Arts and Humanities Commons^™

From Professor-Student To Collaborators, Jesse E. Siegel

Blogging the Library

I had not met Michael Ritterson before he visited the Conservation Lab at Special Collections, where he was having a book mended, but I had certainly heard of him. A former faculty member of the German department, Mr. Ritterson is now a German translator, taking on projects from translating the work of a 17th German woman’s study of butterflies to the poetry of a Berlin leftist written during the 1968 Movement. And, by previous contact in the mail, he had heard of me. So after Mary Wooton showed him the fully repaired book, we were formally introduced and had the …

The Fortenbaugh In A Music Education Context, Brittany N. Barry

Blogging the Library

This past weekend I attended the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Annual Conference in Hershey, PA. Along with the rest of my music education program here at Gettysburg College I went on a two day trip the Hershey Lodge to attend professional sessions, network with in-service teachers and administrators, and walk the music education marketplace. Now that I am back it is time to begin work putting together my library research guide geared towards helping others involved in music education and I have new insights to consider. [excerpt]

From The Classroom To Musselman Library: Bridging The Gap For Music Education, Brittany N. Barry

Blogging the Library

I am in my sixth semester as a music education major through the Sunderman Conservatory and yet I had no idea there was a music education collection here at Musselman Library until just a couple weeks ago. After reading up on some policies and practices for maintaining collections I was given some time to peruse the music education collection more closely. As I looked through the shelves and skimmed some introductions and tables of contents of a few of the books in MT1 I began considering how I would go about updating and maintaining this small collection. [excerpt]

Life In The Fishbowl, Brittany N. Barry

Blogging the Library

I was never quite certain what went on in those offices behind the glass windows on the second floor of Musselman Library, but two weeks into my Fortenbaugh Music Librarian Internship I am beginning to get an idea. After talking with some of the staff that work in the fishbowl I have gotten a glimpse at some of the goings on behind the scenes of the librarian. If you’ve ever wondered how all these books and resources came to be or how in the world you are able to find a single thing in this place (maybe with some assistance), …

"Let Us Cross Over The River And Rest Under The Shade Of The Trees,": My Final Post For The Summer, Steven J. Semmel

Blogging the Library

As the summer comes to a close, the more I think about my experiences here at Special Collections. This internship was completely different compared to my past internships, going from giving tours to creating finding aids for collections. I lived a Civil War Era Studies student’s dream, being able to handle a wide range of artifacts and documents while helping preserve them at the same time. The Hosford Collection has portions of it digitized on GettDigital and I am currently working on reorganizing and editing the Civil War Vertical File Manuscript. The Hosford Collection helped me establish my understanding of …

Faces Of The Civil War, Steven J. Semmel

Blogging the Library

As the internship enters its final month of the summer, I’ve been processing and looking at various Civil War collections. This era in history is well known for the bloody conflicts that separated the nation. However, not much is known about most individuals that fought in different regiments across the country, or even what they looked like. Special Collections is home to a few faces that at Gettysburg, out West, prisoners at Andersonville, or stationed in places like Florida. The collections I have recently processed included photos of those soldiers at different stages in their life. [excerpt]

Greetings From The Civil War Intern!, Steven J. Semmel

Blogging the Library

Hello everyone! I would like to welcome you to Musselman Library’s intern blog. I’m Steven Semmel (the big goofy guy at the bottom of the current intern’s section) and I am the Brian C. Pohanka Civil War Institute intern at Special Collections for the summer of 2015. I will primarily be working with anything that deals with the Civil War in Special Collections. This includes diary transcriptions, digitizing, cataloging, creating displays, you name it! I am having a wonderful time so far this summer and currently working on transcribing three years’ worth of diary entries from Hoadley G. Hosford. Hosford …

Last Post, Abby M. Rolland

Blogging the Library

I cannot believe this is my last week working in Special Collections and there are less than three weeks until graduation. My time up here has gone by so fast and I’m sad it’s coming to an end! I’ve made a lot of progress and learned a lot as well. [excerpt]

The Final Week!, Melanie L. Fernandes

Blogging the Library

I can’t believe that this upcoming week will be my last as a Fortenbaugh intern! While I am sad that this semester is coming to a close, I am also very aware of all I have left to complete. Abby and I have made great progress with our display. The creative process has been really rewarding for both of us, and I know that I personally have really enjoyed doing this as a partner project. We worked together to decide which fabric backdrop to use and we’re having a lot of fun moving the objects around to see where they …

