Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA

10/30/2020

Today we highlight Dare to Vote! (N7433.4.O69 D37 2012) by Monica Oppen. This artist’s book is a reminder of the power that voting holds. Let your voice be heard this election and #VOTE.
#election2020 #democracy #artistsbooks

10/23/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds is Eight-Word Autumn Scene (N7433.4.S42 E54 2010) by Sharon Sharp. In this dainty artist’s book, readers can catch a glimpse of autumn through a fun word-puzzle – all made by hand.
#autumn #artistsbooks #art #puzzles

10/16/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds is Transforming Hate: An Artist’s Book (N7433.4 .S62 T73 2016) by Clarissa Sligh. Taking pages from The White Man’s Bible, a white supremacist book, the author beautifully transformed hateful pages to beautiful works of art. She reminds the reader of the power of peace, love, and forgiveness in a hateful world.
#transforminghate #artistsbooks #origami #peace

10/14/2020

Stinky, Smelly, and Funky: De-odorizing Special Collections

This blog post was written by Amy Sullivan, Head of Preservation Services for Mason Libraries. Do you ever wonder how to treat stinky smelly collections? I’ve gotten a surprising number of questions via email and Instagram about that since the pandemic started. Maybe people are trapped at home with odoriferous things or maybe the regular old book smell in the office is more noticeable once you’ve been gone for a while. [ 306 more words ]

https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9374

This blog post was written by Amy Sullivan, Head of Preservation Services for Mason Libraries. Do you ever wonder how to treat stinky smelly collections? I’ve gotten a surprising number of question…

10/08/2020

NEH Grant for the Buchanan Papers update

NEH Grant for the Buchanan Papers update #economics #archives #processing @georgemasonCHSS

https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9358

This past spring, the George Mason University Libraries received a grant in the amount of $334,720 from the National Endowment of the Humanities’ Humanities Collection and Reference Resources progr…

10/07/2020

Shenandoah County Library

The Shenandoah Valley Archives Fair is happening right now! A great opportunity to ask archivists/archival repositories your questions! Tune in at the link:

https://fb.watch/ZB7jdx-_j/

A virtual Shenandoah Valley Archives Fair featuring regional Archivists discussing the "State of the Archives" in the time of COVID-19. This panel discussion includes information on site's hours, collections, and much more. A question and answer period will follow.

10/07/2020

Today is #AskAnArchivist Day! Do you have any questions about archives - how they work or what we do specifically in SCRC? Comment below - our #archivists are standing by!

10/05/2020

Archives Month 2020

It's that time again - Happy Archives Month! #ArchivesMonthVA #AmericanArchivesMonth #ArchivesMonth

https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9351

It’s that time of year again! It’s October, which means it is not only autumn, but also American Archives Month! From the Virginia Archives Month website: “Though Virginia Archive…

09/21/2020

A Journey of Reparation Work

This post was written by Rachel Lavender, Metadata Specialist. Rachel has a Bachelors of Public History from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, a Masters of Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Applied History from George Mason University. In the early 20th century, Sir Hilary Jenkinson published his Manual of Archive Administration which greatly influenced modern archival theory. [ 479 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9346

This post was written by Rachel Lavender, Metadata Specialist. Rachel has a Bachelors of Public History from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, a Masters of Library and Information Studies f…

09/03/2020

Moving into the Modern Archival Age: Archives Space Implementation – Part 2

In my last post on SCRC’s transition to ArchivesSpace, our new Collections Management System, I talked about the steps we took to prepare our collections data to migrate to the new database. Now, it’s time to get into the migration and the details of how ArchivesSpace will ultimately benefit our researchers. Once we were ready to actually migrate our data, the process was very straightforward. [ 615 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9324

In my last post on SCRC’s transition to ArchivesSpace, our new Collections Management System, I talked about the steps we took to prepare our collections data to migrate to the new database. Now, i…

08/20/2020

SCRC Fall Policies and Procedures

SCRC Fall Policies and Procedures starting August 24, 2020.
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9319

The Libraries’ Special Collections Research Center will be reopening on Monday, August 24 on an appointment-only basis for the Fall 2020 semester. Researchers requesting an appointment will need to…

08/13/2020

Moving into the Modern Archival Age: ArchivesSpace Implementation – Part 1

In January 2020 (which feels like 8 years ago even though it was only 8 months), SCRC made a big change behind the scenes to the way that we store information about our unpublished collections. Many archival institutions use Collections Management Systems, archives-specific databases that archivists use to keep track of the material that comes in to our repositories and create the archival description that will be available to researchers as finding aids. [ 568 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9196

