Ever wonder what librarians wish for the holidays? Do visions of bookcarts dance in our heads on Christmas Eve? Well, not quite. We polled our staff to see what the ultimate gift would be for their offices and collections and here’s what they said.
Tag: Holidays
With holiday parties and visiting relatives, December can be hectic and nerve-wracking for all. The Smithsonian Libraries comes to the rescue with a stockpile of works to help you navigate the muddy waters of social and familial obligations! As part of the Cultural Heritage Library, the Smithsonian Libraries has digitized at least nine etiquette books from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. These precursors to Emily Post, the grande dame of American etiquette who first published in 1922, give us a glimpse at the social expectations of the time and may put some of your modern day conundrums in to perspective.
This post was written by Chris Cottrill, head of the National Air and Space Museum Library.
November 11, 2013. Today is Veteran’s Day and a federal holiday.
For some of us that can mean a chance to sleep-in, run some errands, or have an extended weekend away. But it’s also the one day we should recall those we know or knew that put on the uniform (enlisted or draftee) and served their country during times of peace or conflict. The Smithsonian Libraries would like to thank those staff members who put on the uniform and served.
Memorial Day is not only the official start of the summer season. It was originally called Decoration Day, with origins dating to Confederate women decorating the graves of their fallen loved ones. It is still a day to remember all the people who have died serving this country.
Sure to be the life of any party, Miss Valentine models the latest in crepe paper fashions, ca. 1917.
142 Years Ago … New York’s Harper’s Weekly published on January 2, 1869 with the salutation, “A Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”
Hopefully as everyone recovers from yesterday’s glut of food and presents some real boxing matches will not develop. Happy Boxing Day!