History Librarianship Discussed and Informed

H-HistBibl at
H-Net.msu.edu

http://www.h-net.org/~histbibl/

Welcome to H-HistBibl, a member of H-Net Humanities & Social Sciences OnLine. H-HistBibl is an international network for librarians, archivists, curators, and scholars interested in the practice and study of bibliographic and library services in support of historical study and teaching.

Slavery and Reconstruction at the New York Historical Society, New York City

Announcements from H-Net: http://www.h-net.org/announce/
Check this often, you'll find conference announcements (and sometimes associated materials), educational opportunities, as well as announcements for publishing opportunities, Web sites, and exhibits.

Voices from the Dark Side of Freedom: A Musical Evening
with Just Friends
Location: New York
Date: 2006-01-17
Description: In celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
the Manhattan vocal group Just Friends will perform songs of
slave history and discuss the messages behind them at the
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West 77th St by
the B, C trains. For more information contact the public
programs ...
URL: www.slaveryinny.org
Announcement ID: 149228
http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=149228

The Enduring Legacy of Slavery
Location: New York
Date: 2006-01-19
Description: A panel of professors hailing from Yale, Harvard,
Penn State, Georgetown, and UC Berkeley will discuss historical
justice in the United States with regards to slavery at the
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West 77th St by
the B, C trains. For more information contact the public
program ...
URL: www.slaveryinny.org
Announcement ID: 149229
http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=149229

Uncovering, Discovering and Recovering: What Happened to
the History of Slavery in New York?
Location: New York
Date: 2006-01-26
Description: Thursday, January 26, 2006, 6:30 pm. A panel
discussion about the elusive history of slavery in New York
will include professors from the University of Maryland and
Emory University and representatives from the New-York
Historical Society and the Schomburg Center for Research in
Black Culture at the ...
URL: www.slaveryinny.org
Announcement ID: 149230
http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=149230

Visit the Web site of the exhibit at: http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/

Treasures in the Stacks – I Should Write About These More Often!

War clouds gathered and America’s press reacted. In 1941 an organization known as WHAT AMERICA THINKS, INC. published a collection of editorials and cartoons drawn from a large cross section of the nation’s newspapers. The title of this massive collection (1,491 pages) is What America Thinks: Editorials and Cartoons. Lockwood Library Book Collection D442.W5. I cannot vouch for it capturing the full range of reaction to the events of summer 1938 to fall 1940, but its contents are prophetic and well worth a look. There’s also some irony, but I’ll let you look for it – it’s there in some of the claims and reactions. For students, as well as others, this is a treasure trove – it would take an impossible effort to compile this material from scratch. Not all time savers are on the Web!

The preface reads:

The swiftly moving events, with all they mean to America, socially, economically and morally, have not gone unheeded. The free press of the United States has captured and translated into cartoon and editorial thousands of the dynamic scenes that have flashed across the world panorama. The freedom, clarity and honesty with which these recordings have been made are a sterling tribute to a great Democracy.

Free Image Collections on the Web: Bringing a Lecture or Paper to Life

See related previous posts!

NYPL Digital Gallery
http://digitalgallery.nypl.org/nypldigital/index.cfm
“NYPL Digital Gallery provides access to over 415,000 images digitized from primary sources and printed rarities in the collections of The New York Public Library, including illuminated manuscripts, historical maps, vintage posters, rare prints and photographs, illustrated books, printed ephemera, and more.” The diversity of images to be found is enormous and the entire resource works with incomparable smoothness.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
“The Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC) provides access through group or item records to about 65% of the Division's holdings, as well as to some images found in other units of the Library of Congress. Many of the catalog records are accompanied by digital images--about one million digital images in all.” Not all are in the public domain.

Smithsonian Images
http://smithsonianimages.si.edu/
“Browse or search through selected images from the Collections of the Office of Imaging and Photographic Services. Included are images from current exhibits, Smithsonian events and historic collections. Select and download screen resolution images for personal and educational use.”

The Photography Collection of Western History (the American West)
http://photoswest.org/
“Our on-line database contains a selection of historic photographs from the collections of the Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Department and the Colorado Historical Society. These collections, which contain more than one million items, document the history of Colorado and the American West. Our on-line database contains some 100,000 images and catalog records of North American Indians, pioneers, railroads, mining, Denver and Colorado towns, city, farm, and ranch life, recreation, scenery, news events, and numerous other subjects and states.“

The Gallery of Albumen Prints
http://albumen.stanford.edu/gallery/
”Presenting the art and science of albumen printing, this site brings together 19th Century technical instruction, contemporary research, an online forum for conservation treatment and a wealth of images. This unique resource is dedicated to those who value the application of technology to the creative process of image making.” This was the dominant form of photography from 1855 to the turn of the century.

North Carolina Civil War Image Portfolio
http://www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/pcoll/civilwar/
“Images in the North Carolina Collection depicting the war are from woodcuts, engravings, lithographs, and photographs. The overwhelming majority of these were made by persons accompanying Union forces or were made from sketches and other information they provided. Numerous woodcuts appeared in publications based in the north such as Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper. Lithographers, including Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives in New York City, produced hand-colored prints depicting Civil War events including some in North Carolina. The North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives has twenty-seven carte-de-visite prints attributed to Union photographer O. J. Smith made in New Bern about 1863, following the town's occupation. Most of the images owned by the Collection, regardless of format, are from a northern perspective and provide limited insight into life within the Confederacy.”

American Museum of Photography
http://www.photography-museum.com/
There’s a great variety here ordered in small exhibits on such topics as spirit photography, African Americans, photographic fakes, Japan, and masterworks.

Sites included were taken from the annotated list in Irene E. McDermott, “Digital Gallery: Image Collections on the Web,” Searcher: The Magazine for Database Professionals 13, no. 5 (May 2005): 8-12.

Web site: Born to Be Wired: Technology, Communication and the Millennial Generation

The following is a link to a presentation given at the University at Buffalo that I think you will find interesting: both as teachers and as historians. The presentation is entitled “Born to Be Wired: Technology, Communication and the Millennial Generation,”
http://wings.buffalo.edu/provost/webservices/presentations/se2005/.
There’s a good abstract of the talk along with a rich selection of links to complementary materials and a useful bibliography. Learn about such things as blogs, podcasts, wikis, and social networking.

Music for Enjoiyment and Study: NAXOS

NAXOS Music Library
http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/NAXOS.html

The NAXOS Music Library provides recordings of classical, jazz, world, folk, and Chinese musics, from the complete catalogues of the Naxos, Marco Polo and DaCapo recording companies. Instructors may create playlists to supplement music courses with listening material. Accompanying texts include program notes, listeners' guides, biographies of composers and artists, and opera librettos.

This must be used to be appreciated. A diversity of music from around the world, from the Middle Ages (1150-1400) to the recent past, is avaibale free -- to listen to -- on the NAXOS database/server to members of the University community. This large collection of superbly recorded music can be enjoyed for pleasure or used for instruction. A search engine enables one to identify material using single fields or by combining fields.

