Movie Myths: Busted!
We’ve all seen a movie or two that has a scene set in the Archives or a Special Collections Library. Movie magic can really show our work off well. The silver screen is notorious for exaggeration and over generalizing certain tasks and this is even true for the depictions of the world of Special CollectionsContinue reading “Movie Myths: Busted!”
Is it Lost in the Archives?: Discovery Myths and Archival Labor
Every so often in the news we hear about an important document that was previously unknown and discovered in the archives. Beginning in 2012, The Atlantic ran two pieces about one such example: The Leale Report. This is a perfect case to examine for making archival labor transparent and looking at several myths in theContinue reading “Is it Lost in the Archives?: Discovery Myths and Archival Labor”
Awareness and Perceptions of Archives
Has the internet impacted perceptions about archivists and the work we do? Caitlin Patterson’s article “Perceptions and Understandings of Archives in the Digital Age” intends to help us understand.1 Here are the main takeaways of her survey: Increased expectations to find both general information and archival materials online. Respondents felt that archives were inaccessible andContinue reading “Awareness and Perceptions of Archives”
“It’s all online, right?”: Myths of the Digital and the Archives
Among the many myths of the archives, the ones around digitization and digital libraries are perhaps the ones that can frustrate me the most. But then, I am a digital archivist so that will not surprise you. However, ever since archives started to digitize their materials and share them online, we’ve been battling these mythsContinue reading ““It’s all online, right?”: Myths of the Digital and the Archives”
Welcome to Special Collections & Archives MythBusters Month!
Throughout the month of April we’ll be debunking some of the most popular myths about our work, on our Illuminations blog and on FSU Libraries’ Twitter and Instagram. We invite you to join us on this SCA MythBusting journey!
Their Stories: Why Oral History Matters.
LGBTQ+ history has traditionally been passed down orally. Through stories, shared experiences, and even gossip, queer people have kept alive their art, colloquialisms, and their truth. Oral history is a huge component to understanding the queer experience (as for other cultures). However, it is a more modern development for institutions to note the value ofContinue reading “Their Stories: Why Oral History Matters.”
Springtime in the SSDN Repository
This springtime the Sunshine State Digital Network challenges you to “spring clean your mind” by exploring our repository for materials related to spring!
Armchair Traveling in the Digital Library
We’ve all been stuck pretty close to home for over a year now and, I don’t know about you, but I am missing the fun and excitement of traveling. I find myself planning trips and adding more and more days onto a European vacation that has been postponed for two years now. A recent newContinue reading “Armchair Traveling in the Digital Library”
Archival Spring Cleaning
Winter has finally passed and while you revel in the return of green things, you might also think about doing some Spring cleaning. Brushing out the cobwebs of a neglected basement or attic, you find some ancient treasures, boxed up and passed down over the generations. As you page through fragile letters and photographs fromContinue reading “Archival Spring Cleaning”
Pocket books: small volumes in the Shaw Collection
Today we are celebrating John MacKay Shaw on the anniversary of his death in 1984. Shaw (1897-1984) was a Scottish-born American businessman and philanthropist who collected works of British and American poetry related to the theme of childhood. When talking about the Shaw collection, we often highlight the 5,000 first and rare editions of majorContinue reading “Pocket books: small volumes in the Shaw Collection”
Library History at FSU, Part 6: Law Research Center
The College of Law Library opened alongside the College of Law in the fall of 1966 with a collection of 13,000 volumes. The college was located in Longmire Hall and included offices, the law library, and a shared auditorium. Construction began on a new classroom building for the College of Law and was completed inContinue reading “Library History at FSU, Part 6: Law Research Center”
Conscious Editing: The Way Forward to More Inclusive Description Practices
Librarians and archivists have begun to actively focus on making sure materials are described in a way that respects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of both historical subjects and contemporary researchers. Traditional cataloging and archival description often excluded figures deemed “unimportant,” making it almost impossible to research marginalized people, hiding the richness of the historicalContinue reading “Conscious Editing: The Way Forward to More Inclusive Description Practices”
