The UNC Health Sciences Library will host a panel discussion on October 14, 2009 on the relationship between art and medicine. The talk, “Reflecting the Medical Sciences through Art,” is held in conjunction with “Learned in Science, Explored in Art,” an exhibit of paintings by Dr. Wolfgang Ritschel, professor emeritus at the University of Cincinnati. A painter and sculptor, Ritschel holds doctorates in medicine, pharmacology and philosophy, and a master’s degree in pharmacy. Several of his paintings and collages are on display on the 1st and 2nd floors of the library until December 31.
The talk will cover topics such as whether medicine is an art and a science; where art appears in the everyday lives of scientists; and whether a distinction should be made between “artist” and “scientist.”
The talk will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the library’s 2nd floor. Light refreshments will be served.
Panel discussion members are Terrence Holt, M.D., Ph.D., research assistant professor in the School of Medicine’s social medicine department, clinical assistant professor in the division of geriatric medicine and author of In the Valley of the Kings; Gretchen Case, Ph.D., visiting instructor in the medical school’s social medicine department, a Thompson Writing Program fellow at Duke University and adjunct lecturer at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine; and Ann Millett-Gallant, Ph.D., lecturer in UNC-Greensboro’s liberal studies program and art department and author of the forthcoming book The Disabled Body in Contemporary Art.
For more information and to see images of Ritschel’s art, visit the HSL web site. Health Sciences Library contact: Ginny Bunch, (919) 966-0943, gbunch@email.unc.edu
Monday, October 12, 2009
Countway Library Fellowships in the History of Medicine
The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine is pleased to offer two annual fellowships to support research in the history of medicine. The Francis A. Countway Library Fellowships in the History of Medicine provide stipends of up to $5,000 to support travel, lodging, and incidental expenses for a flexible period between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. Besides conducting research, the fellow will submit a report on the results of his/her residency and may be asked to present a seminar or lecture at the Countway Library. The fellowship proposal should demonstrate that the Countway Library has resources central to the research topic. Preference will be given to applicants who live beyond commuting distance of the Countway. The application, outlining the proposed project (proposal should not exceed five pages), length of residence, materials to be consulted, and a budget with specific information on travel, lodging, and research expenses, should be submitted, along with a curriculum vitae and two letters of recommendation, by February 1, 2010. Applications should be sent to:
Countway Fellowships
Center for the History of Medicine
Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
10 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115
The appointment will be announced by March 15, 2010.
The Boston Medical Library’s Abel Lawrence Peirson Fund provides support for the fellowship program. The Boston Medical Library is a physicians' non-profit organization, incorporated in 1877. Its mission is "to be a Library for the dissemination of medical knowledge, the promotion of medical education and scholarship, and the preservation and celebration of medical history, and thereby to advance the quality of health and healthcare of the people." Today there are over 300 fellows of the Boston Medical Library. In 1960, the Boston Medical Library entered into an agreement with the Harvard Medical School Library to combine staff, services, and collections into one modern biomedical facility. The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine opened in 1965 and ranks as one of the largest biomedical libraries in the world.
Background
Established in 1960 as a result of an alliance between the Boston Medical Library and the Harvard Medical Library, the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine is the largest academic medical library in the United States. The Countway Library maintains a collection of approximately 700,000 volumes. Its Center for the History of Medicine holds 250,000 books and journals published before 1920, including 802 incunabula. The department’s printed holdings include one of the most complete medical periodical collections, an extensive collection of European medical texts issued between the 15th and 20th centuries, and excellent holdings of pre-1800 English and pre-1900 American imprints. The book collection is strong in virtually every medical discipline and is particularly rich in popular medicine, medical education, public health, Judaica, and travel accounts written by physicians.
The Countway's collection of archives and manuscripts, approximately 20 million items, is the largest of its kind in the United States. The manuscript collection includes the personal and professional papers of many prominent American physicians, especially those who practiced and conducted research in the New England region, or who were associated with Harvard Medical School. The Countway Library also serves as the institutional archives for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The printed, manuscript, and archives holdings are complemented by an extensive print and photograph collection and the collections of the Warren Anatomical Museum. Established in 1847, the museum houses an exceptional collection of medical artifacts, pathological specimens, anatomical models, and instruments.
