40th Anniversary of the Civic Center
Yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center! The Civic Center opened as the Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center on September 14th, 1981 to 3,000 guests with a performance by the Tallahassee Symphony. Planning for the Civic Center began in the early 1970s, with the acquisition of the 40 acres ofContinue reading “40th Anniversary of the Civic Center”
FSU SCA Artists’ Books Featured in New Digital Exhibit
Undergraduate students in the Spring 2021 “Museum Object” course (FSU Department of Art History) spent the semester developing and curating Show & Tell, an online exhibition of artists’ books. They collaborated with FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives and the Small Craft Advisory Press (SCAP) and endeavored to use this year’s non-traditional exhibition format toContinue reading “FSU SCA Artists’ Books Featured in New Digital Exhibit”
What is an Archives?
As part of International Archives Week 2020, the International Council of Archives (ICA) has encouraged its members to consider what archives are and what they mean to researchers and society. Read on for my thoughts and a few sources on archival collections, institutions, and professionals, and what parts they play in empowering 21st century communities.
Remembering Senator Claude Pepper
Social Security, minimum wage, and the National Institutes of Health. These are just a few of the ways that Claude Denson Pepper left his mark on American politics. He was born in rural Alabama, the eldest of four children to Joseph and Lena Pepper, on September 8, 1900. From these humble beginnings, Pepper would comeContinue reading “Remembering Senator Claude Pepper”
Remembering the Tallahassee Bus Boycott at 64
Today marks the 64th anniversary of the Tallahassee Bus Boycott. In the spring of 1956, Florida A&M students Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson boarded a Tallahassee bus and took seats of their own choosing. Because these seats were in the “whites only” section of the bus, Jakes and Patterson were arrested by the Tallahassee PoliceContinue reading “Remembering the Tallahassee Bus Boycott at 64”
Behind the Scenes: Building a Digital Exhibit with Omeka
Like all of you, Covid-19 made an abrupt change to my spring semester. Thankfully, my Digital History class was mostly unaffected because the assignments were already web-based. Our final project had us create a digital exhibit using Omeka.net which is a free platform available from the Roy Rosenzweig Center for New Media. As opposed toContinue reading “Behind the Scenes: Building a Digital Exhibit with Omeka”
Earth Day 50th Anniversary
Today, April 22 2020, is the 50th anniversary of the first celebration of Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 was a major mobilizing event of inestimable historical significance. The event was such a success because it came at the right time as awareness of human effects on the balance of nature was growing.Continue reading “Earth Day 50th Anniversary”
Earth Day Exhibit Goes Digital
As mentioned in a previous post, the current exhibit in the Special Collections & Archives Exhibit room was uninstalled in preparation for installing a new exhibit, “Earth Day 50”. Unfortunately, Strozier Library and FSU campus closures have forced us to explore different platforms for sharing exhibits that can be viewed safely from home. Maybe you haveContinue reading “Earth Day Exhibit Goes Digital”
New Exhibit Coming Soon!
March 13, 2020 will be the last day to view the current exhibit in the Special Collections & Archives Exhibit room, “A Century of Mystery and Intrigue”. Our new exhibit, “Earth Day 50”, will be opening in April to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day: April 22, 1970. “Earth Day 50” isContinue reading “New Exhibit Coming Soon!”
Enslaved Lives in the Archives at FSU- Research Guide and ASERL Exhibit Update
Special Collections & Archives wants to share some updates on our work surfacing and highlighting collections documenting local enslavement and sharecropping. Collaborating with the Tallahassee History and Human Rights Project in their creation of the Invisible Lives Tours produced a list of our archival materials that we wanted to make more visible and accessible toContinue reading “Enslaved Lives in the Archives at FSU- Research Guide and ASERL Exhibit Update”
Archives Month in FSU Special Collections & Archives
October is American Archives Month. And while every month is Archives Month to those of us here in Special Collections & Archives, October is the month we really like to toot our own horn. We kicked off the festivities this year with our annual takeover of the FSU Libraries twitter handle for #AskAnArchivist day whichContinue reading “Archives Month in FSU Special Collections & Archives”
#AskAnArchivist Day is tomorrow!
FSU Special Collections & Archives is once again participating in #AskAnArchivist Day, the kick-off event for American Archives Month. We’ll be taking over the FSU Libraries twitter feed (@fsulibraries) tomorrow, Wednesday, October 2, 2019 from 10am to 6pm. How does this work? Archivists here at FSU and all over the country will take to TwitterContinue reading “#AskAnArchivist Day is tomorrow!”
