Great Grandma’s Banana Bread
This post was written by Caroline Haight, an intern at Special Collections and Archives, for their Great Rare Books Bake Off blog series. For my contribution to the Great Rare Books Bake Off blog series, I have decided to make my great grandmother’s banana bread recipe. This recipe is one that I’ve watched my grandmotherContinue reading “Great Grandma’s Banana Bread”
Sweet as Molasses: Making a Molasses Cake
When thinking about a recipe to try for this year’s Great Rare Books Bake Off, I tried to find something that required minimal ingredients and was something that I had never tried before. A lot of the required ingredients for cakes that I kept finding required a large amount of eggs, flour, and sugar, untilContinue reading “Sweet as Molasses: Making a Molasses Cake”
The Scare of Smallpox Through the Lens of 18th Century Correspondence
Living through life post-2020 pandemic has made us learn a lot of things about preparing for the unknown. But humans aren’t new to the phenomenon of epidemics. While working with the Florida State University’s Special Collections and Archives, I came across a series of letters from the 17th-20th Century Correspondence and Documents collection that mentionContinue reading “The Scare of Smallpox Through the Lens of 18th Century Correspondence”
GRBBO Mini-Exhibit
Currently located on the main floor of Strozier Library is a mini-exhibit dedicated to the Great Rare Books Bake Off event hosted by Special Collections and Archives. Over the last month or so, I have been searching the archives for interesting and relevant materials to fill the display case and put together a cohesive exhibitContinue reading “GRBBO Mini-Exhibit”
Lemon Snaps
This is a guest contribution to Illuminations for The Great Rare Books Bake Off, from Alex Challenger, a member of Special Collection’s Reference Assistance Team. When I began researching recipes for the Great Rare Books Bake-Off, I quickly found that the recipe books from Special Collections assumed that I knew quite a bit more aboutContinue reading “Lemon Snaps”
Cinnamon Rusks
“Mould into biscuit and bake immediately” seemed to be missing some crucial instructions but I was game to try it out
Get Ready to Vote on Election Day!
November 8th is National Election Day! Election Day is the annual day set for general elections, both for federal, state, and local governments. The University has an important resource, FSU Votes , that may come in handy before casting a ballot. There, you can learn more about obtaining a sample ballot, tracking a mail-in ballot, instructionsContinue reading “Get Ready to Vote on Election Day!”
The Bee’s Knees
This is a guest contribution to Illuminations for The Great Rare Books Bake Off by Mila Turner, FSU’s Social Science Data & Research Librarian Today I’m sharing a recipe for a Bee’s Knees cocktail with a delicious taste and an even richer history. It’s simple and easy to make yourself, or to enjoy at yourContinue reading “The Bee’s Knees“
How Working with Special Collections Made Me a Better Historian
My name is Daniel Arenas and I am currently a doctoral candidate at the FSU history department but I have also been working as an intern with Special Collections and Archives. Specifically, I am working as a digital curator intern for the FSU Special Collections collaboration with the John G. Riley Center and Tallahassee CommunityContinue reading “How Working with Special Collections Made Me a Better Historian”
Wacky Diet Fads from the Past
I thought I’d explore the wacky world of diet-focused recipes in the collections.
Announcing…The Great Rare Books Bake Off 2022!
It is the most wonderful time of the year! The Great British Bake Off Season 13 is currently airing and the weather is finally cooling down here on FSU campus. This will be our third year of celebrating all things baking, cooking, and mixing here in FSU Special Collections & Archives. This year we areContinue reading “Announcing…The Great Rare Books Bake Off 2022!”
