Special Collections Acquisition

The Special Collections and Rare Books department has received a thirty five volume facsimile edition of the Chronicles of Ivan the Terrible (Лицевой летописный свод) as a gift from the University of Illinois. This literary masterpiece was commissioned by Czar Ivan IV "the Terrible"(1530-1584) for the Royal library, for the purpose of educating his children and future rulers.

 Also known as the Czar Book, it is the largest compilation of the historical knowledge of ancient Russia, covering the period from the Creation of the World to the year 7084 (AD1576), including the Biblical history and the histories of Rome, Byzantium, and Russia. A significant part of the Chronicles is dedicated to the period of Ivan IV's reign, shedding light on the circumstances that led to the infamous “Time of Troubles” and the fall of the initial Rurik dynasty.

The original 10-volume manuscript was made between 1568 and 1576 by sixteen most prominent scribes and ten iconographers who worked on it under the guidance of St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow. Until the end of the 16th century the books were in the Royal library, but disappeared in the turmoil of the Time of Troubles, and were presumed lost for over four centuries. One volume was found in the library of Peter I, who had given it as a gift to his daughter. The rest of the books were recovered from private collectors, and it was recently reproduced by the Society of Lovers of Ancient Literature charity.

For centuries, the Chronicles were not available to general audience, but this publication provides a great opportunity for scholars who want to explore and gain more detailed knowledge of that turbulent and fascinating time of Russian history.

Spec Collections Book

The facsimile edition of the Chronicle includes both the original text in Church Slavonic and its pretty lame translation into the present-day Russian. The text has 17,000 illustrations.

Special gratitude for making this gift possible goes to our former graduate assistant Julie Christenson; Mrs. Melanie Rusk of the Collection Management Services of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Dr. Christopher Condill, Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies librarian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and to our own  Ellen Blair; Steven Hammer, and Mike Holland.

Color Our Collections Week Wrap-up

#ColorOurCollections Week was started by the New York Academy of Medicine and the Biodiversity Heritage Library to raise awareness of freely available library resources online. Special Collections was invited to participate along with a group of world-class research institutions including the Bodleian Libraries, the Smithsonian Libraries, the New York Public Library, Europeana Digital Library, and others.  We saw great participation in person and online.  See the final wrap-up of how it went for MU Libraries here: https://magic.piktochart.com/output/11068833-color-our-collections

Special Collections Outreach and Instruction Update

It’s been a while since we submitted anything to the News Notes, but that’s because things have been hopping up here on 4 West!  Here’s what the three of us have been up to since the semester started:

  •          Taught 30 classes in the reading room for over 440 students
  •          Hosted a field trip and made presentations for fifty 5th-grade social studies students from Grant Elementary School
  •          Mounted the “Books with Personality” exhibit in the Ellis Library colonnade
  •          Led a workshop for MU faculty and graduate students as part of the Fridays @ the Library series
  •          Presented a workshop on National History Day resources for middle school and high school educators, in collaboration with the State Historical Society
  •          Represented the Libraries on National Museum Day at Mizzou North by doing presentations and leading art activities on medieval manuscript production for kids and parents
  •          Hosted a drop-in mini-exhibit on banned comics and graphic novels on the first floor of Ellis Library for Banned Books Week
  • Began participation in an inter-campus research project with UMKC – see our separate announcement for more details.

And we’re still keeping up with our social media outreach. Take a look at our top posts on Tumblr this month.

As always, share with your friends! Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

Special Collections Participates in Inter-Campus Multispectral Analysis Project

MU Special Collections and UMKC are involved in the Inter-Campus Research Program grant project named “Multispectral Analysis of Missouri’s Cultural Resources.”

The project has two primary aims:

1) to study rare manuscripts held by the MU Special Collections and in UMKC, using techniques of multispectral analysis, and

2) to develop an affordable mechanical apparatus and technology for its use that other libraries can adopt in order to advance the study of their own collections.

Multispectral analysis allows for the examination of ink application and prior removal of the text, of the compositional layering, and of “dirty” fingerprints in rare books that may reveal patterns of usage. Using the results gained from multispectral analysis, researchers and students can decipher a book’s production and reception history.

This past Friday the first meeting of both teams took place at UMKC, at which goals and plans were discussed, and the prototype of the apparatus viewed.

Special Collections Outreach This Month

 

Special Collections Blog Photo

Along with curators from four other campus museums and collections, Alla Barabtarlo and Kelli Hansen made presentations on using material culture in K-12 social studies and English classes at the Columbia Public Schools Faculty Professional Development conference last week.  The room was full of educators interested in using the collections in their teaching.  We’ve set up a listserv for anyone interested in discussing material culture in education at MU.  If you would like to join, email Kelli at hansenkb@missouri.edu.

 

In other outreach news, Special Collections was trending on Tumblr again last week!  We’ve had a lot of activity on the account, so here are just a few of the best-performing posts from this month:

 

 

There is much more to see, so share with your friends! Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

 

Books with Personality Exhibit, August 1-29, 2014

Ellis library Colonnade
Brought to you by the Special Collections Department of Ellis Library

“One glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years.  To read is to voyage though time”  -Carl Sagan

The books on display, from the Special Collections Department of Ellis Library, all carry traces of their former owners. Some contain notes in the margins; others hold mementos between their pages. In either case, these traces tell stories not only about the books’ reception but about the lives of those who read them.

Special Collections Outreach Update

This month, our highlights include preparations for a great exhibit in the Colonnade that will premiere in late  August.  Don’t miss “Books with Personality,” curated by Karen Witt!  Some of our top Tumblr posts from the past month feature items from this exhibit, so take a look and get a preview of what’s coming.

·         What’s the oldest item in Special Collections?

·         Benjamin Franklin.  Poor Richard, 1747

·         It’s a medical mystery – solved!

·         Girolamo Mercuriale. De arte gymnastica…

As always, stay tuned for our next update, or connect with us online: Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

 

Special Collections Weekly Outreach Roundup

Even though it’s summer, it’s busy in Special Collections.  We’re happily working with summer researchers, and we’ve had visits from several classes at the Missouri Scholars Academy.  And, of course, we’re still doing outreach on social media.  Here are our top posts for the past two weeks:

·         Manuscript Monday: Ever wonder what books looked like 1,000 years ago?

·         A Pop-Up Culinary Herbal by Shawn Sheehy (2013)

·         Historiated initial of David playing his harp, from a fragment of a 13th-century Psalter.

·         For National Donut Day, proof of the crucial role the donut has played in history. 

Stay tuned for our next update, or connect with us online: Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr