Smithsonian Libraries

Peter S. Pallas and His Curious Cats

The scientific names assigned to animals often have intriguing origins, which can be revealed by books in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries' collections. The Pallas's Cat of central Asia, for instance, is named after German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811), the first person to publish a detailed description of the animal. Although he was not fully aware that the curious creatures he had seen during his travels were a new species, Pallas's account and his accompanying illustration were definitive enough to establish the foundation for the scientific record. Pallas spent much of his life in Russia, where he conducted expeditions in search of new and unusual animals and plants. In his account, Travels through the southern provinces of the Russian Empire in the years 1793 and 1794 (originally published in German in 1799-1801), he speculated that the mysterious felines known today as the Pallas's Cat (Felis manul) were the half-wild offspring of a local nobleman's pet:

Happy Holidays!

Happy holidays in 2008!

All through 2008, the Smithsonian Libraries has been celebrating the 40th (Ruby) anniversary of the year (1968) that Smithsonian Secretary S. Dillon Ripley created the Smithsonian Institution Libraries as a separate unit with a central administration and Director. We had a party for our Smithsonian friends and colleagues in April, and Acting Secretary Cristián Samper gave us $40,000 for acquisitions, a dollar for every year.  We held a symposium about 18th century naturalist Mark Catesby with the Washington premier of the film “The Curious Mr. Catesby,” which you may see on your local PBS station in the coming year. 

With Smithsonian colleagues, we sponsored a speaker series that brought thinkers and experts from outside the Institution to talk about their views of the future of libraries, archives, and museums. We engaged a consultant to lead us through a strategic planning process that will start us off well for our next 40 years! 

On October 30, we hosted our Ruby Anniversary Gala, “Paint the Town REaD!” to raise funds to support our art libraries.  And we opened two exhibitions: Picturing Words:The Power of Book Illustration in the just re-opened National Museum of American History, and The Art of African Exploration in the National Museum of Natural History. Whew!

It has been a busy time, but now we will all stop and reflect on the needs of others and the joys of the holiday season.  We wish everyone well for the coming year.

Nancy Gwinn

Clay Shirky Lecture Postponed

Today's scheduled lecture by Clay Shirky in NMNH's Kerby Room will be postponed due to a family emergency. We apologize for the inconvenience and will announce a new date and time shortly.

The Art of African Exploration

In the town of Ujiji in what is now Tanzania, Henry Morton Stanley, sent by a New York newspaper to track down the missing Dr. David Livingstone, finally found the man on this day, November 10, in 1871. Many had believed the ailing missionary and explorer to be dead. 

Their meeting has become legendary - even in its day it was the focus of media attention.  African exploration was a hot topic in the Victorian era in both the U.S. and Britain, capitivating the public's imagination with tales of adventure and discovery and paving the way for the West's colonialist claims on the continent. 

In a forthcoming SI Libraries exhibition, set to open December 9th at the National Museum of Natural History, African exploration is examined using an array of visual materials that emerged from that critical and complex time.  All but a few of the items on display come from the Russell E. Train Africana Collection (kept in the Cullman Library), a collection rich in illustrated and original materials.  Included in the exhibit are collectibles and ephemera, lantern slides (like the one shown above), early guide books, scientific illustrations, travel narratives, and actual explorer's sketches and journals, spanning from 18th century accounts of voyages to original field sketches from the early 1900s. 

We hope you'll come out next month to see some of these uncommon and intriguing items.

 

Clay Shirky to speak in Future of Libraries, Museums and Archives series

Clay Shirky

Finding Content as a Social Problem

~POSTPONED~

The lecture has been postponed.  Please check back for new date and time!
this lecture will also be recorded and the video available a few days later at the following URL:
http://www.sil.si.edu/lectures_40th_Shirky.html

Clay Shirky is an adjunct professor in New York University's graduate Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP), where he teaches courses on the interrelated effects of social and technological network topology -- how our networks shape culture and vice-versa.  Mr. Shirky divides his time between consulting, teaching, and writing on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies. His consulting practice is focused on the rise of technologies such as peer-to-peer, web services, and wireless networks that provide alternatives to the wired client/server infrastructure that characterizes the Web. Mr. Shirky has written extensively about the internet since 1996, and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Harvard Business Review, Wired, Release 1.0, Computerworld, and IEEE Computer.  His latest book is Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations.

On the occasion of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ 40th anniversary, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL), Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) present another in a series of speakers to address the Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world.