Countway Fellowships
Center for the History of Medicine
Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine
10 Shattuck Street
Boston, MA 02115
The appointment will be announced by March 15, 2010.
The Boston Medical Library’s Abel Lawrence Peirson Fund provides support for the fellowship program. The Boston Medical Library is a physicians' non-profit organization, incorporated in 1877. Its mission is "to be a Library for the dissemination of medical knowledge, the promotion of medical education and scholarship, and the preservation and celebration of medical history, and thereby to advance the quality of health and healthcare of the people." Today there are over 300 fellows of the Boston Medical Library. In 1960, the Boston Medical Library entered into an agreement with the Harvard Medical School Library to combine staff, services, and collections into one modern biomedical facility. The Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine opened in 1965 and ranks as one of the largest biomedical libraries in the world.
Background
Established in 1960 as a result of an alliance between the Boston Medical Library and the Harvard Medical Library, the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine is the largest academic medical library in the United States. The Countway Library maintains a collection of approximately 700,000 volumes. Its Center for the History of Medicine holds 250,000 books and journals published before 1920, including 802 incunabula. The department’s printed holdings include one of the most complete medical periodical collections, an extensive collection of European medical texts issued between the 15th and 20th centuries, and excellent holdings of pre-1800 English and pre-1900 American imprints. The book collection is strong in virtually every medical discipline and is particularly rich in popular medicine, medical education, public health, Judaica, and travel accounts written by physicians.
The Countway's collection of archives and manuscripts, approximately 20 million items, is the largest of its kind in the United States. The manuscript collection includes the personal and professional papers of many prominent American physicians, especially those who practiced and conducted research in the New England region, or who were associated with Harvard Medical School. The Countway Library also serves as the institutional archives for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. The printed, manuscript, and archives holdings are complemented by an extensive print and photograph collection and the collections of the Warren Anatomical Museum. Established in 1847, the museum houses an exceptional collection of medical artifacts, pathological specimens, anatomical models, and instruments.
Student Historical Essay Competition at MUSC
The Waring Library Society and the Waring Historical Library at the Medical University of South Carolina invite entries for the W. Curtis Worthington, Jr., Undergraduate and Graduate Research Papers Competition.
Rules and Guidelines
Deadline: April 30, 2010
Papers entered in the Competition should represent original research in the history of the health sciences. They may cover any historical period and any cultural tradition. Paper topics may include -- but are by no means limited to -- public health policy and the social context of disease and health; the construction of the medical profession and medical institutions; gender and medical theory or practice; learned medical practitioners as social, political, and economic agents; notions of the human body as the subject of health, disease, and therapeutic intervention; medicine and natural philosophy/science; medicine and the humanities; and the development of health science disciplines such as nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health fields.
Entries may not have been published previously, nor be submitted more than once. A person may submit only one entry each year. The same person may not win first prize during two consecutive years. This competition is open to any degree-seeking individual attending an accredited college or university. Additionally, interns and residents in accredited programs are eligible in the graduate category. Entries must be not fewer than 2,500 words nor more than 5,000 words (not including notes and bibliography). Photographs or illustrations should be included whenever possible or appropriate. Manuscripts should be submitted as a Word document or as an unformatted ASCII-preferred document. Send completed application form as an attachment with your submission; do not include any personal identification information in the text of your submission. Entries must be received by April 30th in each contest year.
Winners agree to grant the Waring Historical Library and Waring Library Society both initial and subsequent publication rights in any manner or form without further compensation. Except as provided above, copyright ownership otherwise remains with the author.
One first prize of $1,500 will be awarded each year to the winner in each category: undergraduate and graduate. The winning papers will be published in the Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, subject to the review and requirements of its editor.
The WLS Awards Committee reserves the right to not give any or all awards in a particular year.
For more information about this competition, please contact the Waring Historical Library at 843-792-2288 or waringhl@musc.edu.
