May 2012 Archives

May 1, 2012

[Your Name Here]: The Ex-Libris and Image Making

April 30 to August 17
The Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library
180 York Street

Also known as ex-libris, bookplates are labels pasted inside the front covers of books to indicate ownership. This exhibition explores the ex-libris through the theme of image making. Despite its small format, the bookplate is an inventive art form that inspires artists working in an encyclopedic array of graphic media. The bookplate functions as a mark of possession; however, this simple purpose belies how fervently book owners and artists consider the bookplate a vehicle for self-expression. [Your Name Here] examines both historic and modern examples of bookplates with a variety of motifs. It also uncovers how questions of authorship arise in the collaboration between artist and patron as well as in the act of collecting itself.

With an estimated one million individual bookplate specimens, dating from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, the Yale Bookplate Collection is one of the largest such collections in the world. However, this collection is not a singular entity; rather, its holdings comprise many different collections and an assortment of documentary materials. It is a unique visual archive that forms a timeline of the history and the art of the ex-libris. Moreover, the collection serves as a significant resource for the study of bookplates as well as that of biography and histories of the book, art and design, and collecting. In addition to bookplates, the selections on view include process materials, original sketches, correspondence, publications, and other related printed ephemera.

The exhibit is curated by Molly Dotson, Bookplate Project Archivist in the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library. For more information, contact her at molly.dotson@yale.edu or at (203) 432-7074.

The exhibit will be on view until August 17. It is free and open to the public. A current Yale ID (with a prox chip) is required to enter the Haas Family Arts Library during all regular business hours. Non-Yale visitors are also welcome and can gain access to the Library through the security guard in the Loria Center entrance hall.

Posted by Yale University Library on May 1, 2012 10:40 AM

Billed for lost Library books? Want fees waived? Read on..

Have you been billed for lost Yale Library books?
Give us your most creative excuse and have your unreturned book fees waived!

Bring lost books and your excuse (in 500 ‘clean’ words, or less), to the Privileges Office by May 15th 2012 for a full waiver of lost item replacement fees & overdue fines* – up to $110.00 per book!

The “fine” print:

Maximum fine forgiveness is $110.00 per returned book.
Yale Affiliates only
SML, BASS, CSSSI, Divinity, LSF, Music, Geology, Mathematics & Engineering Libraries books only
Does not apply to recall or reserve fines or fines not associated with lost books.
Books must be returned between May 1st and May 15th, 2012 for full waiver.
Get creative, but keep it clean, please.

Contact the Privileges Office for more information:(203) 432-7189 or smlcirc@yale.edu

Posted by Yale University Library on May 1, 2012 1:53 PM

May 2, 2012

Yale Library Acquires The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition

Seven-Volume Limited Edition Will Reside at the Yale University Divinity School Library

The Yale University Library and Saint John's University today announced the acquisition of The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition by Yale University. A reception celebrating the arrival of the volumes was held on May 2 in the Day Missions Room of the Yale Divinity Library.

The Saint John's Bible is the only handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Monastery since the advent of the printing press more than 500 years ago. The Heritage Edition is a work of art in itself, a fine art reproduction of the original manuscript created under the direction of Donald Jackson, the artistic director of the original manuscript. Only 299 sets of the Heritage Edition were created.

"The mission of The Saint John's Bible is to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world," said Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, president of Saint John’s University. "We are delighted that generations of Yale students, faculty, staff and visitors will have access to these inspiring and historic volumes.”

The Yale acquisition represents a collaboration between the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, an interdisciplinary graduate center at Yale, and will be housed at the Divinity Library.

“The Beinecke Library and the Institute of Sacred Music are pleased to help bring such an outstanding work to Yale,” commented E.C. Schroeder, Director of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. “The acquisition of The Saint John’s Bible will provide an opportunity for scholars, faculty and students to compare this modern edition with the Beinecke’s Medieval manuscripts and early printed Bibles.”

In addition to Yale University, these fine art editions of The Saint John's Bible can also be experienced at more than 50 universities, museums, libraries and churches around the world. Original pages of The Saint John's Bible are always on exhibition at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (www.hmml.org) on the Saint John's Abbey and University Campus in Collegeville, Minnesota. The public can see original pages from the Bible as part of its touring exhibition program at the New Mexico History Museum (www.nmhistorymuseum.org) now through December 31, 2012.