In January 2020 (which feels like 8 years ago even though it was only 8 months), SCRC made a big change behind the scenes to the way that we store information about our unpublished collections. Man…

07/27/2020

New and Updated Finding Aids

Hello one and all! It's that time again - finding aid time! The following are new and updated finding aids that you can access on our website. Though our reading room is currently closed, you can still access some of these items digitally! Daniel Monson World War II aviation collection This collection was processed by SCRC Archival Intern Jared Nistler. Images digitized by Amanda Brent. [ 1,082 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=8845

Hello one and all! It’s that time again – finding aid time! The following are new and updated finding aids that you can access on our website. Though our reading room is currently close…

07/07/2020

Diversity is our strength. https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=7256

07/06/2020

Chugging Along: My Year Working in SCRC

This blog post was written by Chris Babbitt, Processing Student Assistant and C-SPAN Digitization Project Assistant. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Economics from George Mason University. He is currently pursuing an M.A. in History from George Mason University. I started at Special Collections Research Center almost a year ago on the processing team. This felt like a monumental step for me, having only worked in food service and retail before. [ 988 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9300

This blog post was written by Chris Babbitt, Processing Student Assistant and C-SPAN Digitization Project Assistant. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Economics from George …

06/29/2020

Cookbooks as a Journey through Time

Cookbooks as a Journey through Time #cookbooks #rarebooks #cooking
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9278

This post was written by Colleen Gerrity, Reference Assistant. For the past three months, the people of the United States have stayed home due to the ongoing pandemic. Going to your favorite restau…

06/22/2020

The C-SPAN Chronicles: Season 2, Part IV

Kelsey here, coming to you from my kitchen table, a.k.a. my home office. I have good news and bad news for you—I’ll start with the bad news, because it’s always better to rip off the Band-Aid. Sadly, while we’re out of office, our actual “digitizing” (meaning our document photography) has had to be put on pause. I know, I’m as bummed about this as you are (you… [ 1,029 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9271

Kelsey here, coming to you from my kitchen table, a.k.a. my home office. I have good news and bad news for you—I’ll start with the bad news, because it’s always better to rip off the Band-Aid. Sa…

06/15/2020

Watching from the C-SPANopticon

This post was written by Teo Rogers, Digitization Student Assistant for the C-SPAN records Digitization Project. From time to time, this job makes me feel like the Marvel Comics character, Uatu the Watcher. If you’re unfamiliar with Uatu, congratulations; you’re a far cooler person than I’ll ever be. Let me bring you down to my level for just a moment. Essentially, Uatu is a cosmic entity tasked with watching over the Earth, as his full title implies, but never to interfere or to do anything appreciably useful. [ 1,096 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9240

This post was written by Teo Rogers, Digitization Student Assistant for the C-SPAN records Digitization Project. From time to time, this job makes me feel like the Marvel Comics character, Uatu the…

06/08/2020

One Final Appraisal

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She recently earned her Bachelor of Arts in Art History at George Mason University. Lana was the recipient of the University Libraries Student Assistant Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. Lana has been a beloved member of the SCRC and URM team, and though she will be greatly missed, we wish her well on her journey to graduate school! [ 609 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9226

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She recently earned her Bachelor of Ar…

06/01/2020

“An die Musik” during COVID-19

As we come to the end of our blog series related to SCRC’s spring 2020 exhibit “Showing Us Our Own Face: Performing Arts and the Human Experience,” it is impossible not to reflect on the way that performance and the performing arts world have changed due to COVID-19. When my colleagues and I were creating the exhibit in the late fall and winter of 2019-2020, we could not have imagined a time when theaters, concert halls, and other performance venues were closed for months with no definitive end in sight. [ 563 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9049

As we come to the end of our blog series related to SCRC’s spring 2020 exhibit “Showing Us Our Own Face: Performing Arts and the Human Experience,” it is impossible not to reflect on the way that p…

05/27/2020

Remembering Dr. Alan Merten

There was a buzz around George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus on Monday, April 15, 1996. The Mason community was about to meet the university’s new president-elect in a press conference later that afternoon. Dr. Alan Merten, Mason’s fifth president, was set to officially assume the presidency on July 1, and he was about to be introduced to students, faculty, staff, and the press. [ 1,243 more word ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9199

There was a buzz around George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus on Monday, April 15, 1996. The Mason community was about to meet the university’s new president-elect in a press conference later th…

