Primary Sourcery

The University of Minnesota Libraries and the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest cordially invite you to attend a reception on May 16, 4:30 p.m., to meet and welcome Katherine Dietrick, the new archivist for the Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives at the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Members of the Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest, and community members, are also invited to the 29th annual meeting of the JHSUM, which begins at 3 p.m. in Andersen Library. (See http://www.jhsum.org/ for list of candidates.) A tour of the Archives and Special Collections department underground storage facility in the caverns beneath Andersen Library will take place at 3:45 p.m. followed by the reception at 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 16, 2013
Elmer L. Andersen Library
University of Minnesota
222 21st Ave. S., Minneapolis
3:00 p.m.: JHSUM Annual Meeting
3:45 p.m.: Cavern Tour
4:30 p.m.: Welcome and Reception for Katherine Dietrick

Reserve your spot in one or more of these activities

Parking and directions

Continue reading "Reception to Welcome Katherine Dietrick " »

Posted by lvecoli at 2:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For more University of Minnesota Libraries events, please visit our website.

Posted by lvecoli at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For more University of Minnesota Libraries events, please visit our website.

Posted by lvecoli at 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the words of my colleague Lisa Vecoli, you know the lesson is off to a scary start when there is mention of the dead man's switch. There are reasons I chose to be an archivist and not a police officer, and discussion of a dead man's anything is very much one of those reasons.

Thus began two afternoons of training in order to drive one of the stock pickers that roam the caverns of Elmer L. Andersen Library. Underneath the Andersen Library, carved 82 feet down into the bluffs of the Mississippi River, are two caverns where the Department of Archives and Special Collections as well as the Minnesota Library Access Center store their treasures of books and archives. Each of the two caverns measures 680 feet long, 65 feet wide, and 23 feet high. It is because of that 23 feet of height that Lisa and I were attending training--because even with a ladder those highest shelves remain unreachable without the aid of a stock picker.

The two stock pickers in the caverns (aptly nicknamed Isis and Osiris after the ancient Egyptian mythological gods of the underworld) operate as fork lifts with a table attached to the forks, allowing for archives boxes to be placed upon retrieval. The dead man's switch, as we learned from our instructor Tim McCluske who works with MINITEX, is a foot pedal that acts as a fail-safe, bringing the machine to an abrupt stop should an emergency arise. The stock picker weighs nearly three times more than a car and proved to be powerful and intimidating. Having just moved to Minnesota from New York City, I have spent the past five years not driving a car let alone heavy machinery, and now here I was standing in the carriage of a massive machine attempting to learn the sharp pivot point so as not to run into shelving or walls.

Continue reading "Deadman's Switch" »

Posted by lvecoli at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Behind the Scenes: Twin Cities Performing Arts and 50 Years of the Guthrie Theater," April 1-June 28, 2013, presented by the Performing Arts Archives at Elmer L. Andersen Library.

Come for a behind-the-scenes look at the Guthrie Theater, James Sewell Ballet, Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minnesota Dance Theatre, Minnesota Orchestra, and many, many more!

We find magic on our stages, and that magic comes from many sources, at once sublime and profoundly human. The work that goes into every production we see is a prelude to the thrill of theater, dance, and orchestra performances. Indeed, as much energy goes into hiding the gears, logistics, and stagehands that make the performing arts appear utterly complete and seamless as in showing audiences a well-set world, wondrously brought to life by actors, dancers, and musicians.

There are great pleasures to be found in peeking behind the curtain, into the rehearsal studios, costume and prop shops, offices, and boardrooms that make opening night, and every night following, possible. It is there we find the genesis of an idea--for a theater that will change Minnesota, or a groundbreaking ballet company, or a revolutionary version of a well-known story--transformed through personalities, budgets, missions, director's notes, nightly performance reports, and beautiful costume renderings.

Continue reading "New Exhibit Takes You Behind The Scenes" »

Posted by lvecoli at 5:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Please come for a free lecture from the Upper Midwest Literary Archives!

Guest Scholar Talk by Dr. Philip Coleman, Trinity College, Dublin Ireland

"John Berryman: Scholarship and Poetry"

Thursday, April 25, 2013 at noon.
120 Andersen Library
Free and open to the public.

You may review the contents of the John Berryman Papers at the archive by viewing the finding aid.

Cecily Marcus, Curator, Upper Midwest Literary Archives

Posted by lvecoli at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One of the most satisfying parts of visiting the Children's Literature Research Collections is to be able to peek behind the scenes. To see how art is developed for a picture book or the process of revising a manuscript. One of our favorite creators of books for young adults is Raina Telgemeier. We are linking to Raina's blogpost as she shows us how she created the art for her award winning YA (Young Adult) graphic novel, Drama.

Lisa Von Drasek, Children's Literature Research Collections

Posted by lvecoli at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Life is best when simple things bring us pleasure. And last week I had a wonderful day, topped off by my getting a new cart.

There were a number of things I failed to anticipate when I started working at the archives. I had not been aware of how many boxes we have to move. Or of how heavy they would be. For example, next week I am getting a shipment of newspapers from California - 350 pounds worth. They will be mine to unpack, process and shelve. I had not connected "Assistant Librarian" with "weight lifter." Now I know.

I also had not imagined the fixation I would develop with carts. The ones at Andersen Library may have one, two or three shelves. They come in a rainbow of colors - red, black, grey or tan. The worst are the tall skinny blue ones that carry only three boxes and tend to tip over crossing the threshold of the elevator. For serious jobs, we even have yellow plywood carts that hold 12 boxes at a time. The newest ones are some combination of orange and salmon which, sadly, is just as ugly as it sounds. I have become quite the student of carts. I confess I have gone so far as to ogle the carts of my colleagues in the elevator.

The one constant is that there are never enough carts. You often need one for each researcher and others for projects underway. I would like a dozen carts, but for now I have access to: 2 blue carts; 2 grey cars; and one deluxe three shelf red cart. The red one is new to me and my prize possession. All four wheels spin. It is well balanced, low to the ground, stable and holds 9 boxes. I thought I was in love with it. Until last week.

Continue reading "The Happiness of Simple Things" »

Posted by lvecoli at 4:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University of Minnesota Libraries has hired archivist Katherine Dietrick to oversee the Nathan and Theresa Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives (UMJA). Dietrick most recently was an assistant archivist at the Whitney Museum of American Art and an archivist at the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in New York City.

"I am thrilled to join the team at the Andersen Library, especially at such an exciting time for the UMJA. " said Ms. Dietrick. "Now that the remaining portions of the collection have been transferred, reuniting all of the materials in one place, the strength of the collection is even more evident. I look forward to promoting the collection, both within the University and to the community at large, shining a light on the dynamic materials."

The Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest completed the transfer of all of its historical documents to the University of Minnesota Libraries in 2012, creating a major research collection on Jewish history, communities, religion, and culture in the Upper Midwest.

Continue reading "Berman Upper Midwest Jewish Archives welcomes new archivist" »

Posted by lvecoli at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The University Libraries are featured in the winter edition of Legacy magazine. Legacy is published four times a year by the University of Minnesota Foundation to give Presidents Club members and other donors and friends an update on how private giving fuels discovery at the University.

Focusing on the University Libraries Archives and Special Collections, the centerfold photo highlights some of the ways supporters have added vitality to the collections with contributions of materials and financial support. The online version has interactive features and video clips with information on the Kerlan Collection, the Sherlock Holmes Collection, the Robert Bly Collection, First Fridays, digitizing the collections and more.

Posted by lvecoli at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Justice Barry Anderson of the Minnesota Supreme Court generously donated his collection of Tom Swift Jr. books to the Children's Literature Research Collections. A University of Minnesota Law School Alum, Justice Anderson stated that he couldn't think of a better place to care for his childhood passion. His collection will join the original Tom Swifts from the early 1900s in the Hess Collection.

Lisa Von Drasek, Children's Literature Research Collection

Posted by lvecoli at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dear Sir,

Could you tell me if there is a Coventry Street in Minneapolis. It sounds most unlikely but I am bound to inquire as it affects an experiment in psychic Research. The name & address of Philip Jackson, architect, at that address was the reference. Probably it is an error. I could not think of anyone else to whom to apply. Pray excuse me.

Yours faithfully, A. Conan Doyle

The short letter quoted above, dated September 14, 1923, came to my attention in late February. A Sherlockian collector on the East coast--and a Friend of our Sherlock Holmes Collections--alerted us to its existence and the fact that it was being auctioned on ebay. A link to the item was provided by our collector-friend and so I looked at the description and images on the ebay site. Along with the letter was the original envelope, addressed to "The Chief Librarian, Public Library, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA." The reactions of a couple of our local Friends of the Holmes Collections were unanimous--we had to have this item for the Library. And so began "The Adventure of the ebay Auction."

My initial reaction was the same. Doyle's letter, with its local connection to Minneapolis, was too good to pass up. But I had no idea about proper library procedure in acquiring items through online auctions. I knew that we could--and do--purchase items through traditional auctions. But online auctions are slightly different animals. After conferring with colleagues in the acquisitions department it was determined that the best approach was for me to purchase the item and then seek reimbursement for my expenses.

Continue reading "The Adventure of the ebay Auction" »

Posted by lvecoli at 1:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Givens Collection of African American Literature celebrates Black History Month with "Bibliophilia: Collecting Black Books," now on display at the Hennepin County Government Center until the end of February. Listen to Curator Cecily Marcus and exhibit Co-Curator Davu Seru discuss the Givens Collection and the exhibit on Cities97.

Click here to see a slide show of the exhibit or get more information on the Hennepin County Gallery, including location, hours and a map.

Cecily Marcus, Curator of the Givens Collection in African American Literature

Posted by lvecoli at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On January 6, 1928, former President William Watts Folwell appeared before the Board of Regents and shared a piece of correspondence he had written to then President Lotus Coffman dated December 31, 1927.

Folwell wrote:

I beg leave to suggest for your consideration the establishment of University Archives. I have lately had occasion to turn over early minutes of the Board of Regents, and have noted mention of reports and other documents "placed on file" but have not discovered any office or place of filing. Some of them may have been utterly lost.

I do not need to impress on you the importance of collecting documents which have gone into history and all publications in all branches of the University... so that they may be found as easily as books in the library.

Continue reading "Happy 85th Anniversary, University Archives!" »

Posted by lvecoli at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)