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Oesper Museum Receives National Landmark Award
By Ted Baldwin, Director, Science and Engineering Libraries On March 15, 2022, nearly 100 people representing the University of Cincinnati, the American Chemical Society and the regional community of scientific and museum professionals gathered to celebrate the recognition of the University of Cincinnati’s Ralph E. Oesper Museum and Collections in the History of Chemistry as an American Chemical Society National Historic Chemical Landmark. The ACS National Landmark program recognizes seminal achievements in the chemical sciences in order to enhance public appreciation for contributions of the chemical sciences to modern life. The Oesper Museum and Collections is the second ACS National Landmark awarded in Cincinnati, the first being the development of…
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The Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius
This past academic year, the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions, along with University of Cincinnati Libraries and the UC College of Medicine, celebrated the seminal work of Andreas Vesalius with a series of online and in-person lectures and exhibits. The series, titled “The Illustrated Human: The Impact of Andreas Vesalius,” ran from October 2021 through March 2022 and provided an in-depth look and study of this monumental book of human anatomy first published in 1543. Andreas Vesalius was a Renaissance anatomist and physician who revolutionized the study and practice of medicine through his careful description of the anatomy of the human body. Basing his observations on…
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Special Collections in the DAAP Library
The Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) has growing special collections comprised of artists’ books, architectural drawings and archives, handmade and fragile pop-up books, rare elephant folios and Cincinnati urban planning materials. The artists’ books collection contains several hundred one-of-kind, limited-edition, rare and hand-crafted books and objects. Related to artists’ books is the entire limited-edition ten-year run of objects from “the Thing Quarterly,” a periodical in the form of objects designed by artists, writers, designers, filmmakers and musicians. There is a collection of Mail art – art sent through the mail meant to be participatory, democratic and with a purpose to…
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Showcasing UC Libraries’ Innovation and Impact during the COVID-19 Pandemic
UC Libraries faculty and staff worked tirelessly through a time of great uncertainty. Much of the effort was highly visible, but important innovation and service happened behind the scenes. The need to document this effort, to collect these stories and to celebrate victories became apparent.
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Mark Twain and Huck Finn in Cincinnati
By Kevin Grace, University Archivist and Head of the Archives and Rare Books Library When the University of Cincinnati Libraries held its inaugural Adopt-A-Book Evening, “Hidden Treasures,” a year ago, one of the books exhibited for the event’s attendees was a first edition of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn housed in the Archives & Rare Books Library. Published in America in 1885 (and that date is part of this story), the book was intended to demonstrate “collection building” in UC Libraries fundraising rather than supporting the expenses of physical preservation, which was another designated category used for additional books on exhibit. While the Archives & Rare Books Library…
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Hidden Treasures: An Adopt-A-Book Evening Returns to UC Libraries
The University of Cincinnati Libraries is home to a diverse collection spanning 10 library locations and representing a wide variety of disciplines. Found within each of these collections are hidden treasures — books, manuscripts and other materials with unique histories and scholarly value. On Thursday, March 12, the University of Cincinnati Libraries will host its second Hidden Treasures: An Adopt-A-Book Evening event. Attendees will enjoy a program featuring What Makes A Rare Book Rare? from Kevin Grace, university archivist and head of the Archives & Rare Books Library, in addition to receiving a first look at this year’s new additions to the catalogue of adoptable materials. Hidden Treasures provides…
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Two Hundred Years of Curation
DAAP Galleries: The Dorothy W. and C. Lawson Reed, Jr. Gallery September 18-December 1 In celebration of the University of Cincinnati’s Bicentennial, the DAAP Galleries are pleased to present 200 Years of Curation. Over the course of the university’s history, the facilities, technologies and individuals have changed and evolved, often replaced by new faces and spaces. The records of these changes and how we have arrived at this moment remain within books, archives and the various collections of UC. On an occasion such as this, it seems only relevant to look to the past as we envision our future. In this unprecedented collaboration of five separate archives and collections from…
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University of Cincinnati Accepts New Additions to Neil Armstrong Commemorative Archives
The University of Cincinnati Libraries recently received an unexpected addition to the Neil Armstrong Commemorative Archives. Presented at UC College of Engineering & Applied Science’s The Next Giant Leap – a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing – these new documents and photos touch on several aspects of Mr. Armstrong’s professional life, including his work as an astronaut and his major transition from a NASA administrative position to faculty member at UC. We are thankful to Rick and Mark Armstrong for their thoughtful generosity and willingness to share these memories of their father to preserve his inimitable legacy. UC is honored to be stewards of these…