Fields that may be searched singularly or in combination are:

Genre and Music Categories
Composer/Arranger/Lyricist
Disc Title/Composition Title
Artist (Soloist/Conductor)
Performing Group
Instrument
Period (Centuries)
Country
Year Composed (Enter a Range)
Moods and Scenarios (enchanted, disturbed, etc)

New Insights into the Genius of Abraham Lincoln

Each year numerous books are published on Abraham Lincoln. Recently two outstanding contributions have been made, one by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin (FDR and WWII, No Ordinary Time) , Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Simon & Schuster, 2005) and the other by Joshua Wolf Shenk, Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness (Houghton Mifflin, 2005).

The Week of 4 November 2005 (p. 30) carries a brief column that notes the difficulties Goodwin has weathered because of her admission of plagiarism of portion of a recent book. Thomas Mallon, author of Stolen Words: Forays into the Origins and Ravages of Plagiarism (Ticknor & Fields, 1989), notes in The Atlantic Monthly (November 2005 and available online through InfoTrac OneFile http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/eai.html) that Goodwin found solace in Lincoln’s philosophy: “His whole philosophy was not to waste precious energies on recriminations about the past.” From the article: "I am anxious to afford some alleviation of your present distress," Lincoln wrote at the end of 1862 to the daughter of a friend whom been killed in battle. His consolations, his urgings, his epistolary loss-cuttings, have been stacked and shelved around Goodwin, nearly walling her in, for years now. When I sat with her in Concord last summer, she showed me, one by one, copies of the pictures that would go into the book, clearly eager to push it over the finish line, just as clearly hesitant to let it go. Abraham Lincoln is a subject to which she's done justice, and he is a subject she needed more than she first knew.”

Goodwin’s book focuses on Lincoln’s relationship with his cabinet. Her Lincoln is not gloomy or depressed and she says that she “came to know and love” him. Goodwin recently spoke about this book and more on C-Span’s Book TV for three hours. Listen to and see the conversation at http://www.booktv.org/feature/index.asp?segid=6146&schedID=384. National Public radio also covered the book, hear the program at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4994044 and http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4989622.

Joshua Wolf Shenk’s Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness was also explored by a National Public Radio program, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4976127. From the book: “In three key criteria -- the factors that produce depression, the symptoms of what psychiatrists call major depression, and the typical age of onset -- the case of Abraham Lincoln is perfect. It could be used in a psychiatry textbook to illustrate a typical depression. Yet Lincoln's case is perfect, too, in a very different sense: it forces us to reckon with the limits of diagnostic categories and raises fundamental questions about the nature of illness and health.”

Authoritative Information in Bite-Size and Dinner Plate Servings

Looking for quick but authoritative background information on a host of subjects? Looking for an outline of current interpretations as well as an overview of past interpretations? Need responsible suggestions for further reading? Apart from databases, perhaps the most vibrant child of the reference book publishing industry today is the TOPICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA. Britannica http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/eb.html can be very useful; but subject encyclopedias are in a league by themselves. They’re special. At their best, they parse and tightly define an already tightly defined intellectual universe, whether it is the Enlightenment, American colonial history, American cultural and intellectual history, or American social history. Not all of these sources are avaiabvle online, but for a list of what we have avaiable online, go to Encyclopedias by Subject http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/infotree/resourcesbysubjecEncyclopedias.asp. For some guidance on overview sources freely avaiable on the Web, go to Web Reference Sources http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/selected.html.

These sources are excellent aids for preparing for examinations and wonderful sources of ideas for papers. You could walk through the reference collection of a large research or academic library and bump into many of them – and many other things along the way. Or you might search an online catalog using the form, in keyword mode, encyclopedias.su. and women.su. or encyclopedias.su. and slavery.su. As you can see, it’s formulaic. Confused: Read the directions for keyword searching http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/help/ubwebcat.html! And, also, the distinction between topical/academic encyclopedias and dictionaries is not tightly drawn. A favorite of mine is the erudite Dictionary of the History of Ideas. In fact, students of the history of ideas will want to consult the Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, the International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, and the new – and online – International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral Sciences http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/IESBS.html.
Look at any of these sources across time, that is, in various editions, and you’ll see changing interpretations and fashions concisely presented. In fact, used this way, these sources can be used as primary sources for historical investigation.

Needless to say, the same topic may be treated in “myriad” sources. In fact, the referential publishing business has been so big that the number of these things is speaking modestly -- ENORMOUS. Now, however, you can search across thousands of them at one time using a dandy resource named Reference Universe http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/refuniverse.html. Another source that aggregates or gathers together overview information from a veriaty of publications is History Resoruce Center: U.S. http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html.

Finally, be sure to take a look at The Reader's Guide to American History, avaibale only in hardcopy. Peter J. Parish, editor. London: Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1997. Lockwood Library and Undergraduate-SCI/ENGR Reference Collections E178.R43 1997 What are the most important books on a topic? This highly useful volume answers this question by offering a brief essay on each topic created through summaries of selected books. It is an encyclopedia and a guide to reading and historical interpretation and is complemented by Reader's Guide to Women's Studies, edited by Eleanor B. Amico (Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998), Lockwood Library and Undergraduate-SCI/ENGR Reference Collections HQ1180.R43 1998.

The Best Blog Search Engines

What is the best way to find a blog that may interest you? Try these search engines. (From The Wall Street Journal and The Week, 28 October 2005)

http://technorati.com/
From the Web site:
"The power of weblogs is that they allow millions of people to easily publish their ideas, and millions more to comment on them. Blogs are a fluid, dynamic medium, more akin to a 'conversation' than to a library — which is how the Web has often been described in the past. With an increasing number of people reading, writing, and commenting on blogs, the way we use the Web is shifting in a fundamental way. Instead of being passive consumers of information, more and more Internet users are becoming active participants. Weblogs let everyone have a voice.

Technorati is a real-time search engine that keeps track of what is going on in the blogosphere — the world of weblogs. "

http://feedster.com/
From the Web site:
"Feedster is a rapidly growing Internet search engine and advertising network that provides timely and meaningful information to consumers and large Internet sites in need of targeted media. Feedster provides a fresh index across over 16 million feeds several times per hour, adding millions of new documents daily. Feedster benefits from the ways that blogging is changing the Internet’s basic building blocks – from unstructured web pages to structured documents.
As blogging became mainstream in 2004, it was accompanied by RSS. RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is the structured data format used originally to syndicate blogs and news, but is now spreading quickly to mainstream commercial use in job postings, e-commerce, and enterprise applications. For instance, over five thousand new job postings are added to Feedster via RSS daily. According to Pew Internet and American Life Project’s recent report, 32 million Americans read blogs, 8 million have their own blogs, and 6 million have RSS readers. RSS is growing at a scale comparable to web pages in the mid-1990s.There are now millions of feeds, up from thousands two years ago."

http://icerocket.com/
From the Web site:
"IceRocket, a privately owned and operated Search Engine ...
... is a global leader in commercial search services on the Internet, providing new and more powerful ways for customers to find exactly what they are looking for. IceRocket is pioneering commercial search by putting the interests and wants of consumers before advertisers. IceRocket has innovative blog search technology to search blogosphere."

When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? -- George Carlin

George Carlin, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? (New York: Hyperion, 2004). Learn about George Carlin from the Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin (check out the accuracy of the biography in standard library sources http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/infotree/resourcesbysubject.asp?subject=Biographical+Information.

Wouldn’t it be fun if, all at once, everybody just forgot everything they knew? (p. 51)

You can think about this on a variety of levels. Certainly prejudgements would disappear and pessimists might think that perhaps more would be gained than lost. Of course, perhaps -- and we're in the realm of science fiction here -- we would just proceed to replicate good and bad all over again. I'm certain there are many science fiction tales that explore this.

I’ve always wondered if the Library of Congress provides books in their public toilets to promote reading. I should think they wouldn’t want to pass up a captive audience like that. (p. 55)

The less said the better.

Award winning documentary maker Ken Burns continues his penetrating look at American history as he takes on a three-part study. The Great Cabbage-Fart Panic of 1860. The disaster, which lasted an entire summer, took the lives of thirty-five hundred people, mostly from lung diseases. The special sound effects heard required the services of over three-hundred Milwaukee men who were fed only beer and cabbage for seven weeks. Fourteen stuntmen died during the recreations. (p. 190)

This is just plain funny; but I wonder if the language were changed a smidge if some would think it was about a real event. Hey, it's possible some folks might?

New York State and Slavery: A Major Exhibition on a Until Recently Forgotten Past

Slavery in New York
http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/

From the Web site:
"For most of its history, New York has been the largest, most diverse, and most economically ambitious city in the nation. No place on earth has welcomed human enterprise more warmly. New York was also, paradoxically, the capital of American slavery for more than two centuries. In October, 2005, The New-York Historical Society begins an unprecedented two-year exploration of this largely unknown chapter of the city's story."

"Slavery in New York, the first of two exhibitions, spans the period from the 1600s to 1827, when slavery was legally abolished in New York State. With the display of treasures from The New-York Historical Society, as well as other great repositories, it focuses on the rediscovery of the collective and personal experiences of Africans and African-Americans in New York City. "

Nine galleries offer images and commentary.

Feed the Obession: Food for the Blog-Obessed

For some of the latest information on blogs, see "The Passion of the Blog" by Irene E. McDermott in Searcher: The Magazine for Database Professionals 13, no. 4 (April 2005): 8-13. Here you will find suggested political blogs, search engines to locate blogs, and sites that "pick up the RSS feeds of your favorite blogs or news outlets and bring them all to one place for your perusal."

Saving Archives in New Orleans

An early report, proceed to the bottom of this post for an update. Taken from:
9/5/2005, 6:02 p.m. The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP): Specialists working for the New Orleans Notorial Archives have been stymied while trying to get downtown to rescue some of the most historic documents in the city's history, from original land grants to slave sale records and title records. Federal troops have refused to let them through checkpoints into the city.

The Notorial Archives hired Munters Corp., a Swedish document salvage firm that freezes and then freeze-dries records to slowly remove moisture from them, to rescue the documents. But Munters refrigerated trucks were turned away by uniformed troops as they tried to enter the city, said Stephen Bruno, custodian of the archives. The trucks were headed to the Civil District Courthouse on Poydras Street, where many of the city's real estate documents are housed, and to the former Amoco building also on Poydras Street, which houses historic documents such as a letter from Jean Lafitte to Washington demanding payment for his expenditures during the Battle of New Orleans.

Information from: The Times-Picayune, http://www.timespicayune.com

From the Notarial Archives Site, an update:
"From Day One of Hurricane Katrina, we began immediate rescue-and-recovery operations to secure the valuable records at both locations of Notarial Archives. We had a prearranged relationship with Munters, an international recovery firm, and hired them to assess the damage caused by high winds and rising water. We were one of the first archival institutions in New Orleans to get access and to attempt rescue." For more visit: http://www.notarialarchives.org/hurricane.htm

Learn to Use EndNote

EndNote is bibliographic citation management software. Save and annotate citations, insert citations into papers, books, and reports. Upload information from online databases into EndNote. Build an enormous database of your own creation. Search it with ease using terms downloaded or terms added by you. This is a very powerful tool and certainly worth a look. Take an initital look at EndNote at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/endnote.html.

Wednesday, 28 September
LIB 105 - Introduction to EndNote. Charles D’Aniello, Associate Librarian, Arts and Sciences Libraries. 109 Lockwood. North Campus. 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Free. Each participant must have an active UB IT name (username). Registration recommended. Arts and Sciences Libraries. Charles D’Aniello at 645-2814, ext. 424. (lclcharl@buffalo.edu)To register go to Web site: http://www.itworkshops.buffalo.edu/dispinfo.cgi?workshop=lib105

Thursday, 29 September
LIB 105 - Introduction to EndNote. Charles D’Aniello, Associate Librarian, Arts and Sciences Libraries. 109 Lockwood. North Campus. Noon - 1:30 p.m. Free. Each participant must have an active UB IT name (username). Registration recommended. Arts and Sciences Libraries. Charles D’Aniello at 645-2814, ext. 424. (lclcharl@buffalo.edu)To register go to Web site: http://www.itworkshops.buffalo.edu/dispinfo.cgi?workshop=lib105

History on the Web: A New Little but Useful Book

This is a comment on the useful and quickly read little book by historian Andrew McMichael, History on the Web: Using and Evaluating the Internet (Wheeling, Illinois: Harlan Davidson, Inc., 2005). It's held in Lockwood Library under the call number D16.117.M38.2005. Incidentally, this book is -- for sure -- physically "little."

Sections include A Short History of the Internet. This is a good and pithy overview. The author observes that it's silly to think the net evolved in response to the threat of nuclear war. The real task was figuring out a way to link remote computers with one another. How to Find History Sites. The difference between Yahoo and Google is explored and the author concludes that Yahoo is a better choice for history students. Using and Evaluating Online Materials. One of the examples used is the familiar quandry of Holocaust denial sites. The Rest of the Net. When and how to use mailing lists (e.g., H-Net) and newsgroups (alt and soc) is discussed. Putting Content on the Web -- Some Suggestions. Recommends student presentations and other assignments.

Instructors would benefit from a quick read. There are things to think about here -- at least a little bibliography and some suggested instructional Web sites would have been useful. The bloodhounds doing an online ssearch before venturing into the woods -- the cover cartoon -- is a nice touch.

“Confounding Machines” and Making Things Simple: Frightening on Many Levels

“Confounding Machines: How the Future Looked,” The New York Times, Sunday, 28 August 2005, Section 4, p. 12. Cited as coming from a 1915 interview with D. W. Griffith. This piece suggests things we must be concerned about.

The time will come, and in less than 10 years, when the children in the public schools will be taught practically everything by moving pictures. Certainly they will never be obliged to read history again.

Imagine a public library of the near future, for instance. There will be long rows of boxes of pillars, properly classified and indexed, of course. At each box a push button and before each box a seat. Suppose you wish to “read up” on a certain episode in Napoleon’s life.

Instead of consulting all the authorities, laboriously through a host of books, and ending bewildered, without a clear idea of exactly what did happen and confused at every point by conflicting opinions about what did happen, you will merely seat yourself at a properly adjusted window, in a scientifically prepared room, press the button, and actually see what happened.

For the complete article search the archives of The New York Times, http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nytimes/advancedsearch.html. The index does not provide a full preview, but intuition suggests that the piece entitled “Five Dollar Movies Prophesied” by Richard Barry and dated 28 March 1915 (pg. SM16, 1) is probably the one. To check this out, consult the corresponding microfilm. Check the resources and search options noted at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/nytimes.html. The full text is also available on the Web and easily retrieved by a Google search. Read it at http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/12_nyt03.htm.

For a biography of Griffith, search the American National Biography http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/anbio.html. And for some insight into his filmmaking and political views search America: History and Life http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/am_history_life.html. You’ll find not less than 46 citations -- and after reading some of the abstracts alone -- have a good idea of what Griffith believed about a host of things and even the context of his beliefs. A recent article of Griffith interest is: Eric Niderost, The Birth of a Nation," American History 40, no. 4 (October 2005): 60-67, 78, 80. For books do a subject search using the subject heading: Griffith, D. W. (David Wark), 1875–1948.

Save Money through Comparative Shopping for Books

Time to buy books for your courses? It can get expensive. Try comparative shopping with isbn.nu at http://isbn.nu. This Web service “offers a quick way to compare the prices of any in-print and many out-of-print books at 14 online bookstores.” A powerful search engine supports your quest for savings.

Early American Imprints, 1639-1819 (Evans and Shaw-Shoemaker) -- Online

Through 30 September we have a trial to Early American Imprints – the digital version. What is it? Please jump to the second paragraph. To access it go to the University Libraries' Trial Databases Page at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/freetrials.html (Early American Imprints is listed first) and click on the words click here. This is a trial for the UB community: patrons will need to enter their UB Card library number and password to retrieve the sign-on information to access the trial. Your UB Card library number is 14 numbers long and begins with 29072. Enter this complete number as your User Name (without dashes or spaces) and beneath it -- as your Password -- enter the first letter of your first name and the first letter of your last name, both capitalized. This will retrieve a screen that displays the special User Name and Password you must use to access the trial. Now click on the link above this information and use the given User Name and Password. (Please contact me if you have difficulty accessing the trial.) Note that the components that comprise Early American Imprints (Evans, 1639-1800 and Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819) would cost us something approaching $200,000, to which must be added a $2,000 annual maintenance fee for each collection. Both are in progress. Nonetheless, this isn't unusual. These kinds of collections are increasingly coming to market and they are never inexpensive, but they are incredible in their potential. Disregard the price for a moment: Is this something we should hope for and "work" toward? Please comment.

For years the microform collection Early American Imprints -- covering American non-serial publications from 1639 through 1819 -- has been a vital resource for students of early America. Many of the major texts noted in the bibliographies (on which the collection is based) have been reprinted, and researchers wishing to use the entire collection in one easily accessed package have had the option of visiting Buffalo State's Butler Library, which holds the corresponding microform collection. This is a large collection in microform (actually microprint), and even larger in its digital edition. In total, nearly 75,000 items will be included (books, broadsides, pamphlets, government materials). Also included will be the works of European authors reprinted for the American book trade. Thousands of items not reproduced in the microform edition will be included in this edition. To be sure, the digital collection is convenient; but -- because of its search capabilities -- it is far more than that. For some researchers it promises to be revolutionary and transformative. Each item is thoroughly cataloged and the database is searchable by fields (title, subjects, genres, author, place of publication, publisher, year of publication). Further, the full text of each document is searchable using Boolean and proximity operators (and, or, not, adj, near). Wildcard searching is also supported -- this is actually critical for a period when Brown is Browne, clerk is cleark, and rails is rayls. Documents are displayed in facsimile and may be printed in multiple 25 page blocks (see the directions). Incidentally, the Help screens are excellent: clear, concise, and easily followed.

Early American Imprints is complemented by the American Periodicals Series Online http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/aps.html and Early English Books http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/eeb.html. The latter includes books published in the American colonies. Note that early American government documents are now available to the UB community through the U.S. Congressional Serial Set (1817-1980), with American State Papers (1789-1838) http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/serial_set.html. Finally, in the future we will want to trial Early American Newspapers (1690-1876) http://www.readex.com/scholarl/earlamnp.html. Note that we hold this newspaper collection in microform, but the online version will be truly remarkable.

The man who began it all: Charles Evans accomplished what was assumed to be impossible and he did it without a computer! For a biography of Evans, visit the American National Biography http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/anbio.html

. . . with dim job prospects, and aged fifty-one, Evans decided to devote all his time to completing this project. His announcement of the imminent completion of volume one of The American Bibliography: A Chronological Dictionary of All Books, Pamphlets and Periodical Publications Printed in the United States of America from the Genesis of Printing in 1639 Down to and Including the Year 1820 . . . was greeted with general skepticism. It was generally felt that such a massive undertaking would be beyond the capabilities of one who had not yet made a significant mark in bibliographical studies. However, Evans with immense determination and supreme self-confidence single-mindedly committed himself to the task. In addition to the scholarly work of identifying and annotating all citations, he assumed such practical tasks as selecting the paper and binding, finding the most economical printers, even mailing the orders and looking after the billing. Acquiring the money to finance each volume was an ongoing problem, with Evans continually striving to obtain loans and find sufficient subscribers. The first volume . . . was published in November 1903. – From the American National Biography

The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library (BECPL) Exhibits “The Map that Changed the World”

Not American history; but it will be complemented by explorations of the local environment.

The Map That Changed the World. This exhibit will highlight a treasure held in the rare book collection of BECPL http://www.buffalolib.org/ : a map created in 1815 by English surveyor William Smith (1769-1839). A Search of Historical Abstracts http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/histabst.html finds 7 citations to pertinent reviews and articles. For a brief biography visit the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ODNB.html. The map presents the strata levels beneath Great Britain. This unique map influenced the Industrial Revolution as well as supported some of Charles Darwin’s theories. Dr. Tracey Gregg of UB’s geology department http://www.geology.buffalo.edu/ notes, “Without this map, life as we know it today would not exist.”

The BECPL map is one of only 40 extant and is esteemed for its stunning, hand-coloring and detailed notations on the geology of Great Britain.

This exhibit will "reach" the community through a variety of programs, lectures, and fundraising events. The exhibit and associated programming begins with a gala event on September 14: a dinner and lecture given by Simon Winchester. His book of the same name – The Map that Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology (HaperColllins, 2001) -- tells William Smith’s story.

Born to humble parents, Smith was also a child of the Industrial Revolution (the year of his birth, 1769, also saw Josiah Wedgwood open his great factory, Etruria, Richard Arkwright create his first water-powered cotton-spinning frame, and James Watt receive the patent for the first condensing steam engine). While working as surveyor in a coal mine, Smith noticed the abrupt changes in the layers of rock as he was lowered into the depths. He came to understand that the different layers--in part as revealed by the fossils they contained--always appeared in the same order, no matter where they were found. He also realized that geology required a three-dimensional approach. Smith spent the next 20 some years traveling throughout Britain, observing the land, gathering data, and chattering away about his theories to those he met along the way, thus acquiring the nickname "Strata Smith." In 1815 he published his masterpiece: an 8.5- by 6-foot, hand-tinted map revealing "A Delineation of the Strata of England and Wales." – Amazon.com

Additionally, Winchester will give a talk the following day – September 15 -- on his latest book, The Crack at the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 (HaperCollins, 2005).

