AFRO Archives - African American Newspaper

There are web sites that have open newspaper archives but it has been hard to find a collection of historical African American newspapers on-line. That situation is improving thanks to a partnership between the AFRO American newspapers and Google.

The AFRO Archives allows visitors to read and examine newspapers from various time periods. The archives can tell you what the important news items of the day, commentary and opinion and a text snapshot of the goods, services and products being targeted to readers of the newspaper.

I read a few of the early papers and I was surprised about seeing the railroad schedules listed for the various rail lines. I made me wonder about the importance of the railroad in terms of employment and receiving goods from other places.

I could also get a sense that some of the issues that make the news today have historical connections. When reading the paper it is important to remember that this is a view into the thoughts and attitudes of the past. It took a moment to understand that the whitecaps mentioned in a news story referred to member of the Klan.

You can browse the archive or you can enter a search term to find articles that contain key words. When I entered "library" I was presented with articles about libraries trying to open or trying to prevent from being closed.

One of the articles that I read from 1947 wrote about the work of the YWCA in helping to open the library to all citizens except colored children under 16.

This is the beginning stage of the archive, more newspapers from the AFRO American newspaper chain need to be added. This is a neat research tool that libraries and schools and history buffs can enjoy and use.

The End of Publishing Video by DK

This is a text video with voice narration. Stay with it to the very end and then take a sigh of relief. But only for a little while. This is a video by Dorling Kindersley Books aka DK.

Book publishers have a strong vested interest in staying in business. Publishers have an equal desire to make sure that we, the public, understand that they understand our wants, needs and perceptions have changed.



DK is a publishing company in the United Kingdom that does sell book here in the U.S. Usually DK books are visual, well designed how-to books and guides. This video was originally produced for a sales meeting but word got out about it and it was released to the public.

I am of two minds about it. I think it is a great execution of an idea to see the the younger generation/electronic reading public in a new light beyond statistics.

And yet with the current levels of public discussions about history, politics and culture I worry that the only ones who truly care about the dissemination of information are the people that sell it and the caretakers that want to see it shared without bias.

In the video there is a mention of Lady Gaga as a indicator of what is important. I don't want to leave the impression that I'm picking on Lady Gaga or using her as an example of the mush that passes for brain in this country.

I think she is a brilliant performer who understands how to use the tools of communication to control her content and her distribution channels.

Libraries and the people that love them don't do as well at promotion. But I'm not gonna roll soda or beer cans in my hair either. How does a library, even a college library continue to state its importance to the communities that it serves?

How do you do that when there is no money? So this video got me thinking. I hope it does the same for you.

Dispatches From A Public Librarian At McSweeney's

McSweeney's is a literary publisher. Kinda. McSweeney's is a seeker of crafted literary voices. Sort of. McSweeney's is a word lovers warm fuzzy blanket with threads that can take you anywhere. Ok, McSweeney's is very hard to describe. It is a wonderful place for people who love language.

In this case you should check out Scott Douglass and Dispatches from A Public Library. Real librarian with a literary twist. In his dispatches sometimes Scott uses a Twitter format to report the doings in the library.

Here is an example from Dispatch #32

Patron wants to know why our computer won't let him log into e-mail. Ask what his e-mail address is. He can't remember.

Sometimes it is a narrative on the Patron on the Week:

Some patrons you can just tell are going to be crazy. Clemens, a homeless man in drag who came into the library this week, saved me from guessing and told me right when he walked in: "My name's Clemens. I'm crazy and want to use a computer." To seal the deal, he extended his hand to shake.

It is the stories, the challenges and how he sees his patrons as a source of never ending material defining the human experience. He doesn't necessarily make fun of these folks but the humor of the situations he faces is amazing.

