2016

Spring 2016 Neighborhood Matters film and lecture series

Spring 2016 Neighborhood Matters Film and lecture series announced! Neighborhood Matters is a lunchtime series that celebrates the ways in which community groups have shaped the neighborhoods surrounding the Northeastern campus. This series is co-curated by the Northeastern Center for the Arts and the Archives and Special Collections at the Northeastern University Library.

Redlining: stories from the The Boston TV News Digital Library: 1960-2000

Tue, Mar 22, 2016 12:00 pm Snell Library 90
Free & Open to the Public.  Lunch served.
In the United States, redlining is the practice of denying services, either directly or through selectively raising prices, to residents of certain areas based on the racial or ethnic makeups of those areas. The term “redlining” was coined in the late 1960s by John McKnight, a sociologist and community activist. It refers to the practice of marking a red line on a map to delineate the area where banks would not invest. As a consequence of redlining, neighborhoods that banks deemed unfit for investment were left underdeveloped or in disrepair. Join us for a conversation about the history of redlining in Boston, and the community organizing that forced Democratic candidate Michael S. Dukakis to order statewide disclosure of mortgage-lending patterns by zip code, which revealed suspected the discrimination in Boston and lead to the passage in 1977 of the Community Reinvestment Act.
 
Special Guest: Mossik Hacobian
 
For 33 years Mossik Hacobian worked at Urban Edge and he now is Executive Director of Higher Ground Boston. Mr. Hacobian recognized leader in building and maintaining affordable housing in Boston.
 
La Defensa De La Tierra and Villa Victoria (film)
Wed, Apr 06, 2016 12:00 pm Snell Library 90
Free & Open to the Public.  Lunch Served.
In 1968, the city of Boston introduced an urban renewal initiative tht would diplace residents to create new urban spaces. La Defensa De La Tierra and Villa Victoria tells the history of Parcel 19, a plot in the South End. Gathering by the hundreds, Puerto Rican residents protested and won, creating an affordable housing community and social organization for residents. Special Guest: Jovita Fontanez Long time South End activist Jovita Fontanez helped found the South End Community Health Center and was the first Latina elected to the Electoral College of Massachusetts

A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts

Tue, Apr 19, 2016 12:00 pm Snell Library 90 Free & Open to the Public.  Lunch Served
One of the largest civic engineering projects in Boston’s history, the Big Dig uncovered gems illuminating the city’s archeological history. From cannon balls to chinaware, A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts places each artifact found at the site in geographical and historical context, offering a new and enriching look at Boston. Special Guest: Joe Bagley Author and City Archeologist As the City of Boston’s Archeologist since 2011, Joe Bagley is responsible for the below-ground cultural resources in the city.  He is also the Author of “A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts”

Spotlight: Two Newspapers, Two Exposés

The 2015 film Spotlight recently won the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Picture and earned six Oscar nominations. The film follows the Boston Globe’s investigation and reporting of the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal under Cardinal Bernard Law. The coverage began on January 6, 2002 and is widely credited with helping to uncover the depth of the scandal throughout the U.S. The Globe was awarded a Pulitzer for their reporting on the subject in 2003. But did you know that the story first broke in the Boston Phoenix almost a year earlier? Northeastern University’s Archives and Special Collections is the new home of the Boston Phoenix Collection, which contains over 30 articles and editorials covering the scandal. In particular, the collection includes Kristen Lombardi’s ground-breaking article “Cardinal Sin,” the evocative cover story of the March 23, 2001 issue. CardinalBlogedited1   Lombardi’s “Cardinal Sin” investigated the 25-plaintiff civil lawsuit against Father John Geoghan of the Boston Archdiocese, which additionally named Cardinal Bernard Law, Boston’s archbishop, as a defendant. The article uncovered Geoghan’s history of sexual abuse, his failed treatments, and his numerous reassignments by the Church in an attempt to hide the truth. In addition—through interviews with victims and an insightful evaluation of past abuse cases—Lombardi illustrated that the Church preferred to settle out of court and reassign those accused, offering no real solutions or justice. The Phoenix and Lombardi continued coverage of Cardinal Law and the sex abuse scandal through 2003. A bibliography and links to the articles are located in the Boston Phoenix Collection website archives. In publication from 1965 to 2013, the Phoenix remains an invaluable source of reporting on major Boston subjects—from school desegregation to LGBTQ issues to Occupy Boston—shining a light on the most controversial of topics. The paper has received multiple awards in journalism from the New England Press Association, the Penny-Missouri Newspaper Awards, and the American Bar Association Gavel Awards.

