My amazing friend Victoria shared a quote today & I immediately knew it should be my motto for the year:
I’m not telling you it is going to be easy.
I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.
— Art Williams
January 10th, 2011
2011 Motto
November 4th, 2010
Serendipitous archival herbaria finds
I don’t think I’ve yet mentioned the newly created “Why Archives Matter” tumblr.
Its creation was thus:
[This was all Twitter exchanges]
Me – Here’s a link to cool old ads
Alexis – We should start a site for things like that to show Why Archives Matter
Me – That sounds great
Noah – You could use Tumblr!
Me – Ok! Done!
Alexis – Cool!
Check it out, there’s some cool stuff from a variety of places there.
And the best part – YOU CAN SUBMIT!
So please do! Here! Do it!
After creating the site and browsing online collections to find neat things to share, I came across this flier on the Library of Congress’ American Memory website from the 1800′s that I promptly sent to my bosses at the Herbarium.
Oyster says:
I intend to publish a catalogue containing the names of all plants of North America, which will be numbered so it will be handy to use as a check-list.
&
The catalogue I intend to publish will also embrace the names of all botanists of North America so far as can be obtained.
He asks:
Friends of science, please give the above your personal consideration.
To my delight, my boss at the herbarium followed up with this. He found a reference to Oyster that called him a “Little Known Kansas Botanist,” checked with University of Kansas & this is what we found out:
Oyster personally published his catalogue in 1885 (second ed. 1888): Catalogue of the phaenogamous and vascular cryptogamous plants of North America (exclusive of Mexico). The second edition listed 174 families, 1665 genera, and 10123 species. Most of Oyster’s library and personal collections appear to have been lost in fires in 1886 and 1893. KANU has just a handful of his specimens.
I’m incredibly sorry to hear that he lost so much work in a fire – he clearly went through a lot of time and effort to collect and document specimens, especially now that I’m cataloging specimens at the herbarium, I have a better appreciation to the thoroughness and attention to detail and time it takes to collect.
I hope you enjoyed that nerdy narrative as much as I do.
To close, here’s an herbarium poem:
TO MY HERBARIUM
Yu dry and dead remains!
Poor, wrinkied remnants of a beauteous prime!
Why, from your final doom, should I take pains
To stay the hand of time?The worid would pass you by:
For beauty, grace and fragrance all are gone.
Your age is homeliness to evesy eye,
And prized by me alone.Not beautiful, but dear,
Your wrecks recall to me the happy past.
Wandlike, your stems can summon to appear
The days that could not last.I breathe the summer air!
I wander in the woodland paths once more!
Again the copse, the dell, the meadow, wear
The loveliness of yore.Turned to the God of day,
Your little lips come, prayerfully, apart.
With the soft breeze your leaves, reviving, play
Sweet music to my heart.The friend who in those years
Shared warmly in my rambles far and wide,
Back, with the same old fondness re-appears,
And trudges at my side.These are your charms to me!
While such dear recollections ye awake,
Your ruins, blackened, crumbling though they be,
I treasure for their sake.May I, like you, dry flowers,
When in young life I can no more engage,
A dear memento be of happy hours
To those who tend my age.
October 24th, 2010
Books & Archives & Things to Share!
As promise, a post full of interesting information-y things!
I love this banned books display from Strode’s College in Surrey. Controversial books were covered in brown paper and the reason they’re banned is written on the front – such as “I am Anti-Catholic” and “I Contain Scenes of Masturbation.”
The Great Book Robbery is a documentary that covers the looting of Palestinian libraries in 1948 – you can watch the trailer online. This ties in with a paper I wrote last year – the targeted distruction of archives & libraries as a form of cultural genocide. Here’s an quote from the film:
60,000 Palestinian books were systematically looted by the newly born State of Israel during the 1948 war. The story of the stolen books is not only at the heart of our project but also the launching pad of a much bigger and wider endeavor: We intend on communicating the scope and depth of the Palestinian tragedy through the destruction of Palestinian culture in 1948.
