Monday, October 12, 2009

Trade Binding Images Now Available Through Public Catalog


The American Trade Bindings Digital Library ContentDM database has been up for over a month. [See earlier post.] Users can now access images through the public catalog now that code to the live database is moved to the public catalog. Images are shown in both the brief and full record displays.

If you want to see all trade binding images available in the public catalog, search "American trade bindings" in the "subject begins with" field on the basic search screen.

We’re now beginning the second phase of the project, adding images (and records to ContentDM) from the Girls Books in Series Collection, so the project will be growing over the next few months.

Special message from Paul Hessling :
Heartfelt thanks to the Cataloging Department’s intrepid student assistants, Callie Moss and also Keonna Harrison, for their work with editing the catalog records and adding genre terms, and to Terry Brandsma, SIRSI master, for making this all work in the public catalog.


Happy searching!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

A Cloud of Death Engulfs a Campus: Typhoid Fever and UNCG in 1899



In November and December of 1899, the State Normal and Industrial College [now UNCG] faced a major crisis that almost shut down the school permanently after existing for only eight years. On November 15, 1899, Linda Toms, a student from Shelby NC, died suddenly from typhoid fever. Following her death, twelve more students would contract the illness and die prompting President Charles McIver to shut down the school in an attempt to stop the sickness from spreading.

At the time, the deaths of 13 students accounted for 3% of the total student population. Based on today’s enrollment numbers, a 3% death rate would equal 558 students! Also, roughly 12% of the students became ill in 1899 meaning over 2,234 students would take ill today based on the same percentage. Amidst the current worldwide scare of H1N1, the University Archives invites you to view its newest exhibit A Cloud of Death Engulfs a Campus: Typhoid Fever and UNCG in 1899 and look back at UNCG’s first pandemic and learn about the scare it faced 110 years ago.

- Sean Mulligan
Exhibit Dates and Location
October 7, 2009 - January 4, 2010
EUC Connector