Rules and Guidelines
Deadline: April 30, 2010
Papers entered in the Competition should represent original research in the history of the health sciences. They may cover any historical period and any cultural tradition. Paper topics may include -- but are by no means limited to -- public health policy and the social context of disease and health; the construction of the medical profession and medical institutions; gender and medical theory or practice; learned medical practitioners as social, political, and economic agents; notions of the human body as the subject of health, disease, and therapeutic intervention; medicine and natural philosophy/science; medicine and the humanities; and the development of health science disciplines such as nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, and allied health fields.
Entries may not have been published previously, nor be submitted more than once. A person may submit only one entry each year. The same person may not win first prize during two consecutive years. This competition is open to any degree-seeking individual attending an accredited college or university. Additionally, interns and residents in accredited programs are eligible in the graduate category. Entries must be not fewer than 2,500 words nor more than 5,000 words (not including notes and bibliography). Photographs or illustrations should be included whenever possible or appropriate. Manuscripts should be submitted as a Word document or as an unformatted ASCII-preferred document. Send completed application form as an attachment with your submission; do not include any personal identification information in the text of your submission. Entries must be received by April 30th in each contest year.
Winners agree to grant the Waring Historical Library and Waring Library Society both initial and subsequent publication rights in any manner or form without further compensation. Except as provided above, copyright ownership otherwise remains with the author.
One first prize of $1,500 will be awarded each year to the winner in each category: undergraduate and graduate. The winning papers will be published in the Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, subject to the review and requirements of its editor.
The WLS Awards Committee reserves the right to not give any or all awards in a particular year.
For more information about this competition, please contact the Waring Historical Library at 843-792-2288 or waringhl@musc.edu.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
October Is Archives Month
October is Archives Month, with a theme of "Celebrating the American Record" as designated by the Society of American Archivists, and October 19-25th is North Carolina Archives Week. Archives are essential to the historical record, and include a wide range of document types, including such things as letters, legal records, transcripts, photographs, reports, manuscripts, ephemera, artifacts, realia, tapes, and materials in electronic and other formats as well.
The University of North Carolina holds vast archival collections, and finding aids (or guides) to the collections can be found for a large number of these in the online catalog and on the Wilson Library web site. There is also a variety of Health Affairs-related collections, and the finding aids to many of these are accessible in the Archival Collections section of the Special Collections web site. Archival collections at the Health Sciences Library include the papers of the renowned medical illustrator, Dr. Frank Netter, and the internationally recognized water and sanitation researcher, Dr. Daniel Okun.
Many other institutions around the state, country, and world have significant archival holdings. The National Library of Medicine, for example, is highlighting its archival collections concerning Health Care Accessibility and Reform this month. The Library of Congress also has extensive archival collections for which finding aids are available online, and a number of these collections contain information on women's health and their involvement in the medical professions. The Library of Congress also maintains the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.
The National Records and Archives Administration (NARA) was established in 1934 and is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary; a photo gallery of its history as an institution is available online. Among the many millions of documents that it preserves are the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution of the United States; and the Bill of Rights. A sense of the scope of other holdings can be had from the online subject index. Although its holdings are vast, only an estimated 1-3% of government records are held by NARA, and of these records, only a fraction is available in electronic form. Agency-specific collections include, among many others: Records of the National Institutes of Health; Records of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Records of the Environmental Protection Agency; Records of the Food and Drug Administration; Records of the Public Health Service; and Records of the Indian Health Service.
The American Medical Association maintains historical archives, and information on their use is available online. Only AMA members have access to the archives, with the exception of the Historical Health Fraud Collection, which may be used by non-members on a fee-for-service basis. A descriptive summary of more than 50 collections is available for download.
In North Carolina, archives of interest include the North Carolina State Archives, Duke University Medical Center Archives, Wake Forest Medical Archives, and the History Collections at East Carolina University. The Society of North Carolina Archivists maintains a list of links to other archives in the state.
In addition, there are several other tools that can be helpful in conducting archival research, including ArchiveGrid and WorldCat, which are UNC e-resources, Repositories of Primary Sources, and the UNESCO Archives Portal, which provides access to collections around the world. The HSL Special Collections web site also features a guide to research resources.
