riendsNEWS F Fa l l 2 014 UNIVERSITY OF wisconsin–madison LIBRARIES Co-author Emilie Songolo (left) and her mother Hand-painted mannequins advertise merchandise at a cloth vendor’s stall at the Central Market, Mrs. Emilie Nguidjol in commemorative textile Kumasi, Ghana. dresses. African Commemorative Fabric: More than Clothing Emilie Songolo, Senior Academic W–Madison Libraries are fabrics call attention to and celebrate Librarian, UW–Madison Urepositories for more than printed political events and persons, religious and Mary Hark, Associate Professor of materials. One such library is the educational groups, and much more. Design Studies, UW–Madison Ruth Ketterer Harris Library, which is When used as a textual and visual dedicated to the study of fabrics and document, the fabric becomes a vehicle design. Books about and samples of to commemorate an event or to celebrate textiles from the United States and a person’s life or achievement. One does many other countries can be found at not need to know how to read in order to this library located in the School of understand the messages found in these Human Ecology in Nancy Nicholas Hall. textiles. In societies where a large portion Another growing UW collection is digital of the population cannot read, the visual and features African Commemorative elements enable everyone to share in the Fabrics. It is accessible through the UW– reception and transmission of the message Madison Digital Image Collection. More that is being conveyed. In this way, the information about these collections is fabric also serves to preserve historical available in the accompanying sidebars. narratives that are important to the Throughout the African continent, community. fabric serves multiple functions in African Studies librarian and people’s daily lives. It is used for clothing, bibliographer Emilie Songolo, grew up shelter, storage, and packing material. in Cameroon where fancy print cloth, Commemorative fabrics, found all over commemorative textiles, homemade batik Co-author Mary Hark (second from left) with Gambian colleagues and friends wearing Africa, serve as a communication device. and a wealth of other richly patterned, traditional garments from Banjul, The Gambia. With colorful repeat patterns, these colorful fabrics were ubiquitous, Continued on page 4 2 | NEWS F riendsNEWS University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries From Maria Saffiotti Dale, President of the Friends Fall 2014 Board of Directors t’s hard to believe that another and promotion, but Maria Saffiotti Dale, President wonderful summer in Madison is they also provided Michael Chaim, Vice President I Yvonne Schofer, Secretary winding down and we are embarking speakers, displays, and M. Kathryn Jones, Treasurer upon a new semester at the UW–Madison German-Wisconsin Eleanor Albert Libraries. One of the exciting things about music. The event Patricia A. Bender James Dast a new semester for me involves the Friends was in the Union John Dillon of the Libraries and the events that we Rathskeller and we had a great time as we Kenneth L. Frazier Al Friedman have planned. A primary mission of the learned about an important new Library Beth Kubly Friends is “to stimulate interest in the use resource. Richard Leffler of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Summer brought a Friends ice cream Annette Mahler William G. Reeder Libraries within the student body, social that was held at Allen Centennial Mary Rouse faculty and staff, alumni, community Gardens here on the UW campus. Jennifer Session and beyond.” To that end, we have been Despite the somewhat cloudy skies the Ex officio nonvoting members: actively reaching out to new audiences Friends were treated to a tour of the Ed Van Gemert through exciting new partnerships 2.5 acre gardens by garden director, Ed Elisabeth Owens Robin Rider both on and off campus.W e are very Lyon. There were Dane County master Ben Strand appreciative of the resources these partners gardeners available to answer any of our bring that help us fulfill our mission, gardening questions, and Steenbock Friends Administrator: Liz Nevers and it is such a pleasure to welcome new Library staff were also available with a Publications Chair: Al Friedman Graphic Design: Daniel L. Joe members, library users, and donors. resource table. I want to share with you some of our The events on the calendar for the Friends News is published for the university partners, old and new. This past April, fall also offer a wide range of topics community by the Friends of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries. Friends members were invited by the and are made possible thanks to many Department of Special Collections to the campus and community partners. In For information about joining the Friends, annual rare books symposium of the September, Professor Emeritus Stanley giving Friends memberships as gifts, becoming a library volunteer, or filing address changes, Caxton Club of Chicago and Biblio- Temple from the Department of Forest contact the Friends at: graphical Society of America. It was the and Wildlife Ecology will speak about Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries 330H Memorial Library first time that they held their annual the extinction of the passenger pigeon. 