32). Dr. Benison wrote that the information that Dr. Sabin received from this conference allowed him to “successfully [adapt] Dr. Renato Dulbecco’s plaquing techniques for the selection of attenuated virus strains suitable” for the vaccine (p. 332). Continue reading →

Darwin Sesquicentennial Celebration Records Now Available

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By Lauren Fink

Two years ago, University of Cincinnati students and faculty celebrated the sesquicentennial anniversary of Charles Robert Darwin’s seminal work, On the Origin of Species. The celebration was a collaborative community educational program for greater Cincinnati that included not only UC but also Xavier, NKU, Mt. Saint Joseph, and Thomas More College, as well as the Cincinnati Museum Center, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  Now, the Archives and Rare Books Library holds the collection documenting this unique celebration’s planning and realization.

On the Origin of Species, published November 24th, 1859, was a groundbreaking work that posited concepts of evolution, natural selection, and common descent. Much of the research presented in the text comes from Darwin’s HMS Beagle expeditions and is readable by both scientists and non-scientists. Widespread interest in Darwin’s work has ensued since its publication, leading to religious debates about creationism vs. evolution that, two centuries later, still continue. This debate, among others, like whether Darwin withheld publication of Origin for 20 years (his basic theory was developed in 1838) intentionally or circumstantially, was discussed at the Darwin Sesquicentennial. Continue reading →

Join the University of Cincinnati Libraries at Books by the Banks: Cincinnati USA Book Festival

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On Saturday, October 22, the 5th 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. The day-long festival will feature over 100 regional and national authors, book signings, author panels, and activities for the entire family to enjoy. All events are free and open to the public.

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Travel the World with UC Libraries: Guides, Phrase Books, and other Helpful Information to Aid You in Your Travels

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People love to travel; and UC students really love to travel. According to UC International, over the past five years, between 830 and 874 students participated in the study abroad programs annually. In addition, numerous UC faculty, students, and staff travel abroad for pleasure, business, performances, community service, and other reasons.

So what makes a successful travel experience? A good guidebook. UC Libraries’ print and digital collections provide excellent resources for travelers. Travel the World with UC Libraries, an exhibit currently on display on Langsam Library’s 4th floor, features guidebooks, phrase books, and websites that will aid people in their travels.

Continue reading →