The Society of American Archivists is currently conducting an online survey about how people use archives in the US, and welcomes responses by November 30, 2009. The SAA also has two informative guides online for those interested in learning more about donating either personal or organizational materials to collecting institutions: A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository and A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository.
The University of North Carolina holds vast archival collections, and finding aids (or guides) to the collections can be found for a large number of these in the online catalog and on the Wilson Library web site. There is also a variety of Health Affairs-related collections, and the finding aids to many of these are accessible in the Archival Collections section of the Special Collections web site. Archival collections at the Health Sciences Library include the papers of the renowned medical illustrator, Dr. Frank Netter, and the internationally recognized water and sanitation researcher, Dr. Daniel Okun.
Many other institutions around the state, country, and world have significant archival holdings. The National Library of Medicine, for example, is highlighting its archival collections concerning Health Care Accessibility and Reform this month. The Library of Congress also has extensive archival collections for which finding aids are available online, and a number of these collections contain information on women's health and their involvement in the medical professions. The Library of Congress also maintains the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections.
The National Records and Archives Administration (NARA) was established in 1934 and is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary; a photo gallery of its history as an institution is available online. Among the many millions of documents that it preserves are the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution of the United States; and the Bill of Rights. A sense of the scope of other holdings can be had from the online subject index. Although its holdings are vast, only an estimated 1-3% of government records are held by NARA, and of these records, only a fraction is available in electronic form. Agency-specific collections include, among many others: Records of the National Institutes of Health; Records of the Health Resources and Services Administration; Records of the Environmental Protection Agency; Records of the Food and Drug Administration; Records of the Public Health Service; and Records of the Indian Health Service.
The American Medical Association maintains historical archives, and information on their use is available online. Only AMA members have access to the archives, with the exception of the Historical Health Fraud Collection, which may be used by non-members on a fee-for-service basis. A descriptive summary of more than 50 collections is available for download.
In North Carolina, archives of interest include the North Carolina State Archives, Duke University Medical Center Archives, Wake Forest Medical Archives, and the History Collections at East Carolina University. The Society of North Carolina Archivists maintains a list of links to other archives in the state.
In addition, there are several other tools that can be helpful in conducting archival research, including ArchiveGrid and WorldCat, which are UNC e-resources, Repositories of Primary Sources, and the UNESCO Archives Portal, which provides access to collections around the world. The HSL Special Collections web site also features a guide to research resources.
The Society of American Archivists is currently conducting an online survey about how people use archives in the US, and welcomes responses by November 30, 2009. The SAA also has two informative guides online for those interested in learning more about donating either personal or organizational materials to collecting institutions: A Guide to Donating Your Personal or Family Papers to a Repository and A Guide to Donating Your Organizational Records to a Repository.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Health Care Reform and the White House
The White House has produced several videos on its Health Care Reform initiative, including the one above entitled, "Doctors Call for Health Reform," which features sound-bites from the White House gathering of physicians from all fifty states held on October 5, 2009. Additional information is available in the Health Care section of the The White House web site. The White House also maintains a YouTube channel with videos on a variety of topics.
Monday, October 5, 2009
New Mobile Options for UNC Libraries
Users of mobile phones, Blackberries, and similar devices now have access to UNC Library collections and services with two sites designed just for them:-- Mobile UNC Library siteThe mobile sites provide access to books, journals, research tools, and, of course, librarians in a format specially designed for on-the-go research.
-- For Blackberry and plain-text
Site features include mobile-friendly access to:
-- Library hours and contact information
-- Online catalog
-- IM and text connections to librarians
-- Research tools including the RefWorks bibliographic management program and the PubMed database from the National Library of Medicine
The Library is eager to receive feedback on the mobile sites. Contact Chad Haefele, Davis Library Reference Department, to ask questions or share suggestions.
