Talking in the Library

It's time to plant your beets...

...and not just according to Dwight Schrute, beet expert that he is. My unimpeachable source is K-State's Research and Extension's March 2010 publication, Kansas Garden Guide.

If the daffodils, budding trees, and warm sun is making you itch to dig in the soil (it's only dirt if it's under your fingernails) this guide is for you. When you've finished, let me know and you can come take care of my garden. I'm still struggling with this compost thing and my tomatoes didn't turn out so well last year.

Image source: beet it http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/ / CC BY 2.0

K-State Keepsakes: "In Her Own Write"; Women's History Month in the University Archives

22nd in the Series

This month is more than "March Madness," it is National Women's History Month and the perfect time to recognize the women's holdings of the University Archives, especially when the theme for this year is "Writing Women Back Into History."  Just what the University Archives is all about!  Focusing on this topic comes with some degree of hesitation because space does not afford the luxury of addressing this challenging topic in the manner in which it deserves; there is a risk that certain women and collections will be overlooked.  But, if the cliche "the tip of the iceberg" was ever appropriate, this is the time because the women's holdings of University Archives & Manuscripts are vast in quantity and rich in quality!

From the time that K-State was established in 1863 women have played a significant role in its history.  When the college opened that year on September 2, half of the 52 students were female as were two of the six faculty listed in the first college catalog published in 1864!  Today a multitude of records and collections are available which document the vital role of women at K-State during the last 147 years!  In addition, countless personal collections created by women or containing significant information about them have been donated to support research on scholarly topics strategic to the academic programs at K-State, and scholarship on the national level.

To make this Keepsake manageable in this limited venue, the collections are organized below according to category or subject with the understanding that many could be listed under more than one area.

Faculty papers.  The papers of many outstanding women faculty are preserved in the University Archives.  Major examples, their academic disciplines, and dates of contents are as follows: Harriett Parkerson, niece of Isaac Goodnow, one of K-State's founders (K-State and Manhattan history, late 1800s); Nellie Kedzie Jones, Class of 1876 (domestic science, 1882-1955); Mary T. Harmon (zoology, 1912-1952); Vida Harris (art, 1915-1970); Tessie Agan (family economics and consumer issues, 1957-1974); Leone Kell (family economics and homemakers service (1946-1975); Mary Border (extension home economics in the Middle east, 1953-1967); Ruth Hoeflin (personal papers and college of home economics historical files, 1875-2001); Virginia Quiring (Farrell Library); Caroline Peine (assistant dean of students, and center for student development, ca 1961-1981); Cornelia Butler Flora (sociology and first female president of faculty senate, 1976-1989); Margo Kren (art and Kansas City Artists Coalition, 1971-2009); Pat O'Brien (anthropology, ca 1970-2008).

Alumni and professions.  Mamie Alexander Boyd, Class of 1902 (newspaper journalism, rural Kansas, and women's organizations; Boyd Hall named in her honor; 1876-1979); Alice Nichols, '27 (literature, 1914-1961); Marie Rezak Bonebrake (Kansas genealogy and history); Velma Carson, 1915-1919 (literature, 1913-1983); Clementine Paddleford, '21 (food editor, 1925-1967); Sue Dawon, '62 (food editor, 1979-2001).

Student records, papers and organizations.  Scrapbooks and photograph albums of approximately 40 students (ca 1895-1940); Domestic Science Club (late 1800s); Smith, Bottomly and Lill Papers (family letters, ca 1934-1945); Boyd Hall (1960), Putnam Hall (1953-1999), and Association of Residence Hall (1968-2001) scrapbooks; Mortar Board (1933-2008); Clovia Scholarship House (ca 1931-2004); Literary Societies (organizations, late 1800s to per WWII years); 4-H Youth Programs (1913-1960).

K-State records and organizations.  Dames/Student Wives Educational Association (1947-1978); Women in Communication (1916-1977); Commission on the Status of Women; University Women’s Caucus (1987-1999); Media Relations (former faculty files, ca 1950-2009); Sue Peterson (assistant to the president/director government relations); First Ladies of K-State (material on wives of presidents, 1863-present)

Athletics.  photographs, scrapbooks, programs, etc. related to women’s sports at K-State (ca 1949-present).

State and national organizations.  Kansans for the Equal Rights Amendment /Caroline Peine (1975-1983); Kansas Association of Extension Home Economists (1914-1986); Kansas Extension Homemakers Council (1914-1983); Kansas Association of Family and Community Education; KSU Social Club (1911-present); Kansas Master Farmer-Master Farm Homemaker (1927-1984); Novelists, Inc. (popular fiction writers, 1989-present).

Consumer Movement. Dorothy Willner (International Organization of Consumers Organizations, representative to United Nations, 1974-1983); Florence Mason (1959-1987).

Cookery. Clementine Paddleford (food editor, 1925-1967); Sue Dawson (food editor, 1979-2001).

