Primary Sourcery

“Drawn to Health: Bodies and Medicine in Popular Visual Culture” explores the historical and contemporary use of visual narratives to communicate about health, featuring collections held at both the Wangensteen Historical Library and the Children’s Literature Research Collections. Visit this exhibit now through December 29, 2022.

Renowned for its breadth and depth of works by children’s book authors and illustrators, The Kerlan Collection of Children’s Literature mirrors the issues of its times. So when Kerlan curator Lisa Von Drasek was asked, “Does the Kerlan have any banned books?” she responded: “Of course we do!” Von Drasek adds: “The number one category of banned books is LGBTQ and sex education books.”

Our library collections are always growing, and the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine is no exception. But how do you decide what still needs to be added? Come get a sneak peak at six books that the Wangensteen purchased in the last year, and learn more about our collection development mission.

Labor Day became an official federal holiday in 1894 — so, by now, we Americans should have the celebration of America’s workers down! At the University of Minnesota Libraries, we have a multitude of images and newspaper accounts related to Labor Day in our Archives and Special Collections. Check out this sampling.

Fall schedules are filling up fast for families as students head back to school. With busy days and nights ahead, independent reading can often fall by the wayside as families adjust to their new back-to-school routines. Lisa Von Drasek, curator of the Kerlan Collection of Children's Literature at the University of Minnesota, answers questions about the importance of independent reading for children’s literacy development and how to make independent reading a priority this fall.

“There has literally never been a more compelling moment to preserve and protect history.” — Riv-Ellen Prell, Professor Emerita of American Studies. Join us in creating a full-time archivist position for the Upper Midwest Jewish Archives at the University of Minnesota. Your gift will help increase the archivist’s position from part-time to full-time in order to better tell the full story of the Upper Midwest Jewish community.

The James Ford Bell Library at the University of Minnesota Libraries has acquired a rare, 17th century map of the Java Sea, thanks to generous funding from the James Ford Bell Trust.

Tales of Minnesota’s pigskin rivalries do involve one pig. But where did that axe come from? Why a jug? And who decided on a pig made of bronze? With help from UMedia, University Archives, and Wikipedia, we tell the tales of three trophies.

The University Archives holds about 11,000 audio recordings from the University of Minnesota's radio station KUOM and other events on campus. Because they were recorded from 1939 to 1993 on reel-to-reel equipment, however, as that recording method became obsolete, these recordings were effectively silenced. Now almost 5,000 of them have been restored to audible life, through digitization.

Robert Bly, an outstanding person of letters in Minnesota, died at the age of 94 on Nov. 21. “He was by far the most consequential poet of the second half of the 20th century,” says James Lenfestey, poet, writer, and former Star Tribune editorial writer.

By Allison Campbell-Jensen Vic Rosenthal, Jewish Community Action’s executive director from 2000 to 2017 and, prior to that, a member of the board from its...

Advice for would-be illustrators: “When in doubt, choose purple,” says renowned children’s book illustrator Ariane Dewey, who recently received the 2021 Kerlan Award — and long-delayed recognition for work early in her career.

The Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA) at the University Libraries is very pleased to announce its next Grant-in-Aid awardees. These awards support travel to the IHRCA at Andersen Library to advance the awardees’ research. Awards are available through co-sponsorship from the IHRCA and campus partner, the Immigration History Research Center.

The wealth of information in the Immigration History Research Center Archives (IHRCA) attracts researchers with different goals, studying different populations, and perhaps even holding different conceptions of words like refugee. In three recent projects, the IHRCA supported research ranging from politics to art, from refugees to displaced persons.

Trees and their fruits have taken over the display cases in the Andersen Horticultural Library and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Visitor’s Center to illustrate "Turning over a New Leaf." The exhibit, co-curated by Andersen Librarian Kathy Allen and Library Assistant Adrienne Alms, accords with the Arboretum’s theme for this summer — the Season of Trees. The exhibit runs through Oct. 31 at the Andersen Horticultural Library, open Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

Formerly a student staff employee in the U of M's Performing Arts Archives, Joseph Moen brings prior research experience and a strong measure of enthusiasm to the work, as helps researchers uncover and use material deep in the archives.