scholarly journals The Steward of Book History in the Digital Age: The Struggles and Rewards of Collecting e-Books for Special Collections Institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Bigelow
Keyword(s):  
Book History ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Special Collections

Polar Bear Morning by L. Thompson

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Polar Bear ◽  
Book History ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
English Literature ◽  
New York Times ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
The University

Thompson, Lauren. Polar Bear Morning. Illus. Stephen Savage. New York: Scholastic Press, 2013. Print.Ten years ago, Lauren Thompson and Stephen Savage collaborated on “Polar Bear Night”, which was a splendid picture book that swiftly became a New York Times best seller. “Polar Bear Morning” follows up on the simple story of a polar bear cub that ventures out onto the arctic tundra for an adventure, but this time our favourite cub meets a new friend. The story begins when the cub emerges from her dark den, peeks out at the clear blue sky, and follows the sound of seagulls. Soon after heading out into the snow and ice, she notices something tumbling down a snow hill. It’s a snow cub! The moment when the cubs first meet is beautifully portrayed in a two-page spread that shows two furry faces in profile looking at each other without words on the pages, which perfectly captures a child’s speechless, wide-eyed bliss upon meeting a new friend.The story continues with several charming scenes that show how the friendship develops: they climb the snow hill and tumble down together; they sprint beside the sea; they race past seals, walruses and whales; they pause at the ice’s edge; and finally, they jump into the sea together. It’s a delightful portrayal of a budding friendship, with simple, yet charming illustrations rendered in a gentle palette of soft blues, greys, pinks, and browns. This picture book is a joy to read and has all the makings of a beloved classic, including frolicsome illustrations, thoughtful design, and a captivating story. It’s a wholly satisfying picture book that will be a pleasure to read again and again.Recommendation: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: Robert DesmaraisRobert Desmarais is Head of Special Collections at the University of Alberta and Managing Editor of The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information Studies, with a Book History and Print Culture designation, he also has university degrees in English literature and publishing. He has been collecting and enjoying children’s books for as long as he can remember.

scholarly journals Ten Commandments for Special Collections Librarians in the Digital Age

2009 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Dooley
Keyword(s):  
Digital Age ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Ten Commandments ◽  
Rare Books

The speakers for “Rare and Special Bytes: Special Collections in the Digital Age,” the 2008 Rare Books and Manuscripts Section Preconference, presented an exceptional array of ideas and opportunities for our profession to consider as we confront the challenges of the digital age. The sands are shifting under our feet on an almost daily basis. How to keep up and make the best decisions going forward? Are there any basic principles to guide us toward the most productive responses and actions? In this paper I propose ten principles. I freely admit that “principles” is too grand a word—perhaps they’re . . .

scholarly journals The Lonely Book by K. Bernheimer

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Book History ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
English Literature ◽  
Public Library ◽  
University Of Alberta ◽  
The Public ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Information Studies ◽  
The University

Bernheimer, Kate. The Lonely Book. Illus. Chris Sheban. New York: Random House, 2012. Print.This charming story about a well-loved book will not easily be forgotten. It’s the sort of picture book I would have loved to discover during my childhood visits to the public library. The tale begins in a classic fairytale style, “Once there was a brand-new book that arrived at the library.” As the story unfolds, young readers learn all sorts of details about the inner workings of a public library, including the custom that many of the newest books are placed on a special shelf in a high traffic area.The “lonely book” of this story initially had a popular and fulfilling life on the new book shelf but eventually it is relegated to the children’s section, along with countless other well-loved titles. Years pass, the book becomes a little tattered and worn, and is now checked out all too infrequently. Then, one morning, a little girl named Alice discovers it and falls in love with the story about the girl and her life under a toadstool, and so she takes it home. “The book had never felt so beloved.” Readers will discover how lonely it becomes when Alice forgets to renew her old book, and especially so when it begins a new life in the library’s storage basement. In time, Alice longs for her favourite book and despairs that she may never see it again. The story ends on a cheerful note, however, when Alice is reunited with her once cherished book at the library’s big book sale.For those of us who understand what it is like to cherish a book from our childhood, this book will bring back fond memories. The soft watercolour illustrations complement the story beautifully and they evoke a magical time when children fall in love with books, read them late into the night, fall asleep with them under their pillows, and dream sweet dreams about favourite characters and events.Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Robert DesmaraisRobert Desmarais is Head of Special Collections at the University of Alberta and Managing Editor of The Deakin Review of Children’s Literature. A graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information Studies, with a Book History and Print Culture designation, he also has university degrees in English literature and publishing. He has been collecting and enjoying children’s books for as long as he can remember.

Embodied Learning in a Digital Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-472
Author(s):  
Amy Gore ◽  
Glenn Koelling
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Embodied Learning ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Physical Materials

As digital tools radically alter the ways instructors teach and students learn, the material resources of special collections offer an opportunity to reflect on the pedagogical differences between online and material instruction. The authors theorize that an embodied learning experience with physical materials engages students’ intellects, bodies, and emotions in ways that encourage critical thinking about information formats.

Book History without Old Books1

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-161
Author(s):  
Michelle Levy ◽  
Kate Moffatt
Keyword(s):  
Material Culture ◽  
Book History ◽  
Literary Culture ◽  
Sensory Experience ◽  
Material Objects ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Romantic Period ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
History Of ◽  
Material History

During the pandemic, the closure of university libraries and Special Collections meant that there were few opportunities for students to interact with the print and manuscript material of the Romantic period. These conditions created an entirely new set of interactions between instructors and students, students and their classmates, and students and their objects of study. To address these new conditions, we created a series of assignments that sought to recreate a sense of the opportunities and pleasures of the sensory experience in an archive; to foster an understanding of both the material history of Romantic literary culture and of material culture more broadly; and finally to connect students emotionally with the objects of their study. This essay reports on the outcomes of these assignments and what they can teach us about attempts to integrate play, discovery, and interactivity with material objects into the study of Romantic writing.

Special Collections in a Digital Age

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Haines ◽  
Wayne Jones
Keyword(s):  
Digital Age ◽  
Special Collections

Curating print collections in the digital age

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 132-134
Author(s):  
Sean Swanick ◽  
Jennifer Garland
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Teaching And Learning Environment ◽  
Print Materials ◽  
Successful Approach

Purpose – Purpose: As collection development in research libraries becomes increasingly homogeneous and “e-preferred”, it is our heritage collections that differentiate us and anchor the physical presence of our institutions. These valuable heritage resources, vital for teaching, researching, and learning are unfortunately too often inaccessible, uncatalogued, and ultimately undiscoverable. This paper focuses on the curation of special collections as a means of exposing hidden collections and discusses practical steps undertaken to highlight unique print materials in the digital age. Design/methodology/approach – This case study describes the transformation of a hidden collection into a teaching collection through the exhibition of uncatalogued Islamic manuscripts, their associated digital component and the resulting faculty–librarian collaboration. Findings – By sharing print collections through exhibitions with an associated digital component, we are both increasing the visibility of, and improving access to the material. Originality/value – This case study outlines a successful approach to exposing hidden collections to support an innovative teaching and learning environment.

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