There’s a Starman Waiting in the Archives: David Bowie dies at age 69

When news of David Bowie’s untimely death went public on the morning of January 11, 2016, artists ranging from Madonna to Iggy Pop to Guillermo del Toro made statements of sadness and disbelief concerning the passing of Major Tom. Sleater-Kinney guitarist and Portlandia actress Carrie Brownstein encapsulated it best when she tweeted: “It feels like we lost something elemental, as if an entire color is gone.” The Boston Phoenix Collection in Northeastern University’s Archives and Special Collections contains reviews, photographs, and articles documenting David Bowie’s artistry, ranging from his music and film careers to his political prowess, even his opinion on Todd Haynes’ controversial Bowie-inspired film, Velvet Goldmine.
BowieBlogScanedited-1

“Bowie’s Martian Spiders Spin New World” in a 1972 issue of  The Boston Phoenix

  The Boston Phoenix won numerous awards for journalism in its lifetime, including in 1994 when classical music writer Lloyd Schwartz was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Ben Gerson’s  1972 article “Bowie’s Martian Spiders Spin New World” highlights the in-depth nature of the alternative newspaper’s music journalism. Showcasing the sexual, political, and artistic nature of Bowie’s music and showmanship, Gerson’s artistic profile of Bowie is beyond music reporting—it is an academic dissection of Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust” tour. Referenced in Elizabeth Thompson and David Gutman’s The Bowie Companion, Gerson calls Bowie’s body a “laboratory, free of morphological determinants,” analyzing Bowie’s lyrics, performance, costumes, and philosophies. From a query as to why Bowie would want to perform on the A&E channel’s Live by Request in 2002, to a celebration of “the best record ever made about apocalypse, interplanetary lust, singer-songwriter role playing, and rock-and-roll-as-alien-outsider stuff,” The Boston Phoenix Collection offers insight into the reception of Bowie’s ever-changing identities. An elusive and iconic figure, Bowie is frequently cited as an inspiration not only by newer artists, like Lady Gaga, but also by contemporaries, like Mick Jagger. To explore the coverage of mainstream and underground pioneers in the music industry visit the Archives in Snell Library.

What’s New in Snell this Spring

Here’s what you need to know about the library this semester.

Archives and Special Collections Acquires The Boston Phoenix

Copies of The Boston Phoenix

In September 2015, Phoenix owner Stephen Mindich donated the paper’s archive as well as its sister publications to the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections. For nearly 50 years, The Boston Phoenix was Boston’s alter­na­tive newspaper of record, the first word on social jus­tice, pol­i­tics, as well as the arts and music scene.

The physical collection is available in the Archives for research and perusal.

 

New: GIS and Data Visualization Drop-in Hours

Photo of GIS and Data Visualization Specialists

This semester, Bahare Sanaie-Mohaved and Steven Braun will hold weekly, informal drop-in hours for students and faculty interested in Geographic Information Services and Data Visualization.  Whether you need help with specific projects or just want to know what GIS is, all are welcome. Walk-in hours are every Thursday afternoon from 2:00 to 3:30pm in CoLab D, on the first floor of Snell Library near Argo Tea.

Learn about GIS and Data Visualization here!

Follow Northeastern Data Visualization on Twitter!

Spring 2016 Events and Workshops

Photo from Meet the Author: Dr. Kristen Costa

From exploring the history of Boston’s neighborhoods, to introductory workshops in the 3D printing and recording studios, to a storytelling slam with Foundation Year students, this Spring’s events at Snell cover a range of topics.

Keep your eyes on our calendar and follow us on Twitter @ClubSnell for the most up to date information.

 

Support in Your Subject Area

Photo of Research help room

Did you know there’s a librarian who’s an expert in you subject? No research question is too small or too complicated for our subject librarians.

Find your subject librarian here to set up an appointment or find them at the Research Help desk on the first floor.

Welcome Spring 2016 Co-ops

Snell Library is happy to welcome three new co-ops this semester: Aidan Breen: Digital Media Commons Studios Co-op IMG_2223Aidan Breen is the DMC Studios recording engineer and video co-op. He is almost done earning a degree in Music Industry. He enjoys making noise and songs with his friends and making short films, as well as writing short stories and screenplays. He looks forward to learning as much as possible about the recording process and techniques, in addition to getting more experience with video production. His favorite films are “Night of the Hunter,” followed in close second by “The Proposition.” His favorite band right now is either Ava Luna or Show Me The Body, though he has been listening to the soundtrack of the Broadway production of Sweeney Todd quite a bit. Come visit him in the DMC studio on the second floor in Snell.     Madison Maduri: 3D Printing Studio Co-op IMG_2215Madison Maduri is the new 3D Printing Studio Manager Co-op in Snell Library. Madison got her start at Northeastern with NUin. England, and is now a third year Art+Design student, majoring in Media Arts with a concentration in Animation. Madison looks forward to learning the 3D printing technologies, which are increasingly being used in the development stages at animation studios. She also hopes to create a friendly and inviting environment in the studio to share the technology with the Northeastern community. Madison grew up close by on the South Shore of Massachusetts and enjoys her summers visiting the beautiful beaches on the Cape and Islands. She also looks forward to another season on the slopes snowboarding.     Kaley Bachelder: Marketing and Events Co-op IMG_2220Kaley Bachelder is the new Marketing and Events Co-op here at Snell. She’s earning a degree in English and Theatre, a major that doesn’t yet exist (but she’s working on that). Kaley looks forward to planning events this semester, particularly the Neighborhood Matters series, where her passion for social activism can find an outlet. When not in the office, you can find her attending club meetings, watching television, or rummaging through someone’s fridge. Her favorite authors include Terry Pratchett and Jennifer Egan, and her new favorite past time is tearing each page off her page-a-day calendar. Kaley is excited to become a member of the library community!