About Falvey: Newsletter: March '99

Contents: March 1999

"The Camelot Project" From the library system at the University of Rochester, designed by Alan Lupack, curator of the Robbins Library, Barbara Tepa Lupack and others. Links to Arthurian texts, images, bibliographies, and basic information.

 From this site, you can search the texts containing Arthurian legend, for example, Tennyson's "Idylls of the King" to determine when and how often certain words occur. The Artist Menu allows you to select artists who have created paintings reflecting Arthurian settings and characters, such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "King Arthur in Avalon," illustrating Tennyson's "The Palace of Art."

 Also of interest, under "Camelot Project Bibliographies" is Arthurian Film, an annotated list of films which feature Arthurian themes, from Parsifal (1904) to First Knight (1995).

The Elements of Style, by William Strunk, Jr. From the Bartleby Archive project, the first edition of the classic guide to written style, including those elementary rules of usage and principles of composition ("Use the active voice" "Omit needless words.")

"This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature. It aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style." (Introduction)

The library is constantly adding new items to its collection of print and electronic resources. To find out what new databases, services and titles are available either in the library or through the library's website, click on the "What's New" link on FLASH, the library's homepage (www.library.villanova.edu) The "What's New" page features two sections: one for general library news, and one for new services.

The general "What's New" section offers links to web resources of use and interest to the Villanova community. Currently featured in the general section are links to the Bartley Virtual Reading Room; an information and instruction page for the new proxy server (see Blueprints, February 1999); state and federal tax forms; an article "Philly's Dining Renaissance" written by Susan Markley, head of Periodicals, and Jim Mullins, director, Falvey Library; and the library's lectures and exhibits schedule.

The "New Services" section continuously features a link to "VUCat search: New Titles," which offers step-by-step directions for finding recently published titles added to the library's collection. (A selection of the library's new titles is displayed near the Reference and Circulation desks on the first floor.) The library adds titles every day, so checking the catalog often is a fine way to stay on top of newly added titles.

Another new service is full-text access to journals produced by MCB University Press, available through their Emerald service. The major content areas of this service are marketing, human resources, quality management, information management, library and information services, training and education, general management, property, operations, production and economics and engineering.

The "Databases" category has direct links to new databases, and/or to a list of new databases if the library has a new subscription to a database provider. Links to databases freely available on the web, and new to our collection, are also featured here.

The content of "What's New" changes frequently, so we encourage you to take a look at it often.

Have you ever thought of the Villanova University Archives as an information center? If you visit the "Gregor Mendel Exhibit" presently on display on the second floor in Falvey Memorial Library, you will notice that some of the items, such as photographs of past and current award recipients, correspondence, invitations, newspaper clippings, telegrams and the Mendel Medal are from the University archives. Because these materials were carefully conserved in the archives, the exhibit can more effectively inform visitors both about Gregor Mendel, O.S.A., andthe history of the Mendel Medal Award at Villanova University.

Again, you may be looking for information on any number of topics that are related to Villanova, such as academics, administration, athletics, faculty, staff, students or alumni/ae. The University archives is one of the best places to search. Conserving these materials is possible because of cooperation between the various offices of the University and the University archives. Transferring such materials and memorabilia to the archives ensures that the materials will be available for the future.

While the archives house materials, the most important component in the archives is the human element: The University archivists not only know the archives but also are stimulated by them and derive satisfaction from sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with others.

The present archivist is the Rev. Dennis J. Gallagher, O.S.A. Fr. Gallagher comes to the job well credentialed with a doctorate in higher education, an master of arts in theology and an master of science in library science. As a graduate of the University and a former teacher in the library science department, he is familiar with the history of Villanova as well as the personnel and departments. Following his appointment he has attended numerous workshops and conferences dealing with archival issues, and in 1996 he received a certificate from the Modern Archives Institute in Washington, D.C.

Fr. Gallagher has assisted many people within and outside the university. In preparation for the sesquicentennial of Villanova University, the University commissioned Dr. David Contosta to write a history of Villanova, with the cooperation of Fr. Gallagher who provided research and editorial assistance. Many other projects, such as the pictorial Ever Ancient, Ever New, or the sesquicentennial exhibit Villanova: College to University, 1842-1992, with the exhibit catalog, were works that required the use of the University archives.

Villanova University Archives, located on the second floor of Falvey Memorial Library, was established in 1960 as the official repository for non-current University records with permanent, historical, legal, fiscal or administrative value. The primary mission of the University archives is to "appraise, collect, organize, describe, preserve, and make available for research and reference use those university records and ancillary records." In collecting these materials, the university archivist recognizes and honors matters of privilege and confidentiality.

Fr. Gallagher developed Villanova University's institutional statement of authorization for archival collection and preservation, a statement officially approved by the Rev. John Driscoll, O.S.A., in 1987 and fully endorsed by Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin, O.S.A., when he became president. The policies developed for collection and access were published in the Handbook for Archival Collection and Preservation of University Records.