Introducing Fortenbaugh Intern Abby, Abby M. Rolland

Blogging the Library

Hi I’m Abby – the last of three Fortenbaugh Interns to post! I am a senior with a History major and Political Science and Anthropology minors and I hail from Kokomo, Indiana. I am so excited to be working in Special Collections – I love working with history first-hand! Here’s a brief write-up of what I have completed so far in my time on the 4th Floor. [excerpt]

Just Keep Plugging Away, Alexander K. Schweizer

Blogging the Library

I am not the greatest technology user, but I am in the process of creating a page on the library’s resource guide that will include resources, links to resources, and links to links to resources about pretty much anything anyone might ever want to know about the President’s Own Marine Band. It will include audio resources, as well as links to more audio resources. It will include links to notable and informative websites that will show you super cool pictures of various aspects of the Marine Band, as well as its musicians and directors, past and present. It will even …

Another Project Underway, Alexander K. Schweizer

Blogging the Library

I have embarked on another researching journey; this time focusing on “The President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band. Ever since I got to see them perform at a neighboring high school my freshmen year, I been fascinated and inspired by the level of excellence and precision that the Marine Band displays. One day I hope to join their ranks as part of the euphonium section, but I still have a lot of work and practicing to do before I can achieve this goal. [excerpt]

Collection Project Completed, Alexander K. Schweizer

Blogging the Library

I hope everyone had an awesome Spring Break and is enjoying the short burst of nice weather! It’s been a long time since my last post because I have been working on a month-long project, and I wanted to wait until it was complete to give the whole scoop. Due to my interest in any and everything that has to do with the euphonium, I did a great deal of research in an effort to improve and expand upon the large collection of musical resources that the Musselman Library has to offer. [excerpt]

Fortenbaugh Music Intern, First Post Of The Semester, Alexander K. Schweizer

Blogging the Library

As the Fortenbaugh Music Library Intern, I will be working on several projects throughout the semester. I plan to use the skills that I acquire during this internship when I am a band director, and need to know how to catalog and easily access music. Currently, I am researching euphonium repertoire (both audio recordings and physical sheet music) to potentially add to the large collection of scores and CDs already in the Musselman Music Library. [excerpt]

#Paperwork, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

This is history, not bureaucracy, right? I am fairly certain that my methods professor did not mention anything about a thirty-page report, so why the paperwork? In order for Special Collections to request objects for loan from specific institutions, I have to complete what is called a “General Facility Report” which is a comprehensive document that inquires about facility conditions. [excerpt]

Toeing The Line Between Offense And Education, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

Medical history can be gruesome. People shy away from blood and guts and images of death perhaps because it makes us question our own mortality or perhaps because it reminds us a bit too much about the origins of that hamburger we ate for lunch. Whatever the reason, a lot of humans cannot stomach the truly heinous. [excerpt]

Do You Doodle?, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

If you were, are, or will become a student, then you have probably thought about doodling during class. Fear not! We are not the only generation to draw in the midst of a lecture. Today’s research escapade led me to investigate George Currier’s notes from his time as a student at the Medical Department of Pennsylvania College. [excerpt]

A Hypochondriac Investigates The Evolution Of Medicine, Natalie S. Sherif

Blogging the Library

This exhibit will open to the public in February 2014, but until then I have my work cut out for me. I am currently researching various aspects of medical history spanning from the mid-1800s, through the Civil War, to WWI. Thus far I have read accounts of women volunteers during the American Civil War, important changes that went into effect during WWI, and an overly detailed description on how to perform tooth extractions according to the latest science of the 1860s. [excerpt]

Assisting Vocal Studio, Ilana A. Mesnard

Blogging the Library

In the conservatory, each instrument has its own studio class where students have a chance to perform in front of their peers. Tim Sestrick was asked to familiarize the vocal studio students with useful resources dedicated to singers in specific. It was around that time that he showed me a valuable resource for singers like myself. Apparently, Professor Crowne asked him last year to buy Nico Castel Opera Libretti. These books are way cool! Not only do they have the original text and a great word-for-word translation, but they also have IPA ( International Phonetic Alphabet). [excerpt]

Opera Cd Project, Ilana A. Mesnard

Blogging the Library

The library has a significant amount of materials on-site. For pleasure or for simply completing assigned work, our library has the resources to help students and staff. The library continually has to keep updating its equipment and technical materials like CDs and IPADS. Otherwise, the technology would be outdated and less useful, if useful at all. [excerpt]

