News from March 2023
See all upcoming Libraries events — including our featured events, workshops, and exhibits — on the UMN Twin Cities Events Calendar.
Geographical Works for Children in the James Ford Bell Library
Some time ago, I had the pleasure of listening to a “History Book Club” conversation between Prof. M.J. Maynes (History, U of MN – Twin Cities) and Dr. Emily Bruce (History, U of MN – Morris), concerning the latter’s new book, Revolutions at Home: The Origin of Modern Childhood and the German Middle Class. It was a great conversation about a really interesting book, and I was inspired by the discussion of geographical education for children to see what I could find on the topic in the Bell Library.
Re-post: Ten Painful Stories of the Dutch Colonial Slave Trade
This review of a traveling historical exhibition, which will be on view at the United Nations Headquarters in New York until March 30, reminded me of the work that the Bell Library has set for itself in the types of exhibits that will appear in the newly remodeled and reimagined Bell Room. These exhibits, focused on the marginalized and under-represented, must necessarily consider painful stories.
Seeking open, equitable, transparent, and sustainable publishing models
In our statement of principles for open access (OA), the University of Minnesota Libraries states that we prioritize OA publishing models that are open, equitable, transparent, and sustainable. Here we will focus on three aspects of such models.
Costs and models of OA publishing
The United Nations has stated that information literacy — the ability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively — "is a basic human right." Unfortunately, the current scholarly publishing environment reinforces existing structural inequalities by perpetuating restrictive access to and engagement in scholarship.