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Japan and China in the early 20th century

Primary materials relating to Japan are a strength among our collections, but these materials are mainly textual.  We have, relatively, much less pertaining to China, though in recent years, we have seen a notable increase in these holdings. In the last week, we've received a small group of photographs taken or purchased in Japan and China in the early 20th century by Lloyd Balderston, an American Quaker teacher of  physics and chemistry, whose daughter, Esther, became a missionary in Japan.  The  photograph posted here depicts an aspect in the manufacture of white leather at Matsubaramura on the island of Honshu, ca. 1919.  There is at least one other image of what Balderston called a "primitive industry" among the collection donated by Charles Lord.  Lord has offered to donate more such images and we have been enthusiastic in accepting his offer.

Posted by Diana Franzusoff Peterson at August 27, 2008 02:28 PM

Special Collections Receives Conservation Bookshelf

Treasured documents and artifacts held by Haverford College Special Collections will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries.

Special Collections has been awarded this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of our collections.  The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in museums and special collections. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.

Haverford’s application emphasized the ongoing care our collections receive under the stewardship of Library Conservator Bruce Bumbarger.  Bruce’s own personal library provides guidance on specific conservation treatments, but the IMLS Bookshelf will provide more depth in terms of general preservation-related information.  Additionally, the Bookshelf will prove to be a worthy resource which we can share with our Tri-College counterparts at Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore Colleges.

Our greatest challenge to date is providing adequate housing for our materials. Storage space has reached capacity for some portions of our collection. During the coming year some pressure will be relieved by the reconfiguration of approximately 1600 square feet of general stack space into an annex to our Special Collections.  Still, this newly converted space will require careful monitoring to ensure the longevity of such precious materials.

Haverford College Special Collections is responsible for maintaining the college’s unique and rare materials.  The principle collections include the world-renowned Quaker Collection, college archives, rare books and manuscripts, and fine art.

Posted by John Anderies at August 7, 2008 10:17 PM

An Unusual Patron Visits Special Collections

 

 

A surprise visitor to Special Collections last Friday interrupted the normal research pursuits of our patrons.  A hawk that has been spotted around campus for the last few weeks took up residence outside the large windows in the third tier of Special Collections and made loud calls throughout the afternoon.  Though apparently camera shy, staff were able to get a few shots of the hawk, which can be seen here.

 

 

Posted by David Conners at August 4, 2008 01:48 PM

Students Digitize over 1,000 Letters this Summer

 

 

Students working in Special Collections this summer have published online 1,100 letters from the Cope Evans Family Papers, beating their goal by over 100 letters.  In addition to scanning, the students researched genealogical information about the people mentioned in the letters, and cataloged the letters before posting them to Triptych, the Tri-College Digital Library.  The team consisted of (from left-to-right) Luke Mueller, MLS graduate student at Drexel University; Hannah Lonky, HC '10 history major; Sara Bornstein, HC '09 history major; and Mara Miller, HC '10 classics major.     

Posted by David Conners at August 1, 2008 11:14 AM