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Category: Advancement and Development

On Book Puzzles and Hot Air Balloons

While at the Smithsonian Libraries Research Annex (SLRA) during the second week of my Smithsonian Libraries internship, I was asked to select and research texts in SLRA’s collection for the Adopt-a-Book Program. Adopt-a-Book is an opportunity for bibliophiles to “adopt” a book from one of the Smithsonian Libraries’ twenty-one branches, granting them acknowledgement through a virtual bookplate in the SIL online catalog, SIRIS. Potential donors can view the books up for adoption on the Libraries website, along with a brief history and description of each. In addition to generating revenue, Adopt-a-Book is a great way to tell and preserve the stories of physical texts; as I quickly discovered, each book has a unique, often untapped past.

The Fix: Preserving “Nimm Mich Mit!”

This blog post was written by Noah Smutz, book conservator.

Nimm Mich Mit! by Lothar Meggendorfer is a lovely early 20th century German visual dictionary filled with colorful illustrations. They include everyday objects including geometric shapes, kitchen utensils, clothing, plants, animals, people at work, and house interiors (learn more in a recent blog post ). This book is part of the Cooper-Hewitt Museum National Design Library collection in New York City.

 

Donations Reveal a Family’s History

Last year, the Dibner Library for the History of Science and Technology received four unique donations by siblings James L. Cerruti and Vera V. Magruder (nee Cerruti): James Bishop’s musical Gamut of 1766, Uri Bishop’s Military Music from the War of 1812, and Jonathan Edwards’ Treatise on Religious Affections (New York: American Tract Society) and Sermons on Various Important Subjects (Edinburgh/Boston: Gray, 1785). These items provide fascinating glimpses into early American history as well as their own family tale.

Adding flair with a graphic design internship

This post was written by Amber Collins, graphic design intern during Summer 2016.

Hi, my name is Amber. I am an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago studying Visual Art. I am most interested in analog processes of image making as well as museology, particularly the curatorial design of Marcel Duchamp and El Lissitzky. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the summer working at the Smithsonian. I interned for the Smithsonian Libraries’ Advancement Office as a Graphic Design intern. With my supervisors’ (Allie Swislocki, Anna Ogg, and Liz O’Brien) vision and guidance, I created design materials for a number of Smithsonian Libraries’ events.

Secretary Skorton Adopts Books!

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(L-R): Nancy E. Gwinn, Mary Augusta Thomas, Leslie Overstreet, Lilla Vekerdy, and Secretary Skorton.

Last February we welcomed Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton to the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library in the National Museum of Natural History. On behalf of his wife Dr. Robin Davisson and himself, the Secretary was on a mission to select books for conservation as part of the Libraries’ Adopt-a-Book Program. Lilla Vekerdy, head of special collections, and Leslie Overstreet, curator of natural history rare books, displayed special treasures dating back to the 16th century from our collection. While we may have enticed him with too many selections, the Secretary ultimately chose three books:

Consider a gift for Giving Tuesday

2016 has been a landmark year for the Smithsonian Libraries. Because of donors like you, the Libraries is able to continue in its role as the pinnacle of museum libraries, serving as a scholarly resource for Smithsonian researchers and curators and for brilliant thinkers from all around the world, as well as increasing access into our collections for learners of all ages. Some examples of what we have been able to accomplish in 2016 are: