“It’s not a traditional library,” says Michelle Rinard, referring to the museum’s Thorek Manuscripts and Rare Books Collection. As curator and manager of exhibitions and development, Rinard stewards the library—home to more than 1,000 volumes of medical books, journals, illustrations, letters, and manuscripts dating from the 16th century to the present. Among the collection’s rare … Continue reading Bookend: At the Heart of Medical History
“When I was growing up, we didn’t have graphic novels for a children’s audience,” says Robb, head curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum (BICLM) at Ohio State University in Columbus. “But now we have all kinds of stories,” she says. “Autobiographical, fantasy, adventure, you name it. It’s incredible to see this explosion … Continue reading Bookend: A Library of Laughs
The library’s ephemera provides an illuminating look at Tinseltown and a record of the guild and its members: a Cold War–era FBI file on blacklisted screenwriting couple Hugo Butler and Jean Rouverol, two lifetime achievement awards given to seven-time Oscar recipient Billy Wilder, and screenwriter Linda Woolverton’s correspondence related to the development of Disney’s animated … Continue reading Bookend: Flipping the Script
Swamp pop was a favorite among teens in the region, according to Sandy Himel, associate professor and head of government information and the Cajun and Creole Music Collection at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette). She grew up with it, and it holds a special place in her heart. “I’m a native of Ville … Continue reading Bookend: Beats from the Bayou
Fitzpatrick had noticed that one student group seldom visited the library: athletes. She reached out to football coach J. Jensen and collaborated with him to create a book study program for his players, designed to help boost literacy, ignite a love of reading, and provide a space to decompress. For two months in fall 2021, … Continue reading Bookend: Friday Night Librarian
Founded in 2017, RAR’s goal has been to make cycling more accessible for riders who are femme, transgender, women, nonbinary, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. The RAR-ATL Gear Library—which has a searchable online catalog with photos—is the work of Cruz, Hannah Griggs (center), and Devin Cowens (right). The trio has devoted dozens of hours … Continue reading Riders’ Advisory
Steph McHugh (left) and Mary Hamer (right), media specialists and librarians at Yorkville (Ill.) Community Unit School District 115, pose with author Rosemary Wells during a signing of her book If You Believe in Me. María Daniela “Dani” Thurber, reference librarian in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress and immediate past president … Continue reading Bookend: Reunited, and It Feels So Good
“You’re gonna get on a tour with a real local, born and raised,” says Meader, who is also reference librarian at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland. “The route literally goes by where I work [and] my high school.” During the two-hour excursion, the tour van stops at three lighthouses, including Spring Point … Continue reading Bookend: The Man with a Van
In early 2020, University of Southern California (USC) Libraries acquired Sullivan’s personal archive of 1,200 photographs and 50 meticulously annotated case files: murders, assaults, stick-ups, forgeries, grifts, kidnappings, and other criminal acts spanning from the 1930s through the 1960s. “Given the rest of our holdings—which focus on the social and cultural history of Los Angeles … Continue reading Bookend: Stranger than Fiction
“Students have a very rigorous and intense school day based on perceptions of what they should be doing and on the expectations of teachers and their parents,” Schaub says. “Adults recognize more readily how we are pulled and stretched in different ways in our time and expectations, but students don’t always recognize that.” In October … Continue reading Bookend: Go with the Flow
Hank, a Tennessee Walker–breed rescue horse, moseyed on into his hometown library in September 2021 for an equine-themed storytime that included a scavenger hunt, coloring contest, and prizes. While there, Hank received his first library card, in observance of Library Card Sign-Up Month. “This [event] really brought us a lot of faces that we don’t … Continue reading Bookend: Back in the Saddle
Sangwand’s monthly show on nonprofit internet station dublab features curated sets that often highlight albums from countries she has visited; she started her record collection while studying in Brazil in 2007. One of her favorite sets kicks off with “A Dream of Los Angeles with Clear Blue Skies” by the Life Force Trio—a quintessential local … Continue reading Bookend: The Right Track