05/22/2020

Alan Merten (1941-2020) was George Mason’s 5th president, serving from 1996 through 2012. He was a major force in transforming Mason from a regional university to a residential institution. During his 16 years as President Dr. Merten saw the construction of 20 major buildings such as the Art & Design and Engineering buildings in Fairfax, the Biomedical Research Laboratory and Hylton Performing Arts Center in Prince William, and Founders Hall in Arlington. Dr. Merten focused on increasing the university’s research profile and output, an important step in Mason becoming an R-1 institution in 2015. Enrollment grew from 23,000 to nearly 33,000 with 7,000 students living on campus. Under his leadership the university established partnerships with area high-tech leaders and led a capital campaign that brought $142 million into the university. During his tenure Mason hosted the 1998 World Congress on Information Technology, faculty member Vernon Smith winning the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002, and the George Mason Mens’ Basketball team made its run to the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in 2006, among other honors. We will always remember Dr. Merten as the kind man who always had time to talk to students and was a good friend to SCRC!

05/19/2020

In addition to our own #COVID_19 collecting efforts, we want to highlight our #archives neighbors efforts as well! See below for information on our friends at the #VirginiaRoom and the #ShenandoahCountyLibrary's COVID-19 Projects!

Virginia Room: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSf0M867MtkW-jaszPoiLw2BWhe0GaQDM2kCEuhS3ujoQU1w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1

Shenandoah County Library: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfosftGvfWnVy7RXwddjpMufeqYpunQGlb5BIaGtTICQ7BKFQ/viewform

#FCPL #FairfaxCounty #ShenCo

05/18/2020

Presidents Series: 2012 – 2020 – Ángel Cabrera, Anne Holton, and Looking Forward

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History at George Mason University. Lana was the recipient of the University Libraries Student Assistant Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. This is the last post in a six-part blog series exploring the campus culture of George Mason University through the lens of each of its six past presidents’ tenures. [ 418 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9173

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History …

05/15/2020

We are actively collecting materials which document the effects of #Covid_19 on our university community. We are asking members of the #MasonNation community to consider helping us build this collection. Click the link to learn more and donate. https://scrc.gmu.edu/COVID-19Project.php George Mason University

04/27/2020

Presidents Series: 1996 – 2012 – Alan G. Merten

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History at George Mason University. Lana was the recipient of the University Libraries Student Assistant Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year. This is the fifth post in a six-part blog series exploring the campus culture of George Mason University through the lens of each of its six past presidents’ tenures. [ 645 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9145

This post was written by Lana Mason, Processing Student Assistant. Lana has an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Piedmont Virginia Community College. She is currently studying Art History …

04/24/2020

Dr. Darius Lee Swann, 1925-2020: A Real Mason Hero

Last week we sadly found out that Dr. Darius Swann, a civil rights advocate and lifelong Presbyterian minister died at his home in nearby Burke, Virginia on March 25. Dr. Swann had been a popular and respected member of the George Mason University Faculty from 1971 to 1984. He is probably most well known as the plaintiff in the 1965 Federal Court case… [ 616 more words ]
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9150

Last week we sadly found out that Dr. Darius Swann, a civil rights advocate and lifelong Presbyterian minister died at his home in nearby Burke, Virginia on March 25. Dr. Swann had been a popular a…

04/21/2020

This week’s #RareBookCorner presents the perfect opportunity to freshen up on your #Latin and #Greek reading. Apollodori Atheniensis Bibliothecae (PA3870.A55 A7 1803) by Apollodorus translates to The Athenian Library and is a collection of #ancient Greek #myths and #legends. Special Collection’s edition is bound in original marbled paper boards.

#greekmythology #ancientgreek #apollodorus #athens #greece

04/20/2020

Adaptation: Stage and Movie Musicals in the 20th and 21st Century

Adaptation: Stage and Movie Musicals in the 20th and 21st Century
https://vault217.gmu.edu/?p=9122

Inspiration for the creation of films can come from just about anywhere, but over the decades Hollywood has consistently borrowed stories from its sister entertainment world – Broadway. Stage…

04/10/2020

This week’s #FridayFinds presents The Elements of Experimental Chemistry (QD30 .H46 1814) by William Henry and Benjamin Silliman. Discover the early works of modern #chemistry through a technical analysis of #chemicals and their unique #properties from a nineteenth-century perspective.

#experimentalchemistry #modernchemistry #science #sciencehistory

04/07/2020

This week’s #RareBookCorner is the beautifully illustrated Fireside Book of Folk Songs (M1627.B7 F5) by Margaret Bradford Boni and Norman Lloyd. With over 100 #arrangements of #music from across the globe, this book highlights the beauty of culture right through the lyrics.

#folk #songs #ballads #worksongs #marchingsongs #hymns #spirituals