Behind the Archives Door Series – Winter 2014 Events!

StainedGlass

Image of the Shelmidine Stained Glass

On the first and third Thursday of each month at 4:00 p.m., the Archives & Special Collections will hold a series of informal presentations on current research, unique resources, and rare books that are part of the University of Puget Sound Collections. Join us for informal discussion, tea and the opportunity to handle documents and artifacts hundreds of years old!

2/6:  Apianus, Cosmographia (1584) — James Evans, Science, Technology, and Society. The Cosmographia was a guide to the discipline of cosmography and includes a fold-out chart of one of the earliest published maps of North America. Recently added to the collection, this 1584 edition also includes original paper instruments with moving parts, called volvelles, which allowed readers to solve problems from the book.

2/20:  Japanese American students at Puget Sound during WWII — Katie Henningsen, Archives & Special Collections. During WWII, Japanese American students at Puget Sound were deported to internment camps. Learn about their experiences and the university’s response by examining original documents.

3/6:  To The Height(s)?: The Mystery of Puget Sound’s Errant Greek Motto — Brett Rogers, Classics. Intrepid Classics Professor and researcher Brett Rogers unravels the history of the Puget Sound Seal and
the real meaning behind the motto Pros Ta Akra!

4/3:  The Joy of Book Collecting — Ian Fox ’14 and Jane Carlin, Library Director. The 2013 Book Collecting Contest winner, Ian Fox ’14, will share his love of all things Batman and talk about the development of his outstanding collection of books. Jane Carlin will discuss the larger world of book collecting and the 2015 Puget Sound Book Collecting contest. The contest offers three awards: $750, $500, and $250.

4/17:  Stan! and his World — C. Mark Smith ’61 and Brendan Balaam ’14, Liana Hardcastle ’14, Tosia Klincewicz ’14, Margaret O’Rourke ’14. C. Mark Smith ’61 will join 4 student curators to discuss the life and times of Professor Lyle “Stan” Shelmidine who taught Middle Eastern History and the creation of the Collins Library exhibit, Stan!, featuring artifacts and documents from Shelmidine’s Collection. Learn about Middle Eastern art and architecture and explore the library and life of a Puget Sound icon.

5/1:  Solving Mysteries with Photographs — John Finney ’67 P’94, Archives & Special Collections. A picture is worth a thousand words and no one knows more about that than John Finney ’67 P’94 who has scanned and documented over three thousand images documenting Puget Sound’s history. John will describe ways to “read” a photograph and showcase some of his biggest mysteries and how he solved them.

Collins Memorial Library
Pugetsound.edu/library
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From the Archives: Plutarch (1538)

PlutarchAmongst the beautiful old tomes in Archives & Special Collections sits a 1538 edition of Plutarch’s Lives. The work explores the actions of Themistocles, Pericles, Aristides, Alcibiades, Coriolanus, Demosthenes, Cicero, Caesar, and Antony in eleven sections. It is both a history and a type of moral guide, as Plutarch highlighted the moral value of each man’s life.

This magnanimous volume is written completely in Latin – it was translated by Girolamo Birago and Donato Acciaiuoli, amongst others – and the page margins contain notations in Italian and Greek. The first letter of each chapter is carefully hand-detailed and accompanied by vines, flowers, or a small human figure. Red and black marbled patterns cover the book’s cover and text blocks.

For those interested in Classics or the Latin language, this volume is a beautiful and intriguing source of material. Consider its age, author, and content, and imagine the lives of those who have also read this book in its half-millennium lifespan! Visit Plutarch in the Archives, and you will find yourself beside a provocative piece of the past.

By Maya Steinborn

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Just in – “Carthage,” by Joyce Carol Oates, in the Popular Reading Collection!

CarthageFrom one of the most respected authors and writers of our time, Carthage, by Joyce Carol Oates, examines the human capacity for violence, forgiveness, and love.  After Zeno Mayfield’s daughter goes missing in the wilds of the Adirondacks, an unlikely suspect is found in a decorated Iraq War veteran.  The book transports readers into the psyche of the wounded corporal while also telling the story of the disillusioned young girl whose emotional disappearance may have happened long before her physical one.

Carthage is a dark and exhilarating addition to the Oates canon.  Check it out for yourself from the Popular Collection located in the Media Room!

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Did You Know? Citation Managers: When Is the Best Time to Begin Using One?

