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Mar 26 2009

Edible Books Festival – Apr 1

When was the last time you really devoured a good book? This year, the University of Iowa’s Center for the Book invites faculty, staff and students to join us in celebrating the annual International Edible Books Festival by creating a delicious book to share with your fellow literary and food enthusiasts.

To celebrate this international event, the Book Arts Club is organizing an exhibition of edible books to be on display on April 1st (no joke!) in the North Lobby of the University of Iowa Main Library. There are only two rules; entries must be edible and they must have something to do with books as shapes and/or content. An entry fee of $5 goes to support the Book Arts Club.

Edible books will be on display from 10am – 12 noon, followed by a reception and book tasting from 12 – 2pm. The awards ceremony starts at 12:30 pm, with prizes awarded based on Best Book Structure, Most Creative Literary Reference, and Best In Show. Also, all entries are automatically entered into a raffle for free sketchbooks from Blick Art Materials.

* The International Edible Book Festival is a yearly event held on April 1st throughout the world. This event unites bibliophiles, book artists, and food lovers to celebrate the ingestion of culture and its fulfilling nourishment. Participants create edible books that are exhibited, documented, and then consumed. Information and inspiration can be found on the Festival’s home page at www.Books2Eat.com.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~ctrbook/events/index.shtml#edible_books

Mar 26 2009

When the World Spoke Arabic Film Series – Apr 1-May 20

With the fall of Rome, Europe turned its back on the marvelous contributions of Classical civilization. But the legacy of Greek thought was not completely lost. It lived on and developed elsewhere: in the Arab world. Supported by expert commentary and enhanced by footage of historic Arab architecture and period works of art, this comprehensive series (in twelve parts, shown over six evenings) documents the remarkable history and the most significant cultural, scientific and technical achievements of the Arab empire, which came to prominence between the 7th and 13th centuries.

Dates: April 1, 8, 15, 22; May 6, 20
Time: 7pm
Venue: Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A

The first showing will be WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 7PM, ICPL, Meeting Rm. A

“The Arabs Make Their Entrance: Islam and Empire” (26 min.)
As the shadow of the Dark Ages fell across Europe, the scene for the advancement of Western civilization shifted to the Near East. This program charts the rise of the Arab empire, from its roots in the long-standing rivalry between the Byzantines and the Sassanids.

“Once Upon a Time: Baghdad During the Abbasid Dynasty” (26 min.)
The victory of the Abbasids over the Umayyads signified much more than the replacement of one dynasty with another. With it, Islam saw the birth of a multiethnic concept of power, in which both Arab and non-Arab Muslims could share authority.

The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City Public Library, UI Middle East and Muslim World Studies Program, African Studies Program, and Medieval Studies Program are sponsors of this film series.

All films will be introduced by Edward Miner, International Studies Bibliographer, University of Iowa Libraries, with discussion to follow. This film series will be shown in conjunction with an exhibition of the same name in the north foyer of the University of Iowa Main Library. For more information, contact Edward Miner at (319)335-5883 or edward-miner@uiowa.edu.

Mar 24 2009

History of Eugenics Lecture – Mar 24

One of the most controversial episodes in the history of public health was the late 19th and early 20th century eugenics movement. Relying on faulty science and nationalist bigotry, eugenicists sought to identify and retain “superior” human genetic stocks while restraining the spread of “inferiors.”

Kathryn Gaskill, Honors Candidate the Department of History, will provide insight into this dubious movement in her presentation to the UI History of Medicine Society,  “A ‘More Perfect’ Nation; The Midwest’s Role in the Eugenics Campaign to Eradicate Degeneracy.”

Tuesday, March 24
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Main Library, Room 2032
Light refreshments served.

Midwestern states, including Iowa, acted to limit reproduction of their population’s “degenerate” elements by legislating involuntary sexual sterilization of the “feeble-minded” and habitual criminals. These states also attempted to retain the “favorable” members of society through the Country Life Movement, which sought to prevent urban migration by making farm life more attractive to rural young people.

