3.30
Louisa Shepard
News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu
Libraries
Five events to watch for in March
Five events to watch for in March
On the calendar for March: an orchestral performance at Penn Museum, the annual Silfen Forum, and a conversation about Philadelphia as a science capital.
Penn’s pioneering mathematicians
Penn’s pioneering mathematicians
Two of the first African Americans to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics, Dudley Weldon Woodard and William Waldron Schieffelin Claytor worked on fundamental problems in the field of topology and supported graduate-level math education for minority students.
A new way of thinking about motion, movement, and the concept of time
A new way of thinking about motion, movement, and the concept of time
Eadweard Muybridge’s “Animal Locomotion” was the first scientific study to use photography. Now, more than 130 years later, Muybridge’s work is seen as both an innovation in photography and the science of movement, alongside his personal legacy as someone with an eccentric 19th century style and a dark past.
Exhibition showcases the brilliance of Black women writers
Exhibition showcases the brilliance of Black women writers
A major exhibition and symposium organized by two Penn graduate students highlighting African American women literature is open in the Penn Libraries’ Kamin Gallery.
Archive of pioneering author and artist comes to Penn Libraries
Archive of pioneering author and artist comes to Penn Libraries
The collection of Ashley Bryan’s work includes thousands of pieces of art, correspondence, photos, manuscripts, and books. A small exhibition of his collection is now on display at the Libraries, and a major symposium and exhibition are expected in 2022.
Side gigs for good, part three
Side gigs for good, part three
The final 2019 installment in our series highlighting impactful work Penn faculty and staff do.
‘May the force be with you’ and other fan fiction favorites
‘May the force be with you’ and other fan fiction favorites
Researchers have created a unique digital humanities tool to analyze the most popular phrases and character connections in fan fiction based on blockbuster film series, starting with “Star Wars,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “Harry Potter.”
Gifts to Penn Libraries enrich Judaic scholarship and digital humanities
Gifts to Penn Libraries enrich Judaic scholarship and digital humanities
The gift includes collections of more than 11,000 items, totaling $12 million and covering four centuries of American Jewish history, and the world’s first endowed position in Judaica digital humanities.
Five events to watch for in December
Five events to watch for in December
On the agenda: a PHILADANCO Christmas performance at Annenberg, a card-making opportunity at Penn Libraries, and a goodbye to Lightbox Film Center.
Libraries launch Diversity in the Stacks initiative
Libraries launch Diversity in the Stacks initiative
The Libraries has launched a new initiative to enhance collections that represent and reflect the University’s diverse population, and to highlight those works in a series of blog posts, starting with Afrofuturism.
Media Contact
In the News
WHYY (Philadelphia)
UPenn library acquires the papers of Ashley Bryan, a pioneering African American poet and artist known for children’s books
Lynne Farrington of the Libraries spoke about the acquisition of the Ashley Brian papers, which trace the author and illustrator’s 60-year publishing history. “He sees art as his salvation, as a way to deal with what’s happening in this country,” said Farrington.
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Walt Whitman bicentennial celebration kicks into high gear for his birthday
Lynne Farrington of the Kislak Center spoke about the significance of Walt Whitman to Philadelphia and the Libraries’ exhibition celebrating the poet’s life and accomplishments. “The relationship between Whitman and this region is close and fascinating,” she said. “It’s worthy of further exploration.”
FULL STORY →
Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn Libraries and venerable Philadelphia Athenaeum form bookish alliance
The Libraries have entered a partnership with the Athenaeum, Philadelphia’s last remaining subscription library. “Our new library partnership with the Athenaeum of Philadelphia makes easily accessible the Athenaeum’s unmatched collection of historic architectural publications and other documentation for the study of this rich legacy,” said David Brownlee, a School of Arts and Sciences professor and an Athenaeum board member. Jon Shaw and Constantia Constantinou were also quoted.
FULL STORY →
Forbes
What the Middle Ages can teach us about Star Wars’ ancient Jedi texts
The Schoenberg Institute was highlighted for its series of weekly videos in which the Libraries’ Dot Porter discusses parallels between fictional texts in the Star Wars universe and medieval manuscripts.
FULL STORY →
WHYY (Philadelphia)
Hive mind: What’s in these Ed Bacon photos?
Hannah Bennett of the Libraries spoke about an unlabeled trove of photographs donated to Penn by urban planner Ed Bacon before his death in 2005. The photos are now being posted to Flickr to solicit public help identifying the locations depicted. “You don’t have to be a Bacon scholar – or a Bacon enthusiast – to enjoy these pictures,” said Bennett.
FULL STORY →
Gizmodo
Blue pigment in 1,000-year-old teeth links women to the production of medieval manuscripts
The Libraries’ Nicholas Herman offered commentary on a study that used bio-archaeology to identify ultramarine in the dental tartar of an 11th-century woman in rural Germany. “Only by looking very closely at new kinds of evidence can we begin to discover the true importance of female artisans,” said Herman.
FULL STORY →