Women’s History Month

Please join us in celebrating Women’s History Month!

Check out the display at the Circulation Desk, designed by Laura Coleman of Access Services, featuring many famous and interesting women. You might just find an inspiring and fascinating woman to learn about.

Audrey Williams,
Access Services

Register for the Openness Symposium

Amber Sherman, ScholarWorks Librarian at Albertsons Library has organized an Openness Symposium devoted to principles of Open Access, and the tools and resources available to help you incorporate Openness into your teaching and learning. The Symposium will be held September 30, 2015 in the SUB, Jordan Ballroom A.

Speakers will include:

• 9am: Dr. Chris Haskell, Boise State EdTech professor, will demonstrate Open Badges
• 10am: Leif Nelson, Interim Director of Learning Technology Solutions at Boise State will discuss teaching students about free and open content online
• 11am: Annie Gaines, University of Idaho Scholarly Communications Librarian, will present on Open Textbooks
• 1-4pm: Betsy Russell, Boise bureau chief for The Spokesman-Review, will lead a workshop on Open Government: Public Records and Open Meetings.

The symposium is a pre-conference offering at the Idaho Library Association's annual conference, which is being held at Boise State this year. Registration is open to the community; register for the symposium at http://idaholibraries.org/conferences/ila-annual-conference/.

Shakespeare’s First Folio Dates Announced

Breaking News: We’re bringing one of the most famous books of all time to Boise State in 2016! Boise State University was selected as Idaho’s only stop on a national tour of Shakespeare’s First Folio—the original 1623 edition of the collected works by Shakespeare.

From August 20 - September 21, 2016 you’ll be able to stop by the Arts and Humanities Institute Gallery in the Yanke Building (http://ahi.boisestate.edu/gallery/) and see a copy of this historic book. The exhibition marks the first time Shakespeare’s Folio has ever been on display for the public in Idaho.

18 of Shakespeare’s plays that we know today including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Twelfth Night probably would have been lost to us without the First Folio. The book was compiled by two actors in Shakespeare’s company after the playwright died; about 750 copies were originally printed, and only 233 copies are known to exist today.  The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. holds 82 copies of the First Folio, and in honor of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016, they are sending copies of the Folio to every state and to Puerto Rico beginning in January 2016.

During the exhibition, the First Folio will be opened to the most quoted line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “to be or not to be.” A multi-panel exhibition exploring Shakespeare’s impact, then and now, will be accompanied by digital content and interactive activities. Albertsons Library and the Arts and Humanities institute will also collaborate to create an exhibit celebrating the Idaho Shakespeare Festival’s 40th season in 2016.

Until then, we’ll be working with the Idaho Shakespeare Festival, the Boise Public Library and other local organizations to create a series of First Folio events for all ages while the exhibit is in town.  We’re so excited about this amazing opportunity for Boise State—if you have any questions or ideas, send them to librarian/archivist Gwyn Hervochon at gwynhervochon@boisestate.edu.

In Memory of an Idaho Rock and Roll Star

Photo from Flicker, C Thomas
Paul Revere: January 7, 1938 - October 4, 2014

Paul Revere was a unique, charismatic entertainer who started his music career in Caldwell and Boise, Idaho, and went on to become an icon of rock and roll. He passed away at his home in Garden Valley, Idaho, on October 4th.

Paul Revere and the Raiders always put on a show that was energetic and fun, ensuring that the audience had a memorable time. Paul Revere and the Raiders were Idaho’s answer to the ‘British invasion’ of rock bands at the time, such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones. The revolutionary costumes they wore were their trademark throughout their career.

Paul Revere worked closely with the likes of Dick Clark and appeared regularly on Where the Action Is. The band were guests on shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show. Paul Revere supported Ride to the Wall, a group in support of veterans, with two CD’s. Hits from his time with Paul Revere and the Raiders include Kicks, Indian Reservation. Louie Louie, Hungry. Check out some of the band’s music through Alexander Street Press.

You can also watch videos of the band’s performances and find more details about them on the Paul Revere & the Raiders website http://www.paulrevereandtheraiders.com/index.html

Audrey Williams & Shelly Doty

The Scott Preston Papers are now available for research!

As part of my internship experience, I had the opportunity to process and make available for research the Scott Preston Papers. It was quite the experience organizing the papers of someone’s life.While putting things in order, I learned who Scott was, what personal foibles he had, and his passion for poetry. It was very satisfying to see disorganization turn into 23 neat, researchable boxes. So, who was Scott Preston?

Photo Source: The Wood River Journal, May 16, 2007, p. A13.

Scott Preston was a poet, performer, and publisher largely based in the Wood River Valley, Idaho.

Preston considered his poems his diary. Special Collections now houses 20 years’ worth of published and unpublished poems.
 
Also writing for The Wood River Journal, Preston penned reviews, articles, and most notably, opinions in his weekly article, “Potshots.” In 1981, Preston began the Wind Vein Press and self-published collections of poetry called the White Clouds Revue.

As an advocate for cowboy poetry, the collection also contains memorabilia from various cowboy poetry gatherings, numerous books, and audio recordings of Preston himself and other cowboy poets.

The Scott Preston Papers give researchers the insight of the challenges of independent presses in Idaho, and the culture of the cowboy poet. To learn more about what the collection holds, see the finding aid here: nwda.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv53259/

A special thanks goes to all the folks who work in Special Collections. They are the best mentors an intern could have.