A Century of Mystery and Intrigue
The following blog post was written by Joseph, Special Collections & Archives Scholar-in-Residence and Guest Curator of our latest exhibit A Century of Mystery and Intrigue. I really enjoyed putting together the exhibit last summer on pirates, so I started thinking about a possible new exhibit topic. The original idea I came up with wasContinue reading “A Century of Mystery and Intrigue”
New Digital Exhibit on Integration at FSU
A new digital exhibit is now available, featuring information and documents that expand on the items currently on display in at the Heritage Museum in Dodd Hall. The exhibit is titled A University in Transition: The Long Path to Integration and focuses on the role of institutional racism in delaying state university integration. It also highlightsContinue reading “New Digital Exhibit on Integration at FSU”
A Portrait in Courage at the Norwood Reading Room
This post was written by Kacee Reguera, an undergraduate senior at FSU pursuing a Studio Art degree in Printmaking, Artist’s Books, and Photography. A love for art preservation and the history of our university led her to an internship with Heritage & University Archives at Special Collections. During the summer of 2018, we received aContinue reading “A Portrait in Courage at the Norwood Reading Room”
Exploring the Alicia Korenman Graphic Novels Collection (1983-2007)
Will Eisner Week kicked off on March 1st, so it’s a great time to remind library users of the rich graphic novel and comics resources available in Special Collections & Archives. If you’re wondering who Will Eisner is and why he gets his own week, you can check out SCA Manuscript Archivist Rory Grennan’s briefContinue reading “Exploring the Alicia Korenman Graphic Novels Collection (1983-2007)”
Celebrating Dirac’s Nobel Prize
This December is the 85th anniversary of Paul Dirac’s Nobel Prize for Physics. Dirac was an English theoretical physicist who became a fundamental contributor to the development of quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics. The Dirac Equation, which was formulated in 1928, described the behavior of fermions, or subatomic particles, and predicted the existence of antimatter.Continue reading “Celebrating Dirac’s Nobel Prize”
Recapping Archives Month at FSU
October is a special month for those us in the archives. It’s an entire month to celebrate our collections and, more importantly, our work which is often shrouded in mystery. Even for our co-workers in libraries. So, archivists have embraced American Archives Month, held every October, as a way to share what it is weContinue reading “Recapping Archives Month at FSU”
Poetry in Protest, a new Exhibit in Strozier Library
Poetry can be a powerful tool for eliciting emotion and is frequently used to express dissent or advocate for change. FSU Special Collections & Archives’ latest exhibition, “Poetry in Protest,” explores the genres, tactics, and voices of poets that write against the existing world and imagine societal revolution. As a means of delving into theContinue reading “Poetry in Protest, a new Exhibit in Strozier Library”
Ruffians, Scoundrels, and Buccaneers: Pirates Throughout the Ages
The following blog post was written by Joseph, Special Collections & Archives Scholar in Residence and Guest Curator of our latest exhibit Ruffians, Scoundrels, and Buccaneers: Pirates Throughout the Ages. My name is Joseph and I am 11 years old. I started coming to Special Collections with my mom when I was between 5 and 6Continue reading “Ruffians, Scoundrels, and Buccaneers: Pirates Throughout the Ages”
Florida State: Traditions through the Eras
Florida State: Traditions through the Eras is an exhibit that traces back some of Florida State University’s most well-known traditions through the institution’s long history. What we now know as FSU has gone through many changes over the years: beginning as the Seminary West of the Suwannee River, then the Florida State College, Florida StateContinue reading “Florida State: Traditions through the Eras”
Celebrating the 4th
Special Collections & Archives, along with Strozier Library, the Claude Pepper Library and the Heritage Museum are closed in observance of Independence Day. All our spaces will resume normal hours on Thursday, July 5, 2018. We wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July!
