Each month, the Archives & Special Collections will hold a series of informal presentations on current research, unique resources, and rare books. Join us for informal discussion, refreshments, and the opportunity to handle documents and artifacts hundreds of years old! Events are 4:00-5:00 p.m., Archives & Special Collections on the 2nd floor of the Collins Memorial Library.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017: Behind the Archives Door. Professor Eric Orlin will discuss a 1538 printed edition of Plutarch’s Lives held in the Collins Library collection. Plutarch was a prolific Greek writer of the early 2nd century CE, leaving us more different texts than any other ancient author. He was also one of the most popular authors throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, as most of his works offered moral guidance on how individuals both great and small should live their lives. This presentation will discuss the place of the Collins Library text in the context of early printing as well as focusing on some oddities of our particular text and the story of its arrival at Puget Sound. All are welcome for light refreshments and an informal lecture. Archives & Special Collections Seminar room, 4:00–5:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 7, 2017: Behind the Archives Door. David Wertheimer, Director of Community and Civic Engagement at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Join us for our monthly Behind the Archives Door lecture series! David Wertheimer is an avid book collector. He began collecting as an after school hobby while in the sixth grade, wandering the shops on Fourth Avenue in New York City. David will discuss his start as a book collector, some of his favorites pieces from his personal collection, and how he insures the long-term preservation of the books in his personal collection. All are welcome for light refreshments and an informal lecture. Archives & Special Collections Seminar room. 4:00–5:00 p.m.