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Category: Education and Outreach

Harrison Dyar: Personal meets Professional

Erin Rushing
May 20, 2016
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Harrison G. Dyar, Jr., third from right, with Entomology staff of the U.S. National Museum in 1905. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives.

From May 13-20th, the Smithsonian Libraries is participating in the #DigIntoDyar campaign – encouraging the public to transcribe the field books of this remarkable entomologist in the Smithsonian Transcription Center and to learn more about his life and work. This post was written by Marc Epstein, Research Associate at the National Museum of Natural History and author of Moths, Myths and Mosquitos:The Eccentric Life of Harrison G. Dyar, Jr.. You can read Marc’s first post about Dyar here and second here.

Harrison Dyar’s scientific legacy has been overshadowed because he dug extensive underground labyrinths and because of his known bigamy (both explored in-depth in this Washington Post series).  His family wealth allowed him to either work gratis or for a pittance at the Smithsonian from 1897-1929.

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Harrison Dyar: Lepidoptera and Blue Books

Erin Rushing
May 16, 2016
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figure 5From May 13-20th, the Smithsonian Libraries is participating in the #DigIntoDyar campaign – encouraging the public to transcribe the field books of this remarkable entomologist in the Smithsonian Transcription Center and to learn more about his life and work. This post was written by Marc Epstein, Research Associate at the National Museum of Natural History and author of Moths, Myths and Mosquitos:The Eccentric Life of Harrison G. Dyar, Jr.. On May 17th, you can learn more about Harrison Dyar with our Google Hangout with Marc or in person during his Smithsonian Associates lecture.

 

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University of Kentucky Alternative Spring Break at the Smithsonian Libraries

Erin Rushing
March 23, 2016
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Cat and Bailey at their workstations
Me and fellow intern, Bailey Schrupp, at our workstations.

This post was written by Cat Staley, a MLIS student in the University of Kentucky’s School of Library and Information Science program. Interested in exploring an internship of your own? Applications are still open for Summer 2016 projects!

Over spring break, I and four other University of Kentucky School of Library and Information Science graduate students interned at the Smithsonian Libraries in Washington, DC. With our supervisors’ guidance, my classmates and I worked on projects in Advancement, the Biodiversity Heritage Library, Artists Files, Scholarly Communications, and Social Media. Megan Lucy, who spent time in Scholarly Communications, summed up our experience well when she said, “I valued being exposed to so many different aspects of librarianship in such a short time” — which is true because we accomplished a lot in one week!

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“Explore the Four” for Museum Day Live! 2016

Erin Rushing
March 8, 2016
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Join the Smithsonian Libraries and the wider Smithsonian community as we explore careers in museums, libraries and research through Museum Day Live! 2016. Special events and opportunities will be held throughout the Smithsonian on March 12, 2016, as well as nation-wide through participating institutions. According to the Museum Day Live! website, “held during Women’s History Month, this “special edition” of  “Museum Day Live!” will encourage all people, and particularly women and girls of color, to explore their nation’s museums, cultural institutions, zoos, aquariums, parks and libraries—which will offer free admission for the day.”

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Join us for “Indoor Recess”!

Liz O'Brien
March 4, 2016
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Participants get crafty with “Indoor Recess”.

On February 5th, the Smithsonian Libraries presented its first Indoor Recess, a creative lunchtime getaway geared toward museum professionals and educators. Led by Sara Cardello, the Libraries’ education specialist, the monthly Recess events seek to fuse libraries and art. Participants are invited to bring their lunch, listen to a fun story by a museum professional, and make a themed craft. The next Indoor Recess is happening today at noon!

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