Special Collections Research Center: digital collections update

The UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center recently added the following collections and publications to ExploreUK and the Kentucky Digital Library:

University of Kentucky commencement programs and invitations

http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt718911pw2d/guide

Collection of University of Kentucky commencement programs and invitations, dated 1880-2012 and with bulk dates 1920-1959, documents ceremonies and extracurricular activities related to commencement celebrations.

Commencement program from 1880

Russell Rice collection on University of Kentucky sports http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt77d7957c86/guide 
The collection is comprised of sports-related materials gathered by Russell Rice; the materials largely focus on University of Kentucky basketball and football but also include materials related to other campus sports.

Annual Exhibition of the Colored A&M Fair Association programs

43rd Annual Exhibition of the Colored A & M (Agricultural and Mechanical) Fair Association; Lexington, Kentucky; September 10-14, 1912 http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt70vt1gkd0j_1

38th Annual Exhibition of the Colored A. & M. (Agricultural and Mechanical) Fair Association; Lexington, Kentucky; September 10-14, 1907 http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt7w3r0pts5d_1

Souvenir Exhibition; Lexington Colored Fair Association; Lexington, Kentucky; August 12-17, 1935 http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt7rbn9x2j18_1

Oliver Frazer family papers

http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt7sbc3swq2f/guide

The Oliver Frazer family papers, dated 1811-1918, comprise correspondence, accounts, a ledger, and ephemera documenting Kentucky painter Oliver Frazer's tour through Europe in the 1830s as well as the lives of his wife and daughters following his death.

Preston-Johnston family photographs http://exploreuk.uky.edu/catalog/xt7ht727c66g/guide

The Preston-Johnston family photographs, dated 1860-1952, comprise 650 period photographs of various formats depicting the ancestors, immediate relatives, and acquaintances of Margaret Wickliffe Preston Johnston (1885-1964). Important sections of the collection include three photographic albums assembled by Margaret Wickliffe Preston Johnston's mother, Sarah Benton Brant McDowell (1853-1923), and her aunts, Susan McDowell (?-1873) and Mary McDowell (?-1875). The albums pertain to the time following the Civil War that the family lived in Europe. Other material is from Margaret Wickliffe Preston Johnston's father's family, the Prestons of Lexington, Kentucky. Material related to her mother's relatives, the Brant and Benton families, is also present, as well as photographs from a Preston family offshoot, the Draper Family of Massachusetts.

Little Fine Arts Library welcomes College Mentors for Kids

Daniel Naas and Abbye Allan talk to visiting students at
the Little Fine Arts Library

Partnering with the UK chapter of College Mentors for Kids, the Little Fine Arts Library and Learning Center is in the process of hosting several groups of elementary school students. Little Library faculty and staff Abbye Allan, Kerri Baunach, Michael Brewster, Daniel Naas, and Library Director Paula Hickner collaborated to create a student experience including: a craft activity; a presentation of songs and videos; and a hands-on showcase of artists’ books, music facsimiles, and other items from the Little Library collections. The staff talked about their mission to serve campus and the community and answered students’ questions about the fine arts. 

College Mentors for Kids is a volunteer organization that pairs local elementary school students with college student mentors. Mentors lead after-school activities designed to encourage students to aspire to higher education. More members of the organization will visit Little Library in April.

Amanda Locke joins Business Services Team

Amanda Locke

Amanda Locke will join UK Libraries as an Account Clerk III on the Business Services team in the Finance and Administration division. Her start date is March 30. Amanda previously worked as an Accounts Payable Specialist with Bingham McCutchen LLP. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Math Education from UK. 

Welcome, Amanda.

Ann Baillie is author of article in "The Reading Room" journal

Ann Baillie

Learning Lab intern Ann Baillie is the author of an article recently accepted to The Reading Room: A Journal of Special Collections. The Reading Room is a new open-access, peer-reviewed scholarly journal published at the University of Buffalo in New York. The journal accepts one student article per issue. Ann’s article, "Spell Bound," explores her work with the Learning Lab processing the Samuel Wilson Cakes and Ale Club records.

Ann is a sophomore majoring in English with a minor in Writing, Rhetoric, and Digital Studies.

Stacie Williams appears on "Circulating Ideas" podcast

Stacie Williams

Stacie Williams, Learning Lab Manager in the Special Collections Research Center, will be featured on an upcoming episode of the Circulating Ideas podcast. Circulating Ideas, hosted by librarian Steve Thomas, features information professionals sharing innovative ideas and projects with their peers. The episode including Stacie’s interview will be available April 21.