First Blog Ever, Ilana A. Mesnard

Blogging the Library

I may be new at this whole blogging thing, but I am willing to give it a shot. My name is Ilana Mesnard and I am this semesters Fortenbaugh Intern in Music. When I applied, I knew I wanted to help out in the library and expand its music collection. Since I started my intern work in September, I've accomplished all that and more. In this time, I have learned many of the jobs of a music librarian. I've been asked to make programs for the Notes at Noon concerts, research obscure music, teach students library tools and more. I'll …

Last Day & Farewell... Sort Of!, Emily A. Francisco

Blogging the Library

My summer internship experience at the library is officially done. It’s odd to think about just how much I’ve accomplished this summer—I’ve researched Civil War genre painters, learned about nineteenth-century sheet music, installed frames, arranged Union soldiers’ swords—the list goes on. I truly am fortunate to have had such a unique and stimulating experience this summer. [excerpt]

More Cataloging, More Libguide, Hannah R. Leone

Blogging the Library

The way I have unified the LGBTQ titles—all 700-odd of them—is by using a local information field in the catalog. Quick cataloging lesson for you non-librarians: when I talk about subject headings, for example Gay Culture, those go in a field designated by the number 650. This means that it’s a universal, standardized field and that the headings in those fields will be recognized anywhere. For local subject headings, those that are only used within one library (ours, in this case), the field is designated by the number 690. I’m using one of those 690 fields with the heading “LGBTQ …

Installations, Check!, Emily A. Francisco

Blogging the Library

I guess I assumed the most work was always put in BEFORE an exhibit went up (planning, researching, etc.), but I’ve realized now that it takes the same amount of time and effort to make an exhibit look good for the public as it does to plan it. Maybe it’s because I’m both an artist and a perfectionist, but it took me at least a good hour on each exhibit before I was satisfied with the results. [excerpt]

Exciting News!, Emily A. Francisco

Blogging the Library

I have some great news—as it turns out, I won’t have to say good-bye completely to my job at the library this fall! Meggan told me that they’d like to keep me on to work next year, if my schedule allows. I’ll get to work on my Political Cartoons exhibit after all! I might also get to help out with Jim Agard’s work that’s going on the second floor, and I’ll be here for all of the ALA exhibit preparations too. Meggan also said they were interested in having me do some Public Relations stuff—my official title will be along …

Fun With Civil War Sheet Music, Emily A. Francisco

Blogging the Library

One project I haven’t blogged too much about yet is the Civil War Sheet Music exhibit for the Main Floor. Initially, Meggan only asked me to come up with a tentative list of pieces to display from the resources available; now, though, I’m finding myself assigned to the task of organizing, mounting, and labeling the exhibit. It’s a cool assignment, because it’s so different from everything else I’ve been working on this summer. [excerpt]

Published And Proud, Hannah R. Leone

Blogging the Library

Today was an exciting day at work: my Bisexual and Transgender LibGuides are published and available to the public!! Excuse me as I squeal in nerdy glee. I made a couple of small changes before I published them: I added a user feedback box so that visitors to the LibGuide can let me know what they think, as well as changing some titles of boxes after Jess pointed out that they were in Librarian-speak instead of Normal College Student. I also took the LGBTQ landing page from its half-baked state to make it an officially “under-construction” welcome page. In case …

The Topical Jigsaw Puzzle, Hannah R. Leone

Blogging the Library

I’m a rather hands-on type of learner, so I decided that the best way to go about organizing the books by topic would be to do it by hand: print off my list of titles (I’m using the same list onto which I hand-copied the call numbers last week), cut each title out, and tape it to a giant piece of paper in the proper category. I acquired flip-chart-sized Post-It notes from the supply closet in the Reference office and affixed them to a rolling white board, one to each side. Each Post-It has three categories (so I have six …

Time Flies..., Emily A. Francisco

Blogging the Library

We had another important EPiC meeting yesterday afternoon. Beforehand, Meggan told me to prepare some materials so that I could update the rest of the Committee on the status of my projects.

I can’t believe it’s the middle of July already! My internship seems to just be flying by. One of the things we discussed at our meeting, actually, was how it was almost time to put up the rest of the exhibits. Scary thought! I know my 1860 Election exhibit is just about ready, but I can’t help but feel that there’s so much more research I can do …

Alphabet Soup, Anyone?, Hannah R. Leone

Blogging the Library

Actually, I get to do the LGBTQ in religion topic, too. When I was about halfway through the list of call number ranges to search, I realized that there was way, way too much information for a single LibGuide. With just my initial list, I have 736 books (yes, I counted—I’ll explain why later) that concern more than one part of the LGBTQQAIetc. acronym. I discussed this problem with Jess, and I decided to make sub-categories within the LGBTQ guide, as I could see very clear categories forming just by looking at the titles on my list. Religion is one …