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Home , Early American Imprints, Henry Churchill King, Oberlin College Library, Peter and Donna Thomas

A Newsletter Spring 2011, Issue No. 44 of the Library Perspectives Oberlin Joins CLOCKSS letterpress in the library moveable type, and linocuts. In December the library became the newest Helping to guide the project participant of CLOCKSS, a not-for-profit were letterpress printer and joint venture between the world’s leading graphic designer Bob Kelemen, scholarly publishers and research . owner of Kelemen Graphic CLOCKSS’ mission is to build a sustainable, Design, who also teaches geographically distributed archive of digital occasional courses in assets to ensure the long-term survival and arts at Cleveland of web-based scholarly publications for Institute of Art and Kent State the benefit of the greater global research University; woodcut artist and community. paper maker Claudio Orso of Oberlin; and Emeritus Professor of English David Young of the Oberlin College Press, a poet and Bob Kelemen instructs students on use of the Vandercook editor experienced in letterpress his past January, 10 students spent their . winter term designing and creating a During the first part of January, Tpoetry chapbook in the library’s new students learned about the history of letterpress printing studio. Currently housed printing, typography, and papermaking, CLOCKSS, or Controlled LOCKSS on the second floor of Mudd Center, the were introduced to the letterpress equipment (for Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe), runs studio is the library’s latest project to draw in the studio, practiced with the basic on the award-winning LOCKSS open- on its traditional strengths in the tools of the trade, and became familiar source software that provides libraries with , the book arts, and small with the processes, problems, and artistic digital preservation tools and support to and fine presses. Directed and sponsored by advantages of relief printing. Students then easily and inexpensively collect and preserve Special Collections Librarian Ed Vermue, worked independently on several projects their own copies of authorized e-content. the winter term class offered intensive, to experiment and hone their new skills. Founded in 1998, LOCKSS is based at experience-based instruction in the operation Projects involved setting type for a text of Stanford University Libraries. The LOCKSS of two types of hand-operated presses, their own choosing, carving linoleum blocks, technology is “fault tolerant,” safeguarding continued on page 9 against the long-term, well-documented causes of digital loss: human error, computer moving forward with open access attacks, and economic and organizational failure. The LOCKSS technology preserves berlinScholarshipOA, the Oberlin listing citations, and providing access to both all formats (e.g., video, sound, pictures, College open access repository for published and openly accessible versions of text) and genres (e.g., e-journals, e-, Ofaculty and staff scholarly writings, articles. conference proceedings). is taking shape following passage of the It is expected that the library committee, As libraries migrate from print to open access resolution by the General early in the spring semester, will approve online-only publications, they expect Faculty in November 2009 (see Perspectives final procedures for submitting articles and assurances from publishers that their joint Spring 2010). The General Faculty Library the formats for displaying articles and other investments are protected and preserved for Committee has advised on a prototype scholarly writings. That approval will pave generations to come. The CLOCKSS archive version of the repository. Several committee the way for the scholarship repository to be provides this assurance via its secure network members have provided their curriculum opened for all faculty and administrative of content that can be accessed when a trigger vitae in order to help develop the framework and professional staff to add their post-2009 event occurs, such as a publisher going out for depositing manuscripts into the test site, scholarly work. continued on page 8 continued on page 8 1 Recent Gifts friends of the library The library gratefully acknowledges the spring 2011 programs following monetary gifts and gifts-in-kind: • Major gifts to the Friends of the Library, Exhibitions the Library Special Book Fund, and the Librarian’s Discretionary Fund have been Maya Woman: Contemporary Indigenous Art from Guatemala received from the estate of Margaret Monday, March 7 – Friday, April 8, Academic Commons, Main Level, Mudd Center Forsythe ’45. The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca. Photographs by Jamshid Bayrami • Mimi Halpern ’60 has made a major gift Monday, April 11 – Friday, May 6, Academic Commons, Main Level, Mudd Center to the Academic Commons project. • Robert Rotberg ’55 has made a major Untangling Threads: Women Artisans in Morocco’s Rug Weaving Industry Monday, May 9 – Sunday, May 31, Academic Commons, Main Level, Mudd Center gift to the Rotberg Endowed Fund for African and Latin American Studies. Lectures and Other Events • William G. Roe ’60 has made a generous donation to the Friends of the Library. “Memoirs of a Grandmother: Scenes from the Cultural History of the Jews of Russia in • Scott Smith ’79 and Wayne Steinmetz the Nineteenth Century,” Talk by Shulamit Magnus, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies ’67 have made generous gifts to the Tuesday, February 15, 4:30 p.m., Academic Commons Classroom, Mudd 113 Norman Craig Endowed Library Book The Harold Jantz Memorial Lecture. Michael Suarez, Professor of English and Director Fund. of the Rare Book School, • Lucy Marks ’73 has made generous Thursday, March 10, 4:30 p.m., King 106 donations to the Friends of the Library “The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca,” Talk by Mohammad Mahallati, Presidential and the Lucy Marks Endowed English and Scholar of Islam Classics Book Fund. Thursday, April 14, 4:00 p.m., Academic Commons Classroom, Mudd 113, followed by gallery • Avonelle Walker ’53 has made generous walk-through and reception in Azariah’s Café gifts to the Conservatory Library Book Fund and the Friends of the Library. “Adapted for the Screen: The Cultural Politics of Chinese Fiction and Film,” Talk by • Hsiu-Chuang Deppman, Associate Professor of Chinese Clayton Koppes, Professor of History, Thursday, May 5, 4:30 p.m., Moffett Auditorium, Mudd 050 has donated a large number of books and videos across a wide range of subject areas. Commencement / reunion reception for Friends of the Library, alumni authors, former • Bruce Simonson, Professor of Geology, library student assistants, alumni librarians, and anyone else who loves libraries and books has given numerous books to the Science Saturday, May 28, 4:30 – 6:00 p.m., Azariah’s Café, Mudd Center Library. • A donation of books relating to German friends highlights literature and arts was made from the The following are highlights of the Friends of the Council meeting estate of Anita C. Reichard. held Saturday, September 25, 2010. continued on page 3 Contributions to the Friends recovered in large part from the decline that resulted from the 2008 financial crisis. A total of just under $50,000 was received in