Gif It Up, Florida
Is it possible that it is that time of year again? It feels like just last month the Sunshine State Digital Network was hosting the Gif It Up, Florida competition for 2020. Its been a full year since then and we are ready to host our third annual competition where our followers use our contentContinue reading “Gif It Up, Florida”
State of the FSU Digital Library
Every year, about this time of year, I give an update on all the things that happened with the digital library last year. As you can imagine, the FSU Digital Library in DigiNole: FSU’s Digital Repository experienced some changes in how we do business last year. There were stretches of time where we weren’t addingContinue reading “State of the FSU Digital Library”
Recycling and Reuse in Medieval Manuscripts
When you think of the Middle Ages, do you think of recycling? While the concept may seem foreign to us now, medieval people regularly reused and recycled all kinds of objects. Obviously, medieval recycling wasn’t concerned with the idea of reducing single-use plastic or trying to decrease contributions to landfills. Instead, recycling was simply aContinue reading “Recycling and Reuse in Medieval Manuscripts”
Library History at FSU, Part 5: Maguire Medical Library
The FSU College of Medicine was created in 2000 by legislative mandate to educate and develop exemplary physicians who practice patient-centered health care, discover and advance knowledge, and are responsive to community needs, especially through service to elder, rural, minority, and underserved populations. It was granted provisional accreditation in 2002 and received full accreditation inContinue reading “Library History at FSU, Part 5: Maguire Medical Library”
Celebrating C.K. Steele
Charles Kenzie Steele was born on this day, February 17, in 1914. Steele was a prominent Civil Rights activist and one of the central organizers of the Tallahassee Bus Boycott in 1956. He moved to Tallahassee with his family in 1952 to become the preacher at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. On May 27, 1956 twoContinue reading “Celebrating C.K. Steele”
Mardi Gras Reimagined
Mardi Gras may look different this year, but this isn’t the first time that the fete has been changed… Mardi Gras is a pre-Lenten celebration that has been part of Catholic tradition for centuries. It is usually characterized by hedonistic excess in preparation for the deprivation of luxuries starting on Ash Wednesday. While today weContinue reading “Mardi Gras Reimagined”
Library History at FSU, Part 4: Allen Music Library
The Warren D. Allen Music Library at FSU is one of the major music libraries of the southeast and one of the oldest on our campus. It was founded alongside the College of Music in the early 1900s. Originally located in College Hall, the College of Music and its library were relocated in 1911 withContinue reading “Library History at FSU, Part 4: Allen Music Library”
Introducing the Emmett Till Archives Interns
The Emmett Till Archives at Florida State University Libraries consists of primary and secondary source material related to the life, murder, and memory of Emmett Louis Till. Florida State University Libraries partners with the Emmett Till Interpretive Center, the Emmett Till Memory Project, and other institutions and private donors to collect, preserve, and provide accessContinue reading “Introducing the Emmett Till Archives Interns”
Celebrating Black History Month 2021: A Retrospective
February is Black History Month and at FSU Special Collections & Archives, we are excited to share some of the black history featured in our work and found in the collections we care for. To kick off the month, we’d love to introduce you to Doby Lee Flowers, who won FSU’s Homecoming Queen in 1970,Continue reading “Celebrating Black History Month 2021: A Retrospective”
Kitchen Politics?: Grits in the American South and the Equal Rights Amendment
Grits are a staple in southern cooking. They’re one of my favorite things to eat and can be enjoyed in different ways be it with butter, cheese, pepper jelly, an egg, or just on their own. I was born in North Carolina and have lived in Florida since I was five. Growing up, I didn’tContinue reading “Kitchen Politics?: Grits in the American South and the Equal Rights Amendment”
Change is coming to the digital library!
Happy New Year! A bit late but this is my first post of the year and it is to share happy news. Later this year, FSU Libraries will be migrating our digital library to a new platform. This spring will be a lot of work in getting the new platform up and running, migrating allContinue reading “Change is coming to the digital library!”
