For the 10th year, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will celebrate the International Edible Books Festival with an event scheduled for Thursday, April 5, 2012, from 12:30-1:30pm in the 5th floor lobby of Langsam Library. The Libraries are seeking people interested in creating an edible book for the viewing and consuming enjoyment of those in attendance at the event. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Events
Documenting a Lifetime of Service: The Papers of Theodore M. Berry Now Available
By Kevin Grace, UC Archivist and Head of the Archives and Rare Books Library
Theodore M. Berry (1905-2000) was a key figure in American civil rights in the 20th century, a man who marked his life with a formidable sense of justice. From the 1930s, when he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with bachelor’s and law degrees, until his death just before a new century, Berry worked tirelessly to promote racial harmony and served with distinction in President Lyndon Johnson’s programs for civil rights during the 1960s.
Three decades ago, Berry donated his papers to the University of Cincinnati where they are housed in the Archives and Rare Books Library.
Celebrating the Theodore M. Berry Project
By Kevin Grace
Yesterday evening a special event celebrated the processing of the Theodore M. Berry Papers. Hosted by the Office of the President, UC Libraries, UC College of Law, UC Alumni Association, and the UC Foundation, the gathering attracted over a hundred people to recognize the outstanding contributions of civil rights leader Berry to his alma mater, his community and his nation. Theodore “Ted” Berry (1905-2000) was the first African American mayor in Cincinnati, served the Lyndon Baines Johnson presidential administration in civil rights programs, and was an active attorney for the NAACP. The Berry papers, acquired by the UC Libraries many years ago, were able to be fully processed through a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives. The materials are now available for research and teaching. Continue reading
Please, sir, it is time for more 50 Minutes-1 Book
By Kevin Grace
-Just a reminder: this Thursday, February 23, our monthly “50 Minutes – 1 Book” lunchtime talk from 12-12:50 in 814 Blegen Library will feature Oliver Twist, a look at the poor orphan and the nefarious Fagin as well as a short, but illuminating, discourse on the Dickens holdings.
For more information about the Archives & Rare Books Library and its collections, call (513) 556-1959, email archives@ucmail.uc.edu, or visit the website, www.libraries.uc.edu/libraries/arb/archives
UC Faculty, Submit Your 2011 Published Works to Authors, Editors & Composers
On Tuesday, April 17, 2012, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will once again recognize the publishing and creative accomplishments of UC’s faculty at the annual “Authors, Editors & Composers” event. Scheduled for 3:30pm in the Russell C. Myers Alumni Center at UC, “Authors, Editors & Composers” will pay tribute to the 2011 scholarly and creative works of UC’s faculty with a reception, presentation of selected works, a printed bibliography, and an exhibit.
Charles Dickens, the Serial Man
By Kevin Grace
Part of Charles Dickens’ immense success as an author in the 19th century was due in no small measure to the changes in book production and readership brought on by the Industrial Revolution. Steam printing increased book production. Cheap availability of books, along with the development of libraries and public schooling, led to increased readership. Coming into his own in writing his novels, Dickens took advantage of a growing demand on the part of readers for fiction. And, as the consummate marketer of his works, Dickens had his finger on the pulse of all of this.
By 1836, he had compiled his writings that formed Sketches by Boz into a single volume, realizing that he could build his popularity and create a market for his fiction by publishing serial chapters. The next year, 1837, Dickens became the editor for Bentley’s Miscellany and began issuing chapters of Oliver Twist. Acutely aware of his reputation and the acclaim given him by the reading public, Dickens made at least four separate arrangements with publishers to serialize his work. Continue reading
Please Sir, I Want Some More, or, a Dickens of a Celebration
By Kevin Grace
This month marks the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, a man who once remarked on an 1842 visit to Cincinnati that the Irish marchers in a temperance parade behaved quite nicely. Of course, that visit was in January so the St. Patrick’s Day parade was still two months away. Dickens’ bicentennial is February 7, and throughout the month the Archives & Rare Books Library will be commemorating this notable event. “Why?” is the question we hear being whispered across campus. It is because ARB holds a very fine collection of Dickens – Dickens in parts, Dickens first editions in single and multiple volumes, Dickens in collected works, Dickens, Dickens, Dickens. It is the Dickens, we say. Continue reading
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
50 Minutes-1 Book
By Kevin Grace
The next “50 Minutes-1Book” lunchtime talk in the Archives & Rare Books Library will be Thursday, January 19, at noon. Jerry Newman has graciously agreed to talk about his favorite book, Don Quixote. Originally published in two volumes a decade apart, in 1605 and 1615, El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha), is one of the cornerstones of Western literature. Jerry has spent decades exploring Miguel de Cervantes’ masterpiece, reading and re-reading it, and studying its history. His informal talk will look at the novel as a cultural event and its lasting influence. He’ll discuss the personalities and relationship of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, as well as the book’s publication history, some of the unusual and unique attributes of it, as well as the lasting fame and adventures of Don Quixote’s characters, and their influence in Western culture. Continue reading
Notice: Archives and Rare Books Library Renovation
By Kevin Grace
Notice: On January 9, the Archives & Rare Books Library will begin moving our offices and reference/reading room to the north end of the 8th floor in Carl Blegen Library in Room 814. This move will allow the final phase of renovation of the Archives & Rare Books Library through a grant from the Schott Foundation.
Two years ago, the north end of the floor was renovated with fresh paint, new carpeting, creation of the Marge Schott Seminar Room, a small book arts room, and exhibit cases. This final phase on the south end will also see fresh paint and new carpeting, and the relocation and building of a new reference desk, all to better meet the needs of students and researchers.
It is anticipated that the renovation will take three months, but there will be no disruption in reference and research services. However, ARB’s reference holdings will not be available during the project. All other archival materials and rare books can still be accessed. Room 814 will serve as our office space and our reading room, as well as continuing to be the venue for our monthly “50 Minutes-1 Book” lunchtime lecture series.
For further information, please call 556-1959 or email us at archives@ucmail.uc.edu.