Angela Vanden Elzen

Author: Angela Vanden Elzen

Collection of Indian Rabari Objects on Display

Currently on display in the library display cases is a beautiful collection of ornate textiles and other handcrafted objects made by the Rabari people of India. This eye-catching display was curated by Beth Zinsli and Leslie Walfish of the Wriston Galleries.

The objects are a selection from the larger Judy Frater, ’74 Collection of Indian Rabari Objects. The collection was assembled by Lawrence alumna Judy Frater during her travels in India, and later curated by her into a traveling exhibit. This exhibit was donated to Lawrence by Ms. Frater and displayed in the Wriston Galleries in 1987.

In her original traveling exhibit notes, Ms. Frater describes the culture from which these objects were created:

The Rabaris are an ancient nomadic people who slowly migrated from Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent around twelve centuries ago… One of these groups, the Kachi Rabaris, lives in the desert Kutch. Kachis are herders of goats and sheep and are semi-nomadic. In their leisure time the women make mirrored embroideries for their childrens’ dress and their daughters’ dowries. Embroidery is a part of their way of life.

Judy Frater is author of the book, Threads of Identity: Embroidery and Adornment of the Nomadic Rabaris and has extensively researched the art of Indian textiles and crafts. She is the founder and former director of Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, an organization dedicated to preserving traditional crafting by educating artisans about how to promote their goods in today’s markets.

In recognition of her contributions to the preservation of crafting traditions, Ms. Frater will be receiving the George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award during this weekend’s Reunion Convocation.

Interested in learning more about Indian artisan designs? Ms. Frater and Kudecha Dayalal Atmaram, a traditional weaver, will be presenting a trunk show and informal talk on Sunday, June 22nd from 2-5 p.m. The show will be held at the office of Peterson, Berk, and Cross, located at 200 E. College Avenue.

The collection will remain on display in the library through June 30th.

Fox Cities Book Festival Authors at Lawrence: David Rhodes

JewelweedThe seventh annual Fox Cities Book Festival will take place in just a few short weeks. This festival celebrates the joy of literature by connecting readers with local, regional, and nationally-known authors. Book festival authors will be speaking at locations all over the Fox Cities during this week-long festival. This year, David Rhodes, Shawn Sheehy, Bruce Machart, and Matthew Batt will be speaking on the Lawrence University campus.

Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing a bit about these authors and their works.

David Rhodes, author of Jewelweed, will be speaking in the Warch Campus Center Cinema on Monday, April 7th at 6:30 P.M.

David Rhodes has received national acclaim for all of his novels, the most recent of which is Jewelweed (2013). This story centers on the small town of Word, Wisconsin, and a number of characters who are trying to come to grips with their problems and make their way in the community. A Booklist review described the work as a “many-faceted novel of profound dilemmas, survival, and gratitude.” A Chicago Tribune review called it “dazzlingly alive” and noted Rhodes is “a master storyteller of real people who live in our small towns.”

For more information about David Rhodes, take a look at his author page on the Fox Cities Book Festival website.

The Mudd Library owns a number of Rhodes’ works, including Jewelweed. Take a look at our library catalog.

Lux Reaches 100,000 Downloads

The Lux institutional repository is the home for the scholarly and creative output of Lawrence University. What does that mean, exactly? Lux is an electronic database that contains scholarly articles, art projects, honors projects, meeting documentation, and more- all created by Lawrence University students, faculty, and staff.

Here are a few examples of what can be found in Lux:

Recently, Lux reached the exciting milestone of 100,000 downloads of full-text content.

Mapping Then and Now: History of Geologic Mapping Display

Geologic Mapping Display

Have you noticed the large measuring rod that has been affixed to the stairway railing in the library? We are not expecting a flood or measuring the height of our patrons as some have suggested. That is called a stadia rod, and it is part of a geological mapping exhibit that will be set up in the library throughout winter term.

This display will consist of three installments, starting with From Washington and Jefferson to the Establishment of the U.S. Geological Survey, Last Century Mapping Techniques, and concluding with Current Digital Mapping Methods.

Geologic Mapping

The display was designed by Professor Emeritus of Geology, John Palmquist, with the purpose of exploring the role of maps and mapping in the development of the United States, as well as to show how mapping techniques have advanced over time.

For the duration of the display, a plane table, alidade, and stadia rod will be set up to encourage visitors to not only see these tools, but also to get a feel for how they are used.

Finals Stress Relief in the Library

We are happy to report that a variety of finals stress relief options will be available for Lawrence students in the library this weekend.

Our friends from around campus will be hosting the following stress relief events on the first floor of the library:

  • Kappa Alpha Theta will be selling cupcakes to raise money for CASA of the Fox Cities:
    Saturday, noon-6pm
  • Asia-A will be encouraging origami as a study break:
    Saturday, 7-10pm
  • The Wellness Committee will be bringing in chair massage and will have healthy snacks:
    Saturday, 1-3pm

We’ve set up a couple of stress relief options ourselves, available during all open library hours over reading period and finals:

  • Cut out a paper snowflake to decorate our tree. We have templates of Anthony Herrera’s awesome Star Wars snowflakes, Doctor Who TARDIS and Cybermen, as well as some more traditional designs. We also have plain paper available for those who’d like to exhibit their own creativity. The paper and tree are located to the right of the circulation desk.
  • Create with LEGO bricks! We’ve set out a collection of LEGO bricks on a table in front of the reference desk for some fun creativity time.

