Special Collections’ Graduate Assistant Kelly Grogg, is somehow convincing our librarians to admit to their secret historical crushes…
Special Collections News & Updates 6/17/2016
Newsfeed:
- Library Field Responds to Orlando http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2016/06/public-services/library-field-responds-to-orlando-tragedy/#_
- Statement on the Orlando Shooting from SAA President Dennis Meissner https://offtherecord.archivists.org/2016/06/15/statement-on-the-orlando-shooting/
- University of Iowa moving forward with $60M art museum http://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/education/university-of-iowa/2016/06/06/university-iowa-moving-forward-60m-art-museum/85498698/
- Engineering the Bike – New Exhibit in the Engineering Library http://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/eng/engineering-the-bike-new-exhibit/
- Conservation Lab Box Making Day http://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/preservation/2016/06/10/box-making-day/
- Special Collections Instruction Year in Review 2015-2016 https://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/speccoll/2016/06/07/special-collections-instruction-year-in-review-2015-2016/
Shakespeare Events This Weekend:
Pericles in City Park from the Riverside Theater. Info: http://daily-iowan.com/2016/06/16/shakespeare-at-sea-opens-riverside-in-the-park/
King Lear on the lawn at Salisbury House in Des Moines from Repertory Theater of Iowa. Info: http://rtiowa.com/king-lear/
Big News From the University of Iowa Center for the Book:
The University of Iowa Center for the Book has been testing the numbers from historic records that indicated early paper making shops could make 2000 sheets a day. After several attempts, this year, they matched that output:
(See their gallery of images here: https://www.facebook.com/University-of-Iowa-Center-for-the-Book-118780728163253/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1127314790643170)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGfe-fut0u0/
Instruction Update:
Amy Chen will be out of the office for two weeks to attend two conferences between Monday, June 13 and Friday, June 24. During this time, John Fifield will be answering the instruction request form. A reminder that instruction requests should always be directed to the form, not to an individual, for cases like this when Amy will be out of town. When Amy returns, the instruction request form will return to her.
50 Years of Star Trek Exhibition Continues Until August 5th
The tribbles multiplied this week, but they are contained. Don’t worry, we’ve got everything under control.
Tribble count: 93 tribbles. #uiowatrek pic.twitter.com/AeiAaA98v0
— @uispeccoll (@UISpecColl) June 16, 2016
From the Web & Social Media
Historical Crushes video series continues:
New episode of Staxpeditions:
Coming Soon:
Preparations are underway to launch the Iowa Women’s Archives’ Migration is Beautiful website and accompanying 8×8-foot popup exhibit of Iowa Latina/o history at the national LULAC convention in Washington DC in July. Thanks to the Friends of the University of Iowa Libraries for making the physical exhibit possible!
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Special Collections Instruction Year in Review 2015-2016
Special Collections News & Updates 6/3/2016
Newsfeed:
- A look back at the “Meet the Manuscript” workshop: https://blog.lib.uiowa.edu/speccoll/2016/06/03/meet-the-manuscript/
- Riverside Theater will return to City Park for Pericles June 17-July 10: http://www.riversidetheatre.org/returningtothepark
- Salisbury House in Des Moines presents King Lear for “Shakespeare on the Lawn” June 16-19: https://www.facebook.com/events/1003846929670155/#
Instruction Update:
It may seem early, but we’re already booking classes for Fall! Right now is the best time to let us know when you want to schedule sessions – just fill out our instruction request form: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/forms/speccoll_class/ – Amy Chen, Instruction Librarian
New video series Historical Crushes
Have you found love in the archives? Do you have a historical crush? Special Collections’ Graduate Assistant Kelly Grogg has debuted the first episode of a five episode series. A new episode will be posted every Thursday in June.
Special Collections Librarians on Snapchat this Summer
Follow Department Liaison Lindsay Moen and Outreach & Engagement Librarian Colleen Theisen this summer for behind the scenes snaps of exhibitions, collection items, and the day to day workings of Special Collections.
Meet the Manuscript
By Heather Wacha
- 28 beaver fur hats.
- 6 panels of tapestries.
- Wool from Flanders.
- Silks, cloths and linens.
- Furniture, paintings, and sculptures.
- Gold and Silver.
- All manner of carriages.
If you had been an heir of the estate of Don Francisco Muñoz Carillo, a nobleman from Cuenca, Spain who died in 1687, you may have received some part of these items. However, before you get too excited, you would have also inherited the many debts that Don Francisco’s left his heirs.
In the past two weeks, graduate students from the University of Iowa have been participating in a paleography workshop entitled “Meet the Manuscript” and working intently on the transcription and translation of Don Francisco’s last will and testament, held in the University of Iowa’s Special Collections Library (xMMs.Doc2).
But this is not a simple project. Students have been working on multiple levels: transcribing, translating and TEI encoding each page of the document, with a view to providing an online digital edition and resource tool for a broad range of viewers who might benefit from using this document, as well as making a historic model of the document with which they are working. Thanks to the UI Center for the Book’s Tim Barrett, Melissa Moreton and Cheryl Jacobsen, eleven new books were born, filled with hand-made paper, held together with a tacketed binding with alum taw laces (case paper replaced the original parchment cover), and sporting examples of an Italic script.
Additionally, students from three Iowa high schools are interacting with the manuscript either through digital images and translations or through their visit with the original document in UI Spec Coll.
The work from both UI graduate students and high school students will be available on the Meet the Manuscript website.
What a wonderful collaborative experience with much thanks to UI Spec Coll, UI Studio, UI Center for the Book, Ana Rodriguez and Amber Brian from the UI Department of Spanish and Portuguese, and the multiple UI departments and divisions that sponsored the fellows! Muchas gracias from all of us and all of Don Francisco’s predecessors and successors.
Special Collections News & Updates 5/27/2016
Important Announcements:
- Special Collections and the Iowa Women’s Archives’ Reading Rooms will be closed May 30th for the Memorial Day holiday.
Newsfeed:
- Old Gold: The course catalog, or UI’s ‘wish book’: Archived publications serve as important university resource: http://now.uiowa.edu/2016/05/old-gold-course-catalog-or-uis-wish-book by University Archivist David McCartney
- ‘Star Trek’ filmmaker loves making voyage home http://now.uiowa.edu/2016/05/%E2%80%98star-trek%E2%80%99-filmmaker-loves-making-voyage-home
- ‘Star Trek’ filmmaker on UI: ‘This is the place that shaped me’ http://www.iowalum.com/blog/2016/05/20/star-trek-filmmaker-on-ui-this-is-the-place-that-shaped-me/
- Iowa Women’s Archives curator Kären Mason is featured speaking about Nancy Drew author Mildred Wirt Benson in the trailer for this documentary, “River to River: Iowa’s Forgotten Highway 6: http://docublogger.typepad.com/highway6/2016/05/take-a-peek-at-the-award-winning-river-to-river-trailer.html
Curator of Science Fiction and Popular Culture, Peter Balestrieri is featured in the Cover Story of the May/June issue of Archival Outlook from the Society of American Archivists.
“Archivists are artists,” Balestrieri remarks, reflecting on his punk rock gig with the Violent Femmes and how a life with music and libraries intertwined eventually led him to Special Collections.
Read the whole feature here on pages 8-9 and 26.
Event Recap:
The UI Libraries hosted Nicholas Meyer, who made an appearance as a guest speaker in conjunction with the Main Library Gallery exhibition 50 Years of Star Trek.
Meyer, who is an alumnus of the University of Iowa, directed the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and contributed to the shooting script for that film (uncredited). He wrote portions of the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and went on to direct Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), for which he also co-wrote the screenplay.
Storify of Tweets from the event.
Video from his talk is available here:
New Staxpeditions:
English Department Shakespeare Professor Adam Hooks joined us for an episode of Staxpeditions. Can you guess where his favorite call number range might lead?
New Acquisition:
Helen Hiebert’s Interluceo arrived recently, at the request of several UICB faculty members. Interluceo is a collaborative work, blending Helen’s paper and watermarks with papercut illustrations by Beatrice Coron and a binding by Claudia Cohen. It’s a beautiful example of how the talents of multiple artists can come together to tell a fascinating story using the form of the book itself. Photos and video really don’t do it justice! – Margaret Gamm
https://vine.co/v/iQnrbbDzgTB
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Special Collections Curator Peter Balestrieri Featured in “Archival Outlook”
Curator of Science Fiction and Popular Culture, Peter Balestrieri is featured in the Cover Story of the May/June issue of Archival Outlook from the Society of American Archivists.
“Archivists are artists,” Balestrieri remarks, reflecting on his punk rock gig with the Violent Femmes and how a life with music and libraries intertwined eventually led him to Special Collections.
Read the whole feature here on pages 8-9 and 26.
Special Collections Weekly Update 5/13/2016
Important Announcements:
The Iowa Women’s Archives will be closed May 16-27th for painting.
Newsfeed:
- Iowa City Press-Citizen, UI Libraries celebrates Star Trek’s 50th anniversary by Zach Berg
- USA Today, UI Libraries celebrates Star Trek’s 50th anniversary by Zach Berg
- The University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science and the Center for the Book made a video advertising their dual program called BLIS. Special Collections staff members Peter Balestrieri and Lindsay Moen, both graduates of SLIS, are featured in the video along with Andrea Kohashi, a former Olson Graduate Assistant, and many other familiar faces from around the UI Library system. You can even get a peek into one of our class sessions in action!