Interacting with the Archives
In honor of October being Archives Month, I wanted to go over all the ways and places you can interact with our collections. There are multiple ways you can visit the archives at FSU. You don’t need an appointment, you don’t need to be doing deep research, and you don’t even have to come toContinue reading “Interacting with the Archives”
Newest Graduate Assistant in SCA
Hi there! My name is Alice Fabela (she/her/hers) and I am the newest Graduate Assistant in FSU’s Special Collections & Archives. I was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up in Cape Coral, Florida. As a kid, I was always traveling with my family and it quickly led to me being interested in history. WhenContinue reading “Newest Graduate Assistant in SCA”
Ancient Cuneiform Tablets Spend 100 Years at FSU
The present year of 2022 marks a full century since the acquisition of Special Collections and Archives’ oldest inanimate residents, the cuneiform tablets. Purchased by faculty in 1922, these twenty-five tablets were bought from Edgar J. Banks back when the school was still referred to as the Florida State College for Women. Although they currentlyContinue reading “Ancient Cuneiform Tablets Spend 100 Years at FSU”
American Archives Month: Conscious Metadata at FSU Libraries
On September 27, five representatives of FSU Libraries attended the SSDN Conscious Metadata Working Session in Tallahassee, FL. In the spirit of the American Archives Month theme of The Power Of Collaboration, we shared ideas and brainstormed next steps on conscious editing at FSU Libraries. Read on to find out what we learned and whatContinue reading “American Archives Month: Conscious Metadata at FSU Libraries”
Digital Housekeeping for Archives Month
As part of our celebration here for American Archives Month, I thought a few tips on how you can be the best archivist of your own digital archives might be helpful. We all create documents, photographs, and other digital content every day at an ever increasing rate. This is our personal archives and while weContinue reading “Digital Housekeeping for Archives Month”
American Archives Month
Happy American Archives Month! This month is intended to raise public awareness about the importance of historic documents and records. Join us though out this month to learn more about how our staff makes history accessible to the public! FSU Special Collections and Archives will celebrating American Archives Month multiple ways throughout October: Want toContinue reading “American Archives Month”
SCA Hours due to Hurricane Ian
We’re all keeping a close eye on the path of Hurricane Ian, and adjusting plans accordingly. Our open hours for Special Collections & Archives spaces will be a little different this week – here’s the full scoop: Special Collections & Archives Research Center[First floor Strozier] Monday, 9/26 Tuesday, 9/27 Wednesday, 9/28 Thursday, 9/29 Friday, 9/30Continue reading “SCA Hours due to Hurricane Ian”
Tarpon Club at Strozier
Heritage & University Archives has a new exhibit displaying materials from FSU’s Tarpon Club in the Norwood Reading Room at Strozier. This exhibit was put together by Sierria Groom over the summer. Continue reading to learn more about her experience curating this exhibit and to learn where and when you can view it. As anContinue reading “Tarpon Club at Strozier”
Family Weekend at Heritage Museum
This weekend is Family Weekend at FSU! This tradition is one FSU has participated in for over 35 years. The Heritage Museum in Dodd Hall will be open today, September 23rd, from 10am to 5pm for students and their families to visit. Below, enjoy some then and now photographs of Dodd Hall, one of theContinue reading “Family Weekend at Heritage Museum”
Introducing: The Reading Room KIC Scanner
Future researchers, we want to direct your attention to our new KIC scanner. With our help, you will now be able to scan the materials that you’re studying and email the images directly to yourself for your own personal research. However, we do have a few types of materials that may not be scanned includingContinue reading “Introducing: The Reading Room KIC Scanner”
New Faces and New Hours at SCA
Leading into the fall semester, we want to announce our expanded hours and introduce you to a few new faces behind the desk in the Strozier Special Collections & Archives Reading Room. Fall Semester Strozier Reading Room Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 10am – 6pm Wednesday: 10am – 7pm Friday: 10am – 5pm Fall Semester PepperContinue reading “New Faces and New Hours at SCA”
Welcome Back FSU!
Welcome back to all the new and returning students and faculty! We hope you all had a great first week back on campus. FSU Special Collections and Archives are excited to welcome you all and wish you luck with the fall semester! Be sure to come visit the SCA Reading Room to come see ourContinue reading “Welcome Back FSU!”
Getting a Teaching Job in 1941, Florida
Meet Samuel James Evans. Around the time this picture was taken, he had been a teacher in Florida for 5 years.