For me there is Ms. Haskell. I can think of several older patrons I get a kick out of, but I knew Ms. Haskell was special the first day I met her; she asked for the dictionary ... on audiotape. Not an abridged version, or a "500 Power Words Everyone Should Know"—not even a collegiate dictionary would do. She had it all scribbled out on a stained napkin, which she proudly dangled in front of my eyes: "OED Dictionary on audiotape." When I said no, we did not have that, she said, "Well, compact disc will have to do then." That was my first encounter with her, and all the encounters that followed were also about audiotapes.

When you finish with Scott make a little time to visit the rest of McSweeney's.

BibliOdyssey - Time Travel for Book Lovers

I admit that I can be seduced by software, hardware and all manner of contraptions. I can't go near a camera store without coming out with something. By my true love is books. Old, new it does not matter to me. So when I found the BibliOdyssey blog that really demonstrates the craftsmanship of older books I was amazed at the artwork and typography being displayed.



We forget that a book had to do many things at one time. Certainly it had to have content and text was the easiest and most affordable content to produce. But for those that could afford it, books with images were highly desirable. The woodcut and other techniques used to illustrate in ancient books can be breathtaking.

If you have an interest in typography, book art, illustration or need a dose of inspiration this is a great blog to visit.

Author of The Hummingbird’s Daughter Speaking at PCC

The Author of the City of Pasadena’s One City, One Story selection this year, The Hummingbird’s Daughter, will be speaking on campus in Harbeson Hall on Friday, April 3rd, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Please come and welcome Luis Alberto Urrea to the campus.

Free tickets available at the Shatford Library Reference Desk or at the door.


Here is a summary that I “borrowed” from Pasadena Now:

The Hummingbird’s Daughter is the story of Teresita, a distant relative of Urrea, who comes to terms with her destiny with the power of faith. It is the tale of a father discovering what true love is and a daughter recognizing that sometimes true love requires true sacrifice. It is full of cowboys and outlaws, Indian warriors, cantina beauties, silly men who drink too much and desert women who in their dreams travel to the seashore. Urrea completed two decades of research and writing for this fictional history.



Urrea was a 2005 Pulitzer Prize finalist for nonfiction and is member of the Latino Literature Hall of Fame. He is a prolific and acclaimed writer who uses his dual-culture life experiences to explore themes of love, loss and triumph. The critically acclaimed author of 11 books, Urrea is an award-winning poet and essayist who has published extensively in all the major genres.

Born in Tijuana, Mexico, to a Mexican father and an American mother, Urrea attended the University of California at San Diego, earning an undergraduate degree in writing, and did his graduate studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder. A professor of creative writing at the University of Illinois-Chicago, he lives in Naperville, Ill., with his family

Tell you friends and the fiscally despondent that this is a good opportunity to reconnect with the literature world.

If they can't make the morning session there is another discussion about the religious aspects of the book at Fuller Theological later that afternoon and for those have a 9 t0 5 you can check Mr. Urrea at the Pasadena Convention Center Ballroom. From 3 to 5pm on Saturday, April 5th.

Europeana - Online Library, Museum and Archives

Americans do have a problem. We tend to forget we are not the only people on the planet. It does help that we have Canada to the north and Mexico to the south but still, we need to work on expanding our world education, awareness and perspective.

He is an opportunity to make amends by introducing you to Europeana. This is a a combination library, museum and cultural archive for Europe. This is a good news, bad news and great news story.

The good news is in November 2008 10 million people an hour tried to visit the site. The bad news is that they crashed three distinct servers. As of January 3, 2009 the site is still down. You can visit the Europeana Developer's page to learn more about the project. I will update this page when the site becomes fully functional.


The great news is that there is a massive hunger for this type of information and research. If you build it they will come. This will be a multilingual search into the culture, history and societies of the continent of Europe.

It is an ambitious undertaking. This will not just be the antiquities of old but views into European societies, race relations, health, television and the various rolls that prisons played in the society. In the meantime, check out the developer site and the video. It think it will be worth the wait.