Upcoming Events:
Nicholas Meyer
Friday, May 20 at 6:30pm to 8:00pm, University of Iowa Main Library, Shambaugh Auditorium 125 West Washington St. Iowa City
Meyer will deliver a brief talk, titled The Last Man To Understand Anything.
There will be a Q&A session afterward.
Free and Open to the Public
More details on the University Calendar.
New Acquisitions:
The feminin’ monarchi’, or, The histori of bee’s, 1634. The music is half upside down so the singers can gather around.
https://vine.co/v/i27jrixlpZv
A Parting Shot:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFKRZ0mRx83/?taken-by=uispeccoll
Donate to the University Libraries’ Special Collections Fund
Want to stay connected? Follow us on social media:
Special Collections Weekly Update 5/6/2016
Important Announcements:
The Iowa Women’s Archives will be closed May 16-27th for painting.
Newsfeed:
- Talk of Iowa: Brinton Films Make Second Debut in 100 Years at World’s Longest Running Movie Theater featuring Greg Prickman, Head of Special Collections in an interview with Charity Nebbe.
- Kalona Times: More than a century later, silent film collection again shown in State Theater By Dan Ehl
- The Discovery of “Manly Health and Training”: Walt Whitman’s Long-Lost Guide to Getting the Body You’ve Always Wanted by Stephanie Blalock from the Digital Scholarship and Publishing Studio.
Congratulations to our Graduates!
Kelly Grogg, Laurel Rhame, Ella von Holtum and Amanda Rasmussen, graduate student employees from Special Collections and the Iowa Women’s Archives, presented their posters last week as part of their Masters in Library Science. Both Amanda and Ella received ‘distinguished poster’ awards. Congratulations to Kelly, Laura, Ella, Amanda, and to all of the students graduating this month from the School of Library and Information Science.
Congratulations also to Heather Wacha who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in history this morning.
Upcoming Events:
1. Iowa Bibliophiles Book Club Meeting
Wednesday, May 11th, Snacks at 6:30pm, Discussion from 7-8pm in the Special Collections Reading Room, 3rd Floor Main Library.
Find a copy of “The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio” and join us for a book club.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/597571477057785/
2. Stong Minded Men Make Music For Strong Minded Women: A Fundraiser for the Iowa Women’s Archives
Thursday, May 12, 6:30PM at The MillMusic performances featuring Tom Mason and Homebrewed.
Suggested donation: $10 a the door, $20 with a “Strong Minded” t-shirt
Students $5 (or $15 with “Strong Minded” t-shirt)
Proceeds will go to the Iowa Women’s Archives
Donations can also be made at: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/giving
RSVP on Facebook or the University Calendar.
3. Nicholas Meyer
Friday, May 20 at 6:30pm to 8:00pmUniversity of Iowa Main Library, Shambaugh Auditorium 125 West Washington St. Iowa City
Meyer will deliver a brief talk, titled The Last Man To Understand Anything.
There will be a Q&A session afterward.
Free and Open to the Public
More details on the University Calendar.
Event Recap:
1. Making Tribbles at “Break from Busyness” in the UI Main Library Learning Commons:
The Break From Busyness was an event in the Learning Commons everyday giving students a chance to do something creative to take a break from studying for final exams. Colleen Theisen was there with tribbles the students could stuff and stitch to add to the 50 Years of Star Trek exhibition. Students making a tribble received an “I’m a tribble maker” button and an entry to win the life size Captain Kirk cutout that is slowly being overcome by tribbles in the front case of the exhibition. Watch for more tribble making opportunities throughout the summer months!
2. Peter Balestrieri’s Report from the DemiCon Science Fiction Convention:
It was my pleasure to attend the 27th DemiCon Science Fiction Convention in Des Moines last week. The UI Libraries had a table in the hotel lobby that was seen by everyone in attendance. I gave out our coveted retro robot and rocket ship squeeze toys and dozens of our self-made zines that advertise our Star Trek and Doctor Who collections, along with a zine explaining the Hevelin Fanzine Digitization Project. I also spoke on a panel (one that fans called the “best panel in years”) on Victorian Horror with Artist Guest of Honor, Alan M. Clark. Finally, I delivered our annual, “State of the Hevelin Collection,” presentation to people who knew Rusty Hevelin and loved him. All the news regarding digitization of fanzines and the progress made cataloging pulp magazines and books from the collection was very well-received. All in all, it was another great opportunity to reach out to the people of Iowa to let them know what we do in Special Collections (and have some fun).
Social Media & Online Community:
New Acquisition Vine Videos Pass 1.5 Million Views
Acquisitions & Collections Management Librarian Margaret Gamm’s 6 second Vine videos opening new acquisitions have been viewed over 1.5 million times total. Congratulations to Margaret Gamm and Colleen Theisen on their continuing work to deliver information about our holdings in online communities.
