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Archive for November, 2009

Working Men’s Libraries

November 10th, 2009

Forerunners and early competitors to America's free public libraries came in many varieties. The Working Men's Institute libraries were one of those varieties. The first Working Men's Institute was founded in 1838 in New Harmony, Indiana with a mission to disseminate useful knowledge to those who work with their hands. The Working Men's Institute in New Harmony was the first of 144 such institutions in Indiana and 16 in Illinois. The Institute in New Harmony is the only one remaining. It's library which is Indiana's oldest library still functions as a public library. More background information on the New Harmony Working Men's Institute and its building can be found here. Membership libraries that were based on the occupation of their members included mechanics libraries and mercantile libraries which date back to 1820. The San Francisco Mechanics Institute Library is one example of a mechanics library that still exists. The library of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in New York City is another. Mercantile libraries served merchants and their clerks. The Mercantile Library of Cincinnati is an existing example of this type of library. The Mercantile Library of New York which began as true mercantile library has transformed itself in recent years into The Center for Fiction.

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Printing on the RBR Handpress

November 10th, 2009

On Wednesday, November 11^th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. the Thacher Gallery and the Donohue Rare Book Room will hold an opening reception for the exhibition “Eric Gill, Iconographer: Engravings from the Albert Sperisen Collection.” During the reception there will be an opportunity to print on the Rare Book Room’s 1854 Albion handpress, once owned by the firm of Hague & Gill. Students from the Art + Architecture course Printmaking I will assist guests who wish to print a broadside keepsake featuring an Eric Gill image and quote. There is nothing quite like pulling an impression on an antique handpress. To experience the art and craft of letterpress printing, please visit the Donohue Rare Book Room during the opening reception. For more information, please call (415) 422-2036.

John Hawk
Head Librarian, Donohue Rare Book Room

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New Digital Collection: Eric Gill Prints – updated

November 5th, 2009

In conjunction with the Thacher Gallery exhibition: Eric G ill: Iconographer, the Gleeson Library has digitized the wood engravings in the Eric Gill collection from the Donohue Rare Book Room and made it available online to USF community. Nearly 400 digitized images are included in the Printing and Graphic Arts Collection and available for view on the Gleeson Library Digital Collections website. The site offers tools to zoom in and out of the image to view minute details. You can search across the collections for specific items. Due to copyright restrictions, the images are only accessible to USF IP addresses, but the records associated with the images are all available to the general public.

We’re actively expanding our digital collections, so check back often for new content!

GAO Reports

November 4th, 2009

caplogo Looking for in-depth analysis of a federal program you’ve heard about in the news? Then you’ll be really pleased to discover the reports issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress. Sometimes referred to as the “congressional watchdog,” GAO investigates how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars.

Some recent GAO Reports include:

Operation Iraqi Freedom: Preliminary Observations on DOD Planning for the Drawdown of U.S. Forces from Iraq GAO-10-179, November 2, 2009

Federal Student Aid: Highlights of a Study Group on Simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid GAO-10-29, October 29, 2009

Climate Change Adaptation: Strategic Federal Planning Could Help Officials Make More Informed Decisions GAO-10-175T, October 22, 2009

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Employment Discrimination: Overview of State Statutes and Complaint Data GAO-10-135R, October 1, 2009

Biofuels: Potential Effects and Challenges of Required Increases in Production and Use GAO-09-446, August 25, 2009

Health Insurance: Enrollment, Benefits, Funding, and Other Characteristics of State High-Risk Health Insurance Pools GAO-09-730R, July 22, 2009

Many of these reports are in Gleeson Library’s catalog, “Ignacio.” You can also find them on GAO’s website.

Find out more about Gleeson Library’s government information collection by visiting our homepage or contacting Carol Spector (the Government Information Librarian) at csspector@usfca.edu.

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Pearson Library Humor Award

November 3rd, 2009

As previously reported, I will be receiving the Edmund Lester Pearson Library Humor Award for 2009. The news release announcing the award is provided below.

News Release from The Molesworth Institute

The Molesworth Institute has awarded the Edmund Lester Pearson Library Humor Award for 2009 to Larry Nix, Library History Buff par excellence. The award carries with it a certificate, appointment as a Fellow of The Molesworth Institute, and a contribution to a charity of the recipient's choice. Mr. Nix has designated the Wisconsin Library History Center as the recipient of the contribution. Dr. Norman D. Stevens, Director of The Molesworth Instutute, announced that the award was made, in general, for Mr. Nix's outstanding website (http://libraryhistorybuff/) and, in particular, for his coverage in his blog of October 6, 2007 of the discovery of an original copy of the infamous Old Librarian's Almanac in the Harvard University Library by one Steven D. Norman a student working on the Google Book Project. Previous recipients of the Edmund Lester Pearson Library Award include Bengt Hjelmqvist, John V. Richardson, Jr., and Jeanette C. Smith.