Library Blog

by David Faulds, Rare Book Librarian, dfaulds@emory.edu

Last month I was fortunate to attend the preconference of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section  of the American Library Association where I attended a fascinating talk by Carolee Campbell, sole proprietor of Ninja Press, a fine press based in Sherman Oaks, California. The press has been in existence since 1984 producing hand-made books and broadsides. MARBL has a complete collection of books produced by the press and is in good company, as other institutions with complete collections include the British Library, the Library of Congress, Columbia University and Stanford University.

The Digital Scholarship Commons (DiSC) is pleased to announce the selection of three new projects, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, that will be the focus of our work during the 2012-2013 academic year. The projects will be closely connected with the Library, its collections at the Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library (MARBL), and its staff as a whole.

by Sara Logue, Research and Public Services Archivist, MARBL

It was around 1862 that both sides of the War Between the States began to realize it was not going to be the short, easy skirmish everyone originally hoped it would be. It was in April of that year that Union spies led by a Kentucky civilian, James Andrews, crossed into Georgia and attempted to sever the Confederate artery of the Western and Atlantic Railroad in what came to be known as "The Great Locomotive Chase."

The Writers exhibition, on display in the Schatten Gallery until November, features photographer Nancy Crampton’s pictures of authors,poets, novelists, journalists and other writers. A small selection of MARBL materials, chosen by guest curators from the Emory community,complements each photo. The materials illuminate the connections the writers have with each other and the special collections in MARBL. The guest curators were asked to write an essay explaining how their own research has been influenced by using primary source materials, and we will be featuring them here once a week. The following essay is by Richie Hofmann about Kevin Young.

MARBL is staffed by an eclectic group of people who are knowledgeable, friendly and witty lovers of special collections. Periodically, they'll introduce themselves to you here on the blog by telling you how they got into the world of manuscripts, archives and rare books, and what they love most within MARBL's collections.

by Christeene Fraser, Office Manager, MARBL

Some places find you.

As an impoverished undergraduate living in New York City in the fall of 2003, I often found myself spending hours on end in one of the few places that freely offered beauty, learning, and repose to anyone: the New York Public Library. Under the frescoed ceiling of the Rose Main Reading Room, I studied for an anticipated career in medicine and rewarded my efforts with frequent breaks to draft poems or sketch portraits of fellow patrons in my notebook. 

I had the good fortune to attend THATCamp CHNM last week and it was awesome!!!

After a day long English language nerd field trip, I arrived at THATCamp CHNM. The workshops offered were wonderful and I’m super confident about my Omeka and newly acquired Viewshare skills. I particularly enjoyed the mobile apps workshop which made something seemingly beyond my scope of learning, all the more accessible. Thanks Mike!

The Writers exhibition, on display in the Schatten Gallery until November, features photographer Nancy Crampton’s pictures of authors,poets, novelists, journalists and other writers. A small selection of MARBL materials, chosen by guest curators from the Emory community,complements each photo. The materials illuminate the connections the writers have with each other and the special collections in MARBL. The guest curators were asked to write an essay explaining how their own research has been influenced by using primary source materials, and we will be featuring them here once a week. The following essay is by Jake Adam York about Robert Lowell.