Your source for what's new at Mizzou Libraries
We started digging our current Memory Hole a few decades ago: Technological systems that support the creation and presentation of modern journalism morphed so quickly that we no longer know where the treasure is buried.
Read more at the Reynolds Journalism Institute blog: McCainspeakwrite plusgood, or How I came up with the name ‘Dodging the Memory Hole’
It’s been two years since I rolled out of Tucson, Arizona, and headed east on Interstate 10 toward the University of Missouri. I brought audiobooks to pass the hours on cruise control. My first selection was George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Read more at the Reynolds Journalism Institute blog: McCainspeakwrite or How I came up with the name ‘Dodging the Memory Hole’
You may have noticed that things look a little different in the Engineering Library. Due to the Lafferre Hall Renovation, the Apple Computer Lab has moved into what was formerly the “quiet side” of the library (W2003). We still have plenty of computers, tables, and chairs for study space, as well as study rooms E-H. Groups may reserve study rooms for 2 hours at a time.
Let’s return to the Missourian’s photo desk. Aside from not knowing which drive or disk might hold a certain photo, there was a much bigger problem: There was only one copy of each photo file stored on a drive or disk.
Read more at the Reynolds Journalism Institute blog: Preserving a visual record, Part 2
… we present Jesus and the Twelve Apostles.
In this collection of the Gospels from 1591, the text is written in both Arabic and Latin. It's inscribed "With compliments to my friend Dr. W. Burggraaf, Christmas 1931."
A beautiful example of works in translation, the book also contains 149 woodcut illustrations. They were, however, printed from only 68 blocks, so the careful reader can discern some copycat pictures in different places. Like the two below, both used to illustrate a version of the same story in Matthew and then in John.
Reusing woodblocks was a fairly common practice, particularly in bibles where multiple versions of similar events or themes are told by the various authors of the books of the Bible throughout. We've come across several other books in our collection where the illustrations give us deja vu.
That's it for the 12 Days of Christmas in July series! Have a merry holiday, and if you should feel like celebrating with us, stop by and see us next week – we'd be happy to show you any of the books featured here, along with any of the others in our collections!
… we give you The Singer of Tales written by Albert Bates Lord, a large part of whose library came to us in a donation in the Spring of 2011.
Gifted in 1960 by the author, this book contains a fun little surprise inside that we found when paging through it prior to this post: the paper tag from a tea bag!
"There is no greater power than the power of the word." This message is doubly appropriate when considering that Lord was a prominent scholar in oral composition and performance and this book in particular is about epic poetry and oral tradition. A more fitting message on an impromptu bookmark would definitely be hard to come by.
Stay tuned for the final book in our 12 Days of Christmas in July series tomorrow!
… we give you ten gems from a Bibliography of Rudyard Kipling.
"Ten Gems" as in Ten Gems from Kipling, a collection of ten stories from Kipling. It is featured in an entry in this rather thorough bibliography of the author.
Interestingly enough, this book was given as a Christmas gift in 1927 from Flora Livingston (the author) to someone who may have also been a Kipling enthusiast.
What's also interesting about this book is the gilt top edge. While very pretty and eye-catching in itself, gilding the pages of a book (applying gold powder or leaf, or in some cases gold-colored paint to the edges of the page and sometimes the covers and spine as well) serves a practical purpose too. When the gold powder is applied with glue it helps to protect the pages from dust, moisture, and browning.
Pretty and practical. Check back tomorrow for more pretty and practical gift books in our 12 Days of Christmas in July series.
As a digital curator of journalism, I have a tendency to ask people — laypeople and journalists — what types of content they’d like to see or retrieve from news archives. Consistently, photography comes up as one of the top answers.
Read more at the Reynolds Journalism Institute blog: Preserving a visual record, Part 1
… we give you this edition of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales. (No nines in this one, it was a really hard day to find a book to fit…)
Given to Bertie in 1884, this volume contains the collected works of Andersen's fairy tales, including the ever popular "The Little Mermaid."
Many other stories also have illustrations to go with them, like this one from "The Snow Man" about a snowman that melts in the sun. Much like one would if it were outside in today's mid-July weather.
If you're melting in the heat today, come visit us in the cool air-conditioning of the library! And check back tomorrow for Day Ten of the Twelve Days of Christmas in July series.
… have a book gifted in 1888. (Okay, it's a stretch, but that's a lot of eights.) This copy of Mad Cap, a book of short illustrated children's tales was given either to or by Harry D. Silsby on Christmas 1888.
Though the pages are in a delicate condition now, the illustrations remain a beautiful example of a great Christmas gift, as you can see for yourself below.
Drop us a comment below and tell us your favorite book as a child. And stay tuned for more in our Christmas in July series!