membership contributions for 2009-10. The Council approved the Acquisition Committee’s recommendations to spend $40,000 Library Perspectives for new acquisitions for the library’s special collections and to support subjects across the curriculum. Specific items approved for purchase are described elsewhere in this issue. Ray English The Membership Committee reported that total memberships rebounded strongly from Cynthia Comer the previous year to a total of 769 members in all categories. This total is only slightly less than Megan Mitchell 2007-08, the year preceding the financial crisis. Alison Ricker The Council awarded a graduate library school scholarship in the amount $2,500 as well Editors as three life memberships and one honorary membership in recognition of contributions to the library and the Friends organization. The Council also elected officers for 2010-11 and A newsletter for users and Friends of appointed four new members. the Oberlin College Library, Library The Council heard reports on the numerous activities of the Student Friends of the Perspectives is issued two times a year. Library, on the creation of a letterpress studio where students can receive hands-on instruction Printed from an endowed fund estab- in printing techniques, and on the handsome printed catalog of the Ruth Hughes Collection lished by Benjamin and Emiko Custer. of Artists’ Books. Detailed minutes of the Council meeting are available online at: www.oberlin.edu/ library/friends/minutes/. • 2 new friends honorary and life members 2010-11 gift, the Conservatory Library is receiving friends council a collection of over 6,000 books as well as manuscripts, printed music, prints, drawings, Officers: and photographs depicting the history, Maxine Houck, President design, and use of musical instruments. Ann Sherif, Vice President The book collection includes exceptionally Nathan (Mike) Haverstock, rare early printed books about musical Secretary instruments and music theory as well as books illustrating the development of music Members: and musical instruments in America. The Ardie Bausenbach ’72 book and manuscript collection is among the Eric Carpenter Patricia Selch, David Stull, and Janice Zinser most valuable collections ever donated to the John Elder Oberlin College Library. Celeste Feather ’84 he Friends of the Library awarded The McFarlands have been generous Herb Henke ’53 an honorary membership to Patricia and loyal donors to the library since the early Nick Jones TBakwin Selch and life memberships 1980s. Their generosity has included gifts-in- Gary Kornblith to Anne ’62 and Charles ’64 McFarland Robert Longsworth and Scott Bennett ’60 at its annual Thelma Morris ’54 dinner on September 25, 2010. Honorary Peter McCracken ’91 memberships, the Friends’ highest Scott Smith award category, recognize outstanding Janice Zinser contributions to the library or the Friends, while life memberships recognize Ex-Officio and Appointed Members: exceptionally generous contributions. Jessica Grim, Collection Patricia Selch, widow of noted collector Development Librarian and music scholar Frederick R. Selch, Ray English, Director of Libraries has donated to the Oberlin conservatory Ed Vermue, Special Collections her husband’s extraordinary collection of Librarian musical instruments, books, and primary Ray English, Anne and Charles McFarland, and Janice Zinser Amelea Kim ’12, Student source material (see Perspectives, Spring Representative 2009). The collection is the centerpiece of kind as well as monetary gifts to the Science the Frederick R. Selch Center for American Library Special Book Fund, the library’s Music at the conservatory. As part of this general endowment, the library mini- continued on page 11 Gifts, continued from page 2 research award winners • Sarah Gamble Epstein ’48 has given Mara Spece ’10 and Daniel Walden ’12 are exhibition catalogs and other materials the 2010 recipients of the Friends of the related to the artist Edvard Munch. Library Excellence in Research Awards. The • Annabel Perlik ’49 has continued to students were honored at a luncheon in early donate books to both the Art and Main December by members of the Friends of the Libraries. Library Research Award Committee; Direc- • Bill & Vicky Stewart, of Vamp & Tramp tor of Libraries Ray English; and Maxine Booksellers, LLC donated many unique Houck, President of the Friends. This year items to the Ruth Hughes Collection of both recipients, each of whom received $500, Artists’ Books. represented humanities disciplines. Erik Inglis, Associate Professor of Art, • Susan Egloff’ 84 has donated numerous Maxine Houck, Daniel Walden, nominated Spece for her paper “Presentation scores to the Conservatory Library. and Megan Mitchell • Paul Walter ’57 has made a large donation in the Temple,” which she wrote for his of books and catalogs related to art course Illustrated Books in the Fifteenth thorough and systematically-researched of 18 collecting. Century. Her paper identified the time and papers written in the class.” • Robert Biggert ’62 donated additional place a manuscript leaf was created and also Walden was nominated by Rebecca materials relating to poster stamps and stock its placement in the manuscript book from Leydon, Associate Professor of Music trade cards, building on a previous donation which it came. In his nomination Inglis Theory, for his paper “Noting Images: noted that Spece’s paper “was the most Understanding the Illustrated Manuscripts to the Art Library. • continued on page 12 3 friends of the library purchases t its annual meeting on September 25, 2010, the Friends of by the papermaker and a hand colored illustration. Not Paper the Oberlin College Library Council approved spending (2010) corrects misconceptions about certain materials in the A$40,000 of Friends funds to purchase the following materials natural world that many erroneously assume is paper; it includes to support teaching, research, and learning. 12 samples tipped in. Meditations at the Edge: Paper and Spirit Special Collections (1996) considers how paper has been used in the Orient to connect Gaiban Yobo Zue [The Book of World People]. Edo [Tokyo], the physical and spiritual worlds. It includes pages mounted on 1854. Embellished with hand-colored woodblock prints of people wooden dowels housed in a wooden pagoda. of various nationalities, these two volumes contain information Multidisciplinary Resources on the peoples, costumes, customs, and climates of 44 different The United States and the Two Koreas – 1969-2000 [electronic countries. Also included is a double-page hand-colored woodblock resource]. This collection of approximately 1,800 records world map. Oberlin’s East Asian studies faculty note that the documents diplomatic, security, and economic relations between images offer insight into mid-19th century “Japanese artists’ (mis) the United States and its ally, South Korea, and the challenges perceptions of those regions.” to the U.S. posed by an Clarissa: The adversarial North Korea. The Eighteenth-Century Response, collection spans events from 1747–1804. New York, the Nixon administration’s 2010. This work compiles a response to the downing selection of the extensive and by North Korea of a U.S. varied reaction to Samuel reconnaissance plane over Richardson’s masterpiece the Sea of Japan in 1969 to Clarissa: or The History of a efforts during the Clinton Young Lady: Comprehending years to deter Pyongyang’s the Most Important Concerns nuclear ambitions. The of Private Life, from its collection is part of the Digital publication in 1748 to the National Security Archive, first of Richardson’s the most comprehensive set correspondence. The material of declassified government ranges from casual readers’ documents available. Oberlin responses to extended has purchased most of the critical essays in the major Woodblock prints from Gaiban Yobo Zue [The Book of World People] depicting the other DNSA collections with publications of the day. people and costumes of North America (left) and Armenia (right) Friends support. This one will Considered perhaps the finest be used in the departments of epistolary novel ever written, Clarissa is taught regularly in upper East Asian studies, history, and politics. level English courses. This collection of criticism will be a rich 19th Century Newspapers, Part I [electronic resource for students. resource]. This resource provides the most comprehensive Two 19th century commonplace books. Commonplace books collection available in digital form of national, regional, and local were essentially scrapbooks filled with everyday items such as newspapers from Victorian Britain. The 48 titles it includes were letters, poems, recipes, pictures, and prayers. They are valuable for chosen to provide a broad yet detailed view of British political and the insight they offer into the tastes, interests, and personalities social life in the 19th century, from business and government to of their compilers, as well as the concerns of the time. The first, sports, entertainment, and the arts. The collection, taken from the entitled Resouvance, dates from Guernsey, 1840, and was kept extensive holdings of the British Library, reflects Britain’s growing by Peter Mollet. Its subject matter covers local inscriptions, role as a 19th century superpower and will prove valuable in history transcribed verse, biographical notes, a magic geometrical diagram, courses. and some original verse. The second is an attractive example of a Early American Imprints, Series I and II: Supplements from Regency commonplace book with verse, prose extracts, charades, the Library Company of Philadelphia, 1670-1819, [electronic enigmas, epitaphs, riddles, and number puzzles in a handsome red resource]. The definitive resource for researching every aspect morocco album with attractive gilt floral borders and decorated of 17th- and 18th-century America, Early American Imprints has spine. The name J. Robins is penciled on the front end paper. been dramatically expanded. From the acclaimed holdings of the These join several other commonplace books already in Special Library Company of Philadelphia comes a broad range of recently Collections and will support teaching in history and English. uncovered books, pamphlets, and broadsides, most of which Three letterpress books printed on handmade paper by were not included in Charles Evans’ monumental , , Santa Cruz, CA [artists’ books].Paper Roger Bristol’s supplement, or Shaw and Shoemaker’s American From Plants (1999) displays 30 specimens of paper made from Bibliography. Printed during a period spanning the colonial era local plants by American hand papermakers, each facing a text and the Early Republic, these nearly 2,000 rare and unique items continued on page 10 4 Selina Wang joins library staff the album orné of anne thompson nne Thompson’s album orné, now in friends and visitors that gives insight into the the library’s special collections thanks lives of people who were at the epicenter of Ain part to funding from the Friends of the anti-slavery movement. This “mélange the Library, provides a unique view of the of personal mementos,” as Vermue calls it, international anti-slavery movement of the is particularly useful for documenting the 19th century. role of women abolitionists and subsequent Thompson was married to George activism for suffrage and women’s rights. Thompson, a In 1833 well-known a new “species abolitionist of Album,” the residing in album orné, was Selina Wang London. The meticulously Thompsons described in the Selina Wang is the library’s new Head of worked together Court Journal Cataloging and Metadata Services. She to end slavery as a “beautiful comes to Oberlin from the MIT Libraries, in Great Britain novelty,” in where she was Associate Head of Cataloging. and were which the “fair The Cataloging and Metadata Services early financial possessor is to Department is responsible for acquiring, contributors exercise her own Sample page from Anne Thompson’s album orné showing cataloging, and processing books and films. to the Oberlin skill as an artist, typically included items Wang describes her work more simply as Collegiate or enshrine the helping people find the information they Institute. They met noted American offerings of her contributors.” Thompson need more easily. This philosophy will serve abolitionists at a critical juncture in the anti- began her album around that time, in Oberlin students and faculty well as she leads slavery movement. Their contacts included keeping with the new fashion, and passed it her department through continuing change Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and along to her daughter who made additional in the ways that materials are described and William Lloyd Garrison, all delegates to entries some decades later. accessed. the 1840 World’s Anti-Slavery Convention The album is an important A native of Taiwan, Wang was in London, as well as college trustees John representation of the Thompson family and introduced to librarianship as a student Keep and William Dawes. The couple also their pursuits, as indicated by the research employee. She earned a master’s degree in traveled to India to represent the interests of Renate Dohmen of the University of education at the University of Virginia, of certain princes. The album is, therefore, a Louisiana at Lafayette. Dohmen gave a talk but her student teaching field experience transcontinental treasure of memorabilia that entitled “George Thompson, an Abolitionist convinced her that she was not cut out for reflects the interests of Thompson and the in British India, as Presented in his Album teaching American high school students. people she met and befriended in the early to Orné” at the National Association of African On the recommendation of an advisor, mid-19th century. American Studies and Affiliates National she decided to attend library school at the Special Collections Librarian Ed Conference in 2009. In communications State University of New York at Albany. Vermue observes that the album is an between Vermue and Dohmen, it became She worked as a graduate assistant at the example of social networking in the 1800s clear that Dohmen had actually studied Anne State Library of New York before heading and an irreplaceable assemblage of art, Thompson’s album orné, believing it was her south to Louisiana, where she was employed poetry, prose, autographs, and writing from husband’s. • at the University of New Orleans and the LOUISiana Library Network. Wang enjoys watching movies, conservatory library special particularly Jackie Chan films with their collections on the move beautifully choreographed kung fu fight Following the recent opening of the Conservatory’s new Kohl Building, the Conservatory scenes. She plans to revisit a quilting project Library welcomed its music special collections into a new home. Formerly housed in the main when time allows and to investigate the library’s Special Collections Department, the collections were relocated in January to a new, Pottery Co-op in the spring. She also enjoys state-of-the-art special collections vault on Kohl’s lower level. walking and is eager to explore Oberlin more Designed specifically to accommodate a wide array of media, the vault houses unique and fully on foot when the weather permits. rare music scores and books, as well as sound recordings, posters, autographs, and iconography She’s already been pleasantly surprised by illustrating musical instruments and performance. The collections include many unique the friendliness of the people in Oberlin and artifacts, such as Igor Stravinsky’s score to Threni (and the preserved slice of plaster from looks forward to learning more about the the old Conservatory building he signed while visiting Oberlin in 1963) and letters written community. • continued on page 10 5 artz scholars program encourages research about oberlin

hanks to an endowed fund established in 1988 through a movements with which Oberlin has been associated through the grant provided by the Oberlin Heritage Center (formerly years, such as antislavery, black education, coeducation, missions, Tknown as the Oberlin Historical and Improvement and temperance. The Special Collections Department houses rare Organization), over 60 scholars have spent part of their summers and valuable works, including collections on antislavery, women, researching Oberlin-related topics in the College Archives, 19th century travel and exploration, the history of printing, and the library’s Special Collections Department, and the Oberlin stringed instruments and their makers and players. Together, these Heritage Center. The Frederick B. Artz Summer Research Grants impressive collections provide a rich trove of resources of interest Program was set up to encourage and facilitate new scholarly to scholars of American history. publications based on Oberlin’s archives and special collections Stipends vary depending on the nature and scope of the sources, with particular emphasis on the history of the institution, project, with most researchers receiving from $500 to $1,000. the Oberlin community, and liberal arts education. The first group The number of scholars resident each summer also varies, with an of scholars came to campus in 1990. average of three each year. A number The program is named for Frederick “One of the unique aspects of this program of projects have culminated in the B. Artz ’16, distinguished Professor is that it reveals the significance of and publication of scholarly books and of History at Oberlin from 1924 interest in Oberlin’s rich history well beyond journal articles. “One of the unique to 1961 and an expert in European the campus and community.” aspects of this program,” remarks Ken intellectual history, whose estate gift – Ken Grossi, Oberlin College Archivist Grossi, College Archivist and chair to the Oberlin Heritage Center was of the selection committee, “is that it instrumental in the creation of the endowed fund. reveals the significance of and interest in Oberlin’s rich history well Over the past two decades, graduate students, academic beyond the campus and community.” scholars, and independent researchers have spent anywhere from Last summer’s scholars pursued a diverse range of interests, three days to two weeks ensconced in the Goodrich Room including African American women’s educational activism in on the fourth floor of Mudd Center, studying archival and special antebellum America, the anti-slavery movement, and Oberlin’s collections. The College Archives holds records and photographs involvement during the 1950s in the development of what we now of the institution as well as those of individuals, families, local know as NCAA basketball. Grossi and his staff look forward to municipal and township governments, and organizations affiliated welcoming a new group of scholars to the College Archives this with the college and the town of Oberlin. Included are materials on summer. • book studies and the liberal arts

he October 29-30 workshop “Books and by the team from Smith College, which while the special collections librarians at and the Liberal Arts” (see Perspectives, discussed their work to create curricular Carleton College and Oberlin addressed TFall 2010) was an exciting experience for concentration in book studies. relationships between faculty and special the faculty and special collections librarians A major theme of the workshop was collections librarians and communicating from eight colleges who participated. The the way in which book studies combines with the larger community. workshop explored the curricular role of theoretical and experiential learning. A A number of activities will be pursued as book studies in liberal arts education through particularly exciting session in that regard a follow-up to the workshop. These include panel presentations and discussion. was presented by the team from Wellesley a website that can serve as a clearinghouse The workshop sessions helped clarify the College on their comprehensive book studies for curricular materials, an expanded listserv nature of books studies as an emerging liberal course From Papyrus to Print to Pixel. The open to a broader range of faculty and arts discipline while also addressing practical course includes weekly sessions in Wellesley’s special collections librarians at other liberal aspects of introducing it as a new curricular book arts lab, where students create past arts colleges, and possible publication of a area. As an interdisciplinary field, book writing and printing technologies. Hands-on collection of essays on book studies and the studies includes both book history (the study analysis of rare books, letterpress printing, liberal arts. of ways in which books shape and are shaped and internships are other ways to offer such The workshop was judged to be a success by societal forces) and the book arts (the experiential learning. by all participants. One commented: “This making of books in various artistic forms). Another thrust of the workshop was was an immensely bracing and inspiring The theoretical aspect of the discipline how to promote book studies among a wide meeting, intellectual fun of the best kind. was introduced by the team from Colorado variety of departments. Strategies to integrate I’m deeply grateful to Oberlin for having put College, which summarized the development book studies into existing courses were it together. And unlike most meetings, this is of their college’s thematic minor in the book, offered by the team from Vassar College, going to make a difference in what we do.”•

6 hathi records now searchable in ohiolink catalog ibrary users now have access through of the founding libraries was to establish University, and the University of Madrid. the OhioLINK Central Catalog a repository that would archive, preserve, The scope of the HathiTrust archive Lto nearly 500,000 full-text, public and provide access to their shared digital goes well beyond its public domain domain digital books and other materials collections, focusing initially on their book materials. It includes, for example, both from the HathiTrust Digital Library. and journal holdings. public domain and copyrighted titles Bibliographic records for these items from the Google Books Library Project. were made available to OhioLINK in the The name Hathi is taken from the Hindi fall of 2010 by the Kent State University word for elephant, a symbolic nod to the Library, which had loaded them into its enormity of the repository, which currently own catalog. holds almost eight million volumes and is The HathiTrust public domain expanding rapidly. materials include a wealth of books In the HathiTrust catalog (catalog. published prior to 1923, including hathitrust.org) it is possible to search many directly related to the history of the full text of all works, including Oberlin. For example, a keyword search those that are not available for full in the central catalog for “hathi trust” viewing due to copyright restrictions. and “oberlin college” retrieves openly While the HathiTrust Digital Library is accessible copies of The Oberlin Jubiliee openly accessible to the extent allowed 1833-1883 and Oberlin: the Colony and by copyright, researchers at member the College as well as multiple addresses institutions have access to special features by Oberlin College presidents King and such as the ability to create personal Fairchild. collections of texts. The HathiTrust (pronounced Counts of the number of volumes, hah-tee), located at the University of titles, pages, etc., added to the repository Michigan, was founded in 2008 by the 13 There are now more than 50 partners are updated daily, and there are colorful universities that comprise the Committee in the HathiTrust in the U.S. and abroad, charts which link directly into the on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) and including the Library of Congress, New collection that illustrate the ranges of by the University of California system York Public Library, , languages, dates, and call numbers. • and the University of Virginia. The goal California Digital Library, the Ohio State more digital collections enhance learning Oberlin’s committee for the Five Colleges of Ohio Next Gen- where found. The department’s collection, which has been built over eration Library project has funded proposals by Ana C. Cara, decades, consists of approximately 9,000 items, the earliest dating to the Professor of Hispanic Studies; Karla Parsons-Hubbard, Associate late 1800s. Professor of Geology; Ann Sherif, Professor of Japanese; Maren Sherif, working in conjunction with Bonnie Cheng, Associate Milligan, Visiting Instructor of Politics; and Fernando Gomez Professor of Art History, and Carl Jacobson, Executive Director of Herrero, Visiting Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies. the Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association, will create digitized images Cara will digitize a variety of unique materials related to of objects and materials in the Oberlin Shansi collection held by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges. The materials include cassette the Oberlin College Archives. The collection documents much of tape interviews she conducted with Borges, a video recording of Oberlin’s early contact with Asia going back to the 1800s. It consists of a presentation made by the author in Oberlin, photographs, and documents, images, maps, and films that shed light on missionary work, supporting materials. The interviews will also be transcribed and education, and life in East Asia in the first half of the 20th century. The translated. Cara will incorporate these materials into her course digital collection will be incorporated into a variety of classes in East entitled Reading Borges. Asian studies, religion, history, and comparative American studies. Parsons-Hubbard will create digital images of an extensive Milligan will work with student Theodore Waddelow ’11 on the collection of invertebrate fossils held by the Geology Department. second phase of a project to create a comprehensive, centralized digital The project will be integrated into her course on paleontology. collection of materials related to the King-Crane Commission, led by Students will research original descriptions of the fossils in the former Oberlin President . The commission, scientific literature and create scientific identifications for them. created by President Woodrow Wilson, made recommendations Their research will also identify other information associated with regarding self-determination for peoples of the Middle East. This phase the specimens, such as the name of the collector and location of the project will digitize materials held at other institutions. The continued on page 8 7 CLOCKSS, continued from page 1 new digital resources of business or discontinuing publication of The library tools to track, analyze, and visualize research. a title. So far there have been three trigger recently acquired the follow- The database offers multiple search, display, events that have resulted in content being ing new resources in support of curricular and sorting options for both novice and made openly accessible at the CLOCKSS programs. experienced researchers, seamless linking to site. CLOCKSS is unique because it makes JSTOR Arts & full-text articles, and the ability to search all content triggered from the archive freely Sciences IX. With cited references of some 22 million articles available to the world, not just participating approximately 150 published since 1996; an additional 20.5 institutions. Open access content no new journal titles and million older records date as far back as longer available from publishers, as well as 2.5 million pages to be 1823. allows users to set up search and orphaned and abandoned scholarly content, made available by the Scopus document citation alerts and create RSS and is permanently preserved in CLOCKSS, end of 2012, the Arts & HTML feeds to stay current on the newest providing comprehensive reassurance that Sciences IX collection publications in their fields. Results can be content will always be available, for free. widens JSTOR’s coverage in the social exported easily to reference management CLOCKSS supports the library’s sciences and business. Scholarly journals software such as Ref Works. At the role in society as a “custodian of culture” from over 25 countries provide outstanding conclusion of the trial period, OhioLINK by preserving content in 12 strategically international diversity, and rare materials members will assess whether to continue chosen libraries across the globe to optimize bring unique depth to the collection, with access to the database. the content’s safety against political and research covering archaeology, anthropology, , formerly known as environmental threats. These institutions sociology, business, economics, population OECD iLibrary , recently debuted its new each have a complete copy of the archive and studies, and political science. The collection Source OECD interface. In recent are located in geographically, politically, and also contains a diverse set of interdisciplinary months the library geologically disparate locations in North journals in area and cultural studies. JSTOR, has also significantly America, Europe, and Asia. The CLOCKSS which provides retrospective runs of journals increased the Board is building an endowment that is back to their initial volumes, remains one of amount of content intended to lower participation fees over the library’s most popular and heavily used available through time. As more libraries and publishers join resources. an enhanced CLOCKSS, the organization’s operations subscription. As become more cost-efficient, making it the gateway to OECD’s books, papers, possible for institutions of all sizes and and statistics, this resource is heavily used budgets to participate. The library is proud to in economics, politics, and sociology. It help ensure the future of this groundbreaking Scopus, launched in 2004, is the world’s contains thousands of journal issues, working effort.• largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and quality web papers, e-books, tables, graphs, and data sets sources. Produced by Elsevier, a leading back to 1998 from the OECD and several Open Access, continued from page 1 publisher of science and health information, other agencies, including the International the database is available to OhioLINK Energy Agency, the Nuclear Energy Agency, The deposit process involves filling out a members on a three-year trial basis. Scopus and the Programme for International form on the library website. Initially library is a comprehensive resource supporting Student Assessment. Data are available as staff will translate the information submitted research in scientific, technical, medical, ready-made, downloadable tables or – for by the author into searchable fields in the and social sciences fields and, more recently, experienced users – as databases from which database. The database itself is part of the also in the arts and humanities. Containing customized tables can be built. OECD OhioLINK Digital Resource Commons, over 42 million records from 17,000 iLibrary publications are easily identified but the interface mirrors the design of the peer-reviewed international journal titles, through OBIS, thanks to the recent loading Oberlin College Library website. 600 trade publications, and 3.7 million of over 3,700 individual records into the In the future OberlinScholarshipOA conference papers, Scopus offers sophisticated catalog. • will highlight recent submissions from Oberlin authors. Over time, citations of More Digital Collections, continued from page 7 earlier works by Oberlin authors will be initial portions of the collection, created American Hispanists. Gomez Herrero harvested retrospectively from commercial in the first phase of the project, will be will engage several students in the process bibliographic databases and loaded into incorporated into Milligan’s course The of transcription and translation. The the repository, providing a fuller record Politics of Pluralism in the Middle East and resulting digital audio and text files will be of the scholarly output of the college and North Africa. incorporated into two Spanish literature conservatory. For more information, see Gomez Herrero’s project involves the classes that Gomez Herrero is teaching in the oberlin.edu/library/programs/scholcomm/ digitization, transcription, and translation 2011 spring semester. • DepositWorks.html. • of interviews with two prominent 8 Letterpress, continued from page 1 operating the presses, and learning how to large projects such as posters and calendars. manage the various aspects of a print shop. Most are made of type metal, although there The group was then presented with a is also a selection of wood type, including set of 12 original poems written by Sarah several drawers on loan from S.P. Mount Green ’02, who teaches poetry and creative Printing Company of Cleveland. writing at Ohio University. The entire group About 40% of the type came from the worked collaboratively to design, print, and Triskelion Press, which operated for years bind a small edition of around 140 copies of from the basement of the Oberlin home of Temporary Housing, a chapbook showcasing the late Emeritus Professor of English Dewey these poems. A copy will be cataloged Ganzel and his wife Carol, Emerita Editor for the library’s special collections; each of The Observer, a former faculty and staff participating student also received a copy, campus newspaper. Most of the other type and others will be distributed as gifts or sold came from August E. Brunsman, Jr.’s Trailside to support the ongoing needs of the studio. Press of Kettering, Ohio. Brunsman, The project was made possible through owner and president of Dayton Process several generous donations that have Engravers, a photoengraving company, was enabled the library to establish the evolving also a historian who researched and wrote letterpress studio. The studio includes three about the Wright Brothers as printers and presses, all of which are human powered. publishers. Following Brunsman’s death in Nora Berson ’13 and Sasha Jones ’12 operate The largest, purchased through an English 2007, his son August Brunsman, III arranged the Challenge Gordon press Department endowed fund, is a Vandercook for the type, ornament, and the two smaller SP20, a hand- presses to be donated to the book studies curricular area. Students are cranked, library. The Brunsmans and excited by the opportunity to engage in cylinder the Ganzels also donated hands-on projects. Some hope to use the proofing press several large cabinets for knowledge and experience gained over from 1963. storing type. winter term to develop an ExCo course in These were used Last summer and order to share their new skills with other primarily to run fall, Vermue and several students, staff, and community members. off test copies dedicated students spent Dash Robb ’11, a student in the winter term for editorial hours in the new studio class, was already somewhat familiar with review and learning what was in the letterpress printing. He intends to pursue a last-minute collection, and cleaning, career in either graphic design or advertising corrections. sorting, and organizing the and jumped at the opportunity to learn Over the Dash Robb ’11 carves a linoleum block donated tools, type, and more about the historical underpinnings years, artists ornament. By fall break, of a craft that is rapidly becoming obsolete have kept such presses running in order to Vermue realized the studio was almost ready as the printing trade shifts to an all-digital create small editions of posters, invitations, to begin operation and came up with the environment. broadsides, booklets, and other publications. idea of sponsoring the winter term project, Throughout the winter term project, The Vandercook can also be used for special which he hopes Vermue pulled effects, such as blind relief printing, and is will be the first examples of artifacts capable of handling poster-sized paper. The of a series of and fine press books other two are smaller platen presses from the educational from the library’s late 19th century. One is an old style Pilot experiences in special collections to Press with an arm lever manufactured by the new studio. facilitate instruction. Chandler & Price of Cleveland; the other is Hand He has set up several a larger floor model Challenge Gordon press printing is of large display cases operated by a foot treadle. strong interest just outside the Also in the studio are several hundred among faculty studio to highlight thousand individual pieces of type. The from several a representative collection has