The Saint John's Bible is a 15-year collaboration of scripture scholars and theologians at Saint John's Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn. with a team of artists and calligraphers at the scriptorium in Wales, United Kingdom under the direction of Donald Jackson, one of the world's foremost calligraphers and Senior Scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Crown Office at the House of Lords. Written and drawn entirely by hand using quills and paints hand-ground from precious minerals and stones such as lapis lazuli, malachite, silver and 24-karat gold, The Saint John's Bible celebrates the tradition of medieval manuscripts while embracing 21st century technology to facilitate the design process and collaboration between Saint John's in Collegeville and the scriptorium in Wales.

For more information on the Yale University Library: www.library.yale.edu For more information about The Saint John's Bible, please visit www.saintjohnsbible.org.

Posted by Yale University Library on May 2, 2012 3:31 PM

May 3, 2012

Monuments of Imperial Russian Law

All are welcome to an exhibition talk by

WILLIAM E. BUTLER
John Edward Fowler Distinguished Professor of Law and International Affairs
Dickinson School of Law, Pennsylvania State University

Wednesday, May 9, 2012
1:00 – 2:00pm
Room 121, Yale Law School
127 Wall Street, New Haven CT

"Monuments of Imperial Russian Law," now on display in the Yale Law Library, is perhaps the first rare book exhibit in the U.S. to focus on the history of Russian law. The lead curator of the exhibit, Professor William E. Butler of Penn State, will give a talk on the exhibit May 9 in the Yale Law School

The exhibition was co-curated by Mike Widener, Rare Book Librarian in the Lillian Goldman Law Library. It features principal landmarks in Russia's pre-1917 legal literature. Among these are the first printed collection of Russian laws, the 1649 "Sobornoe ulozhenie", and three versions of the "Nakaz", the law code that earned Empress Catherine the Great her reputation.

Butler is the pre-eminent U.S. authority on the law of the former Soviet Union. He is the author, co-author, editor, or translator of more than 120 books on Soviet, Russian, Ukrainian, and post-Soviet legal systems. He is a member of the Grolier Club, the leading U.S. society for book collectors, and the Organization of Russian Bibliophiles. He is also a leading bookplate collector who has authored several reference works on bookplates.

The exhibit is on display through May 25, 2012 in the Rare Book Exhibition Gallery, located on Level L2 of the Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School, 127 Wall Street. The exhibit is open to the public, 9am-10pm daily. The exhibit is also online in the Yale Law Library Rare Books Blog, at http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/rarebooks.

Posted by Yale University Library on May 3, 2012 10:29 AM

May 9, 2012

Summer Hours in Bass and SML

Sterling Memorial Library and Bass Library will commence Summer hours on Wednesday, May 9th. The hours are generally:

Sterling Memorial Library
Monday – Wednesday 8:30am – 4:45pm
Thursday 8:30am – 9:45pm
Friday 8:30am – 4:45pm
Saturday 10:00am – 4:45pm
Sunday CLOSED

Bass Library
Monday – Thursday 8:30am – 9:45pm
Friday 8:30am – 4:45pm
Saturday 10:00am – 4:45pm
Sunday CLOSED

Please keep in mind that there are exceptions to these hours for holidays and special events. Please click here http://resources.library.yale.edu/libraryhours to consult these hours along with all of the Yale University Library locations.

Posted by Yale University Library on May 9, 2012 12:26 PM

May 10, 2012

Old Blue No More: A History of Latinos at Yale exhibit & reception

Old Blue No More: A History of Latinos at Yale – exhibit reception
Tuesday June 5, 12 noon
Memorabilia Room, Sterling Memorial Library

Join us for a special reception to celebrate the exhibit Old Blue No More: A History of Latinos at Yale, now on display in Sterling Memorial Library's exhibit corridor. Enjoy refreshments and then view the exhibit, which showcases the presence of Latinos at Yale since the 1960s.

Latinos have been at Yale for close to 50 years. This exhibit tells a story of their history, inspired by the documents left behind. While incomplete, it is nevertheless a story worth telling. Most of the archives, found at the Latino Cultural Center and the Yale Library – the main collaborators on this project – are from the 1970s, and reveal the central themes driving the community over the years. Those themes – securing a cultural center, recruiting more Latinos, demanding representation, student group activism and alumni – are all explored in this exhibit.

For more information about the exhibit, please contact rosalinda.garcia@yale.edu

Posted by Yale University Library on May 10, 2012 4:52 PM

May 16, 2012

Upgrade to Orbis on Memorial Day Weekend

During the Memorial Day weekend, Friday, May 25th – Monday, May 28th, the Library will be upgrading its Orbis Library Catalog.