In the early morning hours of April 18, 1906, San Francisco and a string of towns to its north-northwest and the south-southeast were overcome by an enormous shaking that was compounded by the violent shocks of an earthquake, registering 8.25 on the Richter scale. The quake resulted from a rupture in a part of the San Andreas fault, which lies underneath the earth's surface along the northern coast of California. Lasting little more than a minute, the earthquake wrecked 490 blocks, toppled a total of 25,000 buildings, broke open gas mains, cut off electric power lines throughout the Bay area, and effectively destroyed the gold rush capital that had stood there for a half century. – Book Description

The Library will be a hub of activity throughout this first week. The community will be invited to participate in school field trips, as well as a Thursday night Lecture Series, and a Saturday Family Program Series from 11 am to 2 pm September 17 through the exhibit’s end on December 31, 2005. These programs, tailored for elementary age students, will be held at the Central Library and at various off-site locations, and will include exciting activities such as story times with William Smith, hands-on geologic activities, and digs at the Penn-Dixie Archeology Site and Niagara Gorge.

The Anniversary of Two Atomic Bombs

"Sixteen hours ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and destroyed its usefulness to the enemy.” So began the official White House press release on the dropping of the first atomic bomb (August 6, 1945) -- http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/truman/psources/ps_pressrelease.html. A Hiroshima survivor recalls the event -- http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2005-08-05-voa38.cfm. Royal Air Force Group Captain Leonard Cheshire witnessed the dropping of the bomb on Nagasaki three days later (August 9, 1945). In a taped interview he explains the event --
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/9/newsid_3580000/3580143.stm

For background use the Subject option of History Resource Center: U.S. http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html. Try Hiroshima in the query box. Be sure to also visit and search About.com http://www.about.com/

For a wealth of information on Hirsohima go to http://www.lclark.edu/~history/HIROSHIMA/directory.html. For material and information on Nagasaki go to http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/na-bomb/museum/museume01.html. For pertinent Web sites search History Matters http://historymatters.gmu.edu/browse/wwwhistory/.

These two events are covered by books catalogued under many subject headings (learn how to use Library of Congress Subject Headings at http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/fi_books_sh.htm#brb). Headings include:

Hiroshima-shi (Japan)--History--Bombardment, 1945
Nagasaki-shi (Japan)--History--Bombardment, 1945
Atomic Bomb victims--Japan
Atomic bomb--Moral and ethical aspects
Atomic bomb--Japan--Psychological aspects
Radioactive decontamination--Japan
Nuclear warfare in art
Art and nuclear warfare--Japan
Enola Gay (Bomber)
Atomic bomb--History--United States


And, of course, the body of scholarly journal literature is enormous. A subject search of America: History and Life http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/am_history_life.html for pieces about both or either of the bombed cities finds 72 citations (articles, reviews, and dissertations). A subject search in AHL for Truman and the bomb finds 51 citations.

To find contemporary photographs visit AccuNet/Ap Multimedia Archive http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/photo.html and for contemporary and period photographs try Google "image search" http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&q=. And, of course there are many hardcopy sources for images, try the keyword catalog searches:

Hiroshima.su. and pictorial.su.
Nagasaki.su. and pictorial.su.
Manhattan Project.su. and pictorial.su.

Explore President Truman's public papers at http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/. Find newspaper coverage, among other places, by searching the archival index to the New York Times, produced by the NYT (we have the paper on microfilm) http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/nytimes/advancedsearch.html.

Modern (and Older) Photos of America’s Civil War Sites

Modern (and Older) Photos of America’s Civil War Sites
http://www.civilwaralbum.com/

While few have been able to travel so widely across the venues of Civil War America as this corps of amateur photographers, anyone with a computer can now vicariously enjoy the thrill. “Assembled here is a collection of over 2,000 pages including 5,900 modern photos and panoramas of Civil War sites. The photos and narrative were provided by the Webmaster as well as over 50 contributors between 1990 and July 2005. Included are numerous wartime photos, as well as several official records, reports and maps. Because of the rapid growth and extensive content of CivilWarAlbum.com the site is best viewed with a broadband connection.” The panoramas are especially good.

For other civil photographs on the Web try Selected Civil War Photographs http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html . This collection "contains 1,118 photographs. Most of the images were made under the supervision of Mathew B. Brady , and include scenes of military personnel, preparations for battle, and battle after-effects. The collection also includes portraits of both Confederate and Union officers, and a selection of enlisted men." It may be searched by keywords and may be browsed by subject. For print photograph collections use the Library of Congress subject heading United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Pictorial works. This will also find commentary. For a primer on the interpretation of photographic evidence visit Making Sense of Documentary Photography http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/Photos/ (History Matters http://historymatters.gmu.edu/browse/makesense/).

Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America

“Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America (New-York Historical Society, September 10, 2004-February 28, 2005) acquainted visitors with a statesman and visionary whose life inspired discussion and controversy and shaped the America we live in two hundred years after his death.” It was curated by writer and historian Richard Brookhiser -- author of Alexander Hamilton, American (Free Press, 1999; Lockwood Book Collection E302.6.H2B76 1999) -- who was supported by a team of curators and specialists from the New-York Historical Society http://www.nyhistory.org/, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (New York City) http://www.gilderlehrman.org/, and other institutions. Soon a panel exhibit will tour the nation. The Web exhibit http://www.alexanderhamiltonexhibition.com/ is intelligent, elegant, and a demonstration of the adroit use of a spectrum of online exhibit presentation forms. In short, it should serve as a model for exhibit designers.

Perspectives on the Iraq War

Blogs make communication a possibilitility for just about anyone and enable bloggers to escape the censorship practiced in traditional commercial media. Of course, anyone can blog, so truth as well as falsehood may be dessiminated more easily than through major commerical channels. For information on the Iraq war see Paul S. Piper and Miguel Ramos, "Blogs of War," Searcher 13, no. 2 (February 2005): 15-22. Searcher: The Magazine for Database Professionals http://www.infotoday.com/searcher/default.shtml. Articles are also accessible through sources identified using BISON's Electronic Journals search engine http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ft.html.

Indexes to consult for non-standard perspectives are Alternative Press Index http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/api.html and Left Index http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/leftindex.html. For the perspectives of other nations use World News Connection http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/wnc.html. Complement these sources with the list available at http://www.world-newspapers.com/alternative-news.html. WNC “covers news broadcasts [and print media] from throughout the world. The Central Intelligence Agency and its contractors translate this information into English. Emphasis is upon popular, newsworthy topics that deal with political, social, and economic issues throughout the world.” For links to international news sources try News Sources http://www.antiwar.com/sources.html. Note “antiwar” in the URL. For the specific perspective of the U.S. Defense Department go to http://www.defenselink.mil/news/other.html. Among sources prepared at the University is a guide to terrorism resources http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/asl/guides/terrorism.html. For general news sources try Current Events/News http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/infotree/resourcesbysubject.asp?subject=Current+Events+/+News.

