Tag Archives: New and Notable

Zen in the Archives and Rare Books Library: John Cage and the Van Meter Ames Papers

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By Lauren Fink

Cage and Van Meter Ames

Van Meter Ames (left) with John Cage.

A new collection, documenting the friendship between composer John Cage and UC professor Van Meter Ames, has just been added to the Van Meter Ames Papers in the University of Cincinnati Archives and Rare Books Library. Van Meter Ames was a faculty member in the UC philosophy department, beginning in 1925, and served as its head from 1959 until 1966 when he retired. Ames was a Rockefeller grantee, a fellow of the UC graduate school, and a Fulbright research professor in philosophy, University of Komozawa, Tokyo, 1958-59. Throughout his career, Ames wrote and published on a vast range of topics including aesthetics, the self, ethics, religion, science, freedom, existentialism, and Eastern philosophy. His interest in Zen paralleled Cage’s and solidified their mutual respect for one another, which is evidenced in this collection of documents.

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New Accession in the German Americana Collection

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By Lauren Fink

A new collection containing materials of the Swiss Benevolent Association of Cincinnati, Ohio has just been processed in the Archives and Rare Books Library and a finding aid is now accessible at http://rave.ohiolink.edu/archives/ead/OhCiUAR0270. This Cincinnati-area organization was founded in 1871, with the objective of bringing Swiss citizens together to cultivate traditions and provide support, and remains active today.  From its inception, the association has not only organized social events, but has also provided assistance (i.e. funeral costs, welfare services, and scholarships) for members and German-Swiss related charities.  This collection, of a primarily German-speaking group, adds a new dimension to the UC Libraries’ other holdings in German Americana. Continue reading →

T.M. Berry Papers Progress Report

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By Kevin Grace, Project Director

In 2010, the University of Cincinnati Libraries received a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to fully process the Theodore M. Berry papers housed in the Archives & Rare Books Library.  If you have followed ARB’s blogs over the past several months, you’ve read a number of very interesting insights into the life of this civic activist, civil rights pioneer, and Cincinnati politician.  Ted Berry was a key figure in the American civil rights movement from the 1940s until his death in 2000, and his papers help illuminate this era in American history.  Laura Laugle was hired in October 2010 as the project archivist to inventory and describe the Berry materials, create finding aids, and establish a web presence for the collection.  Ms. Laugle has contributed these weekly blogs based upon her discoveries while processing the documents. Continue reading →

New Collection Documents Development of Medical Education

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By Janice Schulz

Slide from a 2005 classroom presentation on respiratory issues

The Archives & Rare Books Library has completed processing a new twenty-box collection of records from the Raymond Walters College Department of Nursing and it is now available for research. Spanning the years 1969-2005, the collection provides important information for anyone studying the history of nursing training and evolving health care practices. Raymond Walters College’s Nursing Program has been in existence since the college opened in 1967; therefore the collection covers nearly the entire lifespan of the department. Continue reading →

Wish you could Dance? Check out the Cincinnati Ballet Records in ARB

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Whether you love to dance or just wish you could, you’ll certainly enjoy viewing the photographs, drawings and posters in the Cincinnati Ballet records.  This recent donation to the Archives and Rare Books Library spans almost the entire history of the Cincinnati Ballet from the early 1960s until 2009.  These records provide a look into the formation of this acclaimed Cincinnati institution and even its connections with UC. Continue reading →

Civil War History: The Battle of Bull Run

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By Janice Schulz

Bull Run - Battlefield of the Morning, July 21, 1861

The first major land battle of the Civil War was fought near Manassas Junction, Virginia, on the banks of Bull Run Creek on July 21, 1861. It was intended by the advancing Federal army to demonstrate their strength and was expected to bring the war to a swift end. It did no such thing. As the conflict began, both sides had confidence in their own superiority over the enemy. Northern civilians went so far as to travel to Bull Run complete with picnic baskets and parasols to watch their glorious army beat the rebels back. Early on it appeared that the Union would come through victorious, but surprise reinforcements arriving for the Confederacy resulted in a Union retreat. Continue reading →

Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Makes a 1987 Guest Appearance at OCAS

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By Janice Schulz

UC OMI College of Applied Science poster for Wozniak appearanceAs the Engineering and Applied Science merger comes to a conclusion, College of Engineering and Applied Science Library Director Ted Baldwin has presented the Archives with some interesting material from his offices at the former CAS Library. Recently we came across a reminder that an intriguing guest speaker was on the agenda for OCAS’s 1987 Technology Exposition. Steve Wozniak, who prefers to be addressed simply as “Woz,” co-founded Apple Computer Inc. in 1976 along with Steve Jobs. Woz was the engineering muscle behind the development of the Apple I and Apple II personal computers, released in 1976 and 1979 respectively. In 1981 a plane crash forced him to take time off from Apple and he decided to return to the University of California at Berkley to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and computer science. (To divert attention away from himself, he enrolled under the name Rocky Raccoon Clark.)   He returned to Apple in 1983, but left again in 1985 to devote his attention to inventions and education. Continue reading →

Want to Know the Latest in Library News?

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Read Source, the UC Libraries newsletter for faculty, students, staff, and friends.

This volume celebrates the 10th anniversary of our newsletter. To mark this important milestone, the cover has been redesigned to bring more attention to the cover image. And what a perfect image to highlight this issue than that of our grand, new sculpture found in Langsam Library – Triceracopter.

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Summon: a Powerful New Search Tool

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The Health Sciences Library has added a link to the new search tool Summon under Express Links on the homepage.

Summon is a powerful new search tool that provides fast and easy access to relevant information from the UC Libraries collections on any topic.  It is the place to start research in journal and newspaper articles, books, government documents, maps, music recordings, videos, digital collections, and more.

Summon is still growing and in development as features continue to improve and content is added regularly. User feedback is welcomed and can be sent via an online form at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/information/contact/feedback.html.

Go to Summon at http://uc.summon.serialssolutions.com/ and try it out!

More information about Summon is available online at http://www.libraries.uc.edu/help/th/summonfaq.html.

Have a Question? Text a Librarian.

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text ohiolink to 66746 

Through KnowItNow24x7, an online and texting reference service for the citizens and residents of Ohio brought to you by the State Library of Ohio and libraries throughout the state, users can now text their questions and a librarian will text the answer. To reach a college or university librarian, text ohiolink to 66746.