Seen below is Deep in the Yellow Woods from 2015. It is a carousel format book hand sewn by the artist, Lois Morrison, and featuring a fantasy poem also written by the artist and is one of 20 copies.
https://vine.co/v/iUYlxuOj7hq
This Week’s New Video:
This week we posted a new episode of Staxpeditions exploring the F850 call number range requested by our follower Dana Gerber-Margie.
Donate to the University Libraries’ Special Collections Fund
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Special Collections Weekly Updates 4/29/2016
Newsfeed:
- Daily Iowan: Star Trek Lands in the Main Library by Bill Cooney
- Daily Iowan TV: Star Trek Exhibit by Zhao Li
- CBS Fox 2: Brinton Extravaganza Will Celebrate Silent Film Collection by Steffi Lee.
- How I Teach by Dr. Adam Hooks, English Department, University of Iowa.
- ACRL Library Marketing & Outreach Group interview with Outreach & Engagement Librarian Colleen Theisen
Launched this week:
1960’s Digital Exhibition
Uptight & Laid-back: Iowa City in the 1960s, an ongoing collaborative project developed by University Archivist David McCartney and The Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio, brings to life a dynamic and turbulent decade for the University and for Iowa City. The curated topics pages and interactive map invite the public to explore an array of material associated with the campus and the community. The public is also welcome to contribute materials! We’ll be adding to the site over the coming months. Stay tuned!
Deadlines:
May 1, 2016: The Olson Graduate Assistant
The Olson Graduate Research Assistant position in Special Collections is a two year 50% position for incoming or current graduate students at the University of Iowa to join the department and support reference, instruction, outreach, processing, and exhibitions, while having opportunity pursue individual projects.
Apply today: http://www.grad.uiowa.edu/graduate-assistant-job-postings/7181/olson-graduate-research-assistant
June 3, 2016: Proposals for RBMS Seminars for the 2017 Conference in Iowa City
Seminars are 90-minute sessions, given in a variety of formats. They constitute an important educational component of each conference and are a valuable forum for the exchange of ideas and information on particular topics of relevance to rare book and manuscript librarians. Read more.
Upcoming Events:
Break from Busyness (Become a #tribblemaker)
Monday-Friday, May 2nd-5th, 12-3pm
This finals season we challenge you to find time for breaks in your studying. To help, librarians at Main Library have set up a handful of challenge activities designed to help take your minds off of finals, just for a bit. Special Collections staff will be on hand with fur fabric and supplies if you want to become a tribble maker and add to the Star Trek exhibition! Get an “I’m a tribble maker” button and an entry to win the life size Captain Kirk cutout currently in the front case of the gallery. More info.
Guest Speaker: Author Michael Blanding
The Friends of the University of Iowa Libraries will host Michael Blanding, author of bestseller The Map Thief, the gripping story of an esteemed rare-map dealer who made millions stealing priceless maps.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 in the Main Library’s Shambaugh Auditorium. Blanding’s presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m., with a reception and book signing to follow at 7:30 p.m.
This event is free and open to the public. More info.
Iowa Bibliophiles Book Club Meeting
Wednesday, May 11th, Snacks at 6:30pm, Discussion from 7-8pm in the Special Collections Reading Room, 3rd Floor Main Library.
Find a copy of “The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio” and join us for a book club.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/597571477057785/
Stong Minded Men Make Music For Strong Minded Women: A Fundraiser for the Iowa Women’s Archives
Thursday, May 12, 6:30PM at The MillMusic performances featuring Tom Mason and Homebrewed.
Suggested donation: $10 a the door, $20 with a “Strong Minded” t-shirt
Students $5 (or $15 with “Strong Minded” t-shirt)
Proceeds will go to the Iowa Women’s Archives
Donations can also be made at: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa/giving
More information or RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1030900993623678/
Instruction:
This week we had ten classes in to special collections. Just because it’s close to the end of the semester doesn’t mean we’re slowing down!
While you may be more focused on ending the academic year strong, if you are an instructor, this is the right time to start thinking about requesting class dates and times for summer or fall 2016. Please use our instruction request form to request your upcoming sessions: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/forms/speccoll_class/. It’s especially important to be the early bird if you work with early materials, as our medieval manuscripts are limited to five class uses per semester on a first come-first serve basis.
Also note that Instruction Librarian Amy Chen will be out on vacation for three weeks from May 9 through May 27. During this time, the instruction request form will be forwarded to the Olson Graduate Assistants, John Fifield and Kelly Grogg. They will handle the booking of your courses until Amy returns. Other questions or correspondence to Amy will be answered as soon as possible upon her return to the office at the end of May.
Social Media & Online Community:
You can revisit our third annual Shakespeare Livestream:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and never miss a video!
Donate to the University Libraries’ Special Collections Fund
Want to stay connected? Follow us on social media: