May 2014 Archives

May 1, 2014

A celebration of the acquisition of the papers of John Sung

On May 8 the Divinity Library will host a gathering to celebrate the acquisition of the papers of John Sung. Sung (1901-1944) was a renowned evangelist and leader of the revival movement in China in the 1920s and 1930s. The numerous handwritten diaries and letters in this collection, previously largely unavailable to researchers, will be a valued source of information about his thought and work. Selected papers will remain on display in the Day Missions Reading Room until May 23.

The Yale community is invited to attend the gathering in the Day Missions Reading Room, located in the Divinity Library at 409 Prospect Street, at 2:00 p.m. Chloe Starr, Assistant Professor of Asian Christianity and Theology, will speak briefly about Sung, and Timothy Wang, grandson of Sung, will represent the Sung family.

The Yale Divinity Library holds the largest collection in North America of archival and published material documenting the missionary movement and development of Christianity in China.

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 1, 2014 2:41 PM

May 9, 2014

Library announces the winner of this year's Harvey M. Applebaum award

Each year, the Harvey M. Applebaum '59 Award is conferred on a Yale College senior for an outstanding senior essay based on research that draws upon Yale University Library's government documents collections. This year, the committee awarded the $500 prize to Nicole Hobbs (Ezra Stiles College) for her History senior essay: "The UN and the Congo Crisis of 1960."

In her essay, Nicole traces the United Nations' involvement in the Congo through the actions of Ralph Bunche (UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs), Dag Hammarskjöld (Secretary-General of the UN), and Andrew Cordier (Secretary-General's Special Representative to the Congo). In addition to her use of United Nations materials and documents from the Foreign Relations of the United States series, Nicole also visited the UN Archives, the Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library. Nicole's essay will be posted on the Applebaum Award website at: http://guides.library.yale.edu/Applebaum along with those of past winners.

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 9, 2014 10:44 AM

Selling Smoke: Tobacco Advertising and Anti-smoking Campaigns

An exhibit focusing on tobacco will open at the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library on May 15th. The tobacco industry has been selling smoke in America and other countries for well over a century. From sultry ladies to Santa, tobacco advertisers slickly packaged smoking in a variety of ways to lure consumers to different brands. Using celebrity spokespeople, touting health benefits, sponsoring racing and other sports, employing product placement, and creating games with prizes are just a small sampling of the ways smoking was sold. "Selling Smoke" will exhibit a wide array of tobacco advertising from the William Van Duyn collection of magazine advertisements, ephemera, articles, and photographs. Anti-smoking campaign materials from a variety of public health organizations, multiple U.S. Surgeon Generals, and others will also be on display, tracing worldwide efforts to stamp out smoking. The exhibit will be on display until August 12th and it is free and open to the public.

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 9, 2014 10:48 AM

May 16, 2014

Bass Glass project calls for applications

As part of a collaboration between the Yale University Library, the Student Technology Collaborative, and the Instructional Technology Group, the Bass Glass project is making Google Glass available to Yale faculty, students, and staff for both long-term and short-term projects. The Bass Glass project is now accepting applications for summer and fall term projects using the Google Glass device. The application can be accessed at: http://bassglass.commons.yale.edu/.

The Bass Glass project acquired its first Google Glass device in January of 2014 as part of the Glass Explorers program. Based on the overwhelming interest from Yale faculty, students and staff, two additional devices were added to the project during its initial spring trial period, making it possible to support multiple projects and development work simultaneously.

Applications are being accepted now, with a summer deadline for project proposals of May 29th and for fall projects, August 1st. The proposals can be written for either short-term (a maximum of two weeks) or long-term (half semester) use. The Bass Glass project is looking for proposals which will explore the unique potential of Google Glass and its application to education and the research experience. Examples of projects include augmented reality applications and geocoding, adaptive technologies for the disabled, and first-person immersive audio/visual narratives.

Check back in periodically to learn about the exciting projects being done with Google Glass at Yale this summer and next fall!

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 16, 2014 3:28 PM

Class of 1964 Authors exhibit in Sterling Memorial Library

May 22 – July 31, 2014
Memorabilia Room, Sterling Memorial Library

This exhibit celebrates the prolific publishing output of the members of the Yale College Class of 1964, which is celebrating its 50th reunion this year. The works of the sixty-five members who contributed to this exhibit span many genres: scholarly monograph, travelogue, journalism, “how to” text, spirituality, memoir, poetry, biography, and fiction. The exhibit represents a collaboration between the Association of Yale Alumni and the Manuscripts and Archives and Preservation departments in the Yale University Library. Content for the exhibit was solicited and assembled by Class of 1964 coordinator Waldo Johnston, Jr.

For more information contact mssa.reference@yale.edu or (203) 432-1744.

The exhibit is free and open to the public Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:45 PM.

For more information about exhibits and events at the Yale University Library:
http://calendar.yale.edu/cal/library/

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 16, 2014 4:09 PM

May 20, 2014

The Sterling Memorial Library nave tunnel comes down at last

Beginning on the Tuesday evening, May 20, construction workers will start removing the pedestrian tunnel in the Sterling Memorial Library nave, following its yearlong restoration. The dismantling will occur at night when the Library is closed, and should be completed by Friday evening. It will reveal the incredible amount of restoration work accomplished over the last 12 months by Helpern Architects, Turner Construction Company and a small army of subcontractors.

Work will continue over the summer in the north aisle (adjacent to the Selin Courtyard), the south aisle (card catalog area), and the area behind the former circulation desk, with these areas continuing to be cordoned off by construction barriers. Because of this, tour groups are not allowed into the building this summer, but individuals are welcome to stop by to take a look.

Some of the highlights of the restored nave include:

1. The majority of the windows, which have been thoroughly cleaned and repaired, are not clear! Many of the panes are a light straw color, and all of the glass has flecks of black in it. The effect is to diffuse the light coming into the nave, and it can be a bit surprising if one expects to see glass that is as clear as in the Starr Reading Room.

2. New lighting has been installed on the mezzanine level. Although the lights are not yet fully positioned, they already showcase the ceilings and upper-level architectural details.

3. Many of the plaster ceilings have raised stars or crosses that includes gold leaf. The gold has faded over time, but with the new lighting, it will be possible to see parts of the plaster ceiling shimmer.

4. The stone cleaning has greatly highlighted the contrast in color and texture between the limestone and sandstone.

5. Alma Mater, the Eugene Savage mural behind the circulation desk, has been thoroughly restored, and the sculptured plaster pieces that had fallen off over the years have been refurbished.

Full library services in the nave are expected to be available in time for the beginning of fall classes on August 27.

To see a full photographic journey of the progress from the beginning to the present: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sml-naverestoration/sets/

More details of the nave restoration can be found at: http://guides.library.yale.edu/smlrenovation

Any questions may be directed to Kendall Crilly at: kendall.crilly@yale.edu or at: (203) 432 5991.

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 20, 2014 4:00 PM

May 27, 2014

The Instructor's Dilemma: What Do They Know? And Did They Get IT? Information Literacy Assessment

All are welcome to the following talk sponsored by the Library's Standing Committee on Professional Awareness (SCOPA)

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 2:00pm
Sterling Memorial Library International Room

What kind of library skills do our students have? Are our information literacy sessions enough? Are they successful? Does embedded librarianship make a difference? Do students know more or less than they did 10 years ago? Jana Krentz, Librarian for Latin American Studies at Yale University Library, has developed 2 information literacy assessment tools to try to answer these questions. From 2005 through 2012, when she joined the Yale Library, Jana evaluated thousands of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Kansas. Her assessments showed some surprising results. Jana will describe the tools that she developed, the results of 8 years of assessment, and how she is applying them at Yale.

All are welcome.

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 27, 2014 9:49 AM

May 30, 2014

Sterling Memorial Library will be closed on Saturday June 7

Sterling Memorial Library (SML) will be closed on Saturday, June 7, to facilitate construction work related to the restoration of the SML nave. Although the collections and study spaces in SML will be unavailable that day, other Yale libraries will be open during their regular Saturday hours. These include Bass Library, which is open from 10:00 am-4:45pm) and the Center for Science and Social Science Information (CSSSI), open from 10:00 am-6:00pm.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused by this closing. Any questions may be directed to Kendall Crilly at: Kendall.crilly@yale.edu or at: (203) 432 5991.

Posted by Amanda Patrick on May 30, 2014 1:15 PM