The wide range of holdings includes: manuscripts; documents; correspondence; letters; reports; minutes of meetings; accreditation reports; self-studies; institutional studies; publicity materials; posters; programs of events; invitations; anniversary celebration records; addresses; citations; news clippings; directories; departmental/public relations brochures; handbooks; pamphlets; scrapbooks; photographs; and memorabilia. Some materials considered archival are housed in a special collection identified as OV (Villanova University Publications Collection) and include college/university catalogs; handbooks; manuals; directories; yearbooks; university, departmental and student publications; student theses; and faculty publications.

The work of the archivist is to seek out and review the materials that are sent to the archives. According to Fr. Gallagher, "Even though we are a throw away society, there are things that we must absolutely not throw away. Anything that a member of the Villanova University community produces or generates in the course of his or her work at the university can become part of the archives. It is important to send appropriate materials to the archives so our history will be preserved."

Preserving the past means providing for the future.

A bloody rebellion, a martyred hero, and an alliance forged across religious allegiances.

Visitors to Falvey Library are invited to examine an exhibit of rare books about Ireland's "Rebellion of 1798," a failed effort by Irish Catholics and Protestants to overthrow English rule.

The Rebellion of 1798 is the theme of the Information Literacy program's Quest Strategies designed to illustrate sophisticated information gathering and analysis skills to the entire first year class, as described in last month's BluePrints. The McGarrity Collection in Falvey Library's Special Collections Department houses many rare and valuable books about Irish history, and a number of books from this collection have been selected for display through the spring semester in the Special Collections display cases on the first floor of the library across from the Circulation Desk.

One exhibit case displays items illustrating the history of the Society of United Irishmen, a society formed in Belfast and Dublin in 1791 by Theobald Wolfe Tone to agitate for parliamentary reform and equal religious rights. Initially led by Protestant merchants and professionals from Belfast and Dublin, its members included both Protestants and Catholics. Later it became militantly anti-English and republican, and in 1795 was driven underground.

Theobald Wolfe Tone, a dramatic figure in the Rebellion, is often considered a national martyr.
You can examine a 1792 edition of Wolfe Tone's An Argument on Behalf of the Catholics of Ireland. This pamphlet was first published in August 1791 and called for a close alliance between the Catholics and the Protestants in Ireland. Though a Presbyterian, Wolfe Tone became assistant secretary of the Catholic Committee in 1792. Due to intense political pressure, he fled into exile in America and actually lived near Philadelphia.

He later moved to France, and led armies from France in 1796 and again in 1798, to Lough Swilly. Captured at Buncrana, he was tried before a court martial and convicted of high treason, but committed suicide before he could be hanged.

The Press, the newspaper of the United Irishmen, was published under increasingly difficult circumstances from September 1797 to March 1798 when its presses were seized by government soldiers. Extracts from this newspaper are displayed in The Beauties of the Press (London, 1800) and in Extracts from the Press (Philadelphia, 1802).

Another display case features accounts of specific events and battles during the Rebellion. Many of these books contain plates, drawings and maps. W. H. Maxwell's History of the Irish Rebellion in 1798 (London, 1887) has 26 etched plates by George Cruikshank who depicted the insurgents in a rather satirical way. Thomas Hancock's The Principles of Peace, exemplified in the Conduct of the Society of Friends in Ireland, during the Rebellion of the Year 1798 (Philadelphia, 1829) contains the statements of eyewitnesses to the events of 1798.

Theobald Wolfe Tone and other prominent United Irishmen are featured in the third display case. Here you can admire portraits of Wolfe Tone. Also on display is a copy of the Life of Theobald Wolfe Tone Written by Himself and continued by His Son (Washington, D.C., 1826). This edition contains Wolfe Tone's journal, and many appendices with his political writings, including selections from correspondence between United Irishmen, data on the Catholic Committee and more. The journal entries for August 1795 describe his stay in Philadelphia, in West Chester and in Downingtown. Walker's Hibernian Magazine is open to November 1798 where "An Account of the Trial of Theobald Wolfe Tone" is printed.

The exhibit can be seen during library hours until the end of April.

The exhibit was created by Bente Polites, Special Collections Librarian, and Steve Dixon, Assisting Graphic Artist in Falvey Library's Instructional Media Services Department.

or more information about Quest Strategies, visit the QUEST link at http://www.vill.edu/library.

Robert C. Tucker, professor emeritus, Princeton University, recently donated his collection of books on Russian history and politics to Falvey Library, according to Dennis Lambert, head of Collection Development and Management. Included were more than 900 books in Russian and an additional 227 in English. Dr. Tucker acquired many of these books in Moscow secondhand bookshops during his residence there in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Dr. Tucker will speak at Villanova on April 20 to faculty and students in RASCON, the Russian Area Studies Concentration, on the past and present state of Russian studies.

Dr. Tucker is the author of a number of books, including Stalin as Revolutionary, 1879-1929: A Study in History and Personality (Norton, 1973) and Stalin in Power: The Revolution from Above, 1928-1941 (Norton, 1990).

Cataloging of the books has commenced, coordinated by Taras Ortynsky, head of Technical Services, who will accomplish cataloging the Russian titles. The collection, which will be shelved in the circulating collection, will add depth to Russian and Soviet Union historical and political science studies.