The Marian Library at the University of Dayton

The Marian Library/International Marian Research Institute focuses research and collections concerning Mary, mother of the Christ Jesus. The library is hosted at the University of Dayton, in Ohio. This is an example of a specialized library; one with a religious focus.

The mission of the library is to provide information about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to collect literature and art that focuses on Mary and to maintain connections with the Marian community.

From the library website:

• over 100,000 books and pamphlets in some fifty languages, ranging from the invention of printing in the fifteenth century to the present
• more than 63,000 clippings from newspapers and magazines
• nearly 100,000 cards depicting Mary in the art of all ages and numerous Marian shrines. (i.e., if we count the postcards, Christmas cards, holy cards, and prints of various sizes).

You can search for the library holdings via a Marian specific Google Search. This will reflect those holdings that have a connection to Marian research.

On-Line Collection of Marian Art and Research

The library maintains a collection of art with Mary as the primary focus. There are traditional and contemporary paintings of Mary in a variety of styles and interpretations.

Marian Poetry Collections

There is a huge collection of Mary inspired poetry at the site. There are seasonal poetry, poetry of praise, assistance and poetry by John Donne, Pier Paolo Pasolini, in Italian, and Thomas Merton.

This is an opportunity to explore a topic or a collection you may not have been aware of it existence. It is also a great reason to check out the art gallery.

Center for Social Media - YouTube Channel

The Center for Social Media at American University has a YouTube Channel that talks about the importance of Social Media for educational and informational purposes. There is a series of videos that is particularly important to information and creative workers, Fair Use.



This is a video that gives an overview about the rights of documentarians, creators and educators about what they can and can't do with copyrighted material.

For more information visit the Center for Social Media. There you will find documentation on:

• Fair Use and Copyright with a FAQ section
  
• Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education
• Code of Best Practices for Online Web Video
  

At Your Local Library

It's been awhile since I've posted "At Your Local Library" I realized the other day. How time flies by when you're busy. Hopefully, I can make time to go to some of these that I haven't had a chance to experience just yet.

Jack London Exhibit

If you haven't yet had a chance to check out the Jack London exhibit by Devon Struther in the Centennial Room that was in conjunction with the recent The Big Read at the Pasadena Central Library, I recommend taking some time out to do so. You'll get a chance to view an intimate glimpse into the life and career of Jack London through photos, newspaper articles and more. The exhibit will continue to run till the end of November.

Bus Tours Round 'n Round Historic Filipinotown

Ever wondered what is Filipino about Historic Filipinotown? The Filipino American Library (FAL) answers this question in its free Bus Tours of Historic Filipinotown this coming Saturday, November 22 at FAL. On the bus tour, a guide narrates and points out the importance of sites, events, and individuals in and around Historic Filipinotown to give a historical overview of Filipinos in Los Angeles.

Four 1.5-hour tours will begin at 10:00am, 12:00pm, 2:00pm, and 4:00pm.

To reserve a seat, please contact filamlibrary@sbcglobal.net or 213-382-0488. While the tours are free, space is limited and they usually fill up in advance.

National Native American Heritage Month

Interested in learning more about Native American heritage and culture? Then head down to one of the branches of the L. A. County libraries. There's quite a few events happening this month but I'm just listing a sample of what you can find.

At South El Monte Library on Thursday, Nov. 20th at 6:30pm, one can watch Rodney Howard, one of the premier Native American dancers on the West Coast, as he performs dances, songs, and stories from tribes across North America.

On Saturday, Nov. 22nd from 1-4pm at the American Indian Resource Center in the Huntington Park Library will be hosting a screening of selected short films in partnership with LA Skins Fest.

Burbank Library exhibits for November

Are you a die-hard Nancy Drew fan? Or a movie buff? Then head down to Burbank Central Library, where items from the summer Nancy Drew movie and memorabilia from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" from Warner Bros are on display.

At the Buena Vista Library branch, one can find WORLD WAR II memorabila and uniforms which currently fill the display case that come mainly from the estates of Burbank residents, and one is from a soldier who served here in an anti-aircraft unit protecting Lockheed.

