Rachel Frick and Martin Kalfatovic at DPLA launch event.
The Smithsonian Institution recently announced that it will join with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) to provide links to a wealth of the Institution’s cultural and scientific content. The DPLA pilot project, which combines and centralizes links to the collections of participating cultural institutions, launched April 18. Continue reading
John Dick, head of gifts and exchanges at Smithsonian Libraries, recently contacted the Roman Catholic Nunciature (the representative of the Holy See in the United States) to offer Le Vatican et la basilique de Saint-Pierre de Rome – a four-volume, oversized publication on interior decoration in the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica, published in Paris in 1882. Continue reading
Grace Costantino, Program Manager for the Biodiversity Heritage Library, was awarded a National Museum of Natural History Peer Recognition award as “Social Media Maven” at the building’s ceremony on December 11. Continue reading
Dave Opkins and Bianca Crowley
The Smithsonian Institution Mentorship Program is an annual 9-month program dedicated to “developing leaders throughout the Institution” through professional development in the areas of networking, interpersonal skills, coaching, and institutional engagement. This past year, 60 participants, consisting of 30 mentors and 30 “mentees,” were selected as a result of a competitive application process. In addition to a curriculum of monthly training courses, the program provided rare opportunities for behind-the-scenes tours and meetings with notable leaders across the Institution including Secretary Clough. Mentees worked with their mentors to achieve a set of personal goals through a variety of learning opportunities, thus each experience of the program was unique. Smithsonian Libraries was proud to have 2 mentees in the 2012 Mentorship program, Bianca Crowley and Dave Opkins. Below, each will describe their experiences working with their mentors and their key takeaways. Continue reading
So have you made your New Year’s resolutions? We’ve got a suggestion that might be easier than losing 10 pounds or finally getting your life organized. Read more! To help you with this resolution, we asked Smithsonian Libraries staff for a list of books worth reading. (A few couldn’t resist making more than one recommendation!) The list includes fun reads as well as some that are more scholarly, so there should be something for just about everyone. We’ve included links to help you find the books in a local library or, in some cases, online. And feel free to share your own suggestions in the Comment field. We’d love to know what’s on your reading list!