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Smithsonian Libraries and Archives / Unbound

Secretary Skorton Adopts Books!

Liz O'Brien
December 7, 2016
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(L-R): Nancy E. Gwinn, Mary Augusta Thomas, Leslie Overstreet, Lilla Vekerdy, and Secretary Skorton.

Last February we welcomed Smithsonian Secretary David J. Skorton to the Joseph F. Cullman 3rd Library in the National Museum of Natural History. On behalf of his wife Dr. Robin Davisson and himself, the Secretary was on a mission to select books for conservation as part of the Libraries’ Adopt-a-Book Program. Lilla Vekerdy, head of special collections, and Leslie Overstreet, curator of natural history rare books, displayed special treasures dating back to the 16th century from our collection. While we may have enticed him with too many selections, the Secretary ultimately chose three books:

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Consider a gift for Giving Tuesday

Allie Swislocki
November 29, 2016
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2016 has been a landmark year for the Smithsonian Libraries. Because of donors like you, the Libraries is able to continue in its role as the pinnacle of museum libraries, serving as a scholarly resource for Smithsonian researchers and curators and for brilliant thinkers from all around the world, as well as increasing access into our collections for learners of all ages. Some examples of what we have been able to accomplish in 2016 are:

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Celebrating Our Man of Many Hats: William Henry Holmes

Salima Appiah-Duffell
November 28, 2016
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December 1st is the 170th birthday of William Henry Holmes, the Smithsonian’s own Renaissance man. Early in the Smithsonian’s history, Holmes served as the head of the Anthropology Department and later the first director of what would become the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Starting today, we’re celebrating his legacy.

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Native American Heritage Month: Penn Treaty Wampum Belts

Richard Naples
November 23, 2016
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Penn's Treaty Wampum Belt
“Penn wampum belt” from The Penn wampum belts (1925).

November is Native American Heritage Month. The Smithsonian Libraries has many intriguing resources about Native American history, especially in the Vine Deloria, Jr. Library, National Museum of the American Indian. I was recently reminded of this as I came across The Penn Wampum Belts by Frank Gouldsmith Speck (1925).

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Setting the Table

Alexia MacClain
November 21, 2016
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The big Thanksgiving meal is fast approaching and for many that means a well-dressed table, perhaps with heirloom china. What would your dinner table have looked like for a nice meal or tea over a hundred years ago, maybe back when Great-great Aunt Agnes first started filling her china cabinet? The Trade Literature Collection includes catalogs illustrating dinnerware, glassware, cutlery, and cooking utensils which can give us a glimpse into the past. One of these catalogs is from the Fall and Winter seasons of 1899-1900.

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