728 State Street meeting outside of Chicago. We were In October, the Friends and the Libraries Madison, WI 53706 treated to a wonderful symposium and an are partnering with the George L. Mosse Phone: 608-265-2505 [email protected] exhibition in Special Collections of unique Program in the Department of History www.library.wisc.edu/about/friends-of- and rare works in the history of science. and the Wisconsin Historical Society to the-libraries/ TheT reasures of the Libraries event bring Adam Hochschild, author of King Comments and story ideas from readers on the Deutscher Sprachatlas was a joint Leopold’s Ghost and To End All Wars, to may be sent to: partnership with the Department of campus for a public lecture on World Publications Chair c/o Friends German, the Max Kade Institute for War I. There will also be an engaging [email protected] German-American Studies, Mills Music presentation about African textiles that Friends News is published with private funding Library, and the Library’s Reference and will be held at the Madison Public and other gifts. Preservation Departments. Not only did Library-Central. Please see the calendar these partners help with event planning pages for more information on these Banner image: Thomas A. Bennett painting of the Passenger Pigeon, Ectopistes interesting upcoming events. Migratorius. To promote the Libraries beyond © 2014 the campus, the Friends reach out University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents to local community leaders, groups, NEWS | 3 SAVE THE DATES Illuminating the Word: and businesses. A good example The Saint John’s Bible: of community partnerships is last September’s cookbook event at Exhibit, Symposium, Steenbock Library that included local and Public Events chefs Terese Allen and Kevin Appleton; local food groups, REAP and CHEW; Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible The Saint John’s Bible is a hand-written and and local businesses, Gingko Press and The Four Horsemen of the Vom Fass. This resulted in one of the illuminated Bible commissioned by the monks of Apocalypse (Revelation 6:1 – 8:13), Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. Donald Jackson (artist, scribe), largest events we have had in the last Copyright 2011, The Saint John’s two years, as well as some amazing food The seven volumes comprise 1,500 pages of Bible, Saint John’s University, calfskin vellum, script written using hand-cut Collegeville, Minnesota USA. and a wonderful speaker from Cornell Scripture quotations are from the quills, and ink that is hand-ground lamp black University, Dr. Traci Nathans-Kelly. New Revised Standard Version The Friends and the Libraries from nineteenth-century Chinese ink sticks. Egg of the Bible, Catholic Edition, tempera and gold leaf provide vivid color to the Copyright 1993, 1989 National benefit greatly from these partnerships. Council of the Churches of Christ in Partnerships allow the Friends to do illuminations. the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. more by expanding resources and Exhibit connections; they enable us to host December 19, 2014 – March 15, 2015 larger and richer events, or bring in Chazen Museum of Art, Pleasant T. Rowland Galleries speakers we couldn’t otherwise afford. Partnerships have also brought in new Symposium members from event attendees to Thursday, February 26 – Friday, February 27, 2015 event partners. They bring new people “Visualizing and Translating Scriptures: Reflections on The Saint John’s Bible” will set into campus libraries and, we hope, The Saint John’s Bible within the broader context of illuminated Biblical manuscripts. The new library donors. In a time of state symposium has been organized by the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic funding cuts to the campus libraries, Religions, with generous support from the Chazen Museum of Art, the Department of individual library donors become more Art History, the Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries, the Anonymous Fund, and the important. In the past, donations to Religious Studies Program. campus libraries were considered the “icing on the cake” and assisted with Presentation and Panel Discussions special projects. Now these funds There will be several public events during the course of the exhibit and the symposium; are helping to support regular library three are highlighted below. For a full listing and more information visit: services and programs that enable the • http://go.wisc.edu/saintjohnsbible Libraries to achieve the margin of • http://www.chazen.wisc.edu/visit/events-calendar/event/illuminating-the-word-the- excellence that every great library needs. saint-johns-bible/ We hope that you, as a Friend, also find these partnerships enriching and Thursday, February 5, 2015 | 5:30 p.m.