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Brent S. Sirota '98,
North Carolina State University
Monday, November 10, 2008
Tea at 4:15 P.M., Talk at 4:30 P.M.
Magill Library -- Philips Wing
In the early eighteenth century, voluntary associations were enshrined at the heart of British public life. The philanthropy and sociability of these organizations underpinned a self-proclaimed "age of benevolence" in which clubs, societies, and projects were designated the preeminent instruments of social improvement, religious renewal and moral reform. How may we account for this moral valorization of civil society in Britain? This paper will trace the origins of the "age of benevolence" to the defeat of absolutism in the Revolution of 1688-1689. By recovering the revolutionary origins of British civil society, it will be possible to view the eighteenth century "age of benevolence" as a key moment in both the rise of British liberalism and the development of the British state.
Presented by the Library, the John B. Hurford '60 Humanities Center, and the Office of Alumni Relations.
A reception will begin at 5:30 with the program to follow from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested: dshapiro@librarycompany.org or 215/546-3181.
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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.]]>
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.
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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.
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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.
During exam week this semester, May 5 – May 9, 2008, a daily presentation of rare books will be on exhibit in Special Collections. Each day a LARGE book will be displayed juxtaposed with a small book – both sharing a common theme. You will be able to enjoy each book individually but also admire the contrasts that become evident by the comparison.
LARGE The Holy Bible, London : by Robert Barker, printer to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie, Anno Dom. 1611.
small History of the Bible, Sandy-Hill, N. Y, Hart & Hare, & J. Wright, 1825.
LARGE Trimble, Esther Jane, 1838-1888, A chart of general literature, …with the prominent writings of other nations; also, a chart of ancient literature, from the earliest times, Philadelphia : Stoddart, c1875.
small Thompson, Eben Francis, The Rose Garden of Omar Khayyam, Worcester, MA, Commonwealth Press, 1932.
LARGE Penn, William, "Fruits of solitude, in reflections and maxims, relating to the conduct of life" in Select works of William Penn : To which is prefixed A journal of his life, London, 1771.
small Penn, William, 1644-1718, Time, Berkeley, Calif. : Peacock Press, 1965.
LARGE Lehmer, Derrick Norman 1868-1938, Factor table for the first ten millions containing the smallest factor of every number not divisible by 2, 3, 5, or 7 between the limits 0 and 10017000, Washington, D. C. : Carnegie institution of Washington, 1909.
small Bailey's Pocket almanac : being an American annual register, for the year of our Lord, 1784, Philadelphia, [1784].
LARGE Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321, La divina commedia, Milano : Casa ed. Di Dante, 1931-41.
small Dante Alighieri, 1265-1321, La divina commedia di Dante Alighieri, Firenze : G. Barbera, 1911.
George Stephens is still an enigma, even though it's been almost 40 years since a group of Haverford students founded the George Stevins [sic] Memorial Association. Their quest was to gather enough information about him in order to understand this courageous Haverfordian. Here are some of the characteristics known to date through discovered artifacts: he was a little ungainly on the soccer field, his team having suffered defeat in Ethiopia when the ball dribbled past his left-leaning feet (see "Sinistericon" and his sneakers as evidence); he had little humor, as the well-known artist, Kevorkian, revealed in his portrait of Steyvens [sic]; he wrote his senior thesis on an unknowable topic, given that the 5" floppy on which it was presented can no longer be read; and he had a preference for large women (see Margaret Dufay's toothbrush). Perhaps a visitor to the exhibit, which closes on March 15th, will discover the perfect artifact. We welcome any creative evidence that will fulfill the mission of the Jorge Esteban [sic] Memorial Association.]]>