This lovely article comes from the website "Second Front: News & Politics from Birmingham, Alabama." It profiles the life of Methodist preacher and Birmingham historian Marvin Youmans Whiting, about whom the writer says: " He was, in every sense of the word, a gentleman."
The writer relates: "The archives of the Birmingham Public Library stand as the most enduring monument to Marvin’s life and work. He spent roughly a quarter-century researching, assessing, compiling, cataloguing, building a collection that makes the history of Birmingham and Jefferson County readily accessible in a way that it almost certainly would not be had he not come along."
This short posting does not do justice to the full text of the article, which everyone is encouraged to read in full for themselves.
News, Updates, and Information of Interest from Samford University Library
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY HOURS
Hello everyone. If you're wondering about our Thanksgiving holiday hours, you may visit this link to get the full rundown. Best wishes for a happy and healthy holdiay.
Monday, November 22, 2010
TOP TEN BOOKS IN RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
The publication Booklist Online has published a list of top 10 books in religion and spirituality. It describes the list in this way: "The subtitle of one of the titles on this year’s religion top 10 captures the tone and theme of much of the list: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. It is a contentious era, especially in matters of the spirit, and these books attempt to make sense of that strife."
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
NAXOS MUSIC LIBRARY - DATABASE TRIAL
The Naxos Music Library is the streaming audio service of the world's largest producer of classical records. It also provides access to thousands of titles on a variety of independent labels. Included with classical selections are a wide variety of jazz, blues, and world music. Click here to read about what professional musicians have written about the Naxos Music Library.
Thanks goes to music librarian Jaro Szurek for arranging a trial to this this outstanding resource.
Thanks goes to music librarian Jaro Szurek for arranging a trial to this this outstanding resource.
Monday, November 15, 2010
"IN A DIGITAL AGE, STUDENTS STILL CLING TO PAPER TEXTBOOKS"
"They text their friends all day long. At night, they do research for their term papers on laptops and commune with their parents on Skype. But as they walk the paths of Hamilton College, a poster-perfect liberal arts school in this upstate village, students are still hauling around bulky, old-fashioned textbooks — and loving it." Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/20/nyregion/20textbooks.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
Students certainly want their textbooks to cost less; the current and long-standing pricing scheme for textbooks seems like nothing less than price-gouging. But this doesn't mean that they want them in electronic form, and for a number of good reasons, as this article discusses.
Students certainly want their textbooks to cost less; the current and long-standing pricing scheme for textbooks seems like nothing less than price-gouging. But this doesn't mean that they want them in electronic form, and for a number of good reasons, as this article discusses.
Friday, November 12, 2010
LIVE @ THE LIBRARY VIDEO
If you missed last week's Live @ the Library event, or would like to revisit the wonderful performance by Bobby Horton, please enjoy this video clip:
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
LEONID METEOR SHOWER
With much thanks to Dr. George Atchley of Samford's Christenberry Planetarium:
"The Leonid meteor shower begins tonight and will continue until around Nov. 23. The peak of the shower is next Wednesday morning, Nov. 17. The best viewing will occur after midnight the morning of the peak in the eastern sky. However, the moon will interfere until it sets around 3 a.m. Rising early to see the meteors on Nov. 18 should provide optimal spotting, up to 20 meteors per hour."
"Try around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the darkest sight you can find. I’ve found some good sites in Chelsea away from Highway 280. If you travel 15 or so miles away from downtown Birmingham and locate an area with no white lights (street lamps, window lights, etc.), and then wait about 15-20 minutes for your eyes to dark adapt, and clouds don’t block your view, then you should be rewarded with the sighting of incinerating comet remains."
"If you’ve seen some brighter meteors recently, the Taurids bombard our atmosphere throughout November with fireballs, a larger variety of meteorites which are observable in less darkness. So just like texting, keep looking up – only not when driving!"
"Want to get a picture? Set up your digital camera on a tripod, focus on infinity and leave the shutter open for several seconds for the most dramatic effect."