And a quote from the website:
For decades Zionist and Israeli propaganda described the Palestinians as “people without culture.” Thus, the victorious Israeli state took upon itself to civilise the Palestinians who remained within its borders at the end of the 1948 war: They were forbidden to study their own culture or to remember their immediate past; their memory was seen as a dangerous weapon that had to be suppressed and controlled.
Check out this second grade exam from 1870. I wonder how many 2nd graders in this era would be prepared to answer questions such as “What is true politeness? and give several rules for good manners” or “Describe the different between an Absolute Monarchy, and a Republic” or “Mention two types of plants used for manufacturers, two used for beverages, and two used for medicinal purposes.” Also, check out number 18 – yikes!
I starred this one a few months ago, but it’s still very useful & relevant – a collection of links on copyright, fair use and blogging.
Lastly, I decided to get some reading glasses tonight. I’ve been having some really intense headaches while doing homework this semester & it’s really affecting my productivity. I can’t afford a real eye exam, but the non-prescription glasses from the drugstore are good enough for my needs. Although I felt a little silly trying them on tonight, I can already tell a difference.
Here’s a gratuitious & awkward photo of Gwen & my four-eyed self:
Now it’s back to reading about metadata before [attempting] to go to bed early. Hopefully some pre-bedtime yoga will help ward off my insomnia.
Have a great week!!
September 23rd, 2010
Baking away the clouds
Have I mentioned how surprised I am that this semester has gotten SO busy, so fast?
Today I’m feeling incredibly distracted, with no attention span. My solution to writing this paper?? Baking bread! It’s the perfect mix of activity, rest, productivity & deliciousness. Over the weekend I made up a sourdough starter & I’m going to bake my first loaf today. I’m also baking up a loaf of this amazing looking cinnamon bread for a friend. He just bought a house & inherited some chickens, so we’re bartering bread for eggs. Anyone else want to trade for baked goods?
Tuesday the Society of American Archivists student group hosted a lunch for all current MSI/Phd students. About 40 people came & it was really great talk with other second years about their summers & current projects/classes, as well as get to know a lot of the first years. Also, we were able to sell a lot of apparel, which means we’re getting closer to designing & ordering more!
Here are some things I’ve found interesting lately…
- I’d love to visit this Museum for Rescued Letters in Berlin.
- This video imagining the future of the (e)book makes me a tiny bit excited about the possibility of owning one.
- The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Applied Engineering and Technology Library is completely paper free – apparently the first truly bookless library. Wow
- Sending a telegram is a unique, fun & more permanent way to communicate & it’s avaible through the services of TELEGRAMSTOP.
- My friend Matt got me Playing With Books as a gift for watching his cat last week [nickname "Death Cat"] – it’s a really great book & I’ve already got lots of projects earmarked for Christmas gifts!
I don’t have much else to say, so here’s a photo of the swiss cheese/eggplant sandwiches Joel made last night with my first ever loaf of sourdough bread & a shot of the ultra delicious cinnamon swirl bread.
March 22nd, 2010
Healthcare & happiness
Although it’s Monday & we were out of coffee this morning & I had a computer programming exam first thing, waking up to the news that the health care reform had passed was a lovely way to start my day. I’m not interested in debating the pros & cons of the bills [which there are many] but, as someone who had nearly $4,000 in medical bills as a result of a hospitalization that left me with a “preexisting condition” which lead to a denial of coverage from a private provider, I think it’s a step in the right direction.
This MPLP lolcat is great:
I’ve been nominated to run for the board of the School of Information student chapter of the Society of American Archivists. I’m really excited about the opportunity! Although I need to write up a short bio, which is proving to be a bit of a challenge. I’m not exactly sure what to say & saying it in the third person feels awkward. I’m also not sure if I have to run against other people & if anyone would vote for me, however, I’d be really honored to get a position.
TIME has a list of the 25 best blogs [& top 5 overrated] & 50 best websites – lots of interesting things worth browsing.
This Intellectual Girl’s Survival Kit is wonderful!
Lastly, I absolutely love this quote:
To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. [Oscar Wilde]
Enjoy the rest of your Monday!