R. David Lankes to speak in Future of Libraries, Museums and Archives series

R. David Lankes

Not Done Yet: Charting a New Course for Librarianship

November 3, 2008

10:00-Noon, Ripley Center, Lecture Hall, Room 3027

~~the lecture will also be webcast live ~~

http://www.sil.si.edu/lectures_40th_Lankes.html

R. David Lankes is currently Director of the Information Institute of Syracuse and an associate professor in Syracuse University's School of Information Studies.  He has spoken and written widely about bridging the gap between the theory of library science and the practice of users through his concept of "participatory librarianship."  Lankes is a passionate advocate for libraries and their essential role in today's society.  He has served on advisory boards and study teams in the fields of libraries, telecommunications, education, and transportation including at the National Academies.  He has been appointed as a visiting fellow at the National Library of Canada, the Harvard School of Education and the first fellow of ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy.

On the occasion of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ 40th anniversary, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL), Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) present another in a series of speakers to address the Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world.

Roy Tennant to speak in Future of Libraries, Museums and Archives series

Roy Tennant

Libraries in a Networked World

October 23, 2008

10:00-Noon, Ripley Center, Lecture Hall, Room 3027

~~the lecture will also be webcast live ~~

http://www.sil.si.edu/lectures_40th_Tennant.html

Roy Tennant is an internationally known speaker and writer on library and information technology issues.  He is currently Senior Program Officer for OCLC Programs and Research where he provides expertise and advice on scholarly expectations and research information needs of OCLC institutions to maximize their impact and effectiveness for their respective institutions.  While working for the California Digital Library, Roy was instrumental in the development and deployment of the eScholarship Repository and the eScholarship Editions publishing services.  Roy's recent book, Technology in Libraries: Essays in Honor of Anne Grodzins Lipow, is the latest of several of his publications on digital library technologies and management.

On the occasion of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ 40th anniversary, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL), Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) present another in a series of speakers to address the Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world.

SIL Joins LibraryThing

The Smithsonian Institution Libraries is pleased to announce its participation in Library Thing. This free online service was originally created to help people catalog their own books more easily and has become a great way to link readers to books, interests and each other.

Combining the best of a commercial bookseller’s website and a typical library catalog, Library Thing takes book browsing to another level. It’s a fun and useful tool to work alongside the SIRIS catalog, not replace it, and connects users to the people and books that have helped build SIL. Users can now explore the personal library of James Smithson or the “Heralds of Science” collection of Bern Dibner on Library Thing. Smithson and Dibner join the likes of Leonardo daVinci, Charles Darwin and Benjamin Franklin in the “Legacy Libraries” section which contains inventories of the book collections of notable figures.

Researchers can also utilize Library Thing by selecting records from SIRIS (one of 690 catalogs already integrated) to create personalized bibliographies or book lists. Users can make recommendations, create reviews or organize titles by creating their own tags. Because of the social aspect of Library Thing, patrons can connect with other users, find those with similar research interests and take a look at what their colleagues have collected.

James Smithson’s library on LibraryThing.com:
http://www.librarything.com/profile.php?view=JamesSmithson

Bern Dibner’s “Herald of Science” collection on LibraryThing.com:
http://www.librarything.com/profile.php?view=HeraldsOfScience

Levi Hill's Treatise on Heliochromy

As film photography becomes more and more a thing of the past, the pioneering works that examined what could be achieved with chemicals, paper, glass and light become more important and valuable.  Michelle Delaney, associate curator of the Photographic History Collection at the National Museum of American History (NMAH), has been working with several others, including staff at the Getty Conservation Institute, to examine a little-studied and long-disputed process some believe to be the earliest example of color photography. Focusing on a collection of Levi Hill's own "Hillotypes" (a kind of daguerreotype) at NMAH, their collaboration has uncovered some intriguing facts about Hill's process, and answered many of the unknowns.  You can read more about the project here and here.

Delaney alerted us to the sale of Hill's Treatise on Heliochromy, and describes the book as "a truly significant book in the history of photography."  It provides an important complement to their current research and to the Smithsonian's collection of rare Hillotypes, and we are happy to now have it in the Dibner Library's collection.

President Bush and Our Oceans -- Up Close

Tomorrow is the opening of the new Sant Ocean Hall in the National Museum of Natural History, and today I had the privilege of being in the Baird Auditorium to hear remarks from President Bush concerning his administration's efforts to protect our oceans.  Regardless of party affiliation, it is exciting to be in the vicinity of the President, as the Secret Service operates the security measures needed to keep our leaders safe.  The central core of the museum was closed to staff and public until 11am today when the visit concluded.  We waited in the auditorium while the President toured the new exhibition and learned about what Smithsonian scientists are doing to learn about our oceans to underpin protection efforts.  Touring with him were our new Secretary Clough, Chairman of the Board of Regents Roger Sant (for whom the exhibition gallery is named), Natural History Museum Director Cristian Samper, and other dignitaries.