representatives from the academic sampling of artifacts various major type families, including old departments associated with the style, transitional, modern, sans serif, and who are book arts, printing, slab serif. There is a good selection of display currently Seth Nachimson ’13 stands at a job case and uses a illustration, and types that are typically used for titles and developing a composing stick to set type binding. These objects continued on page 10 9 Letterpress, continued from page 9 Friends of the Library Purchases, continued from page 4 are often used for hands-on teaching, as represent a remarkable enrichment of the resource]. This historical archive of journals well. Vermue strives to keep the new shop as digital edition of Early American Imprints, from one of the world’s most important environmentally friendly as possible, using which was purchased with support from academic publishers consists of 3.4 million only rubber-based inks that don’t require the Friends in past years. This core resource additional articles published from 1823- strong solvents and purchasing “green” is used heavily by multiple courses in both 1994. Although the majority of titles are products for cleanup. English and history. in science, technology, and health fields, Vermue will use the winter term New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics a significant number are devoted to social experience to evaluate the space currently Online [electronic resource]. The definitive science disciplines, including economics being used to house the studio. A room source for information about topics in and psychology. The backfiles are currently on the lower level of Mudd is also being economics, the New Palgrave offers nearly available on Elesevier’s ScienceDirect considered as an alternate permanent 2,000 substantive articles. Online access to platform, but will soon be loaded into the location. Vermue notes that there are pros this important tool will provide continual OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center. and cons of both spaces and is not sure which updates and greatly enhance access to these Music will ultimately prove the best fit. Either will core articles. The Conservation, Restoration and require significant modifications for optimal Art Repair of Stringed Instruments and Their set up. Vermue envisions numerous other In the Pasture. Tampa, 2001 [artist’s Bows. London, 2010. This heavily illustrated, uses for the new studio, including student book]. Beverly Pepper’s 16-foot-long, hand- three- set is an invaluable resource for independent projects, summer and winter colored photogravure richly enfolds the both craftspeople and scholars. Emphasizing term workshops, poster creation for campus stanzas of Jorie Graham’s elegiac poem into conservation-minded techniques, this events, and instruction sessions for courses a bound book that is in turn secreted in a work presents alternative approaches for in history, art, literature, and languages. He bronze sculpture casing. This work reflects the same repair, and is groundbreaking in has described the space as “a whole room on culture and nature and the struggle to the extensive attention it gives to the bow. that becomes a walk-in exhibit case” with find meaning in the world. It will be used in Combining theory and practice, it supports the potential to provide students with an courses in both creative writing and art. the conservatory’s continuing exploration historical experience not readily available The Orchid Thief Reimagined. New York, into musical instrument construction and elsewhere. Eli Goldberg ‘12 has written an 2003 [artist’s book]. This limited edition design and complements the library’s other enthusiastic blog about his experience with book consists of 16 loose sheets in a tray special collections, the Violin Society of the winter term letter press project. Entitled case; each sheet presents a silkscreen by Jane America/Goodkind Collection on the “Dissociated Press: An Antique Adventure,” Kent, accompanied by Susan Orlean’s text. history and making of stringed instruments the blog features numerous photos by Ma’yan When assembled, the book becomes a 35” x and the recent gift of the Frederick R. Selch Plaut. See blogs.oberlin.edu/learning/ 45” image. It will be used in courses in both Collection of American Music History. • winter_term/letterpress.shtml. creative writing and art. JVC Video Anthology of World Music Conservatory Move continued from page 5 Two Granary Press artist/poet books, and Dance [30 DVD, nine book set]. by Clara and Robert Schumann that are New York. Ligeia: A Libretto, 1996, is Produced in collaboration with Smithsonian part of the C.W. Best Music Autographs by Robert Creeley and Alex Katz, two Folkways Recordings, this collection of Collection. Other major holdings include writers whose works are studied by faculty over 500 performances and 1,200 pages of the Violin Society of America/Goodkind and students in language arts. Kin, 1997, text from 100 countries greatly enhances Collection on the history and making of by Anne Waldman and Susan Rothenberg, access over the library’s heavily-used but stringed instruments and the Frederick R. complements the multiple works by these technologically dated VHS copy. The Selch Collection of American Music History. two artists already in the Allen Memorial Art conservatory’s ethnomusicology and the Conservatory Library staff are in the midst of Museum’s collections. college’s dance programs will benefit from organizing all of these treasurers. Science this beautifully produced and well-researched The Kohl vault is a secure storage Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, 2nd resource. facility that is not directly accessible to the edition, 2009 [electronic resource]. This is Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. public. Plans are underway for the addition the best encyclopedic resource on the subject 9 op. 125 [facsimile edition of autograph of a special collections reading area in the of ocean studies. The new edition offers score]. The history of this autograph Conservatory Library’s east room. Until significant new and revised content covering manuscript reflects an interesting episode then, access to music special collections is climate, remote sensing, data modeling, and in German history. After storage in various by appointment only. Appointments can economic and political aspects of ocean places during World War II, the major parts be arranged by contacting Conservatory studies. Given its multidisciplinary content, were returned to Berlin but were initially Librarian Deborah Campana, Conservatory the encyclopedia supports curricular work divided by the Berlin Wall and only reunited Public Services Librarian Kathleen in environmental studies, biology, chemistry, in 1990. The facsimile of this seminal work Abromeit, or Curator of the Selch Collection geology, physics, economics, and politics. provides fascinating documentation for Barbara Lambert. • Elsevier journal backfiles [electronic performers, composers, and musicologists. • 10 staff changes Honorary and Life, continued from page 3 campaign, and the Friends of the Library. They recently completed a generous, multi- year pledge to the Academic Commons. Their gifts were instrumental in reaching the final fundraising goal for the commons project.