The above post was from the UNC University Libraries blog, Library News and Events. For additional university mobile resources, see UNC Mobile, which offers its own mobile site to access such things as:
-- A searchable campus directory with quick dial and e-mail links
-- The NEXTBus bus tracking system
-- News from the main UNC page, GAA, the Medical School and OASIS
-- Events from the events.unc.edu and slice.unc.edu calendars
-- UNC's YouTube channel
-- UNC's iTunes U site (iPhone and iPod Touch only)
-- Alert Carolina with current campus status and links to emergency numbers
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Bullitt Club Lecture on Home-Visiting by Health Professionals
The Bullitt History of Medicine Club will be meeting Monday, October 19, 2009 at the UNC Health Sciences Library in the 5th Floor Conference Room (527). Please join us from 12 to 1pm for light refreshments and lecture. Meetings are free and open to the public.
Dr. Janna Dieckmann, Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing, will be speaking on "Home-Visiting by Nurses, Physicians, and Physical Therapists in North Carolina, 1950-1965."
Dr. Dieckmann received her education at the College of Wooster (BA), Case Western Reserve University (BSN), and the University of Pennsylvania (MSN and PhD). She has been on the faculty at the UNC School of Nursing since 1998, and has taught previously at La Salle University, Villanova University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Caring for the Chronically Ill: Philadelphia, 1945-1965, and in 2007 was awarded The Carolina Women’s Leadership Council Mentoring Award for Faculty-to-Faculty Mentoring at UNC. In addition, Dr. Dieckmann has extensive experience in clinical practice, particularly in community health.
For further information about the Bullitt Club, including the schedule for 2009-10 and mp3 recordings of past lectures, visit the organization's web site.
Dr. Janna Dieckmann, Clinical Associate Professor of Nursing, will be speaking on "Home-Visiting by Nurses, Physicians, and Physical Therapists in North Carolina, 1950-1965."
Dr. Dieckmann received her education at the College of Wooster (BA), Case Western Reserve University (BSN), and the University of Pennsylvania (MSN and PhD). She has been on the faculty at the UNC School of Nursing since 1998, and has taught previously at La Salle University, Villanova University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania. She is the author of Caring for the Chronically Ill: Philadelphia, 1945-1965, and in 2007 was awarded The Carolina Women’s Leadership Council Mentoring Award for Faculty-to-Faculty Mentoring at UNC. In addition, Dr. Dieckmann has extensive experience in clinical practice, particularly in community health.
For further information about the Bullitt Club, including the schedule for 2009-10 and mp3 recordings of past lectures, visit the organization's web site.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
First Amendment Day 2009
The University of North Carolina is sponsoring a number of events campus-wide on Thursday, October 1, 2009 to celebrate First Amendment Day. The Center for Media Law and Policy has prepared a web page listing all the activities that are planned, and describes the day as follows:
This campus-wide, day-long event is designed to both celebrate the First Amendment and explore its role in the lives of Carolina students. Students and others will read from banned books, sing banned music and discuss the importance of each of the rights protected by the First Amendment, the need to be tolerant when others exercise their rights and the public university's special role as a marketplace of ideas.In 2004, Congress mandated that September 17 be designated Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the anniversary of the US Constitution and that all publically funded educational institutions offer programming on the history of the Constitution. At UNC, the Law School offered a lecture on the Supreme Court case Korematsu v. United States, which involved the forced internment of Japanese citizens in relocation camps during World War II.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Banned Books Week 2009
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year, and for 2009 it runs from September 26 to October 3. Established in 1982, this annual American Library Association (ALA) event urges citizens not to take the fundamental democratic freedom of reading for granted.
First Amendment rights protect the unhindered access to information that is essential to a free society. Banned Books Week celebrates freedom of expression, for both authors and readers, and serves as a reminder that attempts at bans, restrictions, and censorship of books are ongoing. According to the American Library Association, over 500 books were challenged in 2008 alone; for further information, visit the ALA website.
Scientific, medical & health-related books are of course no exception to controversy and have also been challenged over the years, including such notable works as Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican (1632), Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection . . . (1859), Margaret Sanger's Family Limitation (1914), and more recent titles such as Our Bodies, Ourselves (1971) by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective.
First Amendment rights protect the unhindered access to information that is essential to a free society. Banned Books Week celebrates freedom of expression, for both authors and readers, and serves as a reminder that attempts at bans, restrictions, and censorship of books are ongoing. According to the American Library Association, over 500 books were challenged in 2008 alone; for further information, visit the ALA website.