Services Available during the upgrade

While the upgrade is in progress, you will be able to:
- Charge and return books
- Access a read-only version of Orbis (You will not be able to renew items, request materials, or access ‘My Account’)
- Place ILL requests

Unavailable Services during the upgrade

Some services will be limited or unavailable:
- Limited privileges (i.e. no desk passes)
- No retrieval or searching services
- No delivery of items from the LSF (Library Shelving Facility) or other campus libraries
- No fine payments
- No email notices (i.e. no courtesy reminders, recall notices, overdue notices, etc)
- No Borrow Direct requests

Classic Orbis Retirement & New Features

As part of the upgrade, the ‘Classic’ version of Orbis will be retired and replaced with the new Orbis interface. The retirement of Classic Orbis is made possible by several new features that will be introduced as part of the upgrade, including:

- Enhanced requesting functionality
- Additional Quick Limits for Maps and Microform
- Ability to browse subjects from a specific title
- Search term highlighting
- Enhanced My Account functionality
- Improved performance for Call Number browsing

For more information, contact us at AskYale at: http://ask.library.yale.edu/

Posted by Yale University Library on May 16, 2012 10:17 AM

Man versus Machine: Is the Interface the Future Reference Librarian?

Friday, June 15, 9:30am – 3pm.

Mary Harkness Auditorium, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street

Open to the public with a registration fee of $20 ($10 for student), which includes a continental breakfast and gourmet bag lunch. Alternatively, Yale faculty, staff and students may register online for free and provide their own lunch (or purchase food from nearby carts). All information, including registration, travel, and speaker background, is available at: http://guides.library.yale.edu/rarespring2012.

Spend an engaging Spring Day in New Haven with library and special collections research and education leaders! The Reference and Research Education (RaRE) Committee at the Yale University Library is sponsoring the second-annual RaRE Symposium. The theme is “Man versus Machine: Is the Interface the Future Reference Librarian?”

Three academic library leaders will address an emerging topic in academic and special collection library management - what’s the right balance between investing resources in reference and outreach, and investing in the creation of better discovery tools so that users can better help themselves?

The day will begin with breakfast at 9:30am, followed by a presentation from Susan Gibbons, Yale University Librarian, at 10:00am. Lunch will be available in the Anlyan Center for paid registrants. Following lunch, members of the RaRE Committee will conduct a variety of Yale campus tours, including the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the new Center for Science and Social Science Information (CSSSI), and the Medical Library’s Cushing Center, which houses legendary neurosurgeon Harvey Cushing’s Brain Tumor Registry. Tours will conclude by 3:00pm.

The speakers for the day include:

David W. Lewis, Dean of the IUPUI University Library
Mr. Lewis began his library career as a reference librarian and became a library administrator. He worked as a reference librarian at SUNY Farmingdale (1975-76) and Hamilton College (1976-78). He became head of reference and then acting director at Franklin and Marshall College (1978-83). At Columbia University Mr. Lewis was the head of the Lehman Library, the international affairs and social science collection (1983-88). He was the head of the Research and Information Services Department at the University of Connecticut (1988-93). He came to Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in 1993 as the Head of Public Services and has been the Dean of the University Library since 2000. His papers are found in the IUPUI’s institutional repository.

Karen Williams, Associate University Librarian, University of Minnesota
Karen Williams is Associate University Librarian for Academic Programs at the University of Minnesota, a position she has held since 2004. The Academic Programs division includes liaisons in all subject areas, as well as archivists and curators. Prior to joining the U of M, she spent 22 years at the University of Arizona Library in a variety of positions, including subject liaison to several departments. Her expertise is in the areas of information literacy, copyright, and scholarly communication; with a strong dose of organizational development. She led the development of new liaison position descriptions at Minnesota, which include roles in scholarly communication, information literacy integration, and e-scholarship. She received her MLS from the University of Michigan, and her BA in English, with a secondary teaching certificate, from the University of Michigan-Flint.

William (Bill) Landis, Assistant Head of Public Services, Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library
William (Bill) Landis was recently appointed as the Assistant Head of Public Services of the Manuscripts and Archives Section of the Yale University Library. Prior to this recent appointment, he was Head of Special Collections Research and Instructional Services at the Louis Round Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Previously he served as Head of Arrangement and Description & Metadata Coordinator in Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library; as Metadata Coordinator for the California Digital Library; as Manuscripts Librarian in Special Collections and Archives at the University of California, Irvine; and as the first Production Coordinator for JSTOR, a large-scale scholarly journal digitization project. He earned a BA degree in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz, an MILS from the University of Michigan, and is sporadically working toward an MA in History, focusing on the U.S. West.