Mandy Moncur,
Special Collections and Archives Summer Intern

Celebrate Idaho!

 "Idaho" by w i n t e r t w i n e d  is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

124 years ago, the state of Idaho was welcomed as America’s 43rd state. I grew up in south-central Idaho and have a deep love for the Gem State. Every year on this day, I like to sing the Idaho state song and the Idaho centennial song. 

I was in 4th grade during the Centennial year, and in 4th grade you study Idaho history. Not only did I learn the state song and the county song, I also learned the song chosen to commemorate the centennial, “Celebrate Idaho.” You can hear a recording of this song, along with other Idaho centennial songs on this cassette tape, “Celebrate: A Selection of Idaho Centennial Songs” found in the library’s Curriculum Resource Center.

If you are not an Idaho native, or if you haven’t had a chance to travel to all of the Idaho places you wish to go, check out “Northwest Getaways: Trips in Idaho and Beyond,” published by the Idaho Statesman. The Library collects topographical maps of the various parts of the state so if you are looking for new hiking trails, fishing spots, or public land to camp on--you can check out these maps for 2 weeks at a time. Though I grew up here, there are still plenty of places for me to explore. As you travel the state, use the hashtag  #IDBucketList to let us all know about your adventures.

Singing of Idaho…  Mary Aagard

Check Out the Special Collections and Archives Exhibits

The next time you pass through the library be sure to take a look at our exhibits on the 2nd floor celebrating the lives of two fascinating Idaho leaders: Pete Cenarrusa and Bethine Church.

 

Learn about Pete and Bethine’s life and accomplishments through their letters, photographs, books, memorabilia, and other rare materials from their archival collections.

Bethine Church, widow of Idaho Senator Frank Church, was born into a politically active family and remained a prominent figure in Idaho politics throughout her life. In partnership with her husband, she earned the nickname of “Idaho’s third senator.”

Pete Cenarrusa's fifty-two years of service as legislator and Secretary of State makes him one of the longest-serving public officials in the United States. Throughout his life Pete Cenarrusa was dedicated to promoting the Basque cause and helping Basque communities and immigrants.

Bethine and Pete both passed away in 2013. Their collections are available for research here in the library.

For more information just stop by and see us or go to: http://library.boisestate.edu/special/

Gwyn Hervochon,
Archivist/Librarian

The One Way Club

Figure 1. A Wooden boat for floating the Salmon River. Marshall.
Edson Collection.

September is National Wilderness Month and the library has lots of resources for those interested in Idaho’s wilderness. You can learn more about the dangers and thrills you can find when visiting Idaho’s wilderness areas by stopping by the Special Collections and Archives (Room 222). Idaho’s Salmon River, one of America’s wildest rivers and is often called “The River of No Return.” Today, both the Middle Fork and the Main Salmon rivers are popular destinations for whitewater rafting and kayaking. This sport gained popularity after World War Two when the Army and Navy sold off its surplus of rubber rafts. Before then, the primary way to float a river was in a wooden boat called a skiff.

Figure 2. Marshall Edson (left) and another crew member operate
two large oars for maneuvering the boat. Edson collection.

Figure 3. The One Way Club navigates white water on the
Salmon River.  Edson collection.

You can find a perfect example of the end of the wooden skiff era for river rafting in the Marshall C. Edson Papers. In 1946, Edson and a crew of five other rafters took a trip down the Main Fork of the Salmon River – they called themselves the “One Way Club”. While they were not the first to accomplish this – in fact Lewis and Clark made a similar trek over 140 years earlier, but Edson’s trip was rare enough to make local news. Edson worked for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the goal of his trip was to document the variety and quantity of big game along the river. The wooden boat had two oars on front and back, a gasoline motor to navigate flat water, and even a small refrigerated box to preserve food. The trip took about two weeks and provided some publicity for the growing tourism industry in Idaho’s central mountains.

Edson’s trip down the Salmon River was in many ways an indicator of what was to come for Idaho’s wilderness. The recreation industry was slowly growing in Idaho’s mountains, while at the same time mining, timber, and conservation groups debated proper use of Idaho’s land. The 1964 Wilderness Act defined wilderness to be “where man himself is a visitor, who does not remain,” which essentially reserved select areas exclusively for conservation and non-motorized recreation. Sixteen years later, Congress added the River of No Return Wilderness to the list of protected wilderness areas. In 1984, it was renamed the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness. To view Marshal Edson’s scrapbook of his trip down the Salmon River, request MSS 155 from Special Collections and Archives.

Figure 4. The One Way Club give the hand signal for “everything okay.”
Edson collection.

Jim Duran,

Special Collections & Archives 

Exhibit Celebrates 150 Years of Writing in Idaho

Albertsons library is celebrating the 150th year anniversary of the founding of the City of Boise AND the Idaho territory with an exhibition about the history of writing in Idaho and Boise.

Come see the exhibit, which will run through the summer, on the second floor. Some topics include: Famous Idaho Authors, Unique Idaho Fiction, Boise Environment, Boise Communities and more! All books, magazines and manuscripts used in the exhibit are from the Library’s Special Collections and Archives, which collects books and manuscripts about Idaho.

 Jim Duran,
Special Collections & Archives