University Libraries

A collection of rare books and manuscripts from UI Libraries will go on public display for the first time at the UI Museum of Art (UIMA) in the exhibition “From Monks to Masters: The Medieval Manuscript and the Early Printed Book,” June 23-Oct. 7.The exhibition is a collaboration of UI Libraries Special Collections, the Hardin Library’s Martin Rare Book Room and the UIMA. It was organized by David Schoonover and Gregory Prickman of Special Collections & University Archives at the UI Libraries, and Kathleen Kamerick of the UI Department of History.

The exhibition of more than 50 objects explores the transition from a time when books were hand copied by a select group of literate and often religious scribes to the era of mass-produced books created by master printers using the latest 15th-century technology — the hand-operated wooden printing press.

“The university has a very good sampling of the kinds of books that were printed during this early period and we wanted to give the public a chance to see them,” Prickman said.

Among the books and manuscripts to be put on display are beautiful and intriguing illuminated manuscripts and fine examples of incunabula (books printed before 1500). Together, these books illustrate a pivotal moment in history and demonstrate the relevance of historical materials to modern times.

Individual objects in the exhibition include a 15th-century “Book of Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” a homily of Pope Gregory the Great from around 1450 and two copies of the “Nuremberg Chronicle.”

“We would like to emphasize the teaching function of these collections,” said Schoonover, who is curator of rare books at the UI libraries. “Instructors at this university across the humanities have used these books in the classrooms, from medieval history and art history to the language arts, religious studies and music.”

This exhibition is open to the public free of charge.

The UI Museum of Art, located on North Riverside Drive in Iowa City, is open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, and noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Admission is free. Public metered parking is available in UI parking lots west and north of the museum.

The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)–a consortium of 12 research universities, including The University of Iowa–is announcing that its members have entered into an agreement with Google to become partners in the Google Book Search project. This means that Google will work with the libraries at all of the CIC institutions to digitize distinctive portions of their collections, making those works searchable and easier to access, and preserving many materials that are fragile or deteriorating.

Over the next several years, Google will scan up to 10 million volumes from the CIC libraries, including public domain and in-copyright works, within the guidelines of copyright law. Public domain materials will be viewable, searchable, and downloadable in their entirety. For materials under copyright protection, a search will result in basic information (such as book title and author’s name), plus a snippet of text surrounding the search term. Users seeking further information from the text will be directed to avenues for library access or purchase.

This agreement anticipates the CIC’s intention to create a shared digital repository, so that each university can “deposit” its digitized public domain files into a commonly funded and managed data storage system. Eventually, this will give students and faculty convenient, desktop access to a vast array of public domain materials from across our 12 institutions.

Access to information and research materials is crucial to the teaching and research missions of a public research university like The University of Iowa, and making those materials available to the public is a very important part of our service mission. This partnership with Google and with our fellow CIC institutions represents an exciting opportunity to take a giant step forward in all of those areas.

We encourage you to learn more about the CIC and about today’s announcement by visiting the CIC web site at http://www.cic.uiuc.edu/digitalbooks.

UI Libraries Conservator Gary Frost has been working with product developer Nicholas Yeager at Artifex Equipment to test a new super-absorbent paper product in disaster recovery. This paper is infused with corn-starch based powder which quickly wicks water out of damaged books and magazines.

Recently, Frost had an opportunity to put this paper to the test, when a roof leak at the Hardin Library damaged some journals. Many of those journals are printed on glossy, coated paper stock, which is generally not recoverable from water damage. Using this special paper, the Libraries conservation and preservation staff were able to save these journals.

In a May 1 article in the USDA News the Agricultural Research Service noted Frost’s amazement at Zorbix’s ability to absorb and release water, a feature he says makes the sheets easier to reuse than the aqueous poultices and blotters he has worked with. “The sheets play the same role more efficiently,” he says. Frost foresees uses for Zorbix beyond those pertaining solely to library-disaster scenarios, like flooding. “I’m confident there’s a wider market for it associated with the routine restoration of documents of all kinds.” New applications are likely to arise, he adds, as conservators become even more familiar with the product’s properties.

In an effort to provide faculty and students access to the latest resources in their disciplines, the UI Libraries periodically enrolls in trial subscriptions to online resources. During and after the trial, library staff encourages feedback from faculty and students about particular resources. Literature Resource Center will be under consideration until May 30.

The Literature Resource Center allows researchers to find up-to-date biographical information, overviews, full-text literary criticism and reviews on nearly 130,000 writers in all disciplines, from all time periods and from around the world.

The easy-to-use single search box is designed to work the way people do research. Searchers can look up authors by name and link to a wealth of information about the author, works and criticism of those works. Additionally the Literature Resource Center connects searchers to the MLA International Bibliography, the premier resource for literary research.

Take an online guided tour of the Literature Resource Center.

Please send any comments about this resource to Ed Shreeves, Associate University Librarian and Director of Collections & Content Development.

Now that the end of the semester is drawing near and finals are just around the corner, you are probably looking for a quiet place to study. With 12 libraries on campus, you can find exactly the right space.

Quiet, Out of the Way Places

The Biological Sciences Library on Iowa Avenue between Phillips Hall and the Biology Building has three floors of student study space. The first floor has computers available for student use. The second and third floors have quiet study carrels, soft seating with tables and large work tables.

The Lichtenberger Engineering Library at 2001 Seamans Center has two floors with bean bags, study carrels and quiet tables. The Library is adjacent to the Engineering Student Commons.

The east side of campus is home to many of our small quiet libraries. The Psychology Library at W202 Seashore Hall ; the Physics Library at 350 Van Allen Hall ; or the Geoscience Library at 136 Trowbridge offer computer access, soft seating with tables and large work tables.

The arts campus is home to the new Art Library at 235 Art Building West which is filled with open spaces, graduate study carrels, group work tables and great views of the Hutchinson Quarry pond. The Rita Benton Music Library located at 2000 Voxman Music Building has a separate computer lab, listening room as well as study tables and soft seating.

Late Night Spaces

On the west side of campus on Newton Road, the Hardin Library for the Health Sciences offers a variety of study spaces for students including a 24-hour study room (the rest of the library is open Sunday until 11 p.m. and Monday – Thursday until Midnight). There are group study spaces on the first, third and fourth floors. Quiet individual carrels can be found in the Information Commons West ITC and the fourth floor.  Wireless Internet access is available throughout the building.

The Main Library is open Sunday – Thursday until 2 a.m. The second floor houses the largest ITC (with more than 130 computers) on campus. There are also large study tables on the second floor. For more quiet space in the Main Library, try the Government Documents reading room on the third floor, north end of the building. The Fourth and Fifth floors of the Main Library also have quiet tables tucked away at the ends of the bookstacks.

Quiet and Group Study Spaces have been designated throughout the Main Library. In any undesignated areas “The University of Iowa Libraries encourages scholarly research by maintaining an environment conducive to study in all units of the libraries system. Library users are expected to act responsibly, appropriately, and courteously to preserve the libraries’ facilities, environment, and collections.” (From Conduct In the University of Iowa Libraries: Basic Policy Governing Public Use)

Maps of the Main Library and more information for designated study spaces.