Month: May 2011

2011-05-27

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has appointed Barbara J. Ford, director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, to the United States National Commission for UNESCO.  Professor Ford will serve a three-year term and represent the American Library Association (ALA), of which she is past-president.

The National Commission serves as a Federal advisory committee to the U.S. Government through the Department of the State.  It works with UNESCO , the United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organization, founded in 1945 to eradicate poverty, sustain development, and promote an intercultural dialogue of peace.  The National Commission consists of 100 members who assist with global initiatives focused on communication, education, social science, natural science, and culture.

“Professor Ford’s appointment reflects recognition of her tremendous expertise, experience, and leadership,” said Eric Woodard, Executive Director of the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.  “Given her exemplary work in teaching, research, and public service in the international arena, she will be a valuable addition to the Commission.”

“I am honored to serve my country in this capacity,” said Professor Ford.  “UNESCO objectives include attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning; fostering cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace; and building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication.  Libraries can play very important roles in these issues and connect other individuals and organizations working in these areas and I am pleased to be able to assist with this on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.”

Please visit www.state.gov/p/io/unesco/ for more information about the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.  A complete list of members is located at www.state.gov/p/io/unesco/members/ .

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).

2011-05-10

Reverend Maurus Mount, O.S.B., a Doctoral candidate in Classical Philology, has won the T.W. Baldwin Prize for Book Collecting for his collection of Roman Catholic liturgical books from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Rev. Mount’s collection of finely-printed works from the Belgian firm Desclée, and the German company Pustet, are beautiful productions that combine fine typography, engraving, gilding, and bindings.  For his entry, Rev. Mount wins a $1,000 prize.

Entrant Robin Camille Davis, a Masters candidate in Library and Information Science, is awarded 2nd Place in the T.W. Baldwin contest for her collection, “An Assemblage of Abecedaries.” This wide-ranging collection includes dictionaries, usage guides, foreign language dictionaries, and even dictionaries written both in earnest and in jest by non-lexicographers. Davis wins a $500 prize.

Selections from Rev. Mount’s and Robin Davis’s collections are on display in the Marshall Gallery of the Main Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign through May 16, 2011.

The Book Collecting Contest is sponsored by The Rare Book & Manuscript Library , the Main Library, and the No. 44 Society , a local Book Collectors’ Group centered in the Rare Book Library. The contest is now in its fifth year. All contestants to the T.W. Baldwin Prize for Book Collecting receive a free subscription to Friendscript , the newsletter of the University Library’s Office of Advancement. Winners may be eligible for the national College Book Collecting Contest sponsored by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America.

T.W. Baldwin, a professor of English at Illinois from 1925-1955, put together a world-renowned collection of imprints from the age of Shakespeare that became a core component of the Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).

2011-05-02

The Soybean Press and the Montage Arts Journal are pleased to announce the winner of the first ever Soybean Prize for Literature and Art, Valerie O’Brien, an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in English and Creative Writing, who has been selected for her poem, “Wind Turbines.”  This award was designed with the purpose of encouraging creative work by undergraduates, furthering the appreciation of fine press printing, and increasing collaboration between creative writers and graphic designers.

As a result of winning this award, the artists of the Soybean Press will work with Valerie to teach her about fine press printing and involve her in the creative process of producing a special edition copy of her poem.  Volunteers are welcome to participate in this process and learn about fine press printing.  Those interested in volunteering should contact Marten Stromberg at mstrombe@illinois.edu for more information.  Copies of Valerie’s poem will be available through the Soybean Press upon completion.

The Soybean Press is a collaborative effort of the School of Art & Design , the Graduate School of Library and Information Science , and The Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Illinois.  Please visit go.illinois.edu/SoybeanPress/ for any announcements related to the award and for more information about the press.

The Montage Arts Journal is a periodical of creative writing and visual art, edited and designed by students of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Do you have a story you’d like added to the Library News & Events? If so, please contact Heather Murphy ( hmurphy@illinois.edu ).