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Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

Join us for a day of Catesby!

Liz O'Brien
November 2, 2012
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Join us for a day of Catesby!Magnolia from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands

Magnolia from The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama IslandsThe Smithsonian Libraries, in conjunction with the National Museum of Natural History, will host a series of lectures on both Mark Catesby’s art and science for the Catesby Commemorative Trust on Tuesday, November 6. This gathering celebrates the 300th anniversary of Englishman Catesby’s arrival in North America. The visit to the Smithsonian is part of a six-day, three-city symposium that will include lectures by more than 20 presenters from various disciplines including art, wildlife, natural history, conservation and economics.

The English naturalist published The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands in three volumes from 1729 to 1747, making it the first published account of the flora and fauna of the New World. The Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Rare Book Library contains a first edition copy of The Natural History, which will be displayed after the symposium. This work, along with others by Catesby, can also be seen online at the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

This event is FREE and open to the public! 

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Not for the faint of heart: De humani corporis fabrica

Erin Rushing
October 31, 2012
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Today, Halloween, is traditionally marked with bats, pumpkins, ghosts and of course, skeletons. In the 1500’s, one man changed the way the medical world saw the skeletal and muscular systems of the human body. That man, Andreas Vesalius, illustrated anatomical features in his De humani corporis fabrica (On the structure of the human body) in a way never before seen. Although the pages below may seem gruesome (fair warning, gentle readers!), they come from one of the most influential anatomy books of all time.

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Smithsonian Libraries Unveils “Fascinating-Endangered RHINO”

Liz O'Brien
October 29, 2012
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Dürer’s rhino, from Historia Animalium

Earth’s biodiversity is under constant threat as loss of habitat leads to the extinction of species. Thousands of species—plants and animals—are disappearing every year, and one of the most endangered is the rhinoceros. The Smithsonian Institution takes part in a global effort dedicated to the survival of endangered species and their habitats, and through its collections and staff, the Smithsonian Libraries participates in this work by supporting and enhancing research in wildlife conservation biology. It has opened the exhibition “Fascinating-Endangered RHINO,” which will be on display from September through April 30, 2013, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

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Welcome Intern Emily Somach!

Erin Rushing
October 26, 2012
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Intern Emily Somach

My name is Emily Somach and I am a new intern at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. I am originally from the North Shore of Massachusetts but have been living in the Maryland/DC area since February. I graduated from Northwestern University in 2010 with a B.A. in English Literature and will soon be applying to the MLS program at University of Maryland. My internship here at the Smithsonian centers on the archival arrangement of files from the Institution’s Forum on Material Culture, and I will be working under the supervision of Mary Augusta Thomas. I also plan to help resurrect the forum’s newsletter and assist in its writing, editing, and production.

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Editing Wikipedia: Better with friends, and best with librarians!

Sara Snyder
October 24, 2012
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Smithsonian WLL 2012 Barnstar
SIL’s WLL Barnstar

This post was written by guest author Sara Snyder, Webmaster at the Archives of American Art.

Have you ever tried to write or edit a Wikipedia article? It can be really a fun and rewarding experience, especially for library, archives, or museum professionals, since we are often passionately dedicated to sharing knowledge. If you have tried it, then you already know that it is not easy for newcomers to just jump in and start editing. The design of the wiki interface can be intimidating, and the norms and rules of the Wikipedia online community can be mystifying. New editors often have their work changed or reverted, which frustrates them.

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Web Analytics and Us: A report from the LITA National Forum

Joel Richard
October 22, 2012
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Zeiss’ New Microscopes No. III , 1906 circular

In my role as web developer at the Smithsonian Libraries, I recently attended the LITA National Forum in Columbus, OH. At the conference, I participated in an 8-hour pre-conference session on website analytics and how to use them to understand and improve the usability of a website. Since this is Open Access Week, I thought a summary of this session might be interesting to share.

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