Scientific, medical & health-related books are of course no exception to controversy and have also been challenged over the years, including such notable works as Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican (1632), Darwin's On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection . . . (1859), Margaret Sanger's Family Limitation (1914), and more recent titles such as Our Bodies, Ourselves (1971) by the Boston Women's Health Book Collective.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Papermaker Named MacArthur Fellow
The 2009 MacArthur Fellows were just announced, and the world of books scored another victory with the awarding of one of the twenty-four unrestricted $500,000 awards to Timothy Barrett of the University of Iowa. Tim is a master papermaker in both Eastern and Western traditions, as well as a researcher, historian, and advocate for the art and science of the book.
The founding director of the hand-papermaking facilities at Iowa, Tim also served from 1996-2002 as director of the Center for the Book at Iowa, where he is currently Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor. His Japanese Papermaking: Traditions, Tools, and Techniques is a classic text, and Tim has trained countless students over the years in hand papermaking. Tim also teaches periodically in the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, where 2005 MacArthur Fellow, Terry Belanger, recently retired as founding director.
Among Tim's many notable projects is the Charters of Freedom Re-encasement Project, in which he and collaborators produced archival paper to rehouse the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution.
As a former student of Tim's (and Dr. Belanger's), I congratulate him on his lifelong advocacy and contributions to the culture of the book!
New Exhibit at UNC Health Sciences Library
Learned in Science, Explored in Art: An Exhibit of Paintings by Wolfgang RitschelSeptember 21 to December 31, 2009
UNC Health Sciences Library
Gallery Talk & Reception: Wed., October 14, 2009, 5-6:30pm
In this collection of 35 paintings, Wolfgang Ritschel explores the world of medicine through the media of visual art. Although Ritschel had formal training in painting at a young age, he went on to pursue a successful career in pharmacology and medicine before returning to art full time. Ritschel is emeritus professor at the University of Cincinnati. The paintings are displayed on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Library.
For more information about the artist and his work, please visit the exhibit webpage. An exhibition catalog is also available online [PDF].
The travelling exhibit was organized by the University of Cincinnati Libraries.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Every Patient Tells a Story
The UNC Health Sciences Library and the Department of Social Medicine will be hosting Lisa Sanders, MD for a reading on October 7, 2009 from her new book Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis. Sanders is the NY Times Magazine "Diagnosis" columnist and technical adviser to the television show House, MD. The reading will be held from from noon-1pm in Room 2204 of the Medical Biomolecular Research Building (MBRB) on the UNC campus.In addition to the reading, a series of small groups will meet to discuss the book during September and October in the library. These discussions will be facilitated by faculty in the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, and registration is required. Visit HSL's web site to sign up.
Calling All Collectors: Good Books, Great Advice
On Sunday, September 27, 2009, Dr. Libby Chenault of the Rare Book Collection of the Wilson Special Collections Library, will be hosting a program entitled, "Calling All Collectors: Good Books, Great Advice." The event will be at 2pm in the Rare Book Collection Reading Room, and is free and open to the public.Does the thought of McGuffey Readers bring back memories that make you want to hold one again? Do you appreciate old comic books, or 21st-century graphic novels, or beautiful book bindings? Need advice about what to do with a family library you’ve inherited? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you may already be a book collector, or may wish to think about becoming one.
On Sunday, September 27, at 2 p.m., in the Wilson Special Collections Library, a free, public program, “Calling All Collectors: Good Books, Great Advice,” will explore book collecting and provide information and resources for novice and prospective collectors. Dr. Libby Chenault, interim Curator of Rare Books, will cover the topics of condition; age; caring for books; determination of value; and strategies for starting and building a collection. Examples from the Library’s collections will be on display to demonstrate condition, era, printing type, illustrations, and format.
