For this week’s historical highlights, I’ve collected some interesting articles about libraries and archives and also links to fascinating pictures of D-Day and hot air ballooning. Enjoy.
“For newcomers to Toronto, the library is much more than a place to borrow books—it’s the connection point to job and settlement services, a place to build language skills, and a space to learn about recreational and cultural programs. It’s a community hub.” Read how the Toronto Public Library has expanded services to serve the influx of Syrian refugees.
“Do You Suffer from Library Anxiety?”
What do you think of a project like this? A man leaves stacks of books around NYC and waits to see who will pick them up and send him an email.
As I read Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog earlier this year, I thought about how skilled the translator must be. Here is a brief look at the methods of six literary translators.
Twitter users, take note: “Learning to Tweet Like a Historian”
Have you ever thought about the work that goes into processing archival collections to make them accessible to researchers? This article could be eye-opening. (And if you work in archives, you’ll want to think about the questions Stacie Williams raises.)
“How Can We Be Sure Old Books Were Ever Read?” Hint: answers include dog-ears, bookmarks, and marginalia.
Speaking of marginalia, in this blog post Dr. Alun Withey shares images of children’s drawings in a 19th century book of notes on medical lectures.
In archival news, “Over 100 Filipino classic films restored.”
Don’t miss these pictures of the D-Day landing that bring past and present together.
And in “Ballooning in Bowler Hats: Early Images From Victorian Skies” you can see some of the earliest surviving aerial photographs of England.
Those interested in culinary history will want to check out this article.
Finally, here’s one last article for you, “How the ‘Daisy’ Ad Changed Everything About Political Advertising.”
Any links you’d like to share this weekend?