Prologue Magazine - National Archives and Records Adminstration

There is an abundance of historical information contained in the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) web site. One area I'd like to draw your attention to is the quarterly magazine Prologue.


Prologue is a great resource. Did you know that there was a court case about frozen ice cream and flavored ice between Popsicle and Good Humor? Or that there were inconsistent rules applied to women and naturalization between 1802 to 1940?

Many people have issues about the response handling in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina but did you know that there were slackers, looters and governmental incompetents that added to the confusion on who was responsible during San Francisco 1906 Earthquake?

You can read and decide for yourself if history repeats itself in the article "When an American City Is Destroyed, The U.S. Military as First Responders to the San Francisco Earthquake a Century Ago".

There is a lot of talk recently about subversives, anti-Americans and being "the other." It is scary stuff but it is not new to the country. In Prologue magazine there is an article about how the McCarthy era came into being by the Attorney General's List of Subversive Organizations (AGLOSO).

You can learn about how fear took root the government and in the country. Once you know how it got started you can be on the look out for new versions that are being implied or suggested.

This is your tax dollars being put to wonderful use. I would certainly add this to your information tool kit.

I Am A Librarian Video From I Love Libraries

It has been a while since I've posted singing librarian videos and there is no time like the present to show passions for information with a 1/3 or 2/4 beat. This is a captioned video sung to the tune of Yankee Doodle Dandy on why librarians are important and how cool it is to be one.



This video was sponsored by the ALA Office of Diversity in support of the Spectrum Scholarships. To be eligible for a Spectrum Scholarship (from the website):

• Applicant must be a citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or Canada.
• Applicant must be American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
• Applicant must attend an ALA-accredited graduate program in library and information studies or an ALA-recognized NCATE School Library Media program.
• Applicant shall have completed no more than a third of the credit requirements toward her/his MLIS or school library media degree at the time of award, June 1st.
• Applicant must be enrolled in an accredited program and begin school no later than September 1st or the Fall Semester immediately following the award.
• Applicants may have full or part time status.
  

If you are interested in becoming a librarian and need financial assistance to help you along the path check out the Spectrum Scholarship information page at ALA Office of Diversity.

The Carlyle Letters - Victorian Reference Sources

There is something to be said about obtaining history from primary sources. If you are interested in the Victorian era, life during the time of the potato famine or how people communicated without cell phones, Internet or even telegraph then you should visit The Carlyle Letters Online from Duke University Press.


You will have the opportunity to meet Thomas and Jane Carlyle and be introduced to some of their family, friends and life in the 19th century. There are over 10,000 letters written to and from the leading lights of the day such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Ralph Waldo Emerson and many more.

You will also get a sense of gender relations, travel, the importance of the Victorian class system and an overview of the society at that time.

Insight on the Potato Famine

One of the letters I read talked about the Irish population and the Potato Famine. The disease that infected potato cultivation did not just affect the Irish community. Most of the United Kingdom was impacted. As the potato crop died other crops became more valuable and fortunes were lost and made because of the famine.

I learned that there was a proposal to provide job infrastructure projects to help the Irish population sustain itself. The project was discourage and defeated by the merchants and landlords. The business class felt that such assistance would be a violation of free trade. It gives me an opportunity to compare that sentiment with discussions we in the 21st century are having about health care and governmental involvement.

Easy To Navigate and Find Information

It is easy to find letters on a certain topic. You can search by date, by the recipient of the letter or by subject. For example, when I selected London Library, I was provided a list of letters that talked of Thomas Carlyle's concern about who should be the next Librarian.

The letters are all connected via links so that you can follow the flow of the "conversations" or jump to a specific writer and follow his/her contributions. There are subject notes and footnotes to help explain changes in meaning or obscure words.

This is an excellent resource to add to your research and information gathering kit.