Military history.  Marjorie Honstead Feldhausen (U.S. Army nurse , 1943-1946); Frances Jennings Casement (letters to husband, General John S. Casement, Union army, 1861-1865); Richard and Marion Boydston (1943-1945); Victor and Alice Roper (1944-1946).

Personal collections. Marion Van Atta (edible & subtropical plants, gardening, 1970-1998);  Doris Fenton (Tuttle Creek Dam, 1948-1955); Doris and Leona Velen  (Tuttle Creek Dam opposition, 1937-1962);  Lenora Herring (poultry); Edna Worthley Underwood (literature/Latin American authors, 1889-1946); Marie Boyd (newspaper journalism and women’s organizations, 1929-2003)  Martha Keys (U.S. House of Representatives,  1975-1978); Shelia Hochhauser (Kansas House of Representatives, 1988-1966); Marjorie J. Morse (Manhattan and Riley County history). 

University Archives collections documenting women. K-State newspapers, photographs, lecture recordings and files (Landon Lectures, Convocations, etc.), faculty publications, "First Ladies of K-State" files that document wives of the presidents, vertical/reference files covering numerous subjects (individuals, organizations, lectures, buildings on campus named after women, etc.).

Descriptions of the majority of the collections identified above can be found by visiting the University Archives homepage; many include links to their "finding aids."  A major source of information about the women's holdings related to K-State is available in University Archives & Manuscripts: K-State Women, Selected Holdings, prepared by Cindy Von Elling in 1995.

Given this impressive information that identifies and recognizes the significant holdings of women in the University Archives, "In Her Own Write" is more than a quotation.  It is inherent in the collections that are essential to providing scholarly information needed by students, faculty and distant researchers.  It is with this mission in mind that we celebrate National Women's History Month in the University Archives!

Anthony R. Crawford, University Archivist

Credits. Photographs from University Archives: Mamie Alexander Boyd Papers, Clementine Paddleford Papers, Subject Files, and 1863 College Catalogue.  Quotation used in the title from IN HER OWN WRITE: Women's History Resources in the Library and Archives of the Missouri Historical Society,  St. Louis, 1983, edited by Beverly Bishop and Deborah Bolas; published while the author of this Keepsake was Director of Library and Archives at that institution.

 

Vintage Photo Friday: PE, old school style

Ahhh...the good ol' days, when you did PE in a dress.

Mind the Gap: Embracing Wikipedia

A colleague in the English Department forwarded to me Rob Weir's column, "Does Wikipedia Suck?" from Inside Higher Ed. In case you are expecting me to immediately jump up and declaim, "YES, Wikipedia is the spawn of ignorance and laziness," well, don't. I'm one of many librarians who extol the virtues of Wikipedia as both a starting point and an idea generator in the research process. We always point out the citations and more reading section at the bottom of an entry as a way to discover sources.

I frequently have conversations with students about the appropriateness of sources, including Wikipedia. My favorite example is the "coconut milk transfusion" investigation. It was my last in a long day of classes and the students were chatting before class about how much money you could earn selling your plasma. We decided to research selling and donating plasma. As part of an exercise to come up with other search terms, one student insisted that they write down "coconuts." I was as baffled as you are. The student explained that he had heard that soldiers in the Pacific during World War II carried coconuts with them because the coconut milk could be used like plasma. If you look at the Wikipedia article on coconuts, you will find that "fact." I turned to the rest of the class and asked if any of them would inject coconut milk in their veins on the say-so of a Wikipedia article. I am delighted to report that not one of them would. We then set about trying to answer the coconut milk transfusion question--and each time someone found a source, we asked, "Would I inject the coconut milk into my veins based on this source?"  In the end, we found one article in PubMed. Not one of us ever reached the point when injecting coconut milk seemed like a good idea. If, at any point, it seems like a good idea to you, I strongly advise that you consult a doctor. If you want to research this further, you should try the term "coconut water,"  which, as Wikipedia tells us, is not the same thing at all as coconut milk.

So, for me, Weir's column made me go "Hmmm" and  immediately wonder how we could use Weir's assignment evaluating Wikipedia (and truly, any other information source) here at K-State. My first thought is that such an assignment could be readily incorporated into any intro/research methods/capstone course, particularly those courses that focus on how research in the field is communicated. I also like one of the comments that suggests assigning students a Wikipedia entry to revise entries that have been identified as needing more citations. (Or cowbell. Everything could use more cowbell.) I would suggest that the coconut article could use a few more sources.

What are you doing with Wikipedia?

Image source: coconut.http://www.flickr.com/photos/bionicteaching/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

Spring time in Hale

It's spring and while your thoughts may be straying to more delightful pursuits than studying, Hale's awesomeness continues to shine.

We have daffodils.

We have sunlight streaming through windows.