New Year, New Look, More Stories
Thank you to Katie McCormick, Associate Dean for Special Collections & Archives, for this post to kick off our new blog redesign. Welcome to Illuminations, the FSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives blog. Whether you are a regular reader or this is your first time here, you’re in a new place. We’re excited about ourContinue reading “New Year, New Look, More Stories”
Illuminations’ Forthcoming Transformation: January 25th
A new year means new beginnings. This month, Special Collections & Archives will be unveiling the new Illuminations blog. The new blog features thematic organization, a comprehensive navigation menu, and a new overall look. Check back here on January 25th for the big unveiling!
Happy Holidays from FSU Special Collections & Archives
With the library closing for winter break beginning this Saturday, December 19th we wanted to take the opportunity to wish you a safe and happy holiday season. Below is an animated card created by FSU Libraries using illustrations from one of our very own herbals! While a lemon tree might seem like an odd choiceContinue reading “Happy Holidays from FSU Special Collections & Archives”
Want to add your pandemic story to the Archives?
Heritage & University Archives is still collecting materials for its campus-wide project encouraging FSU students, staff, and faculty to document their personal experiences during the coronavirus outbreak and contribute them to the University Archives.
The Great Rare Books Bake Off Finale
As November comes to a close so does the 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 cakes, cookies, meat pie, hot punch, soup, fish, mushrooms, and much more!
Hot Milk Sponge Cake
This is a guest post to Illuminations for the Great Rare Books Bake Off, by Denise Wetzel, STEM Research & Learning Librarian. “Ye Olde Baking Adventure” began by looking through various cookbooks from my family’s home in Schuylkill (pronounced SKOOL-kill) County, Pennsylvania. Even though I now live in Florida, and have been pretty much inContinue reading “Hot Milk Sponge Cake”
McClellan Family Molasses Cookies
This is a guest post to Illuminations for the Great Rare Books Bake Off by Emily McClellan. For five generations, my family has spent Thanksgiving at our family farm, making 100% cane syrup in our cane mill. It’s a fact I’ve hung my hat on my entire life, one that every single one of myContinue reading “McClellan Family Molasses Cookies”
Tasting History: A Modernized Recipe for Bizcochos de Chocolate
This is a guest post to Illuminations for the Great Rare Books Bake Off, by Dr. Tanya M. Peres, Associate Professor of Anthropology. Do you put together a cookie tray for the holidays? The first time I did was in 2003 with my good friend Kristin when I lived in Lexington, Kentucky. I’ve been makingContinue reading “Tasting History: A Modernized Recipe for Bizcochos de Chocolate”
FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Dessert Week
Welcome to the final week of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Great Rare Books Bake Off! We saved the best for last, this week we will be sharing and attempting dessert recipes from our collection. Please visit our introduction post to find out how you can participate. An excellent source of inspiration for dessertsContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Dessert Week”
Les Poissons & Louisiana Lagniappe
This is a guest contribution to Illuminations for The Great Rare Books Bake Off by Adam Beauchamp, Humanities Librarian at FSU Libraries. I love seafood. If it lives beneath the waves, I’m willing to fry it and try it. I grew up on the Great Lakes and then spent most of my adult life inContinue reading “Les Poissons & Louisiana Lagniappe”
“Venison” Pasty Adventure
This past weekend I went on my Rare Books Bake Off adventure and it was an adventure, believe you me. While my end product was yummy and made my apartment smell like the best of local British pubs, it wasn’t much of a looker and it was a journey to get it made. Here areContinue reading ““Venison” Pasty Adventure”
To Bake a Neates-Tongue, To Be Eaten Hot
A Neates Tongue is a beef tongue. Beef tongue is not a regular dish in my home, and a little more expensive than I thought, but it compared nicely to a pot-roast. Although the recipe is over 350 years old, the ingredients were easy to find and resulted in a delicious meal.