The Atlantic World and Atlantic Studies: Literary, Cultural and Historical Perspectives on Europe, Africa and the Americas (v.1, 2004- )

The emergence of the focus as a field is obvious from a crudely simple search of Historical Abstracts, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/histabst.html and America: History and Life, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/am_history_life.html. Using “Atlantic world” as a phrase retrieves 98 citations in Historical Abstracts and 155 citations in America: History and Life. A Google search finds 76,700 pages. When searching Google, use the form "atlantic world", that is, remember to use parentheses. A WorldCat http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/worldcat.html search retrieves 93 citations from a Notes/Comments defined search (these are for essays in books) and 182 citations for books doing a simple Title search. A search of the MLA Bibliography http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/mla.html find 12 items. Searching in JStor http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/jstor.html across history journals for the Exact Phrase, but without restriction to location, finds 306 articles; restricting the phrase to appearance in the title retrieves 4 articles. Needless to say, appearance of the phrase is not the whole story, but neither is it meaningless. The categorization is revealing.

Atlantic Studies is available to us in electronic format. Find it by consulting the Electronic Journals search engine, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ft.html. It’s published on behalf of The Society for Multi-Ethnic Studies: Europe and the Americas (MESEA). Visit MESEA’s Web site at http://www.mesea.org/. “The Society promotes the study of the ethnic cultures of Europe and the Americas in their circum-Atlantic relations from a transdisciplinary literary, historical and cultural studies perspective.”

Atlantic Studies focuses on the Atlantic “as an arena of cultural change and exchange, translation and interference, communication and passage.” Among its editors, advisory board, and editorial board are scholars from the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere. Some recent articles include: “C.L.R. James’s American Civilization,” “’I’ll Teach You How to Flow’: On Figuring Out Atlantic Studies,” and “The Atlantic as Metaphor.” Contributions have a literary emphasis, reflecting the genealogy of the sponsoring organization.

Cooperation Makes History Electronic: The History Cooperative

The History Cooperative, http://www.historycooperative.org/, is a pioneering effort of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the University of Illinois Press, and the National Academies Press. Its primary purpose is to make the content of scholarly historical journals readily available. For some titles no subscription is required; for others, you or your instittuion must be a subscriber, otherwise you may purchase a Research Pass, see http://www.historycooperative.org/access.html. A search engine supports research across a single journal or all journals. Full Boolean searching and more is supported; but be sure to review the Tips for Effective Searching, http://www.historycooperative.org/search-tips.html. Backfiles for some titles, picking up where Cooperative backfiles stop, are available through JStor, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/jstor.html. In addition to journal content, links are provided to a growing conference proceedings collection, links to resources of the Center for History and New Media, map resources, and the digitized version of the Booker T. Washington Papers.

Journals currently available though The Cooperative include: the American Historical Review (see its electronic projects at http://www.historycooperative.org/ahr/elec-projects.html), Common-place, Environmental History, History of Education Quarterly, The History Teacher, Indiana Magazine of History, Journal of American History, Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, Journal of World History, Labour History, Labour/Le Travail, Law and History Review, Massachusetts Historical Review, Oral History Review, Oregon Historical Quarterly, Western Historical Quarterly, William and Mary Quarterly, and World History Connected.

The latter – World History Connected – is an e-journal devoted to scholarship and teaching, specifically for teachers of world history. There have been three issues thus far. Another title not generally widely known is Common-place, an e-journal sponsored by the American Antiquarian Society and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. “Common-place's features are lively essays designed to engage a broad audience of people interested in early American life.”

Magazines and Journals Reflect and Promote Change

Norberto Angeletti and Alberto Oliva argue this in their Magazines that Make History: Their Origins, Development, and Influence (University of Florida Press, 2004) Lockwood Book Collection PN4832.A54 2004. This lavishly illustrated and remarkably intelligent book covers Time, Der Spiegel, Life, Paris Match, National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, iHola!, and People. The unique contributions of each title – its place in history and its history -- are noted, along with its distinguishing typographical and aesthetic style. The power of chance, the opportunity of the market, and the personalities of editors are explored. Who was on the cover of Time in 1938? And what was the controversy? How many times did Marilyn Monroe’s unforgettable face and form grace the cover of Life? And what things – style, format, and attitude -- have made Reader’s Digest so popular across the years? The answers are in this book, which is definitely not designed for the coffee table, although it might do well there.

What these authors do for popular titles library historian Margaret F. Stieg does for historical journals in her 1986 The Origin and Development of Scholarly Historical Journals (University of Alabama Press) Lockwood Book Collection D13.S835 1986. Among the titles discussed are the Mississippi Valley Historical Review (now the Journal of American History) and the Journal of Southern History. Separate chapters discuss the spread of scholarly journals, geographical specialization, topical specialization, interdisciplinary historical periodicals. and political influences. Much attention is devoted to European journals. If you’re interested in the history of scholarly communication, you’ll find this title interesting.

For a history of American periodicals see Frank Mott’s A History of American Magazines, 1741-1930 (Harvard University Press, 1938-1968), Lockwood Reference Collection PN4877.M63. This title is so critical that it is also available in digital form, consult the catalog. For an amazing and suggestive taste of our periodical past (to 1900) visit the American Periodicals Series Online, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/aps.html.

For a quick scan of the diversity of current journals (as well as magazines) see the annotated Magazines for Libraries: For the General Reader and School, Junior College, College, University and Public Libraries, 10th edition (Bowker, 2000) Lockwood Reference Collection Z6941.K2 2000. To identify the historical journals we hold in paper format do the subject search history—periodicals. To identify the history journals we have in electronic form go to Electronic Journal Holdings -- http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ft.html- and select Browse by Subject Headings, then select Humanities and Reference, and proceed appropriately. To scan a wider universe of currently published titles, not restricted by what we own, go to Ulrich’s International Periodicals Directory -- http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ulrichs.html -- select Browse, then Subject, and then History (note there are many subject headings for History). Unfortunately, none of these apporaches is 100% irreproachable.

Wondering how to identify serials (which include magazines, journals, and newpapers) no longer published? We'll consider this in another post. If you've ever spent a sigificant period of time working with serials I'm sure you'll agree that they and the work can sometimes become a little surreal. Ask a serials cataloger for comment.

If you need an article in a journal we do not own, do not despair, there are options. One of the most common is interlibrary loan. It’s fast and free and you can submit a request electronically and receive the requested item electronically as well. Go to http://ulilliad.lib.buffalo.edu/illiad/.

What do you like to eat? Or, do you know where your next meal is coming from?

Interested in the history of food? Well, if you’re not interested in what you eat, what I can say! You’re missing something. For some of us – anyway – food origins are almost as exciting as taste (palate) and taste (culture). Are the two meanings really the same? What’s your taste?