What They Fought: Resistance to Integration and the Path to the 1956 Tallahassee Bus Boycott
In the spring of 1956, after students Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson from Florida A&M University, were arrested and jailed for refusing to leave the “whites only” section of a Tallahassee bus, the African-American community of the city rallied together to boycott the city bus service and take a stand for their civil rights andContinue reading “What They Fought: Resistance to Integration and the Path to the 1956 Tallahassee Bus Boycott”
Responding to Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Children’s Book Calls for Peace
War & Peace for Children The Special Collections book we’re highlighting today has a very specific mission: to teach children (and perhaps, the adults reading to or with them) about the post-nuclear world, and about the need for peace. On the Wings of Peace: In Memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is a 1995 collection ofContinue reading “Responding to Hiroshima and Nagasaki: A Children’s Book Calls for Peace”
Clifton in the Capital: Tallahassee Civic Activist Exhibition Opening
Guests are invited to explore the life works of Clifton Van Brunt Lewis, a local activist in the Tallahassee civil rights movement who championed for equality, pushed for historic preservation and founded many of Tallahassee’s beloved cultural institutions, including LeMoyne Center for the Arts, Tallahassee Museum, and the Spring House Institute. Clifton and her husbandContinue reading “Clifton in the Capital: Tallahassee Civic Activist Exhibition Opening”
Poetry and Nature: Robert Burns’ “Tim’rous Beastie”
In keeping with month’s theme, Poetry and Nature, I wanted to turn back to Robert Burns’ “To a Mouse,” a poem that delights and provokes upon each reread. In the poem we can see Burns’ tendency to find inspiration in the everyday; a brief encounter with nature gives him the opportunity to ruminate on theContinue reading “Poetry and Nature: Robert Burns’ “Tim’rous Beastie””
In his “Great Shadow”: Robert Burns’ Legacy
Robert Burns’ ability to spontaneously produce musical and poignant verse earned him the title of “Scotland’s Bard,” and ensured that his legacy would remain especially close to that nation’s people and their descendants. Special Collections & Archives’ forthcoming exhibit, “In his ‘Great Shadow’: Robert Burns’ Legacy,” opening January 22nd, explores not only the lyrical finesseContinue reading “In his “Great Shadow”: Robert Burns’ Legacy”
The Age of Experience: We Tell Better Stories
An exhibition of new work by Amy Fleming, The Age of Experience: We Tell Better Stories, is coming to the Claude Pepper Museum at the Claude Pepper Center, 636 West Call Street, Tallahassee, on the campus of Florida State University. The exhibition runs from December 1, 2017, to January 19, 2018, with an opening reception DecemberContinue reading “The Age of Experience: We Tell Better Stories”
A Brief History of FSU’s International Programs
Florida State University’s international programs celebrate 60+ years of connecting students interested in new cultural experiences and a brand new learning environment. Within the program today, students can choose from more than 20 locations, ranging from Panama to China and everywhere in between. Those who are interested in studying abroad, are offered a flexible schedule,Continue reading “A Brief History of FSU’s International Programs”
FSU’s Law School & President Emeritus D’Alemberte
Established in 1966 by former Florida Supreme Court Justice B.K. Roberts, Florida State University’s College of Law has contributed many notable individuals to the law community, such as current Florida House of Representatives Majority Leader Adam Hasner and current Senior Judge for the United States Air Force, W. Thomas Cumbie. A scrapbook documenting the planningContinue reading “FSU’s Law School & President Emeritus D’Alemberte”
Time for #AskAnArchivist Day!
FSU Special Collections & Archives will be participating in #AskAnArchivist Day again this year! We’ll be taking over the FSU Libraries Twitter account (@FSULibrary) from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday, October 4, 2017, to answer all your questions about our materials, what we do and why we do it. Not sure what #AskAnArchivist day is?Continue reading “Time for #AskAnArchivist Day!”
Illuminations: Highlights from Special Collections & Archives
While this blog serves as a running feature of highlights from Special Collections & Archives, our newest exhibit makes the materials we talk about online available for the public to see in person. Illuminations the exhibit features items from our manuscript and rare books collections, Heritage & University Archives, and the Claude Pepper Library. Come andContinue reading “Illuminations: Highlights from Special Collections & Archives”
Digital Exhibit Now Available
For those unable to visit the Heritage Museum, an online exhibit has been created for the Heritage Protocol & University Archives project Degrees of Discovery. The digital exhibit includes additional items and information not included in the physical exhibit, providing new understandings about the various scientific developments on campus over the years. Creating the digitalContinue reading “Digital Exhibit Now Available”
The Mud Angels: Florence During the Flood
Today’s blog post was written by Lindsay Fasce, a senior history major and Heritage Protocol & University Archives intern. As of 2017, the Florida State University has a vast international studies program, which offers just under 50 programs in over 15 countries around the world. This program has grown rapidly since the launch of theContinue reading “The Mud Angels: Florence During the Flood”
Degrees of Discovery: The History of Science at Florida State
The Florida State University Heritage Museum exhibit Degrees of Discovery examines the history of science at Florida State, tracking the school’s development from early educational institution to twenty-first century research facility. Since the late nineteenth century, science has served as a fundamental aspect of education at Florida State University and its predecessors. After World War II,Continue reading “Degrees of Discovery: The History of Science at Florida State”
#AskAnArchivist Day 2016 Roundup
If you missed out on #AskAnArchivist Day, be sure to check out all the questions we answered! While #AskAnArchivist happens only one day a year, you can always contact our archivists and librarians by emailing lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu or calling the Research Center at 850-644-3271.
#AskAnArchivist Day 2016 is Almost Here!