The session is open to the public. For additional information, contact Edwin Holtum at 319-335-9154.

Mar 24 2009

Weaver to Speak at History for Lunch: Mar 25

The State Historical Society of Iowa’s popular “History for Lunch” lecture series continues this month with Janet Weaver, assistant curator of the Iowa Women’s Archives at the University of Iowa.

History for Lunch will be at noon Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at SHSI’s Centennial Building, 402 Iowa Avenue (Iowa and Gilbert streets) in Iowa City. The lecture is free and the public is encouraged to bring a brown bag lunch. Call 319-335-3911 for more information.

Weaver’s discussion, “Of Buttons and Barrios: Iowa Women Activists for Labor and Civil Rights, 1910-1960,” focuses on the agency of Eastern Iowa women in the long struggle for social and economic justice that preceded landmark legislative gains of the 20th century.

“Whether button workers in Muscatine or factory workers who lived in Mexican barrios in the Quad Cities, the activism of working-class Iowa women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds challenges us to reconsider our understanding of early to mid-century Iowa history,” Weaver said.

Weaver earned a master’s degree in modern history at St. Andrews University in Scotland and is the author of a forthcoming article in the Summer 2009 issue of “Annals of Iowa” entitled, “From Barrio to ‘¡Boicoteo!’: The Emergence of Mexican American Activism in Davenport, Iowa, 1917-1970.”

The State Historical Society of Iowa is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and is a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy and an advocate for understanding Iowa’s past. It identifies, records, collects, preserves, manages and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources. Its dual mission of preservation and education serves Iowans of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates information, and encourages and supports historical preservation and education efforts of others throughout the state. Visit www.iowahistory.org or call 515-281-5111 for more information.

Mar 11 2009

Have a Taste for the Exotic? Check out Special Collections Exhibit about Asian Food

To celebrate the upcoming Asian Pacfic Heritage Month, Special Collections has collaborated with the Asian American Coalition (AAC) to create a display of cookbooks from the Szathmary Collection.

The exhibition showcases ten Asian countries: Malaysia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Japan, Korean, Laos, Philippines, Indonesia, and China. AAC members added their own personal momentos and souvenirs to the exhibition, as well as artifacts from the Thompson Travel and Ethnic Art Artifacts.

  • Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook by Mark Robinson.
  • East Meets West Cuisine: An American Chef Redefines the Foodstyles of Two Cultures by Ken Hom (China).
  • Discovering Korean Cuisine: Recipes from the Best Korean Restaurants in Los Angeles, Allisa Park editor.
  • Simple Laotian Cooking by Penn Hongthong.
  • Indonesian Regional Cooking by Sri Owen.
  • Filipino Cuisine: Recipes from the Islands by Gerry G. Gelle.
  • Cracking the Coconut: Classic Thai Home Cooking by Su-mei Yu.
  • The Best of Nicole Routhier (Vietnam)
  • Cook Malaysian by Lee Sook Ching.
  • Indian Home Cooking: A Fresh Introduction to Indian food, with more than 200 recipes by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness.

Asian American Coalition (AAC) is an umbrella organization which is dedicated in building a stronger Asian American community both on and off campus. Asian Pacific Heritage Month (APAH) located in April, is a month-long event promoting and celebrating Asian awareness and culture.

Acknowledgements
Exhibition Planning: Lilly Chen and the Asian American Coalition
Installation: Lilly Chen, Chiaki Sakai, Greg Prickman and the Asian American Coalition
Special Thanks: Greg Prickman, Kathy Hodson and the Special Collections.

Mar 11 2009

Did You Know? You Can Get FREE newspaper articles.

Did you know that you shouldn’t PAY for newspaper and magazine articles that you find on the Web?

The next time you’re asked for your credit card while doing your research online, check the UI Libraries’ resources first.

Our Resources by Type – News and Newspapers will link you to a wide range or current and historical newspapers. E-journals can link you to electronic coverage for your title.

If we don’t have the article in print or electronically, you can get it free through our Interlibrary Loan service.