Metadata collection improvements for the Sunshine State Digital Network
The Sunshine State Digital Network (SSDN) is a service hub for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), and has it’s administrative home here in FSU’s Special Collections & Archives division. One main activity of SSDN is collecting metadata for digital collections around the state and passing it along to DPLA for inclusion in theirContinue reading “Metadata collection improvements for the Sunshine State Digital Network”
National Organization for Women – 56th Anniversary
Today marks the 56th anniversary of the formation of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In 1966, inspired by the Civil Rights Movement, Betty Friedan and a group of women organized to found a parallel effort to ensure equal treatment of men and women. What started as a small group of fifteen women, NOW hasContinue reading “National Organization for Women – 56th Anniversary”
LGBT Oral History Project of North Florida
Oral history is one of the biggest components of understanding the queer experience. Most LGBTQ+ history has been passed down orally, rather than through written material. Oral histories have special characteristics that other resources in our collection don’t have – intimacy. They provide a first-hand view and help us understand a specific moment in timeContinue reading “LGBT Oral History Project of North Florida”
Naiad Press and the Oral History of Lesbians in Tallahassee
Did you know that Tallahassee was once home to the largest and oldest lesbian book press in the world? Run by Barbara Grier and Donna McBride, Naiad Press published a wide range of books written by and for lesbians. Authors published through Naiad Press included Patricia Highsmith, Katherine V. Forrest, Ann Bannon, and FSU’s ownContinue reading “Naiad Press and the Oral History of Lesbians in Tallahassee”
Pride Month in SCA
Happy Pride Month! Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally. Throughout the month of June, the blog will be highlightingContinue reading “Pride Month in SCA”
Norman Baker and The Naked Truth
Norman G. Baker assumed many roles during his life – vaudeville performer, mail-order salesman, calliope manufacturer, congressional candidate. However, his greatest notoriety stems from his discredited cancer cure and the media empire that sold it to America.
FAAHPN Digital Library Workshop Recap and Riley House Partner Grant Update
FSU Libraries is proud to be a partner with the City of Tallahassee’s John G. Riley Center and Museum of African American History and Culture on a grant to digitize their archives. As part of the three-year project the grant also provides training for members of the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network (FAAHPN). TheContinue reading “FAAHPN Digital Library Workshop Recap and Riley House Partner Grant Update”
Celebrating May Day, 2022
This blog post commemorating Emancipation Day was originally posted by former SCA staff member Adam Hunt on May 20, 2021. FSU Special Collections & Archives commemorates May 20th, Florida’s Emancipation Day, and the history of Emancipation in the United States. On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.1 Because it only applied toContinue reading “Celebrating May Day, 2022”
New to Diginole: Commencement Invitations and Programs
The Spring 2022 semester just came to a close and with it meant a new class of graduating Florida State University students. Here at Special Collections & Archives, we have commencement materials from almost every graduating class in the history of FSU. Our Commencement Program collection contains various materials related to commencement, including programs, announcements,Continue reading “New to Diginole: Commencement Invitations and Programs”
Spines of Special Collections
Here in the Special Collections & Archives Division of the Florida State University Libraries, we see a variety of spines on our shelves. Sometimes you get so busy you don’t pay them too much mind. Others catch your eye and bring about curiosity about what may lay inside its bindings. We often have books withContinue reading “Spines of Special Collections”
Memorial Trees on FSU Campus
Located between Landis and Gilchrist Halls and Jefferson Street, there are five live oaks with a long and storied history. These George Washington Memorial Trees have stood watch over campus for almost 100 years. In 1932, the United States celebrated the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth. There were celebrations all across the country to honorContinue reading “Memorial Trees on FSU Campus”
Special Collections & Archives Summer 2022 Hours
Special Collections & Archives will have adjusted hours for the FSU Summer semester, May 9 through August 19, 2022. Strozier Research Center Hours: Monday: By appointment T, W, TH: 12-6pm Friday: By appointment Pepper Library Hours: M-F: By appointment Interested in making an appointment for either space? Just fill out our appointment request form https://www.lib.fsu.edu/form/special-collections-appointment-request-form.Continue reading “Special Collections & Archives Summer 2022 Hours”
Highlighting Women in Creative Arts: Nellie-Bond Dickinson
With the upcoming Fall Festival of Creative Arts, we took the opportunity to look at some of the women who have contributed to the creative arts here at Florida State. Since the founding of the Florida State College for Women, our campus has been absolutely lush with artists and creative minds of all types, andContinue reading “Highlighting Women in Creative Arts: Nellie-Bond Dickinson”
Parchment & Pajamas: Virtually Visiting Special Collections & Archives
Do you want to see an artists’ book in motion, or an intense zoom on the remains of a wax seal?