Chenault will talk about how paper ages, how to determine whether a first edition is valuable, and even how to spot fake author signatures. There are other things to watch out for in collecting, too. “Many people can’t imagine that if a 20th-century book is missing a dust jacket, then its price may be halved,” said Chenault. Chenault points out that books can offer happier surprises, too. Sometimes they are multi-format, including features such as fore-edged paintings, the scenes painted on edges of a book’s pages and visible only when the pages are fanned–and not when the book is closed.
At the end of the program, participants will have an opportunity to discuss items brought from home (limit of one or two per person, please) with Rare Book Collection staff. The Library does not provide appraisals but can assist with advice and referrals.
Experienced collectors who wish to join with other bibliophiles are also invited to the Rare Book Collection’s advanced collecting group. Contact Dr. Chenault at (919) 962-1143 or rbcref@email.unc.edu.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Hugh Morton Collection Now Online
The Photographic Archives of the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library has recently mounted a new digital collection, the Hugh Morton Collection of Photographs and Films. At present approximately 1500 images are available online, which represents only a small fraction of the many tens of thousands in the Morton collection at UNC. A View to Hugh is an award-winning blog that has documented the processing of this collection, and the posting announcing the digital collection also solicits input from users as the project develops further. As described on the project web site:The Hugh Morton Collection of Photographs and Films (Collection P081, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, Wilson Library) documents Hugh MacRae Morton's career covering eight decades (1930s-2000s) as a prominent North Carolina businessman, political figure, tourism booster, conservationist, environmental activist, sports fan, and prolific image-maker. The still images and motion pictures in the collection cover aspects of Morton's various involvements: as a photojournalist; a soldier in the Pacific Theater during World War II; the owner and operator of the Grandfather Mountain tourist attraction in Linville, N.C.; a well-known figure in state government and friend of many North Carolina politicians, entertainers, and media personalities; an alumni, booster, and frequent sports-event attendee of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and an ardent admirer of nature and lover of travel.
The Morton digital collection is searchable by keyword and browseable by name, location, subject, and decade. Morton's lens ranged over a wide range of subjects, and although the digital collection will be greatly increasing in size as additional images are processed, there are already images in the following health-related categories under Browse by Subject:
-- Health care facilities
-- Hospitals
-- Medical aspects of war
-- Medical equipment and supplies
-- Nurses
-- Nursing homes
A finding aid to the Morton collection is also available online.
The image above is from the Morton Collection (#P081). Entitled "WW2 Medic Helps Injured Man," it was taken during Morton's WWII service with the 161st Signal Photography Corps in the Pacific Islands.
Information on other digital collections at UNC Libraries and the Health Sciences Library is available in the Digital Collections section of the HSL Special Collections web site.
The image above is from the Morton Collection (#P081). Entitled "WW2 Medic Helps Injured Man," it was taken during Morton's WWII service with the 161st Signal Photography Corps in the Pacific Islands.
Information on other digital collections at UNC Libraries and the Health Sciences Library is available in the Digital Collections section of the HSL Special Collections web site.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Bullitt Club Lecture on Dr. Frances Sage Bradley
The Bullitt History of Medicine Club will be meeting Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at the UNC Health Sciences Library in the 5th Floor Conference Room (527). Please join us from 12 to 1pm for light refreshments and lecture. Meetings are free and open to the public.Dr. Barbara Clowse, historian and author, will be speaking on "Dr. Frances Sage Bradley: Her Biographer's Dilemma."
Dr. Bradley [1862-1949] was a social activist and reformer who graduated from Cornell Medical School in 1899. For the next decades she advocated simple, cheap means to save infants and their mothers from death and increase odds that school age children would become healthy, productive adults. Writing the life story of this feisty, formidable woman presents challenges for even an experienced biographer.
Dr. Clowse received her education at Duke (AB) and UNC-Chapel Hill (MA, PhD), and was a professor at several institutions, including NC A&T, NC School of the Arts, UNC-Chapel Hill, Salem College, Guilford College, and UNC-Greensboro. She is the author of the following books: Ralph McGill: A Biography; Women, Decision Making, and the Future; Brainpower for the Cold War: The Sputnik Crisis and National Defense Education Act of 1958; and A Social Gospel For the 21st Century.
For further information about the Bullitt Club, please visit the organization's web site.
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