For more information about the event, please contact: yale.rare.symposium@gmail.com or charles.greenberg@yale.edu

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 16, 2012 12:04 PM

May 17, 2012

"Writ between the Lines" A SCOPA FORUM

A Discussion with Historian Hugh Howard

Tuesday, May 22, 2:00 pm
Location: SML International Room

Hugh Howard, author of the newly published Mr. and Mrs. Madison's War (2012), approaches archives and primary sources a bit differently than many researchers. As a narrative historian, he is forever on the lookout for the telling detail, the key explanatory fact, for the insight into the people of whom he writes and of their eras. In his talk he will explode a couple of passages from his books in order to demonstrate the importance of his research, and the hours spent at university archives, the Library of Congress, historical societies, and museums, looking at both antique and more recent materials. As he put it, "research is at the essence of the way I tell stories." His books include one on George Washington (The Painter's Chair), two on Thomas Jefferson (including Dr. Kimball and Mr. Jefferson), and Houses of the Founding Fathers.

About SCOPA
Yale University Library’s Standing Committee on Professional Awareness, SCOPA, strives to encourage professional growth and the development of librarianship as a dynamic profession. SCOPA organizes a regular series of forums devoted to a wide range of topics concerning initiatives in Yale libraries and academic libraries in general. SCOPA welcomes suggestions concerning possible future forums.

Posted by Yale University Library on May 17, 2012 5:01 PM

May 24, 2012

Divinity Library receives grants to digitize materials

The Yale Divinity Library has received three grants to digitize materials related to the history of missionary activity and world Christianity.

A $200,000 Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Program grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will be used to digitize annual reports and periodicals of mission agencies from the library’s Day Missions Collection (http://www.library.yale.edu/div/DayMissions.html).

The Divinity Library has also received $25,500 from the NEH’s Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Program to fund the library’s participation in the International Missionary Photography Archive (IMPA) project hosted by the University of Southern California (http://www.usc.edu/impa).

A $5,000 grant from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia (UBCHEA) (http://unitedboard.org ) will support the continuation of the library’s project to digitize selections from the United Board archives, which include documentation of the 13 colleges and universities started by Protestant mission agencies in China beginning in the late 1800s.

In recent years, historians and religious studies scholars have shown renewed interest in analyzing what missionary sources can reveal about indigenous cultures, the impact of political movements, and the rise of nationalism in developing countries. Missionaries tended to live in developing countries for longer periods than diplomats or business agents, and many became fluent in indigenous languages and literatures. Historians have begun to use mission records to learn about social, economic, and cultural changes among the populations with whom the missionaries worked. The digitization of 19th- and 20th- century mission periodicals and reports will preserve important documents for future generations, and extend access to a much broader constituency.

The Day Missions Collection at the Yale Divinity School Library is considered the preeminent North American collection for documentation of the history of missions and the development of Christianity throughout the world. The collection was established in 1892 by George Edward Day, a professor of Hebrew language and literature. The NEH grant will enable the Divinity Library to continue work begun under a recent grant from the Arcadia Foundation to Yale University Library (see related story http://www.library.yale.edu/development/grants-arcadia.html) to support the digitization of 110,000 pages of annual reports, many of which are now available online athttp://divdl.library.yale.edu/dl/Browse.aspx?qc=AdHoc&qs=1158. The NEH grant will also facilitate making all digital surrogates available through an integrated delivery system that provides full text searching.

The NEH grant for the International Mission Photography project will fund the digitization and description of nearly 3,000 images. Previously, the Divinity Library contributed more than 7,000 photographs to the IMPA database during two earlier phases of the project, funded by the Getty and Mellon foundations. Work is now underway to make the Yale IMPA photographs available through the University’s Library’s Digital Collection search, in addition to the IMPA database hosted by the University of Southern California.

The United Board grant will be used to digitize publications of several colleges and universities supported by mission agencies in China, including Fukien Christian University, Ginling College, the University of Nanjing, and St. John’s University. In 2010, the Yale Divinity School Library received a $5,000 grant from UBCHEA to digitize archived materials, primarily relating to medical education in China. The digital copies from this earlier project are available at: http://digital.library.yale.edu/u?/1031_2,0 and will be linked to the finding aid for the UBCHEA archives (http://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/divinity.011).

For more information, contact Martha Smalley, curator of the Day Missions Collection at martha.smalley@yale.edu.

Posted by Yale University Library on May 24, 2012 2:43 PM