Tag: history

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Preservation

by Public Service Associate & Creative Content Coordinator Hannah

Did you miss Preservation Week? Don’t worry, it will be here next year!

My bad jokes aside, preservation – an umbrella term for activities that reduce or prevent damage to extend the life of things – can easily slip one’s mind. But a recent trip to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and the Library of Congress thoroughly renewed my appreciation for preservationists and collecting institutions. In this BPL blog post, I hope to get you to think about, thank them, and as always share some great books.

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The Irish-American Novel

by Public Service Associate Owen

St. Patrick’s Day may have come and gone, but, in the spirit of Irish-American History Month, I’d still like to highlight some of the great contributions that Irish-Americans have made to the tapestry of American literature. What makes American literature so unique is the sheer variety and diversity of its authors; writers of all different creeds, classes, and backgrounds have contributed (and will continue to contribute) their work, and the Irish-Americans are no exception. From F. Scott Fitzgerald to John O’Hara to Colum McCann, Irish-Americans of all stripes and generations have accorded us their literary talents. So to honor them, and all other past and prospective Irish-American authors, I’d like to present a brief history of Irish emigration to America, as well as recommend some archetypal Irish-American novels.

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Welcome to the Public Domain

by Public Service Associate Hannah

Each year on January 1st, a collection of works loses its protected status and enters the public domain where anyone can legally use or reference them. This year, the year many works from 1927 concluded their copyright term, I decided to see what that even means. And it was more interesting than I expected!

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Why I’ll Always Love Magazines

by Public Service Associate Hannah

The advent of Johannes Gutenberg’s movable-type printing press in 1440 made the precise and rapid creation of print materials in large quantities possible. This led to waves of literacy across Europe and broke the monopoly the wealthy and elite held on books, news, and print entertainment. And hot off that press came the star of this blog post: magazines!

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at the Library

by Youth Librarian Kelly

Did you know that Hispanic Heritage Month first began in 1968, but it only lasted for one week? Then in 1988, it was expanded to a whole month. September 15 is of special significance because many countries – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua – celebrate their independence. Throughout the month and beyond, it’s a great time to learn more about the traditions, history, and contributions of people of Hispanic and Latin American descent.

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