President Bush said "oceans are important as an economic lifeline" and spoke of the 88-point "Ocean Action Plan" that has guided the work of the White House in restoring diminished fish stocks, protecting coral reefs, expanding ocean research and educational programs, expanding the Monterey Sea Sanctuary in California and protecting whales in shipping lanes.  It was a brief presentation, but it brought attention to the new Sant Ocean Hall, which will do much to enlighten the public about the importance of oceans in our lives.

Algonquin Indian Primer

Western Abenaki is an almost extinct form of the Algonquin language indigenous to Quebec on the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Quebec City.
 
This book is a purchase from the Frank T. Siebert sale.  Siebert was a pathologist and scholar of Penobscot Indian linguistics.  He amassed one of the largest and most complete collections of books on North American Indian linguistics ever known.  His collection was dispersed at auction by Sotheby’s in 1999 after his death in 1998.

Native American Indian linguistics is a subject that Smithsonian Institution Libraries is committed to collecting.  Catalog records for other Indian readers our collection can be found in SIRIS, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System catalog.

Edward Donovan’s Insects of Australia

Edward Donovan (1768-1837) was a British naturalist and natural history painter, who founded the London Museum and Institute of Natural History largely from his own collections. 

His work on New Holland, New Zealand, and New Guinea is the first systematic and illustrated survey of the insects of Australia based on the collections gathered during the famous first voyage of Captain James Cook throughout the Pacific between 1768 and 1771.  Significantly, a copy of this work was used by scientists as a reference during the United States Exploring Expedition from 1838-1842.

The Cullman Library collects natural history narratives of scientific voyages, and holds the complete works of the three voyages of Captain Cook, as well as the complete works of the United States Exploring Expedition (in both print and digital formats).

More information on these books can be found in SIRIS, the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System catalog.

Learn the Art of Hanji Papermaking with the Smithsonian

Art and Science of Hanji:
  Past and Future of a Papermaking Tradition
  from Jeonju, Korea

Friday, October 3, 2008 6:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
  at the
  Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
  Ring Auditorium
  Independence Avenue at Seventh Street, SW
  Washington, DC

Hanji papermaking, an ancient technique which utilizes the bark of the Korean   mulberry tree, is still employed today to create beautiful textured paper art   and sculpture. We invite you to join the Smithsonian’s Libraries, Asian Cultural History Program and Office of Policy and Analysis to learn more about   this process, its use and conservation. Our speakers will be Paul Michael Taylor, Director of the Asian Cultural History at the Smithsonian, and Hajin Song, Mayor of Jeonju City, Korea.

This program is also sponsored by Office of the Mayor, Jeonju City, Korea and   KI Creative Group and is being held in conjunction with the opening of the new   Hanji Exhibition at KORUS House, 2370 Massachusetts Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20008.

-ECR

Outreach with the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Their museum may not be open yet, but the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is already reaching out to a national community by holding events such as their "Save Our African American Treasures: A National Collections Initiative" in cities around the US.  The program is a series of one-day events designed to encourage individuals and families to identify, protect and preserve  "family treasures" for future generations.

Saturday, September 13th, was the third event in the series, and was held at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, DC.  It was a full day of classroom presentations on preserving clothing, textiles, photographs, and paper, and also establishing provenance.  There were a number of conservators and curators on hand in the "Hometown Treasures" room for one-on-one review sessions with participants who had brought in up to three items from their personal collections.  Participants brought in all kinds of treasures, including photographs, portraits, letters, bibles, and quilts and met with reviewers for advice on proper care and handling of artifacts or help with identifying exactly what they had.

Eliza Gilligan, a Book Conservator at the Smithsonian Libraries, volunteered at the event in the Hometown Treasures room.  It was a great day of looking at remarkable treasures, including a letter from Toronto, dated April 20, 1865, describing the city's reaction to the news of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  Many of the items that people brought in for review were in very good condition, showing the value and consideration people have placed in their family history. 

James Neal Talks at the Smithsonian

On September 8, Jim Neal, Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian at Columbia University, gave a presentation at the Smithsonian Institution titled We Can't Get There From Here: The Intersection of Research Library Aspirations and Copyright Challenges. Jim reminded us that libraries, museums and archives are living in times of revolutionary changes in user expectations, personal computing, digital preservation, open source, open content, push technology, and a huge shift to mobile technology.  Libraries, museums and archives are facing changing roles as Research and Development organizations, publishers, educators, entrepreneurs and policy makers as we incorporate Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 into our services.

