A New Look for the Library Website and Catalog
On July 1st the Library went live with the redesigned interface that was previewed last semester as a beta site. All the components of the previous web site are still there — the CUL Catalog (both Classic and a newly revamped version with Classic at its core); Databases; Articles, E-books; E-Journals; Images; and WorldCat Local — but the pathways to them look somewhat different. The single search box on the home page now encompasses the full range of CUL assets and search results are organized according to their source and format.
Clicking on one of the links below the search box will take you to that specific part of the Library’s suite of resources. The redesigned catalog is where you’ll find links to Classic and WorldCat Local.
Please note that this site is in active development and we very much want to hear what you think, so please send any questions or comments you may have to cul-dafeedback-l@cornell.edu.
Shakespeare at 450 — A Special Exhibit
On Wednesday, April 23, the world will celebrate the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. The Library will mark the occasion by placing its four 17th century folio editions of Shakespeare’s plays on public display for a special one day exhibition. Donated to Cornell in 1953 by William G. Mennen (class of 1908), these volumes are among the most important books in world literature. The First Folio of 1623, published seven years after the author’s death, established Shakespeare’s canon by collecting his plays in a single volume for the first time. Eighteen of the thirty-six plays published in the First Folio had never been printed before their appearance here. Cornell is fortunate to be one of the few places in the world that can put all four folios on display for its community of readers and researchers.
When: Wednesday, April 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. One day only.
Where: Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Kroch Library, Level 2B
Ben Jonson Goes Digital
It’s hard not to be impressed with The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Ben Jonson Online, offering to the Cornell community a fully searchable version of the 7-volume print edition (all the original introductions, collations, and commentary) as well as a rich array of related primary and secondary materials: old-spelling texts, several hundred high-quality images, and 100 music scores. The online edition also provides details of more than 1300 stage performances, and has a cross-linked bibliography of over 7000 items. It’s designed to allow this wealth of additional content to be accessed independently or used in close interaction with the modern-spelling text of Jonson’s works. And the resource will grow! Future supplements will include transcribing documents relating to Jonson’s reputation and afterlife; a catalogue of the surviving books from Jonson’s library; Foot Voyage into Scotland, a recently-discovered diary of Jonson’s walk to Edinburgh in 1617; letters written to Jonson; essays on writings dubiously ascribed to Jonson; and additional collations to Jonson’s non-dramatic verse. “Break then thy quills” and explore the work and world of Ben Jonson online.
British Periodicals Database Is Now Available
British Periodicals, offering searchable full text and facsimile page images for nearly 500 British periodicals published from the 17th through the early 20th centuries, is now accessible to the Cornell community. Topics covered include literature, philosophy, history, science, the fine arts and the social sciences. The complete title list and issue coverage is available on an Excel spreadsheet. Many thanks to faculty in the English and History departments for supporting the effort to add this rich resource to the Library’s digital collections.
Test Drive Oxford Scholarly Editions Online
The Library has initiated trial access to Oxford Scholarly Editions Online (OSEO), a searchable, digital library of authoritative Oxford University Press editions of major works in the humanities by writers active between 1485 and 1700: Shakespeare, Donne, Bacon, Sidney, Milton, Herbert and more. Please try it out via the link above and send your comments to me at fmm1@cornell.edu. I’m especially interested in knowing whether or not you would use OSEO in your classes. Access will be available until May 7th.
Explore Victorian Popular Culture
We’re excited to announce Cornell access to Adam Matthew’s Victorian Popular Culture, a unique archival resource for four fascinating areas of 19th British century life: (1) Spiritualism, Sensation & Magic; (2) Circuses, Sideshows & Freaks; (3) Music Hall, Theatre & Popular Entertainment; (4) Moving Pictures, Optical Entertainments & the Advent of Cinema. In addition to printed and visual material from the period (books, magazines, pamphlets, posters, photographs, postcards, advertising), VPC offers audio and video files as well as 360-degree views of optical devices, toys, and other artifacts of the era. With its amazing range and depth of heretofore inaccessible material, VPC should prove to be a treasure trove for Victorianists.
Catch Up On Poetry During Winter Break
Winter break is the perfect time to read the year’s best new poetry. Olin Library has copies of all 10 books that made the 2013 National Book Award longlist, including those by finalists Mary Szybist (winner), Frank Bidart, Lucie Brock-Broido, Adrian Matejka, and Matt Rasmussen. Check the Library’s Classic Catalog for the Olin locations and see the full list of nominees, along with links to interviews and readings, at the NBA Awards site.
Cornell’s Luminaries of Science Fiction
Parallax, a new exhibit in Olin Library, showcases Cornell alumni and faculty who played important roles in the development of science fiction, from early SF writer Garrett P. Serviss (Class of 1872), to Joanna Russ (The Female Man) to Ron D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica). Cases are located on the ground floor just outside the Current Periodicals Reading Room and across from the Circulation Desk, and on the lower level outside the entrance to the Media Reading Room. You can also tour the exhibit online.
CUL’s Open Access Publishing Fund
Thinking of submitting a paper to a peer-reviewed, open-access journal but concerned about paying submission and publication charges? The Library can help! Our Open Access Publishing Fund (COAP) will underwrite reasonable article processing fees for open-access journals up to $3,000. The COAP Fund is available to any Cornell faculty, post-doctoral researcher, staff member, or student author. For more information, consult the COAP FAQ, or submit your questions via the contact form. COAP is jointly funded by the Provost and Cornell University Library.
Literature Rising to the Top
This summer the Olin book collection is being shifted to relieve overcrowding and to put the books in alphabetical sequence by call number, starting with A class in the lower level and ending with PZ on the 7th floor. English and American literature collections in the PR and PS classes currently on floor 3 will move to 7, while the PN class (general literary criticism/theory, film, theater, graphic novels) will be located on 6. From early June through late July the collection will be in a state of flux, so please check with the Olin Circulation Desk if you have difficulty finding what you need. Click on the map image above for more information on the project.
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