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Louisa Shepard
News Officer
lshepard@upenn.edu
Libraries
Penn Libraries acquires the personal papers of historian and activist Elizabeth Fee
Penn Libraries acquires the personal papers of historian and activist Elizabeth Fee
The papers of the pioneering historian and health advocate, who died in 2018, adds to the Libraries’ growing collection of materials charting the history of public health activism.
Penn Libraries receives major gift of rare photographic plates by Edward S. Curtis
Penn Libraries receives major gift of rare photographic plates by Edward S. Curtis
The University of Pennsylvania Libraries has received a rare collection of 151 interpositive glass plates by photographer Edward S. Curtis (1868–1952) from collector William H. Miller III. Appraised at $4.2 million, the gift to the Penn Libraries complements holdings across the University, making Penn a major center for research and work on Curtis, one of the most prolific American photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Penn’s Weingarten Center receives visionary gift
Penn’s Weingarten Center receives visionary gift
The $2.6 million gift will enhance the Center’s academic support and disability services.
The Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image celebrates 25 years
The Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image celebrates 25 years
The Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text and Image has spent the past 25 years digitizing collections from the Penn Libraries, partnering cultural institutions, and private collections.
Penn Libraries opens newly renovated Biotech Commons
Penn Libraries opens newly renovated Biotech Commons
The Penn Libraries has transformed its former Biomedical Library into a newly renovated space with a new name, the Biotech Commons.
Penn Libraries’ new curator for Civic Engagement
Samantha Hill is the newest addition to the curatorial team in the Penn Libraries’ Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books & Manuscripts.
The Divine Comedy’s ‘universal message’
The Divine Comedy’s ‘universal message’
Seven centuries years after Dante Alighieri's death on Sept. 14, 1321, his “Divine Comedy,” a poem in which an autobiographical protagonist journeys through hell, purgatory, and paradise, is still widely influential.
Two centuries old, a handwritten record of medical education
Two centuries old, a handwritten record of medical education
Penn Libraries is part of a multi-institution-funded project to digitize materials from early medical education. More than 1,000 Penn dissertations are now online, with the earliest dating from 1807.
New Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition focuses on introspection and contemplation
New Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition focuses on introspection and contemplation
The Arthur Ross Gallery’s new exhibition features 17th-century Dutch genre paintings paired with rare books from the Penn Libraries collection. On display until July 25, “An Inner World” focuses on contemplation.
Building an illustrated children’s book collection with the community
Building an illustrated children’s book collection with the community
The “Mirrors Collection,” curated by Penn students, is a list of illustrated children’s books chosen and reviewed especially for Philadelphia School District libraries and their diverse student populations.
Media Contact
In the News
Smithsonian Magazine
Explore the newly digitized diaries and letters of Marian Anderson
Andrea Nuñez and April James of the Libraries spoke about the newly digitized Marian Anderson collection housed in Penn’s Libraries. “I hope students gain a newfound respect for the challenging realities of Marian Anderson’s career,” said James. “Like countless other Black artists and writers of her time, she negotiated segregation at home and freedom abroad. Music allowed her to transcend these barriers and help her audiences see the possibility of a more inclusive future.”
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The New York Times
The rise of the D.I.Y. Haggadah
Arthur Kiron of the Libraries spoke about the popularity of the Haggadah, a Jewish prayer book for Passover. “It has such a powerful hold on the imagination because it tells a story of freedom through slavery,” he said. The Libraries’ Judaica collection is host to a collection of 1,800 volumes of the books.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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