Perks of the Job: Stumbling on Library Gems
Here at Harvard Library we’re currently working on a big website redesign project. Describing the project as a “redesign” doesn’t do it justice, actually. We’re not renovating. We’re building something completely new from the ground up.
My central role on the project is to audit, update and migrate more than 6,000 pages of digital content from across two different sites. It’s a beast. (I’ve been repeating the phrase “one day at a time” a lot lately.)
The gig does, however, have its perks. I love libraries. I love books. I love history. That’s one of the reasons why I came here. And I’m reminded of that every once in a while when I’m working and stumble on a treasure.
Maybe I’m searching for a record in our catalog to link to, or for an image to illustrate a page or blog post. And I find a little slice of history that makes me smile.
It seems to always come at the perfect time. Right when I need it. A little something that reminds me why libraries exist, why I love them, and why making our website easier to use is one small thing I can do to make the history my colleagues work so hard to preserve more accessible to all.
Here are a few of the treasures I’ve found recently:
Hard Labor
Houghton Library holds a collection of bookplates from book collectors and libraries all over the world. Many of the plates have been digitized and you can browse them on Flickr.
The one that recently caught my eye is from right here at Harvard:
Seems a little aggressive! Dig in though and you’ll learn the thief, Joel C. Williams, stole more than 2,000 books, many of them rare, over the course of a decade. Here’s a Crimson article and one from Harvard Magazine about the crime.
~*Pink Mountain Dreams*~
I have to admit: this image found me at exactly the right time. I’d been thinking of Japan for weeks, trying to plan a trip, when I found it.
I think it’s the mountain’s pink aura that really struck me. The image, a hand-painted lantern slide, was created around 1894 by Enami Nobukuni, whose trade name was T. Enami. He’s considered one of the most widely published photographers of the Meiji period.
This slide, along with hundreds of others in the collection, were acquired by Universalist Minister Roger Frederick Etz during a tour of Asia in 1934. The collection is held at Harvard’s Fine Arts Library. Explore more here.
‘Freedom and Pride’
This one caught my attention initially for its composition.
Then, when I sought more details, it was the inscription that hooked me:
“Today’s privileged college women move with freedom and pride,” steps of Widener Library, Harvard Yard, Harvard University
This photo is from the Radcliffe College Archives, which is described as “a rich resource for the study of women in higher education, the Harvard-Radcliffe relationship, and the lives of the many remarkable women who attended or were affiliated with Radcliffe College.” Their online exhibit, “It’s Complicated: 375 Years of Women at Harvard,” is another great resource on the topic.