A Short Cut for (stewed) Mushrooms
The Compleat Cook was produced as a separate volume of culinary recipes alongside a larger collection of medicinal and confectionary recipes in 1655 entitled The Queens Closet Opened: Incomparable Secrets in Physic, Chirurgery, Preserving, Candying, and Cookery.
FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Main Course and Sides Week
Welcome to the third week of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Great Rare Books Bake Off! This week we will be discussing oven temperatures and sharing main course and side dish recipes from our collection. Please visit our introduction post to find out how you can participate. The way oven temperatures have been describedContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Main Course and Sides Week”
Paul Hollywood hates Mrs. Beeton’s Cheese Biscuits
There was a touch of disagreement in our house about what it means to “rub in” the cheese with the butter, which resulted in our recreation of one of our favorite scenes in Schitt’s Creek.
Pick a Gourd, any Gourd: Winter Squash Soup
This is a guest contribution to Illuminations for The Great Rare Books Bake Off by Christianne Beekman. Winter Squash (or pick any gourd) soup I initially wanted to call this recipe “Pick Your Favorite Gourd” Soup. After some research it became clear to me that pumpkin (or butternut squash, which I ended up using) isContinue reading “Pick a Gourd, any Gourd: Winter Squash Soup”
FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Appetizer Week
Welcome to the second week of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Great Rare Books Bake Off! This week we will be sharing and attempting appetizer recipes from our collection and also discussing historic measurements. Please visit our introduction post to find out how you can participate. When reading through older recipes or cookbooks someContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Appetizer Week”
Cocktail Week: A Hot Punch to the Face
The photos above contain the recipe as it was recorded in Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, published in 1861 (the volume in our collection is a first edition).
World Digital Preservation Day
The first Tuesday of every November is World Digital Preservation Day: a day when all digital archivists and preservationists get to toot our horn a bit and celebrate the work of ourselves and our colleagues over the last year. It’s also a day where digital preservation practitioners talk about what everyone could be doing toContinue reading “World Digital Preservation Day”
FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Cocktail/Mocktail Week
Welcome to the first week of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Great Rare Books Bake Off! This week we will be sharing and attempting cocktail and mocktail recipes from our collection. Please visit our introduction post to find out how you can participate. Many of the beverage recipes found in our cookbooks make largeContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Cocktail/Mocktail Week”
American Archives Month 2020 Recap
FSU Special Collections & Archives celebrated American Archives Month throughout the month of October by hosting events and sharing interesting items from our collection. We kicked off the month with a takeover of FSU Libraries social media on October 7th for “Ask an Archivist Day.” FSU SCA staff answered questions on Instagram about how toContinue reading “American Archives Month 2020 Recap”
“Archive of Me” by Jennifer F.
This post is the second part of our “Archive of Me” series for American Archives Month. Earlier this month Kacee kicked us off with a post about her collections of slides inherited from her grandmother. Below, I will be talking about a few of the things that have ended up in my own personal archive.Continue reading ““Archive of Me” by Jennifer F.”
Slow and Steady
Progress is slow, but steady. I’m happy to say that in the time that I started this blog series, active steps have definitely been taken towards working on diversity and inclusion in FSU Special Collections & Archives discovery tools. The main projects that we are working on right now are: The Conscious Editing Initiative TheContinue reading “Slow and Steady”
FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off
With the holiday season fast approaching, the FSU Special Collections & Archives division is challenging the FSU community (and beyond!) to try a recipe from our collection of rare books, manuscripts, and heritage materials. The FSU Special Collections & Archives Great Rare Books Bake Off will take place the entire month of November and consistContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off”
Vote!
October is coming to an end pretty soon and the National Election on November 3rd is approaching fast! 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, safety precautions for in-person voting, yourContinue reading “Vote!”
Sun City
Recently, we digitized the Sun City Development and Motion Picture Studio Plat Map Sheets for use in a class which led me to look into…what are these exactly? I uncovered a fascinating story of the brother of Cleveland railroad barons and a Georgia inventor who, a decade apart, tried to bring Hollywood to Florida. DuringContinue reading “Sun City”
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