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”
Reels and Reels of Film: Assessing the AV Holdings in SCA
The following blog post was written by Lukas Foerster, FSU Special Collections & Archives Fall 2021 Intern. As an intern at FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives department, I took part in a number of preservation and cataloging projects during the fall term, most of them centered around audiovisual material. A wide variety of movingContinue reading “Reels and Reels of Film: Assessing the AV Holdings in SCA”
New Additions to the Emmett Till Research Guide
o facilitate the Florida State University Libraries and the FSU School of Communication partnership with the West Tallahatchie School District in Tallahatchie County Mississipp
Valentine’s Day Classifieds from the Florida Flambeau
Classified advertisements are a form of advertising popular in newspapers that consists of short advertisements that are sold by the word or letter for low prices. These ads were extremely popular in Florida State University’s student-run newspaper, Florida Flambeau. They served as a cheap way for students to exchange messages between friends, offer things forContinue reading “Valentine’s Day Classifieds from the Florida Flambeau”
More Than Old Books: Tarot Cards in Special Collections
I’ve been working at SCA since September of 2021 and during my time here I’ve discovered that the archive is so much more than ancient, leather-bound books. So I’ve come to share one of the things I love most about SCA: we have a tarot deck.
Vintage Valentines in the Archives
In celebration of Valentine’s Day we are reposting this entry from 2020. Valentine’s Day gained popularity in the United States with the introduction of mass-produced Valentines cards around the middle of the 19th century. Most of these early cards have long since disappeared, but we are fortunate to have many examples of early 20th centuryContinue reading “Vintage Valentines in the Archives”
A Strange Find at the Claude Pepper Library
One of the strangest items that I’ve ever come across in the archives is not a document or an artifact, but rather something more organic. In the Spring of 2018, the staff at the Claude Pepper Library were in the early stages of reviewing many of the smaller political collections with the end goal ofContinue reading “A Strange Find at the Claude Pepper Library”
Look what Percival found in Special Collections & Archives
This post was written by Percival Pitter, a Federal Work Study employee in Special Collections & Archives. Hi my name is Percival Pitter. I am a senior majoring in public health with a minor in biology. What I like about working in Special Collections is getting to work with some really cool artifacts and theContinue reading “Look what Percival found in Special Collections & Archives”
Student Archival Investigations, Part III
Guest Authors: Nadia Rassech and Eli McKown-Dawson, with Tarez Samra Graban, Associate Professor of English and Honors Teaching Scholar This is the last installment of three highlighting the work of students in Special Collections and Archives with HUM 2937/IDH 3109 Sustainable Public Discourse during American Archives Month 2021. You can read the first and secondContinue reading “Student Archival Investigations, Part III”
Introductions: Bailey Hopkins
Hi! My name is Bailey Hopkins, and I’d like to introduce myself as a new member of the Special Collections & Archives team! I grew up on the coast of South Florida with an affinity for nature and art. I’ve always been the creative type and as a child, I put all my energy intoContinue reading “Introductions: Bailey Hopkins”
Women of the Movement: The Law and Emmett Till
On January 13 and 20, ABC aired the last four parts of the scripted historical drama Women of the Movement, centered on Mamie Till-Mobley and the pursuit of justice for her son Emmett Till. The dramatization of the murder trial of J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant, as well as surrounding events, naturally commanded screen timeContinue reading “Women of the Movement: The Law and Emmett Till”
Student Archival Investigations, Part II
Guest Authors: Miranda Fuller and Kate Kramer, with Tarez Samra Graban, Associate Professor of English and Honors Teaching Scholar This is the second installment of three highlighting the work of students in Special Collections and Archives with HUM 2937/IDH 3109 Sustainable Public Discourse during American Archives Month 2021. You can read the first installment onContinue reading “Student Archival Investigations, Part II”
Introductions and the Medial S/f
We decided we would tell you a little about ourselves and the work we do in Special Collections and Archives. I am Dianna Bradley and I have been assisting in Special Collections and Archives for a little over 4 years now. I am a cataloger at FSU Libraries and work on managing our records, includingContinue reading “Introductions and the Medial S/f”
Burns Night
Today, January 25, is a day to celebrate the national bard of Scotland, Robert Burns. Burns was a poet and songwriter who left a deep imprint on the world in his short 37 years. His first collection of poetry Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was published in 1786. This first edition is known asContinue reading “Burns Night”
Student Archival Investigations, Part I
Guest author: Tarez Samra Graban, Associate Professor of English and Honors Teaching Scholar Florida cannot develop its parks too rapidly or conserve its attractiveness too zealously. Governor LeRoy Collins, Dec. 1960 During American Archives month, the 17 students enrolled in HUM 2937/IDH 3109 Sustainable Public Discourse embarked on an archival investigation that invited them toContinue reading “Student Archival Investigations, Part I”
Women of the Movement: The Press and Emmett Till
On January 6, ABC aired the first two parts of the historical drama Women of the Movement, centered on Mamie Till-Mobley and her devotion to justice for her murdered son Emmett Till. Among other sources, the series draws heavily from Devery Anderson’s 2015 monograph Emmett Till: The Murder That Shocked the World and Propelled theContinue reading “Women of the Movement: The Press and Emmett Till”
Happy Holidays from FSU Special Collections!