OF course, from group study rooms to individual carrels, the library has whatever type of study space you need.

Gettysburg Address Turns 150

Lincoln at Gettysburg
Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863. Enlargement from glass plate negative. Brady-Handy Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress Digital ID # cwpb-07639.

Today is the 150th anniversary of the delivery of President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. President Lincoln had been invited to deliver “a few appropriate remarks” at dedication ceremony of the soldiers’ cemetery at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg.  Edward Everett, a leading orator of the time, had spoken for two hours prior to the President’s address. The audience was taken by surprise when President Lincoln’s address had drawn to a close after approximately three minutes. Upon completion, the address was met with “long continued applause,” as well as three cheers from the audience. Some favorable reviews from newspapers around the country were published in the November 20th issue of The New York Times,

Chicago Tribune: “The dedicatory remarks by President Lincoln will live among the annals of man.”

Springfield (Mass.) Republican: “Surprisingly fine as Mr. Everett’s oration was in the Gettysburg consecration, the rhetorical honors of the occasion were won by President Lincoln. His little speech is a perfect gem; deep in feeling, compact in thought and expression, and tasteful and elegant in every word and comma. Then it has the merit of unexpectedness in its verbal perfection and beauty… Turn back and read it over, it will repay study as a model speech. Strong feelings and a large brain are its parents.”

As well as unfavorable reviews.

Chicago Times: “The cheeks of every American must tingle with shame as he reads the silly, flat, and dishwatery utterances.”

Care to read it for yourself? The text of the speech that has been inscribed on the wall of the Lincoln Memorial can be found on this Library of Congress page. If you’d like to see the original drafts, The Library of Congress owns what is known as the “Hay Draft” and the “Nicolay Copy” and has made them available as part of their online Gettysburg Address exhibition.

The Mudd Library’s Lincoln Reading Room contains an interesting collection of Abraham Lincoln-related documents, pictures, and works of art- including bronze casts of President Lincoln’s hands and face.

Sources:

“Contemporary Reactions.”  The Gettysburg Address. Cornell University Library, 2008. Web 18 November 2013.

“Gettysburg Address.” Encyclopedia of American Studies. : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 18 November 2013.

“Gettysburg Address.” The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Credo Reference. Web. 18 November 2013.

“The Heroes of July.” The New York Times. 20 November 1863. The Learning Network: Teaching and Learning With The New York Times. Web. 18 November 2013.

President Warch Convocation Recordings Available for Streaming

President Warch

President Rik Warch’s convocation addresses are well-known for their humor, wit, and poignancy. Professor Mike Hittle has said, “Rik’s words clearly energized Lawrence.” In honor of President Warch, and to make his words more accessible, we have begun making audio recordings of his convocations available to be streamed from Lux, Lawrence’s institutional repository.

President Warch’s convocation speeches are the beginning of a larger collection of Presidential addresses that will be collected and made available in Lux.

Interested in a more extensive collection of President Warch’s convocation addresses? The Mudd Library has multiple copies of his book, A matter of style :reflections on liberal education, Lawrence University Matriculation Convocation Addresses, 1979-2003. This book can also be purchased from the campus store, KK’s Apparel and Gifts, in store and online. A Kindle edition of this books is also available.

The Year of The Beatles at the Mudd Library

Year of The Beatles displayIf you’ve visited the Mudd this past week or so, you may have noticed a semi-permanent exhibit titled “The Year of the Beatles.”  This coming year we will document the 50th anniversary of the rise of the Beatles’ fame in the United States beginning in the fall of 1963 and ending September 4, 1964 with their first and only appearance in Wisconsin.

Artifacts will include reproductions of documents, such as the program from the 1957 garden fete of St Peter’s Church, Woolton, Liverpool, the studio log book documenting the Quarrymen’s first professional recording in 1958, as well as contemporary items, including 45s and LPs and Beatles memorabilia and also scrapbooks complied in 1964.  There will also be some groovy events on campus such as speakers, presentations, and maybe even a trivia contest.  Keep watching for updates!

We’ll be documenting each of the library’s exhibits all year long on our Year of the Beatles Flickr photoset. We’ve also created a Beatles Pinterest board, containing images of Beatles-related materials available at the Mudd Library.

New Abraham Lincoln Exhibit at the Mudd Library

Abraham Lincoln exhibitThe Mudd Library is currently hosting a new Lincoln exhibit entitled, Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times.  This exhibit focuses on the life of President Lincoln, following his path from a self-educated young man, to President of the United States and the challenges he faced while President.

This exhibit came to us from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. To learn more about it, see the Gilder Lehrman page– or better yet- come to the second floor of the Mudd Library and see it for yourself! It was installed in the Mudd on October 8th, and will be up through November 5th.