We have the perfect activity to help you burn off some of tomorrow’s turkey dinner! Exercise your finger muscles by helping us transcribe the Scrapbook of Early Aeronatica! Collected by William Upcott, this first volume contains correspondence, clippings, ephemera, articles and illustrations, which cover early experiments, adventures and inventions in aeronautics starting with the Montgolfier brothers.
The Smithsonian Libraries is currently recruiting for four spring internship projects. These are generally part time, unpaid positions and we are happy to work with universities to help students obtain credit. All are unique learning experiences with mentorship and guidance. They are open to grad students, recent graduates and some are open to undergrad students.
This post was written Devon Lemire, an intern in the Alberta Smithsonian Internship Program. Thanks for joining us this summer, Devon!
My name is Devon Lemire, and this summer I interned with the Libraries’ Office of Advancement for three months. I’m from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (about a six hour drive north of the border with western Montana). I just graduated with my BA Honours in History from the University of Alberta in Edmonton this past spring and this fall I will be starting a Master’s degree in History, again at the University of Alberta. After that I plan on going to Library school!
This post was written by Kevin Barnard, summer intern in Discovery Services.
Preserving the Libraries’ digital treasures is an ongoing challenge that sometimes needs an extra pair of hands to get things moving, especially when dealing with legacy digital assets.
This the third and final installment of National Museum of African Art Library volunteer Judith Schaefer’s series on David Livingstone. See Part I and Part II. “In Congo, unrelenting violence” more »
This post is the second in a three post series by National Museum of African Art Library volunteer Judy Schaffer. If you missed the first installment, posted right before our shutdown-induced hiatus, check it out here.
“. . . this trade in Hell, this open sore of the world . . .”
David Livingstone’s first book, Missionary travels and researches in South Africa, published in 1857, was a huge success, not only because of the harrowing adventures it related but because it alerted the British public to the existence of the Arab slave trade flourishing along Africa’s east coast. The book, along with Livingstone’s many lectures and letters, provoked a call for action once again, and finally, in 1873, a few weeks after Livingstone’s death, Parliament outlawed this trade, too (the West Coast trade had been outlawed in 1834). The Royal Navy sent ships to Africa to enforce the ban.
2013 marks the bicentennial of Scottish explorer David Livingstone (1813-1873). His explorations in central Africa are well known – – “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.” Less well known is his first-hand encounter with the horrors of the Arab slave trade in East Africa. Two Smithsonian Libraries – – the Warren M. Robbins Library at the National Museum of African Art and the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library at the National Museum of Natural History – – have exceptional collections on David Livingstone and 19th-century African exploration. Drawing upon our Smithsonian Libraries’ resources, volunteer Judith Schaefer recounts David Livingstone and the other slave trade.