To Glove or not to Glove? Myths of Proper Handling of Special Collections Materials
When you come into work with materials in Special Collections and Archives (SCA), there’s the preconceived myth that to touch the materials you must wear gloves. That these old books you must not touch with your bare hands at all. This is WRONG. In most SCA spaces, gloves are not required to touch the majorityContinue reading “To Glove or not to Glove? Myths of Proper Handling of Special Collections Materials”
Mythbusters Week is Coming Up!
There are many common misconceptions about Special Collections & Archives, in fact, we spent the entire month of April 2021 busting popular myths. This year we decided to devote a week to busting even more myths. Be on the lookout next week for explanations about why we DON’T require gloves for most materials and whyContinue reading “Mythbusters Week is Coming Up!”
Postcards from the Library
This month, Special Collections & Archives teamed up with Student Outreach at Strozier to present Postcards from the Library, highlighting books and objects about travel, home, and identity. Our window display addresses FSU memorabilia and the International Program, general travel containing objects from the collections of our donors, World’s Fair souvenirs, and immigration and identity.Continue reading “Postcards from the Library”
Digitizing Local History
One of my favorite programs I oversee is our Community Digitization Partnerships. These partnerships allow me to work with local organizations in the North Florida area to bring their materials online via DigiNole: FSU’s Digital Repository. We often work with non-traditional organizations like schools and churches, bringing collections online that would otherwise be unknown toContinue reading “Digitizing Local History”
Flexibility of Japanese in Books
Hello, all! My name is Terryon Larkins and I have been working at the Special Collections & Archives since the fall of 2018. Initially, I was a Federal Work Study employee but not too long after I became a part-time worker. Although I have been working here for a number of years, I do thinkContinue reading “Flexibility of Japanese in Books”
Beautiful Bindings in the Shaw Collection
The John MacKay Shaw Childhood in Poetry Collection is the home of thousands of books which means that it is also the home of thousands of bindings. A lot of the time, the binding of a book is overlooked so, seeing as I have spent the last couple of months studying the books and bindingsContinue reading “Beautiful Bindings in the Shaw Collection”
Data and Doldrums
With a title like Metadata Librarian, you would expect I know a lot about library data: the standards, the structures, and the use of data in library technology. I do! But I also have days where the data I know so much about becomes a beguiling and frustrating adversary. One aspect of my work isContinue reading “Data and Doldrums”
Pies for Pi Day
Happy Pi Day! Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th (3/14) around the world. Pi (or the Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. The holiday was founded in 1988 and hasContinue reading “Pies for Pi Day”
Anna Forbes Liddell: Suffragist, scholar, and Distinguished Professor
Anna Forbes Liddell was one of the first professors to be honored as a Distinguished Professor at FSU. She received the award in 1959, prior to it being named the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award. Liddell taught at Florida State College for Women, eventually Florida State University, from 1926 until her retirement in 1962.Continue reading “Anna Forbes Liddell: Suffragist, scholar, and Distinguished Professor”
Introductions: Anna Zak
Hi, everyone! I’m Anna Zak and I am an OPS worker for the Digital Library Collection here at the FSU Special Collections and Archives, focusing on the Heritage and University Archives. I am a third-year student at FSU, double majoring in English Editing, Writing, and Media and History. I’ve been working here since November 2020Continue reading “Introductions: Anna Zak”
Black History at Florida State University
As Black History Month comes to a close, let’s take a peek into FSU history to learn more about the Black students who made history as “firsts” of FSU. First Black male baccalaureate student – Maxwell Courtney; enrolled 1962, graduated 1965 First Black female baccalaureate student – Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker; enrolled 1963, graduated 1966 First BlackContinue reading “Black History at Florida State University”
Black History Month at Special Collections: Langston Hughes
This February, we are celebrating Black History Month by highlighting some of the Black authors and artists that we feature in our collections. Today I want to acknowledge poet, novelist, and activist, Langston Hughes. Hughes was a prominent figure of the Harlem Renaissance, his work known for capturing snapshots of daily life for Black Americans.Continue reading “Black History Month at Special Collections: Langston Hughes”
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Illuminations 