We have food and drink at the Bookend cafe.

We have librarians who wax poetic at the first sight of a blue sky and blooming flowers.

And we have snappy new, make-it-yourself study spaces on 2nd floor. The tables, chairs, and whiteboard walls are all on wheels, so configure and reconfigure to your satisfaction!

Happy spring, everyone!

Bluemont Literary Society at K-State, 1864-1868

I have been skimming a bound volume of the Bluemont Literary Society that contains its constitution, by-laws, and minutes, and gleaned some fascinating information about what K-State students were discussing during this period.  Created in 1864 (the college was founded in 1863), the Society was limited to students and its purpose was the "promotion of literature, friendship, and morality."

During its meetings the students would often hear debates between members on various topics the membership chose as being worthy of discussion; they selected individual members to debate each side of the issue at the next meeting.  For example, included among the topics for debate in 1865 were, "the Negro had more cause of complaint against the White man than the Indian," "woman has more influence over the mind of man than money," and "art is more attractive than nature."

Interested in which side of the debate that the members selected as the winning argument, and learning more about this organization and what topics were engaging to K-State students during this turbulent period in U.S. history?  The volume, hand written by the secretary, is available for study in the University Archives, 8-5, Monday through Friday!!!!

Tony Crawford, University Archivist

Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day

Today, March 24th, is Ada Lovelace Day, a time to recognize women in science and technology. Ada Lovelace is credited with writing some of the world's first computer programs for a machine called the Analytical Engine. People all over the world are posting to the web, and putting links on twitter in tribute to women who have worked, famously or anonymously, in fields like medicine, computer science, engineering, and biology.

I'd like to tell you about someone on the more anonymous side of that famous-to-anonymous spectrum.  Her name is Karen Hummel, and she's my aunt.  Her first college degree  was in a distinctly feminine field - Home Economics Education, but she returned to school after having three children to pursue a degree in engineering at K-State.  While here, she directed the Minority Engineering Program. This program assisted traditionally underrepresented students: women, African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, etc - in networking and pursuing careers in engineering.  For her work, she was recognized with the Presidential Faculty/Staff Award for Distinguished Service to Minority Students in 1984.

The demands of working full time and raising a family make pursuing a degree a part-time process.  Karen earned her engineering degree from San Diego State University in 1996. With degree in hand, she took on a position at General Dynamics as a coordinator for a team that designed launch pads, (yes, launch pads!  that's a seriously awesome job) and then later for TransCore on implementation of a toll road system in Oklahoma. 

I chose Karen to write about today because I think she's typical of many women who work in the sciences and technology - more on the end of "anonymous" than "famous", and more balanced in her approach - science and technology woven in and among, informing a full life, rather than a single obsessive pursuit.  I'm sure you know and love women much like her - consider recognizing and celebrating one of them today!

Shortcuts: Mining for Citations: Using Dissertations and Theses Full Text to Create Bibliographies

When creating a bibliography for a large research project, it is often helpful to “mine” others’ research for possible sources. The idea behind mining is to gather a large of amount of citations on a particular topic quickly without having to search through numerous databases. To do this, you can use the database Dissertations and Theses Full-Text. Dissertations and Theses-Full-Text indexes dissertations and theses in a wide variety of fields from many different institutions around the country. A dissertation is a large book length work that individuals complete for a PhD whereas a thesis is a shorter work (perhaps a 100 pages) that individuals complete for a Masters degree.

One of the nice things about the database Dissertations and Theses Full-Text is that many of the citations that are from 1996 to the present have the full-text linked to them.  This means you just click on the full text or PDF link to open the dissertation and then scroll towards the end of the document to see the reference list. You can then use our citation linker and catalog to find the sources. If the full-text is not linked, you can either request the hard copy through Interlibrary Services or, if it is a K-State dissertation or thesis, retrieve it from Hale Library Stacks.

By using the mining technique you can see what has been written on your topic recently and, as well, important seminal works will be cited. To find this resource, go to the alphabetical listing on the Databases page and select the letter “D”.

~E. Pankl

Celebrate Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month and the Women’s Studies Program, History Department, and Libraries Inclusiveness Committee are celebrating by hosting a talk by Dr. Sue Zschoche on March 24 at 7pm in the Hemisphere Room in Hale Library. Come by and learn what women’s history actually is and why modern feminism needs it more than ever. Dr. Zschoche’s talk entitled “Women’s History: A Manifesto” will explain how women’s history is a feminist project and what it can teach feminists today.

Time to be counted!

Received a U.S. Census form in the mail?  Fill it out today!  It is so easy and quickly completed.  You will kick yourself if you keep placing it in your growing "to do later" pile and someone comes knocking on your door and asking questions.  Just be sure to use blue or black ink and place it back in the return envelope correctly.  Sigh...... I got that last part wrong and had to re-open and tape to seal.  But even that task didn't take long!