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A Virtual Bibliophiles

Today is April 8th, 2020, the day we were supposed to gather for the last Iowa Bibliophiles of the academic year. The plan: come together, eat some tasty snacks, and explore some of the highlights from our collection with the help of our wonderful student workers. Our students had selected manuscripts, books, and more, researchedContinue reading “A Virtual Bibliophiles”

2020: The Year of the QuaranZINE

The following is written by Rich Dana, Olson Graduate Research Assistant for Special Collections.  As librarians, we are engaged in service to our communities, and that service doesn’t end when the library has to lock its doors to protect its patrons and workers. All of us are faced now with leveraging any tools at ourContinue reading “2020: The Year of the QuaranZINE”

Ellen Day Hale Paints Her Way into UI History

Through some great research, our University Archivist David McCartney discovers some of the “unknown” facts that are part of new UI Presidential Portrait Gallery in the Main Library, as he explains below.  When the UI Presidential Portrait Gallery was formally dedicated late last year, staff in Special Collections responsible for this display knew that thereContinue reading “Ellen Day Hale Paints Her Way into UI History”

The Remarkable John Giorno

The following comes from Olson Graduate Assistant Rich Dana John Giorno, poet, artist, and activist, passed away Friday, October 12th at the age of 82. Although readers may not be familiar with his name, Giorno was one of the most influential American artists of the post-war 20th century. He blurred the boundaries between written, visualContinue reading “The Remarkable John Giorno”

Selections from the Sackner Collection: The Association for Study of Arts Materials

Selections from the Sackner Collection: The Association for Study of Arts Materials Written by Diane Dias De Fazio, Curator of Rare Books & Book Arts Well, konnichiwa. The University of Iowa Special Collections announced the arrival of The Ruth and Marvin Sackner Collection of Visual and Concrete Poetry last May, and as the news rippledContinue reading “Selections from the Sackner Collection: The Association for Study of Arts Materials”

An Olson’s Goodbye

An Olson’s Goodbye By Micaela Terronez For the past two years, I have had the great fortune of learning about the inner workings of special collections and archives as the Olson Graduate Assistant at The University of Iowa Special Collections. It’s hard to believe my time at Iowa has already come to an end. ItContinue reading “An Olson’s Goodbye”

A Unique Document, a Unique Opportunity

The following is a post written by graduate student Kristi Hager, who recently finished her certificate for Book Studies at Center for the Book. As a student in Dr. Jennifer Burke Pierce’s History of Readers and Reading course through the School of Library and Information Science, Hager was given the opportunity to explore and learnContinue reading “A Unique Document, a Unique Opportunity”