Callout_refworksZotero“I only wish I’d learned this sooner!”
–Puget Sound senior, buried under the weight of one hundred sources

Collins Library recommends that all students familiarize themselves with and begin using citation managers during their sophomore year.  Here’s why:

  • During your first year in college, it’s good to learn the basics of citation and even to format them manually.  By mastering the basics early on, you’ll be well equipped later to quickly proofread the formatted bibliographies that citation managers produce.
  • During your junior and senior years in college, you’ll start carrying out serious and lengthy research projects that involve dozens of sources.  At this point, you’ll need to be using citation management software, but may not have the time to devote to learning it.
  • Your sophomore year, then, is the perfect time to learn to use RefWorks or Zotero. You even can experiment with the two to pick the one that works best for you.

Collins Library supports RefWorks and Zotero, two robust citation management systems.  Want to get started?  Visit our Citation Guide for overviews of both systems.  Librarians are always happy to meet with you individually, or even facilitate a library class on demand for a group of students.

 

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From the Archives: Welcome back!

SkiersThis semester the Archives & Special Collections will hold open hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.  You are welcome to contact us to set up an appointment for other days and times.

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From the Popular Reading Collection: “Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls”

DiabetesOwlsDavid Sedaris’ Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls is neither about diabetes nor owls. Sedaris intersperses tales of his childhood with fictional stories, at times leaving the reader to wonder which is which. This piece of brain candy is perfect for a quick distraction from 100 pages of required reading. You may feel guilty after reading this, much like you do when you should be studying but instead spend the day looking for every kind of online distraction. But, this way you can feel smug because you read a book.

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Did You Know? Library Services While Studying Abroad

WorldMapFor those considering a study abroad program, considerations related to paperwork, vaccinations, and other pressing pre-departure logistics probably take precedence over access to scholarly resources while abroad. However, once the journey is under way and academic projects have begun students studying abroad will find themselves far away from the friendly confines of Collins Library.

Don’t panic!

While you may find yourself thousands of kilometers away in unfamiliar territory using foreign measures of distance, Collins Library and its staff will continue to support you.

We’ve created a resource guide that summarizes some of the services that remain available to students abroad including access to articles via subscription databases and interlibrary loan, ebooks, and even research assistance from Collins librarians via email or skype.

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This year marks the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth

ShakespeareThis year marks the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. To celebrate, the library is highlighting a series of streaming videos from its collection. BBC Shakespeare features television adaptations of 37 Shakespeare plays, from All’s Well That Ends Well to The Winter’s Tale. The cast includes some of Britain’s finest actors, including Laurence Olivier, Brenda Blethyn, Colin Blakely, Leo McKern, John Gielgud, and more.

You’ll find a complete list of the BBC productions in the library catalog.

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“Horizon – Guild of Book Workers” Exhibit Runs February 3 – March 30

Blog_HorizonsFebruary 3 – March 30, 2014
Collins Memorial Library
University of Puget Sound

The Horizon Exhibition honors the legacy of the book workers’ craft and celebrates some of the finest examples of book arts today. Founded in 1906, the Guild of Book Workers has over 900 members and is the only national organization dedicated to all of the book arts, including bookbinding, conservation, printing, papermaking, calligraphy, marbling, and artists’ books. Collins Library is the only venue in the Northwest to host the exhibit which is part of a two-year national tour and the Guild’s triennial members’ exhibition.

See Guild of Book Workers for more information.
More information on the exhibit: libref@pugetsound.edu.
See Puget Sound Book Artists for related information.

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From the Archives: “A Sound Past”, 3,000+ images and growing!

SoundPastAs we wrap up the semester, the Archives & Special Collections is thrilled to announce that A Sound Past now holds over 3,000 images documenting the history of the University of Puget Sound.  The Archives & Special Collections holds about 20,000 photographs in the form of prints, slides, and negatives, the majority of which have little to no information about the people, places, and events seen in them.  Thanks to the hard work, dedication, and professional sleuthing of John Finney ‘67, the vast majority of the photographs in A Sound Past now have detailed information on the events, people and places in each.

This semester John added 637 new images almost exclusively from the 1953-1954 academic year.  These images document the opening of the music building; homecoming (including queen and king selection, the downtown parade, football game, dance, and more); registration for classes in Memorial Fieldhouse; several home football games; the freshmen “hot seat;” the installation of national Alpha Phi and Chi Omega sororities; the Frosh One-Acts; Deep Creek Lodge; the Sadie Hawkins dance; faculty portraits; the Christmas play; the international relations club; Adelphian Concert Choir Christmas parties; the Madrigal Christmas concert; Burmeister Oratorical Contest winners; freshman and sophomore class officers; and more, much more.

In the spring, John will participate in the Behind the Archives Door series to share how he uncovers information on each photograph he encounters.  Stay tuned for more details!

To try your own hand at solving mysteries from the photograph collection, visit our unidentified photographs, and email archives@pugetsound.edu, with anything you discover!

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