The 20th Century Audubon: Roger Tory Peterson

In June of 1952, Roger Tory Peterson received an honorary degree from Franklin and Marshall College. He would go on to receive 21 additional honorary degrees from colleges and universities throughout the United States. In honor of Peterson's many achievements as a painter, ornithologist, and photographer, the Archives and Special Collections is pleased to exhibit several signed Field Guides from our collections. Please enjoy this two case exhibition on the first floor of the library.

F&M Sheet Music Exhibition

Currently on exhibit in the lobby of Shadek-Fackenthal Library is a selection of late 19th - early 20th century sheet music from the holdings of the Archives and Special Collections. Before the advent of recorded music, printed sheet music was mass-marketed to the middle class for home entertainment (largely utilizing the piano). As new printing technologies developed, colorful cover art emerged to further market the songs contained inside.

Various musical genres and cultural themes are represented in the sheet music on display. The decline of sheet music is also addressed, as recorded music and radio-broadcasts quickly replaced home performance in the early 20th century.

The exhibit will run through December 31, 2007. Enjoy, and please post your comments!

F&M Fraktur Collection Being Digitized!

The F&M College Library is in the process of digitizing its Unger-Bassler Frakturschriften Collection. As a member of the NITLE DSpace Pilot Service, F&M has been using a shared instance of DSpace software to describe and present its 513 piece collection of hand-drawn and printed geburts und taufschein (birth and baptismal certificates), haus segen (house blessings), vorschrift (writing specimens), bucherzeichen (book plates), family registers, confirmation certificates, and drawings/sketches.

Please view the collection Finding Aid or visit the digital colllection directly at F&M Scholars Square

"Arbeite und hoffe" Ephrata Cloister Press Exhibition

Enjoy the latest library exhibition featuring a history of The Brotherhood Press at Ephrata Cloister (1745-1794). The exhibit features an introduction to the history of the Cloister followed by information on the Printing House, Ephrata hymnals, the Martyrs Mirror, and the Chronicon Ephratense. Textual information is supplemented with original print volumes from the Archives & Special Collections.

The exhibition will run from June 27, 2007 through September 30, 2007. Enjoy, and please post your comments!

Napoleon Collection Descriptive Bibliography

The library's 1,182 title Watts de Peyster Collection: Napoleon Buonaparte is rich in 19th century imprints about Napoleon and the Napoleonic era. This past semester, a comprehensive collection analysis and descriptive bibliography was compiled by senior French major Nick Way. The 310 page bibliography contains an introduction, scope and content note, statistical analysis, and listing of additional resources on Napoleon. To view the bibliography, please link to the .pdf document below:

Watts de Peyster Collection: Napoleon Bounaparte

Updated A&SC Visitor Center!

Thanks to the hard work of Archives & Special Collections Assistant Michael Lear, the A&SC contact page has been updated and expanded. The contact page now features a selection of digital A&SC brochures in .pdf format, more detailed parking information, and a handy new ratings guide to local eateries. To access the new page, please link below:

Visitor Center

"Out of Sorts" Typography Exhibition

Enjoy the latest library exhibition featuring a short survey of typography from the hand press period (1450-1800). The exhibit features the major processes of designing and producing copper matrices, casting type with a moulde, and composing type by hand. Textual information is supplemented with original printing artifacts on loan from the Landis Valley Museum, Lancaster, PA. Also featuring hand cast metal types produced during Stan Nelson's Introduction to the History of Typography course, Rare Book School, Summer 2006.

The exhibition will run from March 1, 2007 through May 31, 2007. Enjoy, and please post your comments!

Shadek-Fackenthal Library Main Lobby - 5 cases total