Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

Smithsonian Libraries Staff Assist with Growth of the Digital Public Library of America

October 19, 2012

Image of exterior, Chicago Public Library — Impressive exterior of the Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago

This post was written by Martin Kalfatovic, Associate Director, Digital Services Division, Smithsonian Institution Libraries.

On October 11-12, Nancy Gwinn, Director of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, and I participated in the Digital Public Library of America’s (DPLA) Midwest workstream and plenary meetings. The meetings were held in some wonderful meeting spaces at the Harold Washington Library Center of the Chicago Public Library (interesting side note: the building holds the record for largest public library space!).

“Comfortable Corsets” Circa 1893

Alexia MacClain

October 17, 2012

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This post was written by Cathy Rae Smith who had a 2011-2012 Graduate Research Assistantship at the National Museum of American History Library.

“Style, Comfort, Economy” touted the full color exposition pamphlet for Royal Worcester WCC Corsets. The 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago gave attendees an opportunity to see the leading products and advances of the time–including this company’s fully boned, tightly laced corsets described as offering “great FLEXIBILITY, always comfortable.”

Smithsonian Libraries Events Update

Tina Morrison

October 15, 2012

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It’s been a busy fall for the Smithsonian Libraries!

In tandem with the National Book Festival, the Smithsonian Libraries hosted nine renowned authors at an intimate dinner on Saturday, September 22^nd. The distinguished group included Geraldine Brooks, Charlaine Harris, Tony Horwitz, Katherine Neville, Christopher Paolini, Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella, Sally Bedell Smith, and R. L. Stine. Read on for our upcoming events!

The Fix: Housing Differently Sized Items Together

Katie Wagner

October 12, 2012

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The Fix: Housing Differently Sized Items Together

A constant challenge in the Book Conservation Lab is housing items of disparate sizes together. Recently we faced this issue in re-housing the pamphlet “Instructions in Reference to Collecting Nests and Eggs of North American Birds.” The pamphlet came to us in pieces in an envelope bearing the name of former Secretary of the Smithsonian, Alexander Wetmore.

Groovey Luggage

Leah Smith

October 10, 2012

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Junkers Ju52 — Junkers, Ju.52, Courtesy of San Diego Air and Space Museum Archives on Flickr Commons.

One of my favorite things to do while waiting in an airport, other than reading and seeing what others are reading, is looking at everyone’s luggage. I have always had a passion for luggage. My favorite is the old-fashioned trunks and vintage luggage that people plastered with labels of their travels. I find most of the luggage of today to be high on utilitarianism and low on glamour. Now don’t get me wrong; I bow down before the wonderfully clever person who decided to put wheels on luggage.

What Happened to the National Zoological Park Library, or How a New Model of Librarianship Came to the Smithsonian Libraries

Polly Lasker

October 9, 2012

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The end of an era has come to the Smithsonian Libraries and a new one begins! The current model of a library, with a physical location, books and journals on the shelves and a librarian to manage it all is so 2011. A hip, new model of a ‘ librarian-as-reference-resource-person-embedded-in-research-department’ has come for the National Zoological Park/Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in 2012!

Digitization Dispatch: A Rose By Any Other Name…Still Has an Historically Accurate Rendering as Accessory!

Erin Thomas

October 8, 2012

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It might be a little confusing to keep up with the digital humanities collection that provides the basis for most of these posts. The collection that began as HAC (History, Art, and culture), spent a brief adolescence as SHAC (Smithsonian History, Art, and Culture), has now matured into the CHL (rhymes with BHL!). The Cultural Heritage Library is still available here, and still includes the same content from the history, art, and culture locations; the name changes simply reflect the evolving nature of this arm our digitization practices. Currently at 3,670 items, the CHL features new additions every week.