"The Leonid meteor shower begins tonight and will continue until around Nov. 23. The peak of the shower is next Wednesday morning, Nov. 17. The best viewing will occur after midnight the morning of the peak in the eastern sky. However, the moon will interfere until it sets around 3 a.m. Rising early to see the meteors on Nov. 18 should provide optimal spotting, up to 20 meteors per hour."
"Try around 4:30 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the darkest sight you can find. I’ve found some good sites in Chelsea away from Highway 280. If you travel 15 or so miles away from downtown Birmingham and locate an area with no white lights (street lamps, window lights, etc.), and then wait about 15-20 minutes for your eyes to dark adapt, and clouds don’t block your view, then you should be rewarded with the sighting of incinerating comet remains."
"If you’ve seen some brighter meteors recently, the Taurids bombard our atmosphere throughout November with fireballs, a larger variety of meteorites which are observable in less darkness. So just like texting, keep looking up – only not when driving!"
"Want to get a picture? Set up your digital camera on a tripod, focus on infinity and leave the shutter open for several seconds for the most dramatic effect."
Monday, November 8, 2010
MORGAN MUSEUMA AND LIBRARY REOPENING AFTER RENOVATION
New York's Morgan Library and Museum was founded in 1906 by art collector John Pierpont Morgan Sr. It has one of the largest art collections in the United States. On October 30, the institution will reopen after extensive restoration to the McKim building, the once private library and study of Pierpont Morgan.
Friday, November 5, 2010
LIVE @ THE LIBRARY
Samford University Library to present “Talkin’ and Playin’ With Bobby Horton”
The Samford University Library will present multi-instrumentalist, composer and Samford graduate Bobby Horton as part of its “Live @ the Library” series during Homecoming activities on Saturday, Nov 6. The performance will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the main reading room of the library.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Bobby Horton has performed with the musical-comedy trio “Three on a String” throughout the United States and Canada for 35-plus years. He has also produced and performed music scores for 13 PBS films by Ken Burns including The Civil War and Baseball, two films for the A&E network, and 16 films for the National Park Service.
Please contact Eric Allen, epallen@samford.edu or 726-2846, for more information.
Live @ the Library is a free and open to the public event. Convo credit will be available for students.
The Samford University Library will present multi-instrumentalist, composer and Samford graduate Bobby Horton as part of its “Live @ the Library” series during Homecoming activities on Saturday, Nov 6. The performance will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the main reading room of the library.
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Bobby Horton has performed with the musical-comedy trio “Three on a String” throughout the United States and Canada for 35-plus years. He has also produced and performed music scores for 13 PBS films by Ken Burns including The Civil War and Baseball, two films for the A&E network, and 16 films for the National Park Service.
Please contact Eric Allen, epallen@samford.edu or 726-2846, for more information.
Live @ the Library is a free and open to the public event. Convo credit will be available for students.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
HISTORIC PHOTOS OF BIRMINGHAM FROM THE 1950s, 1960s & 1970s.
On Nov. 5th, Samford's very own Jessica Barton will be speaking about her book Historic Photos of Birmingham in the 50s, 60s, and 70s at a Little Professor book launch in Homewood. She will also be conducting a Q & A and signing books.
The Little Professor
2717 18th St. South
Homewood, AL 35209
DATE: Friday, Nov. 5th
TIME: 5-7pm
About the author:
Jessica L. Barton was born in northwest, rural Tennessee and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. An alumna of both Samford University and the University of Alabama, she holds a bachelor of arts degree in history and a masters in library and information studies. She enjoys all things history related, genealogy research, good books, and writing. Currently, Barton is the assistant archivist at Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives and Manuscripts.
The Little Professor
2717 18th St. South
Homewood, AL 35209
DATE: Friday, Nov. 5th
TIME: 5-7pm
About the author:
Jessica L. Barton was born in northwest, rural Tennessee and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. An alumna of both Samford University and the University of Alabama, she holds a bachelor of arts degree in history and a masters in library and information studies. She enjoys all things history related, genealogy research, good books, and writing. Currently, Barton is the assistant archivist at Birmingham Public Library Department of Archives and Manuscripts.
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