On October 5, 2016, archivists around the country will take to Twitter to answer your questions about any and all things archives and FSU Special Collections & Archives will be there! This day-long event, sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, will give you the opportunity to connect directly with archivists here at FSU to ask about ourContinue reading “#AskAnArchivist Day 2016 is Almost Here!”
Banned Books Week 2016
Banned Books Week 2016 is here! This year from September 25th to October 1st, we celebrate open access to information and the freedom to read. FSU Special Collections & Archives is host to several frequently challenged and banned classics available for use in our Reading Room, including: The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. TolkienContinue reading “Banned Books Week 2016”
Visualizing an Invisible Machine
For our current exhibit, What’s Past is Pixels, we faced a challenge. How do we represent our digital library in a physical space? To some extent, we could easily do so with pulling the physical objects we’ve digitized and talk about the challenges and decisions we made when translating them online. We could visualize theContinue reading “Visualizing an Invisible Machine”
Will Eisner Week 2016
March 6, 2016 would have been the 99th birthday of cartoonist and writer Will Eisner (1917-2005), and once again the week surrounding it has been declared Will Eisner Week by the Eisner Family Foundation. Will Eisner Week is an annual celebration promoting graphic novels, literacy, free speech awareness, and the legacy of Eisner.
What’s Past is Pixels, a new exhibit at Strozier Library
As a digital archivist, when I’m working with exhibits, they are usually of the digital variety. However, when we wanted to make a splash for the launch of DigiNole: FSU’s Digital Repository which combines the digital library with the research repository, we knew we needed to do something a bit bold, a bit crazy andContinue reading “What’s Past is Pixels, a new exhibit at Strozier Library”
Mittan: A Reception
Mittan: A Retrospective is the photographic exhibit currently on display in the Special Collections and Archives gallery space in Strozier Library. The works of J. Barry Mittan candidly capture the student experience at Florida State University in the 1960s and 1970s. As a student and photographer for numerous campus publications, including the Tally-Ho yearbook andContinue reading “Mittan: A Reception”
Rare Books and Haggis: Burns Night in Tallahassee
As previous posts have shown, the work of Special Collections & Archives staff is not confined to the walls of the library. We love being able to get out into the community, so Associate Dean of Special Collections Katie McCormick and I jumped at the chance to attend the Burns’ Supper hosted by the St. AndrewContinue reading “Rare Books and Haggis: Burns Night in Tallahassee”
Mittan: A Retrospective
Mittan: A Retrospective is the photographic exhibit currently on display in the Special Collections and Archives gallery space in Strozier Library. The works of J. Barry Mittan candidly capture the student experience at Florida State University in the 1960s and 1970s. As a student and photographer for numerous campus publications, including the Tally-Ho yearbook andContinue reading “Mittan: A Retrospective”
New Exhibit: War Stories
The political causes and effects of war are well-documented by scholars and politicians, but the details of life during wartime are the provenance of the fighters on the ground, in the air, and at sea. Throughout recorded time, soldiers have shared their stories, told with humor, pathos, hope, and pride. In honor of Veterans Day,Continue reading “New Exhibit: War Stories”
The Days of Our Lives: FSU Archives Edition
What do archivists do all day, anyway? Look at old photos? Dust yearbooks? Take papers from one file folder and put them in another? Those are all true to some extent, but university archivists play more roles in their community than one might think. Take a look at some of the extraordinary events during anContinue reading “The Days of Our Lives: FSU Archives Edition”
A Storifyed #AskAnArchivist Round-Up
Special Collections & Archives had a great time taking over the FSU Libraries twitter feed for #AskAnArchivist day. We enjoyed getting to answer questions and also share information about our collections and our work in the various areas of the division. We had so much fun in fact that we decided to Storify the experience.Continue reading “A Storifyed #AskAnArchivist Round-Up”
#AskAnArchivist Day
What is it? October 1, 2015 is #AskAnArchivist Day! Archivists around the country, including those in FSU Libraries Special Collections, will take to Twitter to answer your questions about any and all things archival. The day-long event, sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, will give you the opportunity to connect directly with archivists at FSU—and aroundContinue reading “#AskAnArchivist Day”
Reflections from RBMS 2015
Special Collections librarians are constantly learning–both from the collections we curate and from each other. We share our research, knowledge, and best practices through journals and the meetings of professional societies. In late June, I traveled to Oakland and Berkeley, California to attend the conference of one such professional society, the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the AssociationContinue reading “Reflections from RBMS 2015”
Claude Pepper and the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Last week, on July 2nd, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 celebrated its 51st anniversary. Originally pioneered by President John F. Kennedy and called for just a year earlier on June 11, 1963 in his Civil Rights Address, delivered from the oval office. In the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination in late November of 1963, his successor, LyndonContinue reading “Claude Pepper and the Civil Rights Act of 1964”
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