Paula Baymiller, Faith Hoffman, and Ashley Decker

Several members of the library staff In her new position, Hoffman has have recently accepted new positions. assumed responsibility for processing new After 18 years as the Art Library gifts, donor correspondence, maintaining Assistant, Paula Baymiller ’75 now holds the gifts-in-kind database, and managing the the new position of Special Collections and library’s ever-popular biannual book sale. Preservation Assistant. “Learning about Hoffman looks forward to working more the library’s various special collections, the closely with her Main Library colleagues preservation mending lab, and the new and gaining firsthand experience with more Scott Bennett letterpress equipment has been incredibly diverse types of library materials. Hoffman interesting,” says Baymiller. She considers her is an avid knitter and animal lover and has a Scott Bennett, new position to be a perfect fit, offering new very spoiled dachshund at home. Librarian Emeritus, has been a generous challenges and the opportunity to work in a Ashley Decker ’08 is the new Electronic donor to the library and also served the “palace of wonderful books.” and Continuing Resources Assistant. As a Friends of the Library in numerous ways for Baymiller’s first job following student, Decker worked for three years and over two decades. He was the first president graduation was in facilities operations; two summers in the Science Library. Her of the Friends of the Library in 1991-92 and from there she moved to a writer’s position experience there of processing periodicals served two three-year terms on the Friends with the Oberlin Alumni Magazine. She for binding foreshadowed her work in Council from 2002 through 2008. While also served as job coordinator in graphic the Electronic and Continuing Resources a member of the Council, he chaired the services (now Printing Services) before Department in the Main Library. Prior to Membership Committee, making major joining the Art Library. Her knowledge of her current position, she held temporary contributions to the growth of the Friends the college through these various positions positions as Preparations Assistant in organization. He also served again as Friends and departments is extensive and will benefit the Monographs Department and as president in 2006-07. users of special collections. In her free time Administrative Assistant in Archives. He was the featured speaker at the1999 Baymiller plays viola da gamba and enjoys Decker studied Japanese at Oberlin Friends of the Library annual dinner, held reading and spending time outdoors. and is pursing her master’s degree at Kent in conjunction with a conference of Oberlin Faith Hoffman is the new Gifts State University’s School of Library and alumni librarians. In recent years he has Assistant in the Main Library. She joined Information Science. “I’ve enjoyed working donated a valuable book collection on the the Conservatory Library staff in 1999 as for Oberlin’s library system and am glad that history of printing and made generous half-time Stacks Maintenance Coordinator. I can continue,” remarks Decker. “I look financial contributions to the Class of 1960 The following year, she added duties as forward to learning more about cataloging.” Library Support Fund and the Thomas and Conservatory Library Night and Weekend Decker is engaged to Joseph Maiville, who Ellen O’Flaherty Collection Digitization Circulation Supervisor, bringing her works at the Oberlin Public Library. The Fund. A nationally recognized expert on appointment up to full-time. Hoffman will two are game enthusiasts and have facilitated library space planning, Bennett advised continue her half-time stacks maintenance game days for Oberlin children and youth at Oberlin on principles to follow in designing position in the conservatory in addition to the public library. They are planning a July 9, the Academic Commons. • the half-time gifts assistant position. 2011 wedding. •

11 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE Oberlin College Library PAID Mudd Center OBERLIN, OHIO 148 W. College St. PERMIT NO 8 Oberlin, OH 44074

Join Us. Be A Friend.

Research Award, The Friends of the Oberlin College Library provide signifcant support for special acquisitions and continued from page 3 programs that help the library fulfill its fundamental role in the academic life of the college. Members of Mendelssohn’s Schilflied and Hin- receive the Library Perspectives newsletter, invitations to Friends programs, and other privileges. demith’s Ludus Tonalis,” which he Most of all, Friends have the satisfaction of supporting Oberlin’s outstanding library. wrote for her course “The Visible in Music.” According to Leyden, “Dan- Annual Membership Categories: ny’s efforts and results at every stage of this research project exceeded my o $2 Student o $5 Recent Graduate expectations for undergraduates in o $30 Friend o $40 Couple o $50 Associate the conservatory. I feel the project is a o $100 Sponsor o $500 Patron o $1,000 Benefactor model for work in ‘digital humanities’ and for how students can use these Please return this form with your membership contribution to: Friends of the Oberlin kinds of resources intelligently and College Library, Mudd Center, Oberlin, Ohio 44074-1545. Please make checks payable to creatively.” Walden’s work has since Oberlin College. Friends contributions are tax-deductible. appeared in the August 2010 issue of the online, peer-reviewed journal ______MTO: A Journal of the Society for Name Music Theory. ______Current committee members are Street Conservatory Public Services Librar- ______ian Kathleen Abromeit, Reference City, State, Zip and Instruction Librarian Megan ______E-mail Address Mitchell, Science Librarian Alison Ricker, and Professor of Japanese Ann Sherif. • 12