Mar 8 2009

Celebrate Women’s History Month: March 10

The Herstory Subcommittee of the Council on the Status of Women & the Iowa Women’s Archives present

A Women’s History Month Reception
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Program begins at 5:15, refreshments served.

Join us in celebration with guest speaker(s) Prof. Linda Kerber and Prof. Leslie Schwalm in the Iowa Women’s Archives (3rd floor, UI Main Library).

Mar 5 2009

Transitions: scholarly communication news for the UI Community – March 2009

March 2009
Issue 1.09

Welcome to the Spring issue of Transitions.

The purpose of this irregular electronic newsletter is to bring to readers’ attention some of the many new projects and developments affecting the current system of scholarly communication, with emphasis on new products and programs, the open access movement and other alternative publishing models. Scholarly communication refers to the full range of formal and informal means by which scholars and researchers communicate, from email discussion lists to peer-reviewed publication. In general authors are seeking to document and share new discoveries with their colleagues, while readers–researchers, students, librarians and others–want access to all the literature relevant to their work.

While the system of scholarly communication exists for the benefit of the world’s research and educational community and the public at large, it faces a multitude of challenges and is undergoing rapid change brought on by technology. To help interested members of the UI community keep up on these challenges and changes we plan to put out 4 issues per year of this newsletter.  Please visit our web site, Transforming Scholarly Communication, to find out more about this topic.

This newsletter aims to reflect the interests of its readers so please forward comments, suggestions and entries to include to karen-fischer@uiowa.edu.

Table of Contents:

Google Books Settlement – updates

Publish in Wikipedia or Perish

Long-term Open Access Journal Ends Free Access

Study Suggests Library Dollars Spent Corrolate with Grant Income

Misunderestimating Open Science

Institutional Repositories: Thinking Beyond the Box

MacArthur Foundation Adopts a Research Access Policy

Negotiating a Creative Commons License

Framing the Open Access Debate

How the Media Frames “Open Access”

Publishing an E-journal on a Shoestring: Sustaining a low-buget OA journal

University Presses Find Strategies to Survive Economic Crisis

New Open Access Search Tool for Economics

An Open Access Resource for Women’s Health

Self-Publishers Flourish as Writers Pay the Tab

Mar 3 2009

Kraft Earns Midwest Archives Conference Presidents’ Award

Nancy E. Kraft, Head of Preservation at the UI Libraries has been selected as a 2009 recipient of the Presidents’ Award presented by the Midwest Archives Conference.

Nancy has advocated for the preservation and proper management of Iowa’s cultural treasures throughout her career.  She is a leader in the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium and has been personally involved in the development of a successful statewide preservation training program through the Consortium.  Those efforts alone would make her eligible for the Presidents’ Award but she is nominated for her extraordinary work following the historic levels of flooding that struck Iowa in the summer of 2008.

Last June when all UI employees were officially asked not to report to work, Nancy assisted repositories and archives in her hometown of Cedar Rapids. She worked late into the night during that time, even though she was under no obligation to do so. She continued performing this service for other repositories at various times on nights and weekends for the balance of the summer and into early fall.

“I simply could not have survived the flood without Nancy’s assistance,” said Susan Kuecker, curator of the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa. “Even though Nancy was off of work the week of June 16, she and I were constantly in touch.  I had an e-mail from her on Sunday evening, June 15, offering assistance.  I called her at 7 a.m. on June 16 and arranged to have a meeting with her and our director at 8 a.m.”

The Presidents’ award, established in 1986, recognizes significant contributions to the archival profession by individuals, institutions and organizations not directly involved in archival work but knowledgeable about its purpose and value. Recipients are chosen by a committee comprising the three most recent past presidents of MAC from nominations submitted by committees in each of the 13 states in the MAC region.

“Nancy’s tireless efforts following last June’s devastating floods alone merit this recognition,” said David McCartney, University Archivist and one of the nominators. “In addition, her lifelong commitment to assisting our profession is deeply appreciated. We thank her for all she has done for us in preserving and strengthening our collections.”