Fall 2010 - Tufts University Library Catalog

Medieval Miscellany Discovery Continued from page 1in Tisch Library to lecture on the physical and historical aspects ofthe medieval book (or codex, to use the Latin-derived term for amanuscript book of the Middle Ages). Dr. Merien took great interestin the mysterious origins of the collection, describing recent effortsof scholars to virtually “re-bind”medieval books from which suchmaterial has been removed usingweb sites to collate scattered leaves.While these pieces of TheMiscellany were being studied inclasses, rare books cataloger AlexMay was at work cataloging the collection.Taking advantage of emergingweb-based catalog practices towork in new ways, May used TheMedieval Miscellany as a prototypefor encoding and displaying informationabout the records. Theextraordinary qualities of this findare now available to every cornerof campus, as well as to scholarsanywhere in the world.Additionally, the records are designed to take full advantage ofthe emerging Semantic Web, or Web 3.0. The underlying frameworkused to catalog the records allows computers to harvest the dataand combine it with information about related material in otherinstitutions. In short, the records are designed with Dr. Merien’shopes in mind for digitally rebinding the material. As the web shiftsto this new paradigm for organizing information, digital projectssuch as The Miscellany will become ever more important.Still, what makes The Miscellany Collection distinctive is the factthat its presentation of content allows for the visual verification ofthe descriptive information. Thereis an immediacy to the imagesthemselves, allowing students andscholars who cannot access thereading room to really understandthe exceptional beauty of thehand illuminated miniatures andscripts that make up the collection.The rich umber and gold illuminationpops off the digital page, andusers can zoom into portions ofthe images for additional detail.Scholars also may participate inon-line discussions about the projectvia a custom-built Twitter feed,and assist in formulating explanatoryelements in order to increaseaccess to the collection and better meet their research needs. Thecollection ultimately leverages the best of web-based discovery,display functionality, and user-based interaction in order to betterhighlight these priceless objects.Christopher Barbour, Humanities Bibliographer & Coordinatorof Special CollectionsAlex May, Rare Books Cataloger Technical Services DepartmentDigiTAL CoLLeCTions ANd ArCHivesIn April, Digital Collections and Archives moved its public readingroom as well as some staff offices and processing space to anewly renovated suite on Level G of Tisch Library. The new spaceoffers a more comfortable environment for researchers and staffto work with Tufts’ unique archival and manuscript collections.Digital Collections and Archives is open Monday through Fridayfrom 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.PHOTO Jennifer Phillips4

Friends of Tufts Libraries Cordially Invites You to AttendAuthors Talks 2010DavID M. CARROLLFollowing the Water: Reflections of a Naturalist-Artist/WriterParents Weekend Author TalkFriday, October 22, 2010, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m., Tisch Library, Hirsh Reading RoomNaturalist-artist/writer David M.Carroll, A65, a graduateof the Schoolof the Museum ofFine Arts, Bostonand Tufts University, has written three acclaimed natural histories:The Year of the Turtle; Trout Reflections; and Swampwalker’sJournal. The latter was awarded the John Burroughs Medal. This“wet-sneaker trilogy” was expanded to a quartet with the publicationof Self-Portrait with Turtles, a memoir centered on his lifelongconnection with turtles and their habitats. His fifth and currentbook, Following the Water: A Hydromancer’s Notebook, published inAugust 2009, reflects the passage of a year in the wild wetlands andbordering uplands that Carroll has been wandering and observingfor over thirty years from thaw in late March through the freezingoverof marshes, swamps, and streams at the end of November.Carroll’s call for moving beyond conservation to preservationbecomes a compelling theme throughout his narrative. The bookwas named one of five finalists for a National Book Award in thenon-fiction category in 2009. That same year, Carroll received aLifetime Achievement Award from the N.H. Writers’ Project. Healso was named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow in 2006.In addition to his own field work, David has conducted investigationsfor the Endangered Species Programs of New Hampshire,Vermont, and Maine, as well as the National Park Service and theUnited States Environmental Protection Agency. He is an activelecturer and an advocate for the preservation of turtles and wetlands.He has received an Environmental Merit Award from the U.S. E.P.A.and N.H. Audubon’s Tudor Richards Award.A book signing sponsored by Tufts Bookstore will follow thetalk. An exhibit about David M. Carroll will be on display in TischLibrary lobby from August 10 – October 26, 2010.“It is Carroll’s gift of sensing the ecosystem while detailing egg massor footprints that sets him apart. The fact that he can set this all inprose and finely crafted pen-and-inks and watercolors proves that heis of Renaissance caliber.” —Boston GlobePHOTO John WestonKAREEM ROUSTOMKareem Roustom–Composer: Picturing MusicWednesday, November 10, 2010, 3:30 – 5:00 p.m., Tisch Library, Hirsh Reading RoomKareem Roustom,a lecturer in Tufts’music department,is an award-winningcomposer who hascomposed music forfilm, television, theconcert hall, and album projects. Steeped in the musical traditionsof the Arab Near East and trained in Western music, Roustomis a musically bi-lingual composer who has collaborated with awide variety of artists ranging from the Philadelphia Orchestra toShakira. An active composer of film music, he has scored a numberof short and feature-length films. His score for the award-winningdocumentary, Encounter Point, earned him the Best Musical ScoreAward at the 2006 Bend International Film Festival. His recent scorefor Amreeka, which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival,won the International Critic’s Award at the Director’s Fortnightduring the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and has been nominated forthree Spirit Awards. During his talk, Roustom will introduce theaudience to his film compositions, playing pieces from them liveas well as showing clips from the movies.A CD signing and reception will follow the talk. An exhibit aboutKareem Roustom and his music will be on display in Tisch Librarylobby from October 19, 2010 – January 4, 2011.“Kareem Roustom’s Middle Eastern-flavored score contributesgreatly [to Amreeka].” —The Hollywood Reporter“A strong string, wind and percussion score by Kareem Roustomadds to the momentum and underlines key moments [in BudrusHas a Hammer].”—Variety Magazine5

Library NewsTHE FRIENDS OFTisch LibraryDigital Collections and ArchivesEdwin Ginn LibraryHirsh Health Sciences LibraryWebster Veterinary LibraryTUFTS LIBRARIESextends gratitudeand heartfelt thanksto our donors.MandALA of CompassionAvalokiteshvara’s sand mandala—a sacred diagram representingthe environment purified and transformed by the power of universalcompassion—was constructed in Tisch Library’s Dranetz Towercorridor by two Tibetan Buddhist monks, Khenpo Choephel Rinpochéand Lama Sonam, between March 29 and April 2, 2010. The projectwas a partnership between the Drikung Meditation Center, Arlington,MA; the Kurukulla Center, Medford, MA; Tisch Library; Reverend DavidO’Leary and the Tufts Chaplaincy; and Vikrant Bhasin, a Tufts employee.The Recognition List for 2009-2010includes each donor’s name.http://www.library.tufts.edu/Friends/friends_list.htmlTisCH Library AddsoVer 30,000 eLeCTronic BooksTisch Library slowly has been increasing its electronic book collectionover the years, but this year a giant leap was taken, adding 30,000books to the holdings. The new books are primarily in the sciences andengineering, with a smattering in psychology and economics. In additionto the new titles, Tisch offers many encyclopedias, dictionaries,and handbooks in electronic format. Full-text primary source materialsin the humanities—every extant book published in America between1639-1819 (Early American Imprints), all known printed Englishlanguagebooks published until 1700 (Early English Books Online), andevery significant English-language and foreign-language title printed inGreat Britain during the 18th century (Eighteenth Century CollectionsOnline)—round out the electronic book holdings.PHOTOs Stephanie St. Laurence and Katherine Meusey6

Friends of Tufts Libraries80 George Street, Suite 300-7Medford, MA 02155N O N p r o F I TO R G.U.S. POSTAGEP A I DBOSTON, MAPERMIT NO. 1161“An investment in knowledgealways pays the best interest.”Benjamin FranklinLatest Friends’ information located at http://www.library.tufts.edu/friends/calendar.htmlMark Your Calendar for… Upcoming Friends EventsAugust 27, 2010–January 13, 2011Dranetz Tower Corridor, Tisch LibraryHighlights from the Digital Collections and Archives’ Edward R. Murrow paperscollection. Curated by Digital Collections and Archives.Friday, October 22, 20103:30 – 5 PMHirsh Reading Room, Tisch LibraryFriends’/Parents Weekend Author Talk by David Carroll, A65, naturalist-artist/writerand author of Following the Water: A Hydromancer’s Notebook. See page 5 forcomplete information.Wednesday, nOvember 10, 20103:30 – 5 PMHirsh Reading Room, Tisch LibraryFriends’ Author Talk/performance by Kareem Roustom, G07, Tufts Universitylecturer of music. See page 5 for complete information.January 14 – August 26, 2011Dranetz Tower Corridor, Tisch LibraryThe 2011 reunion classes’ exhibit features people, places, and events, showcasingwhat was special about these Tufts classes. Curated by Digital Collections and Archives.Thursday, February 17, 20113:30 – 5 PMHirsh Reading Room, Tisch LibraryFriends’ Author Talk by Christoph Börgers, Tufts University professor and author ofMathematics of Social Choice: Voting, Compensation, and Division. The tenth MaxineNewberg Gordon, J70, Book Prize will precede the talk.Thursday, April 7, 20113:30 – 5 PMHirsh Reading Room, Tisch LibraryThe seventh John Holmes Memorial Poetry Reading featuring Robert Pinsky.Saturday, May 21, 201110 AM – 5PMTisch Library, Medford CampusOpen House for Friends and alumni: self-guided tours of Tisch Library. Come andsee the 2011 reunion classes’ exhibit, The Tower café, and Jumbo-mania posters.