Read This Book!

Books about dogs was the theme of this installment of "Read This Book!" from the University of Minnesota Libraries. Host Lisa Von Drasek reviews "Dog Crazy," by Meg Donohue, and "All Dogs Go To Kevin," by Dr. Jessica Vogelsang. Von Drasek is the curator of the Children's Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries.

This month marks the opening of The Children's Theatre Company at 50... The Magic Continues, a University of Minnesota Libraries exhibit that highlights the expansive archives of the Children’s Theatre Company. In the video above, exhibit designer Darren Terpstra and exhibit curator Kate Hujda present a preview of the exhibit.

The exhibit celebrates the theatre’s monumental artistic achievements since it was founded in 1965. It will be open to the public through May 27 at the University’s Elmer L. Andersen Library.

An exhibit reception, free and open to the public, will take place April 6 at the University’s Elmer L. Andersen Library.

About the CTC archives

The University Libraries’ Performing Arts Archives welcomed the Children's Theatre Company (CTC) archives with the arrival of over 500 boxes representing more than 50 years of history in July 2014 — capping a decade of careful discussion and planning between the University and CTC.

From CTC’s earliest days as The Moppet Players to its Tony-award winning stature today, the archive contains records dating back to the early 1960s, including:

* Scripts, scores, and costumes sketches

* Press coverage, publicity, and production notes

* Photographs, correspondence, and administrative records

About the exhibit

The exhibit highlights key materials from the collection and includes the horse and carriage from CTC’s production of Cinderella as well as props from several other CTC productions, including A Year with Frog and Toad.

“This exhibit really focuses on some of the highlights from the theatre’s commitment to education, its international collaborations, iconic productions, and to some behind-the-scenes materials – including sketches and costume bibles – that we normally don’t see as audience members,” said Kathryn Hujda, assistant curator of the Performing Arts Archives and exhibit curator. “What this exhibit does really well is highlight the contributions of local artists who have made the Children’s Theatre Company so unique, and also the contributions of national and international artists who are part of CTC’s history.”

This month marks the opening of The Children's Theatre Company at 50... The Magic Continues, a University of Minnesota Libraries exhibit that highlights the expansive archives of the Children’s Theatre Company. In the video above, exhibit designer Darren Terpstra and exhibit curator Kate Hujda present a preview of the exhibit.

In this episode of Secrets of the Archives, Kate Hujda talks about the historic Minnesota Orchestra scrapbooks, which date back to the Orchestra's founding in 1903.

Hujda said that the scrapbooks are the only living record of the early days of the Orchestra and that they often are used by researchers looking to learn more about the history the Minnesota Orchestra and how orchestras developed around the country. 

Hujda is assistant curator of the University of Minnesota Libraries' Performing Arts Archives.

The scrapbooks are available for viewing by the public. Contact the Performing Arts Archives for more information. 

About Secrets of the Archives

Secrets of the Archives is hosted by Tim Johnson and produced by the University of Minnesota Libraries. Johnson is the curator for Rare Books and the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota.

In this episode of Secrets of the Archives, Kate Hujda talks about the historic Minnesota Orchestra scrapbooks, which date back to the Orchestra's founding in 1903. Hujda said that the scrapbook are the only living record of the early days of the Orchestra.

The theme of this installment of Read This Book! is Armchair Travel, which features University of Minnesota library assistants, Kaia Sievert and Amber Fick. The two review books set in various regions of the world.

Reviewed books include:

* Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

* In the Robert and Virginia McCollister Collection for Contemporary Literature

Located on the 1st floor of Wilson Library. 

* From Hennepin County Library

* St. Paul Public Library

* The Ice Princess by J. Camilla Lackberg

* From University Libraries

* From Hennepin County Library

* St. Paul Public Library

* Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

* From University Libraries

* From Hennepin County Library

* St. Paul Public Library

* Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

* From University Libraries

*

The theme of this installment of Read This Book! is Armchair Travel, which features University of Minnesota library assistants, Kaia Sievert and Amber Fick. The two review books set in various regions of the world.

A rare 17th century, hand-colored manuscript containing maps and plans for the city of Goa — including ports and fortresses on the coast of India — was featured on this installment of Secrets of the Archives, from the University of Minnesota Libraries.

The manuscript is part of the James Ford Bell Library collection at the University. 

Maps were created between 1610 and 1620

"We are able to date the maps to the early part of the 17th century — sometime between 1610 and 1620," said Maggie Ragnow, Curator of the Bell Library. She added that the manuscript itself was created closer to 1700.

The manuscript, she said, was donated to the Bell Library by a Minnesota couple and is considered one-of-a-kind.

Manuscript likely is 'one-of-a-kind'

"This is the only copy that we have been able to find anywhere in the world, in a library or in a museum," Ragnow said, adding that it's possible that one exists in a private collection. "But because this is all hand-done, this may well be the only copy that currently exists of this particular item." 

Watch the video above as host Tim Johnson interviews Maggie Ragnow, Curator for the University of Minnesota's James Ford Bell Library. Johnson is the Curator for Rare Books and the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries.

A rare 17th century, hand-colored manuscript containing maps and plans for the city of Goa — including ports and fortresses on the coast of India — was featured on this installment of Secrets of the Archives, from the University of Minnesota Libraries. The map is part of the James Ford Bell Library collection at the University.

Librarians Megan Kocher and Lisa Von Drasek review The New Mediterranean Table cookbook in this installment of Read This Book! from the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Chef Sameh Wadi, author of The New Mediterranean Table, was a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation "Best Chef " and "Rising Star" awards and was the youngest contestant to appear on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America." 

Books reviewed include:

* The New Mediterranean Table by Sameh Wadi

* From University of Minnesota Libraries

* From Hennepin County Library

* From Saint Paul Public Library

About Von Drasek and Kocher

Lisa Von Drasek is the Curator of the Children’s Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Kocher is a science librarian and the curator of the Doris S. Kirschner Cookbook Collection at the University of Minnesota Libraries.

About Read This Book!

Read This Book! is a video podcast produced by the University of Minnesota Libraries. It is available on YouTube and iTunes.