Happy Holidays from FSU Special Collections!
The Great Rare Books Bake Off Finale
As November has come to a close so has our Annual FSU Special Collections & Archives Great Rare Books Bake Off. We have had a month full of mixing, baking, cooking, and exploring. Our recipes ranged from cookies, stews, and bacon pancakes, to milk punch, bread pudding, and cakes. Diving into the stacks, our contributors learnedContinue reading “The Great Rare Books Bake Off Finale”
Emmett Till Archives Inaugural Lecture
FSU Libraries welcome Keith Beauchamp and Devery Anderson for the Emmett Till Archives Inaugural Lecture. Please join us for an evening of story telling and discussion. Dr. Davis Houck, Fannie Lou Hamer Professor, will lead the discussion with Keith Beauchamp, filmmaker and producer of “The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till”, and Devery Anderson, authorContinue reading “Emmett Till Archives Inaugural Lecture”
The Jelly Roll – The Perfect Cake for the Holiday Season
As someone who has been a long-time fan of the Great British Baking Show, I knew I wanted to try and make a showstopping cake for my recipe. After perusing through cookbooks for different cakes, I found one from 1905 for a Jelly Roll from The New England Cook Book: the Latest and Best Methods for Economy and Luxury at Home.
Mamie Till-Mobley
November 23rd marks the 100th birthday of Mamie Till-Mobley, American teacher and civil rights activist. The 1955 lynching of her 14-year-old son Emmett Till was a catalyst for the 20th century Civil Rights Movement, and her own activism was no small part of the dissemination of Emmett’s story.
Excellent Cookies: Are they, in fact, excellent?
This is a guest post to Illuminations for the Great Rare Books Bake Off by Sofia Varela, Digital Library Center Assistant. I don’t bake frequently but, when I do, I stick to the same cookie recipe which is fine by me but my family has grown a bit tired of it. When I was lookingContinue reading “Excellent Cookies: Are they, in fact, excellent?”
You Can’t Go Wrong With Bread Pudding, Right?
This post was written by Emily Castillo for the SCA Great Rare Books Bakeoff. Bread pudding is a timeless dessert that plenty of people have tried at least once. In my case, I first tried it when my mom was on a food experimenting binge in high school. There were some good (and not soContinue reading “You Can’t Go Wrong With Bread Pudding, Right?”
Cheese Toast – The Country Kitchen
This recipe was attempted by Chelsea McClellan, an accounting representative who works in the admin suite of Strozier Library. She has been with the University for four months and considers her baking skills to be non-existent. For the Rare Books Bake Off I decided to recreate Cheese Toast from the cookbook titled The Country Kitchen. Continue reading “Cheese Toast – The Country Kitchen”
They Call This Simmer: Bigos and the Wild World of Family Recipes
This is a guest post to Illuminations for the Great Rare Books Bake Off by Devin Burns, Religion Ph.D. Student. When I was seven, my grandmother taught me how to make stuffed cabbage or golabki. For a whole day, we washed and cooked the cabbage, cooked the beef, cut vegetables, rolled the meat into theContinue reading “They Call This Simmer: Bigos and the Wild World of Family Recipes”
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Illuminations 