There are wonderful Web sites to begin some preliminary culinary archaeology – and there are now some major topical encyclopedias as well. First the Web sites: A nice way to begin is by visiting The Food Timeline, http://www.foodtimeline.org/. Which explanation seems most reasonable to you for the origin of the brownie? Even if you’re not a teacher, be sure to also visit The Food Timeline’s Resources for Food History Lessons, http://www.foodtimeline.org/food2.html. When was Mr. Potato Head born? I had one, I remember him fondly. About.Com generally offers interesting and reliable information and the Food History offering is no exception, http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blpotatochip.htm. See also the offering of the International Guild of Hospitality and Restaurant Managers, it will guide you to a variety of exhibits as well as informational pieces, http://www.hospitalityguild.com/History/history_of_food10.htm#Diners%20Club.
Some foods would just not be the same without -- arguably -- America’s favorite condiment . . . but where did ketchup come from? Incidentally, participate in some regional food history (is this stuff really food?) by visiting the Jello Museum and Gallery in beautiful Le Roy (an easy drive from Buffalo and an even easier click). Jello’s popularity is a tribute to tenacity and marketing know how – if you can’t image what I mean, be sure to visit http://www.jellomuseum.com/. If you’d like to keep up with food history and would appreciate a little guidance as you explore the topic, you’ll like Food History News, http://www.foodhistorynews.com/index.html.

Well worth the time are visits to three sources: The Oxford Companion to Food (Oxford, 1999), Lockwood and UGL Reference Tx349.D38.1999; Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (Scribner, 2003), Lockwood Reference GT2850.E53.2003; and Nectar and Ambrosia: An Encyclopedia of Food in World Mythology (ABC-CLIO, 2000), Lockwood Reference GR498.A53.2000. Right on target is the marvelous and delectable Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America (Oxford, 2004), UGL Reference TX349.E45.2004. Some of these sources are available online, check the catalog for availability. To search thousands of encyclopedias and other reference sources that contain entries on food use Reference Universe, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/refuniverse.html. Sometimes using this source can produce something akin to a revelation. You'd never think of looking in some of the places in which this tool uncovers value.

To search for books on American food history a good basic search in keyword mode is food.su. and history.su. and United States.su. Take a look at the subject headings of the books retrieved and you'll get ideas for subject heading searches. The basic subject heading search is simple, food--history.

Finally, to find articles on American food history use America: History and Life (American and Canadian history), http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/am_history_life.html. Typing the given term in the designated Subject field retrieves the indicated number of citations: food (1,427), drink (13), restaurant (19), beer (47), coffee (59), tea (46), soft drink (13), nutrition (164), and food consumption (for diet, 359).

Bon appetit! We cancelled the magazine -- sorry -- 1974-1998, Lockwood Periodical Collection TX633.B65. But I hear Julia Child uttering the phrase, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?node=entertainment/profile&id=1069033&p=print and visit the Smithsonian exhibit on Julia Child it describes, http://americanhistory.si.edu/juliachild/. Want something simpler? How about a Buffalo Wing (a chicken wing to the uninformed)? Buffalo's Anchor Bar (Main Street) claims the honor, http://www.anchorbar.com/origins.asp.

A Wonderful FREE Service and a Tremendous Marketing Ploy: In the First Person: An Index to Letters, Dairies, Oral Histories and Personal Narratives

You're only a click away from access with this index -- providing you're not clicking for something to which access is by subscription (and your institution hasn't subscribed). This is a wonderful public service (available at http://www.alexanderstreet6.com/firp//) – and a very good marketing device. Much of the material indexed is from Alexander Street Press collections and to use it the collections must be owned; but there's a wealth of material that is freely available! And that's why researchers will use it and welcome it. Of course, it will also become a comprehensive index to the holdings of this publisher. Good thinking Alexander Street Press --- because what's found may be bought -- http://www.alexanderstreetpress.com/.

Coverage spans the globe and extends across 400 years. It indexes English-language personal narratives, including letters, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, and oral histories -- as noted, much in collections owned by Alexander Street and a lot in collections that are not. It currently allows for keyword searching of more than 260,000 pages of full-text by more than 9,000 individuals. And it identifies at least 2,500 audio and video files and 16,000 bibliographic records – and it will continue to grow regularly and aggressively. For freely available material, archives, repositories, publishers, and individuals have been queried to identify first person narratives from hundreds of published volumes. These are publicly available on the Web or are held by repositories and archives around the world. Obviously, NOT to be relied on solely. For instance, remember to always search WorldCat, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/worldcat.html and ArchivesUSA, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/archivesusa.html.

One may search for interviews by a diverse set of variables using a “guide” query screen (among search options are age range at time of interview, years discussed, and place of interview and terms indexed under each heading may be browsed), by repository, by collection, by interviews (sort by full text, with audio, with video), interview date (by decades or years), place (includes places discussed and place of birth) historical events, and all subjects. Entries are often extensively annotated. Access will be provided to the "voices of more than 300,000 individuals."

United States History on the Web and in the Library: Comments and Conversations on Resources, Search Strategies, and More

A service for the faculty and students of the State University of New York at Buffalo and beyond.

This note will be sent to appropriate groups of faculty and students at the University at Buffalo.

Since 8 June 2005 I have published a blog designed to interest and serve scholars and students of American history. It’s evolving, but it has reached a point where I’d like to share it with you and encourage you to visit it regularly. Before going public, I wanted to have a sufficient number of posts to give an idea of what future posts will be like, so please explore the archive for June. Select it by clicking the link on the bottom right. Until this point, I have announced this blog only on the list I edit for H-Net, H-HistBibl. United States History on the Web and in the Library is designed for quick and easy consultation and will be added to several times over the course of a week. Please do me one favor; however, when viewing the blog select a text viewing size that results in two columns.

This blog will be comprised largely of short, readable, hyperlinked posts that introduce electronic as well as print resources and search strategies, highlight resources on topics of interest to me and – and based on my reading of department interests – of interest to UB’s history department community. I will also comment on resources that complement specific courses and assignments and I will solicit input on a variety of local concerns, from your evaluative comments on electronic resources we’ll try on trial, to whether to offer specific workshops or create course- or topic-specific guides to library and Web materials. If I am successful, the blog will take on the character of an interactive magazine. This is because the blog format allows readers to comment easily on each post. I’ll reserve the option of excluding comments that lack concision or relevancy. Each month’s postings will be archived and, over the course of the academic year, may be “re-posted” or referred to as appropriate.

I think the blog format offers distinct advantages over either a printed or Web-resident newsletter, listserv post, or library guide. These formats are useful, but – for various reasons – lack the immediacy and spontaneity of the blog format. Both authors and readers, creators and users, are better served by this format. The platform on which this blog is built allows for attractive presentation and the display of images, film and audio clips, and – of course – easy hyperlinking to discussed resources. Further, the typographic display of information is attractive and will become even more so over time. Finally, this is a very unobtrusive way of communicating with you, it’s very efficient for me, and – because the blog will be archived monthly – useful posts can be referred to any time you need them.

On the far right, you’ll find a convenient list of classified hyperlinks to Web resources useful for exploring, studying and teaching American history.