James Neal Lecture
Originally uploaded by Smithsonian Libraries

Library Web 2.0 embraces rapid technology development and deployment, perpetual assessment, boundary erosion, and supports the needs of BIG science (massive unstructured data curation, collaboration, extraction, distribution, and simulation). Jim also said these are times for organizational risk taking and new organizational models, and a time to rethink library space planning and identity. As a result we are all feeling anxious, disrupted, and chaotic.

Jim thinks print serials will be a thing of the past within 5 (maybe 10) years and that electronic serials will be the norm.

The last part of Jim's talk dealt with copyright issues, fair use, reproduction rights, ownership, orphan works, open access to government-funded research, and Section 108 Study Group that has dealt with the promotion of fair use in the digital environment, and has tried to foster a competitive and supportive market for scholarly communication and creative work. The Section 108 Study Group began meeting in the spring of 2005 under the sponsorship of the Library of Congress National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program U.S. Copyright Office and looked at how fair use may need to be amended under the impact of digital technologies. The group had representatives from libraries, museums and archives as well as from the music and film industry and university presses and electronic publishers. After three years of meetings, there were areas of agreement and areas where the group could not agree. Jim said to expect more legislative proposals, congressional hearings and a new round of roundtables and public comment. He concluded with “Fair use is not civil disobedience.”

North American Indian Photograpy of Edward Curtis now on Flickr!

Wedding party - Qagyuhl
Originally uploaded by Smithsonian Institution

Check out SIL’s newest contribution to the Smithsonian Commons on Flickr, the Native American Indian Photography of Edward Curtis:

http://flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/sets/72157607176299398/

For more information about the work of Edward Curtis, visit our online exhibit here:
http://www.sil.si.edu/Exhibitions/Curtis/index.htm

National Postal Museum Library Open House

The National Postal Museum Library is hosting an OPEN HOUSE on Friday, September 26th from 10:00 AM until 4:30 PM. The open house coincides with the Winton M. Blount Postal History Symposium, entitled, "When the mail goes to war". Visit the Library, take a tour, and see our fascinating collections of philatelic and postal history items.

David Weinberger to speak in Future of Libraries, Museums and Archives series

David Weinberger

The End of Information

September 16, 2008

2:00pm-4:00pm, Ripley Center, Room 3111

~~the lecture will also be webcast live ~~

http://www.sil.si.edu/lectures_40th_Weinberger.html
 

David Weinberger is currently a fellow at the Berkman Institute on Internet and Society at Harvard Law School.  In 1999, he co-authored The Cluetrain Manifesto, a set of 95 theses examining the impact of the internet on markets and organizations. His latest book is Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder.

Mr. Weinberger’s current interests include:

• We are changing the basic principles by which we organize our world. What effect will that have on our institutions and on our way of understanding ourselves and the world we share?
• What policies and laws will enable the Internet to thrive as an open platform for ideas, innovation and connection?

On the occasion of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ 40^th anniversary, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries (SIL), Smithsonian Institution Archives (SIA) and the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) present another in a series of speakers to address the Institution on the future of libraries, museums and archives in a digital world.

James Neal to speak in Future of Libraries, Museums and Archives series

James Neal

We Can't Get There From Here: The Intersection of Research Library Aspirations and Copyright Challenges.

September 8, 2008

2:00-4:00, Ripley Center, Room 3111

~~The lecture will also be webcast live at~~

http://www.sil.si.edu/lectures_40th_Neal.html

 

James Neal is currently the Vice President for Information Services and University Librarian at Columbia University.  His responsibilities include the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL), the Center for Digital Research and Scholarship, the Copyright Advisory Office, and the Center for Human Rights Documentation and Research.

Jim Neal has served as the Dean of University Libraries at Indiana University and Johns Hopkins University, as well as on the Council and Executive Board of the American Library Association.  He is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, and is a consultant and published author, with a focus in the areas of scholarly communication, intellectual property, digital library programs, organizational change and human resource development. 

New Smithsonian Publications added to BHL

bulletinunitedst361889unit_0001
Originally uploaded by Smithsonian Libraries

As part of its participation in the Biodiversity Heritage Library, the Smithsonian Institution Libraries has recently digitized most of the series Bulletin of the United States National Museum (1875-1971) and the Proceedings of the United States National Museum (1878-1968). Both titles are museum-oriented publications that document important research at the Smithsonian, including reports on expeditions, catalogs of the collections and descriptions of new species.

The volumes come from SIL’s Smithsoniana collection, housed in the Museum Studies and Reference Library, and were scanned at the FedScan scanning center at the Library of Congress. Although the goal is to digitize both series in their entirety, you may notice a few missing issues. The scanning process was often complicated by the publications’ unexpected features like fold out maps. Check back as SIL solves these digitization conundrums and adds new volumes!

Click here to view the available Bulletins.
Click here to view the available Proceedings.

-ECR