2009

Genealogy

Genealogy–do you really want to uncover your ancestry?

You are perhaps thinking about doing genealogy research because you do not have much information on your family. Would you like to find out how far back you can trace and what was going on during certain time periods when your relatives were born?

You may learn about health problems in your family which can give you a better understanding of your medical history: “Tracing the illnesses suffered by your parents, grandparents, and other blood relatives can help your doctor predict the disorders to which you may be at risk and take action to keep you and your family healthy.” Surgeon General’s Family Health History Initiative (http://www.hhs.gov/familyhistory)  While tracing your family do you really want to find that you may have what you consider an undesirable person in your family tree? Think first before undertaking genealogy research! Are you ready for what you may find or what you may not find?

Publishing Genius

I enjoyed this Inside Higher Ed article on “Publishing Genius” on Adam Robinson’s publishing imprint in Baltimore, MD.  It sounds like he’s found success by publishing untraditionally–producing digital versions, or putting up “broadside” pages around Baltimore.  Even though I’ve never visited the city, I’ve had a soft spot for literary Baltimore since reading Laura Lippman’s books, which mention hometown luminaries such as James M. Cain, Edgar Allen Poe and H.L. Mencken.

Forgotten books

Forgotten Books is an on-line library of books that you can read on-line for free. They are hosted by Google. The titles are listed alphabetically. The collection has 1736 books on-line. However, almost half are unreadable due to some hosting error. But in any case this is an interesting example of what books on-line look like.

Shakespeare on the Common

As Stephanie reported last year, if you’re a Shakespeare or outdoor theater fan, you’ll want to be sure to check out this summer’s performance of The Comedy of Errors on Boston Common.  If you like you can brush up on the play ahead of time by checking out one of Snell’s copies.  The Boston Globe ran an article recently on the popularity of outdoor summer Shakespeare performances in the US. They also covered some background to the production and the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company earlier this year. The Comedy of Errors is playing now through August 16, so take a picnic and enjoy it while you can!  

Bike racks!

Have I been walking into the library with my eyes shut, or are there many new bike racks all around the library? I feel certain I didn’t see them yesterday. I know many people who bike to campus, and I’m sure the additional racks for locking up are a welcome addition. It’s exciting to see these changes, and I do hope they will be well-used!