If you have suggestions or special requests – things you’d like me to comment on -- please let me know by responding to this post or sending me an e-mail. Please spread the word to friends, students, and colleagues. Once the academic year begins, there will be an advertising campaign.

Charles D’Aniello
Room 321
Lockwood Memorial Library
Amherst, New York 14260
Office: 716-645-2323, extension 424
Fax: 716-645-3859
E-mail: LCLCHARL@buffalo.edu

July 4th: Today and Yesterday on the Web

The history of July 4th – Independence Day -- celebrations is the subject of the Library of Congress American Memory’s “Today in History: July 4,” http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/jul04.html. While actually a lesson plan, for insight into the history of the Liberty Bell and wonderful photographs, visit the National Park Service's "The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon" at http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/36liberty/
36liberty.htm. The United States Department of State explains the significance of the event at http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/holidays/july4/. Online versions of the text of the Declaration of Independence are accessible from various sources, including: the Yale Law School’s Avalon Project, http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/declare.htm and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/
declaration.html. A history of Jefferson's editing of the document is available in the Library of Congress Information Bulletin at http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9907/jeffdec.html. Carl Becker's close anaylsis of the document, The Declaration of Independence: A Study on the History of Political Ideas (New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., 1922) is available in full text at http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/HTML.php?recordID=0034. Although not on the Web, see also "Justifying America: The Declaration of Independence as a Rhetorical Document" American Rhetoric: Context and Criticism, edited by Thomas W. Benson (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1990). While designed for the primary grades, the lesson plan "Declare the Causes: The Declaration of Independence," at the National Endowment for the Humanities EDSITEment Web site, is instructive and includes an excellent list of additional resources, http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=282. Also useful is the teacher's guide to the appropriate epsiode of the PBS documentary Liberty, http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/tguide_2.html. For background information, the UB community can use the “Overview” option of History Resource Center: U.S., http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/hrc.html. This will retrieve the full text of entries from several academic encyclopedias.

Listen to a report on Washington’s preparation for July 4, 2004 on National Public Radio at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3124028. To hear your favorite NPR personalities read sections of the Declaration (2003) visit http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2003/jul/declaration/
declaration/. For recent images of past July 4th celebrations use AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive, http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/photo.html. The easiest way to search for material is to enter 7/4/year (for instance, 7/4/2004) in the “when” query box.

For even more serious contemplation: Lost and found in translation. The Organization of American Historians' Journal of American History sponsored a roundtable on the Declaration in translation in 1999, which is now fully accessible on the Web at http://chnm.gmu.edu/declaration/. For the version that appeared in the March 1999 JAH use JStor, http://www.jstor.org/browse/00218723?config=jstor. Historians Willi Paul Adams and David Thelen write: "We chose the Declaration of Independence . . . because we expected that its translations would open up rich possibilities for observing both individual creativity and cultural filters." The intent of the OAH project: "Most of the world's past comes to us in translation. 'It may not overstate the case,' writes L. G. Kelly, 'to claim that the history of the world could be told through the history of translation. Indeed, one might even assert that, without translation, there is no history of the world.' At a time when people and ideas, culture and business, seem increasingly to cross barriers of language, translation from one language to another becomes a necessary part of the action. And that action is neither transparent nor automatic." Individual scholarly essays consider the Declaration as translated and interrpeted through the cultures and languages of France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Isreal, Japan, China, Poland, and Russia.

C-Span2’s BookTV: In-Depth Interviews with Prominent Historians and Authors

These three-hour interviews, which include questions and answers from call-in viewers, are accessible as audio-visual files for 2000-2005 at: http://www.booktv.org/InDepth/archive_2000.asp. Among the truly distinguished list of interviewed historians are: Douglas Brinkley, Harold Holzer, David Herbert Donald, Robert Caro, Howard Zinn, Garry Wills, and Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. Other interviewed authors include: Tom Clancy, Cornell West, Peggy Noonan, Jeff Shaara, and Tom Wolfe. These sessions are intimate, intelligent, and engaging. After visiting for three hours you can’t help but feel that you’ve learned something about the interviewees as well as about the range of topics discussed. While viewable free on-line, the programs may also be purchased on VHS, search at: http://www.c-spanstore.org/shop/. There’s a lot more to BookTV, visit at: http://www.booktv.org/. I’ll write about BookTV again because it’s an incredible public service and offers the opportunity to “virtually” attend more lectures and conferences than most of us can even imagine.

Summertime is a Time for Travel: Maps for Today and Yesterday

Well, it may not be a collection of historical maps; but it’s pretty darn amazing. Maps and satellite images (varying in levels of detail by locality) are linked in Google’s new map resource and as you drag your way across either a map or a satellite image, you can toggle seamlessly between the two. Urban satellite images are good enough so-- in the case of large buildings – very basic details are often discernable. Your place of residence will not come up in “detail,” but you’ll be able to pin point it on the map and on the satellite image. Great Britain, Ireland, and Canada are covered and often where maps are not available, much of the remainder of the globe is viewable in satellite images (which vary in detail). At this level much of the world “has not changed much.” There are, of course, historical map collections, but we’ll consider those at another time; although you might begin with this About.Com page, http://geography.about.com/od/historicmaps/. Also, visit the Perry-Castaneda map collection at the University of Texas, Austin, http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/index.html and the resource maintained by The History Cooperative at http://www.historycooperative.org/elibrary/hw/maps.html. Use Google at: http://maps.google.com/. This is not, however, a review or comment on using Google for your next road trip.

If you’d like to travel back in Buffalo-time, try the digital Sanborn maps of Buffalo (the rest of New York State’s cities and towns as available, including New York City) at http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/sanborn_maps.html. From the Web site: “Sanborn fire insurance maps are the most frequently consulted maps in both public and academic libraries. Sanborn maps are valuable historical tools for urban specialists, social historians, architects, geographers, genealogists, local historians, planners, environmentalists and anyone who wants to learn about the history, growth, and development of American cities, towns, and neighborhoods. They are large-scale plans containing data that can be used to estimate the potential risk for urban structures. This includes information such as the outline of each building, the size, shape and construction materials, heights, and function of structures, location of windows and doors. The maps also give street names, street and sidewalk widths, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. Seven or eight different editions represent some areas.”

Encyclopedia of New York State Published

As New Yorkers, either temporary or “permanent,” not to mention students of history, you may be happy to know that the long-awaited The Encyclopedia of New York State has been published by Syracuse University Press (2005). It has not been cataloged as of this writing, but it will soon be on the reference shelves of both the Undergraduate Library and Lockwood Library. The Web site for the product provides sample entries and other features, http://www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu/encyclopedia/.

An article on it (Syracuse, The Post Standard, 19 May 2005) observes: “’The book is the first comprehensive compilation of state information in about 150 years,' said Peter Eisenstadt, editor-in-chief. There were about 1,200 contributors to the book, and an editorial board of about 40 to 50 people helped decide what went into the final volume . . . “ The National Endowment for the Humanities contributed $640,000 toward its production. Other monies came from Syracuse University, the Cultural Education Center in Albany, individuals, foundations and various corporations. Currently, it can be purchased from Amazon for $59.95.

Local people have contributed, check out a copy to see who!