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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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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.
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”
To Make (or Not to Make) a Bacon Froize
This year when we announced the Rare Books Bakeoff, I knew that I had to enlist my roommate Michelle because we both enjoy cooking and History. What better way to understand the past than to cook your way through it? Michelle perused The queen-like closet, or, Rich cabinet last month from Diginole and found theContinue reading “To Make (or Not to Make) a Bacon Froize”
Clarified Milk Punch: A case for curdling your cocktails
In rare books cooking, it is not difficult to find truly vile recipes: aspic, cakes with ambergris, beef tea pudding. Every once in a while, however, it’s possible to find something that reads as viscerally disgusting on the page, but actually turns out delicious in practice (think depression-era tomato soup cake). I have recreated oneContinue reading “Clarified Milk Punch: A case for curdling your cocktails”
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! As always, we begin our week with a series of cocktails and mocktails. Please go visit our earlier post this week to see how to participate! Because we’re back on campus this semester, for this first post we’re showingContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off Cocktail/Mocktail Week”
FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off 2021
Last year FSU Special Collections & Archives spent the month of November showing off recipes from our digital collection of cookbooks and herbals. We welcomed guest contributors who shared recipes from their personal family collections, and modernized historic recipes, and we baked…a lot! With more students, faculty, and staff back on campus this Fall weContinue reading “FSU Special Collections & Archives Presents: The Great Rare Books Bake Off 2021”
The Great Rare Books Bake Off 2021
It is almost November, which means it is almost time for the Great Rare Books Bake Off! This year our celebration occurs while the newest season of the Great British Baking Show airs. Let’s make Paul Hollywood and the crowd proud by attempting some historic recipes from our collection and yours. How can you participate?Continue reading “The Great Rare Books Bake Off 2021”
Pest Management in an Archive
What is it, and why do we need it? As we begin making bigger and better changes for the archive, one major adjustment currently being worked on is the creation of a standardized Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy. IPM is a program put in place in order to effectively protect archives from damaging insects. ForContinue reading “Pest Management in an Archive”
American Archives Month 2021
October is American Archives Month and institutions around the United States are gearing up to share their work throughout the month. The goal of the month is to raise public awareness about what archives are, what purpose they serve, and why they are important. Fun Facts about the FSU Archives FSU Special Collections & ArchivesContinue reading “American Archives Month 2021”
The Casual Dirac
The Paul A.M. Dirac Papers are a terrific source of information about the public, scholarly side of Paul Dirac: the lecturer, the genius mathematician, a theorist among theorists. However, in our eagerness to honor someone’s professional achievements, it’s easy to gloss over the rest of their personality, the private figure that coexists with the publicContinue reading “The Casual Dirac”
The Elmo TT-12F Document Camera and Special Collections Instruction
While the buzz of a classroom filled with excited discussion was somewhat lost in the move to a virtual space, this technology allowed us to share as much of the tactile experience of archives work as we could.
Back in the Classroom: Reflections on a Year of Remote Instructional Support
We are excited to apply the new skills we have developed over the past year of remote instruction to upcoming in-person or virtual sessions, as well as continue to develop more activities to introduce and support primary source literacy at FSU and beyond.
Korean Movable Type: A Mini-History
Most scholars credit China with the conception of printing. The oldest surviving printed book, The Diamond Sutra, dates back to 868 AD. For reference, Gutenberg’s bible was printed in 1455. Fast forward a century from the Diamond Sutra and we meet Bi Sheng who was the first person to create movable type between 1039 andContinue reading “Korean Movable Type: A Mini-History”
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
This is a crosspost, click here to see the original by Kyung Kim. We are celebrating Asian and Pacific American Heritage this month. Congress proclaimed a week of May in 1979 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week, and in 1992, it designated May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the firstContinue reading “Asian Pacific American Heritage Month”
Library History at FSU, Part 9: John and Mable Ringling Art Library
Governance of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was given to FSU in 2000. The University oversaw the restoration and renovation of all four buildings on the complex: the Ca d’Zan, the Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, and the Historic Asolo Theater. The Art Library was established with The Ringling’s reopening underContinue reading “Library History at FSU, Part 9: John and Mable Ringling Art Library”
Library History at FSU, Part 8: Library and Learning Center at FSU Panama City
In 1972, the University of West Florida was directed by the Florida Board of Regents to establish a center of higher education in Panama City. The center was originally located in the Bay County School Board Office Building and the Gulf Coast Community College campus. The library was housed in Gulf Coast Community College. InContinue reading “Library History at FSU, Part 8: Library and Learning Center at FSU Panama City”
MythBusters Month Wrap-Up
Throughout the month of April we shared some of the most commonly held misconceptions and myths about Special Collections & Archives, and then proceeded to debunk them. Here is a roundup of all our mythbusting posts in case you missed one. Welcome to Special Collections & Archives MythBusters Month! by Rachel Duke Rachel showed usContinue reading “MythBusters Month Wrap-Up”
Library History at FSU, Part 7: College of Engineering Library
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering was established in 1982 and is the only shared engineering college in the nation. The facilities were remodelled in 2011. It is located less than three miles from both FSU and FAMU campuses. College of Engineering students at both FAMU and FSU learn together at the joint College of EngineeringContinue reading “Library History at FSU, Part 7: College of Engineering Library”
Everything but paper: what else does SCA collect?
A lot has been written about our rare books and manuscripts collections on this blog, but did you know SCA also collects all kinds of objects, art, and recording formats? Take a look to learn more about our non-paper collections.
University History and Mythology
As with any person, place, or institution of note, there are a multitude of myths that attach themselves to their histories through various avenues. They can range from fun anecdotes to harmful misrepresentations.
Do we just collect “Old Stuff”? Appraisal in Special Collections & Archives
While monetary value and current demand for a book are part of the criteria I review in assessing its appropriateness for FSU’s Rare Book Collections, it is just one facet in a web of related values that are considered.
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!”
“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.”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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”
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